BayouLife Magazine April 2021

BLcontents 62

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27 27 / NEW WAY TO STAY

Ted Condrey and his wife Roxy are pushing the boundaries of travel and leisure one property at a time.

APRIL 2021

62 / RHENDA SAPORITO

While many artists might shudder at the thought of an empty canvas, Rhenda Saporito loves the blank space for the very same reason others loathe it: the possibilities are endless, and you don’t yet know what you’ll paint.

72/ RHYTHM AND RAIN TRIO

Known as the Rhythm & Rain Trio, their passionate acoustic performance has a coastal feel they’ve described as islandflavored rock with some Mississippi Delta heritage and a splash of comedy.

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82 / CHAR 19

Wade Wyatt, owner of North Louisiana’s New Orleans-inspired restaurant Char 19, offers a dining experience that balances comfort and design, and where the food and drink is prioritized over everything else.

118 / UNDER THE BOARDWALK

Perfect for the sunny days ahead, find these coastal inspired looks at local boutiques.

132 / SPRING ESSENTIALS

into the season with these mustA P R I L 2 0 1 8Spring haves from our favorite area retailers.

97 / KATHRYN TAYLOR GRAY

Found objects have always been a fascination for her. Whether it be old transit tokens, Girl Scout pins, rusty keys, or vintage bottle caps, Kathryn has a certain talent for creating the extraordinary out of the everyday chaff of life.

110 / THE PAINTER AND THE POET

Artistic expression and a shared sense of faith brought the painter Tami Curtis and the poet Perry Guy together in 2015.

134 / SCAVENGER HUNT

Participate in this scavenger hunt throughout the Twin Cities. Follow the clues and discover Monroe-West Monroe outside the lines.

H

ere we are one year later.

This time last year, we were in Atlanta working on our travel issue – we had no idea what 2020 would have in store for us. We are so fortunate to be able to continue to do something we love, and are thankful for the businesses that have supported us through these difficult times. As restrictions are easing and people are starting to travel again, we decided to keep things close to home, and visit the Mississippi Gulf coast for this year’s travel issue.

The first stop was Ocean Springs, Mississippi where the crew caught up with Louisiana natives Ted Condrey and his wife Roxy. Ted is from Lake Providence while Roxy is from Tallulah.

This power couple met during high school and reconnected during their years at Louisiana State University.

They now own vacation residences that consists of a collection of boutique hotels and bed & breakfasts which includes The Roost, The Beatnik and their more recent acquired hotel across the water called Gulf Hills. The Condreys blocked off some rooms for us at The Roost Boutique Hotel where we enjoyed relaxing and enjoying the amenities of their perfectly appointed suites. Find this article on page 27.

Next we caught up with Tami Curtis and Perry Guy. The couple’s new project with the National Audubon Society combines their love of art and poetry and gives back to the Gulf Coast region they now call home. The artists also take pride in creating books together that highlight natural and cultural aspects of the Gulf Coast and give back to the community. Tami paints the illustrations, and Perry creates the narrative. Read their story on page 110.

Hailing from Start, Louisiana, PAGE 118 JUST BEACHY

Kathryn Taylor Gray transplanted to the Mississippi gulf coast in 1975. Kathryn is a jewelry designer and describes herself as “a collector of odds and ends, bits of evidence of moments past. My work is a response to the quality of these things and to the associations they may evoke.” Each piece she creates breathes new life into dusty, simple treasures.

Kathryn reimagines each found object as part of an entirely new piece while remembering its history. See her article on page 97.

Growing up, a career as an artist wasn’t even on Rhenda Saporito’s radar — not seriously, at least. “I had very good elementary art through Louisiana Tech and the A.E. Phillips school that’s associated with Louisiana Tech,” she says of her early relationship with art. “I had a good art background as a young child, but then no real art to speak of in high school or college.” Thanks to her commitment to perseverance, learning, and trusting the process, the wife, mother, and grandmother has wound up with a rather successful career. Read her story on page 62.

There are so many wonderful articles in this month’s issue. Make sure to read our BayouBeats column highlighting the Rhythm and Rain Trio on page 72.

We’ve also featured local restaurant Char 19 in this month’s BayouEats feature on page 82. Special thanks to all of our hosts on the Mississippi Gulf coast – we truly enjoyed our time in your beautiful community.

We hope you enjoy reading this month’s issue of BayouLife Magazine.

Make sure to be on the lookout for nominations for BayouBuzz awards to start soon. Happy Easter!

Cassie

BayouLife 1201 Royal Avenue Monroe, LA 71201 Phone 318.855.3185

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PUBLISHER & OWNER Cassie Livingston cassie@bayoulifemag.com GENERAL MANAGER Ashley Hubenthal ashley@bayoulifemag.com COPY EDITOR Cindy Foust GRAPHIC DESIGNER Meagan Russell meagan@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVES Katelyn Tolbert katelyn@bayoulifemag.com Kirstie Martin kirstie@bayoulifemag.com ART DIRECTOR Taylor Bennett LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Kelly Moore Clark CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dr. Steven Atchison Laura Cason Dan Chason Laura W. Clark Dr. Leslie Coffman Kenny Covington Shannon Dahlum Lou Davenport Cindy Gist Foust Lori French Starla Gatson Kerry Heafner Ashley Hubenthal

Paul Lipe Dr. Chase Lobrano Erin Love Meredith McKinnie Dr. Timothy Mickel Guy Miller Anne Newman Dr. J. Preston Parry Cathi French-Roberts Delia Simpson Beatrice A. Tatem Vanelis Rivera Judy Wagoner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelly Moore Clark ON THE COVER Ellie Jackson in Just Beachy Photo by Kelly Moore Clark BayouLife Magazine is published and distributed by Redbird Publishing, LLC. Postal subscriptions ($30) can be ordered online at www.bayoulifemag.com. BayouLife Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts, or other materials. Opinion columns do not represent the views of the publisher. Reproduction of contents without express written permission is prohibited.

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MT Haberdashery Opens New Sewing Shop Creates Community in Northeast Louisiana

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HILE THE LAST YEAR HAS BROUGHT uncertainty, it has also brought opportunities, expansions and new hobbies. And that is exactly what MT Haberdashery is all about. Joyce Sims has owned Material Things for the past 11 years. The local store specializes in home decor, furniture, art and more, but Joyce has always had an interest in sewing. In the summer of 2020, everything shut down and Joyce had more time on her hands and picked back up an old hobby. She sewed several quilts and soon discovered that there was a huge need for quality fabric, notions and sewing machines in our area. By the fall, MT Haberdashery was born.

She opened up the back corner of her shop to include cotton fabric, scissors, thread and patterns. Within a few months, she began carrying Husqvarna Viking sewing/embroidery machines and sergers. Within weeks, Joyce began offering sewing classes, taught by Elizabeth Prine.

By the end of the year, an opportunity presented itself when the retail space next to Material Things became available. Joyce decided to seize the opportunity and expand MT Haberdashery from the corner of Material Things to fill the space. “Sometimes growth or change can be scary, but we knew that our community yearned for a space like this and was a need,” said Joyce. “We certainly aren’t letting go of our Material Things business. We are just ‘pivoting’ and expanding with the changing times, much like many businesses over the past year.”

The new space features a variety of sewing notions like quality fabric scissors, hand and machine needles, elastic and irons, as well as patterns and books. Additionally, MT Haberdashery is an exclusive partner with the Husqvarna Viking brand. Not only is this line a leader and innovator in the industry, their history coincides with a bit of the MT Haberdashery history. Like all projects, big and small, the need for change inspired their beginning, similar to Joyce’s vision of the haberdashery. In 1689, a royal arms factory was born in Huskvarna, Sweden. Almost two centuries later in 1872, facing declining demand for firearms, the artisans of the factory were inspired to make a more peaceful product - sewing machines. Today, Husqvarna Viking is a worldwide organization that still designs high-quality sewing machines in Sweden and markets their products to passionate sewers around the globe. For nearly 150 years, Husqvarna Viking has been at the forefront of sewing innovation. Their goal has always been to spread the joy of sewing through high-end convenience and time-saving, cutting edge features. Enthusiasts sewers all over the world associate the brand with high quality engineering, exceptional capability and

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innovative design. And now they are available right here in Northeast Louisiana! You can view a variety of models of the machines at MT Haberdashery and Joyce and the staff can advise you on what would work best for your needs. And like most locally owned businesses, MT Haberdashery is a true family affair. Joyce’s husband, Robert, has been involved in growing the business as well. He has even taken classes on the machines and is an authorized Husqvarna Viking service and repair technician. This means that you can bring your sewing machine to be serviced and repaired.

In addition to machines, MT Haberdashery has rulers and rotary cutters, as well as Aurifil thread. Other name brands include Sue Spargo appliqué patterns and Jen Kingwell notions like block wraps and seam wheels. And you certainly can’t sew without fabric! The front of the shop has rows and rows of bolts of fabrics that are all 100 percent cotton, perfect for quilting. MT Haberdashery carries 44 inch wide fabric as well as 108 inch wide backing fabrics. They all come in a variety of colors and hues, ranging from simple plaid and polka dot to unique patterns featuring everything from radishes to rabbits.

In the past few months, experienced sewers and quilters have flocked to MT Haberdashery, excited for a one stop sewing shop. But another type of customer has emerged as well. “We have had many beginners come in, some who also discovered the joy of quilting in the past year!” said Joyce. “This is just another example of how we have been forced to slow down and the good that can come out of that.” And those new sewers have the opportunity to expand their new found hobby with the classes offered at MT Haberdashery. At the back of the shop, there are 12 work spaces that can accommodate 24 students. Classes include color theory, hand embroidery, hand sewing and machine sewing. Classes are for a variety of skill levels and rotate each month. In fact, this summer, Joyce has plans to offer a children’s class for 10 years old and up, where they can learn basic sewing skills and by the end of the class, they go home with a new sewing machine!

This is just another way that Joyce plans on growing the joy of sewing - to the next generation. This space has also served as a meeting place for sewing circles. “It is a true community and we are excited to have people come in and sit and sew, meet with others and get insight or advice on a piece they are working on,” said Joyce. “It has been a joy to watch everyone interact and all come together over a common interest, sewing!”

On the Go This Spring Harnessing the Energy of Spring

BY BEATRICE TATEM, PH.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS

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RAVEL FOR MANY IS REJUVENATING, ENJOYABLE AND in many instances, emotionally transforming. It is inspiring, eye opening and an outlet freeing us from the demands of an otherwise packed lifestyle. Traveling allows us to recharge, rejuvenate and relax while focusing on peaceful times and experiencing fun in the sun. It affords us with the opportunity to take a step back from stressful situations allowing our mind, body and soul to be nurtured, fortified, replenished and restored. Travel can do wonders for our mental health.

It has been clinically proven to reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, lessen depression and lift our mood. Traveling allows us “me time “ which helps us to re-assess and re-create our lives. It provides change to our daily routine boosting our energy, our feelings of positivity, our self-confidence and our way of thinking. Traveling distracts us from difficult circumstances while upholding joy and happiness, ultimately strengthening our overall wellness.

The time of the year when many are looking forward to traveling is quickly approaching. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the impact the coronavirus has had and continues to have on our lives and travel plans. This time last year due to bans on travel, governmental shutdowns, restrictions on large gatherings and social distancing many of us disappointingly put travel plans on hold, altered vacation itineraries, rescheduled significant events and cancelled trip reservations. In a year that challenged us to rethink just about every aspect of our lives, travel trends are now emerging. Studies have shown with the rollout of the Moderna, Pfizer and now Johnson and Johnson vaccines, restrictions being loosened, the spread of the coronavirus decreasing, restaurants opening up and society’s need for normalcy, the temptation to travel is growing. Although people are increasingly more optimistic about the vaccine and establishing a way of life congruent with a new “normal,” there remains the newly discovered COVID-19 variants which has added to the equation of what is feasible for healthy and safe travel this summer. While it is still hard to predict what the world of travel will look like in the coming months, it is anticipated that travel plans will look a lot different this year than it did spring and summer 2019 and 2020. To say many are ready to travel is an understatement and yet we must do so cautiously, carefully and mindfully.

