Tex Appeal October 2016

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Features

31

JOY OF HAIR BRAIDING Intricate designs from Africa

Hair braiding isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been around for millennia, dating back as far as 5,000 years. Initially, braids carried a cultural component. In ancient times, it often identified a person’s marital status, social standing, tribe or clan. Depending on what part of the world you were from, braiding had definitive looks and designs in every region of the world.

By CATHERINE HOSMAN

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Barbells for boobs

Event funds breast cancer fight

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Rise above the rest

Go beyond basic jack-o’-lantern Not long ago, decorating pumpkins each October meant something similar to most Americans. Families gathered around their kitchen tables, pumpkins at hand. Kids marveled at the cold, wet fibers inside the pumpkins as they scooped them out before carving a creepy face. This tradition continues today, but with a new, creative twist. Many people are now putting down their classic carving tools in lieu of supplies like glitter, paint and glue.

By DANIELLE EVERETT

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Sally Phillips and her fellow CrossFitters are warming up for Belton’s seventh annual Barbells for Boobs fundraiser Oct. 29 and 30 at Belton Christian Youth Center. Operating under the credo that “everyone has a right to know if they are living with breast cancer,” the Barbells for Boobs grant program channels funds toward providing mammograms for those patients who might otherwise miss out on breast cancer screenings: men, women under the age of 40 and the under- or uninsured. Phillips has been involved with Barbells for Boobs since nearly the beginning.

In 2009, Zionna “Z” Hanson, who owned a CrossFit affiliate in California, wanted to honor a friend, a breast cancer survivor who had been denied a mammogram before her eventual diagnosis at the age of 26.

By MANDY SHELTON

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Resale with a purpose Laura Mae’s supports ministry Trends may come and go, but one trend that doesn’t go out of style is dressing well, and doing it frugally. But it’s hard to find that special outfit for work, play or social events that doesn’t drain the pocket book. One nice outfit, especially if it’s a designer label, can take a big chunk out of a woman’s clothing budget. And if she is starting over after a long period of under- or unemployment, the choices are even slimmer.

By CATHERINE HOSMAN

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

Departments

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TexTalk Neighbors Local artist Vivian Kusak

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TexTalk FLAVOURS Alexander’s Distillery in Salado

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TexTalk BEAUTY

Kristen Bulgrien opens her bag

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TexTalk SCENE

Temple Symphony Orchestra opens new season Harker Heights Food, Wine and Brew Fest

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TexTalk CALENDAR Upcoming events in October

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TexTalk WELL-FED HEAD

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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WELL-CONNECTED

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Contributors 1

OctOber 2013 tex AppeAl

ON the COVER Kristen Bulgrien of Helping Hands Ministry and Laura Mae’s Resale Shop. 53 Photograph by JULIE NABOURS

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

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PROFILES

64 ADVERTISER’S INDEX

“The Undoing of Saint Silvanus” by Beth Moore

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TexFIT

Health benefits of tai chi

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TexVOLUNTEERS

Resale with a purpose at Laura Mae’s

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TexADVENTURES

Gruene offers something for everyone to explore

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TexTHERAPY

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

From the Editor

Tex Appeal Life & Style in Central Texas

Dear Readers,

I’ve said it before and I will say it again — the best part of being the editor of Tex Appeal Magazine is meeting all of you. Month after month I am privileged to meet amazing people in Bell County. With every introduction and discussion, I seem to find a common thread with every person I meet, and I always learn a little bit more about life and oftentimes myself.

This month is no exception.

When I met with several women from West Africa who practice the art of African hair braiding, I was greeted warmly with open enthusiasm for the story. They shared their heritage and stories of their respective cultures while working on clients, always smiling and finding a bit of humor in each other, Page 31.

As we continue in this new millennium, many people are returning to the trend of repurposing. While most people like to refurbish old furniture, Harker Heights resident Vivian Kusak created an art form by reusing old costume jewelry and turning it into inspirational, sentimental and whimsical art designs, Page 12.

Recycling gently used clothing and accessories seems to be a trend that doesn’t go out of style. For many women, what is old to them is new to someone else, and when buying from Laura Mae’s Resale Shop at Helping Hands Ministry, you are buying resale for a purpose, Page 53.

It’s pumpkin time again, and the trend of carving out that familiar jacko’-lantern face has given way to creating more imaginative designs. Terri Landeros of Temple Parks & Recreation offers ideas for a new way of pumpkin decorating, Page 35.

Exercise is always trendy, and doctors today continue to encourage their patients to get up and move. Not everyone can walk 40 minutes a day, run a 5K or a marathon, but the ancient art of tai chi is a movement most people of every age can master, Page 48.

We can’t forget that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month, we pay tribute to an organization that raises money to help uninsured or underinsured women get a much-needed annual mammogram, Page 41.

With October here, the temperatures should be a little cooler. This makes it a perfect time to take a day trip to someplace in Texas you may not have visited before.

Take a step back in time to Gruene, a former ghost town where you can shop, dine, raft the Guadalupe River or enjoy music at Gruene Hall, one of the oldest music halls in Texas, Page 58.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re trending, take a break, pour yourself a glass of your favorite fall beverage and enjoy the October issue of Tex Appeal.

Catherine Hosman

Tex Appeal Editor edittexappealmagazine@gmail.com 254-501-7511

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Published by FRANK MAYBORN ENTERPRISES, INC. KILLEEN DAILY HERALD 1809 Florence Rd., Killeen, TX 76540

TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM 10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501

Publisher SUE MAYBORN Editor CATHERINE HOSMAN Editorial Director ROSE FITZPATRICK Editorial Assistant DANIELLE EVERETT Photographers/Graphic Designers

M. CLARE HAEFNER JULIE NABOURS Contributors FRED AFFLERBACH MITCHEL BARRETT AMY PROCTOR MANDY SHELTON GABE WOLF Advertising 254-778-4444 254-501-7500

Tex Appeal Magazine is published monthly by Frank Mayborn Enterprises, Inc. 10 S. Third St., Temple, TX 76501. The cover and content of Tex Appeal Magazine is fully protected by copyright and cannot be reproduced in any manner without prior permission.

Subscriptions: For the United States, $24 per year, 12 issues.

Mail check to P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114.

Questions about subscriptions, call 254-778-4444.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Tex Appeal Magazine, P.O. Box 6114, Temple, TX 76503-6114.

How to contact us: Advertising: Call 254-778-4444 or 254-501-7500.

Editorial: Contact Catherine Hosman at 254-501-7511 or email edittexappealmagazine@ gmail.com.

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DID YOU KNOW?

You can read back issues of Tex Appeal Magazine online at texappealmag.com.

Log on today to find the current issue and older editions of Tex Appeal.

You also can connect with us on Facebook.

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Contributors FreD AFFLERBACH is an award-winning writer and novelist, college graduate at age 50, and former long-haul trucker. His stories and columns have been published in daily newspapers across Texas. His novel, “Roll On,” debuted in 2012, and is an interstate odyssey about a man afflicted with an incurable wanderlust despite pressure from family and friends to settle down. Fred lives in Cedar Park with his wife, Diane, and enjoys perusing Central Texas backroads with a keen eye out for roadrunners, old trucks and lipstick sunsets.

MITCHEL BARRETT is an award-winning photographer and owner of Mitchel Barrett Photography. Although originally from the British Virgin Islands, for the past 12 years he has come to call the city of Killeen his home. He developed his love of photography while attending high school and the KISD Career Center, and has enjoyed life behind the lens ever since. When not busy taking photos, you can probably find him at the movies with friends or at home with his family and two dogs.

DANIELLE EVERETT is a military spouse and award-winning journalist. Before coming to Tex Appeal, she was a reporter and fill-in anchor at KWQC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Davenport, Iowa. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri and a bachelor’s in radio and television journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism. While attending school she also reported, anchored and produced shows for the NBC affiliate in Columbia, Mo., KOMU-TV. Danielle is from the Chicago suburbs. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Texas with her husband and spending time with friends and family.

Workshops coming soon!

Women’s Apparel, Jewelry & Accessories, Baby & Kids Gifts & Apparel, Furniture & Home Decor, “Artisian’s Alley”, Men’s Gifts, Wine Gifts and now Junk Gypsy™Paint!

Open 7 days a week!

The Shoppes on Main 22 N. Main Street, Salado

254-947-0888 10

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Mandy Shelton is a fifth-generation Texan and a graduate of Florence High School.

She attended Southwestern University as an undergraduate and earned a master’s degree at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Shelton works at Central Texas College, where she publishes curriculum for the Online High School. She was named Young Professional of the Year in 2015 by the Greater Killeen Young Professionals. Her writing and photos have appeared in several newspapers, magazines and literary websites. She enjoys volunteering at the Florence library and hanging out with her dog, Biscuit.

GABE Wolf is an award-winning photojournalist, with the most recent being the 2015 Barbara Jordan Media Award. He lives in Kempner with wife Stephenie, two dogs, Benny and Joon, three cats, Mouse, Veruca and Augustus, and two horses, Trouble and China.

He’s been a professional photographer for the past 15 years, documenting the Western Lifestyle with his wife and business partner, Stephenie.

neighbors 12 flavours 16

beauty 18

scene 20

TexTalk

calendar 24

well-fed head 28

A creation of faith

Artist Vivian Kusak holds one of her finished art pieces at her Harker Heights home. She uses old costume jewelry to create crosses.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk neighbors

Finding an art medium in old costume jewelry

Story by CATHERINE HOSMAN Photos by GABE WOLF

M

eeting Vivian Kusak is like reuniting with an old friend you haven’t seen in years.

