Tanglewood/River Oaks Buzz - July 2022

2022 Buzz Photo Contest Winners

Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Heron Reflection by Richard Reinitz First Place, Animals

PUBLISHER’S NOTE This issue reveals the winners of our 17th annual Buzz Photo Contest, sponsored by The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. As The Buzz has grown, so has our contest. What began with residents dropping off a few photos on CDs has evolved into a contest with nearly 2,000 online submissions, judged by a panel of professional photographers. This year, we received the largest number of entries ever. Winners range from age 15 to 74, proving you’re never too young and never too old. Some are serious amateurs who waited patiently for hours, hoping to capture the perfect shot. Others happened to be in the right place at the right time, but with the creative instinct to see the shot. We thank everyone who entered for being a part of our contest and appreciate our judges for their time and expertise. I hope you enjoy the winning images and will be inspired to enter your own photos in next year’s contest. michael@thebuzzmagazines.com

THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor-in-Chief Publisher Editor Editorial Assistant Design Manager Staff Writers

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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Caroline Siegfried John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Cindy Burnett Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Cheryl Laird Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Pooja Salhotra Cheryl Ursin Andrea Blitzer, Leslie Little Jo Rogers Jenna Baer, Raigan Clay, Avi Dubey, Anna Galan, Kathrine Kiersted, Mackenzie McAnear, Tulsi Parikh

On our cover: Richard Reinitz took this photo of a Yellow-crowned NightHeron at the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park.

Cover photo by Richard Reinitz 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 © 2022 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.

TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ JULY 2022 4

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Neighborly ties Great article [Bow Ties by Cindy Gabriel, May 2022]! I am 85 years old, and wear bow ties to church every Sunday and to any dress up affairs during the week. I am jealous of Dr. Portnoy, as I only have 30 ties to choose from.

They are becoming hard to find in stores. If he wants to get rid of some, let me know! Thanks.

John Pickul Editor’s note: Dr. Portnoy replied, “It would be a kick to know that a tie of mine was going to church.” When we asked Dr. Portnoy’s permission to include his humorous response (considering he had worn his bow ties to synagogue), he said: “Sure. I like the Mailbag. Times are tough, and The Buzz is a happy community publication.”

Bow ties in practice I appreciated Ms. Gabriel’s article on Dr. Portnoy. I too have a collection of bow ties. I’m still in practice (more than 50 years) and I wear my hospital top with a scarf. Now I plan to restart my bow ties. Thank you, Ben! Keep up the good work.

Jimmy D. Schmidt, MD Editor’s note: We were delighted that Jimmy shared with us a copy of a typewritten letter on Hermes’ letterhead from 1989. He had ordered bow ties for himself as well as a scarf for his grandmother’s birthday – she was 103 that year. Jimmy noted that his grandmother lived to be 108 and was the oldest customer of Hermes.

the updates with us!”

What’s for dinner?: Reservations I loved your June 2022 article Going Vegan: What it’s really like [by Cheryl Ursin]! Your writing is delightfully light-hearted, accurate, beautifully written, and fun to read. For 33 years, I’ve joyfully been eating a rainbow of colorful plant foods, and I can relate to your journey.

As I was reading your article out loud to my husband, we both cracked up at your line my favorite thing to make for dinner remains reservations. Thank you for listing the local vegan restaurants, and thanks for the Red Beans & Rice recipe.

Congratulations to you and your husband, and bravo to you both for making this loving, life-affirming choice! Your vegan adventure will grow more amazing every year!

Lorelei de la Reza Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. 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.

Historical correction Andria Frankfort – I love your column, [it’s] the first thing I read in The Buzz each month. In your story on reading WWII books [Summer reading 2022: A family tradition], you mention Bradley’s book on the six men who raised the flag in the iconic photograph, one of whom was Bradley’s father.

This was determined to not be the case 70-something years later.

Navy Corpsman John Bradley’s (thought to be in the photograph) son James Bradley with writer Ron Powers wrote the 2000 Flags of Our Fathers book about the six flag raisers. The book concentrates on the three survivors of the six (again, two of these in error), and their travails after the flag raising event. Due to the success of Rosenthal’s photograph, the three men were sent home as heroes. Uncle Sam used them as a propaganda tool to raise more money and recruit men to enlist.

Two of the flag raisers in the book (including his father) were not in the photograph – these corrections were made in 2016 and 2019. James Bradley noted the errors in the Afterword of the book when they were discovered.

Dean Fisher Editor’s note: Writer Andria Frankfort responded, “Thank you for emailing about the famous WW2 photo. I appreciate you reading so closely and sharing TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ JULY 2022 6

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have a special fall tradition.

• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.

• Have a unique travel tale.

• Have a sweet multi-generational story.

• Have a compelling hobby or passion.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.

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To advertise in The Buzz Magazines, contact us at 713.668.4157, ext. 11 or advertising@thebuzzmagazines.com TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS BUZZ JULY 2022 7

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

The Novelist Around the Corner Writing a story close to home

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t sounds like a bit of a stretch: A competitive bodybuilder with a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo becomes a novelist. But if you know longtime West U resident Chris Cander, you know it makes perfect sense.

“I was getting featured in health and fitness magazines,” Chris says of her five years as a bodybuilder, “and I wanted to create content for them.” She started with Oxygen magazine and eventually wrote more than 500 articles on lifestyle, cooking, health, and fitness for dozens of magazines.

After two babies – Sasha, now 20 and a junior at Wesleyan, and Josh, now a 16-year-old junior at Strake – the calling to write intensified. “I wanted to try writing a novel,” Chris says. But she worried about not having a formal education in creative writing. “Then I realized there were a lot of things I hadn’t been taught to do, but I figured out on my own…like running a house and raising children!” She wrote a manuscript and hired an agent. While that first go is still sitting in a drawer, it propelled Chris into a new career. Since then, she’s published 11 Stories (2013), Whisper Hollow (2015), The Weight of a Piano (2019), and, as of this month, A Gracious Neighbor.

As a young wife and mother, Chris wrote after her children went to bed. As their schedules evolved, Chris’ did as well. Then and now, she writes about a page a day.

Her latest book, A Gracious Neighbor, took a year to write and was the fastest one she’s completed (she worked on The Weight of a Piano for about three years). She started A Gracious Neighbor Feb. 20, 2020. Then everything began shutting down, and she found herself home, with a lot of quiet time. “There weren’t cars everywhere, and I loved sitting outside and writing,” Chris says. “That’s interesting, because this book is about our neighborhood, and I was sitting in it and was able to hear the ambient neighbor noises: somebody was playing a radio one day I had never noticed; there was a dog barking. I was sort of present in the story and in my own life at the same time.

“It was Sasha’s senior year of high school, and she was forced to be at home. So every day she would read what I had written. I think both my

children appreciate the fact that I am creating.”

Chris says it took a while for them to understand what she did in her home office.

“They’d look at me and think, ‘Yeah, you look available and I’m coming in,’ but now they know I actually do have a job with deadlines and can’t really be interrupted for one minute.

It’s an ongoing process, but it’s better with a 20and a 16-year-old than with a 4- and a 1-year-old!”

For Chris, and A GRACIOUS NEIGHBOR Local novelist Chris Cander has published four books written in her West U home office. Her newest, A Gracious Neighbor, is set in West for her readers, the U and releases this month. writing is transfortable situations to see what would happen, porting. “My favorite part is when something how they would react.” magical happens that I didn’t expect,” she says.

But if you’re looking to pin Martha – or “It’s hard to explain how it happens, but I’m just Minnie – down to someone local and real, don’t eternally grateful. It’s like I’m not straining in a bother. “One of the things I love about Martha bench press, the weight is magically lifted and is that she is all of us,” Chris says, sharing that lowered. Almost like I’m plopped down in her sister, who lives in Bellville, thought she was another world. I notice all the details, I’m inhabMartha, as did another friend in Houston. “In iting the story.” some ways she’s based on me, she moved into She hopes her readers feel something similar.

West U the same year I did, but she’s too much “One of the reasons we read fiction is to imagine of an amalgamation of stereotypes, things I’ve ourselves in situations,” she says. “I have to observed living here so long, to pull her apart. make them complex and juicy enough…it gets She’s everyone and no one.” interesting when it gets complicated.”

Whether or not you see yourself in one of There’s no lack of juiciness in A Gracious Chris’ characters, you likely can see yourself in Neighbor, especially for Houstonians, who will her world. Which is real, with kids and deadbe guessing who’s who in the story, which is set lines and, yes, Taekwondo and weightlifting. in West U. Chris describes the main character And it’s right around the corner. as “dumpy little Martha,” and her neighbor as “glamorous Minnie.” She says, “Martha is in this Editor’s note: A Gracious Neighbor releases July 1940 teardown, and Minnie’s in this gorgeous 1, 2022. See chriscander.com. mansion next door. I put them in some uncom-

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Andria Frankfort

FOOD

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Just Peachy How to use the peak of summer’s best crop

I

t’s peach season and we’re ready. The Peach Truck will be making deliveries from Georgia, and we’ll be stocking up on Fredericksburg peaches as much as we can. To make the most of the sweet summer fruit, we are going to need some creative ways to serve them.

Cobbler? Yes, for sure cobbler. But read on… there might be a few peachy ideas you haven’t yet thought of.

Red, White, and Blue Sangria Laura McCullough is an expert entertainer and says Red, White, and Blue Sangria – a recipe from healthy cookbook author Joy Bauer – is “a total crowd pleaser.” She serves it every Fourth of July in Colorado, often doubling or tripling the recipe, and says, “The pitcher is always drained quickly!”

This recipe calls for elderflower liqueur (like St-Germain), which Laura says a friend named “the ketchup of the bar,” because it makes everything taste better. She adds, “I will also say that improvising has always worked [with this recipe].

I will use peach vodka instead of berry vodka and not use fresh peaches because I’m lazy and do not want to slice and get the peach off the pit!”

1 cup blueberries 1 cup raspberries 1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced into bite-sized pieces 1 cup white peaches, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 cup berry-flavored vodka ¼ cup elderflower liqueur 1 (750 ml) bottle of white wine (Joy uses Sauvignon Blanc) ½ to 1 cup white grape juice or 3 tablespoons honey (optional, depending on how sweet you want the sangria) 1 12-ounce can berryflavored sparkling water Ice for serving In a large bowl, add the fruit and mix to combine. Reserve 1 cup for garnish before serving.

In a very large pitcher, add the fruit, vodka, liqueur, wine, and optional grape juice or honey, if using. Stir gently to mix and allow to sit in the fridge for 1 hour or up to 8 hours. As this sits,

the color will change to a slight pink or purplish PEACHY KEEN Dinah Shore's Fresh Peach Pie with Coconut Almond Crust is cool hue, depending on and creamy. the fruit used. flour plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder) Right before serving, add the sparkling water 1 cup sugar into the pitcher and pour into glasses over ice.

Pinch of salt Garnish each glass with the reserved fruit.

