The Memorial Buzz - December 2024

Laura Grove Prouty, Emily Grove, Charles Hall, and Kathryn Wilson

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Our mission at The Buzz is to inspire and connect neighbors in our communities by telling their stories. We hope that when The Buzz arrives in your mailbox, you find something uplifting. I want to thank our readers for allowing us into your homes and trusting us with your stories. And of course we want to thank our advertisers, and our dedicated team, for 23 Buzzworthy years. Together, we have created something truly special. Nothing makes us prouder than the positive feedback we receive from our readers and advertisers. If you have not already, we encourage you to sign up for our Morning Buzz e-newsletter and connect with us on social media. And always, we want to hear from you – share your stories and feedback with us. Here’s to the memories we’ve made in 2024, the lessons we’ve learned, and the anticipation of what lies ahead in 2025. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES

Editor-in-Chief

Joni Hoffman

Publisher Michael Hoffman

Editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld

Associate Editor Caroline Siegfried

Design Manager

John Duboise

Staff Writers Tracy L. Barnett

Sharon Albert Brier

Cindy Burnett

Andria Dilling

Angie Frederickson

Todd Freed

Cindy Gabriel

Cathy Gordon

Michelle Groogan

Dai Huynh

Annie Blaylock McQueen

Jennifer Oakley

Ben Portnoy

Pooja Salhotra

Cheryl Ursin

Account Managers

Andrea Blitzer

Leslie Little

Jo Rogers

On our cover: Kathryn Wilson shares her passion for baking with her nieces, Laura Grove Prouty and Emily Grove. Here, they share holiday cookies with Kathryn’s father, Charles Hall. Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com

The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2024 Hoffman Marketing & Media,

Your letters, thoughts, opinions

Halloween happiness

I just wanted to thank you for the Halloween article about my husband, Billy Cohn [Magic, Music, Medicine, More: And this inventor’s ‘humerus’ Halloween by Cathy Gordon, Oct. 2024]. He loves building structures for the kids, and it was so much fun to see it in The Buzz!

We lost count at about 1,000, but our neighbor said he got at least 1,500 trick-or-treaters; it was off the hook! Just love Halloween in Bellaire: from the tiny ones that start showing up before dark, to the teenagers, abashedly showing up without costumes or treat bags and trying to look cool about the whole thing (we save Target bags for them!) to the mamas who couldn't get off their shift till 10, but promised to take their kids trick or treating (we save extra nice treats for them!). The whole thing is such a happy experience, and I am so glad that you guys took the time to visit and write it up!

Shaun Cohn

Impressive adventure

I was absolutely gobsmacked to hear of Teri Gerber’s accomplishment in this trek [Via Ferrata Ouray, a rock-climbing experience featured in The Gift of Travel: Scaling New Heights Together, Nov. 2024]! She is to be solidly congratulated!

Mick Brown

Relatable story

Hi Cindy – I just read your article A Diagnosis: Can be a Good Thing [November 2024 by Cindy Gabriel] and wanted to say “been there, done that.” Just a few weeks ago, I had 2 parathyroids removed by Dr. Khadra, having recently been diagnosed with Hyperparathyroidism (that is a mouthful, isn't it!). You are in good hands and will be glad to get this done, as was I. How fortunate we are with excellent medical care in Houston. Yes, a diagnosis can be a good thing and a cure is even better! Best wishes in your recovery!

Kathaleen Chenoweth

Editor’s note: Thank you, Kathaleen, and best wishes on your recovery as well! See an update on Cindy Gabriel’s health journey in this issue.

Fan of H-Town and Cindy Gabriel

I love this article [Loving Life on Purpose: Lessons from a young immigrant by Cindy Gabriel, Sept. 2024]. Well done, Cindy.

I was born in Houston in 1938. Though I briefly lived in Mexico and Switzerland growing up, most of those childhood years were spent in the Bayou City, as some call it. Houston has always been a place of excitement, forward thinking entrepreneurs and art, a city I loved as I grew into my teens and early twenties. It's still that way, a place of opportunity like nowhere else.

Jodie Sinclair

Foodie memory

In response to Restaurant Memories: A look back at Houston’s dining past by Russell Weil, Nov. 2014: Russell: I wanted to give a shout-out to Captain John’s on West Gray. We went there frequently, and I always ordered and enjoyed the fried shrimp. For my young palate, Captain John’s was to shrimp what Youngblood’s was to fried chicken.

Paul Zarefsky

Editor’s note: We shared this with Russell Weil, who wrote the still-popular-today article on restaurant memories back in 2014. He responded: “While I don't recall going to Captain John's on West Gray, I do recall that restaurant and passing by when I was a kid. They were located at 1927 West Gray Street. The deco-style building, built in 1940, was actually previously known as the Golden Girl Restaurant. Demolished in 1981.” Read Restaurant Memories at thebuzzmagazines.com and share your own memories with us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Email us at mailbag@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or send to Mailbag, The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters or emails addressed to The Buzz Magazines become the property of the magazine, and it owns all rights to their use for publication. Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.

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by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

Life After Surgery

Cindy Gabriel gives an update

It was time for my follow-up appointment, two and a half weeks after having surgery to remove a tiny parathyroid gland from my throat. Dr. Helmi Khadra, Chief of Endocrine Surgery at Houston Methodist, walked into the room with a bit of a strut, and a wait ’til you hear this look on his face. “Ok, so the average parathyroid gland is about 30 to 50 milligrams in size,” he said, looking me straight in the eye. “Yours was 1,193 milligrams.” He looked kind of pleased. I guess if you go fishing in people’s necks week after week for parathyroid glands, it’s nice to catch an occasional whopper.

I didn’t know whether to be proud or horrified. “It’s clearly in the 90th percentile in size –and it's not cancer,” he added. I knew that cancer wasn’t a high probability, but given the size, it was nice to hear.

I asked the good doctor what, exactly, was I to make of this information? “It’s been there a long time – maybe decades,” he said. “You’re just going to feel better and better and better.”

Last month, in A Diagnosis: Can be a Good Thing, I wrote about finding out I had something called hyperparathyroidism and that a simple surgery to remove an enlarged gland called a parathyroid would cure my condition. (It’s not my thyroid gland, but sits behind it.)

Now I am rethinking a story I had been telling myself and others since 2009 when I had brain surgery to remove a meningioma tumor the size of my fist. It too, fortunately, was not cancer, but left me a little weak on my left side. In time, I developed this swimming sensation in my head, and thought it was the aging effects of having undergone a 10-hour brain surgery. I likened it to football players affected by concussions later in life.

I kept a fake it ’til you make it attitude, trying to keep up with Stan-the-Man on various hikes over the years, which had gotten harder and harder. I went to the gym three times a week, with a frustrating lack of results. Still, I thought it was just the way it was and kind of accepted things.

Then, in the last year or so, it got worse. Every time I got up to walk, it felt like someone put a spoon in my head and was constantly stirring. I

was beyond fatigued, waking up tired, getting a few good hours in the morning then crashing all afternoon.

Finally, my blood tests started consistently revealing high calcium levels, enough to make my family practice doctor, Imaad Siddiqi, do some more testing. “I think you have hyperparathyroidism.”

A simple day surgery to remove a tiny gland from my neck seems to have changed my life. Once the gland is removed, the cure is automatic. They test your blood calcium level right there on the operating table. When it reads normal, they send you home.

The afternoon of the surgery, I walked into my house and could actually feel the bottom of my feet connecting with the floor in a way that I couldn’t before. I lifted my left leg, and stood on my right leg for some 30 seconds for the first time in years.

The fatigue is gone, and sometimes waves of euphoria emerge. On the flip side, I can get irritable too, snapping at people who don’t deserve it. I thought I had mellowed over the years, but in reality, I guess I was just too tired to get mad.

Now I need to adjust to my newfound energy. I have often said, I have stopped worrying because I couldn’t remember what to worry about; I have given up anger because it takes too much energy and I have saved myself from making the wrong snap decisions by procrastinating. Now that I have these new superpowers, I must learn to use them for good and not for evil.

As I write this, I’m a week away from getting on a plane to France with Stan-the-Man where I will turn 70. I am leaving with a heart full of gratitude and expectation for the days to come.

Much of that gratitude comes from so many of you who read last month's column and reached out with such interest and concern. Some of you had your own stories of having this same surgery. But the good news is most catch this before it is as debilitating as mine. I enjoyed hearing your stories, comparing notes, and feeling your love.

I’m grateful for this good period of health for as long as it lasts, knowing that life is short. As we enter this holiday season, I’m reminded that every day is holy.

BEFORE SHE KNEW Telluride, August 2023: Cindy Gabriel, unaware that she had hyperparathyroidism, plops on the side of a hiking trail to gaze at the sky and wait for her family to return. Now she knows she wasn’t just being lazy.

by Ben Portnoy, staff writer

The Miracle of Hanukkah

Illuminating the Festival of Lights

It’s December, the holiday season. Of course, that means Christmas and, for some of us, Hanukkah. Hanukkah is not a major Jewish holiday. It is not mentioned in the Torah, as the major holidays are, because the Torah was completed well before the events of Hanukkah took place. However, these days, this minor holiday has become a kind of major one, and that’s most likely due to its temporal proximity to Christmas. So, let’s pause a moment and explore this holiday.

Hanukkah commemorates the miraculous rededication of the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by the Hellenistic pagan Seleucid Empire rulers who tried to restrict Jewish observances. After three years of struggles, the Jewish resistance fighters, the Maccabees, finally in 165 BCE reclaimed the Temple, the center of Jewish observance. A small vial of oil was found, and it was enough to light the Temple’s light for a day of dedication, but the oil lasted eight days. That’s the miracle.

So, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days beginning on the 25th day of the month of Kislev, according to the Hebrew lunar calendar. That varies from year to year in the corresponding Gregorian calendar, so Hanukkah may take place in late November or December. This year, Hanukkah begins the evening of Dec. 25, 2024 (how’s that for timing?) and lasts until the evening of Jan. 2, 2025.

OK, so let’s spend a moment exploring the important question: “How do you spell Hanukkah?” Is it Chanukah, Hannukah, or Chanuka? The answer is that you can spell it any way you like as it is a transliteration of a word written in the Hebrew alphabet that means dedication. If you were so inclined, I suppose you could spell the holiday Hanooquah.

And what is the menorah thing? It has nine places for a candle, but if there are eight days of the holiday, then why a place for nine candles? Look at a menorah for Hanukkah (called a hanukkiah), and you will notice that one candle is higher than or separate from the others. The shamash (literally meaning “helper”) is the candle used to light the other candles of the menorah. The prayers recited upon the lighting of the

menorah include the idea that candles are only to celebrate the holiday; they must not be used for other functions such as light for reading. The shamash is not a sacred candle, so if you happen to read by the light of the hanukkiah, well… you can say you are only reading by the light of the shamash. I know. That’s not important these days unless we have a CenterPoint power outage, but it used to be.

Gifts at Hanukkah time are a relatively new custom, mostly in America, and we do exchange plenty of gifts. This certainly borrows from the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas. The custom at Hanukkah used to be simply a gift of gelt to children in the family. When I was a child, my father would give each of us sons a crisp new dollar bill, and Uncle Harry would present us with a shiny silver dollar. Now there is gelt in the form of chocolate candy wrapped in gold or silver foil to look like a large coin. I miss the real silver dollars, but I cannot recall seeing a real silver dollar for a very long time. Oh, in case you are interested, gelt in Yiddish (geld in German) means “money.”

We celebrate Hanukkah by lighting candles each night – one light the first night, ending in eight lights the last night. Each night, you also burn a shamash candle. You can count them up if you like, but I will save you the trouble. It takes 44 candles to properly celebrate Hanukkah. So, Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights.

You may have seen little Hanukkah tops called dreidels. They are descendants of a European gambling game played with a top called a teetotum. The dreidel has four sides, each with a Hebrew letter. The letters stand for the Hebrew words nes gadol haya sham (a great miracle happened there). The game is played by gambling

with pennies, pieces of candy, gelt, or anything else. You spin the top and follow the action indicated by the letter that shows up when the dreidel stops spinning. You either do nothing (nes), take the entire pot (gadol), take half the pot (haya), or put one piece of whatever token in the pot (sham). My Bellaire neighbors, brothers Will, Max, and Gus Goldfarb, spotted some dreidels I had out and immediately started playing together joyfully. It’s a simple but enjoyable game.

Sure, dreidels are especially fun for children, but all ages can enjoy Hanukkah food. The tradition is to consume food prepared in oil. We make potato pancakes called latkes, and these are fried in oil. They are great with applesauce or sour cream. Donuts, of course prepared by frying, are filled with jelly and called sufganiyot They are popular in Israel and catching on here, too. How did oil in a holy lamp in 165 BCE end up in our stomachs two millennia later? Don’t ask. And while you’re thinking about it, why don’t we just eat French fries? I don’t know.

Hanukkah is a nice holiday, especially if you are a kid. Who complains about presents or chocolate candy or fried foods? No, we don’t get a pine tree decorated with cute things hanging from the branches. We don’t string lights on our houses and trees. We don’t have a jolly guy who slides down our chimney (if we have a chimney) and leave presents in stockings. We don’t have innumerable carols to sing. But we enjoy our holiday, and…we can spell Hanukkah so many more ways that you can spell Christmas.

Happy Holidays to us all.

CELEBRATING HANUKKAH Neighbors Will, Max, and Gus Goldfarb light writer Ben Portnoy’s menorah.

Aimee McCrory

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

Nothing Tops Barbershop

The happenin’ harmony of Space City Sound

The sublime blending of voices. The shimmering highs. The lush lows. Sweet tenor tones rising above rich lead melodies. Harmonies that warm the soul.

At age 7, Patrick McAlexander discovered the singing world of barbershop, close four-part harmony in a cappella. And it gripped the fella. Now 30, he’s still happily in its vise, this many years after first performing as a young boy in his dad’s barbershop chorus.

“I’ve been around music, specifically barbershop, my whole life. My parents met singing barbershop. I joined my dad’s chorus as soon as they would let me. I was very into it as a little kid and it has not gone away since,” says Patrick, director of Houston’s Space City Sound, a spirited all-voices nonprofit a cappella barbershop chorus that placed 10th in the world in July during the Barbershop Harmony Society’s (BHS) International Barbershop Chorus Competition in Cleveland, Ohio.

The chorus of 45, including Patrick’s wife Sarah, bedazzled an audience of 5,000 – and the judges – who awarded the group its highest performance score to date. And Patrick’s parents Brad and Ann, barbershoppers still, were there to see it. “They were very proud and they loved our performance! They’ve gotten to see a lot of my barbershop exploits, but that was their first time seeing me direct.”

BHS, the parent organization for barbershoppers across North America and affiliated groups in more than a dozen countries, holds competitions regularly, with about 80,000 active singers on its roster worldwide. BHS used to be an allmale organization, but in June 2018, opened the organization to “all voices.” Membership chapters can choose to have a mixed chorus of men and women, remain all-male, or have an allfemale ensemble.

“We’ve been to internationals a few times before, but this was our first time placing that high and scoring as well as we did. It was really exciting to be able to say we are one of the top 10 choruses in the world,” exudes Patrick of the group that vied with 35 barbershop choruses in the competition. He prepared intricate arrangements of two songs from the musicals Matilda

and The Last Five Years for the performance.

“I remember when we were about 20 seconds into our first song, there was a nice inflection on a word that I hadn’t noticed the chorus doing before, and it immediately set me at ease. I was like, ‘Oh, they’re going to be great! This is going to be a fun performance.’” (Watch Space City Sound’s performance at the international competition; see this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for the link.)

“We welcome all voices, all genders, all experience levels, and we are an auditioned group, so there is an audition process but absolutely anyone is welcome to come to a rehearsal and sing with us and audition with us when they want,” explains Travis Gidley, 33, bass section leader and former president of Space City Sound. Singers in the group range in age from 17 to the 70s.

The ensemble has grown steadily over the years, thanks to its open-audition policy. Anyone can attend rehearsals on Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m. at Pines Presbyterian, 12751 Kimberley Ln., to just listen or sing along.

There’s a 3-step audition process to become a Space City Sound member to perform with the group at shows and concerts.