She greets her guests at the door with a big smile and an enthusiasm to share her story of the art that she creates.

Once inside her comfortable home, a curious Australian terrier mix named Taco lets his presence be known with resounding barks and growls at the new visitors until he realizes you are friend, not foe, and the love fest begins. He welcomes a scratch behind his ears and brands you with a wet doggie kiss before settling down on the floor next to Katie Fitzpatrick, a close friend of Kusak’s since she came to Harker Heights and joined the Ladies of Charity at St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church.

“We met about four years ago when she joined the group,” Fitzpatrick said. “It seems like we’ve been friends forever.”

Fitzpatrick said it was Kusak’s sense of humor that brought them together.

“She is wonderful. She reminds me of me,” she said.

It doesn’t take long before Kusak begins to share stories of her life growing up in North Olmsted, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland; her Hungarian background and migration to Texas five years ago when her son, Richard, was stationed at Fort Hood.

A widow twice, she has two children with her late first husband, Richard, to whom she was married for 22 years, and four grandchildren: her son, Richie, and his wife, Ashley, and their son, R.J., live down the street from her. Her daughter, Elizabeth Duncan, lives in Olive Branch, Miss., with her husband, Joe, and their three children, Joey, Anthony and Emily.

Sadness eclipsed her smile, however, when she spoke of her husband, Richard.

On their honeymoon in Rome in 1975, she tossed three coins into the Trevi Fountain and told him they would return in 2000. But Richard passed away in 1997. She did return in 2000 12

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Artist Vivian Kusak holds one of her finished art pieces made from costume jewelry.

with her fiance, Antonio Georgione, who took her back to Italy to meet his family. They returned to live for one year in the Tuscan Valley after they married in 2008, before moving back to Ohio.

However, their time together was brief, as Georgione passed away in 2010.

But when she starts talking about her art, her passion second only to her baking, (yes, she had homemade apricot and poppy seed pastries on her table in a covered glass pedestal which she offered her guests) she becomes animated and cheerful.

Kusak doesn’t work with oil pigments, watercolors or clay; her medium is discarded jewelry she gives new life to by creating framed pieces of art that are inspirational, sentimental, and sometimes whimsical.

As women clean out their jewelry boxes and find old pieces they no longer wear, or that single earring that lost its

mate, and often choose to toss it, Kusak repurposes it. She sees every long-stored bauble, stray earring, broken necklace, outdated brooch, gem-less jewel settings and watch bands as tools of her trade.

Ninety-nine percent of the old jewelry is given to her by people who know of her work and sometimes they ask her to create a design from pieces that belonged to their mother, grandmother or greatgrandmother.

She’s also been known to visit antique stores and walk out with $5 bags of jewelry, all broken into pieces. “I have to watch my pennies,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

Sometimes she even goes into her own jewelry collection.

Crosses are her favorite subject and she designs crosses with jewelry, shells, rocks and beer bottle caps bearing letters.

One set of caps bears a Z which she turned sideways to make an N.

ABOVE: Artist Vivian Kusak is reflected in one of her pieces at her Harker Heights home. BELOW: Kusak creates one of her works of art from pieces of costume jewelry.

“For Nazarene,” she said, with a smile.

Another subject she likes to create is the Christmas tree, and she is also working on a bouquet of vintage brooches, a consigned gift for Fr. Barth Okere, of Nigeria, who has been serving in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“My brother, John, met him at a Knights of Columbus Council 6099

meeting in Chattanooga,” Kusak said.

It lies in a frame waiting for that moment when she glues the pieces onto the backing.

“I don’t glue things down until I’m sure they are placed exactly where I want them to be,” Kusak said.

“Different things speak to different people,” Fitzpatrick added. “She did a

Christmas tree with a lighthouse and it spoke to me.”

Her designs are arranged carefully.

She matches jewelry colors with frames, and even uses old plates to mount her crosses. Every part of a piece of jewelry is used including gem settings that she flattens so they fit with the creation (they resemble tiny, metal snowflakes). She even takes apart watch bands and uses the bars as part of the design.

Three rooms of her house are dedicated to her medium: her dining room table has the unglued designs waiting for her final approval before gluing into place; the bed in the guest bedroom is covered with vintage jewelry, stored in shadowboxes or arranged on trays or plates.

A devout Catholic and member of St. Paul Chong Hasang Church, she is building an inventory of her art to be sold at next month’s church bazaar. A member of the Ladies of Charity, she said she doesn’t take any money for herself and all proceeds go to fund the programs Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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supported by the church that help the community.

If she does earn money for a consigned piece, she puts that money back into her art to buy old jewelry from estate sales, frames and tools and her favorite glue, E-6000, which she said is workable because it doesn’t set too fast and allows her to move the pieces into place. When she started her creative hobby, she made 15 crosses. This year she made 75.

Midwestern upbringing Kusak grew up in an artistic family.

Her sister, HelenAnn, is an oil painter and her brother John is in graphic arts.

Her dad played the violin and her mom played the piano, but was not able to pursue it to study in Hungary when the opportunity presented itself.

“My grandmother had lost two children and she didn’t want her to go to Europe to train,” she said. “She was scared she might lose her only child.”

Kusak started her banking career right after high school in North Olmsted. She started as a file clerk and retired as an assistant manager when she married Richard. Soon the children began to arrive.

Once her children were grown, she went back into banking in Berea, Ohio, before accepting a position in accounts payable at Berea Children’s Home (now known as Guidestone of Ohio), a faith-based home that once housed the children who lost their parents in the Civil War. It was after she retired from

Vivian Kusak’s artwork covers the furniture in a bedroom at her Harker Heights home.

the home (and her second job at a department store), that she moved to Texas. At first, Grapevine, where

A jewelry box in which Vivian Kusak gathers components for constructing her crosses.

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OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

she enjoyed the small-town feeling.

Eventually, she moved to Harker Heights to be closer to her son.

But she was missing St. Hedwigs, her parish in Lakewood, Ohio, and didn’t think she would feel the same warmth in a church until she came to St. Paul’s and heard the homilies of Father Richard O’Rourke.

“His homilies hit home, like he’s talking right to you,” Fitzpatrick said.

“His sermon touched me so I felt like he was just talking to me,” echoed Kusak.

A devoted parishioner, Kusak plans to continue making her creations for the church bazaar. Each one of her creations is unique, no two are alike.

“It gives me a lot of enjoyment doing this,” she said. “If I don’t want to do something else, I will work on the crosses. The enjoyment comes when I see the crosses come together.”

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk flavours

Salado’s hidden gem

Alexander’s perfect for celebration or casual night out Story by DANIELLE EVERETT Photos by JULIE NABOURS

N

estled among the trees along the banks of Salado Creek is what some describe as a Central Texas hidden gem, Alexander’s Distillery. The upscalecasual restaurant and cocktail lounge is as rich in ambiance as it is in history.

Alexander’s is located on the site of an old 19th century distillery, once owned

by William R. Alexander. A flood washed the building away many years ago. Today, a historical marker and a house dating back to the late 1800s stand in place of the old distillery. The house is now home to Alexander’s and the distillery provided the inspiration for the restaurant’s name.

The restaurant has been serving guests since the late 1980s, but only within the past decade, under the ownership of Will Lowery, has it been known as Alexander’s Distillery. Prior to its current menu, the restaurant offered a four-course prix fixe meal presentation for guests. However, Alexander’s reinvented itself last year.

“We’re excited about the changes to Alexander’s décor, menu and to our overall image,” said Colleen Kalinoski, operations manager for Inn on the Creek Properties.

The décor now mixes the modern and the old world. The menu offers the traditional chicken, seafood, lamb and hand-cut steaks, as well as a newly expanded selection of comfort-food dishes like fried shrimp and meatloaf.

“We want people to feel comfortable joining us whether they’re in T-shirts and shorts or in formal attire, depending on the occasion,” Kalinoski said.

Guests can choose to sit in one of the dining areas inside the restaurant or relax outside on the veranda overlooking the creek. Staff members say the veranda tends to be a favorite spot for guests, as 16

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Jesse Stockton is the lead chef at Alexander’s Distillery in Salado.

IF YOU GO Location: 602 Center Circle, Salado Phone: 877-947-5554 Hours: 4 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday Dine in or carry out they can listen to the creek waters rush by and admire the occasional deer grazing on the grass. Lights in the trees add a special touch and the wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive.

Popular menu items include the Chesapeake crab cakes appetizer, Chef Jesse’s meatloaf entrée and the chef’s

special vanilla cheesecake for dessert. The restaurant also offers featured entrées every weekend.

“If a featured item gets raves as a crowd pleaser, we add it to the menu after a few weeks,” said Kalinoski.

The man behind the menu, Lead Chef Jesse Stockton, grew up in Killeen and attended culinary school in Austin before coming to Alexander’s.

“He has a lot of modesty, but I’ve seen him try to play with something and come up with the best version of that thing I’ve ever had,” Restaurant Manager Topher White said of Stockton. “He’s just playing, but he creates something four star. It’s amazing.”

Stockton said his grandfather, who

cooked for the military for 42 years, inspired his own love of cooking.

Along with the chef’s delicious food, Alexander’s offers signature cocktails, a wine menu designed by the restaurant’s sommelier, draft beer, common favorites and special local brews, too.

The main dining room can seat up to 28 guests and the outdoor veranda and decks can seat up to 30. Alexander’s also offers a private dining space hidden upstairs behind a “secret passage” — a speakeasy-style door disguised as a bookcase.

Alexander’s holds special events throughout the year, such as beer and wine pairings, and even held a murder mystery dinner this year. The restaurant also offers special menus for New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day that require an advance order from guests.