1 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Grilled Peaches with Pistachios 4 peaches, chopped and Honey ¼ cup blueberries (or blackberries) Another consummate entertainer, Tina Pyne shared her own take on grilled peaches. She says Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the the pistachio-honey-mint paste is also delicious butter in a 9”x13” baking dish and put it in the spread on toast. oven to melt.

In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, and salt Peaches together. Add the milk and vanilla. Whisk until Olive oil smooth. When the butter has melted, remove Crushed pistachios the baking dish from the oven and swirl the Honey melted butter around to coat the bottom and Fresh mint leaves, minced sides of the dish.

Pour the batter into the hot baking dish, Preheat a grill pan or grill to medium heat. using a spatula to even the top out. Scatter the Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. fruit over the top of the batter. Bake for 35 to Brush the cut sides with a little olive oil, then 40 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. grill them, cut side down, for 3 or 4 minutes.

Stir the pistachios and honey together to Apricot Raspberry Crumble make a paste. Stir in a little minced mint. Top Yes, this is an apricot recipe, but we’ve the warm peaches with the pistachio-honeyincluded it because apricots are such close mint paste. cousins of the peach, and because Nancy Beck is such a great cook. Nancy says her recipe for Cuppa Cuppa Blueberry (or Apricot Raspberry Crumble will work just as Blackberry) and Peach Cobbler well with peaches and blueberries, if that’s Pediatrician Lindy McGee has fond memories your preference. of her mother making this “old-school” Cuppa Cuppa Blueberry (or Blackberry) and Peach 2 pounds apricots, sliced Cobbler. “There was an empty lot at the end of 2/3 cup sugar our street in Briarmeadow where dewberries 1 ½ cups flour grew. My mother was not a cook at all, but every 2 tablespoons orange juice summer we would pick dewberries and she 1 pint raspberries would make this cobbler.” The recipe, which is more like a cake studded with fruit than a cobFor the topping: bler, gets its name from the “cuppa” flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar “cuppa” sugar, “cuppa” milk, and “sticka” butter.

2/3 cup flour Lindy says, “It is really easy!” ½ teaspoon salt 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) 1/3 cup oats 1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup all-purpose

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Andria Frankfort

½ cup sliced almonds or walnut pieces Vanilla ice cream Fresh mint, for garnish Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the apricots, sugar, flour, orange juice, and raspberries and pour into a greased 9”x13” baking dish.

Make the topping. In a food processor, pulse the brown sugar, flour, salt, and butter until the butter is mixed in. Add the oats. Pour over the fruit and top with nuts. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint.

O’Connor’s “Hard” Sauce with Peach Cobbler Jennifer Rosenfeld’s parents are from Galveston and growing up she spent many weekends crabbing on the island. “We’d come back from the beach,” she says, “and my grandmother – Mee-Maw – would make peach cobbler. My mom and aunts would argue who had to make the hard sauce. It was all about the sauce (which has no liquor, just butter and sugar)! The entire O’Connor family really only wanted a little cobbler with their hard sauce. As everyone got older (and a tad lazier) we would buy a peach pie and just make the hard sauce!”

16 peaches (to yield 8 cups sliced, peeled peaches) For the crust: 4 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 ½ cups Crisco 10 tablespoons ice water For the filling: 1 ¾ cups sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt 2 ½ heaping tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon Butter For the hard sauce: 1 cup sugar ½ stick butter 2 cups water (use the water the peaches boiled in) 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with a little water to make it pourable 1 teaspoon vanilla Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and place the peaches in the boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds until the skins split. Drain, reserving the water for the hard sauce. Peel the peaches.

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the Crisco with a pastry blender or fork until small balls form. Add ice water and mix until blended. Divide the dough into 2 balls. Roll each flat to fit a 9”x13” pan, and line the pan with one of the pieces of rolled-out

CHEERS Red, White, and Blue Sangria turns peaches and berries into a refreshing cocktail.

dough.

Mix the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, salt, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and fill the bottom crust. Fit the second crust on top. Cut slits on the top crust and dot with butter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

While the cobbler is baking, make the hard sauce. Combine the sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns brown.

Add the water and let it come to a good boil.

Add the cornstarch, then add vanilla.

Serve the cobbler with lots of hard sauce.

Dinah Shore’s Fresh Peach Pie with Coconut Almond Crust Another famously great home cook, Allan Fradkin says this Peach Pie with Coconut Almond Crust is “a wonderful peach recipe.” It’s from an old Dinah Shore cookbook. “She was an excellent cook and we’ve made many of her recipes several times...[this one] a dozen times.

This recipe is easy to scale up and use more whipped cream. It’s especially good when peaches are tasty and juicy.”

1 cup sour cream Pinch salt 6 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided 1 teaspoon orange juice 1 teaspoon orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced 1 cup heavy whipping cream Coconut Almond Piecrust (recipe follows) Beat the sour cream. Add salt, 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Spread on bottom and sides of pie crust.

Cover with peaches arranged in an attractive manner in the pie crust.

Whip the cream. Fold in remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. Cover the peaches with whipped cream. Sprinkle the top with toasted crumb mixture reserved from pie crust. Chill.

Coconut Almond Piecrust and Crumb Mixture 1 cup blanched almonds, finely ground 1 cup flaked coconut ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup butter Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the almonds and coconut. Using your fingers, work in sugar and butter. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate, reserving 3 tablespoons of the crumbly mixture for the top of the pie.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. If the edges get too brown, cover with foil, leaving the center uncovered. At the same time, place the remaining crumb mixture in a shallow pan and toast in the oven about 5 minutes.

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NEIGHBORS

The Buzz Magazines 2022 Photo Contest

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sponsored by

A

fter reviewing a record number of 1,747 submitted images, we are pleased to present the winners of The Buzz Magazines’ 17th annual photo contest. Congratulations to all and especially to our Grand Prize winner, Loyd Dalton, for his photo Finding the Way. As our Grand Prize winner, Loyd Dalton will receive a couples staycation package compliments of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. With any contest like this, the process is subjective. However, there are basic principles of photography that must be met, such as lighting, focus, exposure, and composition. The judges must consider the level of difficulty and skill required to capture each photo. And there are personal elements to consider: a photograph’s essence, the emotions it elicits, the artful nature of its expression. Each judge prioritizes different factors in their selection, like originality, creativity, and use of movement. Judging is blind, as the judges do not see names or any information about the photographers.

We also let our readers vote. We posted 45 finalists on our Facebook page, and the photos that received the most “Likes” became our Readers’ Choice winners.

The Buzz Magazines’ annual photo contest is open to all amateur photographers, so keep that in mind as you are shooting pictures in the upcoming year. Watch for next year’s call for entries on our website, social media, and in the March 2023 print issue. Thanks to everyone who entered, our judges, our readers who voted online, and our contest sponsor, The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa.

Finding the Way, Grand Prize Winner Loyd Dalton, 74, captured this photo of the night sky on an annual father/son photo trip to the Marfa/Big Bend area in April. “Finding the Way is of the Milky Way over the Stone Circle in Marfa, Texas. Ballroom Marfa commissioned the large-scale outdoor stone circle from Haroon Mirza in 2018. Mirza is an international acclaimed artist from London that creates and devises sculptures like the Stone Circle. Inspired by ancient megaliths, this solar-powered sculpture is open to the public in the high desert grasslands just east of Marfa. When I saw the sculpture, I instantly thought it would be a perfect composition for a Milky Way image with a man in the middle holding a light!”

Comments from Our Judges There were a number of great images that we had to select from, but this particular image stood out. We think this shot shows a high level of skill and thought, especially for an amateur photographer. True knowledge of what the camera can do is evident. This requires manual settings and is crafted on purpose. It's not a lucky capture. Nowadays you see a lot of “starry night” images, but by including the person and light source into this image, the photographer added unique and creative elements that made a beautiful image even stronger. The title of this work and strong imagery is very current. It evokes emotion on the bigger picture of life.

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Leaping Willow Second Place/Sports and Action Dorothy Puch Lillig, 48, said this image came from a casual photo shoot of her daughter Anna (Bellaire High School, Class of 2021) at Willow Waterhole, where it suddenly started pouring. “Rather than run to the car, I asked her if we could do some shots in the rain. We walked over to the nearby bridge and she started posing as well as doing a few leaps and jumps.” This photo was taken the summer before Anna left for the University of Illinois, where she now majors in dance. “She had to take off her sweatshirt as it was soaked and heavy. Meanwhile, my husband grabbed an umbrella and was trying to keep me (and more importantly, my camera) dry. We were all soaked. I didn’t think I got a single decent shot. Then I came across this photo when I got home and just fell in love. I love her technique, the bridge, the scenery, but I really love how her hair is crazy yet perfectly placed to show her motion through the air.

She reminds me of Medusa. I couldn’t stop looking at her expression, which is so relaxed even though it was raining so hard and she was jumping on a wet and slippery bridge.” This photo also received second place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

On Golden Pond Third Place/Nature Jan Buchholtz, 65, took this photo in early fall. “I went to Sheldon Lake State Park as it opened. Bald cypress trees were just starting to display autumnal colors of yellow and orange. The ponds, entirely surrounded by trees, were completely in shadows, but I noticed the sun-lit cypress trees were reflected in the water. It was quite windy – the lilies and pads were moving amongst the water ripples which looked a bit like painterly brush strokes. The bounced light off the trees created wonderful golden hues and complementary-colored lavender shadows. I returned to the same spot a month later and captured a similar photo in calmer waters.”

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Campfire Reflection, Fifth Place/People and Portraits Dana Katz, 45, took this picture of her husband, Kenneth, by a campfire in Ojai, Calif. “We were sitting by a campfire in Ojai a few months ago, and I just loved how the fire reflected in his eyeglasses.”

Heron Reflection, First Place/Animals Richard Reinitz, 65, has been coming to Hermann Park for many years, but this was the first time he had ever seen any herons. “This is a photo of a Yellowcrowned Night-Heron taken at the Japanese Garden in Hermann Park. When I take a photograph, especially of wildlife, I try to find not only the animal in a natural habitat but also a pleasing background. I also always look for reflections if possible as it reveals more of the animal and provides some symmetry to the photo. All of these elements were present, and I think the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron is one of the most beautiful birds I have photographed. It was an unusual opportunity to see this bird with just perfect conditions, still clear water and a natural background. When I photograph birds, I want to convey the beauty that I see so they can be appreciated for all to see.”

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Moth Eye and Curved Proboscis, Fourth Place/Nature Robert Davis, 81, stacked multiple images to create this macro photograph of a butterfly eye and proboscis. “This is about 20x normal size. Macro photography unveils a new world to the observer. None of this is remotely visible to the naked eye. As you get closer to a subject, not only does one need more light, but the plane of focus is extraordinarily thin. Today, we can overcome this with by taking many photographs with a different level of focus. We then stack the images one on top of another and use software that retains only those areas in focus. The resultant image is very sharp front to back. This image is the result of 100 exposures each taken 0.010mm apart. It was done with the camera mounted on a motorized rail. It was taken with a A1 Sony camera and a Laowa 25 mm macro lens. Lighting was continuous tungsten. 25 mm lens extensions were also added.”

