The West University Buzz - February 2019

Stitching

2019 Summer Camp Guide

Frida Kahlo

Love Stories Mardi Gras in New Orleans

by Cathy Gordon

Chef’s Corner: Charles Carroll Mom-Daughter Singing Duo From Loss, a New Life Robin Russell

Being a Grandparent An Ode to Chocolate

Houston, TX

Out-Of-The-Way Louisiana

Permit No. 2047 PAID US Postage PRSRT STD

Travel Buzz: Anniversary in Europe

AND

The Next Generation Family Office

JEFFREY RILEY JAMES WATERS

EDITOR’S NOTE By the time this issue goes to print, I may or may not have been busted. It depends whether there is video from a friend’s daughter’s recent baby shower.

That afternoon happened to be the same day as the Texans’ Wild Card game. I put myself in charge of handing the momma-to-be her many gifts. Before she could get the tape off a perfectly wrapped pink bow, I had the next five lined up ready for her to open. The oohs and awws didn’t have a chance to sink in. One friend claims I was almost throwing the gifts at the pregnant guest of honor. Not my proudest moment. But this was the biggest game of the year. And my team needed me. I made it home in time to watch the second half, and, it turns out, I would have been better off enjoying that shower instead of watching a disappointing ending. Lesson learned. I will make it up to my dear friend and her future grandbaby – as long as she arrives before the Rockets hit the playoffs. If you have a grandbaby in your circle or your future, vow to be wiser than I and read this month’s Being a Grandparent by Cheryl Ursin and Small is the New Big by Cindy Gabriel. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com

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

Contributing Writer 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 Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Jennifer Oakley Cheryl Ursin Russell Weil Annie Schorfheide Andrea Blitzer Stephanie Goldfield Leslie Little

On our cover: Robin Russell models her Frida Kahlo jacket, a labor of love with every stitch.

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 © 2019 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 FEBRUARY 2019 4

Get Ready for Summer

Patio covers • Outdoor living rooms Outdoor kitchens • And more!

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WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 5

MAILBAG

Your letters, thoughts, opinions Need for dog fosters I recently read your January article called Must Love Dogs [by Annie Blaylock McQueen, January 2019] and was so happy to read that so many people are opening their homes to Houston animals. We are always looking for ways to help as many animals as possible. I currently work at BARC Animal Shelter & Adoptions, where we have a foster program for our shelter animals and are always looking for new foster homes. The program was recently relaunched and has been helping us find temporary homes for our many shelter pets. In addition to fostering, we have a volunteer program and, of course, an adoption program at the shelter.

Jennifer Barrera Wandrey Editor’s note: Thanks, Jennifer. We’ve added this information on our website.

See the online story at thebuzzmagazines.com.

What the doctor ordered I just wanted to share my thoughts about how wonderful this article is [When I’m 64: Comfortable in my own skin, by Cindy Gabriel, November 2018]. Though there are many things I love about it, my favorites are “Now that I’m Finally Comfortable in My Own Skin, It’s Wrinkled” and “When I notice myself feeling anxious, judgmental or worried, I call myself out and sit on the bench until it goes away.” Statements like these kick the door of depression and anxiety off the hinges and open up doorways of peace, joy and laughter. In short, it makes me want to live life to the fullest and squeeze every drop of toothpaste out of the tube of life. This article is absolutely life transforming! If I was a doctor I would prescribe this article for every one of my patients dealing with low self-worth. Laughter is good medicine for the heart, and this was just what the doctor ordered.

Ivan Lonzo

Kudos to Andria and Tracy Many thanks to Andria Frankfort for the wonderful story on the Junior League cookbooks [50 Years of Junior League Cookbooks, November 2018] and to Tracy Barnett for inspiring us to Go Green [eco-friendly Going Green series], and to all the Buzz writers and editors whose love for our community shows in every issue.

Margery Anderson

Omission in cookbooks story The editor of the Houston Junior League Cookbook [referenced in 50 Years of Junior League Cookbooks] was Mrs. Lorenzo Boykin Taylor (Marilyn), and she is still living. Each recipe was tested three times and graded to ensure quality, as well as to cull the many recipes submitted. Tasting gatherings were had to evaluate multiple entries of the same dish.

Marilyn was particularly proud of the index listing ingredients alphabetically since it was done before computers. The index is very helpful for utilizing leftovers. I believe this book continues to be the best seller of all and paved the way for the success of the subsequent books. Marilyn’s work has WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 6

provided pleasure for generations of Houstonians.

PS: I went camping in Colorado with Marilyn and her family to celebrate the completion of the book. Thank you for a great magazine.

Ann Witt Editor’s note: Ann, thank you for letting us know. We revised this portion of the online version of the article. See thebuzzmagazines.com.

Making mention of mensches It is heartwarming to read that youngsters like Daniel Weinstein are taking an interest in Yiddish [Kvelling Over Yiddish, by Deborah Lynn Blumberg, January 2019]. Your readers may wish to know that the internet offers a cornucopia of resources for Yiddish. YouTube has countless songs, film clips, documentaries, lectures, and interviews in – or about – Yiddish. The website ingeveb.org offers articles, commentaries, and Yiddish texts with translations side by side. The National Yiddish Book Center website has digitized thousands of Yiddish books, as well as more than a hundred that have been recorded orally by native speakers. The YIVO Encyclopedia online is a veritable treasure of information, photos, and videos covering every aspect of the culture that flourished in yiddishland in the 1,000 years of its existence.

Maurice Wolfthal 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.

What’s your story?

We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Have funny or sweet sibling stories.

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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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by Deborah Lynn Blumberg, staff writer

Sara Stanley Photography

NEIGHBORS

From Loss, a New Life With help from her circle of friends

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hen Buzz-resident pediatrician Larissa Adkins Fletcher learned her husband, John, had Stage 4 esophageal cancer, one of the first things she told him was that she wanted to have another baby.

At the time, Larissa, 37, and John had a daughter, Emma, nearly 1. But Larissa always envisioned a larger family, and she knew she wanted that family with John. So, before John started an aggressive course of chemotherapy in an effort to save his life, he banked sperm. After just seven months of treatment, Larissa said goodbye to her husband of four years, a 42-yearold marathoner and accountant who grew up in upstate New York.

This summer, nearly two years later, she and little Emma said hello to a healthy baby girl, Elliana Joy, Larissa’s second child with John.

“Ellie’s a really good baby. She smiles all the time,” said Larissa, who had her eggs retrieved, and then an embryo implanted after John passed away. As she grieved for John, planning for the baby “was the one thing that kept pushing me forward,” she said. In her home, pictures of John before he got sick line a bookshelf he built by hand.

Larissa and John met in 2010 the “new-fashioned way,” Larissa said – online. On their first date, they were so nervous they drank enough water to keep them both in the bathroom all night. They had their second date at an aquarium, and a year later got engaged. After Larissa finished her residency, they married at a restaurant in Hawaii overlooking the beach. “It was a fairytale,” said Larissa, with a smile.

John and Larissa built their dream home in Pearland, with enough space for four kids. “We were both planners,” she said. “John had an Excel spreadsheet of vacations we were going to go on. We had everything planned out.” They had Emma, then decided to start trying for child number two when Emma turned a year old. It was around that time when John started feeling sick, with constant reflux.

After tests, Larissa recalls, “the doctor came out to talk to us, and said, you have cancer.

Esophageal cancer is what killed my father. I knew it wasn’t good.” Yet, they pursued treatWEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 8

ment. “We had to fight,” Larissa said.

“I know we gave it our all. I can tell my girls that. Your dad fought.” Near the end, John came home on hospice care.

Emma spent hours with her dad, placing stickers up and down his arms.

Before John died, he and Larissa knew they had five healthy embryos. Larissa had the first implanted the summer after he FAMILY FOREVER Larissa Adkins Fletcher wanted to have another baby with her husband, John, who was diagnosed with cancer. Elliana Joy, little sister to Emma, was born passed away, but nearly two years after John passed away. the pregnancy didbaby “sprinkle” for Larissa. Koenig is also part of n’t take. “I was devastated because this was our a Houston women physicians group, and a plan,” she said. She took the next month off to national group on Facebook of physician-mom de-stress. Then, she had another embryo craft enthusiasts, and recruited women to handimplanted, and in October found out she was make baby items for Larissa. pregnant. Soon after, she and Emma moved to One woman made a bib printed with “Future Westbury to be closer to friends and fellow Doctor.” Another knit a pink hat and matching church members. headband with turquoise bows. Larissa also At the hospital, in labor with Ellie, Larissa received canvases made of fabric and wood that surrounded herself with photos from her honeyspell out Elliana’s name. The set, which hangs moon. She also wore John’s wedding ring on a in Elliana’s room, matches one Larissa and John chain around her neck. She’d had it engraved made for Emma when she was born. The local for him years earlier. It reads: “I trust you.” women doctors group threw the afternoon tea Ellie looks much like Emma did at this age, party at Kiran’s for more than 70 attendees. says Larissa, cute, bald and chubby. She’s also Three women doctors – including Stephanie calmer than her older sister, more “go with the Deal in Bellaire – donated frozen breast milk to flow,” Larissa says. John would have relished make feeding Elliana easier on Larissa, and playing with Emma – taking her to the park – church members set up a meal chain for the famwhile Larissa cared for Ellie. ily after Elliana arrived.

With no local family that can support her, “I think John,” said Koenig, “would be Larissa has relied heavily on the kindness of her extremely proud of Larissa.”

Houston friends and neighbors, both during her Larissa knows John would have fallen in love pregnancy and now that Elliana has arrived. with Ellie. “He’d want to hold and play with her Kim Koenig of Meyerland, an MD Anderson all the time. I can imagine exactly how he would oncologist and fellow member of Larissa’s have been with her.” church, South Main Baptist, helped organized a

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NEIGHBORS

by Cindy Gabriel, staff writer

Small is the New Big A life form has entered the planet

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e interrupt this regularly scheduled column to bring you this bulletin. A small but significant – make that magnificent – creature has entered Earth’s atmosphere, as the first known grandchild on either side of the Gabriel-Weber family. We reserve the right to stop you in the grocery store and shamelessly show pictures, as we try to put words to this phenomenon of yet-unknown proportion.

This fresh-from-heaven creature seems to have brought a piece of it with him, as we rearrange ourselves in the fount of his presence.

Whatever this is, it has found something deep in each of us that has been waiting to arise, along with him, to puffy marshmallow clouds, as we dance and play in a strange new place called Grandparent Land.

So much more has been born in this tiny package than one person. Eli-the-Guy has spawned new parents, four new grandparents, aunts, uncles and other kindred spirits who will be added accordingly to his infant, but expanding world.

We are allowed to sit, gaze, cuddle and just be, without feeling like we should be doing something else. He is so human, and yet so pure and un-labeled. He is us, without the artificial add-ons.

Authentic. Not worried or self-conscious.

Diaper withstanding, he has the cleanest record in the family.

We are the ones who need help.

Already, little Eli has this habit of putting his right hand up around his temple, as if he’s shielding himself from the passing, the gazing and cooing, while he pulls himself together.

Take it from me, little Eli, this human being thing is not easy. Your grandparents have been here a long time, and we are still trying to get a handle on it.

I was a wreck before you got here three weeks early. What? My Christmas baby is coming December 7th? The Day of Infamy? Maybe that’s why I – yes, I, your grandmother – was throwing-up with a headache the night before you were born. Here your sweet mama is awaiting the most monumental moment of her life, and it’s suddenly all about me.

And while you aren’t the first baby to come

into a home without a working dishwasher, a part has been ordered, and it will eventually arrive. When your papa went home to check on it, he discovered no electricity in the front half of the house.

I can’t tell you how little all of this mattered, given the most amazing gift of your sweet perfect selfness that has been bestowed upon us. Those cushy clouds seemed to float down among us and buffer all the usual uncomfortableness of socalled real life.

When it was time to pack you up and take you home, your papa looked puzzled.

Where were his keys? We still don’t know. You had to come home in ELI-THE-GUY Eli Gabriel Weber was born Dec. 7, 2018, to Julia and Morgan Weber.

Mama’s car as yourself arrive in great regularity. because Papa’s needed to be towed from the hosIt seems that even before this happened to us, pital. it has been happening to other people we know No wonder your hand reaches for your forefor a long time. We wondered why they did head; you are beginning to sense what awaits strange things like move to other states to be you. You’ve got a crew of beginners here. If ever with their grandchildren, and turn down the there was an alpha child, you are it. We have annual Christmas gatherings to babysit. much to learn from you.

Now, I’m suddenly seeing babies dropping But the good news is, you are not alone. Every from heaven like snowflakes. To think that this day, it is becoming increasingly apparent that has been going on all along. I have clearly been we are not the only people experiencing this paying attention to the wrong things. strange phenomenon. It seems that bundles such

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 10

Play Based, Whole Brain, Whole Body, Whole Child

OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, February 19th, 9:30-10:30am Please RSVP: admin@beehivecoop.org Located on the West University Elementary School campus Preschool & Summer Camp Registration Begins February 19th beehivecoop.org 3756 University Blvd, Houston, Texas 77005 • 713.660.7642

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 11

lawellphoto.com

NEIGHBORS

by Cathy Gordon, staff writer

Stitching Frida Kahlo The creativity of Robin Russell the hunt for cool things for art projects.”

Her hands have been busy since young girl days in Devine, Texas, a ranching community near San Antonio. Her maternal grandmother, Lucie Matilda Trader Filson, hand-hemmed linen napkins and tablecloths. She crafted Christmas stockings, crocheted afghans. Robin, the youngest child in the family, and the only girl, must learn to sew, her grandma decided.