Catering services are available for parties, holidays and special events.

Kalinoski said the restaurant also offers meals to-go so guests can have their selections packaged to take home.

Chef Jesse Stockton shared his meatloaf recipe for our readers to try at home.

“It’s a little bit of everything I like,” Stockton said. “It has some peppers, onions. It’s non-traditional.”

Chef Jesse’s Meatloaf 2 pounds ground veal (you can substitute ground beef or pork or use a combination of the two, if desired) 2 tablespoons onion powder 2 tablespoons Seven Pepper Spice (you can substitute black pepper) 2 tablespoons garlic powder 2 tablespoons salt 1 cup bread crumbs (Chef Jesse uses panko, but feel free to try something else) ½ of a green bell pepper, diced small

½ of an onion, diced small 4 ounces of cooked, chopped bacon 2 large eggs 1. Add all ingredients to mixing bowl and mix well.

2. Place mixture in loaf pan, or mold it by hand as desired 3. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 to 1.5 hours.

Chef Jesse’s Meatloaf Sauce 2 cups ketchup 1½ cups maple syrup ½ cup honey or 1 cup brown sugar 1. Whisk all ingredients together and bring to a simmer on stove.

2. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Top meatloaf with sauce.

4. Serve with your favorite side.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Beauty in the Bag

beauty TexTalk

By CATHERINE HOSMAN

How do you stay beautiful on the go?

Each month Tex Appeal peeks inside the bag of one busy woman to reveal her best beauty secrets and must-have essentials.

Kristen Bulgrien

Director of Community Partnerships

Helping Hands Ministry and Laura Mae’s Resale Shop

The ESSENTIALS she CARRIES Rodan + Fields Unblemish Oil Control Lotion + SPF 20: This moisturizer is the best. It moisturizes and controls oil at the same time, and the SPF 20 is necessary for the Texas sun. I use it every day. e.l.f. Makeup Mist & Set: I recently discovered makeup setting sprays, and was pleasantly surprised to find out they really do work. I mist it on my face after applying my makeup, and the makeup stays put all day.

Mary Kay Lash Intensity Mascara: My favorite mascara. It’s great if you have wimpy eyelashes like me.

Sunglasses & case: I never buy expensive sunglasses, because I break them way too easily. These are from Target, and they go everywhere I go.

The case belonged to my mom; I remember her using it when I was little. Somehow I’ve acquired it, and I love it. It’s a little bit nostalgic, vintage and fun.

Phone: I spend a lot of time in the car, and I’m a podcast junkie, so I use my phone to catch up on my favorite podcasts while I’m on the road.

Makeup pouch: My stays in my purse, so if I’m runmakeup bag almost always ning late, I can do my makeup 18

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Photographs by JULIE NABOURS

Most valuable TOOL in her BAG

My notebook and pen are essential. I am a chronic list maker — groceries, meal plans, to-do lists — and I also use it to take meeting notes. I guess I’m pretty old-fashioned, because I’d much rather write it down with pen and paper than use my phone. There is something so satisfying about physically crossing an item off a to-do list.

Do you have a signature beauty product you are known for wearing or using?

Scarves. I love scarves, and wear them pretty much year-round. It’s fun to take a simple outfit and dress it up with a brightly colored scarf. They’re also functional; when the office is cold (as mine often is), they provide an extra layer of warmth.

whenever I get to where I need to go.

Do you have a helpful hint to share with readers?

I try to keep healthy snacks on hand, in my purse or my car (fruit, almonds, protein bar). It’s much easier to make healthy food choices when I have them readily available.

TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk scene

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Temple Symphony Orchestra opens new season 2

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1. Conductor Tom Fairlie leads the Temple Symphony in the first performance of the new season at the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center on Sept. 17.

2. Sarah and Mason Westbrook 3. Dylan Ross, Carleigh Ross, Hayley Sawyer and Amanda Sawyer Photos by GABE WOLF 20

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

scene TexTalk

4

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8 5

9 6 4. Ana Costilla, Olivia Costilla and Kylie Goates 5. Elizabeth DeVault, Annie Bailey and Jonnie Gendeson 6. Sarah Beauchamp, Jonathan Wallace and Jasmine Castro 7. Sumee Nepal and Rashed Ahmad 8. Rosie and Andy Montgomery 9. Malachi Ardoin and Emily St. Amour Photos by GABE WOLF TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk scene

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Heights chamber hosts Food, Wine and Brew Fest 2

1. Connie Kuehl, left, and Donna Harris enjoy an evening of wine tasting, beer samples and food at the Harker Heights Food, Wine and Brew Fest on Sept. 10 at Harker Heights Community Park.

3. The 1st Cavalry Division Band performs for the crowd.

Photos by AMY PROCTOR 22

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

3

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3. Neikesha and Tio Thompson eat cupcakes.

4. Brian Beard and Sharon Byars find a shady spot to sit.

5. Harker Heights Mayor Rob Robinson, left, and KCEN-HD News Anchor Doug Currin, who emceed the chamber’s event.

Photos by AMY PROCTOR TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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TexTalk calendar

Sixth Annual Community Garage Sale Oct. 1, sunrise to sunset Clean out the house and get rid of unwanted items. Shop for new treasures at homes throughout Harker Heights.

Addresses, times and big sale items are posted on the city’s website and inside city buildings.

Call 254-953-5493 for more information or visit www.ci.harkerheights.tx.us.

Belton Senior Activity Center Arts & Crafts Sale Oct. 1, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sell, buy or browse the sale’s showroom of local artists and crafters.

Only handcrafted items grace the showroom floor. A snack bar and bake sale will be available.

842 Mitchell St., Belton Call 254-939-1170 for more information.

Apron Strings: Ties to the Past Now through Oct. 20 This temporary exhibit at the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum features 51 vintage and contemporary examples that review the apron’s role as an emotionally charged vehicle for expression with a rich and varied craft history that is still viable today.

Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum 315 W. Avenue B Call 254-298-5172 or visit www.rrhm. org for more information.

“Everything Goes” Transportation Day Oct. 1, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If it has wheels, you just might find it at the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum on Transportation Day. Vehicles from the past, present and perhaps even the future will be at the museum to celebrate the things that get people from one place to another.

Free 315 W. Avenue B Call 254-298-5172 or visit www.rrhm. org for more information.

Historic Salado Cemetery Walking Tour Oct. 1, 4 to 6 p.m.

Actors portraying pioneers buried in the historic Salado Cemetery tell their stories during a walking tour hosted 24

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Troy and Vickie Kelley portraying Col. Hermon and Margaret Aiken at the 2015 Historic Salado Cemetery Walking Tour.

by Tablerock and the Salado Historical Society. Tickets may be purchased on the night of the program and parking will be on-site. Adults, $5; children 12 and younger, $3 Salado Cemetery Baines Street, Salado Call 254-947-9205 for more information.

Dueling Pianos in the Park Oct. 1, 7 to 9 p.m.

Two pianos will battle requests from the audience in this high-energy, familyfriendly, sing-a-long piano comedy show.

Free admission Lions Park 4320 Lions Park Road, Temple Call 254-298-5440 or visit www.

TempleParks.com for more information.

Barktoberfest Oct. 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bring your furry pal out for free four-legged fun at Killeen Parks & Recreation’s seventh annual Barktoberfest. There will be pet vendors, demonstrations, an off-leash play area, open dog swim, pet adoptions and a Pooch Pageant.

Lions Club Park 1700 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen Call 254-501-6390 for information.

Robinson Family Farm Third Annual Pumpkin Patch Now through Oct. 30, weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bring the kids and enjoy a corn maze, hay maze, hayrides, food and more. $10 per person for unlimited access 3780 White Owl Lane, Temple Call 254-931-9564 for more information.

National Night Out Oct. 4, 6 to 8 p.m.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

Parties will take place at about 30 to 50 residences around Temple.

Free Call 254-298-5911 for more information.

Country Dances at Belton Senior Center Oct. 6 and 20, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Old Friends will perform on Oct. 6.

Larry Burgin and Texas Traditions will perform on Oct. 20.

842 Mitchell St., Belton Call 254-939-1170 for more information.

Christmas in October Oct. 7, 8; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Salado Chamber of Commerce Ladies Auxiliary Christmas in October

calendar TexTalk is a preview to the Christmas season and will feature unique Christmas decorations, fall fashions from area merchants, jewelry, children’s clothing, food, gifts and home décor specialty items.

Admission, $3; free parking and shuttles The Venue 1 College Street, Salado Call 254-947-5040 for more information.

Salado Ghost Walk Oct. 7, 8, 22, 28, 8 p.m.

Go for a lantern-lit stroll down Salado’s historic Main Street. As twilight falls upon the village, get lost in tales of cowboys, Indians, buried treasure and ghosts. Recommended for ages 13 and older.

Tickets are $20 per person.

Tours meet across from the Stagecoach Inn. 400 block of Stagecoach Road, Salado Call 254-947-5040 or visit www. saladoghostwalk.com for more information.

Salado Yard and Garden Tour Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Experience a selection of Salado’s private gardens rarely open to the public and visit some treasured public gardens. This self-paced tour features 11 inspirational properties with unique landscape characteristics and original art.

Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists will serve as docents at each location to share information about the garden.

Advance tickets, $15; At the door, $18 831 N. Main St., Salado Call 254-947-5040 or visit www. keepsaladobeautiful.com for more information.

Terry Allen Performs at the Temple Cultural Activities Center Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Allen has recorded 12 albums of original songs and will perform at the CAC as part of its Texas Music Series.

