The West University Buzz - April 2020

Lindsey Hirsch, Julien Rosenthal and Laurie Lee

From Prom to Lifetime Love An Astros Sweater Chef’s Corner: Neal Cox Texans in Cape Cod A Family Tree

Memorable Seder Traditions

Easter-Basket Wins

by Jennifer Oakley

Friends For Life Buzz Reads: 5 Books for April Epic Toddler Messes Houston, TX Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Cooking: Spring Celebration

JAMES WATERS AND JEFFREY RILEY

EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to spring 2020. Bad timing for this germaphobe to receive a DMV “must apply in person” renewal notice. As headlines about coronavirus started getting scarier, the germaphobe – and the news junkie – in me became obsessed. I do not need a reminder to wash my hands for 20 seconds. I never share drinks – even with family members. I reprimand double dippers. Still, I couldn’t stop reading about it, asking advice of friends in the medical profession and perfecting how to Clorox wipe my phone while scrolling for live updates. After stocking up on supplies and preparing as best as we could, I had to take a mental break. This issue of The Buzz was my antidote. Perfect timing for our residents to share their creative, colorful, tender and funny stories. It was a wonderful distraction for me. I hope it is for you too. Wishing you all a happy, healthy season. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

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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 Publisher Associate Editors Editorial Assistant Design Manager Staff Writers

Contributing Writers Account Managers

Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld Pooja Salhotra John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Deborah Lynn Blumberg Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Cindy Gabriel Cathy Gordon Michelle Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Cheryl Ursin Russell Weil Alicia Layfield Andrea Blitzer, Stephanie Goldfield Leslie Little, Jo Rogers

On our cover: Lindsey Hirsch, grandmother Julien Rosenthal and mother Laurie Lee (from left) celebrate Passover with special Seder traditions.

Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2020 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.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 4

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Spreading the birthday love I live in Hedwig Village and just saw your article [Better Birthdays: Donating leftover party supplies, by Deborah Lynn Blumberg, March 2020] in The Buzz. What a great idea! I have kept a ton of miscellaneous items from birthday parties over the years and, for some reason, I thought, "I'll find something to use them for." Well, my kids are 20, 18 and 15, and I still have them. I will get everything together to donate to Birthday Bundles.

Candice Corzo Editor’s note: We were happy to hear this story encouraged lots of donations to Erin Koren’s nonprofit, Birthday Bundles, which collects party supplies for families in need. If you’d like to donate your gently used or new party supplies, search for the Facebook group Birthday Bundles for Kids or contact Erin at birthdaybundlesforkids@gmail.com.

Beautiful tribute I am so proud of you [Paige Buddeke Dominey] and honored to know you and your mom [Susan Buddeke, featured in Rodeo Keepsakes: Stirring up sweet memories, by Jennifer Oakley, March 2020]. What fabulous people you are! Keeping your daddy’s [Richard Miles “Bud” Buddeke] memory and spirit alive through your cherished keepsakes and following his footsteps into volunteerism is such a beautiful tribute to his life well lived!

Deb Christensen-Braid Editor’s note: Thank you, Deb. See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for more sweet rodeo images and stories.

versation was reaffirming, especially in this day and age. These are conversations that can be difficult, but they’re conversations we need to have with our friends and neighbors, especially about safe gun storage. And providing Whataburger meals – how very Texan of you! It was so generous of you to provide comfort food in such a comfortable setting while having a conversation that can sometimes be uncomfortable. Thank you!

Donna Gershenwald Editor’s note: Thank you for attending and for your feedback, Donna. This community discussion was hosted in partnership with Crime Stoppers of Houston and addressed questions ranging from how to keep guns out of schools to the warning signs for self-harm. Public safety panelists were Chief of Bellaire Police Byron Holloway, Crime Stoppers of Houston CEO Rania Mankarious and volunteer leader with the Texas Chapter of Moms Demand Action Swati Narayan. Mental health experts on the panel were Angela Koreth and Leslie Wood from The Menninger Clinic. Sydney Zuiker, Safe Community Institute Manager at Crime Stoppers, moderated the panel. If you missed this event, see a recap and list of resources by searching “Powerhouse Panel Discusses Safety and Mental Health”

by Pooja Salhotra at thebuzzmagazines.com.

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.

Remember Strawberry Patch?

I recall getting a large flower pot, filled with salad to be shared with all at table. If this was ordered, it would be served with plates, for all at table.

Anyone recall this? [referring to Restaurant Memories: A look back at Houston’s dining past, by Russell Weil, November 2014] Ben Levine Editor’s note: This 2014 article by Russell Weil is still one of our most popular stories to date. In response to this letter, Russell confirmed this took place at Strawberry Patch, which was on Westheimer where Pappas Steakhouse is now. Russell says: “I do remember the clay pot salad that came to your table.

I don't remember much else except the hamburger, the bar – wood and brass – and the long lines!” Russell wrote about Strawberry Patch, among other restaurants, in “Menu Memories: Favorite restaurant meals” in May 2017.

See thebuzzmagazines.com for his stories. If you have restaurant memories, share them with us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Smart event – Whataburger a bonus Thank you for hosting such an important, informative event [Stop the Madness: Safety Awareness Seminar]. The apolitical nature of this conWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 6

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have a high school senior graduating in May 2020 who would like to be part of our annual “Where are they headed?” feature. (Submission deadline: April 20) • Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to profile.

• Have an interesting hobby.

• Have a fun summer tradition.

• Have funny or unique parenting stories.

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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NEIGHBORS

by Deborah Lynn Blumberg, staff writer

Tracking Ancestors Chris Kennie’s ultimate family tree

R

esearching your family tree is a game of persistence and paper trails, a slow and steady treasure hunt that takes dogged commitment.

But it’s worth it when you find out that, during the Salem Witch Trials in the 1690s, your relative accused your wife’s relatives of witchery – and then your wife’s relatives were hanged.

Buzz resident Chris Kennie made the startling discovery after years of genealogical research, which started on ancestry.com. Several years ago, the stay-at-home dad of three decided to create a massive, extensive, framed family tree that features a selection of his and his wife’s ancestors.

From a wall in the family’s dining room, six generations of Chris and Alison’s families, including a war hero and a mother of more than a dozen children, watch over the couple and their three young children as Chris continues to dig into the data.

“The more I got into the research, the more addicted I got,” says Chris. “It’s something to pass down to my kids.” He still wakes up every day when it’s dark outside to continue to research his ancestors.

Chris’ interest in genealogy was sparked over a decade ago when he worked offshore on a jackup boat outside New Orleans helping to support oil rig workers. “After a 12-hour day, I was bored and I had nothing to do,” he says.

A co-worker who was a genealogy enthusiast suggested Chris look into his own family history.

So, he joined ancestry.com, and after work each day he tracked down birth and death certificates and marriage licenses online. Around the same time, on a day off, he stumbled upon a faded and beat-up green trunk in his garage that he inherited from his grandfather in the 1980s, but had never opened.

“I said, let’s see what’s in that trunk,” Chris says. He discovered a treasure trove of old family photographs, including one of his father in his uniform during the Vietnam War. Inside, Chris also found faded photographs of his grandfather – a boxer in the 1930s who later worked as a shoe shiner – and his Canadian great-grandfather who was listed on the 1910 census as a taxi driver.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 8

Three years after diving into the research, Chris designed the 5- by 4-foot framed family tree, adding photos and dates for his family members on the left-hand side, and for his wife’s on the right. In the middle, he placed a photo of him and Alison from their wedding day beside each of their parents. The family tree features old photographs, names, and birth dates. When their oldest child, Savannah, now 7, was younger, she loved looking at it and could name every relative.

LOOKING BACK Chris Kennie, here with a photo of his dad, has spent the last 13 Chris has spent years researching his family's rich history. years compiling ed when she learned the news. family stories and photos in a series of binders, Other discoveries were heartwarming. Chris complete with a preface and a table of contents. was proud to come across articles on Alison’s He types out his research on his computer, then grandfather, Dwight Deming, an Air Force pilot prints the papers and adds them to the binders. who, during World War II, earned a second So far, he’s filled 11 binders, each with hundreds Purple Heart after saving his crew’s life during a of pages of information. plane crash.

Every day, he wakes up at 3 a.m. to work on For others interested in working on their own the research for several hours. “I have about two family tree, Chris says, “Ask as many people as more years left until I can shut it down,” he says. you can for information, but don’t get discourHis goal is to find detailed information on 13 genaged if no one wants to help.” Also, be persistent erations on both sides of his and Alison’s family. in tracking down documents.

Through his research, Chris debunked several Eventually, Chris plans to turn the binders long-standing family tales that were taken as into a multi-volume set of printed books to leave truth. For example, his mother, Bonnie as a legacy for his three children, Savannah and Whittier, long believed she was related to her siblings Sydney, 5, and Jackson, 2.

American Quaker poet John Whittier. Bonnie “Maybe they’ll end up not caring,” he says, and other relatives collected all of the poet’s “but if they don’t, eventually, someone down books. But Chris learned Whittier never marthe family line will.” ried or had children. His mother was disappoint-

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NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

With a bit of a Nationals perspective

I

t takes a lot to make me feel ambivalent about my Astros sweater. For years – make that decades – I was the only person I knew who had one.

Long before Kate Upton was born, when Houston was still a two-newspaper town, when City Hall had a press room right behind Council chambers, I was among about half a dozen reporters who worked there full time.

It was the early ’80s. One evening, after the dust settled for the day, Tom Kennedy, then a reporter with the former Houston Post (who was also an avid baseball card trader), heard from a source that a single Astros team sweater from the mid ’70s was up for sale. It was probably turned in by a former player.

I was the only one still left in the press room to hear this. The price was high for me at the time, $89. I went with my gut and wrote a check that night, then waited to get my prize in the mail.

Stepping out in it was always an experience.

It didn’t matter if the Astros were winning or losing, it had a Nolan Ryan glow about it.

People would stop me and ask about it, determined to get one for themselves. Some would warn me to be careful in the parking lot.

In 1986, when Mike Scott pitched a thrilling no-hitter, setting up the Astros for the playoffs, Houston was in a frenzy. I was wearing it on a sidewalk near Kirby where cars were lining up to get into the Astrodome. Someone offered to pay me $500 cash, on the spot.

After that era, if the Astros weren’t deep in the playoffs, it didn’t get cold enough to get out a sweater. It took the post-season play of Altuve, Springer, Correa and the gang to bring it out.

I’ve read several conflicting accounts about the history of this sweater, based on the unofficial fuzzy memories of those around back then.

But Channel 2 producer Erica Young managed to sleuth out a few details, which she posted in October at Click2Houston.com. It was apparently designed for players, particularly the pitchers, back in the mid ’70s to combat the cold Astrodome air conditioning. Nolan Ryan was photographed in it a lot.

But it is the 2017 image of supermodel Kate Upton on the field with superpitcher Justin WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 10

Julia Weber

Ode to an Astros Sweater Verlander that finally gave this sweater the recognition it deserves.

Astros fans wanted that sweater, instantly. Shops responded, and suddenly I was no longer the only one with this sweater.

The last time I wore it was to a bar in New York City where less than thrilled Yankees fans were watching Game 1 of the World Series BEFORE KATE WORE IT The sweater – and Cindy Gabriel – next to the Max Scherzer jersey at Little Matt’s in West University, where the Washington Nationals between the partied after winning the World Series.

Astros and the Allison’s husband, Taylor, is tight friends with Nationals. That was an interesting dynamic Nationals pitcher Matt Scherzer (the guy with since the Astros had just beat the Yankees out one blue and one brown eye). Taylor played of the World Series spot. baseball with Matt at the University of Missouri.

The bar was full of millennials clearly rooting As Scherzer’s invited guests for Game 7 of the for the Nationals. They seemed totally unfazed by World Series, the Parkers found themselves in an old lady in an Astros sweater. But that was Nationals gear, on Minute Maid Field, celebratanother era, Astros, B.C. (Before Caught). I have ing their buddy Scherzer’s win over their Astros. no intention of testing those waters anytime soon.