Frosted Bison @ Yellowstone, Fifth Place/Animals David Holland, 67, spotted this snowy bison in Yellowstone National Park – specifically the Lamar Valley – in January. “The American Bison is the iconic survivor of the West. Temperatures in the Lamar Valley (aka the American Serengeti) plunged to -14°F on this particular morning. I spotted this bull along the edge of a frozen river, sweeping snow away with its nose for some grasses below. He was covered in snow and I envisioned a much soughtafter photo opportunity. I positioned myself about 50 yards in front of him, laid prone in three feet of snow waiting for an eye level photo chance. He rarely lifted his head as he drew near, but when he did and I could capture both eyes, I took the shot! B&W [Black & White] seemed appropriate.”

Bath Time, Third Place/Animals Dana Katz, 45, snapped this photo of puppy Frazier. “As the least likely person on the planet to get a dog, I must admit that getting Frazier has been so wonderful for our family. My daughter Annie and I were bathing Frazier, and we decided to give him a ‘mohawk’ because we thought it was adorable!”

This photo also received first place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

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Soccer at Sunset, First Place/Sports and Action Jaana Eleftheriou, 58, shot this photo of soccer players in a dusty field at sunset in Kenya in November 2021. “I was watching local guides for safari outfits having a Sunday soccer game for fun. It was a beautiful sunset. The silhouettes of the players and dust created a lovely picture. I often go to Kenya to escape the busy life. I am a volunteer in the [Naboisho] conservancy which gives me an insight of the everyday life that tourists rarely see. This is just one example of everyday life there.”

Getting Wired on Texas Birding, Fifth Place/Nature Deborah Adams, 64, took this photo of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on April 14, 2022, at Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, located a quarter mile from the Gulf of Mexico and about two miles east of Freeport, TX. “This was my third trip (first this year) to look for the migratory birds. I enjoyed watching this gorgeous flycatcher and was happy he decided to land with his tail parallel to the barbed wire. It was quite a juxtaposition with the ship channel behind him and him enveloped in the rings of the wire.”

This photo also received third place in our Readers’ Choice contest.

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Midnight Prayer, First Place/People and Portraits Vivian Huynh, 18, used a fog machine to create the smoke effect in this photo. “This is a photo of my sister, Lindsay Huynh, around a cloud of smoke holding a candle. This photo was taken in January 2022 in my home theatre. During a period of isolation from Covid and the recent loss of our grandmother, my sister and I wanted to create an image that depicted light and hopefulness during tough, dark times for our family.” She graduated from Carnegie Vanguard this year and is headed to Baylor in the fall.

Shadows on the Mist, Fifth Place/Landscapes Gerald McGlamery, 60, captured this foggy summer morning in the Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina. “The photo was taken from the Pounding Mill Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway on July 16, 2021. I drove up from Brevard to the BRP before dawn to photograph sunrise. Morning summer fog is frequent in the valley, so I knew I had a good chance of getting some interesting photos. The sun was about 40 minutes past sunrise when I noticed that the trees below were casting shadows on the fog and started taking several photos, of which this was the best. The valley below is known as the Cradle of Forestry in America because the first forestry school in the U.S. (the Biltmore Forest School) was established there by Carl Schenck. The land at the time was all part of the vast Biltmore Estate before it was sold to become national forest.”

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Moon Rising over Driftwood Beach Second Place/Landscapes Gerald McGlamery took this photo of the moon rising over a dead southern live oak at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, off the coast of Georgia, in March.

“I had been out to the beach near sunset to scout it and planned to come out again for sunrise over the Atlantic. After dinner, however, I saw the moon was near full and realized it would create a great silhouette with a tree I had been photographing earlier, so I drove back out again to take this photo (and I still went out again for sunrise).

The tides on Jekyll Island rise about nine feet between low and high tide (some of the highest on the U.S. Atlantic coast). Much of the driftwood and dead trees on the beach are at least partially underwater at high tide, as seen in the photo. I was standing shin-deep in the surf when I took this photo.”

Cloudy Mystique Fifth Place/Readers’ Choice Kylie Markowitz, 17 (Emery/Weiner, Class of 2023), took this self-portrait at school in December 2021. “I took various pictures and overlaid them on top of each other to give it a mysterious and confusing look.

Sometimes I hide myself from others, and I wanted to find a way to imitate that feeling through a self-portrait.”

Suspenseful Swimming Fourth Place/People and Portraits Christine Mitchell, 55, took this photo of her daughter swimming in a dune lake and tossing sand in front of her in Dune Allen, Fl. last June.

“This type of lake is rare. It is brackish water fed by freshwater springs and waves washing in from the ocean. My daughter is the 4th generation in my family to swim in this exact spot. It has changed a lot, but is still the most beautiful place in the world to me. We thought it would be cool to see if we could capture her coming through the sand suspended in the water. We succeeded and I think we ended up with a fun, yet mysterious, photograph of youth, summer, and rare beach experiences.”

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Dragonfly Eyes Second Place/Nature Mauricio Recinos, 51, took this photo on a trip to Galveston Beach last summer. “It was a sunny day and while walking on the beach I spotted this dragonfly in the bushes. I started to get closer, then a little more. When I was pretty close the dragonfly buzzed its wings, like it was telling me ‘that's close enough,’ so I stopped. I focused on its big eyes and took the shot. Nature manifests in many beautiful ways, even with insects that might not be attractive to some. I hope everyone learns how to appreciate it and most importantly to protect it.”

Kennebunk Sunset, Third Place/Landscapes David Holland, 67, took this photo in October 2021 in Kennebunkport, Maine. “My wife and I were at the tail end of a wonderful trip through New England. Our best friends were with us and the wife had served on President George H.W. Bush’s staff for many years. While working in President Bush’s (41) office, she became good friends with the President’s personal aide. He and his wife have a home in Kennebunk and kindly offered it to us to cap off our adventure. One evening, we crossed the Kennebunk River for dinner in Kennebunkport. While the sun was setting, I noticed reflections in the calm waters as low tide neared. I had my camera in tow and rushed to the water’s edge. There were three boats moored and tied together. They were floating out with the tide and began to straighten out in a line. The beautiful home across the river, the cloud formations, fading sunlight, dramatic reflections, and aligned moored boats all came together. This image was printed and presented to 41’s aide and his wife and it hangs in their home in Kennebunk today.”

Hope, Third Place/People and Portraits Acie Reed-Hager, 15, took this photo in late fall of 2021 in Springfield, Mo. “I took my photo trying to show and convey a symbolism of hope during hard times. I saw a similar photo online and loved the candidness of it and wanted to convey a similar candidness during hard times.”

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John Moulton Barn B&W, First Place/Landscapes Darren Inoff, 53, took this photo just outside of Jackson, Wy. and Teton National Park in early June 2021. “We had decided to spend a month in Jackson and these barns were the first things I wanted to see. I was really just on a scouting trip because this visit was in the middle of the day and the light was not the best – I almost didn’t take my camera with me. Because of the harshness of the light I decided to turn this into a black and white and it might be my favorite picture from the trip. It literally was the first of 4,000 photos I took in June!"

Brain Bucket in a Bowl, Fifth Place/Sports and Action Jan Buccholtz, 65, took a long stroll along Buffalo Bayou and Eleanor Tinsley Park, before getting to the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark, where she shot this photo. “It was a lovely spring Sunday (March 2022). There were several children and novice skaters, as well as this unknown bearded gentleman who seemed quite comfortable on his board. The sunlight created marvelous curvy shadows, and I snapped a shot as he rounded the corner. Other than being a fan of the X Games, I know nothing about skateboarding, so I reviewed a number of urban dictionaries to come up with the title referring to his helmet (brain bucket) and the high-sided concrete course (bowl).”

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Shadows Long Past Second Place/People and Portraits Mason Cole, 22, is a Computer Science major and Visual Arts (photography) minor at Johns Hopkins University. He graduated from Carnegie Vanguard in 2017.

He explained, “The photo is in infrared, mimicking Kodak Aerochrome from the 1940s, and alludes to the transience of time. It utilizes shadows to impart feelings of longing and sorrow in a woefully different light.” He took this photo at Evergreen Museum in Baltimore, Md. as part of his final project for a class at Johns Hopkins. He said the photo “strives to capture the estate surrounding the Garrett mansion which, despite its historical importance, was left subject to the whims of fate and time and allowed to age into antiquity.” The photo was also on display at the museum for two months, from the end of April through the end of June.

I Can Fly, Third Place/Sports and Action Kathy Zieben, 68, got splashed while taking this photo during a post-Covid cruise in the beginning of May. “We were so excited to return to cruising again on The Liberty of The Seas, a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship. My favorite photography is street photography. Where else can you find more wonderful subjects than on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean? It was a beautiful day and it seemed that everyone was anxious to watch the iconic bellyflop contest. This gentleman was one of the older contestants that made it to the finals. I loved how I captured the determination on his face with this shot. Even the spectators were watching in awe that he would actually enter this contest, hit the water, and win with the biggest splash. My 23mm camera lens was hit with water because I was so close to the shot. It was so worth it!”

Seagulls over the Bolivar Ferry, Fourth Place/Animals Jeremy Hart, 48, caught these seagulls in flight on the back of the Bolivar Ferry in May. “This was actually one of the first times we ventured out of the house last year; my mother-in-law was staying with us quite a bit at that time, and we'd been trying to stay isolated as much as we could to keep her safe. That weekend, though, we just decided we needed to get out, so we took the kids and went down to Bolivar Peninsula. It was almost completely empty when we were there, and it was amazing to be able to be outside without our masks on – it was really the start of our little family re-engaging with the world after being locked down because of Covid-19. We’d driven our car on for the ride back to Galveston, and my wife saw some people at the back of the ferry throwing bread to the birds – the ferry was moving, but the birds were all just sort of floating in space, keeping up with the boat but seemingly not actually moving.”

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Sunset in Hawaii, First Place/Nature Renu Hodgson, 63, took this photo in November in Honolulu at Diamond Head Beach Park. She and her husband had just arrived, checked into their hotel, and walked over to the park. They saw a man with a huge wand creating these large oblong bubbles. As the bubbles flew into the wind and reflected rainbows of light, she snapped this picture and many others. She and her husband then borrowed the wand and made their own bubbles.

Prickly Pink, Fourth Place/Readers’ Choice Kylie Markowitz, 17, captured this picture of a flower with a macro photography lens around March of 2022. She is an incoming senior at Emery/Weiner. “I love getting the details and unexpected looks with photography, especially with floral pieces. I had taken this in my backyard from a flower that was growing on a bush. When I saw it, I knew immediately that it would make a great photo.”