So she convinced sewing class instructors at San Antonio’s Joske’s department store to let FULL-ON FRIDA Robin Russell is a colorful sight in her music room, her handcrafted needlepoint pillows accessorizing the settee. Inset: The artist models her the 6 year old enroll. flowery Frida tribute jacket, a labor of love with every stitch.

It was here that Robin counselor who’d inquired, “Have you ever learned the physics of a good stitch, the mechanics thought of going to medical school? Law school?” of morphing fabric into clothes. She remembers “Life experiences opened my eyes to other sewing an apron, and a royal blue cotton skirt that possibilities. I didn’t necessarily have to be a she wore to church. home economics teacher in Devine, Texas, to “I wound up sewing all my clothes and all my do sewing and needlepoint.” She graduated with mother’s clothes,” she says. an interdisciplinary economics degree in interAs years wore on, her creative passion led national trade, then moved on to Baylor Law to thoughts of becoming a home economics School. teacher. “All the home ec teachers in Devine Seems law and craft share some skill sets. were the cool role models. They had the pret“The skills of a good lawyer include attention ty clothes and cute little houses and were marto detail, while at the same time being able to ried to Aggie ranchers,” she recalls. “That’s step back and see the big picture,” Robin what I wanted.” explains. “What is your client’s ultimate goal?

So the class valedictorian of Devine High An artist needs the same skills, the ability to School set off for Texas Tech University, full visualize the final piece and the patience and scholarship, to get a home economics degree. attention to detail to get there.”

An exchange-student trip to Japan before freshLast summer, big picture in mind, Robin careman year had further cemented her love of craft. fully applied appliques, embroidery and preciShe hand-sewed a kimono with the host family’s sion stitches to denim, slowly turning ordinary grandmother. Never mind the language differjacket into extraordinary art. Like Frida, she ence. Hands did the talking, stitch by stitch. wears it proudly, a statement of self.

While in college, Robin taught herself needleBut I’m going to be very careful with it,” she point. But a required economics course also says. “Heaven help me if I spill anything on it.” intrigued. She thought back to a high school

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 12

lawellphoto.com

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ich, textured blouses, accented in embroidery. Chunky necklaces. Vibrant, full skirts that swept the floor. To legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, she of dark unibrow and ribbon-braided hair, clothing was a means of self-expression. She wasn’t one to fade into the scenery.

But then, the same can be said of Buzz resident Robin Russell. At least this day. In her selfmade Frida Kahlo tribute jacket.

“I love everything about her,” says the enthusiastic Frida fan, her denim jacket abloom in floral stitchery, embroidered felt circles, appliques and sewn-on pieces from vintage apparel.

Robin’s wearable homage is a full-on Frida frenzy in flowers, birds and monkeys, with the icon’s stoic face, topped in pink bouquet, as centerpiece on the back.

“It was so much fun to make,” says Robin, modeling the apparel in her West University home. “For my 50th birthday, a bunch of girlfriends rented a house at San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. There’s a town close by where Frida and her husband had lived for a while. Such a great trip. Color everywhere.”

The more color, the better, where Robin’s concerned. Her second-floor home studio is a kaleidoscopic explosion of craft projects, fun trinkets, folk art and works-in-progress.

Needlepoints. Art quilts. Hand mirrors adorned in flowery brooches made from shells. Holidaythemed tabletop trees, sparkling in baubles.

This is her temple of creativity, her go-to place when not poring over bankruptcy litigation and other matters of import as deputy managing partner of the large law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth.

“I can get lost in here,” she says. “It’s good for the soul.”

This is a major lawyerly abode, shared with husband Jim Paulsen, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. He has his own creative lair here, a two-story law library with books galore and fun, foraged finds.

Expert scavengers, this empty-nester couple.

They love to hit a good garage sale.

“Thrifting is my favorite thing,” says Robin.

“West U garage sales are amazing. I’m always on

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 13

NEIGHBORS

by Angie Frederickson, staff writer

It Started at Family Camp From talent show to mom-daughter singing duo lawellphoto.com

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ike any performer with an imagination, long before she was a professional musician, teenage guitarist and singer Claire Justice picked out a band name. While attending family camp at Laity Lodge, a Christian retreat center in the Hill Country, she and her mom, Lindsey, stood at the headwaters of the Frio River, looked at a massive cliff face and envisioned the caverns throughout the canyon.

“If we are ever in a band, we have to call it Cliffs and Caves,” Claire said.

One year later, that daydream became reality when the mother-daughter duo returned to family camp and entered the talent show. Lindsey remembered Claire’s idea and entered their act as “Cliffs + Caves.” They performed a cover of English singer-songwriter James Bay’s alternativerock song Let It Go and were so moved by the experience of singing together on stage, they decided to turn Cliffs + Caves into something real.

They came home, created an Instagram page and started making videos at their home in Memorial. The production was anything but high tech. To get a good angle, they set Lindsey’s phone on an old, broken ladder, and held it upright with a box of chicken stock.

Their indie-folk appeal spread beyond friends and family, and their Instagram page was spotted

by Grammy-nominated producer Jamie Candiloro. Within months they traveled to meet him at his Hollywood studio, and began working on their first EP release. Since then, they have created two extended-play albums and performed dozens of times in venues around Texas, including McGonigel’s Mucky Duck in Houston off Kirby and the House Pasture in Concan.

They have always loved music. Before becoming a professional singer, Lindsey, an interior designer, sang at church and family weddings.

Claire’s pre-professional credits include choosing the radio station in the car, rolling down the windows, and singing loudly while riding with her mom. Husband/dad Tye and son/little brother Blake don’t consider themselves musical people, but Lindsey says Blake has a great voice, and Tye does a pretty perfect George Strait impression.

Claire, now a sophomore at Memorial High School, composes the music for Cliffs + Caves

COUCH COLLABORATION Home is the perfect place for Cliffs + Caves’ Claire (left) and Lindsey Justice to try out new lyrics and guitar melodies.

while Lindsey writes most of the lyrics. They both sing, taking the lead role on lyrics for different songs. The result is a soulful sound that makes you wonder if it’s R&B, folk or rock.

Their new EP, Capsize, comes out this month on cliffsandcaves.com and music platforms like Spotify, iTunes and Apple Music.

The duo relies on Lindsey’s calm demeanor and love of structure and organization to create set lists and schedule performances. Claire, who balances music with an already full schedule of high school classes, basketball, volleyball and soccer, offers an outgoing confidence and willingness to try new things and accept criticism.

“I get nervous every time I sing,” said Lindsey, while Claire performs boldly and loves it. When Cliffs + Caves performed at an open-air venue in the Hill Country town of Concan, a scheduling mishap left them without time for a sound check. Going on stage without that preparation panicked Lindsey, and she told Claire she couldn’t do it. Claire turned to her mom and said, “Suck it up, Buttercup. We’re doing this.” And they did.

With Capsize coming out soon, mother and

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 14

daughter are up working late most nights. “This is a win for me,” says Lindsey. “I mean, who gets to hang out with their teenage daughter as much as I do?” Lindsey gets to peek at circulating memes and who Snapchats late at night. “I’m in the know,” she said.

Capsize shows their growth since the early days at the talent show. Working with a new producer, Chris Jacobie, they focused on digging deeper to create stronger lyrics and music. Their challenge is finding a way to sing like they speak and not settle for the obvious. “This EP is different from the first,” said Claire. “We have a lot less noise going on and a lot more feeling in the words.”

In a couple of years, Claire heads to college, which will bring a new perspective and perhaps more songwriting material. “We know it’s completely in God’s hands, wherever He wants to take this,” Lindsey said. “We are just enjoying each moment as it comes.”

MORE ONLINE See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links to their music and social media.

TRAVEL

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Pilgrimage to New Orleans Going home for Mardi Gras

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aura and David Favaloro grew up in New Orleans, one street apart. They’ve lived in Houston since Laura passed the Texas bar and David finished his MBA at Tulane, but David made one thing clear when they moved here permanently. He wanted their yet-to-beborn children to love their hometown.

Which is how the annual family pilgrimage to Mardi Gras began.

“We’ve always taken our kids to Mardi Gras,” Laura says of daughters Allison, who is a freshman at TCU, and Courtney, a recent TCU graduate. “People think of it as so wild and crazy, but there’s a big family part which is people together with their kids watching parades.”

David loves Mardi Gras so much – “more than Christmas,” Laura says – that he makes arrangements for Houston friends to gather every year in New Orleans. Last year, the multigenerational group topped out at 78 revelers.

(They stayed in a block of rooms at Loews New Orleans Hotel.)

The Favaloros like to schedule a leisurely Friday brunch at Commander’s Palace to kick off the festivities, but other than that, “we don’t try to go to nice restaurants that weekend because there’s so much going on,” Laura says. “We do a lot of going to parades and grabbing po-boys and standing in line [to eat] at Mother’s [Restaurant].”

But their favorite po-boy isn’t really a po-boy – it’s the oyster loaf at Casamento’s on Magazine Street. “You can get po-boys a lot of places, but this is different because these are served on really thick loaf bread that they’re famous for, not the French bread,” Laura says. “And it’s a really neat old restaurant. It’s all tiled, and the kitchen, which you walk through to go to the bathroom, still has sawdust on the floor so they can move around well. It’s like stepping back in time.”

Note that Casamento’s closes for the summer.

Not necessarily during Mardi Gras, the Favaloros like to send friends to Antoine’s restaurant in the French Quarter. They especially advise ordering the baked Alaska for dessert, and asking for a tour of the Rex Room, named for NOLA’s prestigious krewe (one of the groups that puts on Mardi Gras each year). “If you make a reservation, you’ll sit in the front room, but if

AN INSIDER'S GUIDE Laura, Allison, Courtney and David Favaloro make an annual trip to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where Laura and David grew up.

you ask to sit in the back, that’s where the New Orleanians sit. It’s a whole different restaurant.”

The Rex Room is full of Mardi Gras royalty and parade memorabilia in purple, green and gold. There also is a secret entrance where, during Prohibition, people would come in to drink.

“When we lived there, my dad would entertain [at Antoine’s] all the time, and we went in a separate back entrance so we didn’t have to go through where all the tourists were,” Laura says.

“You had a password to get in.”

Galatoire’s – another Favaloro favorite, a classic French Quarter restaurant with a celebratory feel – is similarly quirky. Make a reservation, and you’ll sit upstairs. “But if you want to be in the fun part, you’re downstairs,” Laura says. Which means a wait in line (some die-hards have hired “line guys” to brave the often two-hour wait, then call when a table is available). Galatoire’s downstairs is the place where, literally, lunch turns into dinner because guests stay put all afternoon. Laura says, “It’s a party all the time.”

Jacques-Imo’s (“a funky Uptown restaurant with great food and a Cajun cottage feel”) and Ruby Slipper (“most delicious breakfast in the

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 16

city … a fabulous Bloody Mary”) are two more Favaloro choice picks.

Although it’s hard to fit all the great New Orleans restaurants into a few days, there is more to do than eat. The Favaloros recommend a walking tour of the French Quarter, saying, “Every time we’ve done it, we learn something different about the Quarter and the history.”

There are several companies to book with; Laura says they have all been good. “The other one we haven’t done, but everyone says is great, is the cemetery tours. There are so many famous people and all these stories about their families.”

Also on the list: Preservation Hall for jazz; Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World to see the famous floats in production; drinks at the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone and the Hot Tin rooftop bar at The Pontchartrain Hotel; shopping on Magazine Street and at Adler’s on Canal Street (“In addition to beautiful jewelry, they have many gifts with a New Orleans connection.”). Beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde are the final must – the Favaloros say not to be intimidated by the line. “It moves fast and is so worth it!”

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 17

lawellphoto.com

NEIGHBORS

by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer

Being a Grandparent Connection and a big love

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uzz residents sometimes have a hard time describing what being a grandparent is like. One new grandmother could only say, “It’s different than I expected. It’s better.”

“There is nothing better than grandkids,” declares Dessiree Medrano, grandmother of six, ages 2 to 11, all of whom live within walking distance of her Bellaire home, with another due in May. “The love is so different, so special.”

Robin Davis, who moved from Corpus Christi to Houston about six years ago, has two grandchildren: Max, 4, and Charlotte, 9 months. “It’s like they’re your children,” she says, “just grander.” At grandparents day at Max’s preschool, Robin kept introducing herself as Max’s mother by mistake. “Time just disappears,” says Robin, who is 53. “It’s very weird.”

All babies are cute and delightful, but when they’re your grandbaby, there’s more to it than that. Robin says she feels a profound sense of the connection between generations. “My husband and I look around and think, everybody came from us, they wouldn’t be here without us.”

Researchers say the existence of grandparents is intertwined with being human. We are one of the only animals who live far past their own fertility. One theory, called “the grandmother hypothesis,” is that in ancient human culture, having a grandmother around, gathering food and helping with the babies, increased the chances those babies would survive and have children of their own, passing along the grandmother’s genes. In that way, longevity and, also, the tendency toward “prosocial behavior,” doing things for others, was selected for and passed on.

Some even speculate that the tendency for grandparents and other relatives to fall in love with the new baby in the family eventually expanded into the ability to feel empathy and compassion for other people, even when we are not related to them.

Of course, it doesn’t take research to see the grandparent/grandchild relationship can provide benefits to both parties. Grandparents are additional adults and often, though not always, retired, with more time to spend with the children. They are older, hopefully wiser and more patient, with additional knowledge and family

lore to share.

Every year, Dessiree sits down and writes a letter to each of her six grandchildren, describing things the child did and thought and said that year. She started when the oldest, Alessandra, now 11, was born.

She will give the children their folders of letters when they are older.