“We are always Astros fans, unless they play the Being in a crowd rooting for the Nationals, I Nationals, then we are Matt fans,” says Allison. had to see their appeal. What’s not to like about The Parkers went along with the team as they an underdog team who came from nowhere, moved their partying from Minute Maid Park to with Baby Shark as their theme song and a pitchthe hotel. But 2 a.m. curfew rules threatened to er with one blue eye and one brown eye? shorten the party. So, the Lillards opened the Since Trash Can-Gate, my sweater started doors of Little Matt’s to the whole Nationals looking like something on a sale rack at a disteam. Allison says everyone piled in, players, count store. Perhaps it will regain its former luswives, managers, etc. for an impromptu celebrater. It’s a process. tion that apparently lasted until daylight. The Recently, over burgers at Little Matt’s, with dry erase board remains as evidence. Go in and Cindy Lillard and her daughter Allison Parker, see for yourself.

I heard a way-inside baseball story that gave me I’m happy for them. But this is a new year. It's even more of a Nationals perspective. all been said. I’m rooting for the 2020 Astros.

It was my first time to see Little Matt’s since I’m betting that this year, the Houston Astros Cindy and Bill Lillard took over ownership last are the cleanest team in baseball. year. What caught my eye was a small dry erase Can’t say that for my sweater. I’ve been afraid board next to the counter with a list of names to take it to the cleaners for years. If ever there on it. It turned out to be the batting order of the were a safe time, it’s now.

Nationals the night they won the World Series.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 11

Kara Trail

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Friends for Life When your friends are family The importance of friendship is real. And it’s more than having someone to pal around with and share a laugh. Friendship is actually essential to our health.

Studies show that social isolation is worse for elderly people than diabetes or hypertension. Loneliness might trump the harmful effects of obesity or smoking almost a pack a day of cigarettes.

Those are good reasons why we’re kicking off a series on friendship this month, profiling some very special friend groups who have connected in unique ways. Another reason? These stories of friendship are just plain fun. Here’s to our health!

F

ifteen or so Christmases ago, Patricia Rorschach got together for lunch with her Stephen F. Austin sorority sister Sharon Sousa and Sharon’s high school friend Leslee Murphy. It was then that the threesome made a New Year’s resolution that would last longer than anyone anticipated. They were going to get together more often.

“We decided to start a small supper club,” Patricia says. “It was when Sex in the City was popular, so we named it ‘Supper in the City.’”

They recruited three more friends: Melinda Jackson, who went to UT with Leslee and was also Patricia’s neighbor; Sheila Neylon, who worked with Patricia in sales at Oracle, and with Patricia and Leslee volunteering at the Junior League; and Leanne Schneider, who lived with Sheila – and whose husband’s ex-girlfriend was Leslee’s best friend.

“We just had all these criss-crossing mutual friends, and we were all in Houston,” Patricia says. “We married around the same time and had children the same ages. It was natural for us to get together.” The friends’ children now range from high school seniors to eighth graders.

Supper in the City started as a monthly gettogether at the friends’ homes. “We’d have it at a house and rotate,” Patricia says. “When you’d come, the host did everything – cook, clean up.

You just got to be a guest. The ones who like to cook got to try out new recipes, and the ones who didn’t would get takeout from a fun restaurant.”

Once school and sports schedules entered the friends’ lives, they decided to keep meeting, but WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 12

to do it at restaurants. Now, the host chooses the meeting place.

“Sharon is in the Heights with all those fun, new DINNER FOR YEARS Sheila Neylon, Patricia Rorschach, Leanne Schneider, Leslee Murphy and Melinda Jackson started their Supper In the City supper club years ago and places and will are still going strong. Not pictured: Sharon Sousa. always pick somethe two). “Some years we’d rent boats and go thing hip and trendy,” Patricia says. out sailing, or we’d have Rockport Beach The key to keeping the group together is Olympics and give out prizes. Some years we’d calendaring. “With different schedules it’s so go up to the Pecos wilderness and hike and ride hard. But if we put it on our calendars, we’ll horses,” Lana says. see each other.

The group started a notebook, where they “In the time we’ve been doing this, we’ve all recorded who had come each year along with been there when we’ve given birth; some of us questions and answers like, “What would you have lost parents. We talk about everything have for dinner on the last night of the earth?” from raising kids, to getting in college, to what Looking back, they can see that dinner right it was like when we were in college, to aging parout of college would have been a six-pack of ents. Some of the boys have ADHD, so we’ll Shiner and chili cheeseburgers in New Mexico, commiserate about that, and we’ll talk about the and somewhere in those 30-plus years it shifted drama of girls. All these commonalities. It’s kind to caviar and iced vodka in New York. of like therapy. We even have a group chat They also have a 20th anniversary group where we can say, ‘Okay, I need a plumber!’” photo book. “There are drawings that the kids With kids beginning to graduate, the next did when they were little, photos of us all in evolution of Supper in the City is on the horibikinis right after college. We can trace the story zon. “We want to do bingo, and we want to go of our lives,” Lana says. to a cooking class,” Patricia says, planning for Lana, a designer, drew a chart detailing the “origthe future. inal four” and the 150 or so who came after, and with whom. It’s quite big, and complicated when you conn 1982, a year after they’d graduated from colsider that it traces the appearances of girlfriends and lege, Lana Rigsby and John Powell were boyfriends, spouses, cooks and even horses. among four couples who gathered at a fishing “We’ve missed the last four years because of camp in Rockport for Labor Day weekend. The [daughter Annie’s] club soccer,” Lana says. weekend had been a wedding gift to one of the “There’s always a tournament on Labor Day. couples, and Lana says it turned into a party. “It Everybody’s mad at us for letting something was so much fun,” she says, “we decided to do it come between us and Labor Day.” every year.”

That’s okay, because even without Labor Day, That was the start of a longstanding Labor the friendships will endure. “When I’m 95, I’m Day tradition that’s seen its way through life’s sure I’ll still be friends with this group,” Lana stages. “It was a party right after college, then it says. And by then, she won’t have to worry was all about kids, now it’s just this wonderful about the club soccer schedule. communion of old, old friends,” Lana says.

Over the years, the group determined that, Editor’s note: Do you live in The Buzz counting children, significant others, family and Magazines’ circulation area and have a tale of friends, there have been more than 150 people friendship that we all need to hear about? Email who’ve converged either in Rockport or Camp info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

Davis for Labor Day (the venue shifts between

I

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 13

Mitzvah Studios Chicago

NEIGHBORS

by Pooja Salhotra, staff writer

Meant to Be From high school to forever

M

att Abrahams was Holli Wertheimer’s first boyfriend. She never thought he would be her only boyfriend.

But, 10 years after their first date at Fuddruckers, Holli found herself standing on a deserted beach in Chicago, excitedly accepting a marriage proposal from her first and only boyfriend.

“I definitely didn’t think at 17 that we would end up together,” says Holli, now 27. “I think Matt knew. But I didn’t even know if we’d stay together when we went to college.”

Holli, who works in administrative operations at a Chicago hospital, describes her high school self as shy and studious. In sharp contrast to Matt, an extroverted baseball player who procrastinated on schoolwork, Holli was a math whiz and editor-in-chief of the Three Penny Press, Bellaire High School’s student newspaper.

Despite their differences, Holli and Matt’s relationship seemed preordained from the start.

As Matt’s mom Cindy Abrahams put it, “beshert” – a Yiddish word for destiny – seems an appropriate description for the couple’s union.

Though it can refer to any auspicious event, the term is most often used to reference soulmates: fate delivering that one perfect match you are meant to spend your life with.

The connection between Holli and Matt, both 2010 Bellaire High School graduates, spans multiple generations and runs deeper than mere coincidence. For starters, Holli’s paternal grandfather and Matt’s maternal grandfather knew each other from college as well as pharmacy school decades ago. Matt’s grandfather, now 90 years old, still fondly reminisces on his time with Holli’s grandfather, who has passed away.

Then, there’s the fact that Matt and Holli met during Saturday religious classes at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, the same synagogue where each of their parents met their future spouse years earlier. Like their parents, Holli and Matt started dating when they were in high school, and, also like their parents, they attended BHS’s senior prom together.

“I just feel like all of these connections show how they’re meant to be together,” says Matt’s mother, Cindy. “There are so many similarities WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 14

THE PROPOSAL Matt Abrahams surprised Holli Wertheimer with a marriage proposal 10 years after the couple first started dating as Bellaire High School students. Here, the newly engaged couple are at the site of their engagement – a beach in Chicago.

and connections that it just gives me a lot of confidence for their relationship.”

Holli and Matt did not necessarily ascribe the same level of significance to these connections.

Neither can recall their first meeting at Beth Yeshurun. Holli simply remembers developing a strong friendship with Matt when they were in high school. Matt remembers driving Holli home from school most days because she didn’t have a car, and then asking Holli out on their first date in November 2009.

As Holli went off to UT Austin to study business and Matt went to Trinity University in San

Antonio to play baseball and study business and economics, the couple decided to give long distance a shot.

“Matt said, let’s just try it,” Holli remembers.

“Austin and San Antonio aren’t that far apart.

We said if we aren’t happy, we’d reassess and go from there.”

But Matt never felt the need to reassess.

While Holli thought it would be wise to date other people, Matt seemed to have a sixth sense, or simply a resolution, that Holli was the one.

Even post-grad, when the challenges of assimilating to a job and the real- (continued on page 16)

THREE BELLAIRE PROMS At left: Matt’s parents, Cindy Gerson and Jeff Abrahams, attended BHS prom together in 1976. At middle: Holli Wertheimer and Matt Abrahams attended senior prom together in 2010. At right: Holli’s parents, Mindy Ehrenkranz and Miles Wertheimer, matched in white when Mindy and Miles attended BHS prom in 1978. (continued from page 14) ities of adulthood strained

their relationship, Matt was unwavering in his belief in the couple. After college, Holli landed an intense job as a management consultant in Dallas, and Matt became an analyst at a Houston investment firm. Matt says the job took his focus and he did not make enough of an effort to be present in Holli’s life.

“I think we just saw the world differently,” Matt says. “To [Holli], if she was going to date someone, she needed them to call and make more of an effort. To me, we had been doing long-distance in college, and I was used to the ‘I’ll see you when I see you.’”

When Holli expressed doubts to Matt, he was quick to adapt. “She’d say, this isn’t working for me, and my response was, okay let’s make it work,” Matt says.

Far from her shy teenage years, Holli has grown into a confident and animated woman.

Holli is the one who decides where the couple goes to brunch on Saturday mornings, with Matt happily coming along; she’s the one hosting potlucks with their group of friends, with Matt admiring Holli’s inclusiveness and large heart.

She’s hard-working and ambitious, and her reverence for Matt belies any instances when she WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 16

may have second-guessed the relationship.

“What I love about Matt is that he sees me as the best version of myself every day, especially on the days that I don’t feel like I look my best or act my best,” says Holli. “And I just think he’s really cute. He’s adorable and awkward and funny. He’s got these beautiful blue eyes and a great smile.”

Holli can’t pinpoint the moment she went from wanting to take time apart to deciding she wanted to be with Matt forever. Like any of us, Holli grew up with an idea – a fantasy, really – of who the person she wanted to be with was.

“Matt checked some, but not all, of the boxes,” Holli admits. “When I finally just accepted Matt for who he is, I stopped wondering and didn’t have those ideas anymore. I like the person I am with him. We’re always laughing.”

In 2016, Holli accepted a job in Chicago, putting hundreds of miles between her and Matt.

Matt says the longer distance hardly made a difference, though, for the couple had already spent six years apart and were fluent in the technologies that shortened the distance. Each night, they FaceTimed, often falling asleep watching TV together.

Holli wanted Matt to move to join her in Chicago, but Matt, a homebody, was reluctant

to make the move. The couple agreed they’d eventually settle in Houston, but Holli – an adventurer who loves to travel – wanted more time in Chicago.

They continued apart for another two years, until Matt took the plunge and moved to Chicago last summer. From that point, it was just a matter of when, not if, the couple would get engaged. Holli says they had discussed getting engaged when they were both 27, and Holli, who turns 28 this July, figured Matt would wait right up until the last minute to get down on one knee.

Matt, however, was not waiting for any kind of deadline. Though he’s not usually the planner in the relationship, he had the proposal in the works. In August, Matt told his parents of his plans to propose in November, on their 10-year dating anniversary. He began ring-shopping and formally requested Miles Wertheimer’s permission for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Matt then masterfully coordinated to have everyone – his parents and Holli’s parents, plus some close friends – fly up to Chicago to surprise Holli the Friday before Thanksgiving, the day he would propose.