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Looking Around Second Place/Animals Jerry Clark, 69, took this photo at the end of September 2021 in Crested Butte, Colo. “The sun had just begun to break through the morning fog and clouds and cast a warm soft light on this group of horses who was as interested in me as I was with them. I liked their variation in color complementing the warm tones and the contrast with the one lone dark horse who approached me. And I liked the pose that they each took including the three horses in the background as something of interest turned their heads to my right. Just like us, it’s a bit about what we do in the morning as we wait for our day to begin. In the case of these horses, enjoying the warm light of the rising sun with a backdrop of a beautiful mountain setting and posing ‘just so’ for someone coming by to say hello is as good as that gets.”

Teton Sunrise Soft Color Palette, Fourth Place/Landscapes Darren Inoff, 53, captured this image of the Teton Mountains in early June 2021. “This is taken from just off the first turn off at Schwabacher’s Landing. I probably visited this location 10 of my 30 mornings in Jackson. I usually arrived in complete darkness at 5 a.m. waiting for the sun to come up. Each day was different.

I had no idea what I would see until the sun came up. It never disappointed me, not once. Complete serenity, listening to the birds chirping as I waited for the palette to be painted. Amazing.”

Flying Forward, Fourth Place/Sports and Action Weston Chung, 16, took this photo of one of his former swim teammates doing the butterfly stroke. “After quitting [swim team] last spring, I took up photography. I figured that my peers and future collegiate swimmers deserve to have their journey documented since most parents can’t get on the swim deck to take their children’s photos. This photo is one of my favorite photos taken inside my high school pool. I swam year-round with people on the swim team for over six years. All of my swim photos were of my close friends. After swim meets, I was looking for that perfect photo that would put me in awe every time I looked at it.”

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Judges’ Bios

Eric Forsythe has been a full-time photographer for over a decade. His work has been featured in several magazines and regional journals, including Time, The Ferrari Club Magazine, and Success magazine. His images have been shared on Larry King Live, Piers Morgan Live, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, to name a few. Eric’s clientele includes automotive icons such as Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini, as well as entertainment companies like MGM, Paramount Pictures, Capitol Records, and Integrity Music. He is based in Houston, but his passion guides him to continuously explore in search of optical stimuli. He believes that photography is not motionless and tries to establish a sense of movement in his photos. www.forsythefotography.com www.forsythefotography.shop eric@forsythefotography.com

Jack Opatrny is an award-winning Houston photographer whose experience ranges from portraits and fashion photography to architectural, commercial, and food photography.

Originally from Ohio, Jack relocated to Houston in 1990 and quickly established himself as a distinguished fashion and business photographer, locally and nationally. With more than 25 years of experience, his achievements have included top honors at the Art Directors Club of Houston’s Annual Show and many other industry publications. His talent has been recognized in projects in fashion, high-end portraits, renowned commercial products, architecture, and humanitarian causes. In addition, Jack is a talented musician. His personal interests include charitable causes that range from animal rescue, environmental protection, and breast cancer awareness. His heartfelt love for dogs inspired his recent project, “Street Dogs of Mexico,” highlighting the massive problem of homeless dogs. Proceeds benefit local animal rescue and adoption operations. www.jackophoto.com jackophoto@gmail.com

Terry Vine, recently named one of the 200 Best Ad Photographers Worldwide by Lürzer’s Archive, is an advertising and lifestyle photographer who specializes in creating custom images for the healthcare, hospitality, and corporate industries. His ability to capture the essence of an experience as it relates to a destination has landed him assignments around the world and earned numerous awards. His work has been featured in Communications Arts, Graphis Photo, Print, American Photography, Applied Arts, and PDN Photo annuals. Terry’s fine art images are in many museum and private collections around the country. Having grown up in Ohio, Terry now lives in Texas with his wife, two children, and a rambunctious Golden Retriever named Ranger. www.terryvine.com terry@terryvine.com

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NEIGHBORS

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by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer

Vintage party! It was a 50th anniversary for Bellaire High School sweethearts, Nancy and Jack Dinerstein, who met in junior high and married on February 6, 1972 at the Warwick Hotel after their University of Texas graduation. Their family expanded to three sons (Brian and Liz, Ross and Liz, and Brad and Brittany) and six grandchildren. A couple emulating Nancy and Jack, dressed as a bride and groom, greeted guests on roller skates for their 50th at The Astorian. A James Coney Island “hostess” and Lees Den “hostess” were stationed inside strolling tables containing mini-James Coney Island hot dogs and one with Chinese appetizers. Buffet stations continued with an ode to Houston landmarks from the ’70s with backgrounds of The Stables, Youngblood’s Fried Chicken, and Maxim’s, where the Dinersteins were engaged. After family toasts, guests savored the four-foot-high wedding cake, replicated after their original cake, and custom cookies resembling Nancy and Jack’s faces.

No seafood here. The travel miles were expiring, and Frances Rubin was determined to use them on herself. She and Scott Frisbie jetted off to Turks and Caicos for some funshine, snorkeling, and boating with an inflatable chair for two. Although surrounded by seafood, these two dined on tenderloin, burgers, and jerk chicken.

Their fave dining spot was at Grace Bay Beach.

Despite the hassle of getting a Covid test for their return, no one looked at it.

Pickle! A group of 19 Picklers from The Houstonian tripped to Horseshoe Bay Resort for a weekend of pickleball instruction and play.

Organized by members Tad and Tricia Wade, the weekend extravaganza included a special private dining experience at Horseshoe Bay Yacht Club. The 120-degree temp on the court did not deter these avid fans. A few previously injured but brave men played in orthopedic boots. A few of the players were Leslie Robinson, Donna and George Buenik, Carol and John Hess, Jan Pasternak, Renee Tappe, Bob and Joyce Diamond, and Heidi Modaro. Bangers.

An art journey. She found her calm inner self in aquatic art, growing up in Mumbai, India overlooking the Indian Ocean and finding rapture on dives off the Texas Coast. Janavi

SOA Photography

Rumor Has It

HERE’S TO 50 YEARS The Dinerstein family celebrated Nancy and Jack’s 50th anniversary. From left: Brittany and Brad, Nancy and Jack, Ross and Liz, and Liz and Brian.

Mahimtura Folmsbee will unveil her permanent art installation at George Bush Intercontinental Airport’s connector tunnel between terminals D & E called Aquarius Art Tunnel this summer.

Once inside the tunnel, scalloped hammerheads and a variety of sea creatures are on the very long 240’ art mural. She has made a big splash from being a 2009 graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The force was with them. A group of gal pals from the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, Helen Perry, Pam Sengelmann, Kristy Liedtke and Deborah Dunkum, got together for The Best of John Williams: Star Wars and More concert by the Houston Symphony and volunteer chorus at Jones Hall. The music themes were from blockbuster favorites, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Schindler’s List, Jaws, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and more. An unexpected photo opp occurred when conductor Steven Reineke and cast members dressed as Star Wars characters showed up at The Lancaster where they waited for their car and kept them engaged about upcoming concerts.

Real love. When Kathy Foster and Bill Jones opened Casa de Esperanza with $500 in 1982 to foster children in crises, they had no idea it would later be the longest running program in the United States for children impacted

by HIV/AIDS. The services have since expanded. On May 1, they honored their Hands of Hope parents and Casa’s caregivers at The Revaire, chaired by Mary Ellen and Scott

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Prochazka. The inaugural recipient of The Kathy Foster Spirit of Service Award, former firefighter Mary Haynes was honored for being a residential foster parent for over 20 years who opened her heart to more than 115 children.

Some of the many underwriters were Collier and Richard Blades, Karen and Henry Dixon, Sylvie and Gary Crum, Flo McGee and Wade Upton, Chinhui and Eddie Allen, Meg and Kirk Gentle, and Bonner and George Ball.

20th anniversary. The Crafting a Legacy Spring Luncheon honored Catherine Morgan and benefited the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft at the River Oaks Country Club. Catherine’s love for the arts inspired the founding of the HCCC, a place where the public can experience art in progress. Trudi Spring Allison shared amusing stories about the honoree after opening remarks from HCCC board president Brad Bucher and executive director Perry Price.

Guests purchased one-of-a-kind items from the pop-up art shop. With support of the honorary chairs Emelda J. Douglas, Glen Eichelberger, Anne Lamkin Kinder, Mike Morgan, Sara Morgan, Kathryn Rabinow, Kim Kabler Rootes, and Ann T. Shaw, the event craftily raised $400,000.

MORE ONLINE See Rumor Has It at thebuzzmagazines.com for additional photos. Have some good news to share?

Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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KIDS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Finding formula

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies.

Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children 7 and under.

C

rystal Lazo, mother of three, has found herself in the stressful situation millions of other parents are in – worried about the current formula shortage.

This year, families in the United States have experienced a nationwide shortage of infant formula. Covid-related supply chain problems became more prevalent and a manufacturing plant that produces almost half the infant formula in the United States shut down in February.

Shelves on the baby aisles were often empty as the shortage regularly made breaking headline news. Parents did not know when or how they would find the formula they needed. Even hospitals have experienced shortages.

Amidst the crisis, Buzz neighbors stepped forward and helped navigate the scary road together.

Crystal’s son, Cooper, is 9 months and requires a special formula for his acid reflux. He drinks Similac Alimentum ready-to-feed formula.

Crystal noticed the formula – which was already hard to find in stores – was mostly sold out in the stores, so she took to the internet. She found an Amazon store that was selling it.

As she held her breath, each shipment arrived on time at her house, and she would immediately order more. Helpful family members and friends inquired about what kind of formula Cooper needed so they could keep an eye out in stores as well.

Circumstances changed when Cooper got sick with a stomach virus. Their pediatrician recommended switching to a milder formula until he was better. Crystal wondered whether she would be able to find the new formula.

She immediately visited the nearest Wal-Mart and found some cans on the shelves. They had a purchase limit of two, so she picked those up and made a plan to return as soon as he ran out.

Crystal says she has wanted to be a helper in this crisis, so she goes out of her way to check the baby aisle when she takes trips to places such as Whole Foods or H-E-B (even when she is not

looking for formula for Cooper). She shares what she sees with other parents online. “I posted on my local mom’s Facebook group when I saw some formula available in a store,” said Crystal.

She also passed out a free sample she had received in the mail of another specialty formula called Nutramigen.

She did not need the formula for Cooper, so she posted that it was available for a free porch pick-up. A local mom was in desperate need of it and came to pick it PARENTS HELPING PARENTS During this year’s formula shortage, parents up. She says it feels good have been helping to share resources, such as posting photos of baby aisles in to know she can help in stores onto local Facebook groups. New mom Avery Bullock (to baby Louisa, pictured at 4 months) has passed on all free samples she has received to other a small way. moms in need.