“I think the openness in our weekly rehearsals allows us to be inclusive and we really do try, even with folks who are less experienced, to allow them to experience the joy of singing in an ensemble. There’s so much magic and healing and joy that comes from that,” Travis says.

He helped found the group in 2015, settling on the name Space City Sound as an homage to Houston’s rich history in the space program. He fell in love with barbershop in high school, after being cast in a quartet in a production of Music Man.

Travis loves the competitive aspect of barbershop. The BHS and its affiliate organizations hold preliminary competitions where groups must qualify to glean an invitation to the finals at the international convention. Space City Sound won first place in the BHS Southwestern District choral competition in 2022 and 2023.

“So being at that international competition in Ohio was quite an honor,”

(continued on page 14)

BLISSFUL BARBERSHOPPERS Space City Sound barbershoppers say their love for the singing art form and the fellowship it brings adds an element of joy to their lives. Pictured, from left: Travis Gidley, Dom Finetti, Drew Prince, Carrie Kurtz, Alesha Yamal, Heather Cryer, Janet Burnett, and director Patrick McAlexander are some of the performers that make up Space City Sound.

says Travis, who loves the camaraderie of it all. “You’re part of a global community and you meet all these other barbershoppers at these conventions. We are all there because we love music, love singing. And you probably know a handful of the same songs that this person you’ve never met before knows. And you probably would be able to sing it with them and have this profound connection with someone you just met. That’s what barbershop is.”

Carrie Kurtz, 46, of Briargrove, feels that connection. She attended a holiday concert two years ago and was hooked. “I sat there listening and immediately said to myself ‘How do I become a part of this group?’” She started attending rehearsals and eventually auditioned. She was thrilled to be on stage with them during the international competition.

“Just to be in a room that large, I felt like I was at the Grammys or something!” says the tenor singer. “There were all these cameras and big booms everywhere. My entire body was vibrating.”

The retired headhunter for engineers finds that singing barbershop keeps her mind sharp. “And I’ve learned so much, music theory as well as how to really sing. Now I understand why I crack on certain notes and how to get around that and produce a better barbershop sound. It’s a specific sound, different than a choral sound.”

In barbershop, tenor is the highest part, harmonizing above the lead. Lead is the second highest part, singing the melody. Baritone sings above and below the lead. Bass is the lowest part, singing foundational notes.

Retired CPA Janet Burnett, 72, sings tenor with Space City Sound, her husband Thomas, bass. Barbershop has been her life since age 16.

She’s been with Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization of women barbershoppers, for 56 years. She directs the Houston Horizon Chorus, a nonprofit, all-female a cappella group and premier chapter of Sweet Adelines.

“It keeps me young. It keeps me singing and singing is so healthy,” says Janet, whose dad sang barbershop. She remembers barbershop parties at her house as a child. “Mom would put on a pot of coffee, and they’d all sing. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if not for barbershop. The preparation, the teamwork, the camaraderie, the sisterhood and brotherhood are unequalled, I think. You don’t get all those things together in any other hobby.”

It's all about the “ringing chords,” Janet says. “When you sing barbershop, if you do it properly, overtones are created that are not being specifically sung by any part. Specific chords are arranged in the barbershop style so that happens most of the time. It’s a big thrill.”

Agreed, says Drew Prince, 37, Space City Sound’s assistant director and also a founding member.

“Locking and ringing a chord, where you hit the chord just right and it kind of expands in sound. It’s a visceral feeling,” he says.

“And when you’re performing for an audience, their reaction is a hook. I’ve always loved being on stage and getting that kind of feedback

10TH IN THE WORLD Space City Sound barbershoppers performed before an audience of 5,000, impressing the crowd and judges, and earning the chorus’s highest score to date in competition.

from the audience. There’s nothing better than a barbershop audience.

“Barbershop bridges the gap for me of my musical nerdiness and desire to be on stage,” Drew adds. “The vocal style is more akin to musical theater, in my opinion, than it is to choral or operatic music.”

Barbershop is an art form, says Space City Sound’s vice president of marketing and public relations, Dom Finetti, 31, who has been with the group since 2016. In his day job, he promotes things like Barbie and Hot Wheels for the toy company, Mattel. By night, he’s belting out baritone.

“I love the direction we are going, becoming more inclusive and diversive,” he says. “We were one of the first organizations within the BHS to go mixed harmony when the BHS shifted from being an all-male society to being one that accepts all genders.”

He recalls hearing barbershop called “the blackbelt of a cappella,” an observation he finds fitting. “It’s probably the most high-level form of singing on the planet,” he says.

The group’s music vice president, Heather Cryer, 36, has dedicated her life to the barbershop world. She discovered it while in high school and has been in Sweet Adelines for 23 years. When she moved to Houston, she discovered Space City Sound, joining a year ago.

“I prefer singing in a mixed group with women and men,” she says. “You’re not singing all high all the time. You really get to stretch your range and use different parts of your range.”

Her husband Trent doesn’t sing, but he’s part of her barbershop bubble. They run a successful online resource, Custom Quartet Stuff, selling a plethora of gear and memorabilia to more than 100 barbershop groups. Any given day, they’re creating hoodies, T shirts, license plate placards, you name it, to accommodate demand.

“I’m a hands-on creative person and to be able to merge my two dreams of creating things and singing, it’s just wonderful,” Heather says.

Funny story about the group’s apparel, she says. When BHS first opened its membership to

“all voices,” the formerly all-male Space City Sound had to quickly choose a different name to participate in a mixed chorus competition, to accommodate the way registration was set up. Quickly, off the top of their head, they chose Space Kitty Sound. To this day, they still offer space kitties on apparel. But they’re back to just the one, original name.

“Who doesn’t like space kitties?” Heather quips.

“That’s what I love so much about this group,” says tenor section leader Alesha Yamal, of Space City Sound’s “carefree spirit.” She comes from a musical background, singing and playing flute. And when she discovered Space City Sound a few years back, she fell deep down its rabbit hole.

“I’m so absolutely in love with it,” says the Briarmeadow resident. “This is the most serious I’ve ever dove into something before. I’ve sung my whole life, but never barbershop before. I’m deep in that well.”

She loves the geekiness of it, she says. “I’m very nerdy. I was an engineer,” says Alesha, 47, who changed course decades ago, becoming a fulltime belly dance instructor. “I keep telling the chorus, if we do a song that has a bit of an Arabic flair, I could totally belly dance to it. We’re going to figure out something eventually, I think. It would be so much fun!”

She leads the chorus in warmups every three weeks or so where they get the hips going.

“I led a full-on 20-minute belly dance class for them early on when I first joined. And every single one of them put on a hip scarf and danced. It was like ‘These are my people. I’ve found my tribe.’

“They are not only amazing musicians but they’re totally willing to not take themselves too seriously and to do something totally out of the box. That’s what Space City Sound is. They’re talented and fun. Just the best.”

Space City Sound presents Winter Solstice: An a cappella holiday concert on Dec. 20, 7:30-9 p.m. at MATCH, the Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston. General admission is $35, VIP seats are $45 and $50. See spacecitysound.org.

Barbershop

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

Doing Good

Being a Good Samaritan

It was a beautiful morning in late January: temperatures were in the low 60s with the morning sun coming out after a night of rain. My husband, Cole Thomson, was coming back from one of his early-morning bike rides – 30 miles to, from, and around Memorial Park. He was feeling great.

Then, the back tire on his bicycle blew out.

When he landed on the pavement, in intense pain and unable to move, he knew this was not an ordinary fall.

Alana Bethea, driving to work that morning, hadn’t seen Cole fall but did see him on the ground. “He’s going to get hit by a car,” she thought. She pulled her car around and stopped.

Two other women stopped, too. They alerted Jessica Moghaddam, who was in her nearby restaurant and coffee bar, Burger Vibe/LaVita Coffee. Jessica brought out traffic cones. They all began to direct traffic around Cole. “That is a super accident-prone corner, and it was busy at rush hour,” says Jessica. Cole, she says, must have been terrified.

They called 911.

Alana, the first person to stop, stayed with Cole, even offering to follow him to the hospital so he wouldn’t be alone. She kept his bike for safe keeping and exchanged contact information with him. She picked his cell phone off the pavement and handed it to him as he was being put in the ambulance.

“I just feel such enormous gratitude to everyone who stopped and everyone who helped me, including the EMTs and the hospital staff,” says Cole.

He had broken his femur or thigh bone. Breaking your femur, the largest, strongest, and heaviest bone in your body, is extremely painful. (He required immediate surgery, but is now, months later, fully recovered and back on his bike.)

“I went from everything being great to being absolutely helpless in a split second,” Cole remembers.

The thing he was most aware of and comforted by that morning was Alana staying with him and holding his hand.

Once in the ambulance, Cole remembers sheepishly, he even asked the burly EMT taking care of him to hold his hand. The man did.

What Alana and the others who stopped and helped did is called being a Good Samaritan, something human beings have been doing since the dawn of the species. Its name, after all, comes from the 2,000+ year old Biblical story. Researchers call it a type of “pro-social behavior,” a voluntary act meant to help someone else, and speculate that such empathetic behavior has helped human beings to thrive.

Human beings have always contemplated the act of being a Good Samaritan, wondering who stops to help, under what conditions, and why. Even in the original Biblical parable, told in the Gospel of Luke, the Good Samaritan, literally a man from Samaria, was the only one who stopped upon coming across a man who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. At the time, the men were technically enemies, but the Samaritan stopped to help anyway.

In a famous study in 1973, “From Jerusalem to Jericho,” named after the stretch of road the victim in the Good Samaritan story was on, social psychologists John Darley and Daniel Batson did an experiment involving 67 students from the Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. First, the students met with a researcher and filled out surveys. They were then told they needed to prepare a short presentation to give to

a group in another building nearby. Some of the participants were told the subject of their presentation was the story of the Good Samaritan; others were given unrelated subjects. When the participants were finally told to go to the other building to give their presentations, some were told they had plenty of time to get there, some were told they would be right on time if they left now, and some were told that they were already late and should hurry. Meanwhile, an actor lay in wait, in the doorway of the building they needed to enter, acting distressed and ill.

A full 60 percent of the participants did not stop to help. Some, ones who were told they were late, even stepped right over the person who looked to be in distress. That’s a dispiriting result. The ones who had just been preparing a talk on the Good Samaritan were no more likely to stop than the others. But there was nuance in the results: 63 percent of the people who thought they had plenty of time to get to where they were going did stop, compared to only 10 percent of the ones who thought they were late. Another real-life event seemed to point out how bad human beings are at helping one another: the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, N.Y. A front-page story in The New York Times at the time said that

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A HAPPY REUNION Cole Thomson meets up with his Good Samaritans: Jessica Moghaddam (on left) and Alana Bethea (on right). Jessica and Alana helped Cole after a bike accident.

almost 40 people heard Kitty Genovese screaming that night as she was chased and repeatedly stabbed, but none of them called for help. This shocked the nation and led researchers, including John Darley of the later Princeton study, to coin the terms “bystander effect” or “bystander apathy” for the idea that individuals are less likely to stop and help someone when other people are present. But the story, now the subject of many articles, books, documentaries, and psychology textbooks, turned out to be different and more complex than what was originally believed. Multiple people did call the police. Many who did not call the police heard some yelling and assumed it was a quarrel amongst patrons leaving a nearby bar at closing time. A 70-year-old woman from Kitty’s apartment building, who had called the police, came out, even though she had no way to know where the attacker was, and cradled Genovese in her arms until the ambulance came.

Local police and firefighters here in Houston say people do want to help. “People are really good about calling things in,” says Ray Schultz, chief of police at the Memorial Villages Police Department. If there’s an accident on the freeway in his area, he says, his department may get 50-60 calls about it. “Remember: you’re being a Good Samaritan just by making that phone call,” he says.

Police and firefighters say do make that phone call, even to 911. While neighborhood police departments have their own numbers, of course, it’s not always clear which neighborhood boundaries you are in. While it’s a good idea to have local police and fire department numbers saved in your phone, 911 always works. “If it isn’t an emergency, the dispatcher will just quickly ask you to call on the nonemergency line,” says Onesimo Lopez, chief of police at the Bellaire Police Department. You will not be tying up the line for real emergencies.

Even as you are stopping to help, says Chief Schultz, call and “start that 911 clock.”

Jeff Mraz, A-shift captain at the West University Place Fire Department, thinks people may hesitate to help because they worry they might inadvertently cause harm and even be sued. “If people had a good understanding of the law, they’d have less hesitation about helping,” he says. Texas, like every other U.S. state, has a “Good Samaritan Law.” Basically, if you try to help someone in an emergency situation in a reasonable way and in good faith, you are protected from civil liability if, for instance, the cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, you performed on them breaks their ribs (which is known to happen). These laws were passed in order to encourage people to help those in distress.

“People have a desire to help, and we definitely want to encourage people to help others when they can, but – and there’s always a ‘but,’” says Chief Lopez of Bellaire, “common sense needs to prevail.” If, for instance, you are stopping for a car accident or a stalled car, he says,

“keep in mind that you are not as visible as a police car or a person in a visibility vest is. Pull well off the roadway and put your flashers on.”

All the police interviewed advised that if someone is behaving erratically or people are involved in an argument, do not intervene yourself. Call the police. In those cases, focus on being “the best witness you can be,” says Officer Katie Wilson of the City of West University Place Police Department, “without putting yourself in harm’s way.”

There are so many ways, big and small, that people can be Good Samaritans, though, and if we think about it, we have all been there, both

as the helper and as the person helped. We turn in a lost wallet. We catch a loose dog and try to find her owner. Like Alana, Jessica, and the two young women who stopped when Cole had his accident, we render aid to someone who is hurt or ill and call for help. We scoop up an injured or orphaned wild animal and bring them to the Houston SPCA’s or the Houston Humane Society’s wildlife centers. We stop for someone with car trouble. We check on neighbors after a hurricane or bad storm. We comfort a lost child and help to reunite them with their parents.

For Cole, that was the silver lining in his accident. “It reminded me that people are good,” he says.

BACK ON THE BIKE Cole Thomson has fully recovered and is back cycling.

by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Holiday Helpers

‘Tis the season to give back

During the holiday season, many people look for ways to give back to those less fortunate in Houston.

For mom-of two Sara Payne, giving back has been focus each year during Christmas for the past seven years.

Sara, along with help from family and friend volunteers, has collected gifts for Catholic Charities’ annual Share Your Blessings campaign. The annual toy drive helps give gifts to children and families in need in the Greater Houston community, no matter what faith. This year, the campaign celebrates its 30th anniversary.

“The weeks leading up to Christmas are usually very chaotic,” said Sara. “This project helps me remember what Christmas is really about.”

Sara, along with the help of her two girls, Abby, 12, and Isabelle, 10, and an extensive list of volunteers, have made more than 700 children smile on Christmas morning by collecting toy donations to donate to Catholic Charities.

The annual project brings low-income children their most-wanted toys, along with necessities, at Christmastime. Together with her helpers, Sara has ensured kids each year get their wish list filled for Christmas. She collects the gifts in her home, filling up her living room with boxes and boxes of toys.

The volunteers, friends, neighbors and family, who range in age from children to adults, work hours on end to carefully sort the gifts, wrap, and label them to ensure each child gets their specific wishes. Finally, they make the delivery to the charity headquarters where the gifts are distributed to the families.

Sara says the organization of donations is a group effort. “All of the giving would not be possible without those who have helped shop, donate, wrap, organize, and drop off.”

Each child provides a list of three wishes, often modest requests like socks or snacks. Sara recalls one child’s list in 2022, which included a wish for a bike. Sara sends the information out to those who want to help and selects a list to fulfill.

“I did not expect anyone to buy a bike for a stranger, but one family stepped up and got one,” she said, smiling. She said imagining the delight of a child on Christmas morning seeing a new

bike or toys is the true meaning of the holidays.

To make it happen, it is not just about the monetary donations – volunteers also step in to help wrap and organize the gifts. “Seeing these lists from kids in our city makes me want to help as many as possible,” Sara said. “Many people in our neighborhood want to spread the joy, knowing their own kids will have a special Christmas.”

For those interested, Sara encourages getting involved through local churches or Catholic Charities’ program, which can be accessed at Catholic Charities Volunteer Opportunities (see catholiccharities.org/makeagift/syb).