“Their mothers are busy and aren’t going to remember every single detail.

I don’t remember with my daughGRAND TIME Max DuBose, center, and his grandparents, Melinda and Robert Tonetti, ters,” she says. enjoy each other's company while Max lives with them for his final year of high school.

Studies have grandparents for his last year of high school. shown that children who have a close relation“I said to my parents, ‘Don’t answer now, ship with a grandparent are less likely to be think about it,’” remembers Max’s mom, Anne depressed and that the relationship can lessen DuBose, ‘but within two seconds, they were the impact of negatives in the child’s life, such both saying, ‘Yes, yes, yes!’” as being bullied.

“We get along famously,” reports grandmothThere are benefits for the grandparent as well. er Melinda. “He’s such a good kid. He’s keeping Multiple studies have shown that grandparents, us young, I think.” particularly grandmothers, who are somewhat Every morning, Robert Tonetti wakes Max involved in the care of their grandchildren tend up for school and they have breakfast together. to be healthier and happier and score higher on On the other side of the age spectrum, Robin cognitive testing.

Davis’s 4-year-old grandson Max loves to go Melinda and Robert Tonetti, 80 and 81 years through her purse because he knows there will be old, love having their grandson, Max DuBose, a toys and snacks in it for him. “All of a sudden, my high school senior, live with them for a year. Max purse is a ‘grandma purse,’” says Robin with a laugh. moved into his mom’s childhood bedroom at the “When people tell my husband, ‘Desi looks start of the school year. Max’s family had moved great,’” says Dessiree Medrano, “he always says, to San Antonio when his dad, Cliff DuBose, for‘It’s the grandchildren keeping her young.’ They merly the head of the middle school at are my joy.”

Annunciation Orthodox School (AOS), became head of San Antonio Academy. But Max missed Episcopal High School, where he had always For links to books and websites about grandparbeen heavily involved in drama. He asked if he enting, see this story at thebuzzmagazines.com. could move back to Houston and live with his

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 18

MORE ONLINE

Dylan Aguilar

NEIGHBORS

by Jennifer Oakley, staff writer

Love Stories Two couples going the distance For couples Roxanne and Samuel Gold and Lori and Craig Teller, love was found on the road – and in the air. Their love stories are intertwined with travel, and for the Golds, who are about to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary and met after Samuel hitchhiked to Houston, and for the Tellers, who just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and met on an airplane, their marriages have definitely gone the distance.

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ori Massin Teller did not know she was going to meet her husband when she boarded a Southwest Airlines flight in December of 1980.

She was traveling from Houston to Fort Worth for a youth group event. At just 15 years old and a sophomore in high school, she walked onto the plane with a friend. The Southwest open-seating concept allowed them to sit anywhere they wanted. Lori’s friend suggested they make their way next to Craig, who was already seated when they got onboard.

And although there is some dissent on where they actually sat (Lori says that Craig was by the window, and she was on the aisle, and he says that they sat next to each other) one thing’s for sure: Lori and Craig have been together ever since.

“I thought he was funny and cute and obviously very intelligent,” says Lori, now a veterinarian and clinical associate professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University, with a small practice at Meyerland Animal Clinic, where she has worked since she was 12. “He spent the whole conference following me around.”

For his part, Craig says he was so smitten he decided to ask Lori out for not one, but a pair of dates when they got back to Houston. “I was so enamored I asked her out for two dates at one time!” says Craig, a dermatologist who is coowner of Bellaire Dermatology. “I wanted to monopolize her time. Being a big sports person, I had to elbow and box other people out so they could not get to her.”

Craig’s plan worked. “It was really sweet,” recalls Lori. “The first date was a hayride in the middle of freezing cold January, and the second

LOVE ACTUALLY Doctors Craig and Lori Teller share a love of travel and life together. The couple recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. At right: The high school sweethearts in Israel the summer between junior and senior year of high school.

a dance. We became a couple and dated all through the rest of high school.” And although they went to different schools (he at Bellaire High, she at St. John’s School), they realized that attending different colleges was going to force them to commute farther to see each other, a traveling theme that has been repeated throughout their marriage.

“I had my heart set on being a veterinarian, and the only place to go was A&M. He wanted to be a doctor and went to UT,” says Lori.

Their freshman year was spent driving back and forth between College Station and Austin.

After talking to her academic advisor, Lori switched to UT for sophomore and junior years to be closer to Craig. At the end of her junior year, Lori applied to A&M veterinary school and was accepted.

The next several years had the couple ping ponging between cities after Craig began medical school in Houston. “By the time he finished his first year of medical school we had been dating seven and one-half years,” she said. "We got married in the middle of grad school in 1988.

But we were still in different cities. I had two more years of veterinary school. We spent the next two years seeing each other on weekends.

Our joke is we survived because we spent our first two years of marriage apart.”

All jokes aside, the peripatetic pair say they their love has grown stronger during the decades. Their son, Austin, is now 25. “We have the same value system, and we both believe very

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 20

much in each other,” says Lori. “We had to deal with infertility in our 20s and breast cancer for me in our 30s. Ultimately you love someone in sickness and health, and we are both very loyal people by nature. ‘Okay,’ we would say, ‘it’s another bump in a road.’ We have to deal with together. But it’s always easier to deal with it with someone you love.”

The Tellers say there is no shortage of love between them and they make sure that travel – no surprise – is a big part of their relationship.

“Our biggest hobby together is traveling, and we know when we go on vacation, we can focus on each other and share adventures,” says Lori.

They have traveled all over the globe, most recently to Japan and Hong Kong.

Craig says they enjoy food and wine (he has achieved a wine sommelier certification) and making each other laugh. “You have to have humor,” he says. “We like puns and we try to out-pun each other!”

“I think I am a very lucky person,” says Lori.

“My life has truly been blessed. Being with Craig, I get to be my true self. He takes me for what I am.” And, in perfect step, Craig, agrees.

"I think the biggest thing is that I married my best friend. We had such a great foundation,” he says. “We fell in love, and it’s a love that we are making sure persists and survives.”

A

bout to celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary in March, Roxanne and Samuel Gold have a love story that started with

lawellphoto.com

SEALED WITH A KISS Roxanne and Samuel Gold will be married 60 years next month. “Life has been fun for us,” says Samuel. At right: Their wedding day, March 28, 1959.

Samuel hitchhiking to Houston to attend High Holy Days services. It was 1957, and Samuel was in the army, stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana.

“I wanted to go to synagogue,” recalls Samuel, a retired optometrist who owns Samuel Gold TSO with sons Danny and Marc. “I was 24 years old, and I hitchhiked the 200 miles to Houston to the services that Beth Yeshurun was holding at the Music Hall downtown.” As luck would have it, Samuel sat down in a row behind some brothers he knew from college, Danny and Murray Klaff.

“They said: ‘I know just the girl for you. You are short, and so is she!” says Samuel, laughing.

“If I was taller, I would never would have met her; that’s the truth!”

Giggling, Roxanne touches Samuel’s hand and quips: “And we have shrunk together!”

Their relationship is so tight the two of them often finishes each other’s sentences, and laughter is a daily part of their lives together. “Not only did I come 200 miles, and I was short and she was short, and we were both single and to be seated behind these friends,” Samuel contin-

ues. “It was bashert – it was good luck. It was ordained. A bolt of lightning came down and hit me.”

They both say they were struck by that bolt of lightning. They were set up on a blind date a few weeks later (he hitchhiked back to Houston and took Roxanne to eat dinner at Larry Pico’s Spanish Village) and have been together ever since. They dated long distance for a year while Roxanne taught at Grady Elementary and Samuel continued his service in the army, and then in 1958 got engaged and married in 1959.

Because Samuel was not licensed yet in Texas as an optometrist, the couple lived with Roxanne’s parents, and he unloaded trucks for Walgreens until he was licensed and went into practice.

In time, they had their two sons and moved to the Stella Link area. Today their close-knit family includes Marc, wife Syndy and children Joshua, Michael, Kelsey and Kyle and Danny, wife Wendy and children Jeffrey, Scott and Stephanie. Photographs of grandchildren cover the walls of their Tanglewood home (“We are

picture freaks,” says Roxanne, laughing.

“We all live in Houston, and we have dinner together every Sunday night. We are Grandma and Grandpa, but they call us ATM actually,” jokes Samuel, who says they have traveled the world in their six decades together. “We take our whole family on a cruise every year. They all call us regularly. It’s a good feeling that they care about us because we care about them.”

And that is the point that the Golds want to make: that caring, laughter, mutual respect and love have made their lives that much sweeter together.

“Sam and I always think of each other first,” says Roxanne. “I do things that I think he most would appreciate, and likewise he does the same.

And secondly, I am the luckiest woman: I have the best husband in the world.” Not missing a beat, Samuel pipes in: “Life has worked out well for me,” he says. “We have never wanted for anything because Roxanne has made my life easy for me. I am happier now than I thought I would be at this stage of life. It’s fun to wake up and find her next to me.”

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2019 Summer Camp Guide W

hen we think of camp, so many images pop into our minds. Crackling campfires and sticky s’mores. Silly songs and stories. Chilly lakes and The Blob. Hiking, biking, swimming, dancing, playing. And above all, learning new skills, discovering new interests, gaining sometimes-lifelong friendships and occasionally marriages.

Buzz-area residents are fortunate in that Houston is home to many types of camps, programs and classes to choose from, including specialized sports, arts and educational programs for all ages. Additionally, many overnight camps are located just a car or bus ride away. Choosing the right camp for your child depends on your child’s personality, interests, summer schedule and other factors.

This guide is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all camps. Instead, our goal is to provide readers with a snapshot of each camp and program, as a starting point in the research process. You can also view this directory online, where you will find links to camps’ websites.

A.D. Players Performing Arts Academy “Outdoor Odyssey” Summer Camps Est. 1992 Ages: 5-18 Co-ed • Day camp 2613 Saint St., Houston, Texas 77027 713-439-0181 • performingartsacademy@adplayers.org • www.adplayers.org/performing-arts-academy Interim Academy Director: Kim Beck Nurturing the mind, body and spirit of the artist.

Basketball University Spring and Summer Youth Skills Camp Est. 2004 Ages: 10-18 Co-ed • Day camp FilHoops Gym, 10131 Emnora, Houston, Texas 77080 832-453-4562 • info@BasketballU.org • www.Basketballu.org Camp Director: Rhossi Carron Basketball University will host its Spring Break Skills Camp March 11-14 at FilHoops Gym. Open to youth athletes ages 10-18, this camp is designed to promote skill development, enhance performance, and increase basketball IQ during the off-season. Basketball University's Spring Break Camp is only $160 per youth athlete. The Skills Camp is also available during the Summer Session. Check website for dates and times.

Camp BYDS Est. 1949 Ages: 15 months-6th grade Co-ed • Day camp 4525 Beechnut, Houston, Texas 77096 713-666-1884 • camp@byds.org • www.byds.org/school-life/camp-byds/ Camp Director: Karla Morales Sports and traditional summer camp activities offer an unforgettable summer at Beth Yeshurun Day School. Choose from a wide variety of weekly enrichment camps for children ages 15 months through 6th grade. Multifaceted enrichment programs include sensory skills, arts and crafts, science experiments, basic cooking, and daily water activities, plus a weekly Shabbat celebration. Our summer camp follows the highest standards of safety and security, and our low staff-to-camper ratio ensures each child receives individualized attention. We aim to provide a captivating environment with activities and programs that keep your child interested, engaged, and having fun while making new friends, learning important social skills, and continuing to develop Jewish values. We take fun seriously!

Camp Champions Est. 1967 Ages: 6-17 Co-ed • Overnight 775 Camp Road, Marble Falls, Texas 78654 830-598-2571 • info@campchampions.com • www.campchampions.com Camp Director: Leah Mesches Camp Champions has had a tradition of excellence since 1967. Fantastic activities and the best-trained counselors are a few of the reasons that Camp Champions is consistently ranked among the top camps in the country. Our passion is to help every camper grow into the Champion they are intended to be. Two and three-week sessions are offered where we create a loving community and encourage every camper to discover the best versions of themselves.

Informational meetings in Houston scheduled for February and March. See www.campchampions.com for details.

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Camp Chapelwood Est. 1987 Ages: 5 years-5th grade Co-ed • Day camp 11140 Greenbay St., Houston, Texas 77024 713-465-3467, Ext. 160 • jbuchwald@chapelwood.org • chapelwood.org/daycamp Camp Director: Joanne Buchwald Located in the heart of Memorial, Camp Chapelwood is a longtime summer tradition for children ages 5 through fifth grade. Our enthusiastic and caring counselors ensure each camper has a great experience. Campers make new friends while participating in fun and challenging activities such as gymnastics, cooking, dance, crafts, self-defense and games. Exciting field trips are planned, and special groups will be brought in to provide entertaining and educational shows for the campers.

Camp HBU Est. 2018 Ages: 10-15 Co-ed • Overnight camp 7502 Fondren Road, Houston, Texas 77074 281-649-3047 • camps@hbu.edu • www.hbu.edu/camphbu Camp Director: Hannah Akin Camp HBU is a week-long overnight camp at Houston Baptist University for students ages 10-15. Campers will enjoy academic and extracurricular sessions hosted by HBU faculty, staff, and students, worship and small group discipleship, a community-service opportunity, and lots of HBU spirit and fun!