Tickets are $23 in advance or $27 at the door.

3011 N. Third St., Temple Call 773-9926 for more information or visit www.cacarts.org.

Gault Site Tour with Bell County Museum Oct. 8, 8:30 a.m.

Join the museum for a tour of the Gault Site, located in southwestern Bell County. The Gault Site is recognized as one of the most important archaeological sites in America. The 2.5-hour tour covers about one mile of gentle terrain. Space is limited to 30 people.

Participants will meet at the museum.

Pre-registration is required. Fee is $10 per person.

201 N. Main St., Belton Call 254-933-5243 for more information.

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TexTalk calendar

Festival on the Chisholm Trail Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Downtown Belton will be full of fall fun at this festival sponsored by the Downtown Belton Merchants Association. There will be outdoor shopping, food and kids activities at the Market Days event until 5 p.m. The street dance begins at 7 p.m. with food, drinks and music from the Nolan Pick Band.

Central Avenue and East Street, Belton Call 254-939-5699 for more information.

Salado Fright Trail Oct. 15, 22, 29; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Tablerock’s half-mile walking trail will present thrills and chills. Enjoy author’s bios and skits from classic tales.

Drinks, snacks, sandwiches and candy will be available.

Adults, $5; children 12 and younger, $3 Tablerock’s Goodnight Amphitheater Royal Street, Salado Call 254-947-9205 for more information.

Pumpkin Decorating with Temple Parks & Recreation Oct. 21, 6 to 8 p.m.

Will your pumpkin have a scary face or a friendly smile? Try drilling holes or decorating a gourd with lights. Whichever design you choose, your family will enjoy this time together. $12 per pumpkin Blackmon Community Center 1807 Curtis B. Elliot Drive, Temple Call 254-298-5474 for more information.

Food Truck Frenzy Oct. 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Enjoy music from the Temple Symphony Orchestra String Quartet while feasting on food truck cuisine. Admission is free and open to the public, however, food and drinks are purchased on your own.

2 N. Main St., Temple Call 254-298-5690 for more information.

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Decorate pumpkins for Halloween with Temple Parks & Recreation on Oct. 21.

Van Cliburn concert Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.

The Temple Symphony Orchestra and Central Texas Orchestral Society present the eighth Van Cliburn concert featuring award-winner Vadym Kholodenko, who has emerged as one of the most musically dynamic and technically gifted performers of his generation.

Adults, $25; Students, $5 Temple College’s Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center 2600 1st St., Temple Call 254-778-6683 for more information.

Halloween Splash Bash Oct. 28, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

This haunted pool party is wicked fun for the whole family. Enjoy spooky music, candy and games.

Admission, $5 per person Sammons Indoor Pool 2220 W. Avenue D, Temple Call 254-298-5930 for more information.

Haunted Hayride Oct. 29, 3 to 10 p.m.

Enjoy a narrated haunted Halloween hayride while rumbling down a trail inhabited by creepy characters and spooky scenes. Kids activities run from 3 to 6 p.m. and hayrides start at 6 p.m. Admission is $5 in advance and $7 at the gate.

Bend O’ The River 7915 General Bruce Drive, Temple Call 254-298-5733 for information.

Classical Guitar Concert Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Classical guitarist and composer John Pinno of Temple will present a recital in Wendland Hall at the Cultural Activities Center. The program will include works for solo classical guitar and duos with his wife, Mary Evelyn Pinno, flautist.

Pinno has been a college classical guitar instructor for more than 35 years and teaches at Temple College.

Admission is $10 at the door.

3011 N. Third St., Temple Call 254-770-0625 or email jpinno093@hotmail.com for information.

calendar TexTalk

Cove Fall-O-Ween Festival Oct. 29, 4 to 8 p.m.

Everyone is invited to an evening of arts and crafts, food, games, trick-ortreating, music, a petting zoo and more.

Copperas Cove City Park 1206 W. Avenue B, Copperas Cove Call 254-542-2719 for more information.

evening for youth in the community to enjoy games, inflatables, candy and more.

Local businesses and organizations will participate.

Harker Heights Community Park 1501 E. Farm-to-Market 2410, Harker Heights Call 254-953-5465 for more information.

Main Street Fright Fest in Downtown Temple Oct. 31, 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Vendors will provide treats and fun activities for kids, such as face painting, ring toss, bean bag toss, haunted handcars and more. Activities are free, but admission is two nonperishable items per family.

Community Pavilion 212 S. Main St., Temple Call 254-298-5900 for more information.

Killeen Halloween Carnival Oct. 31, 6 to 9 p.m.

Come have a “fang”-tastic time with Killeen Parks & Recreation during a family-friendly Halloween party. There will be free candy, bounce houses, games, a haunted house, pumpkin patch and more. Don’t forget to wear your “boo”tiful costume.

Killeen Special Events Center 3301 S. W.S. Young Drive, Killeen Call 254-501-6390 for more information.

11th Annual Halloween Hoopla Oct. 31, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

This event will be a free, fun-filled

For consideration in the calendar, email upcoming events to edittexappealmagazine@gmail.com.

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TexTalk well-fed head

Uncover secrets, find redemption in ‘Saint Silvanus’

By M. CLARE HAEFNER

F

rom the opening passage, it’s clear mystery is at the heart of Beth Moore’s first novel, “The Undoing of Saint Silvanus.” It begins with a gunshot on Christmas Eve in 1921 in a church in New Orleans. Quickly jumping to the present day, that church is now a home of sorts — a collection of apartments and the holder of long-buried secrets waiting to surface.

Jillian Slater returns to Saint Sans, as the property is known, after her father is found dead on the streets, quickly coming faceto-face with a grandmother she barely knows — a grandmother who has no interest in reconnecting after 20 years apart.

What Jillian intends as a quick trip to say goodbye to the father she barely knew turns into a chance at a better life, if she can let go of the past and unravel the mystery surrounding her father’s murder before she becomes a target.

Moore is well known in the evangelical Christian market through her Living Proof Ministries and as a motivational speaker and author of several Bible studies and nonfiction books. While “The Undoing of Saint Silvanus” (Tyndale House, 2016) is her first attempt at fiction, it’s clear Moore has a gift for storytelling.

“Through the years of writing Bible study curriculum and nonfiction trade books, I’ve been drawn like a magnet to the stories of the men and women in Scripture that seemed particularly complex,” Moore says. “I love imagining what these lives of faith were like away from the page.”

In her novel, Moore’s interest in complicated stories shines as her main characters work to overcome a lifetime of misconceptions and struggling to trust in God’s ability to offer redemption. Filled with suspense as characters uncover secrets and learn more about themselves, readers are transported on a journey of discovery as well.

Beyond her present-day characters in a city full of mystery, Moore also weaves in the story of Saint Sans itself, revealing the secrets long-buried in the church and bringing both tales together toward the novel’s climax.

While fiction, “The Undoing of Saint Silvanus” explores generational patterns of sin and uses relatable characters to show how universal the struggle with faith can be — that even characters who live in what was once a church can have a hard time relying on God. It’s a topic Moore has explored before, in her Bible study “Breaking Free,” but fiction gives her a new way to focus the message and perhaps reach a new audience. “I think virtually any reader can recognize how darkness and detachment and disillusion can invade an entire family,” she said. “I’m praying for someone to pick (up the book) who could never picture herself as the type Jesus would seek out.”

Beyond faith, “The Undoing of Saint Silvanus” is also about healing, building bridges and breaking away from the shame and secrets of past mistakes and misunderstandings that weigh 28

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CONNECT WITH BETH MOORE Join Beth Moore for a book discussion via webcast on Jan. 20. Sign up at www.BethMooreNovel.com. You also can connect with her and read her blog at lproof.org or follow her on Twitter: @BethMooreLPM. the main characters down. It’s a riveting story set in an unlikely place, and told from the perspectives of an interesting “collection of saints and sinners” that will draw in and fulfill any reader who turns its pages.

Whether this venture is the first or the only foray into fiction for Moore remains to be seen. “I want my life to bear fruit in the name of Jesus to the glory of God. If my shot at this genre bears very little fruit in the lives of readers, I’ll know my job is to stick with nonfiction,” she said. “But I so hope and pray someone is also served and helped by the story woven through the chapters of this novel.”

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It takes up to four hours to complete an African hair braiding style. Hair extensions, synthetic or natural, are individually woven, tied or sewn into the natural hair.

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By design, the joy of African hair braiding Story by CATHERINE HOSMAN Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT

H

air braiding isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been around for millennia, dating back as far as 5,000 years. Initially, braids carried a cultural component. In ancient times, it often identified a person’s marital status, social standing, tribe or clan. Depending on what part of the world you were from, braiding had definitive looks and designs in every region of the world. Women (and some men) of all cultures wear their hair in braids. From the French braid to the single braid over a shoulder, to the intricate designs of African braiding, this hairstyle may have waned at some point but has never truly gone away.

African hair braiding made its way to mainstream America sometime in the 1970s when the Afro style of the 1960s started to wane, although it dates back to 3,500 BCE. Actress Cicely Tyson was one of the first African-American artists to wear a tight cornrow style braid. (Source: http:// csdt.rpi.edu/african/cornrow_curves/ culture/hip.hop.1.htm) The trend caught on, but ebbed and flowed over the years. In the last 25 years, the idea of African hair braiding has made a resurgence. Today, salons dot the landscape of American cities offering intricate designs to women of all ethnic groups.

“In Africa you see the parents, moms do it,” said Elise Agnide from Togo, West Africa, as she and several other women worked on a customer’s hair. “People learn from their mom and if they have a passion for it, it is a career.”