The couple typically takes a day off during the week of their dating anniver- (continued on page 18)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 17

SURPRISE PARTY After Matt Abrahams proposed to Holli Wertheimer in November 2019, friends and family of the couple surprised Holli by flying to Chicago and joining them for dinner. Top row, from left: Alex Silver, Corby Kelly, Gayle Abrahams, Jaime Westendarp, Jaclyn Wertheimer, Miles Wertheimer. Bottom row, from left: Kevin Abrahams, Lauren Abrahams, Cindy Abrahams, Jeff Abrahams, Holli Wertheimer, Matt Abrahams, Mindy Wertheimer and Doug Johnson. (continued from page 16) sary.

They had both planned to take off on Friday, Nov. 22, but at the last minute, Holli had to go into work that day.

Unbeknownst to Holli, Matt spent that entire day sitting nervously at home, practicing the proposal and waiting until it was time to pick up Holli. Right around 3 p.m., Holli received a text from Matt saying he was down in the lobby of her building.

“I come down, and he says he’s booking an Uber and not telling me where we’re going,” Holli says. “We pull up to the Museum of Science and Industry. And I’m thinking, oh that’s a good idea, we’ve been wanting to go there.”

But that was not where they were going.

Wearing coats and scarves in the 35-degree Chicago chill, they exited the Uber, and Matt walked Holli to the last place she thought she was going: an isolated beach.

“We get there, and I see two photographers standing on the rocks,” Holli recalls. That’s when she realizes what’s about to happen. “I’m like, okay, we are doing this.”

I

n the background of their 10-year relationship, Holli and Matt’s parents were acting as cheerleaders.

Both sets of parents had themselves married their first loves and therefore seemed to grasp the nature of Holli and Matt’s relationship.

Holli’s mom, Mindy Ehrenkranz, met her future husband, Miles Wertheimer, at Saturday Hebrew school at Beth Yeshurun in 1970. He’d bring her WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 18

extra goodies from the corner pantry and was always the nicest guy in the room. In 1977, the couple went on a teen trip to Israel together.

“That’s when we really connected,” Mindy says. “We started to develop a deeper friendship.”

Mindy invited Miles to her senior prom at Bellaire High School, but Miles, who lived in Rosenberg and attended Lamar Consolidated High School, did not return the favor. Still, Mindy and Miles remained friends through college – Mindy at UT and Miles at Tulane – while dating other people.

A few years after graduating, Mindy ran into Miles at a party in Houston. As Mindy remembers it, Miles was ecstatic to see Mindy and scooped her up off the ground.

A year and half later, the couple was engaged.

About 10 years earlier, another love story was panning out in a similar fashion. Once again at Beth Yeshurun, Matt’s mom Cindy Gerson met her future husband Jeff Abrahams.

Cindy and Jeff attended BHS together and started dating their sophomore year. Eerily, Cindy’s thoughts about her relationship are similar to what Holli’s would later be: “I don’t think anybody, when they’re 16, expects that they’re getting married,” says Cindy, explaining that she had no expectations for the relationship.

But, Cindy and Jeff did tie the knot. The two went to UT together and got married the month after they graduated from college in 1980.

It was these two couples – Cindy and Jeff plus Miles and Mindy – that Holli and Matt had

rooting for them over their 10 years of dating.

“You could just see they loved each other,” says Cindy. “There were challenges, but they were willing to go through those challenges because they loved each other so much.”

“The longer they were together, the more I felt their love was growing,” said Mindy. “In May of last year, I told Matt, I don’t know when the day will finally come for you two, but I will tell you this: you are officially in my family.”

I

n Matt’s eyes, all of the overlaps between the two families – while conducive to a strong relationship – are not the reason he and Holli are still together. He says he and Holli made a conscious decision. They chose each other not because of their similar religious backgrounds or families, but because of their mutual love.

“I love that she gets me,” Matt says. “I think I’ve always viewed myself as the ‘reacher’ in this relationship, but she makes me feel like she’s the reacher. And I love the fact that she’s always kind to her neighbor and always reaching out to make other people feel comfortable. She puts other people before herself.

“We are doing this because we really want it.

That said, it’s pretty cool that we never had trouble integrating our families, and it’s been nice to see how much joy we’ve brought to our parents by bringing people we know they’ll like into their lives. We joke that if we split up, Holli’s mom would choose me, and my mom would choose her.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 19

Claudia Casbarian

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Easter Baskets Two moms who win at them

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 20

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S

tacy Ellington’s Easter baskets are a project 22 years in the making. That’s because 22 years ago, she purchased three white painted baskets at a Michaels in Dallas. She and her financial adviser husband Michael had only two boys then, a baby and a 2 year old, but Stacy knew what she was doing. “I knew we were going to have a third child, so I just bought three,” she says, laughing. “I also found ribbon years ago that was exactly what I wanted, so I overbought and I’m able to change it out every couple of years. This is really OCD stuff, I’m telling you!”

All the prep paid off: The Ellington kids are big fans. When Stacy told her high school senior daughter Adelaide she was talking to us for this story, Adelaide said, “Good, because that interview ensures that we’ll have Easter baskets again this year!” She’s referring to the past two years, the first times the family was away from home for Easter. One year they were in Boston visiting Adelaide’s brother Jack because his school wasn’t on holiday, and the next they were in Colorado planning her other brother Michael’s wedding. Stacy is looking for a basket for her new daughter-in-law that will coordinate with the originals.

While contents change, there are some traditions. Ellington Easter baskets always promise a golden egg, filled with a matchbox car or a Game Boy cartridge when the kids were little.

“Now it’s pretty much cash,” Stacy says. There are always Peeps. “The plain old-fashioned, traditional yellow Peeps,” Stacy says. “The kids cannot stand them, but they get them every year because that’s my tradition from when I was a kid. It’s a flashback.” And there’s always a chocolate bunny. “Nobody eats chocolate,” Stacy says. No matter. Tradition is tradition.

Beyond those givens, Stacy is on the hunt for basket filler starting in February. “I have to think about what’s going to look cute, what will fit, and what do they want,” she says. She’s gone from stuffed bunnies, Legos and dolls to more grown-up gifts. “This year, Adelaide is getting a cute game-day bag because she’s going to college,” Stacy says. “Jack is in his first apartment and loves to cook, so his will have something for

BEYOND CHOCOLATE BUNNIES Top photo: Every spring, Stacy Ellington and Courtnay Elias (from left) check in with each other about how to fill their children's Easter baskets. Bottom photo: Stacy Ellington’s Easter baskets have evolved from a jumble of Matchbox cars and Legos to a thoughtful mix of Yetis and face masks.

his kitchen. I know Little Michael and Sara just ran out of coffee cups with their wedding monogram on them, so those will look cute sitting in there.” She thinks for a minute and adds, “Jack is very green and a conscious consumer. We could never do a sleeve of disposable coffee cups

in his. Maybe he’ll end up with a new Yeti he can take to class.”

She mentions refrigerated face masks: “They’re in pastel colors, so the color is correct, and the girls can use and enjoy them.” Girls’ baskets might also see mono- (continued on page 22)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 21

THROUGH THE YEARS Lucky for Jack, Adelaide and Michael Ellington, their mom Stacy started thinking about their Easter baskets even before her youngest was born. At right: Michael, Adelaide and Jack wake up to the same Easter baskets their mom bought 22 years ago. (continued from page 20) grammed zippered bags

with a lip gloss tucked inside.

Stacy’s partner-in-crime is the super-creative designer Courtnay Elias, who has three boys about the same ages as Stacy’s kids. “We don’t actually shop together,” Stacy says, “but there’s always that panic call: ‘What did you do?’

‘Where did you find it?’”

“We feed off of each other,” Courtnay says.

“Easter happens to be my favorite holiday. I love the spiritual aspect and love that this time of year is so happy.”

When her boys were little, Courtnay gave them each a homemade Easter basket that she

had spray-painted and decorated. “Although I don’t think my third child got one until he was 1 or 2.” Even now, Courtnay says, “If we’re at home at Easter, those baskets are out!”

Because she’s got three boys anticipating Easter baskets, Courtnay’s signature fillers are monogrammed boxers (“When you have three boys you have to monogram the underwear!”), swim goggles and swim trunks. “That’s always my big hunt,” she says. “I don’t have daughters, so I’m not buying Easter dresses. And the boys are game for hot pink and orange and fun.” She also gives them new ties to wear to church and Easter lunch.

The only threats to these special Easter traditions have been dogs. “The dogs will find the baskets in point-two seconds,” Stacy says of her two beagles. “We’re on speed dial with dog poison control. But there’s good news about chocolate bunnies. They’re milk chocolate. Once you’re good friends with dog poison control, you know it’s the dark chocolate you need to worry about. Oh, and the Peeps, because they can expand in their stomachs and be very uncomfortable.”

The American Kennel Club says milk chocolate isn’t as toxic for dogs as dark, but still, don’t give it to them on purpose!

Easter basket ideas ● Art supplies: pastel markers and crayons, pipe cleaners, Easterthemed stickers ● Boxed art or science kits from places like Michaels ● Beads and string ● Small Lego kits ● Sidewalk chalk in pastel colors (you can find these shaped like Easter eggs) ● Small games and puzzles ● Decks of cards or other card games ● Easter egg stress balls ● Easter egg Playdough ● Beach or pool toys ● For kids leaving for college, necessities and trinkets for their dorm room

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 22

● College gear: cups, bumper stickers, Smathers & Branson keychains ● T-shirts rolled up and tied with pastel ribbon ● Pastel-colored water bottles ● Unassuming pastel eggs filled with cash as a surprise trick ● Fun socks ● Flip flops ● Pastel-colored hair ties ● Pastel-colored nail polish with manicure tools ● Bath and skin products ● Whataburger, Starbucks, Amazon gift cards ● Don’t fall for the temptation of chicks or bunnies, a major responsibility. As one reader warns: “We are currently housing two chickens and a bunny from past Easters!”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 23

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FOOD

by Jennifer Oakley, staff writer

Super Seders Memorable traditions with a twist “There's no Seder like our Seder. We tell a tale that is swell…”

P

assover Seders at Ellen and Andy Taer’s house begin with a song. Seders and singing go together like, well, matzoh balls go with soup. However, the Taers have taken their musical game up a notch. “As soon as we begin to sing, ‘There’s no Seder like our Seder,’ to the tune of ‘There’s no business like show business,’ it sets the tone that we are going to have a fun time!” says the outgoing Ellen with a smile.

Having enjoyable and memorable Seders are important to Ellen, who likes to add new twists to her annual Passover supper each spring.

That’s equally so for Lindsey Lee Hirsch, who incorporates the symbolism from the Passover Haggadah (a book that explains the exodus of Israelites from Egypt) into every dish that is served, as well as how she decorates her dining table.

Lindsey makes sure that the food takes center stage, with each taste helping to give life to the story of Passover. “To me, it means the celebration of our exodus from slavery – of not being slaves anymore,” says Lindsey. “Passover is a great example about cooking in a time of strife and trouble by using what you have and taking care of your family. The best part of any holiday, in any religion, are symbols and rituals.”

Ellen and Lindsey recognize their family traditions with their own seders – but jazz them up a bit to suit their personal tastes. The end results are creative and delicious Seders that honor the meaning of the holiday in epic style. “…Moses took the people out into the heat. They baked the matzoh while on their feet …”

Walk up to the front door of Ellen’s house and you might find it covered in red craft paper, signaling a clue to the fun that is about to take place. “If you can get through the front door, you can get through the Red Sea,” says Ellen with a laugh, referring to Moses using his staff to part the Red Sea. “One year I had a plastic kiddie pool filled with red balloons that people had to walk through.”

Props and games play a key role in Ellen’s Passover – a response she created to the Seders WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 24

NO SEDER LIKE THEIR SEDER Ellen and Andy Taer add new twists – sing-alongs and group games like Passover Jeopardy – to their Seder supper each spring.

of her youth.

“I grew up in a very traditional Seder, which was very patriarchal, headed by my grandfather, and it was very beautiful in its own way,” she says. “It always felt very special with all my family and cousins. I always had a warm feeling about Passover, but I also knew I could make it more engaging and fun and do it in a different way.”

To that end, Ellen and Andy started making changes to their Seder when daughters Nikki, now 26, and Jennie, now 23, were born. “When they were little, I really wanted to make it more than reading a story and singing a few songs,” says Ellen, a personal trainer who works mostly with seniors and special needs clients. “We changed to a more family-friendly Haggadah. Then, we per-

sonalized it and came up with our own service.”