Camp Olympia Est. 1968 Ages: 6-16 Co-ed • Overnight camp 723 Olympia Drive, Trinity, Texas 75862 936-594-2541 • campinfo@campolympia.com • www.campolympia.com Camp Directors: Debbie Stubblefield, Administrative Director; Cody Mauldin, Director of Boys’ Camp; Michelle Mauldin, Director of Girls’ Camp Camp Olympia is dedicated to having fun together, helping people grow in body, mind, and spirit. Established in 1968, Camp Olympia is a private, overnight Texas summer camp for boys and girls ages 6-16 offering one, two and three-week sessions. Camp Olympia blends its rich camping history and experience with its continual growth and exciting additions, making it a nationally recognized summer camp.

Camp Young Judaea-Texas Est. 1952 Ages: 6-15 Co-ed • Overnight camp 121 Camp Young Judaea Drive, Wimberley, Texas 78676 713-723-8354 • info@cyjtexas.org • www.cyjtexas.org Camp Director: Frank Silberlicht Since 1952, CYJ Texas has given thousands of Jewish children life-changing summers. We offer a fun, inclusive, challenging, action-packed, safe environment where campers can play, grow and make lifelong friendships. Camp activities include swimming, sports, arts and crafts, Maccabia (color war), singing and dancing, campfires and so much more! A love of Israel and Judaism is infused in everything we do, and we foster that love in our campers.

We encourage all our kids to try new things and build new skills each summer. We offer a weekend taste of camp for entering first and second graders, 9day mini sessions for entering second and third graders, and 3-week sessions for entering third-ninth graders.

Code Ninjas Est. 2018 Ages: 7-14 Co-ed • Day camp 5709 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas 77057 832-777-3662 • tanglewoodtx@codeninjas.com • www.codeninjas.com/locations/tx-tanglewood Camp Director: Amanda Rainford Transform your child's love for technology and video games into an exciting learning adventure this summer. Code Ninjas camps offer an immersive environment for children to explore and develop new problem-solving skills, gain confidence, have fun, and make new friends. It's an unforgettable experience!

Gerry and Greta’s Art Camp Adventures Est. 2009 Ages: 1st-5th grade Co-ed • Day camp 10371 Stella Link, Houston, Texas 77025 713-817-0177 • gerryandgreta@gmail.com • www.artcampadventures.com Camp Directors: Gerry Melot and Greta Bernitz

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(continued from page 23)

Gerry and Greta’s Art Camp is a great way to expose campers to art history, different styles of art and art materials in a happy and relaxed atmosphere.

The projects are creative, designed to be easy for the youngest campers, yet challenging for the older ones. We provide a daily morning snack and daily play time in the bounce house. The small camp size ensures every camper receives lots of attention and guidance. Join us this summer June 10-Aug. 9, 2019. (There is no camp the week of July 1.)

HGA Summer Blast Camp Est. 1984 Ages: 3-12 Co-ed • Day camp 5804 South Rice Avenue, Houston, Texas 77081 713-668-6001 • frontoffice@houstongymnastics.com • www.houstongymnastics.com Camp Director: Misty Baxter Houston Gymnastics Academy offers a variety of gymnastics camps throughout the year, keeping kids active and engaged while they’re out of school. Our Summer Blast Camp (June 3-August 16) combines fun and fitness for children ages 3-12. Kids will tackle our obstacle course, jump on trampolines, swing into the giant foam pit and more! Campers will have a blast while learning new skills, making friends and creating memories.

Houston Camera Exchange – Kids Camp Est. 2017 Ages: 14 and older Co-ed • Day camp 5900 Richmond Ave, Houston, Texas 77057 713-789-6901 • info@hcehouston.com • hcehouston.com Camp Director: Sharlie Douglass HCE Kids Camp is designed to help a new generation learn the basics and enjoy all kinds of photography. Cameras will be provided for hands on applications of exposure, composition and live shooting.

Houston Elite Cheer Summer Camp Est. 2013 Ages: 3-15 Co-ed • Day camp (all day or half day sessions) 1800 Sherwood Forest Street, Ste. B2, Houston, Texas 77043 713-464-1445 • houstonelitecheer@yahoo.com • houstonelitecheer.com Camp Director: Lauryn Arntz Join HEC for a jam packed week of exciting and challenging activities. Summer camp will include gymnastics, cheerleading, tumbling, arts and crafts, water balloon wars, obstacle courses and more! Our goal is for campers to have loads of fun while promoting fitness.

Incarnate Word Academy Summer Camps Est. 2002 (camp); 1873 (school) Ages: 6th-8th grade All girls • Day camp 609 Crawford Street, Houston, Texas 77002 713-227-3637 • ssheppard@incarnateword.org • www.incarnateword.org/camps Camp Director: Sarah Sheppard Join us this summer to experience team-building fun at Incarnate Word Academy! We offer a volleyball camp and a dance camp to help middle school students develop leadership skills, practice athletic fundamentals, and connect with other students.

J Camps Est. 1960 Ages: 3-16 Co-ed • Day camp 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, Texas 77096 713-551-7208 • jcamps@erjcchouston.org • www.erjcchouston.org Camp Director: Anna Shabtay J Camps is your home for the summer. With a wide array of camp options, we have something for everyone ages 3-16. Traditional camps, as well as specialty, sports, art, dance, theater, tennis and gymnastics camps, are available throughout the summer. We have well-trained, experienced and caring staff working with the campers with a low camper-to-staff ratio.

Marine Military Academy Summer Camp Program Est. 1965 Ages: 11-18 (if not yet graduated from High School) All boys • Overnight camp (4-week session) 320 Iwo Jima Blvd., Harlingen, Texas 78550 WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 24

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956-423-6006, Ext. 861 • admissions@mma-tx.org • www.summer-camp-mma.com Camp Director: Sgt.Maj. Ford Kinsley, USMC, Ret. Unplug your son this summer! Make the most of his summer, and enroll him in our 4-week camp. Ages 11-18 (campers grouped by age). At MMA Summer Camp, he’ll be in constant motion. Every day, he'll participate in challenging, exciting outdoor activities that build discipline, teamwork and confidence. As he has fun, he’ll also learn how to focus, problem solve and overcome his fears. No other camp will strengthen his body and mind like MMA Camp!

Power Camp Est. 1999 Ages: Entering pre-K/4 through entering 7th grade Co-ed • Day camp (before and after care offered 8-9 a.m. and 3-5:30 p.m.)

4417 Bellaire Boulevard (at Bellaire United Methodist Church), Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-666-2167 • powercamp@bellaireumc.org • belllaireumc.org Camp Director: Tricia Craft Power Camp is a Christ centered summer day camp ministry of Bellaire United Methodist Church for children entering pre-K through the seventh grade. Our mission is to provide a positive Christian environment which includes education, recreation, and fun, while also providing a safe sanctuary for children in and around our community. We strive to create a caring, loving atmosphere where children are nurtured in faith and guided in personal and spiritual growth. Activities include Bible lessons, mission projects, swimming, weekly field trips, athletics/gym, games, art, crafts, cooking, science, theater arts, music and cooperative challenges.

St. John the Divine Vacation Bible School Est. 1943 Ages: 4 years through 5th grade Co-ed • Day camp 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77019 713-622-3600 • children@sjd.org • sjd.org/vbs Camp Director: Deanna Lawson St. John the Divine Vacation Bible School is here to assist families in introducing their kids to Jesus Christ, to plant the seed of God's Word into their hearts, to model the love of Jesus through a team of caring volunteers, and to nurture and shepherd them into a lasting relationship with God. Join us this summer for Vacation Bible School, July 29-August 1.

Star Daze Est. 2006 Ages: 4 (potty trained)-12 Co-ed • Day camp 10516-G Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77043 713-464-1996 • frontdesk@starsgymtx.com • www.starsgymtx.com Camp Director: Diane Callison At Stars Gymnastics we offer a fun and safe environment for girls and boys ages 4-12 to spend an active day learning gymnastics and participating in group games and activities. Note: Stars is not a licensed childcare facility. We are a sports training facility.

Summer at St. Mark’s Est. 2015 Ages: Rising Pre-K through rising 8th grade Co-ed • Day camp 3816 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77025 713-667-7030 • jrush@stmes.org • www.stmes.org/summer Camp Director: Juli Rush The community of St. Mark's Episcopal School celebrates the uniqueness of each child. We are stewards of our students' intellectual curiosity, faith, and passion for discovery. We cultivate joy, playfulness, and growth in a child-centered environment.

Summer Camps at The Houston Museum of Natural Science Est. 1987 Ages: 6-12 Co-ed • Day camp 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas 77030 and 13016 University Blvd., Sugar Land, Texas 77479 713-639-4625 • summercamp@hmns.org • www.hmns.org Camp Director: Scott Stevenson A summer of education and adventure awaits your child at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Week-long, hands-on science summer camps feature science activities for children ages 6-12. HMNS Summer Camps are held at the main Houston Museum of Natural Science location and at the Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land. The action-packed 2019 summer lineup includes camps featuring chemistry, outer space, robotics, physics, social studies, dinosaurs and many other topics, all supported by our world class exhibits. (continued on page 26) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 25

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Summer Camp for the Wildly Adventurous Est. 1971 Ages: 1st-6th grade Co-ed • Day camp 1800 Sul Ross, Houston, Texas 77098 713-821-9100 • info@ssesh.org • school.ststephenshouston.org Camp Director: Jerri King Summer camp at St. Stephen’s is filled with exploration, creativity, self-expression and cool, challenging projects! Our Montessori curriculum is woven into each session theme, along with prepared environments. We develop and encourage every child’s individuality and natural curiosity to explore and learn through adventure and exploration. Our summer camp is focused on providing a variety of exciting challenges for each student, offering the opportunity to learn new skills – all while having a wildly fun time.

Summer Dance Camp with Uliana Est. 2006 Ages: 7-12 Co-ed • Day camp 3300 Chimney Rock #500, Houston, Texas 77057 713-516-8361 • info@ulianadance.com • www.ulianadance.com Camp Director: Uliana Maslovskaya Learn new moves with professional ballroom dancer Uliana. Each class includes a warm up, stretching, introduction to ballroom dance, fun dancing drills and acting. Everything you see on DWTS is here! No partner and experience necessary! Classes will be held in a group and are planned one week of each month during summertime. Cha Cha, Samba, Swing, Waltz, Tango and more dances will be included in the program.

Summer Sewing Camp Est. 2005 Ages: 9-13 Co-ed • Day camp 5000 Locust St. Bellaire, Texas 77401 713-208-1880 • patricia.dunn@sewniceandeasy.net • www.sewniceandeasy.net Camp Director: Chyrsten Jorgensen Creating smiles one stitch at a time. At Sew Nice and Easy’s summer sewing camp, we provide a fun and safe place for children 9 to 13 years old. From sewing a button to creating a dress or sketching fashion, we aim to create smiles and happiness.

Summer@STH Est. 2009 Ages: 4th -12th graders Co-ed • Day camp 4500 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77007 281-864-6348 · summer@sths.org · summer.sths.org Camp Director: Deanna Woodlief From our elementary, middle school and high school academic and enrichment camps to our middle school sports camps, our mission is to provide an experience which sparks curiosity and ignites passion while improving core skills through a wide range of fun yet challenging activities in the classroom, on the stage, in the lab or on the field. Rethink your summer – Summer @ STH!

Uptown Dance Summer Camps Est. 1999 Ages: 3 and up Co-ed • Day camp 7417 Shadyvilla Lane, Houston, Texas 77055 713-686-0334 • info@uptowndancehouston.com • www.uptowndancehouston.com Camp Director: Beth Gulledge-Brown Our school was established in order to bring the highest quality of dance training to all our students. We are interested in training dancers of all ages and levels in order to bring them to their full potential as dancers, foster a lifelong love and appreciation of dance, and provide a quality performance experience that will instill confidence and poise. This summer we offer a wide variety of programming: Dance Intensives for intermediate and advanced dancers June 3-22 and July 8-27 and Children’s Dance Camps for ages 3-9, dates TBD. Please visit our website for details.

URJ Greene Family Camp Est. 1976 Ages: 7-17 Co-ed • Overnight camp 1192 Smith Lane, Bruceville, Texas 76630 254-859-5411 • gfc@urj.org • www.greene.org WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 26

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Camp Director: Stefani Rozen Summer 2019 at URJ Greene Family Camp is shaping up to be our most exciting summer yet! With the completion of our new Goldberg Performing Arts Center and the renovation of our cabins – as well as the renovation of our STEAM center – we’ll have incredible programs, activity offerings, and, of course, the same Jewish community that has transformed the lives of campers for over 40 years. From swimming in Lake Jake to climbing the Alpine Tower, performing a song you wrote on stage to painting the winning plaque for color war, dancing your favorite Israeli dances to swaying at Shabbat services, there’s something for everyone at GFC. We look forward to seeing you this summer!

West U Baptist Church – Super Summer Stuff Est. 1997 Ages: 2 months-13 years Co-ed • Day camp 6218 Auden, Houston, Texas 77005 713-668-2319 • abby@cpointchurch.org • www.wubc.org/sss Camp Director: Abby Bergstrom Super Summer Stuff is a high energy summer day camp at West U Baptist Church. We offer exciting field trips and have fun programming throughout the summer for a wide age range. Every week has a different theme that teaches and instructs as well as helping to build basic skills. Friendships are made, learning is encouraged, and we have a ton of fun!

Westwood Golf Club Junior Golf Academy Est. 2018 Ages: 7-14 Co-ed • Day camp 8888 Country Creek Drive, Houston, Texas 77036 713-774-3011 • scotth@wwgolfclub.com • www.wwgolfclub.com Camp Director: Scott Hause Summer Camps designed to give juniors a fun environment to learn and play the game of golf! The camp’s purpose is to help grow and develop juniors’ skills and passion for the game of golf through the Operation 36 curriculum.