Spring is here and like each season has its own type of energy.

Spring is a time in nature’s cycle for making choices and taking inspired 10 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

actions. It is a time of independence and confidence and “pioneered” energy. It is about establishing commitments and springing forth with the energy to start new projects while planting seeds of thoughts and ideas so they may bloom in the coming months. Over the past year society has been forced in many ways to insulate itself. The energy experienced by many has been shaped by the impact of COVID-19.

The long, gray season of winter is ending and like the season of spring, ready to take action after winter’s hibernation. Society is ready after a year of work from home, social distancing, mask wearing, hybrid and virtual school, abbreviated celebrations to “get away.” Suggested ways to take a spring break? Take advantage of spring’s boundless energy.

Spring forward in time while leaping forward with a clear and focused mindset committed to action. Consider how you can best harness the enthusiasm and clarity you feel now in order to create meaningful and lasting changes in your life. Direct energy toward what will ultimately bring you and others joy and fulfillment. Partake in new and challenging endeavors that will help you to become stronger and more disciplined.

After a year of quarantine focus on your love ones; use vacation time to reconnect with the people you missed while you were socially distant.

Put quality time at the heart of travel. For those weary of being at home, consider COVID safe travel options that include visiting less densely populated areas (small towns, remote islands) driving versus flying and outdoor activities as opposed to indoor activities. COVID-19 concerns still mean precautions are necessary when choosing how and where to travel as a family this year. Pack mask and personal hand sanitizers even if you have been vaccinated and achieved immunity.

Spring is here and we all need a break. This spring plan ahead for a summer vacation/staycation that will encompass your thoughts and beliefs about travel with COVID-19 in mind, while affording you the perks travel can bring: joy, peace, relaxation, happiness, creativity, introspection, reflection, open mindedness, exposure, fun, rejuvenation, relaxation, alertness, distraction from stress, emotional and physical renewal. Seize the season to make meaningful, clear your mind and leap into focused and committed action and harness the energy of spring.

For more information on seasonal change and the impact it has on mental health contact Dr. Beatrice Tatem at Wellness Initiatives, LLC 2485 Tower Drive, Suite 10, Monroe, La 71201, 318-410-1555 or at btatem.bt@gmail. com.

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Alumni Spotlight ULM Alumni: Scott and Leazel McDonald

U

LM WAS A NATURAL CHOICE FOR SCOTT MCDONALD. Originally from Holly Ridge, Scott graduated from Ouachita Parish High School and was offered a ULM baseball scholarship.

His parents were ULM alumni, and Scott was honored to continue the family tradition. His mother Patsy Crain McDonald graduated with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Elementary Education. His father, Dr. Charles McDonald, received his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate of Education at ULM. Charles also served as the ULM Director of Counseling, Placement, and Financial Aid for 16 years.

A graduate of St. Frederick High School, Leazel McDonald chose ULM for its prestigious communications and journalism program.

Her deep ULM roots began with her father Dr. Thomas H Fields, Jr., the football team doctor for thirty years. Leazel remembers watching her father work with student athletes, and from a young age, Leazel understood the hard work and dedication required of student athletes.

Scott and Leazel actually met on ULM’s campus in the Skybox at Malone Stadium while Leazel was an Indian Scout and Scott was attending a game with a friend. Scott asked Leazel out, but she declined. A few months later, the two reconnected at a local restaurant where Leazel worked. They started dating in the spring of 1988 and were engaged six weeks later. Between sports and college clubs, the two were busy coeds. Scott was a student-athlete and dedicated many hours on the baseball field with his teammates and Coach Lou St. Amant. Leazel took advantage of campus life and became extremely involved as a student. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi (AOπ) sorority, 31 Ambassadors, Prep Staff, Indian Scouts, Homecoming Court, and Delta Sigma Phi Little Sis. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a concentration in Public Relations, and Scott graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing and Economics.

After graduation, Scott took a job at Ouachita National Bank, and Leazel worked at St. Francis Medical Center as a physician recruiter.

The couple then moved to Indianapolis, but after ten years up north, wanted to return home. Scott worked at Ouachita Independent Bank, now Bancorp South, and served on the ULM Facilities Corp and is currently a board member. Leazel worked at CenturyLink in the human resources department. Leazel enjoyed recruiting the phenomenal talent emerging from ULM, especially in the healthcare field.

Both McDonalds had many faculty and staff that impacted their

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time as ULM students. Dean of Student Affairs Tom Murphy, Director of Alumni Affairs Don Weems, and Director of Enrollment Services Patsy Rials made lasting impressions on Scott and Leazel. Their love for ULM showed through their work and each person has left an ongoing legacy at ULM. Scott and Leazel returned to ULM to pick up the torch left from their mentors and leave their own mark at the University. Their mentors exemplified the value of working together toward a shared goal. Each small success on campus was everyone’s success. That motto has stuck with the McDonalds years later, and they strive to continue that communal effort on campus.

Scott was named ULM Athletics Director in 2019, and Leazel is now “semi-retired.” They have two adult children, Tucker and McKenzie McDonald. The couple spend many hours on campus at athletic events. Leazel served in the inaugural committee that started the Warhawk Women program in 2019 which organizes educational support for all university athletic teams and allows participants to stay involved with coaches and student athletes. Scott remembers how Coach St. Amant would often start baseball practices by asking players, “Are you the best?” The student athletes would quickly answer “yes,” and Coach St. Amant would then respond, “Then this University must be the best, since you chose to come play here.” That love and pride in ULM has inspired the McDonalds’ work and involvement at the institution. They advocate for “building champions on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.”

The McDonalds urge the Indian and Warhawk communities to come together and support ULM athletics as well as the university as a whole. The McDonalds believe that ULM is the backbone of the Northeast Louisiana community, and ULM depends on the local community to help the University grow and thrive. The best employees are Warhawk graduates and now is time to get involved.

The ULM Alumni Association reaches, connects and celebrates alumni and friends to build lifelong relationships, and commit to the university’s missions of academic freedom, scholarship, diversity, excellence, integrity and service. We represent alumni who honor the traditions of our university and who share a sense of achievement and pride. We create a network of professionals, establish scholarships and advocate for our University through community engagement. Members of the Alumni Association support countless initiatives, and annual memberships are just $35. To learn more or to become a member, please visit our new alumni network at ulm.edu/alumni.

THE ART

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styling by T A Y L O R B E N N E T T

On a baking sheet, combine chicken thighs with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon chili sauce, 1 tablespoon honey and sesame oil.

Roast at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons of honey and toss and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Shred chicken when done.

In a Dutch oven, combine 6 cups of chicken broth, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 medium yellow onion, 6 slices fresh ginger, 4 grated garlic cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise and 1 sliced jalapeño pepper. Bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Just before serving, stir in 2 cups chopped kale. Cook noodles and divide between bowls, add chicken, broth and toppings. Squeeze fresh lime juice to finish.

photography by K E L L Y M O O R E C L A R K

BAYOU E ATS

OF

the noodle bowl

THE ART

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styling by T A Y L O R B E N N E T T

Taylor Bennett artfully arranged beautiful tulips, daffodils, carnations, hydrangea and white delphinium and bay leaves into recycled glass pickling jar from Material Things. By pairing these spring blooms, he created a lush arrangement easy to recreate for your own home.

photography by K E L L Y M O O R E C L A R K

BAYOU FL OR A LS

OF

floral designs

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LAUREN BEFORE

LAUREN AFTER

DR. WALTER SARTOR

Young Mother Reclaims Health Lauren Loses 135 Pounds and Gains Mental Strength

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FTER LAUREN CATER WALKED 20 MILES WITHOUT stopping, she cried. A few days later, she started running.

That was two months ago. “I felt so strong, mentally and physically. I felt so free and alive,” Lauren, 28, said. “That walk brought me to tears because I never thought that I could achieve something like that. Now, I am training for my first marathon, which is unbelievable to me.”

Not long before that walk, she carried an extra 135 pounds, which made simpler activities—like holding her new baby—difficult.

Lauren experienced several obesity-related complications during her pregnancy and the birth of her son in 2018. When he was just over a year old, she called Dr. Walter Sartor, a bariatric surgeon at the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana.

She eventually underwent the gastric sleeve surgery, the catalyst for her significant weight loss, in August of 2019.

When people ask her about bariatric surgery, her response is immediate and adamant: “I say the same thing every time: ‘Do it!’ It will change your life. The pain, which is really just soreness, is only temporary; the weight loss can be lifelong and so freeing. I’d do it again in a minute because it truly saved my life.”

The surgery and the subsequent weight loss impacted her in many ways. Lauren, who has struggled with depression since her teenage years, experienced a much darker form of depression when she gained more weight later in life. In addition to the mental anguish, she suffered from significant knee and back pain, which kept her from enjoying family activities.

“With the weight gain came deep depression. I got to where I was so ashamed of how I looked and even felt that I didn’t want to get out of my house,” she said. “My family loves being outdoors, so when I had to sit on the park benches and watch my kids play, I knew I had to change.”

Like so many others, Lauren attempted several diets such as lowcarb and calorie counting, but the results didn’t last. She lost weight before getting married and becoming a stepmother to “the most amazing child” in 2014. Lauren said, “That happy time brought on lots of fast food, bad food, and too much food. I watched my weight creep up, but it wasn’t enough to make me change my eating habits.”

She experienced an awakening during one particular diet.

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“My ah-ha moment was when I dieted hard for a month, and my weight still crept up, or it didn’t move. I was dieting, yes, but obviously not the right way. I was desperate for help,” she said. “I wanted to run and play with my kids, hold them comfortably, and be truly happy before they grew up. Time with them was fleeting, and I was missing out. That’s how I felt each day.”

The Farmerville native has not regained any weight since her surgery in 2019. Her reason? “I can never let myself get back to the old me. Everyone tells me all of the time, “Oh you look so good!’ And yes, I think I look better, but how I feel trumps that. I have energy, and I have confidence.”

Lauren’s typical meal might be a piece of salmon and three to four pieces of broccoli before she feels full. She used to consume a lot of sugary foods and soda, but she doesn’t crave or even think about them anymore.

Her activities have drastically changed as well. “I can run and play with my two little boys. If the weather is bad, we exercise to dance videos or workout videos. The kids and I love these times,” she said. “I also take long walks at the park and run long distances.

Before surgery, every activity was a struggle. But now, I feel so free— mentally and physically.”

Lauren is extremely grateful to Dr. Sartor, who started a journey that transformed her life.

“I would absolutely recommend Dr. Sartor to everyone. He is a doctor that truly cares for his patients. He always has a smile and a calm demeanor, which kept me calm,” she said. “A year after my gastric sleeve surgery, he removed my gallbladder, and once again, he was great! I would go to him for any surgery that he could perform.

He went above and beyond while caring for me, and I can say the same for friends of mine that he has also operated on.”

Lauren views her life differently than she did before her surgery.

“I wake up each morning determined to make the absolute most of each day. I feel so alive. I don’t live in darkness anymore.”

In addition to Dr. Sartor, the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana is home to surgeons Dr. Bart Liles and Dr. Patrick Smith. Contact the clinic today with your questions about minimally invasive surgery or other medical needs, such as vein care procedures.

photography by K E L L Y M O O R E C L A R K

step into spring

styling by T A Y L O R B E N N E T T

B AYO U FA S H I O N

These fashionable flats are the perfect footwear for updated spring looks. Find them at local boutiques.

