Carnivore, converted

Lakewood resident Nancy Addison is the picture of health. Everything about her — from her radiant skin and long, silky hair to her bright, engaging smile —screams health, wellness and positive energy. You would never know that Addison once struggled with health issues including acute anemia, carpal tunnel syndrome, severe headaches and being overweight after the birth of her two children. She also has a family history of heart disease and cancer. But now, she’s a certified health expert who is highly regarded by health professionals and has written a new book, “How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian.” Her book is, essentially, a compilation of everything she’s learned — through trial and error — since she became a devout vegetarian 27 years ago. “I did not know anything when I first started,” she explains. “I just knew that if I continued down the same path as my family, I would probably end up with blood disease and/or cancer.” Addison’s decision to give up meat for greener eating happened after she stumbled across an article in Life magazine that detailed the new wave of corporate farming and the condition of the animals. She was horrified, she says. And that was that; she was a vegetarian. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. Being born and raised in the South made it difficult to write off meat-eating initially. Her friends and family were concerned it would diminish her already wavering health, and what about her children? She began researching how to be a healthy vegetarian. Soon she began feeling better, and her doctors watched in amazement as her health problems slowly faded into nonexistence. Addison insists she’s healthier today in her 50s than she was in college. Lucky for us, she’s not stingy with her findings; she passes them along in her book. “It’s a really great guide to health,” she says. “A lot of people who buy it are not vegetarian, and they use it as a reference book.”

—Brittany Nunn

spring musical, “Anything Goes,” Vines knew the drill. She was chair of Woodrow’s musical committee in 2003 and 2004 when her daughters were in the musical, so she understands how important the production is to the school and the community. Better yet, she knew of the ideal space. The Fowler Community Partner Building on the Fowler Homes property had recently been set up for nonprofits to use. “And Woodrow just so happened to be the first one to call. This space is going to be perfect for them,” she says as she walks through the door of the partner building. Inside, Susan Schuerger and Vickie Thompson are busy prepping the space for the weeks to come. The “musical house,” as they call it, is where all the costumes are made. This year there are only about 80 students (yes, only; there have been hundreds in the past) to dress. The play takes place on a cruise ship, so each character must have at least three costumes — deckwear, everyday clothes and evening wear — and each outfit must be as unique as the actor wearing it. Thompson, the chair of the costumes committee, is the mastermind behind making that happen. “My understanding is that this year it’s going to be red, white and blue, and it’s all going to be sequins and boas and furs,” she says. It takes a little engineering, a load of sewing and a whole lot of magic to pull hundreds of costumes together every spring, but Thompson has been doing that for at least a dozen years. “We stay for the pay, don’t we, Susan?” quips Thompson. “Oh yeah, every year it costs me more,” Schuerger retorts. But for all the joking, Vines insists they love every part of it, down to the last crazy second: “It’s all fun. It’s the grins on the students’ faces that make us happy.”

For more on “Anything goes,” Woodrow Wilson High School’s Fine Arts Department musical, see the calendar listing on page 35 or visit woodrowwildcats.org, $10 in advance, $12 at the door