“Most people didn’t know how to take care of their natural hair,” said Odette Ahouansou, of Cotonau, Benin, West Africa.

Hair extensions are woven, sewn or crocheted into natural hair before braiding.

“It’s more of a protective style,” Agnide added.

“It keeps from breaking or damaging your own hair,” Ahouansou said.

“Natural African hair is not easy to comb through in the morning when you go to work,” said Agnide, in her soft, West African accent which seems a blend of French and British. “African/black hair is not easy to manage.”

Jeanette Toefula from Cameroon, who sports a Senegalese twist, said it can

take up to four hours or more to braid or sew in hair extensions to natural hair.

Depending on the extensions chosen, natural or fiber, a braid can last up to three months.

“After six weeks, you have to come back and get the edges redone to keep it for another six weeks.”

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Africa. They all speak English, but as a second or third language. Each of the countries they come from has its own language, and depending on whether it was colonized by the French or the English, they speak that language as well, respectively.

They all call themselves sisters, even though only two are related by blood, and they are more of a family than work-mates.

When these women gather to ply their trade of African braiding, it feels more like a group of girls getting together to do each other’s hair. There is an abundance of smiles, laughter and joy as the women work in teams to complete a style.

Justine Pope, a.k.a, Joy, owns the Killeen salon where these artistic hair designs are created. Customers can choose from cascading extensions in synthetic or natural hair with textures from coarseness to frizzy, or smooth and silky.

Pope has owned the shop for three years and she said a lot of people are “joining us now.”

“Customers been good in Killeen,” she said, with her West African accent.

“We get new people all the time.”

Pope said the more popular braids are the cornrow, bos braids and Senegalese twist, because “it lasts longer.”

“It lasts about two months,” she said.

“When you wake up you don’t have to do nothing to your hair, just wake up and go.

That’s what people like about braids.”

Adventurous women can add a pop

Odette Ahouansou wears cornrows.

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Sofoura Tchadowa from Togo, West Africa, wears a “sew in” cornrow ponytail.

of color to their braids with colorful extensions from bright red to yellow, blue to gold. There are hundreds of styles to choose from and they include box and jumbo box braids, tree braids, invisible braids, the Senegalese or Nubian twist, cornrows, sew-in weave, crocheted, just to name a few. “Every year there is change, we create new styles. Almost all the time every

season has its own style. It’s popular and done by almost everybody,” Agnide said.

Although Killeen is thousands of miles away from Pope’s home country, she said living in Killeen feels like back home in Cotoneau, Benin. “Sun is hot here, like in my country, just like home. You meet people from all over the world, that’s another thing about it.”

Fatu Sow of Liberia wears a pony tail.

Odette Ahouansou, Fatu Sow, Sofoura Tchadowa, and Elise Agnide weave African braids into the hair of Jeanette Toefula.

Elise Agnide, from Togo, West Africa, wears crocheted hair extensions.

Gillian Akumbu from Cameroon, West Africa wears the box braid style of African braiding.

Isatu Bangura of Sierra Leone, West Africa has her hair styled in Ghana cornrows.

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Terri Landeros shows off some of the pumpkins she decorated for Halloween.

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Rise above the rest Create pumpkins that go beyond the basic jack-o’-lantern Story by DANIELLE EVERETT Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT and contributed by TEMPLE PARKS & RECREATION

N

ot long ago, decorating pumpkins each October meant something similar to most Americans. Families gathered around their kitchen tables, pumpkins at hand. Kids marveled at the cold, wet fibers inside the pumpkins as they scooped them out before carving a creepy face. This tradition continues today, but with a new, creative twist.

Many people are now putting down their classic carving tools in lieu of supplies like glitter, paint and glue.

Today, pumpkins are getting dressed up in stripes, polka dots and all sorts of fun patterns and designs.

The trend is all about self-expression and creating a piece as unique as the decorator, and the fun isn’t limited to kids. Adults like Central Texas native Terri Landeros are creating some really spectacular pieces. Decorated pumpkins are now a fall décor staple in her home.

As she creates them each year, she draws inspiration from pumpkins she sees on social media sites and then adds her own creative spin.

The ideas come easily to Landeros, who has always been a natural crafter and decorator. Her passion for kids helps her come up with kid-friendly pumpkins, too. No material is off limits as she takes on a pumpkin project. For the ones pictured here, she used unconventional pumpkin decorating supplies like gauze, googly eyes, glitter, rubber cement, Mod Podge, paint and even a power tool.

“I like what pumpkins are coming to (look like) now,” she said. “I like the different styles and I love how versatile pumpkins are. I can put them out at Halloween and I can put them out for Thanksgiving.”

Landeros enjoys decorating

pumpkins with her two young nieces and even teaches her techniques to the Temple community. Landeros is a recreation specialist with Temple Parks & Recreation where she actually started a special pumpkin decorating class four years ago. Through her class, Landeros has observed this new trend really take off. She said in the first couple years of the class, many of the participants wanted to carve their pumpkins. Then, their tastes began to shift.

“People have been being daredevils and trying different things,” she said.

“There’s been a lot of change as far as decorating with paints and glue.”

Some of the most creative endeavors she’s seen included a pumpkin-turnedwitch, with a real hat glued to the top.

Another decorator gave her pumpkin two painted faces — one side a princess and the other a monster. The princess even sported yellow yarn for hair and a crown cut from construction paper.

Meanwhile, Landeros said many moms like to create a more elegant pumpkin that could be used as a table centerpiece or as part of their home décor.

“People are bringing them more into the home, versus just sitting them out on their front porch,” said Jonathan Logue, a colleague of Landeros and marketing coordinator for Temple Parks & Recreation. “They’re making them more elegant and more stylish than they’ve ever been. I think with the help of Pinterest and those types of sites and apps, people’s minds can start to wander and dream bigger of what their pumpkins could be, versus a normal jacko’-lantern.”

“Back in the day it was two triangles for the eyes and the nose and maybe the little crooked smile, but now there are just so many options,” said Belinda Garcia, another colleague of Landeros and the program coordinator for Temple Parks & Recreation. “You don’t even have to carve them anymore. It’s safer

and you can also keep it longer.”

Garcia said she and her family love getting creative with their pumpkins.

Her daughters have come up with some interesting ways to reflect their lives through their projects. One year, they carved a jack-o’-lantern face in their pumpkin and wedged a softball in its mouth, proudly displaying their love for sports. Another year, Garcia said her daughters painted their pumpkins with fall colors, then wrote something they were thankful for in permanent marker over the paint. This year, Garcia said emojis are on the radar.

The new trend in decorating pumpkins follows a current trend in buying unique pumpkins, such as “Cinderella” pumpkins, “Green Goblin” pumpkins and other heirloom varieties.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports demand for specialty pumpkins is growing as consumers look for new and interesting variations.

But no matter the pumpkin type, the beloved fall pumpkin carving or decorating tradition remains a great way to have fun and bring the entire family together.

Landeros said there are ways to decorate a pumpkin suitable for anyone’s interests and skill level. For example, an adult who loves power tools may enjoy using a drill to carve a unique design.

Meantime, any smartphone fans in the family would get a kick out of creating an emoji pumpkin. All they need to do is choose their favorite emoji, grab some acrylic paint and copy the emoji expression on their pumpkin. And with the help of a parent or sibling, a toddler can cover a pumpkin in rubber cement, attach some gauze and googly eyes and make a funny mummy.

“The whole family can work together,” Landeros said. “I love that and they have so much fun.”

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Pumpkin CenterPiece Required supplies: medium pumpkin, small pumpkin, several mini pumpkins, white acrylic paint, gold glitter, Mod Podge, empty and clean large vegetable can, fresh flowers, paint brush.

1. Cut a hole in the top of the medium pumpkin and clean the interior.

2. Paint the outside of the medium pumpkin with white acrylic paint and let dry completely.

3. Paint the medium pumpkin with 36

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white acrylic paint and let dry completely.

4. Use the Mod Podge and paint brush to paint lines on the medium pumpkin, spacing the lines fairly evenly. Use the natural lines of the pumpkin as a guide.

5. Also use the Mod Podge and paint brush to cover the stems of the small and mini pumpkins. You can even add a design to the small pumpkin like Terri Landeros did.

6. Cover the Mod Podge on the pumpkins with gold glitter.

7. When the medium pumpkin is completely dry, place vegetable can inside.

Fill can with water and add flowers.

8. Arrange remaining pumpkins as desired. Feel free to add items like candlestick holders or stack the mini pumpkins in a clear, cylindrical vase.

Pro tip from Terri Landeros: Spray your uncarved, decorated pumpkin with several light coats of clear spray shellac to keep it looking fresh throughout the fall season. All the pumpkins Landeros created that are pictured here are relatively easy and inexpensive to make. Read the directions on pages 36-39 to create your own at home and share your photos with us on Facebook.

Mummy Pumpkin Required supplies: pumpkin, gauze, rubber cement, large googly eyes 1. Attach the googly eyes to the pumpkin using rubber cement.

2. Brush a light coat of rubber cement all over the pumpkin.

3. Take roll of gauze and, starting at the top of the pumpkin, start wrapping the gauze around the pumpkin.

Push the gauze into the rubber cement as you wrap. If your gauze is in strips, place strips on the pumpkin in desired spots.

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Drilled Pumpkin Required supplies: pumpkin, drill, candle 1. Cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin, then clean out the interior.

2. Use the drill to put holes in the pumpkin for the desired pattern or look.

3. Place candle in the inside of the pumpkin, dim the lights and admire your work.

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Emoji Pumpkin Required supplies: pumpkin, paint brush, acrylic paint 1. Cover your pumpkin in at least two coats of yellow acrylic paint and let dry.