Every year, Ellen and Andy, who is in business development, have hosted a group of about 20 people. Guests are asked to sign their names inside the book’s cover, a tradition Ellen started decades ago. “I have a history going back to even before I was married when I did Seders for my friends. I would always ask everyone to sign their names inside the Haggadahs,” she says. “It’s fun to look back and see all the names – even the kids with their scribbly handwriting when they were young.”

Ellen says her Seders have evolved over the years. “You have to know your demographic.

When our kids were little, I made it very kid friendly,” she says. “One of (continued on page 26)

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SEDER SIGN IN At left: Ellen Taer’s tradition to have guests sign their names in her Haggadahs goes back for decades. At right: A close-up of Ellen’s Seder plate. She makes her own charoset. She also has hosted some especially memorable Seder games. “One year I put a sandbox in the middle of our living room, and everyone had to do an archeological dig to find all the plagues.” (continued from page 24) my favorite games from

the past was the ‘Getting out of Egypt’ game where I had a pile of hats, socks, scarves, Tshirts, and everyone would have to put it all on like a race. It was a crowd pleaser! One year I put a sandbox in the middle of our living room, and everyone had to do an archeological dig to find all the plagues.”

A few years ago, Ellen added “Passover Jeopardy” to the night. Think Alex Trebek at the Seder table. A sample category: Food.

Answer: What is the sacrificial lamb? Question: What does the shank bone represent on the Seder plate?

It was such a hit she is keeping it in her repertoire, for after their meal. “We project the game on the wall, and we all shout out the answers,” she says. “To me it is the perfect bringing together of the sentimental and the new energy for my family. I have the memories of my grandparents and the way they did it in their own traditional way, and I am just trying to build on that.

Passover is, statistically in Judaism, the most celebrated holiday, and hosting the Seder means I am continuing the tradition that has kept Jewish families together for thousands of years.” “ … Now isn't that a story that just can't be beat?

Let's go on with the show!”

B

eing together with family and creating indelible memories for her children through food is central to Lindsey’s multi-generational Passover. “We are very big on passing family traditions from one generation to the next,” says Lindsey, who uses her Seder as the ultimate teachable moment. “Really, what we are doing is using food as a sensorial way to tell the story of Passover.”

Lindsey, along with her mom Laurie Lee, grandmother Julien Rosenthal and aunts Jan Cohen and Marty Marlowe, work side by side to WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 26

prepare, from scratch, every bite of the Seder service. “My grandma is our cooking inspiration, and we all learned how to cook from her,” says Lindsey. “We eat with our eyes first, so we also learned how to cook and how to present food.

Every platter gets a fresh garnish.”

Lindsey, an in-home cooking teacher, and her husband, Jesse, who is in retail construction, say it is vital to share traditions with their three sons, Daniel, 12, Jonah, 8, and Nico, 6. They consider the rituals of the Seder important, starting with the Seder plate (a special plate containing symbolic foods).

“Everyone gets an individual plate at their place setting, but we also have one large plate that is for the prophet Elijah,” she says. “So, on the menu of the Seder plate, we start with a hardboiled egg, which symbolizes life and renewal.

Then, there is salt water, which is like the tears of our ancestors who were enslaved, and then we serve bitter herb horseradish, which is like the bitterness of slavery, and then charoset, which is an apple and cinnamon slaw. The apples are chopped in a way that look like bricks, which represents the temples that our ancestors built out of brick when they were slaves.”

Because the word Seder means “order” in Hebrew, the meal is conducted in a specific series, which Lindsey coordinates food-wise.

“We eat each thing as it comes up in the service,” she says. “We get to the gefilte fish a little bit later after the Seder plate, and its origin is that anytime you are grinding or pureeing fish, you are trying to make more of it, stretching it.

That is what it is about: making more out of less in times of need.”

The gefilte fish-making is one of Lindsey’s favorite parts of Passover. “All the women in my family get together and puree the fish and puree the vegetables. We take out an enormous meat grinder like you would see in a restaurant, and

we grind the fish and we very gently form it into balls. We use the tails and heads to make our own stock. Next we simmer the balls in the stock. We have lunch, and we make the fish and we argue over seasoning every single time.”

Once the gefilte fish course is done, they eat a traditional, homemade matzoh ball soup. “That is a way to incorporate matzoh into the service,” she says. “Because we stay away from flour and leavening as a tribute to our ancestors who had to escape slavery and did not have time to leaven their breads for the journey, we use matzoh.

The matzoh balls are shaped like little eggs, which signifies new life, too.”

After the soup course, the entrees are served, along with desserts that include a flourless chocolate cake and a vacherin. “We have a feast because slavery is over,” says Lindsey. “We have two entrees because we celebrate prosperity.”

And, to further exemplify the message of the meal, Lindsey dresses the table with symbolic frogs to represent one of the plagues. She uses edible chocolate frogs at each place setting as well as jeweled frogs among the floral decorations.

“Passover was also the Last Supper,” she says.

“That’s why you are seeing it celebrated in other faiths. At our house, I think we are bringing the story to life.”

Ellen Taer’s Passover Charoset 3 apples, peeled and diced 1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground 1 teaspoon white sugar or brown sugar 1 Tablespoon red wine, sweet like Manischewitz 1 Tablespoon honey Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine evenly. If you want this to be more of a spread, combine all (continued on page 28)

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FAMILY TRADITION Jan Cohen, Marty Marlowe, Julien Rosenthal, Laurie Lee and Lindsey Lee Hirsch (from left) gather every Passover to make homemade gefilte fish and celebrate their Seder. (continued from page 26) ingredients in the bowl of

a food processor and pulse until just forming a paste. Serve with matzoh.

Ellen Taer’s Apple-Mango Charoset 2 Granny Smith apples Juice of ½ lemon ½ cup fresh mango, peeled and diced ½ cup chopped toasted pecans ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 Tablespoon honey 1 Tablespoon port or sweet wine Peel, core and dice the apples and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse once or twice, just to break up. Let sit for the flavors to blend and then serve with matzoh.

Lindsey Hirsch’s Chocolate Cake

Flourless

8 large eggs, room temperature WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 28

1 pound dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground coffee 16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces Optional toppings: powdered sugar and/or berries Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the sides of the pan. (Be sure to grease the sides really well!) Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and set it in a large roasting pan, or any pan that’s larger than the springform. Bring a kettle or pot of water to boil.

With an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles and the eggs are foamy. This usually takes about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate, cinnamon,

coffee, and butter together. You can either do this in a double boiler on the stove (by placing the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, and stirring until melted and smooth). Or you can do this in the microwave (by heating the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth). Then fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in half of the remaining egg foam, and then the last half of the foam, until the mixture is totally homogenous.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and very carefully pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, a thin-glazed crust (like a brownie) has (continued on page 30)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 29

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PASSOVER LOVE Clockwise from top: Lindsey Hirsch, grandmother Julien Rosenthal and mother Laurie Lee (from left) celebrate Passover. Lindsey’s elegant table is set for Passover. Matzoh and the Seder plate take center stage at Lindsey’s Seder. (continued from page 28) formed on the surface,

and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140 F, 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until cool. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

Lindsey Hirsch’s Horseradish Sauce

Family

1 pound (or a little over) horseradish root, soaked overnight 4 or 5 fresh beets, tops removed 1¼ cups apple cider vinegar ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt Wash beets and cut off ends. Cook in salted water until soft. Cool enough to remove skins with paper towels. Mix together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Peel horseradish root, cut off ends and save for the Seder plates. Cut root into smaller pieces. Grate in food processor. Remove WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 30

and grate the beets. Put beets in a bowl. Change to grinding blade. Finely grind a third of the horseradish with a third of the beets. Add some vinegar mixture and continue until smooth.

Repeat two more times. Repeat two more times.

You may need more or less of the vinegar mixture. This is done by taste. Add all together and season with more salt if needed. Refrigerate.

May be prepared a week or longer ahead of time.

Lindsey Hirsch’s Family Gefilte Fish for Passover Celery stalks 4 onions in thick slices Carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch 4 pounds net fresh filet of snapper, red fish, or combination (Net is total weight after fish has been removed from bones. Be sure to have fish market save heads with spines and tails attached to use for broth.)

3-4 large onions, peeled and quartered 7-8 eggs 1 cup matzoh meal Salt

Pepper 3 Tablespoons sugar Prepare roasting pots or soup pots with celery stalks, thickly sliced onions, carrots and fish bones with heads. You may choose to cover all with cheesecloth, but this is optional. Add water just to cover.

Grind fish together with onions in electric grinder attachment on mix master. Mix in eggs and matzoh meal, plus salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

Dipping hands in cold water, gently form fish balls to size of your liking. Place fish balls in a single layer on top of cheesecloth, or directly on top of bones and vegetables, but not too crowded. Gently add water down the sides of the pot to cover fish balls. Add salt, pepper and sugar to water to taste.

Bring to a slow boil and cook covered with lid for 1-1.5 hours. Cool in the pot. Remove when cool, place in a Tupperware container with carrot slice on top of each piece. Refrigerate until ready to plate for service. (Note: 1 pound net of fish filet yields 8-10 fish balls.)

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 31

KIDS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Epic toddler messes

Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies.

Writer Annie McQueen is a mother of four children under the age of 5.

T

oddlers make messes. Turn around for a few seconds, and they’ve spilled a huge bag of uncooked spaghetti all over the kitchen (true story), drawn colorful art murals on house walls, or, even better, tattooed their faces with a Sharpie marker (another true story).

When Ashley Hulsey was potty-training her then-2-year-old daughter, Anna Katherine, in 2016, she experienced a household chocolatey mess of all toddler messes. “It is the mess that she’ll never live down,” Ashley said, laughing.

The picture Ashley hurriedly snapped with her phone as the shock was sinking in was even featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s segment “Why I Don’t Have Kids” and we featured the story in our May 2017 Mother’s Day issue (when Ashley’s advice from her own mother rang in her head – “don’t sweat the small stuff”).

The photo is, to this day, circulating the internet and is especially popular in parenting Facebook groups. “Someone is always tagging me or sending it to me,” said Ashley.

It started like a normal evening in the Hulsey household. Ashley was home, preparing dinner for her two kids, Anna Katherine, the tot, and older brother Alex, 4 at the time.

Ashley said everything seemed to be calm, under control. She started cooking while the kids were happy and playing quietly, keeping to themselves.

Since Anna Katherine was being potty trained, her reward for successfully using the toilet was chocolate milk – not the store-bought, premade kind, the old-school way, with a glob of dark chocolate syrup in a cup of milk.

Ashley had just purchased a brand-new bottle of Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Anna Katherine used the potty, so naturally, Ashley upheld her end of the deal, concocted a cup of chocolate milk and proceeded to leave the bottle next to their (white) couch. She went back to the kitchen, not thinking anything of it. Anna Katherine was leaning on the couch.

“She was playing quietly, and I could see her WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 32

little head in the living room from the kitchen and knew she was fine,” said Ashley.

Dinner was ready, so Ashley peeked over the couch where she discovered that almost the entire white couch had been covered with chocolate syrup.

Anna Katherine was smearing it up and down and all around.

Their English bulldog, Bob, sat and looked on at his human sibling. EMBRACE THE MESS Josie Cummings, daughter of artist and art teacher Maggi “She had been Cummings, painted her entire face purple at school while mixing paint colors. quiet as a mouse it was hilarious, and was so Josie. She is a very the whole time,” said Ashley. silly girl, so full of life, so sweet and loves to Ashley eventually laughed it off, and believe laugh and make others laugh.” it or not, the chocolate stain came out of the Maggi said some of the other kids were doing white couch. She received an insider tip from it, too. “I guess that once a couple of them startan employee of Hershey’s – soak the stain with ed putting it on their faces, they didn’t want to Dawn dish soap. (Ashley then laundered it 3-4 stop the fun. The kids were laughing and being times before it eventually came out.) supervised, definitely contained. They just let Artist and elementary school art teacher the fun keep going, which I appreciate for my 2 Maggi Dunwoody Cummings loves it when her year old.” two daughters Josie, 2, and Emeline, 1, get creAs I know all too well, toddler messes can be ative with paint. Maggi says when the girls paint stressful, but it’s important to remember to take at home, she usually leaves Josie in a pull-up diasome deep breaths when they inevitably happen. per outside so she can make a mess without It also helps to have the right cleaning supstaining her clothes or messing up the house. plies on hand: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (for Recently, while Josie was at preschool, she drawn-on walls, countertops or floors), and her classmates learned about mixing paint OxiClean and Carbona stain removers (for colors. The tots were playing with red, blue and laundry stains) and good old-fashioned baby oil white – they mixed them together to make a (for permanent markers or paint on skin). deep purple concoction. Josie started to paint her face, and she kept going until her entire face was covered in dark purple paint, her little eyes For more photos, see this story at peering out. thebuzzmagazines.com. Share your funny parenting “Her teacher texted me the picture, and I photos and stories at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. could not stop laughing,” said Maggi. “I thought

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NEIGHBORS

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by Cindy Burnett, contributing writer

Buzz Reads

Five picks for April

Buzz Reads is a new column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. This month, Cindy recommends five recently released titles.