Another Buzz resident volunteer, Jenny Vestal, shares in the same spirit that the holidays are more than celebrations – it is about giving back.

Jenny has been a volunteer with Christian Community Service Center’s (CCSC) Jingle Bell Express since 2015.

This annual event, which began in 1980, provides toys, books, and grocery gift cards to 2,500 children in need. Low-income families are in desperate need of ways to ensure their children receive a special Christmas, and this program ensures that can happen.

“Jingle Bell Express is the most rewarding volunteer experience because it allows families in Houston, who otherwise may not have the opportunity, to bring Christmas to their children,” said Jenny.

Volunteering is at the heart of family values for the Vestal family. Jenny’s two daughters, Lucy and Caroline, volunteer alongside her, which has the sweet bonus of extra special family time together during the otherwise hectic time of the holiday season.

The highlight for Jenny, she says, is when she gets to hand over the bags of toys to parents, and witnesses firsthand the impact of giving back to people who need it the most. Those moments keep calling her back to volunteer.

“More than a few times, there have been tears,” said Jenny. “The best moments are when the kids come to pick up their bags with their parents, their eyes lighting up in excitement.”

Those moments, along with the heartfelt joy on the faces of the children, are the true reward in spending time during the holidays helping those in need.

How to Help this Holiday Season

This season, consider joining in local efforts to give back to your community. We’ve gathered a list of ideas below.

Jingle Bell Express

The Jingle Bell Express, through Christian Community Service Center, is open for donations through Dec. 6, accepting new, nonviolent toys and books for children up to age 15. Items can also be ordered through the Amazon wish list. See ccschouston.org/jingle-bell-express.

Catholic Charities’ Annual Share Your Blessings Campaign

Help brighten Christmas for those in need with Catholic Charities’ Annual Share Your Blessings campaign. Toys and donations are accepted through Dec. 14. See catholiccharities.org/sybrequest.

Houston Food Bank

Volunteering for the Houston Food Bank is a good way to help those in need. See ways to help at houstonfoodbank.org and click Ways to Give. Or share the love through the Houston Food Bank’s Holiday Card pro-

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ALL IN THE FAMILY Jenny Vestal (right) and daughters Caroline (left) and Lucy (middle) volunteer at Christian Community Service Center’s Jingle Bell Express every year.

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gram: for a $10 donation, they’ll send a card on your behalf, providing meals to those in need. Spread holiday cheer and help feed neighbors in need. Every card donation provides 30 meals to families in Southeast Texas. Cards are available through early Jan. 2025.

Joan and Stanford Alexander Celebration Company

Celebration Company, through Jewish Family Service, empowers adults with disabilities to produce high-quality products and art. Shop during the holidays for art and gifts, including a Chanukah Shop, to support their cause. They raise awareness of disability rights as human rights and create a community of artists, advocates, and allies. See celebrationcompany.org.

The Brookwood Community

The Brookwood Community provides an educational environment to support adults with disabilities. Shop Brookwood's Gift & Garden Center, full of holiday gifts crafted by Brookwood citizens, or purchase their famous poinsettias. See their website for details and special events, such as their Christmas Open House, Dec. 6-7, and Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 14 and 21. Visit brookwoodcommunity.org.

Be An Angel’s Christmas Gift Program

Help provide gifts to financially underprivileged special needs children in the Houston area. There are many donation and volunteer opportunities. Help decorate and/or deliver Christmas gifts, Dec. 10-11, with volunteers organized at George R. Brown Convention Center. More than 100 volunteers are needed each day. See beanangel.org/Christmas.

BEARing Gifts Program

BEAR provides help for at-risk and CPSinvolved children and their caretakers in the Greater Houston area. BEAR’s holiday program, BEARing Gifts, provides gifts to these children, who may otherwise not experience the joy of the holiday season. There are multiple ways to get involved – sponsor a child, host a toy drive,

donate, shop an Amazon wish list, or volunteer. Toys are accepted through Christmas. If you want to sponsor a child, toys must be dropped off by Dec. 16. See bearesourcehouston.org/programs/bearing-gifts/.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston’s Annual Santa Project

BGCGH orchestrates the annual Santa Project, ensuring joy for children and teens across the Houston area, especially those facing financial struggles. Families in need compile holiday wish lists, encompassing both necessities and desired items. Upon wish list submissions, BGCGH pairs children with donors. Each donor receives a list of requested gifts, purchases them, and delivers the wrapped and labeled items to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston’s “Santa’s Workshop.” Individuals interested in becoming sponsors should submit a Santa Project interest form by Dec. 6. See bgcgh.org/santa-project/.

City Wide Club of America’s Christmas Super Feast

City Wide Club of America holds a Super Feast annually Christmas Eve at George R. Brown Convention Center, where thousands are served with traditional hot meals in addition to clothing, household items, and necessities. There are multiple ways to help: Sign up to volunteer in person, drop off donations (items in need include turkeys, non-perishable foods, toys, household items), or donate funds. See volunteer.citywideclub.com.

Houston Children’s Charity's Adopt-aFamily and Toy Distribution

Houston Children's Charity offers an AdoptA-Family program and Annual Toy Distribution, helping thousands of families in need within and around the Greater Houston area. HCC teams up with the U.S. Marine Toys for Tots program to provide toys for underserved children. The Annual Toy Distribution takes place in the George R. Brown Convention Center. To volun-

teer, contact: hcc@houstonchildrenscharity.net or 713-524-2878.

Houston Fire Department’s Operation Stocking Stuffer Toy Drive

The Houston Fire Department collects thousands of toys to help families in the Houston area each year. Shop their toy list or donate funds. See osstoydrive.com.

Kids’ Meals Houston's Adopt a Family and Holiday Hope Toy Drive

Kids’ Meals makes and delivers free, healthy meals directly to the homes of children in need. There are several ways to help this holiday season – adopt a family (wrapped, labeled gifts should be delivered to families by Fri., Dec. 21), host a toy drive benefiting children on Kids’ Meals routes, or volunteer to decorate bags. See kidsmealsinc.org/holidayhope or contact: 713695-5437 or HolidayHope@kidsmealsinc.org.

Ronald McDonald House’s Home for the Holidays Program

Ronald McDonald House provides a “home away from home” for families whose children are being treated at the Texas Medical Center. RMH’s Home for the Holidays program includes multiple ways to give to families served at RMH. Santa Shop is a free shopping experience, available to any family staying at RMH during the holidays, where families can select gifts for their children. Volunteers wrap the gifts and elves deliver the gifts in Santa Sacks on Christmas Eve. Help by donating gifts or gift cards by Dec. 6, or sending cards through their Holiday Card program. See rmhchouston.org/holiday.

Salvation Army’s Angel Tree

Program

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program provides Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children in Houston. To volunteer, you can select an “Angel,” purchase their requested gifts in person or online, and return the gifts to the Angel Tree. Online gift registries are available. See tsamm.org/angeltree.

TOY DRIVE HELPERS Left photo: The Payne sisters (pictured, from left, in 2021), Isabelle and Abby, help their mom, Sara Payne (left), organize hundreds of toy donations for Catholic Charities’ annual Share Your Blessings toy drive. Right photo: Sara (in the middle) recruits friends, neighbors, and family to donate toys and help sort the donations. Here, she’s pictured with volunteers Tabatha Urech (left) and Jen Deutsch (right).

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ENTERTAINMENT

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Festive Fun

Houston holiday happenings

This time of year, Houston is illuminated by countless holiday lights and the joy of festive fun around town. Find ideas for what to do with friends and family this holiday season.

75th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thurs., Nov. 28, 9 a.m., Downtown Houston, Free

Nine-time gold medalist Carl Lewis will lead the 2024 parade through downtown Thanksgiving Day. This year’s parade will kick off with a salute to the Houston-area Paris Olympians and Paralympians with a special performance of songs from Bring it On: The Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda performed by Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). The parade will feature colorful floats and balloons, marching bands, dance companies, and more.

Holiday in the Plaza

Sat., Nov. 30, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., CityCentre, Free

Visit with Santa and two of his reindeer at CityCentre during Holiday in the Plaza presented by Sewell Cadillac. The event includes holiday songs with the Houston Show Choir at 12, 2:30, and 4 p.m. Bring a donation (new, unwrapped toys) to help fill Santa’s Cadillac, and get a free photo with Santa.

West U's Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Mon., Dec. 2, 5:30-7 p.m., Friends’ Park, Free Kick off the holiday season at West U’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The event will include dance performances, vendors, holiday games, selfie stations, face painting, and ice sculpting.

Bellaire’s Holiday in the Park Thurs., Dec. 5, 6-8:30 p.m., Bellaire Town Square, Free

Bellaire’s Holiday in the Park will include live music, snow slides, inflatables, food, and fun for the whole family. Lots of “snow” is forecast.

Christmas Village at Bayou Bend

Dec. 6-30; closed Dec. 9-10, 16-17, 24-25, Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, $18 adult and youth ages 13+; $12 child, ages 5-12; free for ages 4 and younger; prices increase on premium nights

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston brings

holiday cheer to Bayou Bend, including a trail of sparkling lights, carolers, a hand-crafted model train, animated projections, and festive activities such as a cotton snowball toss, reindeer games, and sledding on a faux-snow slope.

Deck the Park & Memorial Park’s Holiday Lights

Deck the Park: Fri., Dec. 6; doors open at 5 p.m.; holiday tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Holiday lights will be lit through early Jan., Deck the Park: $10; children 2 and under are free. Holiday Lights viewing is free and open to the public.

Memorial Park Conservancy’s Deck the Park, presented by Chevron, features fun, familyfriendly holiday activities, a tree lighting ceremony, an outdoor movie screening, and festive treats. Deck the Park kicks off Memorial Park’s Holiday Lights, presented by CenterPoint Energy Foundation, which will remain lit through early Jan. 2025.

Southside Place Winter Wonderland Carnival

Sat., Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Southside Place Clubhouse and surrounding green spaces, $25; free for ages 2 and under

The annual carnival includes activities for all ages, such as inflatables, games, face painting, glitter tattoos, hair art, Cookies with Santa (10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), food trucks, confetti eggs, and lots of snow. The event supports the Fire Truck Park Fund.

Reliant Lights Mayor’s Holiday Spectacular

Sat., Dec. 7, 6-8 p.m., Hermann Square at City Hall, Free

The City of Houston kicks off the holidays with this family-friendly event, featuring live music and performances, the lighting of the holiday tree, free photos with Santa in his North Pole-themed booth and other festive activities.

Levy Park’s 2024 Holiday Festival

Sat.-Sun., Dec. 7-8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Levy Park, Free

The annual two-day festival features a holiday market, a craft station, live music performances throughout the park, a special performance by River Oaks Dance, a free photo booth with Santa Claus, and food and drink concessions. Santa will be available for photos both days, 15 p.m.

Champagne and Candy Canes Market

Thurs., Dec. 12, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Evelyn’s Park Event Center, Admission: Free; $3 mimosas

Shop crafts and gifts from local vendors at a holiday-themed market held at Evelyn’s Park Event Center. Santa will make an appearance from 4-7 p.m.

Houston Symphony’s Very Merry Pops

Thurs., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 15, 2 and 7:30 p.m., Jones Hall, Tickets vary

Very Merry Pops, a festive, family-friendly performance, includes a visit from Santa. Tony-

MERRY Levy Park offers a two-day, family-friendly holiday festival, including live music, a performance by River Oaks Dance, photos with Santa, a holiday market, crafts, and more.

Courtesy of Levy Park

nominated Broadway star Betsy Wolfe joins the Symphony and Chorus for favorite holiday songs.

15th Annual AIA Gingerbread Build-Off

Sat., Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Levy Park, Free for spectators

Architecture Center Houston hosts this delicious, annual event in which competing teams will create their masterpieces using 100 percent edible materials. More than 4,000 spectators are expected to cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, participate in a scavenger hunt, and take a picture with Santa. Entertainment is free and open to the public.

Houston Symphony’s Holly Jolly Holiday

Sat., Dec. 14, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Jones Hall, Tickets start at $39

Santa stops by Jones Hall to spread lots of Christmas cheer at Houston Symphony's annual holiday concert for kids, which includes hot chocolate, interactive activities in the lobby, and an opportunity to visit with Santa.

Houston Grand Opera's Carols on the Green

Sat., Dec. 14, 7-8:30 p.m., Discovery Green, Free

Houston Grand Opera hosts its annual Carols on the Green concert and sing-along, in partnership with Discovery Green. It’s a familyfriendly evening featuring a program of opera, holiday hits, mariachi, plus interactive activities for all ages. Company favorite Vanessa Alonzo, who has performed in all three of HGO’s worldpremiere mariachi operas, will take the stage. She’ll be joined by the University of Houston Mariachi Pumas band, Indigo Diaspora Dance Company, Segundo Barrio Children’s Chorus, members of HGO’s Butler Studio program and Bauer Family High School Voice Studio, and the HGO Chorus. Guests are invited to wear festive holiday attire.

Christmas on the Boulevard

Sat., Dec. 16, 4 p.m., The Church of St. John the Divine, Free

The Church of St. John the Divine invites the community to its annual Christmas on the Boulevard, including a live nativity, snow, food trucks, a Christmas concert, and jazz reception.

The Memorial Villages Twinkle Light Parade

Thurs., Dec. 19, 6-8:30 p.m., Parade begins at Frostwood Elementary School; holiday celebration takes place at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church; Free

The 8th annual Twinkle Light Parade will feature dozens of festive floats. The parade begins at 6 p.m. at Frostwood Elementary School and will arrive at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church by 7:30 p.m. for a community holiday celebration including cookie decorating, hot chocolate, a balloon artist, and pictures with Santa.

Concert Against Cancer Fundraiser

Dec. 21, 7 p.m., Axelrad Beer Garden, Free to attend; donations accepted at concertagainstcancer.com

Benefiting The Broach Foundation, the Concert Against Cancer was founded in memory of Tom Bres, who passed away from glioblastoma in 2015. His daughter, Meg, founded Concert Against Cancer to raise awareness and funding for The Broach Foundation (as told in Buzz article Concert for a Cause, Dec. 2023). The concert will mark its 10th year.

PJ Library’s Chanukah Concert

Weds., Dec. 25, 4 p.m., Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Free; registration required

PJ Library is hosting a Chanukah concert featuring Jewish singer/songwriter/entertainer Billy Jonas, who will be joined by several Houston musicians in a collaborative Chanukah celebration.

Bellaire Chanukah Festival

Weds., Dec. 25, 4-6 p.m., Bellaire Town Square, Adults: $15; children: $10 (includes dinner)

The Shul of Bellaire hosts the annual Chanukah Festival; highlights include a Lion Dance Show, a Chinese dinner buffet, and a grand menorah lighting. Enjoy Chanukah crafts, face painting, inflatables, latkes and donuts.

Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas Through Dec. 29, Memorial City Mall, Adult: $20; ages 4-17: $14; ages 3 and under: free

This festive event is filled with tons of joyful activities for the whole family, including largerthan-life light displays, a holiday market, ice skating, a snow slide, seasonal treats, live entertainment, and visits with Santa. Theme nights include Paws n’ Claus (Dec. 1), Country Christmas (Dec. 6), Houston Texans Night (Dec. 10), and more.

A Christmas Carol at Alley Theatre Through Dec. 29; Alley Theatre; Prices vary Get in the holiday spirit with the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation as he encounters the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The Alley Theatre presents A Christmas Carol, from the novella by Charles Dickens; adapted and originally directed by Rob Melrose; remount directed by Amber D. Gray. Space Center Houston’s Galaxy Lights Through Jan. 5, 6-10 p.m., including Tues., Dec. 31, 6-8 p.m. Closed Nov. 28, Dec. 5; Dec. 24, Dec. 25, Space Center Houston, $19.9527.95; free for children ages 3 and younger; not included in general admission

Experience an out-of-this-world holiday event at Galaxy Lights, presented by Reliant. Featured activations and presentations include light displays, kinetic light shows, crystal fireworks shows, Apollo-themed lantern displays, a light tunnel, light pods, astronaut “selfie” lantern display, a walk-through space launch system rocket display, a large shooting star display, s’mores fire pits by the launchpad, LED swings under the 747 Boeing Aircraft, and a screening of Holidays in Space

TXU Energy Presents Zoo Lights Through Jan. 5, 5:30-10:30 p.m. (last entry: 9:30 p.m.); Houston Zoo, Tickets vary depending on date; $24.95+

The annual Zoo Lights, presented by TXU Energy, transforms the Houston Zoo into a winter wonderland. The Zoo will be lit with earthfriendly LED bulbs. Highlights include Snowy Slopes, featuring a snow machine and ski lift chairs, life-sized animal lanterns, and s’moresmaking stations. Santa

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DECK THE PARK Memorial Park Conservancy’s Deck the Park features family-friendly holiday activities, a tree lighting ceremony, an outdoor movie screening, and festive treats. The event kicks off Memorial Park’s Holiday Lights, which will remain lit through early January.