Wild Adventures at St. Mark Houston Est. 2008 Ages: 4-11 Co-ed • Day camp 1515 Hillendahl Blvd., Houston, Texas 77055 713-468-2623• camp@stmarkhouston.org • gostmark.org/camp Camp Director: Brenda Palacios Our camps engage children in active and instructional ways. Each week includes field trips, educational guests, pool/splash days, library time, computer lab, art and lots of fun!

YMCA Camp Cullen Est. 1975 Ages: 7-17 Co-ed • Overnight camp (also, family camps and corporate events) 460 Cullen Loop, Trinity, Texas 75862 936-594-2274 • kelly.reffett@ymcahouston.org • www.ymcacampcullen.org Camp Director: Andrew Hood Along the shores of Lake Livingston, just north of Houston, lies one of the premier overnight camps in Texas, YMCA Camp Cullen. Camp Cullen offers campers the experience of a lifetime. Campers, ages 7-17, take part in a wide range of activities, including water sports, horseback riding, a high-adventure course, a zip line, nature exploration, drama and much more. Teen leadership camps are also offered. In addition to the fun and challenging activities, sleepaway camps teach the character values of the YMCA: caring, honesty, respect, responsibility and faith. All in a safe and supportive environment. Experience More. Achieve More. YMCA Camp Cullen.

Yorkshire Academy Summer Program Est. 1984 Ages: 24 months-6th grade Co-ed • Day camp 14120 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77079 281-531-6088 • darnell@yorkshireacademy.com • www.yorkshireacademy.com Camp Director: Lori Darnell Yorkshire Academy offers “one stop” summer camp shopping for ages 24 months-6th grade from June 3-July 19. Yorkshire’s weekly camps include academics, over 50 enrichment programs, theme-based options for our little ones and full-time care. The unique element of its program is flexibility: camps are offered for half day, full day, and full-time care. In addition, a student can enroll in an academic camp in the morning and an enrichment camp such as chess, yoga or engineering in the afternoon or vice versa. This is a community-wide program that attracts campers from beyond just West Houston and Katy.

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KIDS

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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer

Buzz Baby

Screen time for young ones

Buzz Baby is a column about life with little ones.

Writer Annie McQueen has three children age 4 and under.

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n 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement saying that children under the age of 2 should not be spending any time at all in front of screens.

None. Zilch.

Since then, technology has evolved and plays an even bigger role in most aspects of our lives – including parenting.

In 2016, the AAP issued new guidelines. They said parents should limit screen time, depending on age. For example, the guidelines suggest introducing digital media to children at about 18 months but watching it with the child to help them understand what they’re seeing. For children ages 2-5, the guidelines suggest limiting screen time to one hour a day (see more at aap.org).

How should a parent navigate screen time with their young children? After all, everyone loves Sesame Street, and it has been around for more than 50 years. But, there’s more than just television out there today – there are tablets, phones and computers with games, Netflix, YouTube and more every day. Electronics have made our lives as parents easier, but also more difficult.

I listened to a podcast (via technology, of course) called The Influence of Media on Young Children’s Development, on the non-profit organization Zero to Three website (zerotothree.org), given by Dr. Ellen Wartella, a professor of communications and psychology at Northwestern University.

Dr. Wartella has researched children and media for over 30 years. In the podcast, she talks about the impact of educational media on young children and how parents can use recent research to help them make screen-time decisions.

She says digital media can be educational for preschool children, especially when the content contains a storyline the child can follow.

Research is still ongoing for babies, but she notes that babies often show they are understanding what is going on in videos by expressing their emotions and laughing, which are all good signs.

“If your child is into animals, then find video

content that uses language to teach children about animals. That is what they’ll be engaged by,” she said.

Teacher Molly Edington says her kids, Claire, 4, and Brady, 5, didn’t watch much television when they were under the age of 2, except for the cable channel “Baby TV,” a channel with content geared toward babies (introducing colors, sounds, counting, farm animals, etc.).

She did make exceptions, letting them have screen time at medical appointments “because I can’t handle all the germs at doctors’ offices, and I thought letting them watch something on my phone would keep them from touching every square inch of KIDS AND TECH Brady Edington, 5, earns his 30 minutes-per-day of screen the tiny, germy patient time on the weekends with good behavior. room,” she said. She She still blushes when she tells the story. “I used an iTunes app on her phone called really needed her to be distracted for a minute Peekaboo Barn that plays toddler-friendly videos. while I shopped, so I let her have my phone and She says now that they are a little older, they opened YouTube.” Up and down the aisles of must earn their screen time with good behavTrader Joe’s they went, phone in tiny hand. ior. Brady has been an early riser, pre-dawn, All of the sudden, she heard foul language since he was a baby. “They only do screen time spewing from her iPhone, with the volume on weekend mornings. They have to stay in turned way up. A man pushing his cart up the their room until 7 a.m. If they wake us up, no aisle started to snicker. She heard it again, iPad,” said Molly. They also watch shows on “#$%&! you, Dora!” She grabbed the phone. It PBS and Netflix. If the screen time gets to be was a parody video of Dora the Explorer, the poptoo much, Molly plays music on their houseular Nickelodeon cartoon. Her daughter had hold surround sound. clicked and clicked and eventually landed on Sometimes, unmonitored technology and tots some not-for-kids spoof videos. can make for unforgettable moments, such as Mom soon added parental controls (under when a friend of mine let her daughter have free her YouTube account settings), another handy rein on selecting videos on her iPhone while she tool for parents. grocery shopped for a big party.

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TRAVEL

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by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer

Travel Buzz D

A 20th anniversary to remember

ave and Carrie Stallwitz treasured the memories of the unforgettable journey they took back in 1998, on their European honeymoon. For years they’d thought of returning, this time sharing the trip with their two teenage daughters. With their 20th anniversary coming up, they decided to do it – with Reece, then 14, and Evynn, then 12, in tow.

It took a little convincing. Reece, the eldest, would be turning 15 during that time, and she’d really wanted to celebrate her birthday with her friends. But with coaxing, they came around. As it turned out, she would celebrate her birthday in grand style – at the Acropolis.

The idea would be to start in Greece, on the island of Crete, where the couple had begun their first trip to Europe. Then they’d go to Athens for a tour of the ancient city of monuments, and end up in Germany, where Dave had some distant relatives his father had tracked down, and they had taken the opportunity of their trip to meet them. This time, they would present the new generation to their family in the Old Country.

The girls had never been abroad, and while they’d taken long road trips with their parents, they’d never flown internationally.

“When we started talking about logistics – we’ll have to leave our house at 4 a.m., I told them, and we’re going to travel for 24 hours – and by the time we get to our destination it’s going to be almost bedtime,” said Carrie. “That’s when it started to hit them how far away they were going.”

The girls awoke at the crack of dawn, nervous and excited. Their first layover would be in Newark – a long one, with enough time to explore the city.

“The girls had never been to New York, so we hopped into an Uber and caught the ferry to go to Ellis Island and around the Statue of Liberty,” she said.

From Newark they flew to Athens, and from Athens they flew to the island of Crete, where they stayed in the picturesque seaside town of Elounda. It was as they had remembered it – Santorini-esque whitewashed walls against the blue sky. Predictably, there had been develop-

ment in the intervening two decades – a new highway, more houses – but unlike the Caribbean resorts they’d visited, which were crowded with megahotel complexes, the development was at a much smaller, more intimate scale.

“You’re not going to see a 20-story Hilton,” Carrie said. “In the town where we stayed, I don’t think there were any buildings over four stories, and that was a rarity.”

First and foremost on the agenda: relaxing.

“It was so great to spend time as a family and not have all the commitments – having to go to a meeting, drive a kid to practice, study for finals,” Carrie said.

“The pace was just slower there. There was no rushing.”

She’ll never forget their first meal together.

Despite the arduous transatlantic journey, EUROPEAN-HONEYMOON REDUX Carrie and Dave Stallwitz visit the Frauenkirche (“Church of our Lady”) in Nuremberg, Germany, on their 20th-anniverthey lingered for almost sary trip with family. two hours together Then it was on to Athens, where they stayed beside the sea, talking, enjoying the delicious at an Airbnb apartment in a cosmopolitan food, taking in the crystalline aquamarine neighborhood in the heart of the city. Here they waters. did the typical tourist things – the Parthenon, “The kids were amazed,” she said. “Even though Acropolis, Ancient Agora. They arrived at the we were exhausted and cranky, we just enjoyed ancient Olympic Stadium near the end of the that feeling of not having the external pressures.” day, and it was nearly empty. The girls raced In Crete they divided their time between the each other around the Olympic track, while beach and explorations of the mythological hisDave and Carrie took in the wonder of the place tory of the place. They went up into the hills to in near solitude. see Dikteon Cave, where the goddess Rhea was Fans of the Percy Jackson (continued on page 32) believed to have given birth to Zeus.

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WHEN IN GREECE Evynn Stallwitz, Reece and mom Carrie get ready to race at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, where the opening ceremony of the first modern Olympics was held. (continued from page 30) and the Olympians series,

the girls felt a connection to the mythology of the place, so they were able to engage with a five-hour walking history tour. For Carrie, as a writer specializing in architectural themes, it was thrilling to see some of the world’s most distinctive buildings.

A glimpse into Athens’ more recent history was an aside that Carrie found more fascinating than the rest of the family. The family signed up for a volunteer guide through a local Athens website. George was his name, and he happened to live in the city’s anarchist hotspot, which he included on the four-hour tour. Exarcheia, as it’s called, has been the hub of generations of social movements, and its edgy, alternative vibe has drawn a culture of artists and creatives who have left their mark with extraordinary street art.

Now it was time for something completely different: a trip into their own family’s history in the Bavarian countryside. They flew from Athens to Munich and rented a Mercedes-Benz, a highlight for Dave who hit the Autobahn and, with no speed limits, reached 110 mph. Their destination: Schwabach, a town not far from Nuremberg.

“The German Stallwitzes are so friendly, so hospitable,” said Carrie. When they had reached out to the family matriarch, she said, “absolutely, you need to stay with us.” The mother, Hanne, is in her 70s and has two adult daughters, Gabi and Elke.

“It was so great – Hanne told us a lot of family stories going back in history,” said Carrie. Dave is a World War II buff, so they toured Nuremberg, including the Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Reichsparteitagsgelände) and Zeppelin Field.

They saw the Documentation Center, part of a complex that includes an imposing Congress Hall inspired by the Roman Colosseum that was never completed. The Documentation Center has been turned into a museum that “informs visitors about

the causes, the context and the repercussions of the National Socialist reign of terror,” according to its website.

The girls were deeply affected by the experience. “They knew about the Holocaust from a kids’ perspective…, but it wasn’t until we got to the Documentation Center and they saw the museum and some of the displays that they really understood.”

They toured the castles and cathedrals of Nuremberg, as well, and were successful in fulfilling Reece’s biggest quest – to find a pair of Birkenstocks.

Their last night Gabi, one of the adult daughters, planned for a German-style grill party at her house, and her son in high school, Manuel, invited his friends.

“They sat around the fire pit for several hours and talked about what it’s like to be a high schooler in Germany, and what it’s like in the U.S., and even though my daughters had never met these people before, and even though Manuel is German, he’s still a German teenager – and he was telling funny stories about doing things he wasn’t supposed to do.”

Next it was on to Munich for a few days, to stay with Hanne’s other daughter Elke. They went up the tower in Olympiapark for a fantastic sweeping view. They also went to BMW Welt, the BMW museum and production factory.

They toured King Ludwig II’s Linderhof Palace and Neuschwanstein Castle, which inspired a young Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom. They made a stop in Oberammergau, the site of the original Passion Play. By luck, they were in Munich at the start of the World Cup, and were there the day Germany played (and was defeated by) Mexico in the opening rounds. They watched the game with 8,000 new friends at Koniglicher Hirschgarten, Munich’s

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largest beer garden.

The trip was a meaningful one on many levels, beginning from the moment they landed in Crete. “The island itself hadn’t changed much – it had better roads and a few more buildings, but was pretty much the same. But my husband and I were the ones that had changed,” said Carrie.

For the couple, it gave them a chance to reflect on how far they’d come over the past 20 years. “It made us feel even stronger in our relationship.”

For the whole family, it was a chance to slow down and really listen to each other. “Those teenage years, when your kids are going through a lot of their own changes, hopefully it communicated with them we wanted to know what was going on with them,” she said. “It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns every day, but for the most part, we sat down together for one or two meals every day in typical European fashion, nice long meals with real conversations.”

It also gave the girls the feeling that the world is accessible to them, she said. When they started talking about their next vacation, the girls piped up, “Hey, we want to go to London, or Paris, or New Zealand,” their mother said with a laugh.

“I hope it’s an experience our kids will always remember. We saw some amazing things, but I hope they remember the time we had together.

I would say it’s the trip of a lifetime – but hopefully we’ll do it again.”

Editor’s note: Buzz travel columnist Tracy L. Barnett is a Lowell Thomas travel journalism award winner and longtime freelance travel and environmental writer.

MORE ONLINE See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links to travel destinations.

The Junior League of Houston

FOOD

by Annie Schorfheide, contributing writer

Cooking Buzz An ode to chocolate 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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urn on the television or walk down the greeting-card aisle and you will see that chocolate is the MVP of Valentine’s Day. If chocolate is your love language, what chocolate do you choose?

From Stop and Smell the Rosemary: “Chocolate is produced from the pods of the cacao tree, which are roasted and cracked open. The meat of the bean is processed into cocoa butter and chocolate liquor, a paste made from the nonfat solids, and then blended back together with sugar, vanilla, and milk.”

Milk chocolate has a lower cocoa content than semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, two types of dark chocolate, with semi-sweet containing more sugar. White chocolate does not contain cocoa bean paste, so while it is not a true chocolate, that distinction is irrelevant to fans!