New mother and the country to help other parents. “It is wild that realtor Mollie Steele and her husband Andrew parents are having to go to such great lengths to welcomed their first child, son Forest, now 7 feed their babies,” said Avery. She passed along months. Forest is formula fed and Mollie knew her free samples to a local mom, too. she needed to have a plan of action when the One Buzz mom, who opted to stay anonyshortage started. She and her husband have mous, has been donating her extra breastmilk to made it part of their “new normal” to make trips a milk bank during the shortage. She is a big fan to multiple stores. She said recently she opened of the app called Breastaurant, a locator app to the last can they had on stock, so it was time to donate, buy, or receive donor milk. It was creathead out to go find it. ed by a single mom last year and it has exploded She recalled a moment in which the reality during the shortage. of the formula shortage sunk in – checking out She works full-time as a speech pathologist and at a CVS and witnessing a frantic mom looking dedicates extra time to help donate her oversupfor a certain type of formula for her young baby. ply to other moms in need. She says it is the best Avery Bullock, a new mom, has not needed way to spend her extra time. “It is all about moms formula for her infant Louisa, who is now 4 helping other moms for our babies,” she said. months. Louisa is currently breastfed, but Avery has been helping other moms in any way she Editor’s note: We’re hoping by the time this issue can. “It has been scary to see other moms strughits mailboxes, store shelves will be stocked with forgle to find the formulas that work for their mula of all kinds. If you’ve heard of neighbors helpbabies,” said Avery. ing neighbors amidst the formula shortage or have Avery belongs to several mom groups on any special parenting-related stories, let us know.

Facebook and says that she has seen members of Email info@thebuzzmagazines.com. the group posting about shipping formula across

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Cindy Burnett

ARTS

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by Cindy Burnett, staff writer

Buzz Reads

Five picks for July

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

Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore – This engrossing and inventive tale focuses on magician Violet Volk who vanished mid-act a decade previously. Violet has not been seen since, and over those 10 years, her fans’ devotion to her has only grown stronger. Violet’s sister Sasha abhors the spotlight created by her sister’s mysterious disappearance, but she is unable to avoid the attention created by her famous sister.

As the 10-year anniversary of her disappearance approaches, the host of a podcast devoted to Violet seeks to finally draw Sasha into the limelight to hear her thoughts on what really happened to Violet, but Sasha is not anxious to address her contentious relationship with her sister. The book’s creative use of podcast transcripts, emails, newspaper articles and more propels the story along, and wanting to know what really happened to Violet kept me madly turning the pages in this creative and compelling magical-realism novel. Montimore kept me guessing and the pacing of the book is perfect – the right amount of information is released at just the right time as the story progresses.

Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown – This novel is a beautiful reflection on the concept of family. Three sets of parents are tied to each other through the biological siblings that they each adopt after the death of the children’s grandmother. In an effort to ensure that the siblings remain close, the parents agree to create their own “family” for these kids, sharing Sunday dinners, celebrating birthdays and holidays together, and even taking a joint vacation. The three adoptive mothers are very different from each other, and the book focuses on each of them, their approach to motherhood and how they interact with each other and work to keep their fragile family bonds intact. While the group is on their shared vacation, the children’s birth mother surprises them with the news that she is pregnant again and wants help finding a family to adopt the latest baby, and this bombshell threatens to destroy what the group has

created. At times, I identified with each of the three adoptive mothers and also felt for each of them. The women all want to do what is best for the children as WHAT TO READ This month’s picks include a captivating magical-realism novel, a well as trying to beautiful read on the concept of family, a compelling coming-of-age historical fiction story set in Chicago in 1999, a fascinating look at how novelist Agatha Christie wove help them main- cutting-edge science into her mysteries, and a thought-provoking novel about marriage. tain relationships that were employed for crime detection in the with each other. This will be one of my top reads early 1900s. Valentine charts the development of the year, and I have not stopped thinking of various techniques from that era and how about it since I finished it. quickly those methods were incorporated into Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe – Christie’s books. This is an absolutely fascinatThis coming-of-age historical fiction story stars a ing look at how Agatha Christie wove the cut12-year-old girl named Fe Fe Stevens who lives in ting-edge science of her time into her novels. I the Robert Taylor Homes on the south side of was so intrigued that I could not put this one Chicago in 1999, right as the buildings are slowly down; it is such an interesting premise. being torn down by the Chicago Housing The Truth about Ben and June by Alex Authority. Her building is next in line to come Kiester – Austinite Alex Kiester crafts a thoughtdown, and for a brief time she forms an alliance ful exploration about the roles of women versus with two other girls in her building – one the men in marriage, the way in which children daughter of deeply religious parents and the other change a marriage, and how the choices we make a member of the family who runs the gang that at various stages in our life impact us for years to “protects” her building. But as the summer procome. Ben and June’s relationship has seemed gresses and the building begins to empty, her relalike a fairy tale since they met, but after their tionship with the two girls follows a similar course. child arrives things begin to falter. June wonders The author herself lived in the Robert Taylor about the path she abandoned and worries, as she Homes, a public housing complex of over 20 highlistens to other moms discuss their children, that rise buildings, built to house low-income families she does not have the same feelings about mothin Chicago. The story is engaging, heartbreaking, erhood. When Ben wakes up one morning to the and compelling, and Wolfe vividly depicts what it sound of his baby’s cries, he is stunned to discover was like to live there: the daily gun battles, the danthat June is gone. As he works to unravel June’s gers involved in taking the elevator or the stairs, disappearance, Ben slowly realizes that there is the lack of lighting provided, and more. much about June that he doesn’t know. This The Science of Murder: The Forensics of book would make a fabulous book club selection Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine – Agatha because there is much to discuss.

Christie will forever be associated with the mystery genre and her impact on it is undisputed.

Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Her novels almost always include dead bodies Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column who have frequently met gruesome endings. at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts the Thoughts While the term “forensics” was not in use then, from a Page Podcast, is co-creator of the Houston Christie applied many of the methods that are literary event series Conversations from the Page, used in forensic science today to help solve her runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfromapage, crimes. As her stories unfold, she demonstrates and regularly speaks to groups about books. her knowledge of the aspects of crime detection

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Tony Bullard

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Chris Shepherd – what’s new?

C

hris Shepherd squints into the morning sun. A family of three then approaches the acclaimed chef and asks whether there is a breakfast spot at the Houston Farmers Market on Airline Drive. The Robb Report’s 2019 world’s best chef frequently fields these questions from first-time visitors, which are expected because his restaurant, Wild Oats, was the first to open after the historic open-air market received a $10 million-plus face-lift.

Nick Fine, Wild Oats’ chef-partner and Underbelly Hospitality culinary director, who was standing next to his boss, dashes into their five-month-old restaurant, then reappears with fresh orange juice in to-go cups for the disheartened visitors upon learning the bad news.

“Thanks, man. You did a solid,” Chris says, watching the family walk across the green lawn to their car.

The 80-year-old H-Town institution doesn't have a breakfast place. Coffee and light breakfast from Henderson & Kane are in the works for the 18-acre market, owned by MLB Capital Partners (also a partner of Chris’ restaurant group, Underbelly Hospitality). And Taqueria Tacambaro’s food truck still comes Friday through Wednesday, but they’re known for sweetbread tacos and gorditas, not eggs and chorizo.

“We're early in the game,” Chris says, adding that Henderson & Kane general store and Crawfish & Noodles are still waiting on permits to finish construction. Until then, Wild Oats, Underbelly Burger, and R-C Ranch butcher shop are the stand-alone trio that bolster the 40plus vendors of mostly vegetable and fruit stalls.

By 10 a.m. on this weekday, the typical rush of 3 a.m. fruit-and-vegetable trucks and 5 a.m. shoppers (grocery and restaurant owners from around the city) have come and gone. Instead, everything appears tranquil and eerily calm. “There’s quiet, then there’s ‘Are we open?’ quiet,” Chris notes with a chuckle. “But on the weekends?

Man, you can hardly walk through here. At least a thousand people are coming through.”

T

he momentary lull is a welcome respite from the revved-up daily grind for Chris. Since mid-2021, the 49-year-old Nebraska native has

been ripping and roaring, opening and closing restaurants.

From December through January, he closed One Fifth, Hay Merchant, and UB Preserv. “That was a tough one,” he CHEF CHRIS SHEPHERD This year marks multiple openings for Underbelly Hospitality chef-owner Chris Shepherd, who is shopping for fresh mangoes for Wild Oats at the says wistfully of UB Houston Farmers Market.

Preserv, a riff on his Dunlavy Street and West Dallas. Simultaneously, nationally acclaimed Underbelly (2012–2018). he opened Underbelly Burger, then TexasHis first restaurant at 1100 Westheimer was inspired Wild Oats in February. Come April, game-changing, with innovative dishes that Georgia James Tavern at Market Square Tower effortlessly bridged the Gulf Coast with techgot a new name, GJ Tavern, and a new menu. niques and ingredients from the city’s vibrant His newest concept, Pastore, a red-sauce Italian immigrant communities. Underbelly was Chris’ American tribute, was slated to open by this sumlove letter to diversity. He scattered Mexican mer in Regent Square, but permit delays pushed chilies, Vietnamese fish sauce, Thai herbs, the opening date to early next year.

Korean kimchi, and Indian spices throughout his To say that Chris and his Underbelly menu. Dishes such as Korean-Braised Goat & Hospitality team have been busy the last seven Dumplings, Masala Chicken Wings, and Thaimonths is an understatement. The culinary gradStyle Oysters Rockefeller paved the road to his uate of the Art Institute of Houston admits that James Beard Best Chef Southwest Award in his short attention span helped him pivot from 2014, breaking a 22-year dry spell of Houston project to project. Even so, he’s ready to slow chefs winning the award. In 1992, Houston traildown with wife Lindsey Brown. Although the blazer, Robert Del Grande, won the Oscars of the couple is looking forward to the three-day food world for his creative spin on southwestern Southern Smoke Festival in October with a linecuisine. up of more than 60 chefs, including celebrity Chris pried the gate open, and in 2016, Justin chefs Tom Colicchio and Andrew Zimmern.

Yu won the James Beard Award, followed by Chris’s nonprofit organization, the Southern Hugo Ortega in 2017. But accolades take a back Smoke Foundation, has distributed almost $10 seat these days to keeping his 160-plus million in grants nationwide to food and beverage Underbelly Hospitality staff employed. UB workers in crisis.

Preserv took a hit during the pandemic, but the primary motivation for shuttering his concepts h, Cris, I got something for you," Chris was rising rent. Hay Merchant also ran its hollers to sous chef Cristian Canales from course. When it opened in Montrose in fall the kitchen door, then plops down two cases of 2011, the craft beer scene was emerging. “But curvy, lush, yellow mangoes that he purchased now, you can find the same craft beers at the from a fruit stall less than 50 feet away. grocery,” Chris says.

“All right, all right,” Cristian says, brown eyes In January, the lease ran out at 1100 lighting up like a kid on Christmas Day. “Now I Westheimer, so Georgia James had to move to have mangoes for the fruit casseroles. I like these temporary digs until the permanent home for his better than the big ones. They’re sweeter, and upscale steakhouse started searing porterhouses the seed is smaller.” and ribeyes in cast iron this month in the 24-acre Having a restaurant located at the helm of Regent Square mixed-use development on

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Julie Soefer

Julie Soefer

Julie Soefer Julie Soefer

GOURMET Pictured, clockwise from top left: GJ Tavern’s signature brick chicken with roasted vegetables; Underbelly Burger’s premium beef cheeseburger with crispy fries; the tavern’s East Coast oysters with cucumber jalapeño mignonette; executive chef Tim Reading.

the city’s oldest and largest farmers’ market has its advantages. Whenever new chefs come on board, Chris walks them through the market stalls under gleaming A-frame metal roofs. “You guys know what these are, right? They’re called tunas, or prickly pears,” Chris says, pointing to red-pink oval spheres grown on cactus paddles and covered with spines like a hairbrush.