Courtesy of Memorial Park Conservancy

returns to his workshop to take photos until Dec. 23. New this year: Stroll through the Immersive Twinkle Trail, sponsored by TC Energy, enjoy cookie-decorating stations, and a new holiday tree.

Polar Express Train Ride

Through Dec. 23, weekends and select dates, Galveston Railroad Museum, Adult tickets start at $39; child tickets (3-12) start at $34

Set to the soundtrack of the motion picture, The Polar Express is theatrically recreated to immerse passengers in the sights and sounds of the classic children’s tale while they travel for a magical one-hour trip to meet Santa. Meet many of the characters from the film. Wear PJs and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate served by singing chefs. The train ride consists of six separate cars pulled by vintage locomotives from the Galveston Railroad Museum’s collection.

Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Through Dec. 29, Wortham Theater Center, Prices vary

Experience Stanton Welch’s The Nutcracker, a beloved Houston holiday tradition. After the annual Stahlbaum Christmas party, embark on a journey through the dazzling Land of Snow to the radiant and jubilant Kingdom of Sweets alongside Clara, Drosselmeyer, and the Prince. Welch’s The Nutcracker presents hundreds of characters, intricate sets, and breathtaking details.

Holly Jolly HMNS

Through the holiday season; Houston Museum of Natural Science, Price varies HMNS is celebrating the holidays with a slew of magical holiday activities and special events, including the Holiday Movie Party featuring A Christmas Carol (Sun., Dec. 1, 4:30 p.m.); Santa’s Workshop (Sat., Dec. 7, 10 a.m.); Santa Claws (Sun., Dec. 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m.); Storytime with Santa (Sun., Dec. 8, 2 and 3 p.m.); Breakfast with Santa (Sat., Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.); Cookies with Santa (Sun., Dec. 15, 9 a.m.); and Snow Flurry (Sat., Dec. 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.). Don’t miss the beloved Trains of Texas exhibit, the largest indoor O-scale model railroad in Texas.

Holiday in the Gardens

Through Jan. 1, Moody Gardens, Galveston, Ice Land: Starts at $29 for adults; $24 for kids/seniors; Festival of Lights: Starts at $25 for adults, $21 for kids/seniors. Holiday Pass and other packages available.

Moody Gardens transforms into Holiday in the Gardens, offering festive, family-friendly attractions including Ice Land, Festival of Lights – a mile-long walking trail decked out with two million lights, plus animated displays themed to holiday music – ice skating, an Arctic Slide, train rides, holiday 3D and 4D films, more.

Sugar Land Holiday Lights

Through Jan. 5, 2025, Constellation Field, Prices vary; kids 3 and under are free

Sugar Land Holiday Lights presented by Houston Methodist takes place at Constellation Field, featuring more than 3.5 million lights, a

dazzling 40 ft. light up tree, light shows, numerous themed displays, Santa Claus (through Dec. 23), holiday vendors, food, and more. New this year: Enjoy a synthetic ice rink on the field.

ARTECHOUSE’s Holiday Spectacular Through Jan. 5, 2025, ARTECHOUSE, Prices vary; general admission: Starts at $30; children (4-15): $17; children under 4: free Immersive art studio ARTECHOUSE presents the first-ever immersive Houston Holiday Spectacular, a dazzling experience that brings the holiday season to life through art, technology, and interactive design. The exhibit reimagines popular holiday and ASMR themes through stunning digital landscapes, including

The Tingle Bells Immersion Gallery, which invites visitors into three captivating scenes that evoke comfort, curiosity, and nostalgia, and Spectacular Factory, a whimsical adventure featuring floating bells, candy cane carousels, and dancing nutcrackers.

POST’s Winter Wonderlawn

Through Jan. 11, POST Houston, $7-15

Skylawn, the 5-acre rooftop park at POST Houston, is decked out in beautifully illuminated lights and décor this season. Experience thousands of lights, a 25-foot Christmas tree, and multiple holiday-themed activations with a fantastic view of Houston’s skyline as the backdrop.

Green Mountain Energy Ice

Through Feb. 2, 2025; times vary, Discovery Green, Admission: $18

Skate around the ice rink at Discovery Green. Throughout the Ice season, there will be special events, including DJs, Skating Stars, Sundays with Santa, We Love Houston Wednesdays, and more. New this year: Bumper Cars on Ice, Jan. 6-19.

Radiant Nature Presented by Reliant Fri., Sat., and Sun. nights, starting at 6 p.m., as well as some weeknights, through Feb. 23; Houston Botanic Garden, $28.50 for ages 3+

Inspired by traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year, as well as regional plants and animals, Radiant Nature features more than 50 Chinese lantern installations throughout the mile-long path, set to a complementary soundtrack. This year’s exhibit features an all-new collection of lantern installations, including a massive iridescent dome that guests can walk inside, where they’ll see a large, moving lotus flower. Other new attractions include a lifesized Chinese palace, a canopy tunnel constructed of traditional oil paper umbrellas, pandas in a field of bamboo with a waterfall, interactive morning glories and sunflowers, and an interactive dragon that guests can manipulate to make it “dance.”

Meow Wolf Houston

Radio Tave, General admission: $40+, Timed ticketing

Meow Wolf’s Houston location, which opened this fall, is set in an alternative radio station stuck in a parallel universe. Although Meow Wolf is not holiday-themed, exploring the new immersive art installation would be a fun experience with family and friends this holiday season. Meow Wolf features a maze of rooms connected by secret passageways, including through washing machines and refrigerators, and encourages visitors to engage with the exhibit through all five senses.

MORE ONLINE

See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links to these event listings and more upcoming events.

CLASSIC Coca-Cola’s Classic Christmas, new to Houston this year, takes place at Memorial City Mall and includes light displays, a holiday market, ice skating, a snow slide, live entertainment, and visits with Santa. Courtesy

by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Magic and Christmas Cookies

Baking up memories together

There’s a little magic that comes with baking Christmas cookies. It’s not just the sparkle of the sugar or the thought of waking up to a half-eaten plate of cookies, courtesy of a visit from Santa. More than that, it’s the tradition: the mixing, rolling, and decorating, and the time spent together. Memories in the form of a sweet and special treat.

For Kathryn Wilson, Christmas cookies are not a luxury solely prescribed to the holidays. For her and her friend Adele Bentsen, December brings the culmination of a monthslong, spirited taste-testing process by which Christmas cookies are baked and recipes gathered and eliminated. Only the best make it into their famously beautiful and delicious cookie tins. (Their Christmas-cookie quest and favorite recipes were featured in The Buzz in The Great Cookie Tin Bake-Off: Two friends and their Christmas quest in Dec. 2020 and in The Best Holiday Cookies: What to make and give this year in Dec. 2021.)

But long before the summer several years ago when a Pilates class conversation about cookies turned into a cookie-tin tradition, Kathryn was meticulously baking cookies and mailing tins, filled to the brim with cookies, to her nieces in college. “This was pre-Adele, before she was recruited to the big cookie adventure,” Kathryn laughs.

Laura Grove Prouty was at Vanderbilt (the same school Kathryn attended, and where Laura’s parents met), and Emily Grove was at Elon. Their college care-package cookies came with years of memories of baking together in Kathryn’s kitchen.

When they were little, Kathryn recruited her nieces as bakers after her sister Allison, the girls’ mother, died of breast cancer. “Allison was diagnosed right after Emily was born,” Kathryn says. “It was there microscopically when she was pregnant, and they found it right after she had Emily. Laura was 2.”

After their mother died – the girls were 7 and 9 – they would go to Aunt Kathryn’s kitchen to bake with her. “Baking is such a big thing in my life,” Kathryn says, “and they would come over and we would bake bread or cookies, or we’d

decorate cookies.”

Kathryn’s own boys, Marshall and Merrick, were a few years older than the girls.

Before that, Kathryn had been the only baker in her family. “My mother did not cook, my mother did not bake,” Kathryn says. “My sister did not like to bake. Even my grandmother would have me over as a child to bake cookies, but she’d pull out slice-and-bakes! That was my grandmother cooking.

“That’s why I started baking, when I was probably 12 years old. I started with cookies, and then went to breads when I was 15. It was kind of my own thing; I guess it was an open field. Nobody else had claimed it.”

Not only that, but Kathryn says that her father Charles Hall, a longtime tax attorney at Norton Rose Fulbright (at 94, he still has an office downtown), doesn’t even like cookies. “Really, he prefers not to eat sugar,” Kathryn says. “He’ll say, ‘I really like your whole-grain bread, Kathryn.’ He’s health conscious. He will eat a cookie on occasion, but if I give him whole-grain bread he will say, This is heavenly.”

Even though Kathryn’s father prefers her bread, he is also partial to her gingersnaps. “They have to be very, very thin and crisp,” Kathryn says. “In my teenage years I would bake them from this teeny tiny little bit of cookie dough and dip the base of a glass in sugar and press them to be paper-thin. He loved those because they would just snap. But that recipe is not as popular with the rest of the world!”

Kathryn’s dad doesn’t entirely agree with her about his distaste for cookies. “I actually like cookies,” he says, “I just try not to eat sweets. I limit myself.” When asked what cookie he would choose if he could have anything, he laughs. “Well, I hate to tell you, but it wouldn’t be homemade; it would be an Oreo Double Stuf [sic]. I have them here now and I’m trying not to eat them. If I have one, I have 50.”

Charles says Kathryn has always had a passion

for baking. “When she was a teenager, Kathryn cooked so much I thought she might go to the Culinary Institute [of America]. When she was 14, she made baked Alaska,” he says. “It’s wonderful to see the granddaughters wanting to do it too.”

As a grown-up, Kathryn has expanded her repertoire considerably and shares it freely with her nieces. That’s where the magic comes in.

“Baking isn’t difficult, but it’s a little labor intensive,” Kathryn says. “You can be in the kitchen together and talk and talk about cookies, and then talk about other things. Baking together is an easy way to have an activity with lots of time to also talk and be together. Hours and hours. We would talk about What cookie cutter do you want to use? Which recipe do you want to bake? There’s always something new to bake.”

“I remember going to Aunt Kathryn’s when we were really young,” Emily, a server at Tiny Boxwoods, says. “We would go over just to bake cakes. I remember going to make my birthday cakes. We always got to pick out the pans, and she always had fun ones. We would layer them on top of each other, and I remember stacking little stars on top of one of the cakes. Decorating was half the fun.”

Laura’s memories bubble up with Kathryn sending them to Camp Waldemar with sandwiches on bread they had made together. “I felt like the coolest kid on the bus,” she says.

Laura, an archivist for the Dominican Sisters of Houston, bakes her own bread now. “I’ve done a lot of normal sandwich bread,” she says, “and I’ve also gotten into whole-wheat bread. Making bagels is a two-day process, but that’s very satisfying, and my husband loves it.” Laura says all the baking with yeast is not totally easy,

HOLIDAY CHEER Kathryn Wilson says it's not Christmas without something ginger. Her father Charles Hall is a fan of Kathryn's gingersnaps, and everyone else loves her Triple Ginger Cookies.

“but it’s also not as hard as you’d think.”

Emily prefers baking cookies and pies. “I like things I can do in an afternoon. So lots of chocolate chip cookies, a lemon chess pie, a peanut butter cookie.

“One summer our parents were remodeling our house, so we stayed with Aunt Kathryn. I remember she had just taken a class on how to decorate with royal icing, and we would spend the morning baking cookies in a bunch of different shapes and picking out colors and decorating techniques.”

But now it is Christmastime, after all, and Kathryn is most definitely in Christmas cookiebaking mode. She is working in what she and her husband Tom called her “dream kitchen.” Tom died two years ago, just after they began a kitchen remodel. It made him happy to know that Kathryn would be using her dream kitchen after he was gone.

This fall, Kathryn has been scoping out new cookbooks and new recipes and searching for the prettiest tins. “I’m deeply into the planning ahead,” she told us. “And that’s an understatement.”

Kathryn loves reading cookbooks and choosing the recipes she’ll try. “I have an entire shelf of cookie cookbooks,” she says, “and I eagerly await the recent releases.” Her favorites right now are Dorie Greenspan’s Dorie’s Cookies, Sarah Kieffer’s 100 Cookies, Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cookie Bible, and Zoë François’ Zoë Bakes Cookies “That’s my current favorite,” she says. “I love it because instead of dividing the book among rollout cookies and bar cookies, she does commune cookies (she grew up on a commune in Vermont), then Protestant cookies, then Jewish cookies, then worldly cookies, then chocolate chip obsessions…she’s just the cutest thing.”

There are more cookbooks that Kathryn consults, too many to list. “Everyone has different tastes,” she says. “There was one cookie somewhere called The Cookie That Changed My Life, and I told Adele, It’s not changing my life.” Kathryn has so many tips for baking and cooking, but there’s one she calls a game-changer. “There’s a recipe app called Paprika, and it’s where I store all my recipes. It’s on my phone and my computer, so I always have my cookbook with me on my phone. I can send a recipe into the app, and once it’s there I can cut it in half, double, triple. It does all the math for me. I can make notes, I used this particular pan, or I used this ingredient and this is what happened

“I told Adele she had to get it and she said I have all my notebooks and it’s all very organized, and I have the New York Times app, and I do not want another app. We went around for about a year, and now she has it and has twice the recipes I have and says How did I live without this app?”

While Laura says Kathryn has never served her anything she didn’t like, she also says Kathryn’s Chunk Wild cookies are her best. “It’s the best cookie I have ever had,” she says. “And it’s one

their star-baker aunt Kathryn Wilson

the Santa cookie

belonged to Kathryn's grandmother, Louise Watkins, aka Gran. Leftmost plate: Speculoos Cookies and ChocolateDipped Cookies. Middle plate: Ultra-Peanut Butter Cookies on outside, Almond Spritz Cookies, Speculoos Cookies at center. Rightmost plate: Triple Ginger Cookies in front, Linzer Cookies behind.

of my favorite recipes that she’s passed down.”

“I’ll copy my sister,” Emily says. “The Chunk Wilds are my favorite. They’re really incredible. And there’s also a Triple Ginger cookie that she makes that I love.”

“We like to talk about cookies,” Kathryn says. “Recently I took Laura four cookie samples and said Tell me if you think any of these are cookie tin-worthy.”

Laura says holiday baking with Kathryn is her favorite. “It’s a whole activity,” she says. “She’ll have dough in the freezer ready to go, so we can pop something in the oven to have a snack. We’ll sit in her beautiful backyard with Phoebe [Kathryn’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel] and

talk Vanderbilt football and eat cookies. It’s a lovely afternoon.”

When The Great British Baking Show is airing new episodes, Emily and Laura get together every Friday after work and watch. “We have seen every single episode,” Emily says. “And we always tell Aunt Kathryn if there is an American one, she needs to apply, because we know she would do great.”

Kathryn’s father would agree. “She’s a professional,” he says. (Turns out there is an American version. Kathryn, we think you'd be the star of the show!)

While cookie magic is undisputable, for Kathryn, it’s a simple trick

(continued on page 30)

FAMILY TRADITIONS Top photo: Emily Grove (left) and Laura Grove Prouty (right) learned to bake with

(middle); bottom photo:

jars

to figure out. “It’s pretty low stakes to make a batch of cookies, just a pound of butter and a bag of sugar and a bag of flour and a few hours of time, and voila, you’ve got a wonderful treat baked with love.”

Adele Bentsen’s Signature Triple Ginger Cookies

Alice Medrich’s Ginger Cookies recipe for Food52

“Adele and I call these ‘Triple Ginger Cookies’ and they are tremendously popular,” Kathryn says. “The uncooked dough balls freeze beautifully, and then we roll them in the coarse sugar right before baking.”