For a decadent treat, I love the Over-the-Top Fudgy Brownies from Peace Meals, which combine semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate with espresso. The recipe calls for Milky Way, but feel free to swap for Snickers, York Peppermint Patties or other chocolate candy.

If you love chocolate but are still clinging to New Year’s resolutions, the Chocolate Fondue Sauce, also from Peace Meals, is perfect paired with fruit or angel food cake. This is an easy, impressive substitute for store-bought chocolate covered strawberries. (You can also drizzle it over brownies.)

The White Chocolate Brownies from Stop and Smell the Rosemary are another unexpected twist on a dessert staple. Serve with homemade chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, fresh mint and berries for a restaurant-worthy finale to a meal.

Finally, hot chocolate is a great choice for a chilly night. While powdered mix is acceptable in a pinch, Peace Meals has easy recipes for both white and dark hot chocolate, so rich and creamy that no marshmallows are needed!

Treat your loves to the gift of chocolate this February – and include yourself on that list.

WARM UP Add sweetness to a chilly night with a cozy mug of Peace Meals’ white hot chocolate.

White Hot Chocolate From Peace Meals 4 cups (1 quart) whole milk 4 cups (1 quart) half-and-half 1 pound good quality white chocolate, chopped 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 to 10 cinnamon or peppermint sticks Heat the milk and half-and-half in a saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat just before the mixture simmers.

Add the white chocolate and stir until melted.

Whisk in the vanilla; reheat as necessary. Ladle into individual mugs and garnish with a cinnamon or peppermint stick. Serves 8 to 10.

Chocolate Fondue Sauce From Peace Meals 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream or light cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 Tablespoons butter 6 ounces 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped 6 ounces milk chocolate bars, chopped 2 to 4 tablespoons Kahlua or Tia Maria (optional) In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, vanilla and butter, and heat until the mixture just simmers. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the chocolate and liqueur until smooth. Serve with bite-size pieces of angel food cake, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple chunks or orange sections.

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Over-the-Top Fudgy Brownies From Peace Meals 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter 28 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 6 eggs 3 Tablespoons instant espresso

2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract 2¼ cups sugar 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional) 11 to 12 ounces Milky Way, coarsely chopped This recipe requires overnight refrigeration after baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13-inch metal (not glass) pan with foil, leaving enough foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Butter and flour the foil; set aside. In a double boiler (or a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water), melt the butter, 16 ounces of the chocolate chips and the unsweetened chocolate.

Stir to combine, then allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, espresso, vanilla and sugar. Starting in small amounts, add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture; allow to cool to room temperature. In another bowl, sift together 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt; stir into the cooled chocolateegg mixture until just combined. In another medium bowl, toss the walnuts and the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips with the remaining ¼ cup of flour; add to the chocolateegg-flour mixture.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the candy in a single layer over the batter, making sure the candy reaches the edges of the pan. Top with the remaining batter and smooth. Bake 35 minutes; although the brownies will not be firm, do not overbake. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into small squares with a serrated bread knife. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 32 brownies.

MORE ONLINE See thebuzzmagazines.com for more recipes.

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DINING

by Dai Huynh, staff writer

Chef’s Corner

Charles Carroll

Find out about your favorite chefs in our Chef’s Corner column. This month, restaurant writer Dai Huynh interviews Charles Carroll.

The clock was ticking. Two weeks away from Operation HOT (Honoring Our Troops), the top Army general in Afghanistan was going to pull the plug. It was 2011, America was at war, and River Oaks Country Club Executive Chef Charles Carroll had cooked up Operation HOT over cold beers, dreaming of an elaborate, Vegas-style show and home-cooked Cajun grub by celebrity toques who temporarily would take troops out of the war zone.

The Houstonian had raised close to half a million dollars to fund the event and had rounded up 20 celebrity chefs. Nearly $250,000 had been spent on transportation, food supplies, and gifts for the troops. Now what? What was he going to tell the donors?

Carroll listened to the general and took several deep breaths to steady his nerves while mapping out a plan. This calm, measured approach is part of his success. It’s what his sous chefs admire and why he oversees one of the busiest and most successful private-club food programs in the country, generating about $10 million in sales annually.

So, what happened with Operation HOT? How were you able to change the general’s mind?

It took a lot of negotiating … and a lot of phone calls. The first trip literally occurred two months after the death of bin Laden, so you can imagine how emotional it was. The second Operation HOT trip occurred in 2013.

You have represented the U.S. eight times in the World Culinary Olympics, which is every four years. You’ve received 90-plus awards, medals and honors for your accomplishments in the kitchen.

Does one stand out?

The U.S. Army’s Honorable Order of Saint Martin Award. Usually, it’s given to military personnel. Rarely do they give it to a civilian.

That was a tear-jerking moment for me, as were the two Operation HOT trips.

Thanks for inviting us to your studio while you recorded “The Recipe Podcast,” during which we heard stories and learned intimate details about

James Beard award winner Chris Shepherd and his chef de cuisine, Nick Wong. Maybe it’s because you’re cut from the same cloth, but your chef guests don’t hesitate to give your listeners a rare behind-the-scenes look.

We’re just having a blast. We’ve been on the Top CHARLES CARROLL River Oaks Country Club executive chef Charles Carroll raised nearly half a million dollars to put on several Las Vegas-style extravaganzas, featuring 50 podcasts several meals cooked by celebrity chefs, for U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2013. times now. No. 18 used in several culinary programs, but a couple of is the highest ranking we ever received. It startyears ago, you released a fictional piece on redemped out as a hobby, but now it’s really rewarding, tion, The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love, and the seeing how it’s evolving.

Ingredients of Greatness, with New York Times “The Recipe” acts as an umbrella for three different best-selling author John David Mann. We heard that podcast segments. Can you briefly describe each one? this poignant coming-of-age story about a boy and a “Gourmet Club Live” is everything hospitalretired chef has been optioned by Hollywood. ity. Often, we’ll have a celebrity chef, like My co-author is brilliant, and actor Luis Michael Mina or Hugo Ortega, who both have Guzmán’s production company, Pink Rose appeared on the show. The second one is “The Pictures, has optioned the book.

Recipe Podcast: Celebrity Secrets to a Successful When you’re not managing your staff of 70-plus, Life,” featuring movie stars, NBA players, boxpodcasting or writing, where do you and your wife ers, etc. We’ve had some amazing interviews on go to eat? the recipe for a successful life. Finally, we have You want to be loyal, but so many great places “The Recipe Unplugged,” which sometimes feaare out there. I mean so many. We’ve been to tures saltier language. We recently got comedian all four Hugo Ortega restaurants, including Erik Knowles onboard, so there is the comic Xochi (1777 Walker Street) and Caracol (2200 part, too.

Post Oak Blvd #160), which are both great. I Growing up in Vermont, did you always want to also think Luis Roger’s BCN (210 Roseland be a chef?

Street) is amazing. I can’t wait for him to open What I really wanted to do was become a bashis new place, MAD (4444 Westheimer Road), ketball player, but the 5-foot-9-inch thing in the River Oaks District. Recently, I went to meant that it didn’t happen. But the real reason a place for breakfast, Vibrant (1931 Fairview). is that I grew up in a country inn that my mom It’s a cool spot. I’m taking my sous chef over and dad owned. When I was in third grade, I was there for lunch. cooking breakfast for guests. My dad was a culinary instructor as well. My dad was a chef, and Editor’s note: For Chef Carroll’s The Recipe my brother was a chef.

Podcast, see chefcharlescarroll.com/podcast. Buzz You’ve written several books, including dining columnist Dai Huynh is a James Beard foodLeadership Lessons From a Chef: Finding Time journalism award winner and longtime Houstonto Be Great and Tasting Success: Your Guide to based restaurant writer.

Becoming a Professional Chef. Both books are

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SPORTS

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by Todd Freed, staff writer

SportzBuzz

Elaine Matte Mut

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he first day of the NCCA football earlysigning period took on added significance for the St. John’s Mavericks, with wide receiver Genson Hooper-Price signing to play at Northwestern University. Hooper-Price is the first St. John’s football player in 28 seasons to sign to play at the highest level (FBS/Division 1) of collegiate football.

“It’s really great for our program,” said St. John’s football coach Steve Gleaves. “A lot of people assume you have to play for a school with bigger exposure to get noticed, but Genson proved that if you’re good enough and work hard enough, you’re going to have some good choices.”

Hooper-Price’s signing is even more notable in that he hadn’t played much organized football before arriving at St. John’s his freshman season.

“Genson was really a big track guy, with great success in AAU track,” said Gleaves. “He’s broken a lot of our school records in track and field, so the thing that’s most impressed me is how he’s matured and worked on the things he’d never really done before.”

The Kinkaid Falcons will be represented at the highest level of college football by quarterback Zach Daniel, who signed to play for the University of Hawaii on the first day of the early-signing period. “Zach attended a quarterback camp at USC last summer and caught the eye of the Hawaii coaches,” said Falcons head football coach Nathan Larned. “He’s a talented player who can make virtually any throw.”

In addition to Daniel, at least four other Falcons will play football in college, with Nick Limon signing with the University of Chicago, plus running back Josh Williams, as well as defensive linemen Ameer Mustafa and Kami Nader, also set to sign their official commitment letters on National Signing Day. The Lamar Texans continued their rich tradition of producing major collegiate football talent, with defensive lineman Kenneth Dotson (North Texas), defensive back Alex Hogan (Texas Tech) and wide receiver Zane Knipe (Rice) signing their official commitment letters on Day 1 of the early-signing period. In addition, Lamar head coach Mike Lindsey expects anoth-

FUTURE OWL Lamar Texans senior wide receiver Zane Knipe, seen here scoring a touchdown against Westside this season, signed his national letter of intent to play college football at Rice University.

er four of his players to sign with major collegiate programs and several other players to sign to Division 2 schools. “We’ve been blessed to have great kids to come out of our program year in and year out,” said Lindsey.

As for this year’s crop, Lindsey had high praise for the early signees. “Kenneth is a great kid and a big player (6’4”, 250 pounds) who can really run. He also had great grades with a 4.0 GPA. Zane is extremely fast, running a blazing 4.38 at the Rice football camp. Plus, he was named to the Academic All-State Elite Team, which is extremely prestigious. As for Alex, he was probably our most recruited player, with about a dozen offers before selecting Texas Tech.”

There was loads of suspense at St. Pius X on the first day of the early national signing period as standout wide receiver Jalen “Bobbie” Curry announced his collegiate choice to play for the University of Arizona. Curry, who last season broke the state record for most receptions in a single game, will join teammate and heralded quarterback Grant Gunnell at Arizona. “The opportunity to play with Grant was definitely a big part of my decision,” said Curry.

In addition to the signings of Curry and Gunnell, standout wide receiver Chase Lane made good on his early commitment to play for

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 38

Texas A&M, while Panthers receiver Kaleb Ducros signed with the University of the Incarnate Word.

The NCAA early-signing period also included an impressive showing by Strake Jesuit, with a trio of Crusaders signing their letters of intent to play for major college football programs. Running back Michael Wiley signed with the Arizona Wildcats, tight end Thomas Gordon will play for Northwestern, and wide receiver Nathaniel Beal is heading to the University of Virginia.

“Those are three great character guys with bright futures ahead of them,” said Strake Jesuit head football coach Klay Kubiak. “They obviously were a huge part of the success we had as a team this past season. I couldn’t be happier for them.” Kubiak said he expected a couple more of his players to sign collegiate letters on National Signing Day, including offensive lineman Grant Bordelon, who is heading to MIT. 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.

Get Your Morning Buzz Every weekday morning, enjoy your coffee + the buzz in your inbox. Our e-newsletter, Morning Buzz, features buzzworthy stories about neighbors every day, Monday-Friday.

Sign up to find out what we’re buzzing about at thebuzzmagazines.com/morning-buzz.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 39

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.

Outrunning the competition Seventh grader Kate Mueller (top photo) brings the ball down the court for the Veritas Rams in a middle school varsity game against The Emery/Weiner School. Last season, the Veritas Christian Academy girls’ basketball team finished as district champions, with an undefeated record. This season they are off to a great start with a solid winning record. This year’s team has four returning players from last year’s champion team, blended with some talented newcomers. Kate’s fellow Rams teammates are sixth graders Sarah Dewhurst, Eden Droog and Olivia Nicholas, seventh graders Ashlin Dennis, Virginia Fairfield, Ava Farris and Kara Thomas, and eighth grader Ellie Arrazolo.

Giving back, as a team Westbury Soccer Club third graders Logan Sazykin, Ezra Silva and Gray McElroy (middle photo, from left) display their medals from the club’s second annual 3 v. 3 tournament and toy drive at Bayland Park. More than 80 kids participated in the tournament, from young, newer players to experienced, ultra-competitive teens. The players and their families enjoyed food from Eaker Barbecue and music from a DJ, under sunny skies and perfect 70-degree weather. In addition to playing soccer, the kids collected toys to donate to the Westbury Deck the Halls parade organization’s Pancho Claus toy drive. The players collected toys for children in the community, and represented Westbury soccer as they marched in the holiday parade.