Clockwise from top: (leopard print) Petals & Pearls, (buckle down sandal) Sadie C’s, (taupe thongs with laces) Dusty & Co., (distressed metallic with tortoise shell chain) HerringStone’s, and (matte tan flop) Hemline Monroe.

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B AYO U T R AV E L

NEW WAY TO STAY Ted Condrey and his wife Roxy are pushing THE BOUNDARIES OF TRAVEL and leisure one property at a time.

VA N EL I S R I V ER A

K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

A

S I FLITTED ALONG LOVERS LANE ON A GOLF CART DRIVEN

BY PROPERTY OWNER TED CONDREY, IT BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY CLEAR THAT OCEAN SPRINGS,MISSISSIPPI IS A MÉLANGE OF THE STRANGE, NOVEL AND FRESH. Our trek down the heavily shaded street allowed me to observe the wide array of Carroll Ishee homes known for their harmonious form and function, often resembling large tree houses that seamlessly blend with the outdoor environment.

Ted’s enthusiasm was unrestrained and revealed that his drawing force to the hospitality industry was not about playing Monopoly with his properties. “If you design something for money, you’ve kind of missed the point,” he asserted. A few minutes before the golf cart tour, we were in the perfect spot for an interview—a speakeasy-style room hidden behind a bookshelf at the craft cocktail and wine bar adjacent to one of his accommodations, The Roost Boutique Hotel. There, Ted exposed a rare and genuine interest in seeking out off-the-beaten-path architecture and lodging, which he has readily adapted and applied to his current business enterprises. A Renaissance man of sorts, Ted, alongside his wife Roxy, is pushing the boundaries of travel and leisure one property at a time.

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B AYO U T R AV E L

LO O K I N S I D E /O U T The Beatnik boasts four Sandinavian style floating cabins, each complete with a wet bar, private outdoor shower, and lush, spacious king-sized bed.

oth husband and wife are Louisiana born and raised. Ted is from Lake Providence while Roxy is from Tallulah. This power couple met during high school and reconnected during their years at Louisiana State University. After graduating, he went into real estate development at a company located in the Florida Panhandle. Cultivating a keen sense for property oversight, he shifted his attention into real estate. In 2006, Roxy happened upon Ocean Springs, and it didn’t take much for the duo to take the leap of faith into the beach-side move. At the time, there were no vacation residences in the downtown area so they established their first leisure project, The Inn, which now consists of a collection of boutique hotels and bed & breakfasts all located in the downtown area. Though these small hotels only boast a few suites, they are packed with personality, each having their own story. Even better, they are a short walk from Bright Eyed Brew Co., a quaint specialty coffee spot that quickly won me over with its sea-green, neon sign reminding customers to “Be Bright,” multicolored mural that made for the perfect selfie background, and pristinely mixed iced latte (with an extra shot of espresso).

Even after this venture, the couple kept bust at their real estate business, Rain Residential. Their intent was to offer clients a place to rest as they underwent the difficult task of house hunting in the area. It didn’t take long for The Inn to become increasingly more popular than Rain, and eventually they began adding to their leisure-stay properties, which now include The Beatnik and a recently acquired hotel across the water called Gulf Hills, a historical gem dating back to 1927 frequented by major players like Elvis. Though initially they weren’t setting out to expand into the hospitality industry, their keen understanding and appreciation of the area has allowed them to swiftly become a part of what makes Ocean Springs unique.

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In 2006, Ted and his business partner

began renovations on The Roost Boutique Hotel, originally a small homesite dating back to 1894. With utmost care, the team restored the building in a way that celebrates the space’s cultural heritage.

This has included carefully maintaining the two majestic oak trees towering over the two-story building, laden with wiry Spanish moss lazing over giant, sturdy branches. Additionally, the wood from the original structure was saved, twenty layers of paint sanded down, and used as an accent wall or ceiling in every room, a tribute to the rich history of the property. “Then, from a design standpoint, my wife and my partner’s wife really took the lead in that,” said Ted. Wanting to keep the colors and architecture as “rustic and woodsy” as possible, they kept earth tones like light greens and browns, a natural vibe that veered off the path of the typical beach-town, pink, orange, and blue pastels. Each of their eleven suites are luxuriously designed and furnished with relaxation in mind. Described as “chic beachshack decor” by Architectural Digest, each room is distinct in its accents but emotively similar. Guests, who are usually traveling from anywhere between Texas and Georgia, appreciate the quick getaway, describing it as romantic, charming, and even a “welcome respite.” Between the sweeping oaks, sun-kissed porches, and dreamy suites, it’s easy to feel transported to another place and time.

A few years later, the Condreys had another project underway of the likes unseen in the area. Located only minutes away from The Roost and inspired by the Beatnik culture and adventure seekers of the 1950s and 60s, the Condreys aimed to create a “new way to stay.” They hired New Orleans architect Charles Neyrey, whom Ted had met in college. Ray came up with two designs, one was more modern and incorporated large sections of glass walls, but the Condreys felt it was missing the cottage element that speaks to the southern coast. So Ray came up with the rain screens. The result, four Sandinavian style floating cabins, each complete with a wet bar, private outdoor shower, and lush, spacious king-sized bed. “He did an excellent job with it. It’s unreal.” The Beatnik demands and inspires freedom of expression, most impressively so in its interior, designed by Roxy. Drawing from natural elements, it incorporates timeless mid-century accents, such as wood slat walls made from wood native to the area, a tile backsplash adding a pop of color, and jute woven rugs. The boho chic vibe is minimalist and creates a comfortable and elevated atmosphere. A plunge pool, fire pit, and garden add to the artsy, zen-like amenities. When I saw the outdoor shower, I was instantly transported to the island I grew up in. For some, it may be out of their element to shower outdoors, but even if you leave your bathing suit on, showering outdoors is one of the most freeing experiences you can gift yourself. “I can’t figure out a time when you wouldn’t use it on vacation,” commented Ted. “If it’s raining, that’s good. It’s lightning, better. It’s cold? Turn it on hot. It’s hot? Turn it on cold.” Ultimately, he wanted to push the concept of doing on vacation what you wouldn’t do at home, such as living like a beatnik nomad for a few days (or a few weeks).

“So, I get bored extremely easily,” confessed Condrey. “And, I’m a big believer of like, wouldn’t it be cool if and why not this and what if.” From The Beatnik and beyond, he wants his stamp at Ocean Springs to say “this is different.” Here, Ted speaks to the current state of the industry and the quickly rising trends that may just become staples. “We’re just scratching the

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T H E R O O S T B O U T I Q U E H OT E L Originally a small homesite dating back to 1894, the team restored the building in a way that celebrates the space’s cultural heritage. The wood from the original structure was saved, twenty layers of paint sanded down, and used as an accent wall or ceiling in every room.

B AYO U T R AV E L

“Your natural elements are the key to what you should be building around.

We shouldn’t be cutting down a tree if you can build right within the tree.”

– TED CONDRE Y

surface of where tourism is going to go,” and technology is a main driver of that, he said. For instance, guests that check-in at The Inn and The Beatnik can take advantage of their “selfless check-in” system. Nevertheless, Ted seeks to keep looking out for the next best thing, not afraid of pushing the envelope or taking a risk. He predicts it won’t be long before checking it at the restaurant bar becomes a thing. “I’ve been wanting to do it for like ten years.” It may seem odd, but he likes the idea of a guest checking-in and immediately getting a complimentary drink.

Ted appreciates architecture that integrates nature and builds with nature in mind. “I think it’s very difficult and almost disrespectful to assume you can do something on one piece of property that you don’t another. So, I see property very specific.

This idea of hitting repeat is disrespecting the dirt,” said Ted, adding, “Your natural elements are the key to what you should be building around. We shouldn’t be cutting down a tree if you can build right within the tree.” From a business standpoint, the Condreys are different because they are very site specific, and believe that “site drives the design.” His next endeavor speaks to this. Currently, the Condreys are thinking about hobbit houses as their next alternative lodging project. “There is this guy in Mexico, that is making these prefab hobbit shells.”

Once the shells arrive, the set-up would consist of placing earth and grass over them, so they’d end up looking like hobbit holes, 34 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

consequently adding to the already flourishing ecosystem of Porter Avenue.

“A lot of times people just assume that you’re going to keep doing the same thing” said Ted, maintaining that he’s not interested in creating a franchise. His products are different because he understands the intricacies of the land he intends to build on. “We’re just scratching the surface on where we would like to get.” The Condreys are creating spaces where tourists of all kinds can be in close proximity to everything local. It was only a nine minute stroll to the downtown area (my mission: to browse the specialty shops on Washington Street). On the way, I passed quaint homes with flourishing verdure, a “free books” stand (compliments of the town’s Episcopal church), and lively birds celebrating the day, a whimsical reflection of my own enjoyment. Upon leaving Ocean Springs, and the enveloping calm provided by The Roost Boutique Hotel, I couldn’t help but consider my experience as multilayered. So, whether you choose to cozily roost or take a much needed, peaceful beat, rest assured that visiting a Condrey property will inspire you to find new ways to stay.

The Roost Boutique Hotel is located at 604 Porter Avenue Ocean Springs MS 39564 and The Beatnik is located at 402 Porter Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564. Follow both lodgings on Instagram and Facebook for some travel inspiration and access to their check-in links.

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One-Day Dental Implants NELA Dental in Monroe & Farmerville

NOW OFFERING “TEETH IN A DAY!”

Now with Teeth in a Day, you can get your dental implants completed in just one day! NELA Dental is your home for One and Done, dental implant services.

NELA Dental always strives to utilize the best in advancing technologies. Through the use of CAD (Computer Aided Design) and 3D printing, dental implants can be placed, and long-term temporary teeth can be printed and placed in one day. This process allows for more chewing ability and much less pain while healing. It also allows you to test drive your teeth so you get the teeth you want.

EXPERT CARE FOR OUR PATIENTS

We are proud to offer personal care that is customized to fit our individual patient needs. Dental implant cases are unique and all require special attention. At NELA Dental, we are proud to offer expert care to those seeking to strengthen their smiles through dental implants.

Dr. Vance Costello is the only practicing dentist in North Louisiana with the ABOI/ID board certification, and one of only four ABOI/ID Diplomates in all of Louisiana. Certification by the ABOI/ID attests to the fact that a dentist has demonstrated knowledge, ability, and proficiency in implant dentistry through a rigorous examination process. The American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry Diplomate (ABOI/ID) designation symbolizes the highest level of competence in implant dentistry. Costello worked tremendously hard for nearly a decade to achieve this prestigious designation.

In addition to this accreditation, Dr. Costello has completed the American Academy of Implant Dentistry’s Comprehensive MaxiCourse and is Fellow of the AAID. Also, he’s an instructor with Advanced Implant Educators (AIE) and Implant Know-How. Dental implant know-how also extends to NELA Dental’s Dr. Daniel Raymond. Raymond has completed an implant fellowship with the International Dental Implant Association (IDIA). As a member of the IDIA, Raymond continues to build his continuing education portfolio as he works alongside industry experts to learn about the latest practices and techniques in order to provide his patients toplevel results.

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SINGLE-TOOTH IMPLANTS & IMPLANT-RETAINED DENTURES

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or a bridge. A proper dental implant coupled with a replacement tooth or bridge will look, feel, and function like a natural tooth. For those with missing or decaying teeth, dental implants can improve your smile not only cosmetically but structurally as well. Implants provide a stable and durable base for restoration so you can start to enjoy all of your favorite foods again.

An implant-retained denture is a denture attached to implants inserted into the jaw. This is different from a regular denture which rests on the gums. Denture wearers often find their dentures can be held in place with dental implants for added comfort and stability.