2 ¼ cups / 285g unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons / 113g unsalted butter, melted and just warm

¼ cup / 85g unsulphured mild or full-flavored molasses (not blackstrap)

½ cup / 100g sugar

1⁄3 cup / 66g firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons finely minced or grated fresh ginger root

1 large egg

¾ cup / 113g ginger chips or crystallized ginger, cut into ¼-inch dice, shaken in a coarse strainer to remove loose sugar

About ½ cup / 100g demerara or turbinado or granulated sugar for rolling

If you are baking the cookies right away, position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Set aside. Combine the warm butter, molasses, both sugars, fresh ginger, and the egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and ginger chips and stir until incorporated. The dough will be soft. If possible, cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or (better still) overnight, for the best flavor and texture. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (15 grams of dough for each). Roll balls in the demerara sugar and place them 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating the sheets from back to front and top to bottom about halfway through the baking, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven. For chewier cookies, remove them from the oven when at least half or more of the cookies have begun to deflate; for crunchier edges with chewy centers, bake a minute or so longer. Set the pans or just the parchment liners on cooling racks. Cool the cookies completely before storing. The cookies keep for several days in an airtight container.

Sarah Kieffer’s Chocolate Dipped Cacao Nib Cookies

Kathryn says, “Chocolate Dipped Cacao cookies are easy to make and fun to dip in chocolate. Cacao nibs are sold in the bulk chocolate section at Central Market. They add a wonderful crunch!”

4 cups / 568g all-purpose flour plus more for dusting

1/3 cup / 40g cacao nibs

1 teaspoon fine salt

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ cups / 339g (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 tablespoons refined coconut oil, room temperature (shortening works, too)

1 ¾ cups / 350g granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

8 ounces / 226g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, process the flour, cacao nibs, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the coconut oil and mix again on medium speed until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and mix again on medium until light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix again on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until completely combined. Use a spatula to fold in any dry pieces of dough that may be lingering on the bottom of the bowl. Divide the dough in half; it can be used immediately or

wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 4 days (let the dough come to room temperature before rolling).

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several sheet pans with parchment paper.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough somewhere between 1/8 inch- and ¼ inch-thick (the thinner the cookie, the crisper it will be, so this will depend on your preference). Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then slide a spatula underneath the dough and transfer the shapes to the sheet pans, leaving 1 inch of space between the cookies. Chill the pans of cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. Dough scraps can be re-rolled and cut out again. Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, until cooked through, 12 to 16 minutes. For a softer cookie, bake for 12 minutes; for a crisper cookie, bake longer, until light golden brown around the edges. Place the baking pans on a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the pans before dipping in chocolate. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate. Once the glaze is set, cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

King Arthur Baking Company’s Linzer Cookies

“Linzers are beautiful and a favorite of mine to give,” Kathryn says. “Keeping the dough cold is the key to making it easy to work with. It is well worth the time to chill the cut-out cookies before baking.”

To make pretty cookies, she suggests: “Put only a tiny amount of jam filling on the base cookie, separately sift the powdered sugar on the

BAKING MEMORIES Charles Hall has watched his daughter Kathryn Wilson (right) baking since she was a teenager, and he loves seeing his granddaughters Laura Grove Prouty (left) and Emily Grove (second from left) learn to love baking with their Aunt Kathryn.

top cookie, then put the two together. I also pair the base and top before assembly; there are always some slightly bigger or smaller.”

12 tablespoons / 170g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup / 99g granulated sugar

Zest of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups / 160g unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ cup / 72g almond flour

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Raspberry jam or lemon curd, for filling

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

To make the dough: Beat the butter, sugar, and zest (or cinnamon) until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, almond flour, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Don't over-beat. Divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. To assemble the cookies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and let it soften for 5 to 10 minutes, until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but shouldn't feel rock-hard. On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 1/8 inch-thick. Using a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. If at any time during this process the dough becomes sticky and hard to work with, simply refrigerate it for about 20 minutes, until firm.

Place the cut cookies (you should have 15 cookies) in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the first half of cookies is chilling, cut 15 rounds from the remaining dough. Once you've transferred these cookies to a baking sheet, use your smallest cookie cutter or the end of a round piping tip to make a peekaboo cutout in the center of each. Place cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

Bake all of the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Place the cookies with the holes in them on a cookie sheet and sift confectioners' sugar over the top. Turn the remaining cookies flat side up and spoon ½ teaspoon of jam or lemon curd into the center, spreading it slightly. Top with the sugar-dusted cookies.

Store filled Linzer cookies, well wrapped, at room temperature (when filled with jam) or in the refrigerator (if filled with curd) for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Speculoos from Zoë Bakes Cookies

“My newest favorite cookie is from Zoë Bakes Cookies, and they are super-simple slice and bake

Speculoos,” Kathryn says.

1 ¾ cups / 210g all-purpose flour

½ cup / 60g almond meal or flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons / 140g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup / 200g lightly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons light or dark molasses (not blackstrap)

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour,

almond meal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. On a sheet of plastic wrap, form the dough into a 6-by-3-inch brick, using a bench scraper to form neat sides. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. You can also freeze the dough for about 1 month.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a very sharp knife, cut the chilled dough along the short side into slices 1/8 inch thick and 3 inches long. Lay the slices on the prepared baking sheet. They won’t spread

(continued on page 32)

COOKIE COOKIE COOKIE Top photo: Ultra-Peanut Butter Cookies, Almond Spritz, and Speculoos are a few of Kathryn's favorite Christmas tin cookies (from left); bottom photo: Linzer Cookies are pretty and special.

much, so they can be placed close together.

Bake, one sheet at a time, in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, until they are a caramel-brown color. Allow to cool on the baking sheet completely.

Notes from Zoë: Speculoos, the cinnamonspiced Belgian biscuit, became well known and much loved in my family due to the Lotus Biscoff cookies that are often served mid-flight. I don’t usually take my inspiration from airplane snacks, but these are a phenomenon. You too may have nibbled on one while you were miles high in the air. Or you may have sampled “cookie butter,” the wildly popular spreadable version of the rich, caramelly cookie, which would also be amazing spread on these cracker-like cookies. The cookies get their snap and rich flavor from a combination of almond and wheat flours. I’ve added a few more spices to the mix than is traditional and shape them into a brick before slicing them into dunk-able rectangles. It’s simple, and they taste just divine.

Chunk Wild Cookies

From Kathryn Wilson, adapted from a King Arthur Baking recipe

16 Tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1¼ teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1½ cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) four baking sheets, or as many as you have.

Beat together the butter, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Using a blender or food processor, process the oats with the white chocolate until the oats are finely ground, and the chocolate is mostly ground; a few small chunks are okay.

Add the oats and flour to the butter mixture, then stir in the peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and chopped walnuts. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until they're just set. They may be barely starting to brown around the edges, but the tops won't be brown at all. Remove the cookies from the oven, and cool.

These are great to make ahead and store in the freezer. Scoop out the dough onto a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, putting them very close together. Wrap well and freeze for up to two months. They can be baked straight from

the freezer, or let them sit on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes, well spaced.

Peanut butter chips can be replaced with

dried fruit, such as cranberries, or with other flavors of chips such as butterscotch or cinnamon. The nuts are optional.

EVERYONE'S FAVORITE Kathryn's nieces Laura and Emily agree that her Chunk Wild Cookies (pictured, on left and right in top photo) are her best; Kathryn Wilson and Adele Bentsen (bottom photo, from left) share the best of the best cookies annually in their famous Christmas cookie tins.

by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Best Books of the Year

Reflecting on 2024 reads

As the year draws to a close, I enjoy reflecting on my reading from the past year, evaluating what worked and what didn’t. So many fabulous books were published, but after much deliberation, I narrowed down my favorites across three categories. These novels resonated the most with me, and I still think about each of them regularly.

Historical Fiction:

The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate Billingsley – The Queen of Sugar Hill opens with the night Hattie McDaniel becomes the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind and follows her life until her death from cancer at age 52. Tate brings Hattie McDaniel to life in a sympathetic but honest manner that had me rooting for her even when I didn’t agree with her decisions. This is such a fascinating time period in Hollywood, and I headed down numerous rabbit holes researching the people and events contained in the book.

Contemporary Fiction:

The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley –This unique and compelling book follows Jane Pyre, the former lead singer of The Lightning Bottles, one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll duos of the 1990s, as she seeks to discover what happened to Elijah, her husband and the other half of The Lightning Bottles, who disappeared years before. Readers who grew up in this era will revel in nostalgia as they read this book, which references maps, call-in shows and countdowns, Walkmans, and music trivia and details from the time period. This book is a good fit for music lovers, mystery readers, and those who enjoy a walk down memory lane.

The Wedding People by Allison Espach –Phoebe Stone shows up at a hotel and mistakenly gets swept up into wedding festivities right when she is at her lowest. She begins her day by thinking this is the last day of her life and instead she sets down a totally different path with the help of an unexpected group of people. In this touching tale, Espach tackles many timely issues: marriage, infidelity, infertility, loneli-

ness, death, friendship, and disappointment. While these issues can be heavy, the book is heartwarming, thought-provoking, and hilarious, and it often went in directions I was not expecting.

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood – The daughter of a self-absorbed older rock star finds herself unexpectedly “babysitting” the most popular (and handsome) musician in the world and is unsettled when their relationship becomes more personal – especially since she swore she’d never date someone famous. Wood’s dialogue is laughout-loud funny without feeling forced; the main characters’ banter is spectacular; and the way Wood crafts a strong sense of place with the English countryside setting is outstanding.

importance of friendship, and the healing power of nature.

How to Read a Book by Monica Wood – I loved Wood’s previous book The One-in-aMillion Boy, and this is a stellar read as well. A woman who is recently released from prison tries to find her way back in the world while also trying to atone for the crime that landed her in prison. The characters are well crafted, and it is such a thought-provoking and interesting exploration of both grief and forgiveness as well as coming to terms with the past and our memories.

Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin – Frankie O’Neill is an ornithologist working to save her dissertation about the spotted owl following trouble with her advisor. When she heads to her family’s summer home in the dead of winter, she encounters Anne Ryan; their unexpected friendship develops against the backdrop of life on a remote Pacific Northwest lake. Garvin weaves in engrossing details about the sophisticated communication of crows and how engaging with the natural world is healing. Crow Talk is a beautiful story about hope, love, grief, the

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio – This delightful and unique debut novel explores the possibilities and ramifications of endless choice. Lauren, an unmarried young woman, arrives home to find a stranger ensconced in her flat, claiming to be her husband. While Lauren is coming to terms with this, her new husband goes up into the attic and promptly disappears with a new man taking his place. Realizing that her attic is providing her with an endless supply of husbands, Lauren evaluates how to decide when enough is enough. The Husbands will appeal to readers who like clever and thoughtprovoking reads as well as those who enjoy creative premises.

Dixon Descending by Karen Outen – When Nate suggests to his brother that they attempt to become the first Black Americans to summit Mt. Everest, Dixon agrees, even though their family and friends disapprove. During the climb, the weight of their decision weighs Dixon down as Nate develops increasingly serious health complications. After things go horribly awry, Dixon returns home a changed man, constantly replaying his decision to climb the mountain. Outen’s detailed accounts of climbing Everest are so engrossing, and her depiction of grief and the many different forms it takes and the burdens it creates are compelling and insightful.

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy – Over the

FAVORITE READ Buzz resident Nicole Anderson selected The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys as her favorite book of the year because she liked the setting and the characters.

course of two weeks in a small English town, a reclusive widow discovers an unexpected reason to live when she stumbles across a mouse and decides to care for it. This short novel packs a big punch. I am a huge fan of stories about the importance of community and our need for connection, and Sipsworth is one of the best that I have read in a long while. This will appeal to fans of tales about found family and stories that are uplifting.

Mystery/Thriller:

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd – This twisty mystery revolves around a cursed wealthy family and the Surrealist painting which is linked to three suspicious deaths over the course of many years. The book weaves together mystery/thriller elements, art history and the world of art, love affairs and tragedy, family history, and the strong driving force of obsession, along with an examination of how women’s stories are often left out of history.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh – Set in Wales, this story revolves around the filming of a reality show. While billed as a Survivorstyled show, the contestants quickly learn that not only are they competing for cash, but also to keep each of their very own personal secrets hidden. A day after the first episode airs, a contestant goes missing, followed by a murder on set. This well-written and fast-paced thriller tackles timely topics, including society’s obsession with reality TV, how scripted these shows actually are, and the lengths people will go to be famous. While this is book two in a series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston – Evie Porter is a con woman who works for Mr. Smith, her mysterious boss who communicates with her via postal boxes. He sends her the latest target with little initial knowledge about the ultimate goal, and she insinuates herself into the target’s life and then waits for her next instructions. The story is flawlessly plotted, and the twists and turns come at just the right points. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the plot went in a different direction. I recommend going in blind to not have anything spoiled.

Favorites from Buzz Readers:

In addition to compiling my own list, I reached out to some Buzz residents to hear what they loved this year. Our lists have some overlap: The Women by Kristin Hannah and Family Family by Laurie Frankel both made my list as well and are highlighted below.

Nicole Anderson: The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys – “This is a book I would not have picked up on my own but was part of a book club event with my travel club. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their personal struggles set in the historical time of the 1950s in Spain while it was under a dictatorship. I thought the author did a wonderful job developing the characters in her descriptions and their experiences.”

Amanda McGee: “Believe it or not, The Women was my first Kristin Hannah novel, and it did not disappoint. This is the first historical fiction book I have read about Vietnam and being the age I am, it truly resonated with me having had family serve in Vietnam. Also, while this book is historical fiction, it has an amazing

love story, with twists and turns throughout. Rarely do I find a book that touches my heart, makes me laugh hard and cry just as hard, and is written beautifully.”

Lori Fisher: “My favorite book of the year so far is The Women by Kristin Hannah. This historical fiction book pulls you in right away and was so hard to put down. I learned so much about the Vietnam War and the aftermath for veterans, especially women veterans. It is a story that sticks with you long after you finish reading it.”

Celia Anderson: “Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout – This is absolutely the best book I have read recently! A new book by Elizabeth Strout is like a cozy chair and a glass of wine! Her collection of quirky characters are old friends you’ve been missing. It’s nice to read her books in order but equally satisfying to start with this new one. The interconnections and deep-felt kindness stand out and makes me feel better about humanity. Almost makes a person want to join them in small town Maine. Priceless!”

Kelly Hogan: “Family Family by Laurie Frankel – This book was so surprising. This book gives the reader so many points of view about motherhood, when it comes to being one and when to choose being one, and does it so successfully. It is not overly complicated and all the characters come together so beautifully.”

Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.

AMONG THE BEST OF 2024 Two of Cindy Burnett’s top picks for the year are The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley, a story about a 1990s grunge duo, years after they flamed out in a very public way, and The Wedding People by Allison Espach, a thought-provoking and funny look at the importance of community and human relationships.

Cindy Burnett Cindy Burnett

. by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Rumor Has It

The Memorial graduate met the Massachusetts prep school fellow… when they were both living in Maryland in 2019. Luc Renault proposed to Brenna Black while they were on a hike with their dogs in Park City, Utah. More fun ensued just before the wedding on Oct. 13, with a tailgate-themed welcome party. Everyone wore their college team colors as they mingled, with the college football games playing on three screens. They married at River Bottoms Ranch in Midway, UT, in an outdoor ceremony followed by dinner and dancing. Parents of the couple Beth and Don Black and Kim Sullivan and Peter Renault were cheering as the couple left on a bronco…a white Ford Bronco, to the St. Regis in Park City, followed by a honeymoon in Hawaii. Aloha.

Boos and bounces. The moms on Long Shadow Lane hosted their third annual Halloween party for neighborhood children and friends, and it was a big bouncy hit. The bouncy house was busy with astronauts, dinosaurs, and other creatures jumping as high as can be. There were many boo-tiful princesses that huddled together to create art with the many stickers, crayons, and glitter provided. Moms Morgan Zarghouni and Katherine Hortenstine set up the scene of fun and glam in the cul-de-sac. The pumpkins in the Hortenstine yard were the perfect photo backdrop.