Next, he picks up a wrinkled fruit resembling a golf-ball-size peppercorn. It looked well past its prime. “This is what you want,” he declares.

“This is what passion fruit looks like when ready to eat. The skin starts to shrink in.”

Piles of cinnamon sticks threaten to topple nearby, along with stacks of chayote, jalapenos, plum radishes, white onions, tomatoes, and rambutans. Enticing aromas from tropical fruits waft through the air, as well as the sharp tang of dried chili peppers. Next, Chris stops at Manzano’s Produce.

“They have a bigger platform on the other side.

My guys will come here and get what they need.

Do you see these dates? These are the best dates you’ll ever have. At the end of dinner at Wild Oats, we give a plate of these candies with the check (watermelon fruit jelly candies), and I get pecans from here for my house. I feed my squirrels.”

Next door is Los Cavazos, chock-full of dried herbs and prepacked herbal tea remedies.

Toward the front is a table of steel pots filled with Mexican moles, including ranchero, coloradito, mole negro, and almendrado.

“My guys come here for the moles,” Chris says. “We do it old school. At Underbelly (restaurant), we fried veggies and toss them with caramelized fish sauce. At Wild Oats, we toss the fried vegetables with mole. It’s our homage to Underbelly.”

The cookbook co-author of Cook Like a Local (2019) has given partner-chef Nick free rein with the Texas-inspired menu at Wild Oats, which is typical of Chris, who encourages his chefs to chart their own course. Two have, and with great success. Daniela Soto-Innes (an Underbelly alum) and Sarah Grueneberg (who worked under Chris at Brennan’s of Houston) have received James Beard Foundation Awards.

In April, after his longtime collaborator and former UB Preserv then GJ Tavern chef Nick Wong decided to move on, Chris hired 30-yearold Tim Reading (formerly Caracol executive chef) to helm the tavern.

“Our dynamic?” asks Tim, a Culinary Institute of America graduate. “Typically, when

you join a new company, you stand back and see what the chef-owner likes and what they don’t like. It’s a challenge, but that’s just the way it is.

But with Chris, he literally told me ‘Tim, I trust you completely with the menu.’ It is so welcoming to have a chef-owner of his caliber tell me, ‘I trust you.’ So, everything on the menu is new.”

Chris has had countless memorable moments.

First, he appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” then “Top Chef” more recently. In 2013, Food and Wine Magazine named him among the best new chefs in America, but perhaps the one that hit closest to his heart was when his mentor, Nobu Terauchi, came to visit.

“I let everybody know he was coming. All my people and family came to thank him because if it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be here. He's crying, and for me, it was an amazing moment.

If he hadn’t taken time on a confused kid who didn’t know what to do in life, who knows? But what he did (was) send me on my way.”

GJ Tavern’s Brick Chicken with Roasted Vegetable Salad For the chicken: Half-chicken with skin, de-boned Finely ground zest of 1 (continued on page 36)

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Claudia Casbarian

Claudia Casbarian

WILD OATS Pictured, on left: Crispy chicken fried steak at the center of Wild Oats’ tablescape; on right: Nick Fine, the restaurant’s chef-partner. (continued from page 35) lemon

Finely ground zest of 1 orange Freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt 1 brick, wrapped with tin foil For the vegetable salad: Canola oil 1/4 head of charred cabbage 6 asparagus spears 1 tablespoon chopped chives 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon 1 tablespoon chopped basil 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice For the sauce: 8 cups homemade chicken stock (reduced to 1 cup) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon lemon juice With a paper towel, remove as much moisture as possible from the chicken skin. Place the chicken, with skin side down, onto a small cookie sheet. Rub the chicken with lemon zest, orange zest, and a teaspoon of black pepper.

Cover the chicken and cookie sheet with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. In a bowl, toss cabbage with a drizzle of canola oil, black pepper, and salt to taste. Place cabbage onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until cooked with a little char. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Transfer cabbage to a container and set aside for later.

Toss asparagus with canola oil, black pepper, and salt to taste. Arrange on a baking dish and place in a 475-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool. Both cabbage and asparagus can be made in advance.

In a cast iron skillet over a high-heat stove, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. When the oil is

hot, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and again dry off the skin with a paper towel. Season the entire chicken evenly with salt. Ensure that both sides of the chicken are seasoned equally.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, place chicken, skin side down, into the hot cast iron pan and immediately reduce heat to medium. Place the brick on top of the chicken. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the skin is golden-brown and crispy. Flip over the chicken. Use tongs and a large spoon if needed to turn the chicken over. Be careful not to burn yourself.

With skin side up, place the chicken in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches about 160 degrees. The residual heat will finish cooking the chicken.

While the chicken is baking in the oven, make the roasted vegetable salad. Cut the cabbage into thin strips, then transfer to the large mixing bowl with the asparagus. Add chives, tarragon, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Season with 1 teaspoon of black pepper and salt to taste. Gently toss the vegetable mixture and set aside.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to cool for at least five minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce.

In a small sauce pot, add reduced chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and stir in the butter and cook for four minutes. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and more salt if necessary to taste. Pour the sauce onto a large entrée plate and place the chicken on top, followed by the vegetable salad. Makes 2 servings.

¼ cup lime juice 2 tablespoons agave ½ cup water 1 tablespoon canola oil For crispy vegetables: Oil for frying 1 pound of seasonal vegetables (see note) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1½ tablespoons toasted sesame ¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish For mole vinaigrette, place mole, lime juice, agave, water, and canola oil in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside. You’ll need about a ½ cup of mole sauce for the crispy vegetables.

Extra mole sauce can be refrigerated for two weeks.

For crispy vegetables, heat enough oil to submerge the vegetables completely in a deep-fryer or stock pot to 350 degrees. Drop the vegetables into the fryer and cook until tender, but still crispy, for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Remove the vegetables from the oil and drain them on paper towels, then place them into a large mixing bowl. Toss with mole vinaigrette and add more to taste if you like. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle toasted sesame on top and garnish with cilantro. Makes 2 servings.

Note: Prepared moles are available at farmers’ markets or in groceries, such as Fiesta. There are different types, such as mole rojo, mole ranchero, coloradito, etc. Just pick your favorite.

As for vegetables, choose your favorites from the local farmers’ market, such as Brussels sprouts, green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli, but avoid root vegetables, such as carrots and radishes.

Wild Oats’ Crispy Farmers Market Vegetables with Mole Vinaigrette

Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime Houston-based restaurant writer. This Q&A was condensed and edited.

For mole vinaigrette: ½ cup mole (see note)

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SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

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ith a decisive 11-5 victory over The Brook Hill School, the Second Baptist Eagles captured this year’s TAPPS Division II State Baseball Championship.

The victory also marked the Eagles’ sixth state baseball championship overall and their first state title since the 2016 season.

“We knew going into the season we had a really good team and the ingredients to make a strong run at a state title,” said Eagles head baseball coach Rayner Noble. “Luke Pettitte and Leighton Reddy both had marvelous statistical years, while the rest of the supporting cast also had terrific seasons. There were basically no holes in the lineup and our pitching, defense, and hitting were especially strong in the playoffs.”

Along the way, the Eagles had to overcome the loss of star junior pitcher Ty Baker for about half the season due to an injury, which in some respects turned into a blessing in disguise for the team. “It helped us develop some much-needed pitching depth until Ty was able to rejoin us later in the season,” said Noble. For his part, Baker has committed to play baseball for Texas A&M. In the state final victory over Brook Hill, Pettitte went 2-5 with a pair of doubles and was named the Player of the Game. In addition, Turner Murdock, Elijah Marrero, and Noah Weisser were named to the all-tournament team. As for Reddy, the senior catcher and UT Arlington signee led the team with a lofty .450 batting average.

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or a remarkable sixth consecutive season, the St. Agnes Academy Tigers are the TAPPS 6A State Track & Field champions. The Tigers won this year’s title by an impressive 53-point margin at the state meet. “Every one of the state titles is different and special in its own way,” said Tigers head track and field coach Kristi Robbins. “We had tougher competition this year, so our girls were especially outstanding.”

The Tigers were notably dominant in the field events, where senior standout Faith Mitchell won gold in both the shot put and the discus. Mitchell, who will compete next season for Texas Tech University, set a TAPPS state record with a throw of 48 feet three and a half inches in the shot put. “Faith is definitely a spe-

STATE CHAMPIONS The Second Baptist Eagles are the TAPPS Division II State Baseball Champions for the sixth time in school history. The Eagles won this year’s title with an 11-5 victory over The Brook Hill School in the state final.

cial talent,” said Robbins. “She’s ranked number seven in the nation in the shot put and has won state every year she’s competed.”

Another multiple gold medal winner for St. Agnes was senior Allie Scott, who finished first in both the 100-meter hurdles and the 300meter hurdles. Scott will run track for Baylor University next year. In addition, Tigers freshman Grace Sanders was the state champion in the pole vault while senior Anika Gonzales captured gold in the high jump.

“It is truly hard to believe that we’ve now won six state titles in a row,” added Robbins. “The girls that enter our track program every year are just an incredibly dedicated group of athletes.

It’s just become a special type of culture. They want to run track and there’s strength in numbers. Plus, we have great assistant coaches that have been a big part of our success.”

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he St. Thomas Eagles came up just short in its quest for a third consecutive state championship in track and field. The Eagles were a strong second at the TAPPS 6A state meet, finishing 15 points behind ultimate state champion Central Catholic.

“Our guys all performed great and did about as well as possible,” said Eagles head track and

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field coach Nathan Labus. “We just kind of ran out of events to make up ground with Central Catholic qualifying several more athletes to the state meet.”

The Eagles captured gold in the high jump with Shaffer Henderson taking first place while teammate Andre Meza added points with a third-place finish. In addition, Carrick Brogan of St. Thomas took home the bronze medal in the pole vault.

St. Thomas also scored valuable points in the relay events with the foursome of Preston Bowman, Johann Cardenas, Aaron Blackman, and Luke Anigbogu winning the silver medal in the four x 100-meter relay. Plus, Anigbogu then teamed with Onezieme Mouton, Joe Romero, and Edward Bocock for a secondplace finish in the mile relay.

“I’m just really proud of how the guys have continued to commit themselves even when facing adversity,” added Labus.

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 MondayThursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Join our team.

Become a School Buzz Reporter.

Now accepting applications for the 2022-23 school year.

Buzzworthy opportunity for high school students who love writing or photography: The Buzz Magazines offers a unique program, School Buzz, in which high school students can apply to write about what’s happening at their schools, from their perspectives.