2. Choose your favorite emoji face and use acrylic paint to copy the face on your pumpkin.

3. Let paint dry before displaying your pumpkin.

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Barbells for Boobs

A weightlifting fundraiser with a purpose

Sally Phillips has been involved with the annual Barbells for Boobs CrossFit fundraiser in Belton for several years.

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Story by MANDY SHELTON Photos by JULIE NABOURS and contributed by SALLY PHILLIPS

S

ally Phillips and her fellow CrossFitters are warming up for Belton’s seventh annual Barbells for Boobs fundraiser Oct. 29 and 30 at Belton Christian Youth Center.

Operating under the credo that “everyone has a right to know if they are living with breast cancer,” the Barbells for Boobs grant program channels funds toward providing mammograms for those patients who might otherwise miss out on breast cancer screenings: men, women under the age of 40 and the under- or uninsured.

Phillips has been involved with Barbells for Boobs since nearly the beginning, even before the nonprofit had incorporated.

In 2009, Zionna “Z” Hanson, who owned a CrossFit affiliate in California, wanted to honor a friend, a breast cancer survivor who had been denied a mammogram before her eventual diagnosis at the age of 26. Hanson led 60 athletes in a fundraising workout, catching the attention of the worldwide CrossFit community. Every October since then, CrossFit athletes gather to raise barbells, raise awareness and raise funds.

“It’s fun to put on pink and show up and do a workout,” said Phillips, adding that this year’s event will also feature a 5K glow run in addition to the CrossFit workout.

Weightlifting coach Jodi Vaughn and her husband, two-time Olympian Chad Vaughn, will host the Olympic weightlifting portion of the event. Jodi Vaughn said the entire Belton event raises between $24,000 and $35,000 each year.

“We kind of go in and out of that range.

But it put us in the top ten! We’re a little bit competitive, which is just brilliant on Barbells for Boobs’ part,” she said.

“Everything that Barbells for Boobs does is in increments of $80, because that’s what pays for a mammogram,” Phillips added. “CrossFitters are goal-oriented.”

Defeating death When Phillips first started CrossFit, the Ellison High School graduate admits she wasn’t an immediate convert. “I didn’t like it. I was extremely intimidated by all the women that were doing pull-ups,” Phillips said. “The community is what kept me coming back. CrossFit will unite

University of Texas student and Barbells for Boobs advocate Madison Vincent of Belton completes the 30 clean and jerks required as part of the Grace workout during the 2015 Belton event.

Central Texas Barbells for Boobs CrossFit Workout: Oct. 29, 8:30 a.m.

Olympic Weightlifting Open Meet: Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30, all day 5K: Oct. 29, 8 p.m.

Belton Christian Youth Center, 505 E. Avenue C, Belton For more information: www.centraltexasbarbellsforboobs.com for a cause and show up in a mighty way.”

As she watched Barbells for Boobs gaining speed, Phillips found she could call upon that community for support outside of the box.

“I always wanted to do something to honor my mom,” said Phillips, whose mother, Virginia Partida, celebrates 25 years of remission from breast cancer this October. “I would have never guessed something beautiful would come from it.”

Phillips remembers Oct. 14, 1991, as the day her mother was diagnosed.

“She had gone back for her biopsy, they called all the family in, the doctor comes in and he says, ‘It’s cancer.’ In that moment, it seemed dark and devastating and hopeless and scary,” Phillips said, “But I look at how it’s given us a platform.

It feels good to do something about it,

to help others, to help advocate for early diagnosis.”

Partida was in her 40s when she learned of her diagnosis. She got the news on a Monday and was scheduled for a mastectomy on Friday. Partida worked as an employee benefits secretary in Killeen Independent School District, and that Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1991, was her last day of work before her mastectomy. She and a co-worker decided to go to lunch at Luby’s.

“We were eating and I saw the truck come through the window,” she recalled.

George Hennard, 35, had driven his 1987 Ford Ranger through the plate-glass window of the cafeteria. He shot and killed 23 people and injured another 27 before taking his own life. It was the Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Sally Philips, top rear, of CrossFit DSP with fellow CrossFitters from left, Teresa Andel, Christine Graham-Wells, Nancy Glover, Rachel Calhoun and Rachel Su.

deadliest mass shooting in the United States at the time.

“I remember thinking when I was on the floor in Luby’s — people say your whole life passes, mine didn’t,” Partida said. “My mind was if I get wounded from here, then they’re going to have to postpone my surgery, my mastectomy, to treat my wounds. It’s amazing what things go through your mind when you’re given a diagnosis like that.”

Partida was not injured; her friend was hit by a ricocheted bullet but survived.

“Once I got over the initial shock, then my next thing was to say I wanted them to get it out of me (the cancer) as fast as they could, because as long as the cancer was in me, it was doing damage,” Partida said. As scheduled, she went in for her bilateral mastectomy two days later.

“She says it changed who she was,” Phillips said of her mother’s ordeal. “She says, ‘I defeated death twice in one week.’”

CrossFit Games athlete and Barbells for Boobs advocate Elizabeth Akinwale of Chicago jerks 185 pounds during the 2015 Belton event.

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Raising awareness Nicole Kepler attended the Belton Barbells for Boobs event in 2012. Though already a CrossFitter, she had her young

Runners gather for a group photo before the 2015 Barbells for Boobs 5K in Belton.

daughter with her that day and opted for the role of spectator. “When we got there it was the survivor heat. That was the moment of I guess you could call saving my life,” Kepler said.

Later that week, she felt a lump while in the shower. At 33, Kepler knew that every odd was in her favor, but recalling the effect the survivors’ stories had on her during Barbells for Boobs, she went in for a mammogram. The subsequent ultrasound and biopsy revealed Kepler had invasive ductal carcinoma.

“It was because she was at the event that she decided to go get it checked and she found out that she had cancer. That, to me, is more important than raising money — that she actually checked herself, and that saved her life,” Vaughn said.

Kepler has been cancer-free since her mastectomy on Dec. 10, 2012. She went back to working out the day after she was released from the hospital, but each surgery seemed like a setback.

Kepler’s plastic surgeon, Dr. Kendall Roehl, initially told Kepler the implant surgery would feel like she had done 100

Zionna Hanson Founder and CEO of Barbells for Boobs, addresses the crowd before the 2015 5K run in Belton.

pushups. Kepler shrugged and said, “Oh, I CrossFit; 100 pushups is nothing,” so Roehl, also a CrossFitter, revised the estimation to 1,000 pushups.

When Kepler returned to Barbells for Boobs 2013, Roehl joined her on the

platform, counting out reps as Kepler lifted the barbell over her head. Kepler also gave a speech that day, stating simply, “Barbells for Boobs saved my life.”

Hanson, now CEO of Barbells for Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Sally Phillips shows her strength lifting weights for a purpose.

Boobs, said those words help her get out of bed every day. “I don’t feel many of us ever get to hear words like that, so when someone tells you that your work saved their life ... that is a game changer.

The goal was always to make an impact and help people. Knowing that our work helped just one person brings me joy every morning I wake up,” Hanson said.

“You surround yourself with those that are going to get you through it, and strong people get you through it,” Kepler added. “CrossFit isn’t about just being strong with the weights; it’s about being strong mentally.”

Health is not guaranteed Dr. Brady Anderson, a general surgeon and CrossFitter who has participated in Barbells for Boobs in Belton, said exercise can help with both treatment and prevention plans.

“After certain breast cancer procedures, mainly mastectomy, women definitely do experience a decrease in range of motion,” Anderson said. “The stretching and mobility that we do with CrossFit, I think that definitely will help in 44

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Barbells for Boobs founder and CEO Zionna Hanson hugs breast cancer survivor Nicole Kepler in 2015.

recovering that.”

“If you get a good CrossFit coach or weightlifting coach, they’re going to work movement, mobility,” Vaughn said.

“You have to be able to get your arms over your head to be able to do most of the movements in CrossFit and weightlifting.”

Vaughn added that it is important to find “a good coach who’s going to put you on the right path, in the right direction, at the right timing.”

Avoiding weight gain throughout adult life can also help with prevention of cancer. “If you gain weight during 18 to 50 years of age, that does increase your risk of breast cancer. There’s a very strong correlation between obesity and cancer,” he said, adding though the risk with breast cancer is related to obesity in postmenopausal females.

“Doing CrossFit or weightlifting or whatever sport you choose, you’re a little bit more healthy,” Vaughn said. “Maybe not when you start; but your goal is to be healthier.”

Phillips joked that the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle can cause CrossFitters to become a little self-centered.

“You have to have a Type-A personality, you have to be willing to go to a pain place, push yourself hard.

There’s no end result,” Phillips said of the CrossFit culture. “People are kind of obsessive with their diet, with their training. It’s not uncommon. So when you have a chance to turn away from yourself, and give back, it keeps you humble. It just reminds you that your health is not guaranteed.”

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Boutiques

THE HUB

7 South 2nd Street, Downtown Temple | www.thehubtemple.com Retail is back in Downtown Temple - in a BIG WAY! A 16,000 square-foot historic building, located in “the hub” of Temple’s entertainment and dining disctrict, will feature distinctive high-end merchandise from multiple vendors ranging from clothing and accessories to home decor and a food trailer on the first floor.

The second floor will showcase art and artisan goods.

The Grand Opening is scheduled for Fall 2016.