King and Queen of Halloween. Joni and John Zavitsanos hosted their annual Halloween party, attended by mostly adults, with a bouncy house for the kiddos that stopped by for a hot dog before trick-or-treating. Some neighbors that enjoyed chili and wine while catching up were Paul and Amanda Finnett, Felicia Baker, Chris and Reese Baker, Steve and Linda Schweitzer, Rob Scheinerman, and Suzanne Reyes. Witches or Bewitching? A group of fabulous retired (but not tired) ladies, all former State Farm insurance agents, meet monthly to lunch and share their lives. They started as agents in the ’80s when there were very few women in the industry. Lots of meetings, lunches, and retreats created the friendship bond. Although they live in Memorial and several outlying areas, they meet faithfully, and barely

skipped during Covid. Artell Oswald is the provider of holiday accessories, and brought the miniature witch hats they wore in October. If there is an opportunity to wear a hat, there will be one to wear. Paula Wood-Sheiness decides on the restaurant, and they decide the next date to meet before paying the bill. Lu Taylor and Beverly Twaddell were also stirring the brew that day, while Dianne Heitmann and Chris Beckendorff were out of town but casting good spells no doubt.

Having fun, saving lives. The testing for the BRCA gene, discovered at the cuttingedge Hadassah hospital, continues to save lives from cancer mutations. The Houston Chapter of Hadassah will host the “Women Who Do” fundraising luncheon and fashion show, chaired by Abby Lestin, on Jan. 16, 2025, at the renovated Westin Oaks Hotel. Cancer survivors Janice Jucker and Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman will be honored for their inspiring contributions to the community. Some of the added fun will include a silent auction chaired by Sharon Colbert, special tributes to loved ones affected by cancer, and a Fashion Show by French Cuff, chaired by yours truly and Susan Davis Linda Block is in charge of table captains. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact Belinda Denn at bandsdc@gmail.com. President Harriet Eisenstein says, “Join us to support advanced medical care for all.”

Carnival to the max. The head harvesters for Memorial Drive Elementary, Bran Battista, Liz Crawley, and Michelle Williams, planted a wildly successful fall festival crop of fun, including a haunted house by Leslie Denby and Lindley Amarantos, former students decades ago. PTA president Christine Williamson supervised the most popular booth, where ping pong

balls were thrown into an empty goldfish bowl to win goldfish. Principal Thayer Hutcheson announced the winners of the pumpkin decorating contest, with categories of Funniest, Scariest, and School Spirit, judged by three teachers. Firstplace winners in each category were Karoline Kanaly, Griffin Whaley, and Megan Martin Christo and Lindley Amarantos, both soccer coaches at Memorial High, shared laughs dressed as authentic Beetlejuice and Lydia. Five high school and middle school organizations volunteered at the festival.

The Sale! Yep, you can go shopping in 50 premier boutiques is in one spot, at the three-day sale in the Bayou City Event Center. There are bargains to be had! Sometimes there are racks for $10 or $25. The event benefits the Pediatric Cancer Center at Texas Children’s Hospital. They have given $2,275,000 in the first 10 years. The leadership team, Lynn Ramos, Renee Craig, Barbara Towne and Britta Christenson, invite you to early bird shopping with VIP tickets on Thurs., Jan. 9, from 6 to 9 p.m., or general admission on Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 pm.

MORE ONLINE

See Rumor Has It at thebuzzmagazines.com for additional photos. Have some good news to share? Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

BEAUTIFUL WEATHER FOR A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE Brenna Black and Luc Renault married outdoors in Utah this fall. Whitney

. by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads Five

picks for December

Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.

Every Moment Since by MaryBeth Mayhew Whalen (fiction) – On a Saturday night over 20 years ago, TJ Malcor and his younger brother Davy biked to a nearby cornfield to hang out with their friends. At the end of the evening, Davy disappeared without a trace, and he has not been seen since. Two decades later, Davy’s jacket that he was wearing that night is found, causing everyone in the town and elsewhere to focus on his disappearance again, including a reopening of the cold case. Told from the perspective of four individuals impacted by Davy’s disappearance, the book unfolds at a fast pace as the reader slowly learns more about that fateful evening. The novel delves into themes of guilt, regret, and the crushing impact on those left behind when a family member goes missing. This one will be a great fit for fans of family dramas and compelling stories.

Rental House by Weike Wang (fiction) –This character-driven novel stars Keru and Nate, a married couple who has been together since college. Their lives now consist of working a lot; they have no children, and they exist somewhere between content and stagnant. They both grew up feeling like they did not fit in – he in the small Appalachian town where he grew up and she as an immigrant whose parents put extraordinary pressure on her. Some years into their marriage, they decide to take a vacation and invite their parents at separate times to visit. Both Keru and Nate have complicated relationships with their parents for different reasons, and they each struggle to relate to their in-laws as well, and the families cause a fair amount of strain on the couple. In Rental House, Wang focuses on marriage and what people owe or don’t owe their parents, when issues may cross the line and how that should be handled, and what happens in a relationship when someone may not really understand their significant other. How much stress can a marriage take when careers, in-laws, parents, and dreams take more precedence than the relation-

ship? This book will appeal to people who enjoy quiet and thoughtful novels with quirky characters.

WHAT TO READ This month’s selections include a story about what happens to those left behind when someone goes missing, a spectacular spy thriller, a cozy treasure hunt mystery, a drama featuring family dynamics, and a story about unknown and underappreciated Americans who have contributed to history.

The Seventh Floor by David McCloskey (mystery/thriller) – The Seventh Floor is an outstanding addition to the espionage genre. From page one, the tale is gripping and immerses the reader in the complex world of intelligence operations and geopolitical intrigue as well as the characters’ individual struggles and interconnected relationships. Operational chief Artemis Proctor takes the fall when one of her agents ends up tortured in a Russian SVR prison leading to her ouster from the CIA. When the agent is released from prison, he tracks down Artemis with news that the CIA has a mole, leading her to conclude that one of her closest colleagues must be a mole. McCloskey’s ability to convey the devastating personal toll working at the CIA leaves on its agents while also demonstrating the importance of their work adds to the book’s depth. I haven’t read the first two books set in this world (they are billed as standalones), but the novel stands well on its own. Fans of spy thrillers and intrigue will love this one.

The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon (nonfiction) – America’s favorite government teacher highlights 12 unsung and seemingly ordinary American heroes who accomplished important work and whose acts of heroism helped shape our nation's history. This is the story of men and women, left out of our history books, who forged ahead in the face of increasing trials. Most never knew the full impact of their work nor the legacy they would each leave behind. McMahon’s exhaustive research helps craft a thoughtful, nuanced, and mostly nonpartisan account of American history through these extraordinary but very human individuals. The

book does occasionally jump around, which can make it a bit hard to follow at times so focus is required when reading it. I listened to the audiobook which McMahon narrates, and her enthusiasm for the material is very evident. This book is a good fit for those who love history and anyone who enjoys timely reads.

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan (mystery) – The Treasure Hunters Club is a classic Agatha Christie-style mystery set in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia. The book is told from the perspective of three characters: Dandy, a 17-year-old who is native to the area and has recently lost her grandad; Cass, an adrift YA author looking for a publisher, who finds herself housesitting in Maple Bay; and Peter, who has arrived in Maple Bay in response to a mysterious letter inviting him to the manse his estranged family has lived in for many decades. These three individuals are drawn into a century’s-old mystery that has haunted Maple Bay. The appeal of this mystery is in its creativity and the author’s ability to weave several storylines together seamlessly and cleverly. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, and the authentic and well-crafted characters and all the twists and turns make the story an engaging read. This one will appeal to people who like twisty and clever mysteries that do not read like the majority of other mysteries or thrillers coming out now.

Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast www.thoughtsfromapage.com, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.

. by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Northern Lights and Nordic Nights: A Journey through Finland

Under a sky streaked with vibrant greens and purples, Heather and Bob Westendarp and Rochelle and Alan Jacobson stood in awe, soaking in the surreal beauty of the Northern Lights – a moment that made their Finnish adventure this fall feel like stepping into another world. Drawn by tales of glass igloos, Sami traditions, and unspoiled landscapes, they’d come seeking a glimpse of Nordic magic. What they found was far more: a journey filled with snow-dusted forests, fiery saunas, and the warmth of Finland’s people, whose resilience shines even in the darkest winters.

“We figured we’d see fall foliage, but we got snow!” Rochelle laughed. “It was just so pretty.”

The group joined a trip organized by Backroads, a travel company specializing in active, immersive experiences. Known for connecting travelers with local cultures through activities like hiking, biking, and kayaking, Backroads provided the ideal setting for Heather and Rochelle’s journey into Finland’s remote wilderness, with plenty of hiking into the dramatic Finnish countryside.

Rochelle, as is often the case, was the one who came up with the idea for the trip. “Alan and I had been to Helsinki, but we hadn't explored Finland,” she said.

“We started in Helsinki,” Heather recalls, “which was unbelievable – the architecture, the food, the culture were so different from ours, so beautiful.” While wandering through the city, they stumbled upon a breathtaking Lutheran church.

“There was this sphere, maybe 45 feet in circumference, hanging from the ceiling,” Heather explains. “It was how people see Earth from the moon, slowly rotating. And it was spellbinding. I thought, ‘This place has something that I need to discover.’”

Their exploration continued with a visit to Helsinki’s fish market, where Heather tried pickled and fried fish in an open-air setting. “It was an outdoor market and there were picnic tables, and everybody in the town was enjoying it,” she says, noting how the community feel of the market reminded her of similar gatherings

WINTER WONDERLAND After visiting Helsinki, the group ventured to the picturesque town of Rovaniemi, Finland, where unexpected snow meant that many of them took a tumble. Pictured are Rochelle and Alan Jacobson hiking.

back in Houston.

Leaving Helsinki, the group headed north to Rovaniemi, a town known for its winter wonderland landscapes. “The first day that we hiked, there was definite snow on the ground and a very heavy layer of ice underneath, so many of us fell,” Heather recalled. Her husband had to go to the hospital with whiplash after falling on his backpack. “None of us

expected snow so early.”

At the Northern Lights Ranch, their accommodations were as unique as their surroundings: glass igloos scattered in the woods. Each igloo offered a view of the northern sky, where the auroras made a fortuitous appearance.

“It was like somebody took a beautiful green watercolor brush and slashed it across the sky,” Heather recalls of the first

(continued on page 42)

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night they saw the lights. “It would come and go in intensity, kind of like a ghost.”

Their guides introduced them to some quintessential Finnish experiences, beginning with a sauna ritual. The wood-fired sauna stood near a lake, and after sweating in the intense heat, they plunged into the icy waters.

“For Finns, the sauna is almost like a religion,” Heather notes, recalling the sweat lodge ceremony of Indigenous people in North America. “It’s a spiritual experience.”

A highlight of the trip was meeting an Indigenous Sami singer who introduced the group to Sami culture and the importance of reindeer to their way of life. The Sami are the Indigenous people of the region, and they live entirely off the reindeer, caring for them and

nurturing them, Heather explains. Reindeer meat provides all the vitamins and nutrients they need, since the animals graze on a variety of local plants. “And he did amazing storytelling and drums and, oh, it was just magnificent,” she said.

The group’s adventure also took them to Santa Claus Village, where they met “Santa” himself and mailed postcards from his official post office, much to the delight of their friends and family back home.

“I'm Jewish, but I have a lot of friends that aren't Jewish, so I sent them all traditional postcards. And it turns out that Santa runs an amazing post office.” It took less than a week for Heather’s postcards to arrive. “I could not even believe it when people were calling and saying, oh my God, I got your Santa postcard.”

She got to sit right next to Santa and ask him about how it feels to give gifts to people all over the world.

“He was the most precious, precious human and with the largest feet I've ever seen, ever,” she said with a laugh. “And the longest beard, curly and beautiful, and a beautiful voice. He was so kind, it was like we were really talking to Santa.”

On their last night in Finland and on their final Backroads trip before leaving for Copenhagen, they were given a parting gift.

“We had northern lights that totally unfolded, magnificently – like the kind you dream of. Like the kind you see in the magazines,” she said. “And it came, and it crescendoed. It started off really soft and we were thinking, oh, not such a show. But if you were patient and you stayed out there, you

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FINN-TASTIC Clockwise, from top left: Rochelle at Santa Claus Village with Santa Claus, who had the longest beard ever (“He must be real,” said Rochelle); entrance to the spectacular Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park in Copenhagen that was built 100 years ago; from left: Heather Westendarp, Gloria Bluestone, and Rochelle Jacobson on a Rovaniemi hike; the majestic Northern Lights were “like the kind you dream of. Like the kind you see in the magazines,” said Heather.

(continued from page

watched them crescendo, ebb and flow. And we saw pinks, we saw greens and purples.

“And I felt like that is really like this country. It just kind of unfolded in these ebbs and flows. Beautiful.”

Reflecting on the trip, Heather says she felt profoundly affected by the Finnish way of life and the warmth of its people.

“These people are exceptionally warm, as in, kind and open and friendly,” she observed. “They want to know about you. They're interested. They're very wonderful people. And really funny! They have a lot of humor – even when

they are going through dark times.”

The travelers learned that Finland has been repeatedly ranked as the world's happiest country, right up there with Bhutan. Asked to reflect on why that might be, Heather didn’t hesitate.

“I think community, I really do. I think they see that as a major resource because of the darkness,” she said. “They are very happy people. The guides that I met, they felt like they had a light on inside of them. And they have a lot of wisdom.”

There's an old saying that one of the guides shared with her that reflects the Finnish values of modesty and shyness.

Tips from Our Travelers

“There's no need to boast about your success and achievements,” the saying goes. “Instead, stay humble and let your happiness be quietly cherished.”

Heather left Finland with a newfound appreciation for a culture that thrives in the face of nature’s extremes. “The Finns have a word, sisu, that embodies the Finnish concept of strength, determination, willpower, and courage. It reflects the mindset of persevering through challenges just as one must keep moving even when trudging through heavy snow,” Heather reflects. “I would go back in a heartbeat.”

From Heather Westendarp

Worth the splurge: Alchemist in Copenhagen if you can get a reservation – we couldn't!

Don’t miss: Tivoli Park, an amusement park built in 1800 in Copenhagen, is a must. The Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen; Design Museum Denmark; Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen; Rock Church in Helsinki

Favorite restaurants: Aamanns 1921; Pluto; Fiskebar (all in Copenhagen)

Currency exchange: Finland – Euro; Denmark – Krone

Packing: If you’re not going in summer, pack layers.

Don’t forget: Rain gear.

Local favorite: Finland – sauna; Denmark – open-face sandwiches (Aamanns 1921 is the best place for these – even the herring ones are incredible).

Safety tip: Copenhagen has bike lanes everywhere with bikers going 30 mph – do not inadvertently step in one, which is easy to do.

Unexpected hit: Fish market in Helsinki; watching the changing of the guards in Copenhagen.

COLD WEATHER, WARM FRIENDSHIP Clockwise, from left: Friends making a sitting train in Rovaniemi, Finland; Heather and Bob Westendarp with Santa – Rovaniemi is known for being the "official" hometown of Santa Claus; Heather warns to be careful of inadvertently stepping in these bike lanes in Copenhagen – the bikes go 30 mph!

42)

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Japanese Ramen: Elevated Soup Cuisine

The leaves had turned color when, by chance, I came across Japanese Ramen Gachi (2268 W. Holcombe Blvd.) a year ago while driving to the Texas Medical Center. The temperatures had dipped below 50 degrees, ideal for a warming bowl of soup. The chicken ramen arrived steaming hot, brimming with al dente noodles and a deeply flavorful broth that rivaled my mother’s (something I have never encountered at a restaurant in Houston).

Growing up, my mom was the queen of broths and soups. She spent hours simmering savory elixirs for her five children and husband. She had few rivals besides her talented former sisterin-law Mai Nguyen, who owns the venerable Mai’s Restaurant (3403 Milam Street).

I became enamored by Gachi’s intensely flavored broths – the chicken, pork, and even miso. I tried them all, returning to this templelike serene space with my husband almost weekly for seven months before finally introducing myself to 44-year-old Jesse Ando. The willowy Gachi owner-chef was a familiar sight in the small dining room, rushing in and out, carrying steaming bowls of ramen.