D

eath in the Family by Tessa Wegert: Tessa Wegert’s brilliant debut opens with an Agatha Christie-style premise – an isolated property, a missing man, a bloodsoaked bed and room, and a defined group of people on the private island. The police are called out to the island just as a terrible storm is brewing, trapping the investigators in the house with a cast of unlikeable characters. As they attempt to determine what happened to the missing individual, people start dying. Terrifically atmospheric, Death in the Family is a solid and creative mystery with intriguing character development and a cliffhanger ending. This is the start of a promising new series.

The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird by Joshua Hammer: This is a fascinating true tale about a man, Jeffrey Lendrum, who spent his life stealing and smuggling rare bird eggs, and the UK detective, Andy McWilliam, who eventually brought Lendrum to justice. The story is a mix of adventure, history, and true crime and provides a glimpse into the world of rare-bird and rare-egg obsession.

The Falcon Thief spans the globe from the Middle East to Canada to Africa to the United Kingdom. Reading about the detrimental impact on numerous bird species and the singular focus and obsession demonstrated by those involved in egg theft and bird capture was both depressing and mind boggling. Once I started this book, I could not put it down.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle: What would you do if you had a brief glimpse into the future and saw that you were living a completely different life than the one you were currently living? In Five Years tackles this topic when Dannie falls asleep and wakes up five years in the future with a different engagement ring, a new apartment, and another man in this new apartment. After spending an hour in the future, Dannie falls back asleep and returns to her regular, present-day life. She is shaken by this fateWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 34

WHAT TO READ This month's picks include a ghost story, the start to a new mystery series, a family saga set in Vietnam, a nonfiction account of obsession, and a tale about fate.

ful hour in the future and struggles to return to her structured life, continually wondering if what she experienced was a dream, a vision or something else entirely. The premise for this book is original, and Serle’s execution of the concept is both clever and thought-provoking.

I highly recommend this one.

The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai: Beautifully and lyrically written, Nguyen Phan Que Mai’s English debut follows multiple generations of the Tran family against the backdrop of Vietnam’s heartrending 20th-century history. From the rise of the Communist government in North Vietnam to the years of conflict during the war itself, The Mountains Sing is historical fiction at its finest – it highlights the impact and cost of the events that led up to the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese people’s perspective while interweaving in the language and traditions of their culture. The Mountains Sing is not only a glimpse into Vietnam, but is also a cautionary tale about the impact of a decadeslong conflict on the people living through it. I needed lots of tissues, and the Tran family’s experiences will stay with me for a long time.

The Sun Down Motel, by Simone St. James: The Sun Down Motel is a creepy, rundown motel serving as a pit stop for travelers on their way through Fell, New York, that also provides a place for locals to hide out. But as Viv and Carly, two women 35 years apart, learn, there is someone or something else living at the Sun Down, and they both are determined to find out who or what is haunting the motel and why.

While it is a ghost story, the book is awesomely creepy but not overly scary. The Sun Down Motel is one of the best books I have read in a while.

The characters are so well developed, and I rooted for both Viv and Carly as they sought to understand what was happening at The Sun Down Motel.

Editor’s note: Southside Place resident Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She is co-creator of the Houston literary event series Conversations from the Page, runs the Instagram account Thoughts from a Page, contributes to bookreporter.com and shereads.com, and regularly speaks to groups about books.

TRAVEL

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by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz

Texans in Chatham, Cape Cod

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ith summer around the corner, Texans are already dreaming of their beat-the-heat getaways. Visions of Telluride, Aspen, Park City and Tahoe begin to gather like a mirage on the warming horizon.

But for a few Buzz families, the East Coast is calling: specifically, a tiny town on the elbow of Cape Cod called Chatham.

As the mercury begins to rise, Interstate 610 gives way to a different kind of loop: the one they walk daily that takes in the coastline, with its iconic lighthouse, and circles back through its quaint historic downtown. Fresh ocean breezes make outdoors the place to be, all summer long. Think clam chowder and lobster, baseball and apple pie, and an ice cream truck’s music playing every afternoon as it rolls along the beach – Chatham is literally a slice of colonial-era Americana on the sea.

Julie and Michael Donaldson grew up with the Atlantic Coast playing a prominent role in their childhoods. Julie’s grandparents in New York rented cottages on the North Fork of Long Island for the extended family, and Michael’s New Hampshire family took them to beaches along the New England shoreline.

Michael followed his family to Texas when his parents moved while he was in college. Julie moved to Houston in the late ’80s to start her career in non-profit fundraising. The two met in Houston and ended up raising their children in Memorial: Parker, who is now 24, Andrew, 22, and Kate, 17.

One year when the boys were still small, Michael surprised Julie with a trip. Knowing how much she missed the East Coast, he came to her one day and said, “I’ve just picked out a place on the Cape for us to go for Labor Day.” Excited, Julie called an acquaintance who she knew had a house in Cape Cod. “We’re going to a place called Chatham,” she said. Ironically, the friend’s home was in Chatham, two doors down from the inn where Michael had reserved a room.

“That’s how small a town Chatham is,” Julie said with a laugh – and as time has gone on, chance keeps putting them in proximity with other Houstonians.

“Texans find each other wherever we go,” she WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 36

PEACEFUL MOMENTS Rob and Ellen Blasio enjoy some quiet time at a friend’s Fourth of July party at the Chatham Tennis and Beach Club, overlooking Lighthouse Beach.

said. “No matter where you are – that’s how friendly Texans are.”

Summer vacations in Chatham quickly became a family tradition for the Donaldsons, as it did for a number of other Buzz families, the Blasios and the Marnoys among them.

Ellen Blasio first went to Chatham in 1987

with her soon-to-be husband, Rob; the young couple were engaged, and she had gone to meet his family in Milford, Mass. Rob’s favorite summer getaway as a child was Cape Cod, and so he took his future wife to a B&B in Chatham.

“It was my first time to Cape Cod,” said Ellen, who grew up in Indiana. “I fell in love with it; I

CAPE CLASSICS Top left: Mitch and Ellen Blasio stop at a remote beach while kayaking over to an area across from the Stage Harbor Lighthouse, in the background.

Top right: Steve and Evi Marnoy proudly display the catch of the day – a big striped bass. Bottom photo: Julie Donaldson’s photo of fishing at dawn, a source of reflection and gratitude.

had never seen anything so beautiful.” The couple continued to rent a place there in the summers, raising their two boys with a Chatham summer getaway. “When we talked a few years ago about a second home, we thought of where we’d want to be, and I just kept coming back to the Cape and to Chatham.” In 2017 they made that dream a reality.

Steve Marnoy also grew up in the Boston area, and Evi went to college in New England, so both felt drawn to that area. So when Evi’s parents moved to New Hampshire, Chatham became their favorite summer escape, and eventually, they bought a home there too. Now it’s a place where their grown children love to come up and go deepsea fishing or golfing, swimming or hiking, shopping in the charming boutiques or just relaxing and soaking up the small-town atmosphere.

For the Donaldsons and the Blasios, that first trip just began to open their eyes to what might

be possible as a family there.

“The kids were outdoors all the time, so they were away from TVs and screens,” Julie said.

They just enjoyed playing croquet and Wiffle ball in the backyard, building sandcastles and boogie boarding, sailing, fishing, and going to the baseball camp run by the 130-year-old Cape Cod Baseball League that is a local institution.

“It’s a great place to raise kids in the summer where they can just be kids,” said Julie.

One of the nation’s premiere summer leagues, the Cape Cod Baseball League is a training and recruitment ground for some of the country’s most talented college players, more than a thousand of whom have gone on to play in the Major League; the Donaldsons and the Marnoys love going to see the Chatham Anglers, the local team.

“The games are free to watch and the whole town comes out,” said Evi.

“It’s like Little League on steroids – it’s beautiful,” added Steve.

For the Blasios, childhood memories with Andrew, now 27, and Mitch, 22, include going to the beach, playing Wiffle ball and going to the Chatham Penny Candy Store and the Ben Franklin five-and-dime for cap guns, Wiffle balls, color-by-number kits and toys; both stores are still there.

A favorite family pastime for many is to pack up a picnic and a blanket and gather on Friday nights around the old-fashioned bandstand in the city park to listen to the Chatham Band.

Tunes from the Big Band era blend with contemporary tunes, and soon everyone’s up on their feet dancing around the bandstand.

Also nostalgic are the town’s popular Fourth of July celebrations, when the town puts on one of the country’s oldest Independence Day parades, where there are (continued on page 38) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 37

CHATHAM CHARM Top photo: Quintessential Chatham, in a photo by Julie Donaldson. Bottom, left: The Donaldson boys, Parker and Andrew – now 24 and 22 – were 7 and 5 on this day at Chatham Anglers’ baseball camp. Bottom right: Evi Marnoy’s children, Jonathan, 25, Sheila, 28, and Michael Newar, 22, on Castor Oil, their boat. (continued from page 37) huge clam bakes at neigh-

borhood parties and beach clubs and fireworks from a barge in the bay. In the wintertime, First Night Chatham is a celebration of the New Year, families and the arts.

Chatham’s charming downtown is an attraction in itself. Ellen loves the Chatham Candy Manor, where the Turner family has been making their own artisanal chocolates since 1955, and the quaint local Chatham Orpheum Theater, founded in 1916 but closed for 25 years before being restored and reopened in 2017.

For Evi and Steve, entertaining at their summer retreat with family and friends is a highlight.

“For people from Texas who have never been to the Northeast, it gives them a chance to explore an area that is so different,” said Steve.

Sometimes they’ll take a ferry to Nantucket, especially for people who have never been there.

“Nantucket is lovely – but it’s three or four times more expensive, and significantly more crowded,” said Steve.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of activities right there in Chatham, with a wide range of fine dining options, two first-rate resorts and excellent golf courses, as well – without even taking into account the expansive beaches and the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, a WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 38

hiker, walker and birdwatcher’s hotspot as it is a haven for many kinds of migratory birds and a year-round home for many others.

Ellen has become an avid birdwatcher. With two bird feeders in her yard and a pair of binoculars, she can often be found watching the birds and tending her hydrangeas. You can frequently find her kayaking the area’s waterways, enjoying the lighthouse, the beautiful homes on the water, the seals, birds and other wildlife.

More experienced kayakers might ply the area’s ocean shoreline, but Ellen contents herself with the approximately four miles of waterway between the Oyster Pond and Mill Pond on the Oyster Pond River, which opens up into Nantucket Sound. “It’s just beautiful, beautiful scenery, and it’s very protected there,” she said.

Favorite restaurants for the three families include the one at Chatham Bars Inn, which serves farm-to-table cuisine on a veranda overlooking the sea. When the Blasios have more guests than they can accommodate in their home, they send the overflow to Chatham Bars Inn, one of the two luxury resorts in Chatham.

Other favorite downtown haunts include the Impudent Oyster, Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse, Del Mar Bar and Bistro, and Bluefins Sushi and Sake Bar.

For Evi and Steve, having the opportunity to enjoy all four seasons is something they’ve missed in Houston, and Chatham affords that opportunity. Springtime with the tender haze of green and then the burst of color from local gardens and wildflowers; breezy summers where nobody sweats unless they want to; fall with brilliant displays of foliage; and winters with their wild nor’easters; each season in turn is a different opportunity to marvel at the power and beauty of nature.