An artist rendering of The HUB 46

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Whimsies Boutique 2776 Riverside Trail, Temple 254-933-7024

New owner Allison Turner continues to offer women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, jewelry and home décor at Whimsies Boutique in Temple, which opened in 2013. “I’ve always dreamed of owning a boutique full of fun and fashionable items,” Turner said.

From the beginning, Whimsies has had a mission to offer superior customer service and a memorable shopping experience by providing unique and fashionable items with a whimsical touch. Whimsies is proud to offer lines such as Free People, Black Swan, Mustard Pie, Giggle Moon, Jak and Peppar, Joyfolie, and Kickee Pants.

Unique items, superior customer service and faith “that God opened this door and Whimsies Boutique has big plans for us” are what Turner says motivates her each day. Working alongside her sister, Angie Haire of Salado, the two are excited about this new adventure. “It’s very important that I make it a proprity to give back to the community. We support many area organizations. We realize we all have to support each other to be successful.”

Whimsies Boutique will hold a Christmas Open House from 4 to 8 p.m. on November 14th with door prizes, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and lots of holiday surprises.

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Benefits of tai chi

Dr. Richard Trautman, a part-time psychiatrist at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple, recently began leading a tai chi class at the Belton Senior Activity Center.

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TexFit

Exercising the body and the mind Story by DANIELLE EVERETT Photos by MITCHEL BARRETT

W

hether we’re at home, at work or on the go, distractions abound. Smartphones, email, text messaging and social media are always within reach. We listen for the buzz, ding or ring, notifying us of a new message.

In a society where busyness is the norm, intentionally taking time to be mindfully aware of ourselves and our surroundings can feel foreign or selfish.

The opposite holds true in the centuriesold Chinese martial art known as tai chi, where mindfulness, or self-awareness, is a basic tenant.

Tai chi is a low-impact exercise that requires no special equipment and is comprised of gentle, flowing movements with names like “Part the Wild Horse’s Mane” and “Grasp the Peacock’s Tail.”

The practice encourages participants to push aside worries and stressors and focus on the present. This ancient Chinese tradition has caught the attention of people throughout Central Texas, where various fitness groups engage in the exercise together. One of the newest groups is at the Belton Senior Activity Center. Dr. Richard Trautman, a parttime psychiatrist at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple, recently began leading a tai chi class there.

Trautman, 74, of Belton, has been practicing tai chi for about 23 years. He incorporates it into his daily morning routine and believes it has helped him age better than he would have otherwise.

“I think it keeps things operating,” he said. “You’ve got to listen to your body.”

While Trautman began his practice of tai chi in his 50s, he said people of all ages can reap its benefits. Tai chi teaches patience, which could particularly benefit children, if the exercise is tailored toward them, he said. Beginning tai chi earlier in life could have additional benefits, as well.

“Prevention is key,” Trautman said.

“If people start doing this at a younger age, then they could be less affected by age.”

Pat Sleeth, left, and Cindy Meredith, both of Belton, participated in Trautman’s class and look forward to reaping the benefits of tai chi.

Balance and stability One of the biggest benefits associated with tai chi is an improvement in balance and stability, Trautman said. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends tai chi as a method of fall prevention among older adults. Each year, emergency departments

treat about 2.8 million people ages 65 and older for fall injuries, according to the CDC. Exercises such as tai chi that strengthen the leg muscles and improve balance can help.

Trautman’s wife, Kathleen, has experienced this specific benefit Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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Dr. Richard Trautman leads a tai chi class at the Belton Senior Activity Center. He’s been practicing the ancient Chinese martial art more than 20 years.

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firsthand. She reflected on a time about four years ago when she had two serious falls in less than a year. She later began practicing a specific set of tai chi movements regularly and has not fallen since.

“I think I’m much more aware,” Kathleen Trautman said. “When I stand, I make sure I’m steady before I take my first step.”

Research shows the balance and stability that come along with tai chi can also benefit those with Parkinson’s disease, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Additional research suggests tai chi may reduce knee osteoarthritis pain, help people with fibromyalgia and back pain and improve quality of life in people with heart failure or cancer, the NCCIH said.

As a psychiatrist, Trautman can speak

“Doing this kind of repetition in a mindful way, it just settles things down.”

Dr. Richard Trautman to the mental or psychological benefits associated with tai chi. The meditative quality of tai chi can help quiet the mind, he said. He has recommended some patients give it a try for that reason and wishes more doctors in general would recommend it to their patients. Tai chi can also help people struggling with anxiety, depression and sleep problems.

“Doing this kind of repetition in a mindful way, it just settles things down,” Trautman said.

During his initial tai chi class at the Belton Senior Activity Center in September, the doctor outlined the many benefits of tai chi for the dozens of participants who turned out. The group started with a series of warm up motions then watched Trautman with a close eye as he led everyone through a series of graceful, flowing movements. Most had never participated in such an activity before and a round of giggles occasionally erupted as people tried to catch on to the exercises.

It didn’t take long for people to get the hang of it and the stresses of the day eventually began to float away as people focused only on themselves and their tai chi practice.

“I think it felt very selfish for me,” said Cindy Meredith after participating in the class. “I deserve this. I just need the moment. Everything is blocked out

and now I can just focus.”

Cindy Meredith and Pat Sleeth, both of Belton, said they plan to continue participating in the class and experience the benefits in store.

“We can be proactive and say, ‘I can be in control of my body and help maintain it as long as possible,’” said Sleeth. “I honestly believe that.”

Trautman said it takes about 12 weeks of practice before one can begin to see the benefits of tai chi. Memorizing the movements takes time, too, and Trautman said it’s impossible to learn everything there is to know about tai chi.

He continues to learn something new each day, he said.

While Trautman hopes people of all ages will try tai chi, he said people should first check with their physician, just as they would before beginning any new exercise regimen.

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Kristen Bulgrien is the director of community partnerships for Helping Hands Ministry in Belton.

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OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

TexVolunteers

From left, volunteers Barbara Duckens and Faye Butler help Sarah Achee, office administrator for Helping Hands Ministry and shop manager, straighten racks at Laura Mae’s.

Resale with a purpose

Laura Mae’s serves as an extension of Helping Hands Ministry Story by Catherine Hosman Photos by Julie Nabours

T

rends may come and go, but one trend that doesn’t go out of style is dressing well, and doing it frugally. But it’s hard to find that special outfit for work, play or social events that doesn’t drain the pocket book. One nice outfit, especially if it’s a designer label, can take a big chunk out of a woman’s clothing budget. And if she is starting over again after a long period of under- or unemployment, the choices are even slimmer.

One place that helps women find that perfect outfit is Laura Mae’s Resale Shop, an extension of Helping Hands Ministry in Belton, where women can shop resale for a purpose.

Walking into Laura Mae’s (named for its first volunteer, Laura Mae Peters) is more like walking into a fashionable boutique. Clothing is hung neatly by size and season — they were getting ready to stock their fall fashions — shoes and accessories looking brand new are creatively displayed throughout the shop.

They also have a selection of home décor items.

Searching for the right outfit becomes a treasure hunt as shoppers uncover designer labels such as Michael Kors, Chicos, Coldwater Creek, Alfred Dunner, Karen Scott and more.

“Some women come in who say they wouldn’t be able to wear such new clothes if it wasn’t for Laura Mae’s, whether it’s for a job or a job interview,” said Sarah Achee, office administrator for Helping

Hands Ministry. “All proceeds go back to Helping Hands.”

Before coming to Helping Hands, Achee worked in accounts payable at CPA firms. But something was missing. “I wanted to do accounts, but I also wanted to be helping people in the meantime,” she said. When her current position was vacated by a friend who left to raise her new baby, Achee was encouraged to apply.

“I love working with the volunteers.

They are all so different. We have a really good time. It’s fun, like family.”

Four full-time employees and volunteers keep the shop running smoothly.

Six volunteers rotate schedules to work at the store. “We keep the shop organized and clean,” said Faye Butler, Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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who had been volunteering four years.

“We go to the back and collect items that people bring in,” said Barbara Duckens, a two-year volunteer. “We check to make sure there are no spots.

If handbags come in, we clean up the handbags, we stay busy.”

Achee said it’s the volunteers who go through donated items to find clothes that customers will like. Once selections have been made, the staff then brings the clothes to the holding area in the store to steam clean and de-wrinkle the items.

Achee had been part of the Laura Mae’s and Helping Hands family for two years. She said the ministry is supported by “so many different churches in the community, with different beliefs.

But we all care for the person and volunteers, so here we are.”

“The common thread they all share is their desire to serve the poor, oppressed, orphaned, widowed and marginalized,” said Kristen Bulgrien, director of community partnerships.

Mentoring ministry Also helping out at Laura Mae’s is a member of their Employee Mentoring Ministry that helps women gain retail experience for work in commercial retail.

“The EMM offers a few different positions and only one is in Laura Mae’s,” Bulgrien said. “The program is not geared to women specifically, and also has one janitorial position and warehouse position.”

The person who does get selected through the EMM to work at Laura Mae’s is usually female, because it is a women’s clothing shop. Bulgrien said that person works 10 hours a week and meets weekly with a case manager, usually a social work intern.

“The whole goal is to be a stepping stone to long-term, full-time employment somewhere else in the community,” Bulgrien said.

When a social work intern is not scheduled, Bulgrien steps in to mentor the EMM intern.

“This past summer I had someone graduate out of program who is now working full-time in a school system,” Bulgrien said. “She worked with me once a week about employment goals, past experiences, what she wanted to be doing. We got her some training, found 54

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

From left, volunteers Barbara Duckens and Faye Butler with Office Administrator Sarah Achee and Kristen Bulgrien, director of community partnerships.

jobs she was interested in and updated her resume. She worked incredibly hard and, before summer, was hired.”