Some patients even experience improved speech; a welcomed benefit for many. Implant-retained dentures may provide patients with more confidence. Another major benefit of implant-retained dentures is the ability to enjoy foods previously considered off limits. However, there are some limitations on certain foods. Your dentist can explain these eating “do’s and don’ts” during your appointment.

START SMILING TODAY

Whether it’s for dental implants or a check up, visiting the dentist is the key to overall good oral health. NELA Dental wants to make that financially easier for our patients. That’s why we offer membership plans to help alleviate the cost of some procedures. Frequent visits keep your smile healthy, but these visits may also help catch potential problems early. This could make treatments simpler and more affordable. Catching problems early is not only good for oral health and your wallet, but it may also boost your medical health too. The benefits of routine oral maintenance are seemingly endless!

We accept most major dental insurance plans, third-party payments, and offer flexible financing options. Call one of our convenient locations in Farmerville and Monroe, schedule your appointment.

Don’t let anything stand in your way of a great smile this year, contact NELA Dental and Start Smiling Today!

I

t has been said that the late Billy Baldwin was one of the original and greatest American interior designers. Many of his signature and iconic looks were created during his New York based decorating prime of the 1950’s to 70’s and his client list of tastemakers, hostesses, ambassadors and socialites quickly became lifelong friends.

One of the many concepts he utilized when working with clients was to incorporate their existing furniture and important accessories into his updated vision. He felt that a connection had to be made for the authenticity of the space.

Comfortable and sustainable furniture within the mix was another one of Billy Balwdin's fervent philosophies. He became famous for his box-based armless upholstered to the floor slipper chairs.

These iconic chairs remain a collector’s item for many design enthusiasts.

Within the luxury design inspirations of today, Billy Baldwin style was neat, trim, tidy and immaculate. He was eclectic in his choice of furnishings, but insisted on a certain quality of antiques. If not available, it was preferred to incorporate clean edged contemporary design over the reproductions of antiques.

Very much a color visionary too, he might find a leaf in the yard of a client and take it to the painter and ask for that specific hue to cover the walls. His style encompassed some of the most celebrated pattern on pattern, dark walls, bamboo and wicker covered tables as well a love of glossy finishes and damask.

One of the first decorators to consider high quality and collected photograph books as an important element in all his client’s homes, Billy Baldwin's aesthetics set the stage, then and now.

“No matter how taste may change, the basics of good decorating remain the same: We’re talking about someplace people live in, surrounded by things they like and that make them comfortable. It 's as simple as that.”

-Billy Baldwin, 1903-1983

FOR YOUR OWN FRENCH TWIST CONSULTATION, CALL CATHI AND LORI AT 318-355-3041

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styling by T A Y L O R B E N N E T T

Add 8 oz of The Botanist Gin (provided

by Washington Wine & Spirits) and 2 oz of cucumber syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a large mixing glass with cucumber slices and add 16 ounces of bitter lemon tonic. Stir to combine. Pour over ice and garnish with a few pink peppercorns and cucumber slices.

photography by K E L L Y M O O R E C L A R K

BAYOU DR I N K

the botanist

B AYOU H E A LT H BY SH A N NON D A H LU M

Heal Your Relationship with Food

A

by Healing Your Relationship with Yourself

ccording to Christian biblical traditions, humans are sinful by nature and our propensity to sin began when Eve took a bite of an apple in the Garden of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve began their existence as flawless, whole, and perfect. After eating the forbidden apple, however, both were banished from the garden, experienced feelings of shame for the first time, learned of their imperfections, and suddenly had the urge to cover their unlovable bodies.

This story continues to play out today. So many of us label foods as good or bad, and attach our worthiness of love to what we choose to eat. We allow our own inherent value to be determined by the value we attach to our food, and even by our ability to fight our desire to eat anything at all. Low calorie foods are “good” and desserts and “junk foods” are “bad,” or “sinful.” When we eat foods we label as “good”, or even force ourselves to go hungry and resist eating altogether, our self worth increases; we believe we’re “good”. If we give into temptation, however, and eat the potato chips and ice cream, we’re suddenly “bad.” We’re left feeling guilty, shameful, like our inherent worth has diminished and as though our bodies are less than perfect. We metaphorically kick ourselves out of the garden by punishing ourselves with harder dieting, intense exercise, or simply harsh self criticism.

Self-judgment, blame, guilt and shame are all emotions that trigger a low level stress response in your nervous system. When you criticize any part of yourself as being unworthy, unacceptable, or bad, your brain receives the signal that an enemy is in your

midst. A threat is at hand.

Hormones and chemicals are released that enable you to stay on high alert because there’s a bad guy in your presence you need to protect yourself from, only the threat is yourself.

The chronic stress response, whether it’s triggered by an immediate threat that exists outside of you or a perceived threat living in your state of mind, leads to elevated cortisol.

Cortisol is a stress hormones that down regulates metabolism, dysregulates hunger hormones, and diminishes digestive capacity. In essence, chemicals and hormones are released within your body that drive you to eat more, to crave “bad” foods, and to store more of that food as fat on your body rather than to create energy for fueling it.

When in a state of chronic stress, your body’s physiology compels you to eat more and drives cravings for high sugar and

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carbohydrate foods as a matter of survival. Fighting that biological urge with willpower is a losing battle, and every time you lose, it adds to the harsh self-judgment that caused the cravings in the first place. This compounds the stress response that’s already being driven by your negative emotional state, and the cycle continues to gain momentum. If you find yourself stuck in this cycle of emotional eating, the way out isn’t to continue punishing yourself even harder; the key is self compassion.

This month we celebrate Easter, which tells the story of forgiveness and redemption.

Jesus gave his life in order to free mankind from an eternity of punishment from sin. He died on the cross as a demonstration of the worthiness of love all humans inherently have, regardless of their sin. He taught that through forgiveness, not punishment, sin is healed.

The key to ending emotional eating and finding freedom with food and confidence within your body isn’t by fighting yourself harder; it’s through forgiveness. Feelings of love and forgiveness turn off the chronic stress response, decrease cortisol, and move your nervous system into a state of relaxation and rejuvenation. In turn, DHEA, a hormone associated with increased metabolism and longevity, is elevated. Your hunger cues return to a healthy state of balance and cravings diminish. Your digestion is more efficient and you’re able to assimilate nutrients from food more effectively. Your ability to create energy from your food is optimized and fat storage is decreased.

Self criticism is a heavy spiritual burden to bear that often shows up as heaviness in the physical body, as well.

Forgiving yourself, practicing self compassion, and learning to see yourself as a friend worthy of unconditional love is the only way to end the cycle of emotional eating. Permanently healing your relationship with food and your body comes as a result of first healing your relationship with yourself. Freeing your spirit through love and forgiveness lifts the heavy weight of guilt and shame from your body.

As you celebrate Easter and remember the powerful lesson of forgiveness it brings, remember to practice extending some forgiveness toward yourself.

Your worthiness is not defined by the food you choose to eat, but by your own choice to either treat yourself with criticism or compassion. Your relationship with yourself lays the foundation upon which your body is built.

IT’S NOT THE DESTINATION, IT’S THE JOURNEY Historical Impressions

b y G u y M i l l e r, V i c e C h a i r E m e r i t u s , C h e n n a u l t Av i a t i o n a n d M i l i t a r y M u s e u m

T

ravel for the military is a bit of a coin toss. Yes you can get sent to any number of exotic and desirable locations but you can also get sent to some arctic wasteland or to some third-world country where the inhabitants try very hard to kill you. And in any case military travel to any location usually means more of a journey than you could make on your own.

My first deployment was in June 1973 to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A desirable deployment by any measure but I first had to get there.

There were dozens of us across the nation who were going to Pearl at the same time. We were to assemble at Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in northern California.

I was visiting my parents in St. Louis so I was given a commercial flight to San Francisco. I had to spend all day at the SF terminal waiting for others to arrive from their assorted locations so we could all take the same bus for the ride to Travis.

Of course not everyone arrived on that day so I had to spend a boring night and full day at Travis waiting for whoever was still in transit. We finally boarded a chartered aircraft after dinner on my second day for the flight to Hickam AFB in Honolulu.

Leaving California at 6:30 pm PDT meant we did not arrive at Hickam until around 10 pm local time. By the time we all got sorted out it was after 11 pm (1 am PDT) before I got to my ship. I and the few others assigned to this ship had to find our way to our berths and get settled in while the ship was darkened for the sleeping hours.

A couple of years later I was part of a group headed from our home unit

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in Houston, Texas for some orientation at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California. Before going on to El Toro we were to spend two days at Camp Pendleton, California. We left Ellington AFB on the south side of town on an ancient Navy C-118- the military version of a DC-6 propeller driven aircraft built shortly after World War Two. Apparently we were not important enough to rate transport on a modern jet aircraft. Like all military aircraft of the time, passenger seats faced to the rear. You could never see where you were going but could always see where you have been. The flight time for this slow old plane was eight hours.

After flying for four hours the aircraft commander announced if we looked out of the left hand windows (to the right when you are facing backwards) we would see El Paso. Exactly halfway through the very long flight and we were just leaving Texas. Texas is a big state. I opened the small white box that I had been given at Ellington and ate my bland lunch.

My most “interesting” military travel had to be a trip from Houston to St. Louis to visit family over Thanksgiving. I decided to take advantage of military spaceavailable flying so I did not have to buy an airline ticket. The closest available flight for my purpose was a medical transport flight out of Kelly AFB in San Antonio. My destination was Scott AFB about 25 miles east of St. Louis.

A Navy friend of mine was headed home to San Antonio for the holiday so she gave me a lift to that city. I boarded the USAF C-9A (DC-9 in civilian use) about 7am the next morning. The enlisted USAF crewman who showed me aboard

called the USAF Captain pilot by his first name. As a Marine I was floored by that familiarity between the ranks. Naturally my seat faced backwards and I was handed a small white box with my in-flight meal.

We took off in less than 30 minutes and I was on my way. Sort of.

We flew from Kelly to Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls TX. Well we did fly north to get there and there were lots of USAF T-38s and other training aircraft to look at from the C-9’s windows. After a while we took off again but turned to the west.

West? We eventually landed at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. There were lots of “aggressor” F-5s in Soviet-style camouflage and F-4 Phantoms. I wanted to fly fighters so it was interesting. There was also a lot of desert.

When we left Holloman we flew in an easterly direction. To Scott? Nope.

We landed about midday at Kelly.

Approximately five hours into my journey and I was right back where I started. I ate my box lunch.

From Kelly we flew to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City then to North Little Rock AFB. I saw B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, C-130, C-141 and C-5 transports and more.

The Air Force was making sure I had the opportunity to see most of the types of their in-service aircraft on this trip.

Did I ever make it to Scott? Yes, about 7:30 pm that night. Four hours to San Antonio, twelve hours of back and forth flying, and another hour by car over two days instead of a two hour commercial flight with 20 minute drives on each end.

But I paid nothing for my flight and the journey was more of an adventure than I anticipated!

Celebrating 10 Years Of Fashion, Dance, and Design

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YEAR AGO THE WORLD AS WE KNEW IT LITERALLY came to a sudden halt as if someone had pushed a giant pause button. As we anxiously awaited for life to return to normal, we all had an overwhelming desire to escape the utter chaos of a world that was being ripped apart with fear. We dreamed of what we hoped the world could be once again.

Our 10th Anniversary Theme couldn’t be more appropriate as we long for happy, free spirited days to enjoy and celebrate life!

“COME SAIL AWAY & ESCAPE TO A FANTASEA!”