Speaking of nor’easters, for a better sense of Chatham’s history and culture, The Finest Hours, a 2016 film starring Casey Affleck and Chris Pine, chronicles the true story of the most daring rescue in U.S. Coast Guard history. Three men rescued 32 crew members of the SS Pendleton after the ship split apart during a nor’easter off the coast of Chatham.

While not as close to Texas as some other summer destinations, Chatham’s simple, enduring charm and quaint, relaxed atmosphere continues to bring a number of Houston families back year after year.

“We always can’t wait to get back,” said Evi. “The flavor of it is just delightful, and we’re always a little bit sad when we leave. It’s a unique special little place, and we really enjoy sharing it with friends.”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 39

DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Neal Cox

Find out about your favorite chefs in our Chef’s Corner column. This month, restaurant writer Dai Huynh interviews executive chef Neal Cox.

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erusing Tribute’s menu at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is a fun stroll down memory lane.

Tribute proudly pays homage to iconic dishes from Texas, Mexico and Louisiana, superseding Mediterranean-inspired Olivette after 18 years.

Executive chef Neal Cox was at the kitchen’s helm for 10 of those, and it was time for a change, he says, which came as part of a $3 million, 8,026-square-foot renovation.

The facelift kickstarted the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa’s $45 million overhaul after almost 40 years in this secluded 27-acre wooded area in the Galleria area. Here, Neal talks about the concept behind Tribute, the stories behind its famous dishes, and his favorite barbecue spots.

Tribute’s food theme is described as Tex Lex. That’s a new one. What does that mean?

Houston is very diverse, but we asked ourselves, “What are the three areas that we want to cook from, and can we do a really good job?”

We chose Texas, Louisiana and Mexico. That’s how we got the “Tex Lex” theme. We wanted to pay tribute to how Houstonians eat.

Can you provide an example of dishes on the menu that represent these different food cultures?

We got the Ensalada Tijuana, which is basically a Caesar salad, but here, we’re paying tribute to Caesar Cardini, who invented the Caesar salad in Tijuana, Mexico. Wood-fired oysters with chorizo butter is a nod to the Gulf Coast, and one of my favorite places as a child growing up was King’s Inn on Baffin Bay in South Texas, near Corpus Christi. King’s Inn is famous for their fried seafood, and they only have two salads: the Bombay salad and the tomato avocado.

I just put the two together and called it the King’s Inn Salad.

There are little nods like that throughout the menu. The wood-grilled redfish on a half shell.

That’s as iconic as it gets. We’re grilling it over post oak wood and serving it with cascabel salsa.

Were some dishes inspired by family recipes?

We got huevos rancheros on our breakfast WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 40

menu, and that came from Juan Tuch, who is our sous chef. That’s a dish his wife’s mother makes every time they’re down in Mexico.

He asked her if he could put it on our menu, so we call it Doña Licha’s H u e v o s Rancheros. Juan is our south-of-theborder expert. Our chef de cuisine, Jeff Boudreaux, is from Morgan City, Louisiana.

He brings the Louisiana portion to the table, like NEAL COX Executive chef Neal Cox honors our city’s food and restaurant pioneers smoked pork shank on his spring/summer menu at the new Tribute restaurant at the Houstonian Hotel. gumbo. you go to eat?

The menu reflects how Houstonians eat, but also Anything by Hugo Ortega, I’m a fan of. I pays tribute to several food pioneers. think he’s one of the greatest chefs ever. I’m also The smoked crab fingers are our tribute to a barbecue junkie, so on days off, you’ll find me Michael Cordua, whom I worked for for many trying different barbecue. My top favorite is years. We asked, “Michael, can we put your CorkScrew BBQ in Spring (26608 Keith St.). famous smoked crab fingers from Americas and They’ve been at it for a long time. I was eating Churrascos on our menu?” He was thrilled. He their barbecue when they were just a small little came in, tried them, and gave them his blessing. trailer underneath a carport.

On the lunch menu, we have a smoked You can’t not mention Ronnie Killen. He’s a chicken salad that we serve with Goode Co. master at it. Killen’s BBQ (3613 East Broadway, jalapeño cheese toast.

Pearland) is stellar. Not many places have wagyu What’s the best tip you can offer the home cook? brisket on the menu.

People tend to follow manufacturers’ instrucNow, have you heard of a new concept, called tions and cook chicken until it’s 165 degrees.

Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse (19901 Gulf The chicken should be 165 degrees, but that Freeway, Webster)? For us to get there, it’s $20 doesn’t mean you cook it until 165. If you do in tolls and 80 miles round trip, but the food is that, when it rests, it’ll get to 180 degrees. It’ll so good. It’s Southern comfort food, barbecue be dry and overcooked. We call it carryover and steak all on one menu. cooking. One thing I tell everybody is when you think it is ready, just pull it off the stove a little Editor’s note: Buzz dining columnist Dai Huynh bit earlier and let it rest. It will continue to cook is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and and get it to where you need it to be. longtime Houston-based restaurant writer.

When you’re not in Tribute’s kitchen, where do

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 41

Photo courtesy of the Junior League of Houston

FOOD

by Alicia Layfield, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz An Easter celebration Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.

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ith the arrival of spring comes the Easter holiday. Beyond all the egg hunts, bunnies and chocolate candy, Easter is a time for reflection and renewal, as well as celebration.

When putting together an Easter meal, consider traditional options such as chicken, fish or beef, along with simple sides to complement the main courses.

For a refreshing start, consider making Avocado Cucumber Soup with Cilantro from Peace Meals. You can make the chilled soup the day before and serve it in individual decorative cups garnished with a dollop of yogurt, cucumber slice and cilantro.

The Balsamic Glazed Steaks from Peace Meals are a hearty, filling centerpiece for your meal. The balsamic glaze is a buoyant and straightforward finish, but should it not strike your fancy, considering serving the steaks with Blue Cheese Walnut Butter.

For something a little lighter, try the Oven Roasted Bourbon Salmon from Peace Meals.

With brown sugar, bourbon and soy sauce, you’ll get a combination of sweet and savory.

Alternatively, you can prepare Breast of Chicken Beau Monde from The Star of Texas.

For a side, you can whip up some Almond Rice from The Junior League of Houston Cookbook. The rice has a smooth, buttery feel that complements chicken or fish.

Consider pairing the Green Vegetable Medley, also from The Junior League of Houston Cookbook, with your steaks. This recipe calls for frozen vegetables, but if you have fresh vegetables on hand, even better. The Pasta with Spring Vegetables in Saffron Cream Sauce from Peace Meals is a creamy springtime menu addition also calling for vegetables.

While the kids busy themselves with their chocolate goodies, adults will enjoy the juicy fruit flavors of Fresh Blueberry Pie or Fresh Strawberry Pie, both from The Star of Texas.

Each pie is topped off with a dollop of cream.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 42

SPRING INTO STEAK The Balsamic Glazed Steaks from Peace Meals are a good centerpiece for an Easter meal or when hosting company anytime.

They can also be served with a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Each of the recipes, in addition to being tasty, require less than one hour of prep and cooking time, which will allow you to spend more time with your guests. Happy Easter!

Balsamic Glazed Steaks From Peace Meals 4 steaks (about 6 ounces each), such as New York strips or ribeyes, about ¾-inch thick Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary ½ cup Balsamic vinegar Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook for 4 to 6 minutes per side or to desired doneness. Transfer the steaks to a plate and tent with foil. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and rosemary; sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally and being careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in the vinegar and cook until thickened and reduced to a glaze, scraping the bottom of the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place the steaks on a serving dish and return the meat juices to the skillet, stirring to combine. Spoon the glaze

over the steaks and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Avocado Cucumber Soup with Cilantro From Peace Meals 1½ cups chicken broth 2 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped 1 medium sweet onion, chopped (about 1½ cups) ½ to 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped 2 large cucumbers, peeled and chopped (about 2½ cups), plus additional slices for garnish 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional ½ teaspoon coarse salt ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ cup fresh lime juice 1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream) This recipe requires advance preparation.

Puree the ingredients except yogurt in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day. Ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of yogurt, and garnish with cilantro and slice of cucumber.

Serve chilled. Serves 6.

MORE ONLINE See thebuzzmagazines.com for more recipes.

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SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz T

he third time was the charm for the St. Agnes Academy soccer team, which secured the TAPPS Division 1 state soccer championship.

The Tigers claimed the championship in what was their third berth to the state tournament over the last four seasons. “It’s huge, we’ve been knocking on the door, and it’s the first time a Houston girls team has won a TAPPS Division 1 state soccer title,” said Tigers head coach Josh Dolan.

On their way to winning the title, the Tigers posted a dominant 24-1 record, including a victory over UIL 6A defending state champion South Lake Carroll, along with wins over other large UIL 6A powerhouse programs such as Cinco Ranch in the finals of the prestigious I10 Shootout tournament. If all that weren’t enough, Top Drawer Soccer had St. Agnes ranked 12th in the nation among all girls’ high school soccer teams.

“It’s so exciting to get that kind of national recognition,” said Dolan. “We have some extremely talented players on our team. I think we earned it.” Leading the way for St. Agnes was senior sensation Lauren Geczik, who scored a remarkable 50 goals with another 25 assists this past season. Geczik will play collegiate soccer at Texas A&M. In addition, sophomore Leah Klenke scored 25 goals with eight assists, while Dolan also had high praise for the standout play of senior midfielder Grace Noe. “Really, we had 11 strong players on the field, and another 11 on the bench that got us this amazing season.”

In basketball, the Memorial Mustangs ended a 32-year draught by winning its first district championship in boys’ basketball since 1988. “It really was the greatest thing in the world,” said Mustangs basketball coach David Lay. “We had a group of young men who did what we asked them to do day in and day out, and they were rewarded with a district championship. It was phenomenal.”

The Mustangs were led by a phenomenal season from senior Ethan Taylor, who’ll play college basketball at the Air Force Academy.

“Ethan was our confidence guy,” said Lay. “We all knew we’d be in good shape as long as Ethan

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 44

SPC CHAMPIONS For the third year in a row, the St. John’s Mavericks won the Southwest Preparatory Conference girls swimming and diving championship.

was on the court. He averaged 14 points and seven rebounds a game for us.”

Another major contributor for the Mustangs was senior Grayson Buehler, who averaged 13 points and six rebounds a game. Buehler will play college basketball at Dallas Baptist University. “Grayson stretched the defense with his shooting,” said Lay. “I loved the fact that he did a great job of also attacking the bucket.”

In addition, junior Gaston Elie, the son of former Houston Rockets star Mario Elie, played a key role in the Mustangs’ success this season.

“Gaston was just extremely consistent for us all season as a strong defender, rebounder and even scorer,” said Lay. “Our whole team played inspiring ball all year. They truly understood the concept of team basketball and bought into the program 100 percent.”

The St. John’s Mavericks captured the SPC girls swimming and diving championship for the third year in a row, beating Dallas Hockaday by a 22-point margin at this year’s SPC meet. “The kids really stepped up and swam extremely well the entire meet,” said Mavericks swimming and diving coach Ron Raper. “We knew we’d be challenged by Hockaday and also Kinkaid, and we really won it on our overall depth.”

The Mavericks’ depth included a pair of sen-

iors who’ll be swimming at the collegiate level: Sydney Buchman (Kenyon College) and Katie Shelburne (Tufts University). Buchman closed out her career at St. John’s by finishing first in the 100-yard backstroke, while also teaming with Shelburne, Ella Flowers and Georgianna Matthews for a key second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay to clinch the SPC title.

Also winning an individual gold for St. John’s was Flowers, a sophomore who swam to victory in the 200-yard IM. Teammate Ainsley Dodson finished second in the same event. Flowers added to her medal total with a second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. Meanwhile, Matthews was another major contributor individually, with second-place finishes in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. The Mavericks also scored valuable points in diving, with Cai Flowers finishing second in 1-meter diving, while missing out on first place by a mere fraction of a point.

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Awardwinning co-host and producer of the KUBE SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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IRA beneficiary designations What’s the deadline to designate your IRA beneficiaries? The day you die?

Guess again. Before 2002, the deadline was around the year you turned 70½, when mandatory minimum distributions began. Since 2002, the IRS allows until September 30 of the year after death to determine the beneficiary. Now, you can change your beneficiaries until the day you die, and your executor and beneficiaries still have nine more months to fine tune things.

Estate planners tell most married couples to name the other spouse as primary beneficiary of IRAs and other retirement accounts, and the trustee named in the will as sole contingent beneficiary. If both spouses die, and children survive, the trustee distributes the IRA as provided in the will, e.g., outright to adult children and in trust for minors. The minors’ contingent trust is found in the will, not the beneficiary designation form.