Unity on the court The Pin Oak Middle School seventh-grade girls’ basketball team (bottom photo, wearing blue) placed first among several public and private schools in a recent tournament. Pin Oak hosted the tournament, and after playing three games, the home-court girls were named champs. Second place went to Pin Oak rivals Pershing Middle School. In a wonderful display of sportsmanship, the two teams gathered for a group photo, titled it “Unity,” and sent it to both school principals. "What a great group of student athletes!" said Pin Oak principal Michelle Shoulders. The Pin Oak champions are Allie Maglaras, Ann Marie Mullen, Riley Tackett, Dazmine Gay, Elisa Adams, Ainsley Pinkerton, Maddie Vollrath, Ashley York, Anne Franke, Thalia Vogelsang, Penny Meehan and coach Howard Frazier. The Pershing Pandas are coach Kelly Ray, manager Sarah Gregory, Lana Hernandez, Taniya Richard, Elizabeth Kortum, Reagan Johnson, Reagan Clemons, Rhylei Hendrick, Destiny Miller, Marley Polidore, Miriam Moshay and Jayla London.

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 FEBRUARY 2019 40

The Buzz Magazines 2018 Pet of the Year Contest Winners

First Place Winner Buddy

Second Place Winner Harley

Third Place Winner Izzy

Congratulations to our 2018 Buzz Magazines Pet of the Year winners!

As always, competition for Pet of the Year was fierce with more than 28,000 votes cast on our website. Thank you to all who voted.

Thank you to all of our contest sponsors for your support. Our first, second and third place winners have each received prizes from our sponsors.

To have your pet considered for 2019, please submit a high-resolution photo and 150 words from your pet’s perspective to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.

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AT THE POOL Lexi Guo, an eighth grader at the Annunciation Orthodox School, trains with her diving team 3-4 times per week.

KIDS

by Lexi Guo, age 14

Buzz Kidz

Diving in

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he natatorium is a special place to me.

Many people, including my parents, try to avoid this humid, chlorine-filled environment. I, however, find it very calming. My love for the pool can be seen in my bleached hair.

There is a sense of peace that can be felt underwater. Every time I plunge in, I float up feeling weightless. When I dive, the world fades away.

Three years ago, I switched from competitive gymnastics to diving. I began training at the University of Houston’s world-class facility. In August, I was sad to learn that club diving lessons would no longer be offered there, and I would have to leave my coach. Fortunately, I found another wonderful coach, with whom I now practice in Pearland three to four times a week. The commute is farther, and my family

makes big sacrifices to drive me to and from the facility. I am dedicated to diving and enjoy a new training regimen, which includes weekly gymnastics sessions. My teammates at the Bay Area Stars Diving Team range widely in age; I find myself inspired by them every time I am at the pool.

Diving allows me to connect with accomplished individuals and coaches from all over the country. In the summer, I attend an intensive diving camp at The University of Texas. When my family visits my grandparents in Los Angeles, I dive at the Rose Bowl, an outdoor pool located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The scenery is incredibly beautiful. All around the bowl are forest green trees, the azure sky, and light beaming from the brilliant sun. I am so

Another reason to celebrate with a portrait‌ when the braces come off.

A Portrait Remembers 713.523.4916 nikky@lawellphoto.com www.lawellphoto.com

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 42

grateful for these opportunities.

Through diving, I have developed good judgment and am accountable for my actions.

Whether I am diving off of a 1-meter springboard or 10-meter platform, I know I can land safely into the water. I have no one to blame except myself when I perform a bad dive and can shine when I dive well. I love the rush of adrenaline that flipping high up into the air and ripping through the water gives me. I hope to continue diving throughout high school and beyond.

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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Pick your poison Fitness enthusiasts, personal trainers and the general public are all still trying to figure out the best method to working out. There are a few major goals people come to the gym for, like to lose weight or gain weight, but a quick look online or in a fitness magazine will find a multitude of methods to attain those goals.

With all this information out there, the two best options that have worked for pretty much all of my clients over the years are either total body workouts or upper and lower body split routines. I have highlighted the major benefits of both, with the hope of shedding some light on how to guide yourself through an effective and efficient workout routine that fits around your schedule.

Total body routines: One of the big pros with total body exercise is being able to perform multi-segmental movements, using upper and lower body muscles together within each exercise. In addition, you don’t need to exercise on consecutive days. Maybe you only have time to get to the gym two or three days sporadically out of the week. That may be enough if you are hitting all the major muscle groups within those workouts.

In addition, doing total body routines can shorten the time needed to stay in the gym. Usually these types of exercise routines have a high energy demand and allow you work upper and lower body muscles at the same time.

This can cut a workout routine time in half; often only about 20-30 minutes is necessary.

However, if you are more of an avid exerciser, this may not be the best option. Total body workouts too frequently can cause some overuse injuries,

wear and tear on the joints and burn you out.

Split routines: If you are looking to spend more days in the gym, opt for split routines of upper and lower body. For instance, one day would be upper body, and another day would be lower body. Keep alternating between upper and lower body each workout day, and you have a pretty solid workout routine, providing a great stimulus for muscular and body composition change.

With split routines, you can often get a little more emphasis on a particular muscle group. If you would like to target specific muscle groups (chest, back, legs, arm, glutes), this may be a better approach.

The negative to this style of training is the frequency in the gym. You would have to dedicate at least four days out of the week to working out. If you have a busy schedule, this may not be the best routine for you.

There is no “best” method; it is just whatever works “best” for you and fits your schedule. Don’t forget consistency is key, and sticking to a regimen and making time for your own health are key to seeing positive change.

David Boettcher, Team Member, Pledge to Fitness and Director of Education for the National Personal Training Institute, 4665 Southwest Fwy., Suite 209, Houston, Texas 77027, 713.401.2841, www.pledgetofitness.com

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sponsored by

PETS

Neighborhood Tails

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Stepping into a healthy 2019 713.662.2119 www.roveroaks.com

Zeus and Aspen, Mixed Breeds, Age 1, Buffalo Speedway My name is Zeus, and on my right is my sister Aspen. We were adopted from a shelter. We are not blood-related, but we are in the same family. Something we love doing is going to the dog park. Well, I just like to go and dog-watch. Aspen is the one who likes to run around and play with the other dogs, but no matter where we are, we always stick together! Even at home when there are toys everywhere, we always go after the same toy. I found out that I loved swimming because I saw her do it first at the beach. We have had some great times together and some not so great because we also get into trouble together. I would never tell her but I kind of love my sister – even when she eats my food.

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. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 44

When making your New Year’s resolutions, remember to include exercising your feet. Exercising your feet on a regular basis not only improves overall foot health, but may also reduce the risk for injury.

Walking is the best overall foot exercise.

Before walking or doing any other type of exercise, take a few minutes to warm-up and stretch, therefore strengthening the muscles in your feet. Start out slowly, aiming for 20 minutes three times a week and gradually increasing. If you’re not wearing the proper shoes for exercise, you’re leaving your feet vulnerable to injury. Get your shoes properly fit and pay attention to their shelf life. Most good running shoes last 300-600 miles. Make sure your shoes provide enough support, but allow your feet to breathe.

Always walk with your head up and your back straight while swinging your arms freely. If you encounter pain in your feet when exercising, don’t try to self-diagnose your problem. Ignoring your pain could make it worse and/or put added stress on the other muscles in your body. Be good to your feet, and they will be good to you! Don’t hesitate to bring your foot pain or other foot ailments to us for relief. Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy New Year!

Bellaire Podiatry/Nail Laser Center of Houston, Dr. Barry P. Weinstein, 4909 Bissonnet, Suite 120, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.721.5500, www.BarryWeinsteinDPM.com

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Yes, food allergy can be treated It is estimated that 4 percent of American children and 1 percent of American adults have a true food allergy (not just a food intolerance). For decades, the standard of care for food allergy was avoid eating that food and, if the allergy was severe, carry an EpiPen to use in case of accidental ingestion.

In 2015, the LEAP study was published, proving that feeding peanuts to infants at high risk for developing food allergy significantly decreased the risk that they would become allergic to peanut. Only 1.9 percent of the treated group developed peanut allergy by age 5, whereas 13.7 percent of the peanutavoidance group became allergic to peanuts. This was a complete paradigm shift from “expert consensus” developed in the 1990s, which recommended that high risk children avoid common food allergens until age 3 or 4.

But what about those already allergic? The lack of treatment has been a source of frustration. A successful phase 3 trial was presented in November 2018, showing that those allergic to peanuts can undergo desensitization.

Aimmune, the company trying to bring the treatment to market, hopes to get FDA approval sometime in late 2019 or perhaps 2020. However, some allergists across the country, including us, have been performing off-label food desensitizations for several years. This involves once a week trips to our office to increase the dose from a few milligrams of peanut flour (diluted in water) until we have our patients eating 4 to 8 peanuts twice each day. Once we have someone eating that many peanuts, they have a very low risk to have an allergic reaction to peanuts. The main disadvantage is that you must continue eating the peanuts indefinitely, or you may become allergic again.

Thus, rather than a “cure,” our goal is “desensitization,” which is defined in

the New England Journal of Medicine as “an increase in the reaction threshold to a food allergen during active therapy.” (NEJM 2017;377:1168-1176) Desensitization requires ongoing therapy indefinitely.

Aimmune is currently studying only peanuts, and plans to start studying egg allergy after their peanut product is on the market. Off label, though, we have protocols for almost all foods that cause true food allergies, including eggs, milk, wheat, soy, cashews, pecans, walnuts, and seafood. Again, there are risks to the desensitization procedure, but those risks are less than full blown anaphylaxis by accidentally eating the food one is allergic to. And the comfort of not having to be hypervigilant at all times is a great relief. If you are interested in this procedure for yourself or your loved one, please contact our office.

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

84th Annual River Oaks Garden Club Azalea Trail March 1-3 • 11am – 5pm The Trail opens doors to some of the city’s most impressive residences and gardens, all located within River Oaks: 4 private residences and gardens, plus Bayou Bend, Rienzi, and the River Oaks Garden Club’s Forum of Civics Building.

Free floral demonstrations open to the public. Check website for details.

Tickets are $30 for entry into 5 of 7 locations or $10 for a single location.

Tickets can be purchased at the Forum of Civics at 2503 Westheimer, at each residence on the trail and at retail outlets around Houston.

Proceeds from Azalea Trail go to Houston-area charities.

To learn more, please visit riveroaksgc.org

WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 45

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Ready to file for divorce?

Mediterranean diet class

Are you and your spouse no longer compatible? If so, the first step is to make certain you can’t repair the relationship. You have to testify in court when you finalize your divorce that there is no chance for reconciliation, so know that before filing. Enlist a good mental health professional who will help you determine if there is any hope of repairing your relationship and/or equip you for moving forward for divorce.

Once ready to file for divorce, collect all financial documents you have access to so you can get an idea of your estate value. If you had any accounts prior to marriage, begin obtaining the statements around the date of the divorce. Figure out your monthly expenses so your attorney can determine what amount is needed to be paid or received to keep the status quo while you are divorcing. List your parenting duties and make a calendar or summary to help support what your normal schedule is with your child(ren) to provide to counsel. Find a good fit with an attorney, and the process will be much easier.

K. Nicole Voyles is a partner at Tindall England PC, a family-law firm specializing in divorce, child-custody modifications, grandparent access, paternity, adoption and premarital and postmarital agreements. K. Nicole Voyles has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Texas Super Lawyers 2014-18.

Tindall England PC, K. Nicole Voyles, Partner, Board Certified in Family Law, 515 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 500, Houston, Texas 77027, 713.622.8733, www.tindallengland.com

Looking for a diet that is delicious, nutritious and effective for weight loss? Then the Mediterranean diet is for you! Recently named U.S. News & World Report’s Top Diet of 2019, Best Diet for Healthy Eating, Best Diet for Diabetes and Easiest Diet to Follow, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes plantbased meals, including healthy fats and whole grains, and has proven benefits for those concerned about heart disease and diabetes.

The Mediterranean diet promotes fresh and seasonal plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, olive oil, herbs and spices, as well as fish and poultry, while limiting red meats and sugar. Research has shown that patients who follow the principles of the Mediterranean diet have a 30 percent reduction in death for all diseases.

Join registered dietitian-nutritionist Pam Fullenweider for “Outsmarting Disease and the Mediterranean Diet.” This hands-on cooking course guides attendees as they create healthy, delicious meals in the UTHealth School of Public Health’s state-of-the-art Nourish kitchen, using herbs and vegetables from the campus holistic garden. By the end of the course, participants will have the understanding to build their own meal plans. Additional courses will be available throughout the month to take participants beyond the basics of the Mediterranean diet.

For more information on February and March cooking classes, visit thecleverkitchen.com/stories; to register, visit thecleverkitchen.com and click “Classes.”

UT Health, 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, Texas 77030, 713.898.2308, Pam Fullenweider MS, RDN, pam@thecleverkitchen.com, thecleverkitchen.com

Create a buzz for your biz.

BELLAIRE MEMORIAL RIVER OAKS TANGLEWOOD WEST UNIVERSITY Mailed to 58,000 homes monthly.

To advertise in The Buzz Magazines, contact us at 713.668.4157, ext. 11 or advertising@thebuzzmagazines.com WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 46

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Islamic estate plans Under Sharia law, Wills control one-third of a deceased’s estate. The rest is divided among family by various fractions. Depending who survives, a spouse might inherit one-half, one-fourth, or one-eighth; a parent onethird or one-sixth; and a child one-third or two-thirds. In general, males of the same class and degree inherit twice the share of females.

Between Sunni and Shia Islam, there are five major schools. Most allow the deceased to redistribute the one-third portion among the forced heirs, enabling the deceased to equalize distributions to daughters and wives. One school, the Maliki, reserves the one-third portion for charity, friends, or more remote relatives.