“It’s important that the soup arrives at the table very hot and not packed with too many toppings. The reason is the closer the temperature is to your body temperature, the stronger the umami tastes when you slurp the ramen with the broth. And umami is essential. It boosts all the other flavors – the salty, the sour. Everything comes together,” says Jesse, whose creations resemble edible artwork with careful placements of ingredients, including chewy noodles, a slab of cherry wood smoked pork chashu, a tangle of bean sprouts or slivers of bamboo shoots, depending on the ramen.

Timing is everything. When we did our photo shoot, Jesse said, “Let’s set up without the noodles first because, within one minute, the noodles will expand and change. This is why I serve ramen immediately.”

What he doesn’t rush are his well-rounded, rich broths. Unlike many ramen shops around town, he doesn’t use pre-made mixes or pressure cookers, which significantly shorten cooking time and kill the inosinic acid, which gives

umami its unique flavor and depth. The end result? A less flavorful broth.

While he has helpers in the kitchen, he handles the broth preparations himself, simmering the aromatic chicken broth for seven hours or longer and lush pork-bone broth for about 20 hours.

I had assumed Jesse was fulfilling a lifelong dream of opening a restaurant like many chefs, but I was wrong. This was instead an objective, a mission of sorts. Jesse was the former CEO of the U.S. branch of Ippudo, a famous Japanese ramen restaurant chain with worldwide locations. He successfully ran 15 restaurants in San Franciso, Los Angeles, and New York. Dozens of his former chefs and managers have gone on to open successful ramen shops across the country. But he had no plan to do so himself. Then Covid hit, and Jesse’s views changed. He left corporate life.

“I wanted to contribute to my country: Japan. I was thinking, ‘What should I do?’ Japan has three strengths: Cars, anime, and food. I decided to work on food,” Jesse says. And ramen. “I love

ramen. I had a bowl of ramen every day in college. I also decided on Houston because it’s the fourth-largest metropolitan in the U.S. But despite its size, it didn’t have a ramen noodle shop like ones in Japan. San Franciso and New York did; many. But not Houston. At least I haven’t found one.”

He decided not to inform the media or social media influencers who he was when he opened Gachi. His Ippudo gig would have given it automatic credibility. “And typically, that’s what you would do as a new ramen shop to drum up publicity and traffic. But I wanted to see if my ramen could stand on its own,” Jesse says. “I even chose this location because it’s out of the way, not very visible.”

In the early days of my visits, I was concerned. Another couple or a handful of Rice University students and I would be there, slurping thoughtfully curated ramen. Would Gachi make it? Despite its greaseless chicken karaage fried to perfection and addictive Japanese fried oysters? I often crave Gachi’s appetizers – from the tender pork-and-chicken gyoza dumplings sheathed

CHEF ANDO Jesse Ando says American ramen operates on the idea that more is better. In contrast, Japanese ramen is more restrained regarding ingredients, ensuring that any added are top-quality.

Tony Bullard

JAPANESE RAMEN GACHI Left: Nourishing tonkotsu ramen with tender pork belly, bamboo shoots, and the must-have ajitama, the creamy, silky-boiled egg seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and mirin that tops every ramen. Right: Japanese Ramen Gachi’s flawlessly double-fried boneless chicken comes plain or showered with chili oil and Japanese chili peppers.

in a sheer, crispy crust to the cooling cucumber batons coated with sesame oil and ground sesame. However, as the months passed, the dining room started to fill up with regulars on weekday evenings. Friends gathered around the communal table, and the two-top tables handcarved by Jesse were typically full.

On a recent afternoon, Aki Urayama enjoyed vegan miso ramen with black garlic oil and umami paste on top. He described the miso broth as “very exquisite.”

There aren’t many ramen shops in Houston that meet his standards. He listed only three, including Japanese Ramen Gachi. The 50-yearold scientist works at the nearby University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston and typically doesn’t order vegan miso ramen. His favorite is chicken ramen. “But that’s no longer available. Please tell the chef to put that back on the menu,” says the researcher, who enjoyed ramen thrice weekly when he lived in Tokyo.

In recent years, the number of Japanese ramen shops has multiplied in Houston. Still, many Americans consider ramen, the dried stuff you subsisted on in college, a last-minute meal chockful with whatever toppings you find in the refrigerator and pantry. But the Japanese consider ramen its own elevated “soup cuisine.” There are even two museums in Japan paying homage to this beloved Chinese import brought over by Confucian missionaries in the mid-1800s: The ShinYokohama Ramen Museum in Yokohama and the Cup Noodles Museum in Osaka.

“Ramen is to the Japanese what barbecue is to the Texan. Every Texan has his favorite barbecue place; in Japan, it is the same with ramen,” Aki says. “I’m guessing that the chef (at Gachi) is Japanese. I’m not sure, but I’m basing it on taste because the broth here is very authentic. But I don’t care if he’s

Chinese or Japanese as long as he provides something great.”

At top-tier shops in Japan, and even at middle-of-the-road joints, almost everything is fresh, handmade, and artisanal, from hand-cut noodles and long-simmered broths to pig raised on specialty diets for the popular tonkotsu, a long-simmered pork-bone broth that originated in the late 1930s on the southern island of Kyushu that has developed widespread following around the world.

Japanese Ramen Gachi transports diners to the Far East. A Zen space with sumo wrestler wall hangings and handmade wooden tables, the writing on gray Spartan walls says it all: “Gachi came to mean serious, earnest, hardworking, no joke, legit, and real. The ramen here is so gachi.”

Not surprisingly, the little noodle shop down the street from Rice Village has attracted Japanese clientele longing for an authentic taste of home.

Recently, I asked Jesse how his efforts of promoting authentic Japanese ramen was going. His eyes lit up.

“Good! Yesterday, our air conditioning went out. But one of our regulars came by and fixed it for free,” he says.

Here was my chance to lament his removal of the original chicken ramen, a personal favorite.

“Yeah, I had to,” he says. “I couldn’t keep it chickeny anymore. It was getting harder to find really fresh, good chicken backbones. But I have a new version with more complex flavors. Here, try it.”

The Tokyo shoyu ramen, with springy noodles, swims in an umami-rich dashi chicken broth seasoned with fragrant shoyu soy sauce and topped with tender chicken breast, chive, red onion, sliced lime, bamboo shoot, soft-boiled custardy egg, and meltingly pork chashu. Truffle oil tops it off. It is sublime.

Gachi’s Chicken Karaage

The secret of Japanese fried chicken is the pieces are fried twice to make them extra crunchy outside and juicy inside. Also, people assume karaage is fried chicken, but it’s simply a generic term for deep fried food. 12 skin-on chicken thighs, deboned

Vegetable oil

1 cup corn starch

1 ½ cup bread flour

2 tablespoons sake

5 teaspoons ginger paste

5 teaspoons garlic paste

Cut each thigh into two or three pieces, about 50 grams (1.76 ounces) each. Fill an aluminum or stainless-steel pot with sides at least 5 inches tall, with about 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Place several layers of paper towels on a sheet pan. While the oil heats, place a wire rack over a second sheet pan.

In a shallow baking dish, combine sake, ginger paste, and garlic paste. Toss in chicken pieces in marinade for 20 seconds.

In a bowl, combine corn starch and bread flour; set aside. Remove one piece of chicken at a time from the marinade and lightly roll in starch mixture to coat. Rest on the rack. Repeat 3 or 4 more pieces. Gently shake off excess starch and tuck skin around and under the chicken meat (it should resemble a fist of sorts). Fry until golden for about 3 minutes, keeping oil temperature at 350 degrees. Remove from oil using a wire-mesh spoon or long chopsticks and allow to cool for three minutes on paper towels. Fry the chicken pieces a second time until the crust is deep golden brown, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. This second frying makes the coating stay extra crispy even if you don’t serve immediately. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Serve hot or at room temperature with a lemon wedge and Japanese mayonnaise. Makes 6-9 servings.

Tony Bullard

Tony

Bullard

SportzBuzz SPORTS

. by Todd Freed, staff writer

Despite graduating all of its starters from last season’s regional finalist team, it was another great season in water polo for the Strake Jesuit Crusaders. The Crusaders came within one win of a berth to the UIL state tournament before losing to Clear Creek 15-10 in the regional finals. The Crusaders ultimately finished the season with a number seven state ranking among all UIL schools.

“We had a lot of talent and it was just a matter of putting it all together with a whole new lineup,” said Crusaders head coach Tim Keogh “It was pretty fantastic to make the regional final again despite so much changeover. We had a bunch of guys who rose to the occasion throughout the season.”

Among those rising to the occasion was junior center Joseph Johnson who was named the district MVP. In addition, the Crusaders were led by a trio of seniors in Jason Butz, Eric Mosher, and Elias Al-Ramahi. “All three of those guys were fast, savvy, and strong shooters. They really lifted our team to the level of last year’s squad,” said Keogh.

Defensively, Keogh said the team was led by senior goalie Joaquin Shields-Sanchez, senior Max Mallay, and junior Mark Hanrahan “We’ve gone three straight years of knocking on the door to get to state. Our goal is to definitely make it to state next year.”

It was a valiant run for the St. Thomas Eagles who came within a mere two points of winning a second straight TAPPS 6A State Cross Country Championship. The Eagles were edged for the title by Antonian High School out of San Antonio.

“Two of our top runners were ill and out for a full week leading up to the state meet, but we had other guys step up and pick up the slack,” said Eagles head coach Nathan Labus. “Senior James Glenn and sophomore Shaun Benesch ran personal best times in helping make up ground for the guys who weren’t 100 percent.”

As was the case all season, St. Thomas was led by sophomore Isaac Knape, who finished fifth overall at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco. Knape ran the 5K course in

16:42. Two places behind Knape in seventh place overall was Eagles sophomore Jaden Stephenson. In addition, yet another Eagles sophomore, Bryce Farrell, came in 11th place with Glenn and Benesch finishing 13th and 14th respectively.

“I was impressed with the way all our guys ran. It’s a super young team. Out of our seven athletes who ran at the state meet, five of them will be back next year. I expect them to do really well and definitely excited about the future,” added Labus.

Infootball, the Kinkaid Falcons captured the SPC 4A Championship with a decisive 49-10 victory over rival Episcopal in the SPC title game. The victory also marked the Falcons seventh SPC championship in the last 11 seasons under head coach Nathan Larned

“It’s almost a sense of relief,” said Larned. “I told our guys heading into the season that we were the best team in the league, and they took it seriously in the way they prepared and worked all year. I’m especially happy for our seniors. They’re a really great group of high character kids.”

One of those “high character kids” includes senior standout quarterback David Capobianco. “David has sensational arm talent, but he really came on strong when we got him more involved in our ground game. He’s a tremendous allaround team player and great kid who played especially well down the deciding stretch of the season,” said Larned.

Other standouts on offense included sophomore running back Wayne Shanks, Jr., who scored five touchdowns in the SPC final. In addition, senior wide receiver and defensive

back Jordan Manuel was sensational all season for the Falcons. “Jordan was big-time for us,” said Larned. “In our must-win game against St. John’s to get to the SPC final, he not only made a great game-winning touchdown catch, but then turned around and preserved the victory with a game-saving interception on defense.”

As for the SPC final victory, other major contributors included Jackson Staley, who had several key receptions and runs, while on defense Cooper Chambers hauled in one of the Falcons three interceptions while also returning a punt for a touchdown.

“Our defense has been really strong all year,” added Larned. “Other than our season opener, I don’t think we gave up more than two scores in a game all season. They were pretty impressive.”

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

SUPER SOPHOMORE Kinkaid Falcons sophomore running back Wayne Shanks, Jr. scored five touchdowns while accounting for 238 total yards in the Falcons 49-10 SPC final victory over Episcopal.

David Shutts Photography

. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr.

Welcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.

Seahawks soar

The Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association Sophomore Tackle Seahawks powered their way to an impressive 7-1 regular season, with a dominant defense that held opponents to under seven points per game. Each week, the team came together with a shared commitment to hard work, discipline, and positive attitudes, creating a strong foundation. The Seahawks were led by coaches (pictured, top row, back) Grant Butrum, Will Bredthauer, Bill Robinson, Ben Bredthauer, Chase Luberger, and (not pictured) Matt Danna (not pictured). The players are (pictured, front row, from left) Jeremy Gallon, Everett Beitler, Pearson Danna, Jake Ryan, Logan Bredthauer, Calvin Strait; (middle row, from left) Wyatt Finch, John Robinson, Grayson Bredthauer, Rory Moore, Will Butrum, Cash McQueen, Cason Anthony, and Charlie Luberger.

Platinum champions

The pouring rain did not stop the Memorial 7on7 Saints football team, who came out victorious for their fall season, playing their final game in rough weather. The team went undefeated 14-0 and won the varsity platinum championship game the first weekend in November. The team was made up of sixth-grade boys from various schools, many of whom have played together on the team for years. Their final game against the Cowboys was a nail-biting finish to their season, with a score of 30-23. Pictured (standing from left) are players Finn Beddingfield, John Wylie, Beau Teare, Charlie Amis, Matthew Hodge, Dylan Harvey, Terry Boffone, Brady Harting, Stefan Mathew; (front row, kneeling, from left) Andy Koch, Reid Crosby; and coaches (back row, from left) Corey Warren, Blake Beddingfield, Danny Harvey, Travis Koch, and Terry Boffone

Blue belt test

KMA Taekwondo Houston hosted a taekwondo blue belt test, where four young martial artists gave standout individual performances. The boys, students at Rummel Creek Elementary School, included Alexei Langarica Maya, 7, who displayed agility and perseverance, showing that his dedication has paid off. His brother, Iker Langarica Maya, 10, brought precision and confidence. Markus Patterson, 7, demonstrated sharp reflexes. Juno Dempsey, 11, stood out with his powerful strikes and exceptional control. Each student showcased their unique talents and commitment to the field of martial arts. The boys’ individual performances reflected the core values of taekwondo – respect, discipline, and perseverance – bringing them one step closer to their next belt level. Pictured, from left, are Alexei, Iker, Markus, and Juno.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.

Chris Leonard Photography

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Buzz Kidz KIDS

BREATHE EASY Veer Garg, a senior at The Village School, learned about the difficulty of asthma when his sister was diagnosed with the condition in college. Since then, he has founded an organization that advocates for schools to keep inhalers stocked.

by Veer Garg, age 16

A brother’s mission to combat asthma

Acall from 1,700 miles away awaits me –my sister. After an unexpected visit to her college doctor’s office, my sister’s spontaneous inability to breathe was the hottest topic of my once-quiet household. I, accompanied by my incomplete family, sat apprehensively at the dining table. After waiting, we had an answer.

“I have asthma,” my sister uttered. “Asthma? The elementary-school playground myth?” I blurted. “That’s why you couldn’t breathe?” Naturally, I suspected my sister was overreacting, but I quickly discovered that as elementary-school me grew up, so did asthma.

This one-time occurrence became commonplace, affecting my sister’s ability to learn, grow, and socialize in her new college environment, which drove me to find a solution. I learned asthma had

a partner – climate change. I felt compelled not to let the two damage others as they had my sister.

To understand climate change’s impact on asthma, I worked with the Noida Institute for Engineering to model increases in Houston pollen over time, contributing to three publications. That research shows that Texas will observe heavy climate impacts on air quality, leading to measurable surges in asthma. In Texas, over 350,000 students have asthma but are without access to asthma medication during school. Every year, 300 children in the US alone die because of asthma. Seeing these numbers, ensuring that children of the future could access emergency respiratory medication became my new goal.

It was for this reason that I started my organization No Child Left Breathless (NCLB). NCLB

aims to fight this issue by making sure that schools always have inhalers stocked for emergency use. We have already convinced schools in Houston, California, and New York to stock inhalers to prevent life-threatening student respiratory crises. With a partnership with Citizens Climate Lobby, NCLB won’t stop until all Texas schools have inhalers. At one of their recent events, we campaigned to Texas citizens about the issue of asthma in schools. NCLB has enabled me to touch my community directly – mobilizing real, tangible change in the form of an inhaler.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

PETS Neighborhood Tails

Emma, age 11, Shetland Sheepdog, Winding Brook Ln.