Join us as we travel into a Tropical Paradise. Opening with a Bon Voyage Party that will make you feel a Miami South Beach Vibe and the rhythm of a Latin Beat. Imagine boarding a luxurious yacht for a Charter Sail with the sun on your face and the sound of the ocean as you leave reality behind. Sail into the sunset and Ssouth of the border where it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere! Leave your cares behind and dare to dream of a Fantasy Island where beauty, mystery, and adventure leave you to wonder if our dreams can actually be reality. We hope you are ready to book your ticket and climb aboard!

This year marks our 10th Anniversary show. In 2011, Kelly Moore was beginning what would become a very successful career as a photographer. Kelly reached out to DBK Dance & Performing Arts to do a photo session with a dancer in motion. Kelly’s creativity was amazing. Using giant glow sticks held by the dancer, she caught the sheer artistry of movement as the lights and choreography of the dancer fused as one. The session went so well that Kelly asked the dancer to do a Fashion Shoot a few days later. She wanted to capture that same concept of fusing dance movements to enhance the look of the clothing designs. Thanks to Kelly Moore- the rest is history!

DBK Dance & Performing Arts Owner/ Director, Debbie Bourg took inspiration from Kelly’s photos, fusing the visual elements of dance, fashion, and design to a production that has evolved into a super high energy runway musical showcase. Assisted by Mackenzie Salter Grassi, as head choreographer, the show has become an amazing event that you don’t want to miss! A great ladies night out and even fun segments for the gentlemen as well.

“I wanted to give our dancers and community the opportunity to be part of a professional production with all the glitz and glamour of 46 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

New York Fashion Week, but with the proceeds going to a local charity.

Local boutiques and models join us to bring the entire community together, spending countless hours to give you an evening of quality entertainment. I wanted them to learn the value of giving back, of giving their time and talent to those in need. This is one of life’s most important lessons!”says Bourg.

The pandemic has changed our world in so many ways. Fear, anxiety, anger, depression, have taken a strong grip on humanity. Our Community and especially our youth need to know they have made a positive and healing impact in today’s society. We have become all too familiar with the name Covid, but do not forget that cancer is just as powerful and just as scary! The chaos of this past year has most definitely put a strain on people suffering from this dreaded disease. Many were too afraid to seek the help they needed and the medical profession has been totally overwhelmed trying to care for all. Cancer patients need us now more than ever!

The Cancer Foundation League Of Northeast Louisiana was formed in 2002 with a Mission Statement to provide assistance to area cancer patients and to support the Louisiana Cancer Foundation.

The league programs are: Patient Services, Cancer Survivor Dinner, Christmas Gift Baskets, Outreach Education, 4 Free Cancer Screenings for Breast/Cervical, Colorectal, Skin, and Prostate. All the League members are volunteers and most have full time jobs and families.

These amazing women have since 2002 spent over $2,051,000.00 for Patient Services right here in our community. These services include: medical supplies/ medication, household expenses, transportation to and from treatments, nutritional supplements, lodging during treatments, and supplies. They are truly angels!

All proceeds from Fashion Fusion go directly to the Cancer Foundation League of Northeast Louisiana.

JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THIS AWESOME ORGANIZATION!

Sponsorships which include a special VIP Party and a representative that is invited to “Walk the Runway” are available by contacting www.cancerfoundationleague.com.

Tables and Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite.

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S K I L L S F O R T I M E M A N AG E M E N T

“

There are just not enough hours in the day!” How many times have you

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE | erinlove@panachebyerin.com uttered those words? I can assure you I have said the same thing more times than I can count. As a result, I have had to become hyper-aware of my days, hours, and even my minutes in order to use them wisely. Now, don’t get me wrong, I wander into social media Never, Neverland just like everyone else, but I can pull myself out of it as soon as I recognize it. That is the key, by the way! To manage your time, you must manage yourself by becoming INTENTIONAL with every second.

How does it make you feel when you come home from a long day without accomplishing a single item on your “to-do” list? Well, it annoys me. I can’t stand to waste time! Wasted time=wasted money. Time management is a crucial part of living an organized life, so mastering it is essential.

“THE BAD NEWS IS TIME FLIES! THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU’RE THE PILOT!

- MICHAEL ALTSHULER

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Here’s how to acquire the skill of time management:

WHERE DO YOU WASTE THE MOST TIME? Without the answer to this question, your efforts are futile. I challenge you to keep a journal, a spreadsheet, or a simple tally of everything you do and how long each task takes .You can use your phone for convenience. You should keep track of every minute you spend distracted by social media, email, text, and daily duties. Do not leave one thing out of this exercise. By the end of the day, you will be able to identify “time-wasters.” If this is the only tip you use, it will be invaluable.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR TIME WORTH? Calculate your hourly rate and to see how much money you have wasted. This is an eye-opener!

HOW LONG DOES A TASK TRULY TAKE? Time yourself from start to finish for one of your daily activities. Do this with no distraction to see how long you spend on any given job. From this day forward, set a timer and take only that allotted amount of time to complete the task. Do this with every item on your to-do list, and you will accomplish more than you ever have.

STOP THE HOUR LONG, NEEDLESS MEETINGS. When you really think about it, the most productive part of most meetings lasts around twenty to thirty minutes. The rest of the hour is spent waiting on those who are late or with needless chit-chat. Change your meetings to a phone call or make them fit into twenty or thirty minute increments and get straight to the point.

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN! A “to-do” list will help keep you focused and will clear your mind so that you are can check items off quickly.

WHO CAN HELP YOU? Delegate the tasks that do not require your attention. Maybe your assistant can run that errand for you, or your husband can grab the kids from school today. Find out the best use of your time and delegate everything else!

PLAN ACCORDING TO THE DAY OF THE WEEK. Make Mondays “paperwork” day, Tuesdays “meeting” day, and/or Wednesdays “self care” day. By organizing your tasks in this way, you will cut down the amount of clutter that is running through your brain.

COMBINE LIKE WITH LIKE. In other words, lump similar tasks together so that you don’t have to shift gears too often throughout the day.

Maybe you can pay all of the bills at one sitting and then file the paperwork or schedule future payments. Or, you can run all of your errands at one time. Think of ways to streamline as much and as often as possible.

MAKE SURE YOUR SPACES ARE ORGANIZED. Searching for lost items is a major waste of effort. The more organized your space, the more time you will have.

IF IT TAKES LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES TO COMPLETE A TASK, DO IT IMMEDIATELY. The longer you put off the small tasks, the bigger they get.

You can add more time to your day! Let me know how it works for you!

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KATHERINE SANDIFER’S OUIDA MCGEE WINNER

2021 TOP TWENTY TIGERS

Neville’s Top 20 Tigers

These Seniors Have Exemplified Academic Excellence Throughout Their High School Career

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020-2021! WHAT A CHALLENGING TIME FOR EVERYONE in our nation! Especially for our students—from zoom classes to social distancing, wearing masks for hours on end, and attending school basically part-time-- such an extraordinarily difficult year! The Neville Alumni & Friends Association has annually recognized the Top Twenty Seniors and their most influential honored teachers for 20 years.

Due to COVID-19, our number of guests was drastically reduced, however, NAFA was able to continue this important tradition on February 25, 2021. Our NAFA President, Mr. Richard Paylor ’75 heralded the Top Twenty students, their parents and teachers as we celebrated at the Bayou Pointe Event Center on ULM’s beautiful campus.

The University has graciously aided NAFA each year in celebrating Excellence in Education and we are very grateful to ULM. Each Top Tiger is presented with a special medallion which states “ULM appreciates Excellence in Education.” We were honored to have the new ULM President Dr. Ron Berry and his wife, Dr. Christine Berry. Dr. Berry addressed our scholars and teachers and we appreciate his attendance along with Sami Owens, ULM Chief Communications Officer and Lisa Miller, Interim Vice President of Enrollment Management and University Relations.

Mrs. Joy Carlson, 2020 award winner, presented the 2021 Ouida McGee Educator Excellence Award to Mrs. Katherine Sandifer, current English Department Head. Our benefactors of this award are Mr. & Mrs. Mike McGee ’64 and Mrs. Susan McElroy Weaver ‘69 of James Machine Works.

The event was live streamed for the grandparents, family & friends who were unable to attend due to restrictions. We thank Stewart Shelby and Will Anders with the aid of NHS student, Maddie Hodge for their work in getting this done. Will also produced our video for the banquet in which the students and teachers get to personally address each other for all to see.

We graciously thank each of our loyal table sponsors who make the night possible: The Davidson Family, Progressive Bank, Lumen, Andrea & Wally McMakin, Lisa & Stuart Keyes, Tarver Family Dental, Nancy and Carrick Inabnett, Sandy Savage, Graduate Sales, Dr. Mena Cho, Caples & Robinson Orthodontics, Julie & Adam Hansen, Ronda & David Clary, Nici Hanks & Neil Shipp, Tina & Ken Houston, Christine

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& Phil Michener, High Hopes Pediatric Therapy, LLP, Dawn & Rob Landry-The Family of Katie Cagnolatti, Read Eye Center, Jennifer & Mike Street, Nelson, Zentner, Sartor & Snellings, LLC, Shelia & Frank Nettles, Guy Campbell, The MAC, Hollis Venable, West Carroll Health Systems, & Shaw Oxygen Company. We must give a special thank you to Mr. Randy Morris, who bestowed upon our honored teachers a special honorarium. Also, special thanks to Daq’s Wings & Grill, Moma De’Luca Pizza and Chicken Salad Chicks for donating gift cards to our honorees!

Thank you, Troy Booth at Unique Trophies for donating our Ouida McGee trophy and contributors Patrick Anderson and Doug Cookston for their generosity. Our head table centerpieces were lovely and donated by our longtime loyal alumnus Mr. Joe Farr—our thanks!

Lovely dinner music was provided by Mr. Rod Allen Payne.

Our lovely guest speaker, Mrs. Dianne King Cage, entertained us with stories about her times at Neville. Mrs. Cage gifted our Top Twenty Tigers with a specially personalized copy of the famous children’s classic “The Little Engine That Could”, which holds so many encouraging words for us all. Thank you, Dianne!

Our banquet committee headed by Mrs. Maggie Zentner, chairman, Mrs. Kathy Hart, Mrs. Leigh Ann Goff, Mrs. Carol Payne, and Mrs. Jennifer Graham all deserve a Tremendous Tiger Thanks once again this year. And special thanks to Mrs. Emily Rash for her “game day” assistance. It was a lovely evening!

We are proud to have been able to honor our Top Twenty Tigers of 2021 and their teachers.

Dana Tucker Jefferson ‘66

NAFA Executive Director

**** Upcoming Events ****

• Presentation of NAFA scholarships Saturday, May 1, 2021 (all scholarships are available for contributions - go to www.nevillealumni. org to donate.)

• Tiger Scramble Golf Tournament -- Set for June 18, 2021—Go to the Neville Tiger Scramble Facebook page to sign up.

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Fishing Camp Tackle & RV Park Now Open in North Monroe, Offering Much More than Convenience

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AMES RENEAU IS A BIT OF A RENAISSANCE MAN. A successful entrepreneur of a local construction company. An avid outdoorsman who loves to hunt and fish. A musician with an appreciation for the arts and preservation. So it is no surprise that he jumped at the opportunity to develop an empty gas station to a renovated fishing supply store - The Fishing Camp Tackle & RV Park.

But it is much more than that. It’s a legacy that started decades ago that will continue to serve the community for years to come.

James’ great-grandfather, James Oliver Buckley was the owner of a local tackle shop in the 1950s and 1960s. Buckley’s Tackle Shop offered everything the local fisherman could need, and Mr. Buckley rented boats on Moon Lake, Bayou Desiard in Lakeshore and on Wham Brake. He passed along his love of the outdoors to his son, James’ dad, who passed it on to James. “I grew up fishing and being outdoors my entire life, and I am passing that down to my children as well,” said James. “I believe it so important to appreciate what our outdoors has to offer, and it also teaches virtues like patience, responsibility and respect. We are lucky to live in Sportsman’s Paradise.”