The postmortem deadline allows for changes. Mom can survive, disclaim Dad’s IRA within 9 months of his death, and the children get it, legally, and according to Dad’s will, which is read as though Mom predeceased Dad. Come October 1 of the year following death, the IRA beneficiary is final.

Minimum required distributions will vary with the type of beneficiary.

Nondesignated Beneficiaries (nonDBs) include the plan participant’s estate, charities, and trusts, unless the trust is see-through and the trust beneficiary is a Designated Beneficiary. A 5-year payout is the general rule for a nonDB. Designated Beneficiaries (DBs) include individuals and see-through trusts for individuals. Since the SECURE Act, effective January 1, 2020, a 10-year payout is the general rule for a DB. Before, DBs enjoyed a life expectancy payout.

Eligible Designated Beneficiaries (EDBs) include i) the surviving spouse,

ii) the plan participant’s minor children, iii) the disabled, iv) the chronically ill, and v) individuals not more than 10 years younger, e.g., siblings. A life expectancy payout is the happy rule for an EDB. The kicker: when the beneficiary dies, or in the case of the minor children, when they age out, the 10-year rule applies.

Tax-planned wills signed after 2002 usually include see-through trusts. If you have one already, you don’t need a new one to enable the 10-year payout. However, following the SECURE Act, a life-expectancy payout is generally no longer available to see-through trusts for EDBs, e.g., minor children. Parents of minor children should name a trustee as contingent beneficiary anyway, to avoid the expense of a guardianship.

This article was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by the taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer.

We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. 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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SPORTS

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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

SportzBuzz Jr. W

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

Winning on the road The St. Anne Catholic School’s men’s varsity basketball team (top photo) wrapped up a great season in the Galveston-Houston Catholic Athletic Association (GHCAA). The seventh- and eighth-grade boys overcame a major hurdle as they played without a home gym this season.

Construction relocated their games to visiting schools’ gyms, leaving the team without home-court advantage. Despite always being the visiting team, St. Anne came within one win of qualifying for the GHCAA playoffs. The varsity players are (top row, from left) Nolan Hughes, David Neason, Luke Landmesser; (bottom row, from left) Landon Donnelly, Crockett Ruffeno, Tripp Arnold, Nico Gleason and Jake Mendenhall.

A great start Mia Laviage (middle photo) is off to a great start playing tennis. The Horn Elementary School fourth grader was first interested in the sport last year during summer camp at the Jewish Community Center (JCC).

She quickly discovered she has both a talent for and love of tennis, and she now practices about 5 hours each week at the JCC and the Houstonian. Mia hasn’t started competing yet, but she is on her way after winning 4 of 5 matches at the JCC practice tournament. Her training is focused on singles play, and she has developed a great backhand shot from the baseline. She plans to spend lots of time this summer on the court, and hopes to play on her future middle school team.

Defensive power house The Emery/Weiner School’s middle school boys soccer team (bottom photo) finished the season as the Greater Houston Athletic Conference runner up. The strong Jaguars defense made it very difficult for the opposing teams to score goals, and had a huge impact on the outcome of the soccer season. Coached by Ivan Ventura, the entire team contributed to the season’s success, highlighted by notable performances from Jake Levy, Asher Golub, Cory Rubenstein, Eli Karpas and Ethan Wintz. The soccer stars are (top row, from left) coach Ivan Ventura, Jonathon Shellist, Gur Machol, Matthew Curtis, Colin Frank, Eli Karpas, Jake Levy, Joshua Danziger, Jacob Silberlicht, Micah Levin, Cory Rubenstein and Brendan Domsalla; (bottom row, from left) Alex Levy, Jeffrey Sorkin, Asher Golub, Ethan Wintz, Blake Cohen, Asher Bar-Yadin, Brady Dow, Bryan Curtis, Louis Fisher, Evan Melman and Zev Goetz.

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.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 46

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Recognizing signs of substance use disorders Substance and alcohol use work on a lot of different levels; they impact the way that people think, behave and feel. All of these elements can be drivers for the way one acts amongst friends, loved ones and co-workers.

The following are signs to look out for that may be indicative of substance use disorders.

When someone who consumes alcohol begins consuming alcohol in excess or does so with increasing frequency, there may be an underlying issue worth exploring. Further, the inability to stop consuming substances even when a person desires to halt use is a psychological symptom of addiction.

Changes in everyday habits merit looking into when they seem out of character or outside the normal scope of day-to-day activities for a person.

This can include routine activities, like sleeping, eating and taking care of the self and home. If a person suddenly sleeps longer hours, eats more or less than usual, or neglects personal hygiene, there is most likely an underlying clinical reason.

Adjustments in one’s social patterns, like the group of friends that an individual relates to, a shift or disinterest in hobbies, and even a person’s desire to be isolated can be indicative of mental and substance use disorders.

Isolation is particularly common with addictive patterns of behavior, which are not typically socially acceptable.

Defensiveness, elevated mood swings and abnormal secrecy are changes in behavior that can easily be spotted amongst loved ones. These elements may also point to illness.

If you’ve identified any of these behaviors in a loved one, we understand the confusion and pain that you may experience. At The Prairie Recovery Center, we aim to help others with compassion and expertise. Our partnership with patients and their families is of utmost importance; we work collaboratively to restore hope, reframe devastating experiences into meaningful insights, and integrate these key learnings into everyday life.

The Prairie Recovery Center is a serene countryside sanctuary nestled on 46-plus acres of lush green fields in Round Top, Texas. It is part of Ethos Behavioral Health Group, a locally owned and operated family of healing centers in Texas with levels of care ranging from individual therapy to residential care for substance use and mood and personality disorders for people of all ages.

Robert Hilliker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker – Supervisor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and Chief Clinical Officer, The Prairie Recovery Center, 5808 Wagner Road, Round Top, Texas 78954, 713.568.0442, www.txhealing.com

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CATCHING INSPIRATION Sophie Yu, a sixth grader at Emery/Weiner, writes poems about her childhood, family and friends, and imagination.

KIDS

by Sophie Yu, age 12

Buzz Kidz

Let emotions flow onto the page

The Lonely Lily In the morning, the bright, rosy petals of the lone lily in my backyard drip with glossy morning dew each petal soft like my warm, cozy blanket This is one of the poems in a book I published called My Universe. I love reading and writing poems, and I have been writing poetry since third grade. Before this book, my poems had been published in iWrite and Creative Communication’s anthologies. Creating a poem is like pouring emotions out of a tin. You let your emotions flow out onto the page, like a stream, sometimes fast

and furious, sometimes slow and steady.

To write poems and get your feelings down onto the page, you’ll first need inspiration. I get a lot of inspiration from my amazing family and friends. They have helped me make the most of my childhood memories. They cheer me up and make me laugh. All the silly childhood moments also help me gather bits of inspiration that later make their way into a poem.

It’s not just tangible things that can inspire you, though. Observe things you usually ignore in your daily life: the fresh scent of your mother’s new perfume or the sun casting rays of magic across the flowerbed in your backyard. After noticing these tiny details all around you, you realize that your house has become a wonderland, and the floor is lava! Next, you imagine:

The snow you trudge in now becomes cotton clouds that you ride on when you walk to school.

Your pet dog is now a daring dragon.

Writing poetry is all about catching inspiration and expressing where your inspiration and imagination can take you. I hope you’ll enjoy my first poetry book, support Emery/Weiner while doing so, and someday write and share your own poems.

Editor’s note: Sophie’s book is available on Amazon and at Brazos Bookstore. Proceeds will be donated to the Emery/Weiner 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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Why allergy shots don’t work Claritin, Zyrtec, Xyzal, Allegra, Nasonex, Flonase, Singulair. All treat allergy symptoms, but none actually makes you less allergic. You stop the medicine, and it soon stops working. Allergy shots are unique in that if taken at the right dose for at least three years, they can continue to provide beneficial immunologic effects after you stop taking them.

Frequently, though, people say allergy shots don’t work. Why is that?

Most likely, it’s an inadequate dose. To a point, the higher the dose, the better the protection it gives you. Ask your allergist, “How many micrograms of Der p 1 does my maintenance dose for dust mites contain?”

Higher doses are associated with increased side effects, but most reactions are mild – itchy arms, local swelling. Taking antihistamines before getting the shot or applying ice to the site of the shot usually works.

Rarely, high effective doses of allergy shots can cause serious reactions – wheezing, throat tightness, hives all over, even anaphylaxis. That’s why we monitor each patient with a digital timer after each shot, and then send patients out with their own EpiPen or Auvi-Q to use if they have a late reaction. Why else don’t allergy shots work? It’s important to split up some components into separate vials. For example, mold extract can digest grass extract. If you are allergic to several things, but your allergy serum is all in just one vial, it is possible that some of its contents are being degraded. There is enormous variability in how allergy shots are formulated, and how they are dosed. Many allergists continue to follow recommendations made 30 or 40 years ago. At Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic, we base our recipes on guidelines published

in 2011. Maybe that is why we hear “these shots have changed my life” more often than “these allergy shots don’t work.” Need quick relief? Look into our RUSH procedure. Don’t like needles?

Allergy drops that go under the tongue may be a good choice. Though drops are not FDA approved (and therefore not covered by insurance), they are safe, effective and legal.

The cost of $192/month is a lot of money, but consider the time you save not having to go to the doctor’s office to get shots, and that you can take them with you when you travel. Bootleg allergists may offer drops for less money, but you have no certainty that their recipes have any input from physicians certified by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology.

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.

David B. Engler, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic

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sponsored by

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50/50 visitation

Neighborhood Tails Sally, age 2, Schnauzer/Terrier, Ruskin St. My parents adopted me on Dec. 31, 2018, so I literally was their New Year's baby. The shelter said I was fully grown at 26 pounds, but I'm now 60 pounds and still growing! Mom took me to obedience school, and I've got to admit, the lessons worked. I have my family trained perfectly. I've taught them where I like to be petted – behind my ears and under my chin. I'm an early riser, and I lick mom's face until she tumbles out of our bed for my morning walk. When mom goes to work, I hop in my older brother’s bed for more beauty sleep. When I watch TV with dad, I put my head on his lap so I'm comfortable when I fall asleep. Those dog-training sessions were worth every penny. I have my family in the palm of my paw.

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.

Clients often ask me whether they should agree to a “50/50” visitation schedule with the other parent. Sometimes equal parenting time works wonderfully for families, but it can also be impractical and not in the child’s best interest.

The distance between the parents’ homes is an important factor to consider. Equal visitation is unlikely to work if the parents’ residences are far apart because it results in a long commute between homes and to school for the child. It is also necessary to consider the relationship of the parents because a 50/50 visitation schedule requires a lot of communication and interaction. Equal parenting time is unrealistic if there has been a high-conflict divorce.

Most importantly, 50/50 visitation must be in the child’s best interest.

It is critical to focus on the emotional, physical, and social needs of the child, rather than the visitation arrangement that a parent wants in a divorce. When parents live close by and can successfully co-parent, a 50/50 visitation schedule is a good option and can result in a child having meaningful and continuing contact with both parents.

Elizabeth H. Edwards is an associate attorney at Tindall England PC, a family-law firm specializing in divorce, child-custody modifications, grandparent access, paternity, adoption, and premarital and postmarital agreements.

Tindall England PC, 515 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 500, Houston, Texas 77027, 713.622.8733, www.tindallengland.com

Enter The Buzz 2020 Photo Contest and Win a Trip to Telluride Entry Deadline May 15

Entries are now being accepted for our fifteenth annual Photo Contest.

Our grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to Telluride, Colo., which includes four nights’ lodging for two people at The Peaks Resort & Spa, along with four days of skiing for two or two days of golf for two.

Winning photos will be published in our July issue and online beginning July 1.

To submit photos, and for contest rules and prize details, visit thebuzzmagazines.com and click on the banner at the top of the home page.

You can also view our 2019 winners online.

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Quy Tran

NEIGHBORS

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by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Buzz About Town Daniel Ortiz

Lila and Ethan's big day

The Briar Club, honoring 20 years of the Carol Crow Memorial Fellowship. The event was chaired by Brooke and Adam Beebe, Nena and David Marsh, and Meg and Nelson Murray.