Hi, I'm Emma! I'm an 11-year-old Shetland Sheepdog with a loving heart and a laid-back attitude. I am the oldest and wisest member of my furry family, which includes my puppy sister, Zoey, and my kitty sisters, Hazel and Lucy. As the designated babysitter of the pack, I keep a watchful eye on everyone while my parents are at work. My hard work doesn’t go unrewarded, as I’m well-compensated with my favorite treats (CheezIts and popcorn). My hobbies include bringing in the newspaper, lounging under ceiling fans, and going on car rides. I hate trash bags and the noise my dad makes when he sneezes. Although people often assume I’m an Aggie dog, I’m a proud Texas Longhorns fan! Whenever I visit my human sister in Austin, she takes me to Cain & Abel’s to watch the Longhorns play. You can catch me there... I’ll be the fluffy one sporting a burnt orange bandana!

Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.

Tackling cold & flu season

As winter settles in, many parents find themselves dealing with a familiar challenge: frequent colds and respiratory infections. The cold months can feel endless when little ones are often sniffling, coughing, and missing school. But with a few preparations, you can help ease their discomfort and keep them healthier through the season.

Start by stocking up on nasal saline sprays or rinses to help clear stuffy noses. Warm herbal teas can soothe sore throats, while honey – safe and effective for children over one – can provide relief from persistent coughs. Keep fever reducers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen on hand to ease aches and pains. And don’t forget preventive measures! The influenza vaccine and RSV monoclonal antibody (for eligible children) can help reduce the risk of severe complications.

When it’s time to see a doctor, skip the crowded waiting rooms and urgent care hassles by joining PurePediatrics. We offer a unique approach to pediatric care, including same-day appointments, housecalls, and direct text access to your pediatrician – even after hours and on weekends. With no waiting times in the office, your child can receive quick, high-quality care when they need it most. Let us help keep your family healthy this winter – because at PurePediatrics, we’re redefining pediatric care.

Sara Curtis, M.D., PurePediatrics, Bellaire, Memorial & River Oaks; 6750 West Loop S, Suite 465, Bellaire; 7700 San Felipe, Suite 470, Memorial; Now open! 3355 W. Alabama, Suite 400, River Oaks. purepediatrics.com. 832-431-4336.

Vote for the 2024 Buzz Pet of the Year!

Cast your vote for The Buzz Magazines’ 2024 Buzz Pet of the Year. Here is a sampling of our contestants. The winner will be announced on our website, Wed., Dec. 11. The Buzz will make a donation in honor of our winner to Houston PetSet. Vote at thebuzzmagazines.com/petcontest or scan the QR code. Want your pet to be considered for a 2025 Neighborhood Tails column? Email a high-resolution photo and 150 words from your pet’s perspective to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Lavish Finley

Kona Lennon

Bella Astro Tuxedo

Kitty Lucy Zoe Goosie Frieda

The election and estate taxes

The Republican sweep makes no difference to the 98% of Texans who will never have more than the estate tax exemption amount. A $5 million estate tax exemption, indexed for inflation, has been on the books since 2011. With tax-planned wills, married couples can leave twice the exemption amount, estate tax free. That’s about $14 million in 2026.

Decamillionaires, pay attention: The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) temporarily doubled the estate tax exemption from a $5 million base to $10 million. That “double exemption” is set to expire, or “sunset,” December 31, 2025. The estate tax is not expiring then, just one-half the exemption. If Mom and Dad die in 2025, almost $28 million can pass tax free. If they survive to 2026, after sunset, the first $14 million is tax free, but the rest attracts a 40% estate tax, as much as $5.6 million.

A Republican trifecta of White House, Senate, and House of Representatives favors those impacted by a double exemption sunset, i.e., heirs of taxpayers worth more than $7 million. If the double exemption sunsets, the heirs of a taxpayer worth $14 million who dies in 2026 will net $8.4 million. If the double exemption is extended or the estate tax is eliminated, those same heirs net $14 million. Worst case: sunset, but 98% of heirs won’t see the least difference. Better case: 2026 legislative changes preserve the double exemption. Best case: the estate tax is eliminated altogether.

There has been much talk about making large gifts before the double exemption sunsets. $14 million taxpayers imagine giving away $7 million, leaving the rest estate tax free. Sorry, but shielding $14 million requires giv-

ing away $14 million. As a practical matter, no one with less than $30 million is giving away $14 million.

Estate taxes don’t fall on U.S. citizen spouses, thanks to the unlimited marital deduction. They fall on children and other heirs after both parents are gone. Estate tax or not, taxpayers should prioritize their own welfare and retain enough assets to maintain their financial independence in their old age. Long term care, much less dignity, is ever more expensive. 100% of Texans, not just the wealthiest 2%, should not make major gifts for fear of estate taxes without a weighted Monte Carlo analysis to determine their excess capital to an 85% or so probability.

In the meantime, the safest course of action for middle-class millionaires remains a tax-planned will, maybe with a bypass trust for the surviving spouse and life-time descendant’s trusts for children and grandchildren.

We write wills and go to probate court. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.

Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified – Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog

. by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Buzz About Town

An evening for Elijah Rising

Lewis and Cindy Brazelton (pictured) were among 500 supporters at the Elijah Rising gala at the Omni Houston Hotel. Elijah Rising works to end sex trafficking in Houston, and the $380,000 raised at this year’s event will fund programming and restorative care for survivors. Event committee members Kati Auld, Denni Daniels, Annie Jared, Lacey Marek, Kerry

Stovall, and Karen VanBuren-Jared put together a memorable evening featuring a live auction with Johnny Bravo serving as auctioneer. Guests also heard from Amber, an Elijah Rising program graduate, and worship leaders Aubrey and Chris Ruiz performed a song by artist Lauren Daigle

Saturday in the park

There was no shortage of celebrities at Houston Children’s Charity’s 27th annual gala. From entrepreneur and actor 50 Cent to pro football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson to the legendary band Chicago, big names entertained supporters at Saturday in the Park held at The Post Oak Hotel. Brandon Dewan (pictured) was among the crowd that raised a record-breaking $6.2 million for Houston’s abused and disabled children. Volunteers greeted guests as they entered and welcomed everyone to the ballroom for a video

message from Dave Ward followed by an invocation from Reverend Mary Gracely of the One Spirit Interfaith Community. Tilman Fertitta, chairman of the board for Houston Children’s Charity, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire each spoke about the organization’s contribution to the city. The highlight of the evening was when Chicago took the stage and performed greatest hits including Saturday in the Park, You're the Inspiration, and If You Leave Me Now

Distinguished Rice owls

Rice University celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Distinguished Owl Club Awards at An Evening for Rice’s Honour, held at River Oaks Country Club. Molly and Ron Ellis (pictured) attended the sold-out event that raised $425,000 for the university’s athletics programs. Event cochairs Walter and Linda McReynolds and Cynthia and J.D. Bucky Allshouse brought together alumni and supporters to the event that is the longest-running gala for the university. As guests entered the club, they were welcomed by the MOB (Marching Owl Band) and enjoyed

cocktails and canapés in the ballroom decorated in traditional Rice University blue. This year’s honorees were recognized for their support of athletics programs at the university: Dana Burch, Goran Haag, Lynn L. Elsenhans, David K. Gibbs, and Thomas F.A. Hetherington.

Words and whacks

Leman Genung, Chris

, and Sean Keenan (pictured, from left) hit the pickleball court for Houston Aphasia Recovery Center’s (HARC) inaugural Words & Whacks tournament. HARC assists patients living with aphasia, a condition resulting from stroke or brain injury that results in communications difficulties like speaking or understanding words. The tournament brought together more than 80 guests at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa, and raised more than $40,000 during the “paddle for a purpose” event to support Texans with aphasia.

Igniting change

Sonja Gee, Liane and Marty Phillips, George "Buz" Jochetz, and

(continued on page 58)

Laura

Hilgert

Priscilla Dickson

Hung

Truong

Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group

(continued from page 56)

Wendy and Ben Moreland (pictured, from left) gathered at Lakeside Country Club for the 11th annual Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) luncheon. This year’s event, Ignite: See Potential, Spark Change, raised more than $1 million to support the organization’s programs that provide emergency assistance, financial coaching, workforce development, mental health counseling, English literacy classes, and citizenship assistance to local families. Event co-chairs Wendy and Ben Moreland and Liane and Marty Phillips welcomed a sold-out crowd of 400 supporters and

recognized luncheon honoree George "Buz" Jochetz for his work as a community leader.

Building hope

Gary Becker, Sherri Zucker, Maria Moncada Alaoui, Laura Ward, Rania Mankarious, and Rachelle Rowe (pictured, from left) gathered with more than 400 other supporters of the Mission of Yahweh for the second annual Leaders and Legends gala. The Building Hope for a Future-themed event in the River Oaks Country Club ballroom raised more than $600,000 to help shelter and improve the lives

of homeless women and children. This year’s gala honored Brigitte and Bashar Kalai, Lori and Todd King, Larry Martin, Janelle and Greg Reid, and Laura and Dave Ward, and funds raised from the evening will support a new dormitory to house an additional 40 residents. Gala co-chairs Christine Johnson and Jody Merritt welcomed guests who mingled with “Marilyn Monroe” and “Frank Sinatra,” and enjoyed a musical ensemble led by Dr. Guillermo Hernandez-Ching, maestro and music director of the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and St. Agnes Academy Orchestra.

Dazzling in pink

Fady Armanious and Amanda Boffone (pictured, from left) were pretty in pink at Memorial Hermann’s annual Razzle

(continued on page 60)

Daniel Ortiz

Priscilla Dickson

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Dazzle luncheon. Women and men donned their finest shades of pink and enjoyed lunch at The Post Oak Hotel while raising funds to support breast cancer early diagnosis and outreach programs. Guests entered the event and walked the pink carpet and then took in the latest fashions on the runway from British designer Jenny Packham. Honoree Sheridan Williams shared the story of her own battle with breast cancer and urged the crowd to remember that early detection saves lives. Memorial Hermann Foundation executive vice president and chief executive officer Ann Neeson announced that this year’s event generated more than $1 million, which is an all-time record, beating last year’s total by 25 percent.

Boot scootin’

Rita Shuma, Chelsea Collmer, Laurie Sanders, and Jennifer Wisler (pictured, from left) supported Sunshine Kids at the Boots and Bourbon fundraising event at The Ballroom at Bayou Place. It was a record-breaking night of two stepping and bourbon tasting for more than 350 guests who raised $450,000 for Sunshine Kids’ games and activities programming for children with cancer. Event co-chairs Chelsea Collmer and Laurie Sanders led the evening that featured a raffle, silent auction, bourbon pull, and live country music from Blake Harlow and his band. Emcee and auctioneer Johnny Bravo kept the party going, and supporters heard from Sunshine Kids executive director Jennifer Wisler and former Houston Astro and Sunshine Kids supporter Craig Biggio

Wings of Wonder

Event co-chairs Chris Laquer and Anita O'Shaughnessy and Jennifer and Chris Laporte (pictured, from left) led this year’s Zoo Ball, Wings of Wonder. A black-tie crowd of more than 825 Houstonians celebrated in the Masihara Pavilion at the Houston Zoo and raised more than $2.2 million. Wings of Wonder highlighted the opening of The Fondren

Foundation’s Birds of the World exhibit and honored Cathy and Joe Cleary and Cullen Geiselman Muse and Robert Muse. Houston Zoo president and chief executive officer Lee Ehmke announced that honorees Joe Cleary and Cullen Geiselman Muse will have soon-tohatch ostrich chicks named after them. Guests enjoyed a silent auction chaired by Courtney and Zac Harmon, an after-party chaired by Victoria Villarreal and Arthur “Will” Brown and spent time mingling with special guests including Chilean flamingo chicks, ball pythons, and a chinchilla.

A hot-red Christmas truck

If you happen to pass the Newland family’s home this holiday season, you’ll notice Bob Newland’s vintage red pickup truck, with a Christmas tree in the back, parked right in front.

left) have enjoyed this bit of Christmas happiness for the last two years, ever since Bob’s wife, Deborah, gifted him the 1950 Chevrolet 3100. Originally painted green and used as a work truck by a farmer in Kentucky, the Chevy was restored, modified and painted a color called “hot red.” In addition to being a Christmas yard decoration, the truck (fully decorated by Bob, himself) makes appearances for other special moments like parades, Valentine’s Day, and announcing the birth of his new grandson.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.

Family members Nicholas Newland, Deborah Cooper-Newland, Bob Newland, Stephanie Newland, and Samantha Newland (pictured, from

Daniel Ortiz for the Houston Zoo

Jacob Power

. by Andria Dilling, staff writer

Back Porch

Wrapping Things Up: Gift-wrap stories and ideas

There are those of us who think a gift is a gift, whether it comes wrapped with a bow or wrapped in tissue and stuffed in the shopping bag from the store. My mother has always been in the former camp, much to my chagrin when I was growing up. In the big holiday gift-wrap effort, I could never get away with wrapping a gift in paper and calling it a day. Today, I cannot give a gift without a ribbon because I will hear my mother’s voice in my head, and then I feel guilty because I feel like I am cheating the recipient. (So many voices… and I’m sure my children are going to say the same. But that is another story.)

My friend Sarah Sampson says that her husband Philip’s aunt, who is apparently a great cook, once told her that if you are a good cook, you don’t like wrapping gifts. “I’m not sure about this correlation, but maybe it’s because when one’s time is spent in the kitchen, especially around the holidays, one does not have the time or patience at the gift-wrap station,” Sarah muses. “Or maybe it was an excuse to have stores professionally wrap her gifts.”

Beyond creative Tina Pyne says one year, she gave her grandchildren money inside of blownup balloons. “They were like 10, twin girls, and I took a package of 50 one-dollar bills, put them in little tubes, and shoved them into balloons, then blew them up. They had so much fun with that.” Another year, she stuffed the money inside teddy bears. Another time, she took stacks of one-dollar bills to Kinko’s and had them bound so the kids could peel off the dollars one at a time. “It has to be new money,” she warns. “But that’s fun.”

Those same granddaughters are now 19 and in college. “I have to be more creative,” Tina says, “and I need so much more than 50 bucks!”

Just as creative, Nancy Beck says she starts buying Christmas gifts in July, keeps a list of what she bought, and wraps the gifts immediately. Her clever wraps: maps of foreign countries correlating with the province of purchase; for grandchildren, photos of their parents at the same age printed out and glued together; for books bought in Paris, original canvas bags from the bookstore tied with glittery macaron orna-

ments and French flag grosgrain ribbon.

Books, Joy Yeager stresses, are the perfect gifts, not only because you can find books tailored to anyone you need to buy a gift for, but also because of the gift-wrapping options. “The possibilities are endless,” Joy says. “Mysteries, cookbooks, board books, historical fiction. And perhaps the best part is they are super easy to wrap!” Joy likes to align the straight edges of a book with the lines on the undersides of some wrapping paper. Then she adds grosgrain ribbon. “It’s pretty and easy to tie. And a second or third color in the top bow [adds] extra flair, using the colors of the wrapping paper for inspiration.”

If you’re traveling, carrying gifts can be tricky. Sarah Dyke reminds us: “The TSA recommends no wrapped presents.” (I will add from experience that they have no problem unwrapping your prettily-wrapped gifts at the security checkpoint, and they will not be careful.) Sarah shares that she bought drawstring canvas bags with Merry Christmas printed on them in red from Orientaltrading.com. “I thought they were cute and an easy way to wrap up presents,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong. I love a beautifully wrapped present. But my back will thank me this year.”

Consider incorporating botanicals. Liz Wozencraft is a Garden Club of America floral design judge, traveling around the country entering and judging flower shows and giving lectures and workshops on floral design. “Buy

some dried plants [or flowers] from Michaels and some fresh, which could be from the grocery store even,” she says. Wrap the gift in brown butcher paper, and tie wide a burlap ribbon around. Use a hot glue gun to affix the flowers and plants (like succulents) to the ribbon. Liz also recommends U Glu Dashes glue dots (Amazon.com), to keep things super-clean. Sarah Sampson shares that another family member says the gift can be anything, as long as the wrapping is lovely. Sarah herself says she thinks wrapping is a waste of paper. “That being said, every year I tag numerous clever gift-wrapping techniques on Instagram,” she says, “but have yet to try one. Okay, maybe one. Pretty sure the receiver made no comment, so there you have it.”

WHICH COMES FIRST? Is it the wrapping or what’s inside that makes a gift extra special?