Model Islamic Wills are available online. Avoid them. They tend to incorporate Sharia law by reference (“I direct said executor to pay any ‘obligations to Allah’ (Huquq Allah) which are binding on me, such as unpaid Zakah, Kaffarat, or unperformed pilgrimage (Hajj).” And, “I give the remainder to my Muslim heirs through Islamic or lawful marriage.”). That’s fine in Iran or Pakistan, but an unforced error in Texas. Even if a Texas probate court will take notice of Sharia law (which is ever more doubtful), there’s no telling which version will be applied, and at what expense.

A better approach is to address Islamic goals with the language of the Texas Estates Code and the Internal Revenue Code. For example: 1) Run the family tree by an Islamic inheritance calculator, e.g., http://inheritance.ilmsummit.org/projects/inheritance/home.aspx. In the simplest cases, leaving all to “Muslim heirs,” can become “one-sixth to my mother, if she survives me; one-eighth to my wife, if she survives me; and the remainder to my children, with each son receiving twice the share of each

daughter.” 2) If obligatory charity has never been paid, leave 2.5 percent of the gross estate for federal estate tax purposes to a tax-exempt organization. Rather than gifts to “Islamic charities,” identify an organization by name. Search https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ for “Zakat” for ideas. 3) Edit standard definitions to exclude non-Islamic heirs, e.g., adopted children.

Some Muslims may prefer “Islam lite.” They leave one-sixth to parents, one-fourth or one-eighth to the spouse, and the remainder in equal shares to the children, subject to lifetime tax-planned and asset-protected trusts. Parents’ expectations are met, but the children’s inheritance is gender neutral and protected from divorce.

To make wishes for an Islamic burial known, use this: https://bellaireprobate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Appointment-for-Disposition-ofRemains-Islamic.pdf.

To learn more, read Imani Jaafar’s Practical Islamic Estate Planning: A Short Primer, http://open.mitchellhamline.edu/mhlr/vol42/iss3/4.

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

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NEIGHBORS

.

by Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld, staff writer

Buzz About Town Hunt for hope

event spotlights Houstonian Carter Lee – affectionately known as “Alligator” – who was diagnosed with IBC six years ago. Proceeds will fund IBC research at MD Anderson. The winners of last year’s event are (pictured, from left) Andrew Waldrip, Terry Arnold, Carter Lee, Casey Marlin and (in back) Austin Marlin.

See huntforhopehouston.org.

Marvelous Maisel fans

Hunt for Hope is an adventurous scavenger hunt designed to raise funding for and awareness about inflammatory breast cancer. Events have been held throughout the United States.

The third Alligator’s Hunt for Hope Adventure in Houston will take place Feb. 24; participants will meet at the West University Community Building and Senior Center. The

Fans of the show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel gathered for a second-season viewing party at Arlene Lassin’s home, co-hosted by Stefani Twyford. The Maisel aficionados donned red lipstick, painted their nails red, brought out the vintage charm bracelets and enjoyed ’50s-style dishes in the theme of the show. Foods of the era included deviled eggs, fudge tunnel cake and Jello mold. Pictured are the marvelous (from left) Susan Farb Morris, Tricia Rauch, Barbara Ettinger, Syndy Gold, Francine Beckman, Arlene Lassin, Stefani Twyford, Midge Wische (a real-life “Midge!”) and Barbara Lindenberg.

Holiday hole-in-one Transplant patients and their families residing at Nora’s Home, the first transplant hospitality home in the Gulf Coast region, received a special treat this holiday season. Jesse McMillan, with fellow scouts from Troop 55 and friends from Strake Jesuit, built a miniature golf course at Nora’s Home. Jesse, a junior, raised more than $14,000 for the initiative, his Eagle Scout project. A few days after the golf course was built, Jesse played a round with 9-year-old Ximena Hernandez (pictured) from Arlington. Ximena, a double-lung transplant recipient from Texas Children’s Hospital, along with her family, stayed at Nora’s Home while she waited for her transplant and for her recovery afterwards.

Ximena was too ill for a playground but thought mini golf would be fun. Jesse granted her wish when he built it, and she played putt-putt with him when she visited Houston for a check-up.

Helping the guests at Nora’s Home was personal to Jesse; his cousin lived with his family while she waited for a heart transplant.

For the children The Evelyn Rubenstein JCC of Houston will host the 29th Annual Children’s Scholarship Ball benefiting the Irvin Kaplan Children’s Scholarship Fund on March 2 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. The 2019 honorees, Marci Rosenberg and Ben Samuels, were selected for their service to the Jewish and secular communities and their efforts to (continued on page 50) WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 48

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ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival, an annual, free, citywide event that promotes inclusion through visual arts, films, speakers and a concert, returns Feb. 12-21 for its seventh year.

Susan Farb Morris (pictured, at right) is chair, and Dee Dee Dochen (left) is co-chair. The 10day festival showcases the contributions of peoChris Gillett Photography

Mark Katz Photography

ReelAbilities festival

(continued from page 48) improve the quality of life

for children. Erica and Benjy Levit and Marcy and Jason Laviage will serve as this year’s honorary chairs. The evening will include dinner, dancing and an extensive silent auction. Pictured are (from left) Laurie Pickei, auction chair; Elizabeth Rubinsky and Lindsay Schmulen, ball chairs; and Esther Freedman, auction chair.

Daniel Ortiz

Parisian winter wonderland

and Jesse Tutor, as well as photos with Santa, a balloon artist and the always-popular Instrument Petting Zoo. The event raised more than $56,000 for the symphony’s Education and Community Engagement Programming.

Pictured are Rachel and Isabel Ellsworth.

For the babies Friends, family members and supporters of Team Jack & George gathered at Kendra Scott in Rice Village for a cocktail party benefiting the March of Dimes. Twins Jack and George Beeson were born at just 28 weeks and spent 125 days in the NICU at Texas Children’s Hospital fighting for their lives. At the event were parents Amy Parker Beeson and Michael Beeson, friends Koetting Jackson, Dylan Parker and Caroline Lusk and the twins’ NICU nurses from Texas Children’s Hospital. Pictured (from left) are godmothers Elizabeth Mackie and Margot Hogan, mom Amy Parker Beeson, and godmothers Meredith Beaupre and Liz Anders. The event raised more than $1,800 for the March of Dimes.

The March for Babies takes place in Houston April 28 at the University of Houston.

Houston Symphony’s youngest supporters and their families joined chair Ishwaria Subbiah at River Oaks Country Club for the Houston Symphony’s 2019 Magical Musical Morning: Parisian Holiday. More than 250 enjoyed an engaging performance by the Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musicians and a buffet of croissant breakfast sandwiches, mini quiches, French pastries and holiday sugar cookies. Honorary chairs were Viviana and David Denechaud. The children enjoyed activities underwritten by City ArtWorks and Betty WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 50

ple with disabilities, with the mission to foster inclusion, erase stigmas, change perceptions and create pathways to employment. The festival kicks off Feb. 12, 7-9 p.m., at A.D. Players at the George Theater with ReelPeople: UP Abilities, an evening showcasing speakers Jen Bricker, Eric Weihenmayer and Amanda Boxtel.

ReelArt, at the Center for Art and Photography at Celebration Company, will open Feb. 13, with a reception featuring artist Ezra Roy. The Film Festival opens Feb. 17 with award-winning documentary Far From the Tree. The festival culminates Feb. 21 with ReelMusic, at White Oak Music Hall. See reelabilitieshouston.org.

Souper success Each year, the Souper Bowl of Caring uses the energy of the Super Bowl to encourage participation in a food drive. In 25 years of events, the Souper Bowl of Caring campaign has raised over $140 million for local chari- (continued on page 52)

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(continued from page 50) ties; 100 percent of dona-

tions go to the charity of the local participant’s choice. Youth from around the country and locally coordinate their own food drives. Pictured are (from left) West University Elementary School fourth graders Grant Yeager, Walker Colson, Marshal Edgecomb, Daniel Cykowski, Jaiden Patel and Teddy Deutser collecting non-perishable items for the school’s food drive benefiting the Houston Food Bank. See souperbowl.org.

Many faiths, one celebration

Gingiss, Anne Gill, Tuba Alpat, Muna Murad, Fatma Ogzel and Nuzha Dajani.

Trafton spreads cheer For the second year in a row, Trafton Academy was a top donor to the Legacy Community Health Holiday Toy Drive. The toys are distributed to pediatric patients at Legacy clinics, four of which are in southwest Houston. Trafton Academy Tigers Care, the school's community-service club, loaded up hundreds of donated toys. Pictured are (front row, from left) Samantha Durand, Jacob

Attendees at the Interfaith Book Club Holiday Party held at Jila Tavakoli's home enjoyed international holiday foods such as tamales, Iranian rice, potato latkes, Mediterranean rice pudding and soup, roasted chicken and more.

They discussed how different faiths celebrate the holidays, including how a Festival of Lights of some kind is celebrated by at least 32 faiths.

Guests included Sharon Brier, Debbie Blanchard, Jila Tavakoli, Judy Myers, Helen Rose Ebaugh, Dolly Brenneman, Laura Branam, Susan Tabbas, Anna Guerra, Phyllis WEST UNIVERSITY BUZZ FEBRUARY 2019 52

Sacks, Shir Ogorek, Jennifer Adams, Joseph Scarborough, Amalia Rorscach and Katie Robinson; (back row, from left) Grace Sanders, Kendal O’Callaghan, Anna Philobosian, Lucy Bannerman, Olivia Wilson, Zoe Jung, Samuel Ogorek, Sarah Loiselle, Richard Davis, Stella Frank and Lucia Rappazzo-Zanca.

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 FEBRUARY 2019 53

NEIGHBORS

by Andria Frankfort, staff writer

Back Porch O

behance.net/runamokstudios

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Out-of-the-way Louisiana

ur neighbors to the east might be just a few hours’ drive away, but that short distance belies the cultural sea between Texas and Louisiana. Crossing the border reveals another world of Cajun and Creole history and food, festivals (over 400 of them) and lots of laissez les bon temps rouler. It’s no wonder the state is called “The Festival Capital of America.”

Buzz residents Lisa Ganucheau, a Baton Rouge native, and her husband Tom, from New Orleans, both graduated from LSU and met at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law before moving to Houston. They say, “There’s always a reason to be celebrating in Louisiana.

You finish Christmas and it’s Twelfth Night, and then Mardi Gras, and then Easter.”

We asked them to suggest some off-the-beaten-path trips for Houstonians to add to our schedules this year.

While Mardi Gras is the first thing that comes to mind, it’s more than the New Orleans scene that most of us picture. “Every little town does its own version,” Lisa says. Mamou Mardi Gras in the heart of Cajun Country is one of the bestknown, with a Fat Tuesday Courir de Mardi Gras, which sees local men of all ages ride masked on horseback through the town, dismounting to chase chickens and scavenge homes for ingredients for a celebratory, post-ride gumbo.

Eunice, just south of Mamou, also does a fourday, true Cajun Mardi Gras with a truck parade, giant king cake and zydeco performances.

Unrelated to Mardi Gras but also in Mamou, don’t miss a Saturday at Fred’s Lounge (337468-5411). There, Cajun music and dancing start every Saturday at 9 a.m. and continue through the afternoon.

Next up: St. Patrick’s Day in Baton Rouge.

“My mother’s family is part of the large Irish population there and participated for years in the huge parade that goes right through the heart of the city,” Lisa says. The Wearin’ of the Green Parade is a family affair with floats and decorated trucks – but it’s not entirely low-key.

“It’s almost like a mini-Mardi Gras,” Lisa says.

“In the spring, Jazz Fest in New Orleans is not to be missed,” Lisa says. “There is always incredible entertainment, all in one venue. And the

food is fabulous.” Lisa, like so many other Jazz Fest fans, especially likes the crawfish bread, or “pistolettes” – fried bread stuffed with melty cheese and crawfish.

While they didn’t date at LSU, the Ganucheaus rank games in Tiger Stadium as one of the top experiences in Louisiana. “It’s exhilarating, unlike any other football game,” Lisa says. “It’s a huge party!”

Christmastime brings celebrations worth a drive. “On Christmas Eve, south of Baton Rouge on the banks of the Mississippi, they light bonfires and tell all the little children that ROAD TRIP Crossing the border into Louisiana makes an easy trip to explore the fires are lighting the a different culture. way for Papa Noel to Night Parade Extravaganza, where the past find them and bring their gifts,” Lisa says. “It’s year’s Mardi Gras royalty waves goodbye – in stunningly beautiful and captivating.” The best glittering costume – and greets the new season views of the dozens of 20-foot bonfires are said with zydeco music, king cake and gumbo. to be around the towns of Gramercy, Lutcher All year, Lisa says, “there are so many lovely and Paulina. As a prelude to the Christmas Eve places up and down the [Mississippi] river that happenings, a Festival of the Bonfires is held in are historic with plantations between New Lutcher mid-December, with music, food and a Orleans and Baton Rouge.” She says The single bonfire lighting each night.

Myrtles in St. Francisville – now a bed-andAlso at Christmastime, Natchitoches, breakfast said to be haunted – is in one of the Louisiana’s oldest city and the place where the most beautiful parts of Louisiana. movie Steel Magnolias was filmed, decks its For the drive, she says, “one place we always streets in hundreds of thousands of lights. Their recommend because it’s so much fun is Christmas festival includes 18th century Steamboat Bill’s.” With crawfish pistolettes, Christmas reenactments, period merchants, seafood platters and boiled crawfish, it’s the percandlelight tours of historic homes and a fect stop in Lake Charles, either on the way into Festival of Lights Parade.

Louisiana or on the way home.

Christmas flows into another Mardi Gras with Twelfth Night, the celebration that begins 12 days after Christmas, kicking off the Mardi See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links Gras season (the time of debauchery leading up to destinations. to Lent). In Lake Charles, there’s a Twelfth

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