Contribute to School Buzz and you’ll: • Gain experience writing, reporting and taking photographs • Share a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening at your school with the wider community • Receive invaluable writing samples for college applications.

• Earn a byline at thebuzzmagazines.com

See thebuzzmagazines.com/school-buzz for more information and to apply for the 2022-23 school year.

Questions? Email Caroline Siegfried at caroline@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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SPORTS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

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

Mussel Hussle A dream came true for a group of hard-working young men. In baseball, the Post Oak Little League Mighty Mussels entered the highly anticipated playoff games as a six seed. After three hard-fought one-run victories, the team punched their ticket to the championship and never looked back.

After the final pitch was thrown at their last game, the scoreboard read 74 in the Mussels’ favor. The crowd celebrated their exciting season. Pictured (from left) are Chris Dodson (coach), Chris Hutcheson (coach), Nico Juarez, William Stewart, Montgomery Stewart, Worth Mendez, Hayes Toomey, Lucas Granmayeh, Charles Simmons, Parker Dodson, Porter Hutcheson, Robert Pyle, Robbie Halpin, Quinn Persia, Van Simmons (dugout dad), and Bill Toomey (dugout dad).

Grit and determination A group of 4-5-year-old friends came together to play a nail-biter of a Tball season. It was most of the girls’ first season playing a team sport. The Second Baptist Trash Cats came together to play hard and learn the game.

They did not let their name fool anyone as there were certainly no cat naps taking place during the games. The team, coached by (pictured, in back) Nick Anderson, had an undefeated season this spring even though there was no scorekeeping and no outs given all season. They had a ball of a time even though their coach had to herd cats from time to time. Pictured (from left) are Josie Pugh, Sadie Teare, Piper Anderson, Marie Gaines, Mary Clayton Harrell, Claire Conway, and Margaret Croley.

POLL regular season champs The Post Oak Little League Fighting Irish celebrated winning the regular season for the Pee Wee division in 2022. The team, coached by Daron Bertillion and Sean Teare, won all 15 games of the regular season.

Highlights included consistently hitting all the way through the lineup and having the University of Texas mascot Bevo in attendance at their playoff victory over the Longhorns. The boys outscored their opponents by 104 runs, which broke a long-standing record at Post Oak Little League.

They came together for a memorable season. Pictured (from left) are Coach Teare, Joseph Hlaihel, Beau Teare, Cameron Smith, William Howell, John Pavlovsky, dugout coach Larry Kivett, Brooks Stockstill, Christopher Rider, John Pitts III, dugout coach Wade Stockstill, Leo Kanneganti, Hudson Swyka, and Wyatt Teare. (Not pictured: Bertillion).

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.

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POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Charlize Budoff, an incoming sixth grader at The Kinkaid School, is set to begin the Senior Company Dance program at Uptown Dance. This pre-professional program has toured both nationally and internationally.

KIDS

by Charlize Budoff, age 12

Buzz Kidz

Dream big, work hard

I was two years old when I participated in my first ballet class. I don’t remember the class, but I must have enjoyed it because the next year I was in ballet again. I recall mimicking my ballet instructor when I was three. Tendu, plié, and piqué were the first French words I learned. At the age of four, my mom and I attended The Nutcracker. As I watched the graceful dancers, the words “I’m going to be a ballet dancer” repeated in my mind. My dream was to wear pointe shoes.

The following year I danced in a class at The Houston Ballet. This is when I realized that my dream to become a ballet dancer required more than a dream. I didn’t understand what dedication was at the time, but I did realize that I needed to practice. Although my instructor gently cri-

tiqued my moves, I was my hardest critic. I set a goal to practice dance daily. With a mirror and bar in my room, I worked hard to improve my choppy moves. Practice made my dancing look smoother, and my instructor noticed my improvement. I was dedicated to becoming better.

At six, I decided to learn jazz and tap. I was still focused on ballet and a beautiful pair of pointe shoes. Every year I would complete another level of dance, even though it felt as though I was chasing my dream in slow motion. Years of classes, practice, and performances made me become a responsible and independent dancer.

I was ready to be fitted for pointe shoes when I was 10 years old. I had accomplished my fouryear-old dream to wear pointe shoes. During my shoe fitting, I remembered the lesson that I had

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learned years ago. Dance is more than a dream. I wasn’t too nervous because being a dancer has taught me how to achieve a dream; love what you do and work hard when you do it. I am now 12 years old. I am about to begin the Senior Company Dance program with the dream to dance in high school!

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.

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Beneficiary designations Beneficiary designations are an inexpensive alternative to probate. You name a beneficiary now, who collects the account later with your death certificate.

No lawyer, no probate. This works well for small accounts in modest estates.

Beneficiary designations address fewer contingencies than wills, though, an ever greater risk over time. Think about the nuclear family, e.g., all to spouse then to adult children. Beneficiary designations work great. Until they don’t. In too many cases, spouses live long enough to lose capacity, children die young enough to leave minors, and before you know it, a guardianship or court-created trust is needed for someone. As a rule of thumb, if the account is worth $50,000 or more, consult a lawyer and coordinate your beneficiary designations (and your joint accounts) with your will or living trust to exploit the contingent trusts there.

Beneficiary designations are more complicated than you think. Don’t confuse them with joint ownership. A joint owner can withdraw the money now.

A designated beneficiary cannot withdraw anything until all the owners die.

Most ERISA plans (work sponsored benefits and retirement accounts) require spousal consent to designate anyone else the primary beneficiary.

That consent expires when the participant turns 35 (just do another one).

Consent is not required after that same plan is rolled over into an IRA, e.g., when the participant changes jobs or retires. Go figure.

What if you designate beneficiaries on all your accounts, but don’t leave enough to pay the mortgage or your final income taxes? Absent a statutory exemption (think life insurance and retirement benefits), nonprobate assets remain liable for your debts. Creditors, including the IRS, don’t have to

play fair, and can claw the money back from the savers instead of the spenders. To aid the insolvent estate, executors and administrators now have express authority to ask the lifetime custodians of nonprobate assets about the account and the designated beneficiaries. If you leave a mess, someone else can and will clean it up, but at what expense?

Spouses can be creditors, too. Unless preempted by other law, every spouse has a onehalf community property interest in the other’s retirement contributions. If husband gives away too much, wife can sue to claw back her one-half on a theory of fraud on the community.

You may have a designated beneficiary and not know it. Account agreements often have default provisions for payment on death, e.g., all to your spouse, or all to your parents. Those provisions will trump the will.

Always read and save any beneficiary confirmation. For that asset, the confirmation is more important than any will.

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

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PETS

Neighborhood Tails Dakota, age 2, German Shepherd, Detering St. Hi there, I’m Dakota (the German Shepherd) and these are my little siblings.

Austin is the one with brown fur and Tennessee is the one with black fur.

They’re only 6 months old! When my family first brought them home, I thought they were very small, odd-looking dogs. I tried my best to figure out what kind. They have long ears like Basset Hounds, but small tails like French Bulldogs. And they’re compact and fluffy like Pomeranians, but they aren’t nearly as noisy. You can see why I was confused.

Now I understand they are not dogs but apparently some other thing called “bunnies.” Now that I have had time to adjust to this new bunny-filled life, I like it. Tennessee and I play cat and mouse all the time while Austin watches. And even though I’m used to them now, I will never understand their fascination for sucking on a carrot together. More bones for me, I guess.

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.

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Nasal polyps Can’t appreciate the bouquet of a nice Merlot? Having to heavily season or spice your food to get a glimmer of taste? Suffer from nasal congestion? You may have something obstructing your nasal passages.

Nasal polyps can present as congestion and/or decreased sense of smell/taste. They can be associated with drainage, mouth breathing, snoring, sneezing, headaches or facial pain.

Nasal polyps can be associated with asthma, sinus problems and or sensitivities to aspirin or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen…). Nasal polyps can be involved in some cases of sleep apnea.

Cases can be seen in most age groups but nasal polyps are more common in adults, 40 years old and older. The overall incidence in children is roughly 0.1% (higher in children with Cystic Fibrosis). Among adults, the incidence is between 1 and 4%.

Nasal polyps are inflammatory overgrowths of mucus membranes of the nose and sinus tissue. We don’t know why some people get polyps but we know it is tied to a type of inflammation (type II inflammation) that we are experienced in dealing with.

For some patients, nasal steroids sprays such as Nasacort or Flonase can be helpful. Sometimes surgery is required when the polyps get severe.

Unfortunately, even with surgical removal, polyps usually grow back.

Some patients have had multiple surgeries yet polyps grow back. With each surgery, the risks of surgical complications go up.

In the last few years, newer approaches have become available. As the cause of polyps seems to be tied to type II inflammation, medications for

this allergic inflammation and asthma began to be explored as treatment for nasal polyps.

Several medicines that had been previously FDA approved for asthma for example have now been shown to be effective for nasal polyps. The FDA has now approved several for polyp patients. At this time, Xolair, Nucala and Dupixent are available for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. We have been administering some of these agents for asthma for two decades at The Allergy Clinic and thus are very experienced with their use.

If you are troubled with persistent nasal congestion or if you have asthma and are sensitive to aspirin/NSAIDs, or if you have been told you have nasal polyps, come see us for an evaluation. We can investigate to see if you indeed have nasal polyps and which treatment might benefit you.

No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs.

Anthony J. Weido, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 1400, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic

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Jenny Antill Photography

NEIGHBORS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

Buzz About Town

Hermann Park Conservancy hosted its annual Evening in the Park gala at the Molly Ann Smith Plaza in Hermann Park. Dan and Kim Tutcher (pictured, from left) were the guests of honor for the evening that raised funds for the stewardship and improvement of Houston’s 108-year-old Hermann Park. The couple fell in love with Hermann Park after moving to Houston 35 years ago and taking near-daily dog walks in the area. Kim joined the Conservancy’s board of directors in 2004 and later chaired the annual gala. Guests made their way to the Molly Ann Smith Plaza by way of Hermann Park Railroad for a seated dinner catered by City Kitchen, and then heard from Conservancy board chair

Kristy Bradshaw about the latest updates on the Conservancy’s Play Your Park campaign.

Latin Women’s Initiative gives back Daniel Ortiz

Daniel Ortiz

In support of Hermann Park

Ann Massey, and Isela and Juan Garcia (pictured, from left) were among the sold-out crowd at the 20th anniversary Latin Women’s Initiative Luncheon. Nearly 1,000 fashionably dressed guests arrived at the Hilton Americas ballroom for the annual luncheon, fashion show, and marketplace. Vibrant reds, purples, golds, and hot pink décor created the perfect setting for the high energy crowd enjoying the event chaired by Vicky Dominguez and Patricia Garcia. Tootsies presented the fashion show featuring all Latin designers and a segment with a personal appearance by Colombian designer Maygel Coronel. The successful event will benefit nonprofits that provide critical services to Houston’s Latino community, including Books Between Kids, Homemade Hope, Tejano Center for Community Concerns, Undies for Everyone, and Wesley Community Center.