Sarah Krueger of Phillips served as the auctioneer, and highlights included iconic prints by Renate Aller, Duane Michals, Joni Sternbach and Debra Barrera, plus pieces from Anderson & Low, Todd Webb, Vanessa Marsh, Julie Blackmon, Andrew Waits and Clarence H. White. HCP raised a record-breaking $300,000.

Pictured are (from left) auction co-chairs Brooke Beebe, Meg Murray and Nena Marsh, honorees Fan Morris, Nancy Allen and Fairfax Randall, and HCP executive director and curator Ashlyn Davis. See hcponline.org.

their stuff on the catwalk, and the title of Animeals Top Pet from the fashion show was awarded to the Pink Ladies Bella and pet parent Karen Jankowski. Kristen Warren performed “Memories” from the Broadway musical Cats.

Event chair was M.A. Shute, and honorary chair was Don A. Sanders. Emcee was Casey Curry. Pictured are (from left) honorary chair Don Sanders, event chair M.A. Shute and honoree Fred Marshall.

Secret garden Emile Brown

Two Hearts Studio

Lila Chanin and Ethan Shear married at Hotel ZaZa Museum District. The ceremony took place in a tent located over the hotel pool and then the celebration moved to the ballroom. Lila and Ethan started dating in 2015 after connecting on a dating app; they first met in elementary school at Robert

Furry friends M. Beren Academy. Parents Belinda Denn and Scott Chanin and Marcia and Jonathan Shear recalled some play dates back when the two were kids, but Lila and Ethan didn’t remember. A few weeks before the wedding, Marcia discovered their class photo from second grade – it turns out Lila and Ethan were sitting next to each other. The newlyweds honeymooned in French Polynesia.

Lila, a graduate of Bellaire High School, is a senior financial analyst at Houston Methodist and will receive her MBA from Rice University this spring.

Ethan, a graduate of St. John’s School and Texas A&M, is a reservoir engineer.

Picture-perfect The Houston Center for Photography (HCP) hosted its 39th Annual Print Auction, held at WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 52

Pet lovers came together at the 7th Annual Wags & Whiskers Brunch (formerly the Best Friends Brunch) held at Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District. The “On Broadway” themed brunch and pet fashion show benefited the Animeals program, which provides free pet food and vet care to more than 1,300 dogs and cats of Interfaith Ministries’ Meals on Wheels homebound seniors. This year’s honoree and longtime Animeals supporter Fred G. Marshall announced a $500,000 donation for the Linda and Fred Marshall Volunteer Welcome Center at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, and the brunch helped raise more than $112,000. A multi-faith invocation was offered from four different faith traditions: Bahai, Hindu, Christian and Jewish. The pets (and their parents) strutted

The Junior League of Houston’s 72nd Annual Charity Ball, themed Secret (continued on page 54)

Kristi Neal (713) 858-4595

Blake Kunetka (713) 545-6599

Melinda Dawes (713) 302-6765

Melissa Granberry (832) 244-5850

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(continued from page 52) Garden, took place over

two nights of fun and philanthropy, raising more than $800,000. The soiree featured displays of flowers, auctions, dinner and a show produced by Dylan Godwin and Logan Keslar. Performers Morgan Daugherty and Jamila Hodge received a standing ovation. Mary Lee Hackedorn Wilkens served as ball chair; Lora Knapp Smith was auction chair; Amanda Boffone was community partner chair; Amy Strickland was decorations chair; Emily-Frances McAdams was entertainment chair; Sally Anne Schmidt was invitations/reservations chair; and Semmes Burns was underwriting chair. Pictured are Charlie and Kelly Beth Hapgood.

Springy things

Wendy Wilkins Burks, Nancy Almodovar with Ella the Frenchie, and Sharon Erskine. See houstonballet.org.

Magical knight The 29th annual Park Lovers’ Ball was a magical affair with nearly 600 neighbors and friends gathering in the Ballroom of the Americas downtown for “A Medieval Knight in the Park.”

The event raised more than $490,000 to benefit the parks and greenspaces of West University Place. Event co-chairs were Mary Frances and David DuMay and Kimberly and John Carr Eads. The event honored supporter IBC Bank; president Jeff Samples accepted the acknowledgement. Emcee was Ilona Carson of ABC13.

Auction co-chairs were Laura Avila and Elizabeth Rambin; underwriting and sponsorship co-chairs were Lindley (continued on page 56) Buz Marvin

The 2020 Nutcracker Market Spring Committee gathered at Nancy Almodovar’s

home for a kickoff event. Nutcracker Market Spring will take place at NRG Center April 1719, with apparel, accessories, gourmet food, men’s items, and gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation. The market is a fundraiser for the Houston Ballet Foundation, academy and scholarships. Pictured are committee members (top of the stairs) Kirksey Gregg, Susan Lehmann, C.C. Conner Jr., Katrina Arnim, Gay Currie, Carol Howes, Mary Alice Parmet, Cecilia Campbell, Tua Burke, Eileen Murphy, Cheryl Zane, Kathryn Riddles, Lynda Transier, Casey Rowe, Christine Sofka, Susan Inger, Cynthia Brown, Sally Miller, (standing, back row, from left) Denise Malone, Myrna Fisch, Megan Kessler, John Kendall, Kaylon Phillips, Ann Bean, Jean May, Gaylon Gullquist, Denise Kay, Daisy Perez, Patsy Chapman; (sitting, from left) Marilyn Ragsdale,

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 54

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Daniel Ortiz

Katy Anderson Photography

and Emily Yardley, and décor co-chairs were Lauren Droubi and Kelly Beth Hapgood. Pictured are (from left) event co-chair Mary Frances DuMay, Friends executive director Donna LaMond and event co-chair Kimberly Eads. See westuparks.org.

established in honor of James Broach who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2011. Despite difficult treatments, James knew he wanted to make a difference in the fight to cure brain cancer. Along with his wife, Priscilla Dickson

(continued from page 54) Arnoldy

Women on a mission

ter Emeline Grier died in a drowning accident at 19 months old. Chairs were Susan and Charlie Neuhaus and Kate and Logan Walters, and honorary chairs were Giggy and Matt Thanheiser and Paul and Rusty Walter. More than $550,000 was raised from the luncheon.

Lindy Neuhaus, mother of Bo Neuhaus – whose death at the age of 12 inspired Bo’s Place, a safe place for bereaved families to come for grief support – introduced the Robin Bush Award Honorees, the Upton family. Wade Upton spoke on behalf of his deceased wife, Ginger, and his daughters and their spouses, Dr. Lindy Upton McGee and Mr. Tom McGee and Mrs. Katie Upton Daily and Mr. John Daily.

The Robin Bush Award is given each year in memory of Robin Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush and Barbara Bush, who were early supporters of Bo’s Place. Pictured are (from left) Charlie and Susan Neuhaus, Bode Miller, executive director Mary Beth Staine, and Kate and Logan Walters.

Shopping for a cause

About 140 “Women on a Mission” came together in service to their sisters during the 2020 Junior Forum convention benefitting Christian Community Service Center and Dress for Success Houston. This year’s project, organized by the Houston Junior Forum, was 100 backpacks loaded with necessities (food, sunscreen, socks, rain ponchos, hygiene products) and extras (lipsticks and chocolates) to be given out to women in need through CCSC’s Emergency Services centers and 100 purses to be given out through the nonprofit Dress for Success Houston. Pictured are (from left) Laura Hellums, Pamela Blakely, Linda Gordon and Houston Junior Forum president Debbie Berner dropping off the backpacks.

Laugh the night away The Broach Foundation for Brain Cancer Research will host its 9th annual Stand-Up for Brain Cancer Gala on April 16 at River Oaks Country Club. This year’s featured comedian will be Mike Vecchione, who has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central and more. The Broach Foundation was WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 56

Jamie, he established The Broach Foundation to raise funds and awareness for adult brain cancer research. Pictured are Jeff and Jamie Broach Byrd. See thebroach foundation.org.

Hearts and hope Nonprofit Bo’s Place celebrated 30 years at the sold-out Hearts of Hope Luncheon with more than 800 attendees at the Westin Galleria.

Guest speaker was alpine skier Bode Miller, the second most decorated Winter Olympic athlete in U.S. history. In an interview with emcee Lisa Malosky, Miller shared his family’s grief journey and how they coped with tragedy when daugh-

The 55 Plus Club at Saint Catherine of Siena took a bus tour to spend a day shopping at the Charity Guild Shop (1203 Lovett Blvd.). The group was led by Annette Brooks. After touring the apparel, furniture, books, jewelry, handbags, crystal, silver and household departments, they grabbed baskets and took to the aisles. Pictured are (from left) Kelly Mooze and Susan Martin.

Charity Guild of Catholic Women operates the consignment shop, which funds services to disadvantaged children. See charityguildshop.org.

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

Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 57

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch

Mean girls: Take 2

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egina George is alive and well, right here in Houston. Actually, the meanest mean girl in Tina Fey’s musical (also a 2004 movie) of that name – Mean Girls – lives in every high school and middle school, every PTO and club, even many senior living communities (more on that in a minute).

If you ever were a girl, or if you’ve been a girl mom, or even if you know some girls, you will be able to name the Regina George(s) in your world.

They’re the ones seeming to have it all together, running the cliques, setting the rules. They’re telling us we can only hang out with their group if we sit at a specified lunch table, turning corners of classrooms into exclusive domains.

That’s not to say that Regina doesn’t have her boy counterpoint. In fact, a University of Georgia study found it’s often the boys who are spreading rumors and excluding peers. We’ll look at that another time.

I always wondered about my mom’s inability to forget a mean girl incident I dealt with in fifth grade. I don’t even remember what happened, but a girl said something unkind to me (or at least I interpreted it that way), and I came home crying. (It could have been about my frizzy hair that I’d tried unsuccessfully to plaster down by wrapping it around an empty frozen orange juice can while sleeping, but that’s not the point.)

This girl and I are dear friends now, and neither of us remembers the encounter. But my mother is never going to forget, and when my girls – her granddaughters – complained over the years about not-so-nice girls, she’d say, “Well, you know your mom’s friend [so-and-so] was so mean to her in fifth grade.” Let it go, I’d think silently as I turned my head to roll my eyes.

But then these moments started happening in my own girls’ lives. And I’ll tell you: I will never forget the girl who greeted one of my children with, “That’s a really ugly dress,” at a seventhgrade party. I won’t forget the girl who told one of my girls she just didn’t have enough room in her house to let her come to the party. I will definitely never forget the girl who tried to teach my daughter the cool way to walk so that she could be friends with her. These girls may – probably will – grow into incredible women and supWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ APRIL 2020 58

portive friends, maybe for my girls, and I will love them. But I won’t forget.

Mom, I get it.

The funny part of it, though, the part I really don’t get, is the part where the moms are right there in the middle of things.

When they’re watching all of this happening, and they’re turning their heads. Or worse, they’re doing it to each other.

Aren’t we supposed to be telling our girls they’d better be nice to everyone – or else!?

My friend Betsy Rapoport edited R o s a l i n d Wiseman’s 2002 Queen Bees and Wannabes (the A ROUGH CROWD Most mean girls grow out of their mean stages – but somebook that Mean times not.

Girls the movie and feel your own real power, too often you’ll opt for the musical were based on), and she co-authored the bogus power of bossing other people around.”

Queen Bee Moms & Kingpin Dads, the one “about Back to that senior living home. A friend tells the awful parents,” as she puts it. I thought she us that her mother, who is 92, will only play might have a little insight. cards or dine with a small, exclusive group of “Middle and high school are brutal times,” women. “I’m always embarrassed,” the daughter Betsy says. “Everyone is trying to solidify their says, “because people will ask me to ask my mom social standing. Being cast out of your peer to invite their parent or friend who is new to the group is so terrifying that girls will do almost nursing home to dinner or for a visit. I feel awful anything, including selling out their friends, to because I’ll ask, but I know she’s set in her ways.” stay included.

Like the rest of us, the Regina Georges out “Unfortunately, Queen Bee girls often grow up there grow up. Sometimes, hopefully, they grow to be Queen Bee Moms. They don’t outgrow the out of their Queen Bee roles. But I won’t be too desire to stay on top of the social hierarchy, surprised if we’re all sitting around the card table because it feels almost literally life-threatening to in our 90s, still trying to figure it all out. be demoted or ignored. When you don’t own or behance.net/runamokstudios

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