James, along with his business partner, Cody Rials, are planning on The Fishing Camp Tackle & RV Park being an added benefit to the local landscape that is Sportsman’s Paradise. It is centrally located with 10 different boat ramps within miles - Black Bayou, Bayou Desiard, D’Arbonne, Cheniere, Bartholomew, Hamilton Lake, The Hangout, Moon Lake and Holland’s Bluff. If offers everything today’s fisherman could want or need - just like Buckley’s. There are performance fishing rods and reels, from brands like Lew’s and Duckett. There are even your classic beginner child size poles for the kiddos. There are walls of worms, bait, fishing line, hooks, jigs and more. Some of the more popular names include Diawa, Zepco and Mr. Crappie, just to name a few. Most everything is geared towards species you will find in the local waterways - catfish, crappie and bass.

The Fishing Camp is proud to carry Wyld Gear ice chests and drinkware, built to survive the toughest conditions. Their double compartment ice chests are perfect for keeping everything from big bass to cold beverages. Plus, they have a variety of cups and tumblers that will keep your drink ice cold or piping hot. The Fishing Camp also carries an extensive selection of Bubba Blades with a multi-flex interchangeable blade, perfect for skinning and filleting. In the back 52 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

of the store, you can find live bait including shiners, crickets and worms.

The Fishing Camp proudly offers Citgo gas, with non-ethanol gas, diesel and 87 pumps. “We are excited to partner with Evans Oil and bring Citgo back to the community,” said James. They also carry fresh Community Coffee, as well as popular snacks, drinks, beer and everything you think of when you think of convenience store.

The Fishing Camp is managed by Dean White and the employee are avid fishermen themselves. In fact, some are members of their school’s fishing team. They are all knowledgeable and can advise customers on what they need to get the perfect catch. And if you want to rep The Fishing Camp, be sure to check out their line of t-shirts, tank tops, long sleeve performance shirts and hats featuring their logo and fun colors. In true James fashion, he didn’t just decorate with basic banners and neon signs. He really thought through the entire vision of the space. When you enter, you will see a boat that he repurposed and hung on the wall, as well as hand-painted oars by his wife, Suzanna, an artist in her own right. There are also vintage motors, metal ice chests and lures that James procured at local estate sales. On the walls, you will find pictures from both James’ and Cody’s ancestors fishing on local waterways. In the middle of the store is a wooden directional sign that pays homage to the local waterways.

The Fishing Camp Tackle & RV isn’t just a tackle shop and convenience store. Behind the store is a 25 space RV Park, with both nightly and extended stay rates. This is perfect for people coming to visit family or travelers passing through on their highway adventures.

Trinity Cheer is also located on the property, as well as a restaurant space that is currently for lease. They are currently looking for a restaurant that would like to enter the North Monroe/Sterlington market. The space is move in ready with a kitchen full of high end equipment, walk in cooler, ice machine and some seating, as well as an outdoor patio, private seating rooms and a bar with a roll up door that opens to the patio. Any interested parties can reach out to James directly at 318-455-7826 to view the space.

The Fishing Camp is open everyday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., ensuring that fisherman can grab what they need before they head out on the water or before they go home. James, Cody and the staff at The Fishing Camp look forward to not only being a part of the fishing community, but the community as a whole for years to come.

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Coleman Chiropractic Clinic Announces the PiezoWave2 to Their Clinic

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OLEMAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC HAS BEEN SERVING patients in the Monroe area for more than thirty years, under the direction of Dr. Brian D. Coleman. The goal at Coleman Chiropractic is to make the world a healthier, happier place one person at a time by educating patients on matters of health and wellness while providing the highest quality of chiropractic care available, all in the spirit of loving, giving, and serving.

Dr. Coleman grew up south of the I-10 corridor, calling many of its small communities home. He attended Louisiana State University and Southeastern Louisiana University. While filling out applications for Physical Therapy school, Dr. Coleman began contemplating the decision to alternatively pursue chiropractic care, at the urging of the department head, Dr. Hayes, Dr. Coleman tore up his PT applications and dove headfirst into the chiropractic field. He attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa receiving his doctorate in 1982. He began his practice in Baton Rouge and New Roads before calling Monroe home. Dr. Coleman has been happily married to his wife, Vicky Coleman for 35 years and they share three children, two daughters and a son, Beaux who is completing his doctorate of chiropractic from Parker University in Dallas, TX. He will be joining the practice after graduation. In addition to caring for his patients and spending time with family, Dr. Coleman enjoys attending LSU games and is a firearms enthusiast. He pursues many agricultural hobbies such as raising horses, goats, chickens, and even a goose at one time.

Dr. Coleman is a God-fearing man, who worships and serves in his community at First West Baptist Church. His heart for service extends to his patients and his clinic.

The staff at Coleman Chiropractic strives to create a welcoming and wholesome environment, suited for all ages. Dr. Coleman specializes in spinal adjusting and extremity manipulation for patients of all ages, and all walks of life, treating pediatric to geriatric patients. Dr. Coleman has also successfully cared for the spines of numerous expectant mothers. The clinic strives to offer a holistic approach to chiropractic care by offering massage therapy, custom orthotic solutions, physician grade supplements, as well as dietary recommendations to their patients.

Chiropractic care focuses more than just on a patient’s spine, it involves the nervous system which communicates with every part of the body. A chiropractic adjustment is a procedure in which trained specialists use their hands or a small instrument to apply a 54 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

controlled, sudden force to a spinal joint. The goal of this procedure, also known as spinal manipulation, is to improve spinal motion and improve your body’s physical function. Spinal adjustments have been proven to balance the body, help stabilize the spine, allowing for better communication within the body, and by doing so patients often note improved function.

Remaining on the cutting edge of chiropractic technology Dr. Coleman and staff are thrilled to announce the addition of the PiezoWave2 to their clinic. The PiezoWave2 originates from Germany and is part of the Richard Wolf Company. Following the success of their technology used to pioneer lithotripsy treatment for kidney stone patients, the Richard Wolf company developed the PiezoWave2.

The PiezoWave2 is a Myofascial Acoustic Compression Therapy (MyACT) device that uses radiofrequency to aid in the dissolution of fibrotic, or scar tissue, in a non-invasive manner. The equipment is not thermal driven making it safe to use on an individual with artificial metal joints. The applications for use include both acute and chronic pain associated with injuries and post-surgical recovery. The PiezoWave has found home in many sports training and recovery programs, with devices owned by Louisiana State University’s Athletic and Veterinarian programs as well as the New Orleans Saints.

Dr. Coleman’s clinic is currently the only location north of the 1-10 corridor utilizing this technology. The PiezoWave in conjunction with chiropractic care has been shown to greatly improve a patient’s quality of life as mentioned in this patient testimonial. “ I started going to Coleman Chiropractic 2 years ago for my back. My back was so bad that I could not walk. I could only lay on my stomach. I was diagnosed with a degenerative disc. Dr. Coleman put me on a regimen of stem therapy in conjunction with heat and chiropractic adjustment.

In August of 2020, Dr. Coleman began treating me with PiezoWave and after 6 treatments I can now walk, sit up, and lay on my back with no pain. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Coleman and his staff. Without them, I would have most likely been on long-term pain medication and required surgical intervention. I highly recommend Coleman Chiropractic Clinic and the PiezoWave2 treatment. It works and I am a witness to it.”-Cleve M.

For more information or to schedule an appointment you can reach our clinic at (318)388-2215. We are conveniently located at 2501 Ferrand Street in Monroe, Louisiana. Find us on Facebook @colemanchiropractic2501 or visit online at www.colemanchiropractic.net.

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Bayou Pages

NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES “The Long and Faraway Gone” by Lou Berney REVI EW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“The past had power. The past was a riptide. That’s why, if you had a brain in your head, you didn’t go in the water.”

Two mysteries rocked Oklahoma City in the late 80s. A movie theater robbery turned mass murder left one young man wondering why he survived when all his friends were executed in front of eyes. A teenage girl goes missing from the local fair, and her sister who waited hours on the stoop under the ferris wheel keeps asking what happened. Occurring only weeks apart, the crimes were never connected, but remain unsolved.

Wyatt, now a private investigator in Las Vegas, has dedicated his life to solving mysteries, uncovering the truth, finding the why. He is smart, perceptive, quick on his feet, and lured back to Oklahoma City to investigate a case for a friend. Returning to his hometown where the unspeakable happened decades earlier, floods Wyatt with memories he had long since tried to suppress. He struggles with the reality of his past and how it is affecting his present.

Julianna, now in her thirties, lives life with her sister’s ghost. She constantly imagines what her older sister would be doing, could be doing should she still

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be alive, and what she would think of the choices she’s made. Julianna can’t cope with the unanswered questions, replaying that day and every day since in her mind for the clues she might have missed. Still in Oklahoma City, Julianna chose not to escape the scene of the supposed crime, as if leaving would be giving up on her sister.

The two stories are told in tandem, alternating chapters between Wyatt and Julianna’s perspective in present-day Oklahoma City, individually battling their demons and navigating a path forward. Berney doesn’t just tell stories; he weaves intricate patterns overlain with subplots and social commentary and the struggle with loss and the unknown. The novel has heightened plot scenes, but is most interesting in the characters’ introspection, the stories we tell ourselves to keep going. The themes of memory and loss are explored in depth and challenged at length. Berney uses his characters to force readers to imagine what they would do in similar situations. The novel is a quintessential crime drama, but with so much more for the curious sleuth reader who wants to try and figure out what happened before the true story reveals itself.

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Bayou Pages

NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“Maybe it was a mistake to return to Mallard. Maybe they should have gone somewhere new, started over fresh. But it was too late now for regrets. She could already hear the river. She started toward it, her daughter hanging heavy around her neck. The river would right her. She would stand on the bank and remember the way.”

The twins Stella and Desiree Vignes are synonymous with their hometown of Mallard, Louisiana. So small it doesn’t even warrant a dot on the state map, Mallard is more a village of sorts, made up of colored people, but only those distinctly light, capable of passing as white. Desiree is loud and makes her presence known, often getting the two into trouble and demanding more out of life. Stella is studious, depending on her education for an eventual escape from the smallness of her existence. The twosome feel emotionally responsible for their mother’s well being, their father having been murdered years before. When it is decided the girls will quit school and start cleaning houses to help their mother pay bills, the girls disappear from town, and no one hears from them for a decade, until one twin returns with a dark-skinned girl on her back. “You can escape a town, but you cannot escape blood.

Somehow, the Vignes twins believed themselves capable of both.”

The story unfolds like an onion. Brit Bennett weaves intricate narrative detail with compelling dialogue and intrigue. The core of this novel involves identity, and how 58 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

race plays into who one can be in the 1950s. One twin finds security in erasing her past and diving into a false sense of presence. The other returns to the place of her youth to escape her present and discover her past. Though identical, their lives diverge and for the first time, they live as individuals.

“The hardest part about becoming someone else was deciding to. The rest was only logistics.” This story explores what race meant in the mid century, how it limited one’s options, defined one’s perspective, and continued to impact the following generations.

Bennett writes eloquently, capturing the essence of the south, the push-and-pull, love/hate relationship with place.

We can’t be from anywhere else, but can we determine where we end up? Can we ever escape our roots? She explores why some choose to leave and others choose to stay. The multigenerational story showcases how a mother’s decisions made in good faith can bring lifelong heartache and regret. She shows that material success can’t protect one from emotional turmoil, and how pretending to be something we’re not can lead one further and further away from peace. Each chapter is told from various points of view, the past becoming more clear as the present develops. Just as the twins are learning how their past determines their present, readers are learning the same. The novel also contemplates what it means to grieve, not only the dead, but also the living.