The boys and girls of Houston Mike and Kathleen Terracina (pictured, from left) attended Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston’s (BGCGH) Great Futures Dinner that raised nearly $1 million for after-school and summer programming. The dinner is the nonprofit’s premier fundraising event of the year and showcases the good works of Boys & Girls Clubs for the children of our area. The program opened with a talented drum line from the Richmond-Rosenberg Club and BGCGH Choir from the Havard Club. A live auction included

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crowd favorites, such as groceries for a year donated by Kroger, a trip to St. John donated by Gerald Bodzy and United Airlines, tickets to the CMA Awards in Nashville and to Super Bowl LVII and a chef dinner for 10 at Pearl & Vine, donated by Greg Keller.

Farewell to Sister Jane St. Agnes Academy’s beloved head-of-school, Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. (pictured, on left), was honored at a dinner-and-conversation event with author and alumnae parent Dr. Brené Brown (pictured, on right), celebrating her retirement. Sister Jane has been a prominent figure in the Houston education community for several decades and has served in numerous leadership roles for more than 40 years. Six hundred guests gathered at St. Agnes Academy to honor her dedication, leadership, and commitment to the school, and raised almost $3.4 million for the St. Agnes Foundation, with the majority supporting the Sr. Jane Meyer O.P. Legacy Fund. The event, chaired by Bobby and Lori Redd Huffman and emceed by Tom Koch, featured a conversation on leadership between Sister Jane and Brené Brown. The women had a fireside-style chat about leadership and female empowerment modeled after Dr. Brown’s podcast Dare to Lead. In addition, guests enjoyed dinner, dancing, and a slideshow of more than 500 photos of Sister Jane, dating from 1940 to present day. Memorable photos included Sister Jane and her best friend, Carol, at their St. Agnes junior ring ceremony, Sister Jane in full habit upon stilts in the (continued on page 50)

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jumping from an airplane as a promise she made to encourage donations to the school’s Hope for Haiti fundraiser.

70 years of Houston’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston celebrates its 70th anniversary show this summer, H.M.S. Pinafore. This family-friendly show, full of singing and comedy, won first place and first runner up for various performers at an earlier production at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Society Festival. It is mostly run by volunteers, and the lead roles are played by local professional singers.

Michelle Watson, CatchLight Group

Wilson Parish

(continued from page 48) 1960s, and Sister Jane

Performances will be held July 23-24 and July 30-July 31 at Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. The society’s founders were from the original Kinkaid School on Richmond, and it spread from there to University of Houston, then to Jones Hall, to the Wortham Theater, and now to Zilkha Hall.

The society once performed for Margaret Thatcher when she visited Houston, and she gave the show rave reviews. For tickets and more information, visit hgns.org/pinafore.

Barbara Bush’s legacy lives on Neil and Maria Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Barbara Pierce Bush, Sarahbeth and Pierce Bush (pictured, from left) gathered with guests at the Post Oak Hotel for the 28th annual A Celebration of Reading. This year’s theme was “Life. Liberty. Literacy.” in honor of the late First Lady Barbara Bush’s belief that literacy is a foundation to reaching one’s fullest potential in

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life and realizing the American Dream. In keeping with the Americana theme, the program was kicked off by the presentation of colors by the United States Navy Color Guard of Houston and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by Barbara Bush Elementary School students.

President and CEO of Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Dr. Julie Baker Finck presented the organization’s new initiative Success Through Adult Reading (STAR) which will address the importance of adult literacy and will work to help individuals learn English, earn a GED, and grow their literacy skills.

Deep in the heart of Periwinkle Dr. Mary Nell Suell and her father, William P. Boone, (pictured, from left) were honored at the Periwinkle Foundation’s Deep in the Heart of Periwinkle Gala at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.

The evening raised more than $600,000 for the foundation’s camps, arts, (continued on page 52)

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that benefit children, teens, and families challenged by cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Entertainment for the night included a live longhorn, trick roper, mechanical bull, boot shining, silent and live auctions, wine and whiskey pulls, and a 360 photo booth. Dr. Suell and Bill Boone received the Gerson Award, which is presented to supporters who give their time and talents to turn dreams into reality for Periwinkle children.

Mothers and daughters Kim Cooper, Elizabeth Cooper, Anna Claire Hankamer, Susan Litts, Reagan Litts, and Katherine Edmonds (pictured, from left) cele-

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Raising the barre (continued from page 50) and survivor programs

event, Raising the Barre, was co-chaired by Lilly and Harrison Cullen, and Amy and Jordan Pincu. Each year, a four-course menu is created uniquely for this event. This year’s menu was developed by four of Houston’s top chefs coupled with four Houston Ballet company dancers who served as both the inspiration and sous chef for their dish. Throughout the dinner, the chefand-dancer duos visited tables explaining where they found inspiration for each course. The first course was provided by Chef Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi of Kata Robata and soloist Mackenzie Richter, and by Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly Hospitality and demi soloist Chae Eun Yang. Next, guests enjoyed the entrée, created by Bludorn’s Executive Chef Aaron Bludorn and demi soloist Naazir Muhammad.

Dessert was presented by Fluff Bake Bar’s Owner and Pastry Chef Rebecca Masson and first soloist Chris Coomer.

Celebrating contemporary arts Priscilla Dickson

Dave Rossman

brated the 30-year anniversary of the Bayou City Chapter of National Charity League, Inc. (NCL). The festive event was held at the Houston Polo Club and celebrated the motherdaughter volunteer organization’s 30 years of community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Chartered in 1992, Bayou City currently supports 19 philanthropies in and around Houston addressing education, literacy, the arts, hunger, special needs, military support, environmental conservation, health, poverty, and youth services. Special guest speaker Beth Harp, CEO of Kids' Meals Houston and former NCL member, spoke about the importance of the partnership between Kids’ Meals and NCL Bayou City. The mothers and daughters also enjoyed the polo match, traditional stomping of the divots, and lunch to celebrate the occasion.

Jim Nelson, Mackenzie Richter, and Reggie and Leigh Smith (pictured, from left)enjoyed an evening at Houston hotspot Bludorn benefitting Houston Ballet. The annual tasting

Elia Gabbanelli, Rosangela Capobianco, Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, and Rania Edlebi (pictured, from left) enjoyed the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s (CAMH) annual gala and art auction. The “secret underground” event, co-chaired by Carrie and Sverre Brandsberg-Dahl, and Adrian Duenas and Marcelo Saenz, began with cocktails in the Brown Foundation Gallery with guests surrounded by more than 25 works of art that were auctioned later in the evening. CAMH deputy director Seba Suber welcomed the audience to the main hall for the dinner and program, and CAMH executive director Hesse McGraw closed out the evening with a toast to the future. Guests also enjoyed a preview of the upcoming exhibition, Mariah Garnett: Dreamed This Gateway, on view at CAMH this summer.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch I

Summer box office memories

t was as awesome as a Hollywood premiere.

My daughter and I, just an hour after bringing her home from her freshman year of college, saw ABBA: The Movie, a mockumentary from 1977. We watched it on a big screen as we ate popcorn and drank cold Diet Cokes. When the audience started dancing in the aisles, I looked at my daughter and said I didn’t think I could possibly be happier. (She rolled her eyes but I’m pretty sure she was happy, too.)

After a two-year hiatus of watching movies at home with our nearest and dearest, many of us are slowly making our way back into theaters.

One of the things I missed most during the past two years was a cold, dark movie theater and popcorn and Diet Coke. As if that wasn’t enough, there are finally movies in the theaters.

Between this summer’s Downton Abbey: A New Era and Top Gun: Maverick, the big screens are calling.

All of this has me – and our editor Joni Hoffman – feeling kind of nostalgic. She says her favorite summer movie memory is Smokey and the Bandit. “It was the summer of ’77. My buddies Randy and Tommy Uzick had just bought the exact Trans Am that’s featured in the movie. I didn’t realize it, but Randy snuck out before the movie ended,” she remembers. “We walked out of the sold-out theater at Meyerland General Cinema and Randy was parked right in front with his shiny Trans Am, grinning just like Burt Reynolds.”

The Buzz’s editorial assistant Caroline Siegfried has different memories. “Aquamarine, 2006,” she says. “It had everything: mermaids, cute lifeguards on the beach, dumb flirting advice from teen magazines, revenge on mean girls. It’s a sweet movie about the bittersweet feeling of summer-slash-childhood ending.”

Separately, I asked both my daughters, who immediately blurted out the same answer: High School Musical 2. I have to agree, although for me, the movie is secondary to the memory.

Some of my favorite moments happened watching my girls and their friends sing along with Gabrielle and Troy as they navigated high school graduation, summer jobs, and moving on – things my still-little girls could only vicariously

behance.net/runamokstudios

.

swoon about.

My older daughter added to the list: “Camp Rock, both 1 and 2, but specifically 1. Also Dirty Dancing and 50 First Dates are good summer movies.

Oh, and Endless Summer, because, well, it’s called Endless Summer and it’s about surf- THE BIG SCREEN Summer movies never lose their cool. What are your favorites? ing.” everyone – just a couple going to the movies There must be something to summer musion a Saturday night.” cals. Kathrine Kiersted, a rising sophomore at As for the movie? “It was great, just one of the Wake Forest University and a Buzz summer best,” Heather says. “My stepmother’s dad was a intern, says she loves Mamma Mia. “I love how major league baseball scout in the Carolinas, so the music is incorporated, and the whole thing I had heard a lot of stories growing up about feels like so much fun,” she says. “Growing up, I minor league baseball, and it was extra-fun to used to listen to ABBA and watch Mamma Mia see a lot of that in a super funny movie. And I all the time with my mom!” admit to a raging crush on Kevin Costner after Several people cited Grease – yet another seeing it!” musical! – as their favorite film. Brooke A few more light suggestions from many allHalverson, who has three sons (William is a star time favorite summer movie lists: in many of Houston Christian High School’s theater productions), describes Grease as, Caddyshack “Happy. Music. Dancing.”

Clueless My dad puts Grease at the top of his list as E.T. well, but even higher for him is the original Top Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Gun. He’s been known to turn on surround Forgetting Sarah Marshall sound and push the volume as high as it will go Jaws as he watches the fighter plane scenes.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again Bull Durham tops Houstonian/Coloradian National Lampoon’s Vacation Heather Kearney’s favorites not only for the The Sand Lot movie itself, but also as a reminder of an excitThe Parent Trap ing chance meeting. “It came out the summer Something’s Gotta Give after my sophomore year in college [at UT],” Weekend at Bernie’s Heather says. “I was living in Connecticut, and I went to the movies in Westport. Everyone When temperatures top 90 degrees and you was standing in line waiting to go in with their (hopefully) have a little more time on your tickets and there was a lot of whispering. I hands this summer, what movies will you be turned around and saw Paul Newman and his sinking into? Let us know – comment under this wife Joanne Woodward standing in the line story at thebuzzmagazines.com or email behind me waiting for the movie. They lived info@thebuzzmagazines.com. in Westport. They were very nice and spoke to

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