Bulgrien calls the Employment Mentoring Ministry one of the most important programs at Helping Hands.

“We have food and clothing and those are meeting a need for a day or for the short term, but the EMM is designed to help people develop skills that will benefit them in the long term and, hopefully, gain employment that will definitely serve them in the longer term.

We capitalize on their skills to help them do better and help them take steps to get out of poverty, which is what we are all about.”

Bulgrien, originally from Lancaster, Pa., oversees the community engagement and outreach for the ministry, as well as the grant writing and fundraising. Her passion for helping others is life-long.

She graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois with a bachelor’s degree in Christian education and ministry, and earned her master’s in social work from Continued TEXAPPEALMAG.COM

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ABOVE: Barbara Duckens and Faye Butler check incoming clothes at Laura Mae’s. BELOW: Faye Butler steams a dress before hanging it on the rack at Laura Mae’s.

Baylor University. Before coming to Helping Hands, she spent two years teaching English in Compacion, Haiti.

“It was challenging living in Haiti,” Bulgrien said. She taught students, grades K-5 and tutored students, grades 6 to 12. “You learn to live a lot more simply.”

She shared an apartment with a roommate and enjoyed running water and indoor plumbing, but electricity was a “hit or miss.” Because the country runs on diesel fuel, electricity was available in one part of town at a time.

Despite the lack of some modern conveniences and the high poverty (she said Haiti is the poorest country), leaving her students and their families was difficult.

“I grew to love them and look to them as family,” she said. “Life is simple there. You don’t get bogged down in technology and advancement. There are relationship opportunities. When the power goes out and you can’t do computer work, you sit around and talk to people.”

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TexAdventures

A little slice of history

Gruene offers something for everyone to explore Story by FRED AFFLERBACH Photos courtesy of Gruene HISTORIC DISTRICT

N

ot long after San Antonio businessman Pat Molak purchased Gruene Hall in 1974, he arrived at the ramshackle building to find a shocking sight. A huge crane hovered above the old water tower, menacing claws ready to dismantle the steel structure that could be seen for miles. Molak saw the water tower as an historic landmark. The man who was selling it to a developer for $5,000 compared it to a fire hydrant. But cooler heads prevailed in the name of a state district judge, and the opposing parties reached a settlement that spared the water tower. Today, that silver relic of yesteryear serves as a signpost to a unique community that draws more than 1 million visitors a year.

These travelers flock to the former ghost town for dancing and dining, shopping, wine and beer tasting, and floating down the Guadalupe River on a kayak or inner tube. Gruene (pronounced Green by local folks) sits just two miles west of Interstate 35, halfway between Austin and San Antonio.

“It’s a melting pot of people because it is a real visitor destination and recognized internationally as a music venue,” said Mary Jane Nalley, coowner of Gruene Hall and several other businesses there. “When people come in, it’s like they’re stepping back in time. We really don’t want to change that.”

The water tower incident wasn’t the first time the Gruene landscape was almost irrevocably altered by developers.

In the early 1970s, kayak enthusiast and University of Texas architecture student Chip Kaufman stumbled upon the decaying community after floating the Guadalupe River. A little investigating revealed developers were planning to 58

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Real cowboys walk into a honky tonk in Gruene.

bulldoze the dance hall, cotton gin and other structures to make way for a suburban housing development complete with condominiums perched on a bluff overlooking the river.

Kaufman immediately inventoried many of the buildings for the Texas

Historical Commission records. He then earned the blessing of the developers and was instrumental in getting Gruene placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a district. Next, Kaufman, Molak, Nalley and others Continued

Visitors to Gruene get a feel of a Texas town in the 19th century with historic buildings restored to their original grandeur.

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purchased various pieces of the tiny community. They soon went to work, one building at a time, bringing this former ghost town back to life in a charming way that celebrates the history of the European immigrants who settled much of the greater New Braunfels area.

About the time these entrepreneurs dusted off the old dance floor at Gruene Hall, and moved the rabbit houses from the beer garden, a handsome, young country singer attending Texas State University in San Marcos began playing there on a regular basis. Today, you will find autographed, framed photos of George Straight at Gruene Hall before he became the king of country music.

(There’s one rare picture of him in his early 20s without his trademark cowboy hat.) Another up and comer, Garth Brooks, played Gruene on his first tour.

And Lyle Lovett, youthful, gangly and unknown, sang there before his four Grammy awards made him a Texas legend.

“Lyle was this real shy person. He was just a solo act. And he would literally almost have his head down when he was playing. He didn’t even have a band,” Nalley said. In 1996, John Travolta performed a dance number on the old wooden floor there for the movie, “Michael.” Because of its old Texas charm, beer and pickup truck and western wear commercials are often filmed in Gruene.

Social center Gruene Hall was built in 1878 and is known as Texas’ oldest continually operating dance hall. Today, the building reeks of history. Few changes have been made to the original, simple, open-air structure. “The dance halls in Texas were built as social centers for the settlers that came over from Europe,” Nalley said. “That’s part of the social fabric of Texas history. It is a big, historical aspect of Texas that people like to see, like to experience. We have people walk in there and they just look around, constantly.”

But there is more to Gruene than live music, longneck beer and the CottonEyed Joe. Next door to the dance hall, the Gristmill River Restaurant and Bar offers fine waterfront dining in the restored cotton gin. Wine tasting, fly fishing lessons and a Texas-sized antique store are all within a few blocks of each other.

Visitors can park in the main lot and easily walk to all of the dozens of shops 60

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

Visitors can enjoy wine and beer tasting, great food and shopping at the Gruene Historic District.

and stores.

Merchants have had a little fun with some punnery here at Gruene. You can taste fresh olive oil at the The Gruene Olive, browse the apparel at Gruene with Envy Boutique, and buy your toddler a cute outfit at Gruene Eggs and Ham. The Fickle Pickle attracts a cult following with just one food product—pickles, of course.

Koleen Mayberry, pickle purveyor at the Fickle Pickle, said this is a family recipe going back 34 years to the store owner’s mother. “They are a fabulous, unique pickle, sweet, crunchy and spicy.

It just has a nice, little kick to it. It’s not hot,” Mayberry said. “Put ’em in potato salad, chicken salad, tuna salad; they make

the best deviled eggs ever. Oh my gosh, they are delicious.”

If you’re tasting a free sample at the pickle store and the aroma of fresh coffee catches you by surprise, don’t be alarmed.

In the adjacent shop, Kristin Lamas was probably roasting another batch of coffee beans — temperature 400 degrees. Lamas scoops the tiny green beans that look like peanuts, dumps them in a hopper and fires up the roaster. Twelve minutes later, the beans tumble into a holding pan: rich, dark, plump and aromatic. Lamas said Gruene Coffee Roasters sells beans to a local grocery store and a few nearby coffee houses. “It’s like a little hole in the wall Continued

If you go Gruene Hall and most of the stores and shops are open seven days a week.

From Interstate 35, south of San Marcos, take Exit 191 and go west on Farm-to-Market 306 about 1.5 miles to Hunter Road. Turn left on Hunter Road and look for the water tower. Gruene Hall is at 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels.

Upcoming events The 30th annual Gruene Music and Wine Fest is right around the corner: Oct. 6-9. More than 100 wines from 30 Texas wineries will be available. Music all weekend long. For more information: www. gruenemusicandwinefest.org Once a month, Gruene explodes with 100 booths where arts and crafts items are sold. This fall, Old Gruene Market Days falls on October 15-16 and November 19-20. For more information: www. gruenemarketdays.com

ABOVE: Gruene was a ghost town until some civic minded people bought the town, building by building, and restored it to its 19th century grandeur.

AT LEFT: The Gruene Antique Company is just one of many 19th century shops that were restored in the Gruene Historic District.

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The old gristmill was restored and is now a restaurant with outdoor seating that overlooks the Guadalupe River.

History in a nutshell In 1872, Henry D. Gruene purchased 6,000 acres along the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels. Several years later he built a mercantile building (which today is an antique store), dance hall, and a cotton gin. Gruene remained a banking, ginning and shipping center until the boll weevil blight devastated the local cotton farmers in the 1920s. After the Great Depression, only about 75 people still lived there. By the 1950s, the town was virtually abandoned. now, but we’re gradually growing.”

Throughout the 25-acre community, you are only a step away from an old whiskey barrel overflowing with flowers, a vine-covered trellis or a bench where you can sit and rest tired feet. Maintaining open space between small clusters of historical buildings preserves the mystique of this 145-year-old German settlement.

Just around the corner from the dance hall, Rockin’ R River Rides has been “putting you and water together” since 1979. Inner tubes, rafts, kayaks and party barges are available for rent. Because 62

OCTOBER 2016 | TEX APPEAL

the Guadalupe River at this point is below the discharge at Canyon Dam, the water remains about 68 degrees year-round.

When the flow reaches a level where it’s not safe to float on a tube, typically in early spring, river guides lead groups on a raft expedition. Take your pick of watercraft and length of trip — from one and a half to six hours. You must be able to swim, and of a certain age.

“We have customers today on the water from England,” said Sheryl Rivers,

wife of co-owner, Rick Rivers. “People from all over the world come. A lot of Houston people, Dallas people, Killeen, military people — just a little bit of everything.” Rivers said safety on the water is paramount. “Age limits apply, depending on river flow. And you must be able to swim. We educate people what the river is doing. How it’s flowing. We’ve had people from age 7, and we’ve had people in their 80s. It’s very relaxing. It’s family-friendly. It’s not rowdy and crazy.”

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