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Truly Innovative What’s New with Truly Hard Seltzer

BY DELIA SIMPSON, CRAFT BRAND MANAGER, CHOICE BRANDS, INC.

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INCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2016,TRULY HAS BEEN THE MOST innovative brand in the category, breaking the boundaries of what consumers expect from hard seltzer. Truly believes no one is just one flavor, which is why it is available in 22 total flavors: 12 delicious original flavors, plus four flavors of Truly Lemonade, four flavors of Truly Iced Tea and two flavors of Truly Extra. At just 100 calories and 5% ABV (alcohol by volume), Truly is perfect for any occasion from beach days to backyard barbeques and beyond.

The last year has been a whirlwind for Truly. Being the most innovative brand in the market is hard work. But that work is paying off in droves for seltzer lovers everywhere. The original 12 flavors of Truly continue to delight drinkers, and now Lemonade, Iced Tea, and Extra have joined the party.

Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer is a perfect mix of refreshing hard seltzer and sweet lemonade for a drink that’s big on taste and low on calories. Truly Lemonade delivers full lemonade flavor with a crisp, clean finish. Each variety pack contains four flavors – Original Lemonade, Mango Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Watermelon Lemonade. With the same calories, carbs, and ABV as the original seltzers, it’s a game-changer for lemonade lovers.

Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer hit shelves in February of this year.

The eye-catching golden cans soon popped up all over social media.

The iced tea variety pack offers four flavors – Lemon, Raspberry, Peach, and Strawberry. Each flavor offers a hint of fruit and the refreshment of real brewed iced tea with only 1 gram of sugar and 100 calories. Like the original seltzer flavors, it has an ABV of 5%.

Truly is one of the first seltzer brands to launch a higher ABV option to its lineup. After its 2020 test launch received overwhelmingly positive feedback, Truly Extra is now officially available nationwide in two flavors, Black Raspberry and Peach Mango. It comes in 16-ounce cans and can be found in the single-serve section of local convenience stores. At 8% ABV, it definitely packs more of a punch than the original lineup, but still clocks in at 1 gram of sugar and 220 calories per 16 ounce serving. Like the other members of the Truly family, it is also gluten free.

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Still on the fence about seltzers? Try these 10 tips to level up your seltzer game.

1. Add fresh fruit. A squeeze of lime, lemon, or orange is a given.

But let’s think outside the can. How about a slice of watermelon or some muddled cherries? Yes, please.

2. M ix with juice. Try a Truly Citrus Squeeze (available in the Citrus Mix Pack) with some blood orange juice. You won’t regret it.

3. S ubstitute Truly for club soda or tonic. Tito’s and Truly Lime.

Enough said.

4. Add to an Aperol Spritz in place of the club soda or prosecco.

5. Make a wine spritzer. Mix white wine, your favorite Truly (we recommend any of the citrus flavors), a few dashes of bitters, and a squeeze of lime.

6. Warning: this one is extra fancy. Add your favorite herb or edible flower. A sprig of lavender, a few mint leaves, or a rosemary stalk will have your cocktail guests calling you Martha Stewart.

7. Try it with tequila in a Paloma. Grapefruit Truly was made for a Paloma. Just add grapefruit juice, tequila, lime, and a little sugar for a drink that will make any season feel like summertime.

8. Make it a Mojito. Trade out the club soda in your Mojito for some lime Truly. Just add white rum, mint, and lime.

9. Bubble up your Sangria. Add any berry flavored Truly to your Sangria to give it a little fizz and a lot of fun.

10. Combine two flavors! Be your own Truly mixologist. Truly Peach and Raspberry Tea, Pineapple and Blueberry Acai Hard Seltzer, the possibilities are “truly” endless.

Be sure to like Choice Brands on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with new product releases. Feel free to message us for information on where to find your favorite brands. Find us at facebook.com/ choicebrands, twitter.com/choicebrandsinc, and instagram.com/choicebrands.

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bayou artist

Rhenda Saporito

While many artists might shudder at the thought of an empty canvas, likely wondering if the work is good enough before the brush has even touched the piece of tightly-woven fabric, Rhenda Saporito loves the blank space for the very same reason others loathe it: the possibilities are endless, and you don’t yet know what you’ll paint.

S TA R L A G AT S O N

K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

he New Orleans-based artist picks up a brush and begins to mark the canvas with strokes that respond to one another, letting intuition be her guide.

Then, she explains, the brain gets involved and reveals exactly what else needs to be done to finish the piece.

It’s all part of the process, Saporito says, and it’s got nothing to do with painting something that’s flawless.

“Many artists say, ‘Well, I don’t have any talent’ or ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘Somebody’s better than I am,’” she says. “You have to let those things go; those don’t have anything to do with the art process. Perfection is not what we’re striving for; we’re striving to continue the process.”

She paints for herself, of course hoping others like her pieces, but at the end of the day, being more concerned about pushing through the process and all its struggles to create pieces that are strong.

The advice she offers to an artist struggling to continue the process to which she refers is simple: don’t second-guess yourself. “Even when you paint what we all call ‘the ugly painting,’ the ugly painting, if you keep going, takes a life of its own,” she says. “I’ve got paintings that look nice and people might respond to, but I’ve got other paintings that were so ugly and so bad that it didn’t matter what I did to it; anything I did would’ve been better than where it was. And some of those paintings, to me, are the strongest of my work.”

In other words, Saporito is a firm believer in the power of perseverance and resonates with it so strongly that she calls it an integral part of her artistic process. “I’m just an optimistic person,” she explains. “I just think good things are coming, no matter what it is, and they may not be here today, but they’re going to come.” This optimism is a driving factor as she works, striving to paint “out of chaos,” or create a piece that projects a sense of calm and is a resting place of sorts to the observer.

Growing up, a career as an artist wasn’t even on Saporito’s radar — not seriously, at least. “I had very good elementary art through Louisiana Tech and the A.E. Phillips school that’s associated with Louisiana Tech,” she says of her early relationship with art. “I had a good art background as a young child, but then no real art to speak of in high school or college.”

By the time she finished her time as a Louisiana Tech Bulldog, Saporito had earned a Bachelor’s degree in home economics (now human ecology), a field of study that made perfect sense for her, as her mother was once the dean of the department. While the decision for a home economics degree-holder to pursue art may seem random to some, as she looks back now, Saporito can see how she was in touch with her artistry even before beginning to paint.

She explains that back then, she created out of necessity. She did a lot of crafting, sewing, and cooking because her classes required it or because she needed something for her personal use, but realized tasks like sewing articles of clothing according to a pattern, for example, was an artistic process in itself. “When I graduated, I had an apartment and I needed a painting on the wall, so I painted it,” she recalls. “And then, my grandmother gave me a chair. I wasn’t going to be able to have it upholstered, so I just made the upholstery and did it myself. I was kind of crafty in that way.”

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THE ARTISTIC PROCESS “When I graduated, I had an apartment and I needed a painting on the wall, so I painted it,” she recalls. “And then, my grandmother gave me a chair. I wasn’t going to be able to have it upholstered, so I just made the upholstery and did it myself. I was kind of crafty in that ow, her motivation for her artistry has shifted from necessity to passion, thanks to her time at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. Her time there began in 1986, when she enrolled in her first course, a color theory class. “It was Becky Vizard, who is from St. Joe, Louisiana, and does all of the beautiful pillows, that suggested that I take a class with Auseklis Ozols,” she says. “His class started the next week, and it was color theory. So, I started there.”

The next step, she decided was to enroll in an independent study class the following semester. Throughout the course of the class, which was also taught by Ozols, a Latvian artist and the founding director of the Academy, students would paint whatever they wanted, and Saporito set out to create her own rendition of a painting she had set her sights on before.

“I had seen a painting that I wanted, and I called the designer in New York, and she referred me to a gallery in San Francisco.

She sent me a slide, and it was by a painter named Stanley Boxer,” she remembers. “When she sent me the slide, the painting was so expensive, I thought, ‘Well, shoot. I can do that.’” So, she did.

Her version of the painting, an off-white and minimally

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colored canvas marked with strokes of oil paint that look like scoops of icing, currently hangs in her living room and inspired her to remain at the Academy of Fine Arts — and not just because it took about nine months to dry. (“Everybody at the Academy was so mortified that I was squeezing the tube out as if it was toothpaste, and they just could not believe I was wasting all of that paint on this abstract painting,” she explains.) Instead, it drove her to learn more and find more people she enjoyed painting with.

“I got there because selfishly, I wanted a painting, and I was going to take color theory, learn about color theory, and then I was going to paint the painting,” she says of the beginning of her time at the New Orleans art school. “That’s what got me there, but what kept me there is working on the artwork, getting the satisfaction of producing something that I’m interested in hanging on the wall and hopefully that someone else wants to hang on their wall.”

Saporito continued to take classes at the Academy for the next 18 years, continuing to seek growth and knowledge. She says she perseveres by learning about color, process, and materials, even the ones she uses less frequently. “When I was in college, I did everything I could to skip a class; I never had perfect attendance. If it was a beautiful day, I’d be cutting class. Now that I’m a long time out of college, I don’t want to skip a class; I want to be there.”

B AYO U A R T I S T

and being there seems to have paid off.

Simply take one look at her Curriculum Vitae and see how far she’s come since her first color theory class. Thanks to her commitment to perseverance, learning, and trusting the process, the wife, mother, and grandmother has wound up with a rather successful career. She has attended several residencies, been showcased at duo and solo shows, including an exhibition at the Degas Gallery that was cleverly named “Rhenditions,” and has been featured on the lineup of a few group exhibitions, most notably the 2018 Ogden Museum of Southern Art Louisiana Contemporary Juried Show, where her piece “Got GPS, Fore!” ranked third in show.

Saporito’s commitment to learning

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Her abstract paintings hang in both public and private collections across the country, and if you have ever spent an afternoon strolling and shopping in Monroe’s Park Avenue garden and design shop, Parterre, chances are you’ve caught a glimpse of Saporito’s work for sale; perhaps you even purchased a canvas or two!

The artist credits each experience she’s had, from showing and selling her work in galleries to being painted in her former instructor Auseklis Ozols’ mural for the Windsor Hotel, to art, believing it’s the thread in the fabric that has made up much of her life for the past three decades. As she steps through the doors art has been kind enough to open for her, she doesn’t get so distracted by opportunities that she forgets about the relationships she has established in this industry.

“The community is huge,” she says. “It’s just amazing, particularly in New Orleans; we’ve got the most amazing art community here. But when you get to go to these residencies, you get to meet people from all over the country. So, if I travel to New York or San Francisco, I have friends there that are artists I could go visit with.”

These friends include her mentor, New York-based postpainterly abstraction artist Gary Komarin, whose work is collected across the globe.

Saporito values the creators she’s met because of how they influence her own work, whether by offering constructive criticism or creating a piece that sparks a flame of inspiration inside of her. “All of that brings a whole other level to my being because I’m so enriched by all of these other people and their work,” she says. “And it comes into my work, and I hope my work projects itself to those who collect my work, and I hope they have a certain feeling of the internal feelings that I have coming out on the canvas.”

Aside from being inspired by her beloved art community, Saporito also says she is drawn to certain elements of nature, especially water. “I love the Caribbean water. And I’m not really looking for blue water; I like the light, aqua teal. I’m looking for more of the green water.

And I love a lush garden, you know, tropical plants, that kind of thing.”

The passion that perseverance, learning, community, and nature ignited in Saporito burns strong as she continues to create. She paints, of course — mostly abstract mixed media on canvas — but she can also be found working with pastels and even sculpting with clay and cast bronze; in fact, sculptures of her grandchildren are among her current projects. She’s had some of her work made into silk and cashmere scarves as well as pocket squares that are available for purchase on her website, and even dreams of one day having her art turned into carpet for a large space, like a casino or hotel.

Both Saporito’s successes and dreams are the results of the process that began when she enrolled in color theory, which was the first mark on the then-blank canvas that was her art career. “All of these experiences I’ve been telling you about have all come through the art — every single one of them,” she declares as she shares her current projects and aspirations. “The common thread is art.”

To keep up with Rhenda Saporito’s work, visit www. rhendasaporito.com or follow her on Instagram at @ rhendasaporitoart.

Sleep and Weight Loss

Consider Ideal Protein - Now Available through St. Francis Medical Group

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NYONE WHO HAS HAD A POOR night’s sleep can tell you how it impacts their productivity the next day. Feeling sluggish, dull, and not at one’s best are all hallmarks of a lack of sleep. Now add on the increased stress levels of a global pandemic, as well as the recent time change, and you may find yourself feeling extra groggy in the morning.

But what are the impacts of sleep deprivation outside of how we feel the next day? Not getting enough shut eye is being tied to serious consequences for both general health and weight loss.

People who don’t get enough sleep:

• Suffer from increased hunger and appetite

• Have impaired impulse control

•C onsume more food, especially high-calorie foods, than the well-rested

• Feel decreased satisfaction after eating

• Experience decreased effectiveness of weight loss when dieting

How much sleep is enough? Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night,

but many people get less than six hours of restful sleep.

Why is sleep so important? Among other things, adequate sleep fine-tunes the balance of insulin and glucose, regulates our appetites, and helps our brains make the right choices about what to eat rather than impulsively gobbling down sweets. Levels of leptin, the hormone that helps you feel full, go down. Meanwhile ghrelin, the hormone that makes you feel hungry, goes up.

These changes may make you eat more food than you need, causing you to gain weight.

If you have trouble sleeping, here are a few tips to help you get a good night’s rest:

• Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends.

• When you exercise, make sure there are at least two to three hours before your bedtime.

• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Both are stimulants and can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.

• Avoid large meals and beverages near bedtime.

• Don’t nap after 3 p.m.

• Allow time for relaxing before bed. Take a hot bath, read, or listen to music.

•P ractice good “sleep hygiene:” keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.

• For a couple of hours before bed, avoid using devices, such as phones, computers, and tablets, that emit blue light. Blue light has been shown to disrupt sleep by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

Coupled with healthier eating habits, physical activity and a structured approach, a good night’s sleep is a key part of a healthy weight loss journey.

Try getting enough Z’s this week, and see how it affects your productivity, your appetite, and your general health.

Our Ideal Protein Coach, Kyla Swett, can offer additional resources to help maintain a healthy balance once you begin the Ideal Protein Protocol.

Call Kyla at (318) 966-2001 for information on how you can attend a free webinar to learn more. You may also visit our website at www.stfran.com/ idealprotein.

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The Monroe Chamber Of Commerce To Host 100th Anniversary Celebration

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HE 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND ANNUAL Meeting and Banquet for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Monday, April 26th at the Monroe Civic Center.

Dr. Ron Berry, the 9th President of the University of Louisiana at Monroe will be the keynote speaker.

Dr. Berry is a native of Winnsboro, LA, and a two-time graduate of ULM, and has served ULM for 25 years. He advanced through the academic ranks as assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor of Information Systems and now serves as President.

As Dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences, Dr. Berry has built a diverse leadership team, spearheaded the college’s academic program accreditations, received substantial external funding, made and improved alumni relations, created partnerships locally, statewide, and nationally, and built a culture of studentcentered learning.

Berry has worked closely with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, serving two years on the executive board as Vice President for Membership and Vice President for Business Advocacy and six years on the board of directors. Berry served as chair of the United Way of Northeast Louisiana for two years and seven years as a board member.

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The 100th Anniversary Celebration will include some clips from the Monroe Chamber’s long and impactful history. Terri Hicks, COO/ CFO of Specialty Mgmt. Services of Ouachita and Vice President of Procedural Services for St. Francis Medical Center and the 2020 Chairman will offer remarks on an eventful 2020 and give some positive news on the state of the Chamber. John Landry, partner at McNew, King, Mills, Burch and Landry, LLP and the 2021 Chairman of the Monroe Chamber, will provide a look to the future and a look to the next 100 years.

The 2021 recipients of the Rambin-Silverstein Award and the Kitty DeGree Foundation Lifetime Business Achievement Award will be announced following Dr. Berry’s address.

Tickets for the event are $45.00 per person for Monroe Chamber members and reservations are required. For tickets or more information, please call Ruthie Wheatley at 807-4004 or Daphne Garrett at 807-4018.

The sponsors for the event are ANGUS Chemical, Associated Business Printing, ATMOS Energy, City of Monroe, Entergy, Glenwood Regional Medical Center, Holyfield Construction, KTVE/ KARD, JPMorgan Chase, Progressive Bank, St. Francis Medical Center, Stephens Media Group, The News-Star, The Radio People, The University of Louisiana at Monroe and Vantage Health Plan.

Facial Fillers

Training and Experience Matter

TIMOTHY J. MICKEL, MD, FACS, CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY

“Give a small boy a hammer, and he will find that everything he encounters needs pounding.”

- Abraham Kaplan, American Philosopher

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HE OTHER NIGHT I DREAMED there was a pandemic in which infected individuals had disproportionately full lips and round, ping-pong ball fullness in their cheeks. Then I woke up and realized it wasn’t a dream. Overuse of facial fillers – relying on them to do more than they were intended to do – is rampant in this era of aesthetic medicine where specialty training doesn’t seem to matter and any doctor can take a weekend seminar and become an expert in plastic surgery. Misuse of injectable fillers at best results in lumps, bumps and asymmetries. At worst, it creates an unnecessarily alien appearance that you can spot from across the room.

The most commonly used fillers are composed of natural substances found in the body – either hyaluronic acid (Juvederm family

and others) or hydroxyapetite (Radiesse) – although I also inject the patient’s fat for a more lasting result. They are used to fill wrinkles, creases or areas of volume deficiency. They do not take away extra skin. And unlike Botox, they do not temporarily paralyze muscles.

Injectable fillers add volume, and in properly selected patients have been a significant advance in the treatment of facial aging. However, as patients approach 50 yrs of age, some of these issues are best addressed by surgical intervention, with periodic injection of small amounts of fat or filler over the subsequent years to maintain the surgical correction. Older patients, especially those over 60 are always better served by having a facelift, a browlift or eyelid surgery. In these patients, injectable fillers are an aesthetic compromise, and I always point out these trade-offs to my patients.

The ethical practice of aesthetic medicine demands this kind of honest exchange as part of the patient education process. But if you go

to a non-plastic surgeon and you have typical changes of the aging face you generally don’t hear, “the best treatment for you is a facelift, a browlift or a blepharoplasty, but if you are not ready for surgery, we can give you a little bit of improvement with fillers.” I see a patient or two every month who were told that fillers would solve their aging issues. They are unhappy because they spent a lot of money on fillers with minimal improvement, only to face the prospect of spending a lot more on surgery to finally give them the result they wanted in the first place. If all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail.

A board-certified plastic surgeon has more than just a hammer in his toolbox. He provides the full spectrum of aesthetic services, from fillers and botox, to peels and laser treatments to cosmetic facial surgery. He has taken the face apart and put it back together again so he has intimate knowledge of facial anatomy and the progressive effects of the aging process on all the layers of the face. He understands that fillers are just one of many tools, and he won’t try to make them do more than they were meant to do.

Nowadays there is a “MediSpa” on every street corner, so do your homework. If you are considering facial fillers, or any type of aesthetic facial rejuvenation, call Mickel Plastic Surgery at (318) 388-2050 for an honest opinion on which procedure is right for you. You can rest assured, I’ve been trained to use every tool in the toolbox.

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Buzz-Worthy Designs as Sweet as Honey

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S WE ENTER SPRING, WE LIKE TO take the sweet approach to design at Revival. Just as the honey bee is drawn to the nectar of the honeysuckle, we are drawn to creating unique settings in our showroom.

After a lemon of a year with 2020, we have learned to make lemonade out of the worst and create the best shopping experience in North Louisiana within our 10,000 square foot and growing showroom.

Who knew? Bees have an affinity for both agriculture and interior design! These fashionable fliers may be more suited to help nurture our environment, but there is no denying the French bee motif has had an important impact on design as well.

The noble bee was one of the most important symbols of power and prestige during Napoleon’s era. He wore the bee motif embroidered on all his garments and ornamented his residences as well. According to some accounts, he wanted a personal emblem that represented industriousness and prestige

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in French history and the motif was said to be older than the fleur-de-lis. Painter Jean–Baptise Isabey is credited for creating the look of the open-winged bee as viewed from the top. For as long as he held power in France, Napoleon used the emblem of the bee and it became known as the Napoleonic Bee.

Today, this design, as well as the beehive and the honeycomb pattern are extremely popular in all facets of design, including wallcoverings like the dark and dramatic Barneby Gates pattern and the contemporary Hicks Hexagon patterns Honeycombs have long been a part of design. They are often featured in furniture textiles as well as some mid-century modern inspired furniture pieces. The honeycomb pattern is also present in wallpapers and light fixtures. The geometric lines and angles of their design add a wonder sleek pattern without a lot of fuss.

Bees have been prominent in textile designs as well as wallpaper. They have sometimes

found their way into glassware and ornate moldings and frames. They have survived many design esthetics over the many decades.

Revival is excited to be bringing a renaissance of the bee and honeycomb motifs to their showroom. Much of this inspiration came from two sources. One of which was Project Runway contestant, Garo Sparo, who brought awareness of the many challenges the bees have experienced as they have seen a down spiral in their colony growth due to global warming and commercial growth in their habitats. The other inspiration came from San Francisco street artist, fncch, who took the honey-bear jar motif to another level as he began painting various images across that city of shuttered businesses during the height of the pandemic.

The bee symbolises hard work, diligence, industriousness and orderliness. Just like the bees we have survived a year of the pandemic as a locally owned business. All of our worker bees have worked to continue to reinvent our hive to make it the best and most unique shopping experience in North Louisiana.

Revival is located at 300 Walnut Street in Historic Downtown Monroe. Our spring hours are Tuesday- Saturday 11am- 5pm and Sunday 1pm- 4pm. We can be reached at 318-381-8191.

So buzz on in and see what everyone is talking about.

Your Hometown Urologist Dr. Robert Marx Specializes in Vasectomies

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S THE SAYING GOES, “DON’T count your chicks before they hatch,” but for those done counting chicks, it may be time to schedule a vasectomy.

Vasectomy is a medical procedure in which two tubes (the vas deferens) that carry sperm from the testicles to the urinary tract are tied and sealed. This prevents sperm from passing into the seminal stream and fertilizing a woman’s egg. Although it is permanent, it is surgically reversible in most cases.

Reversibility is dependent upon time elapsed since the vasectomy.

When it comes to forms of permanent male birth control, a vasectomy is the ideal permanent surgical procedure available to men. The procedure carries a very low risk of complications and is available to be performed as an outpatient procedure with localized anesthesia. Dr. Marx performs a nocut technique, which is the least invasive. The patient is sedated and local anesthesia is used in order to achieve a painless procedure.

THE VASECTOMY PROCEDURE IS NEARLY 100% EFFECTIVE. Prior to a vasectomy, patients may be asked to prepare by:

•W ashing the scrotum to prevent infection

• Not shaving the area

• Bringing a pair of tight-fitting underwear or athletic support to the surgery to support the scrotum and minimize swelling

• Arranging for transportation home to prevent extraneous movement

• Avoiding anti-inflammatory drugs prior to and following the procedure, which thins the blood and can cause excessive bleeding AFTER THE VASECTOMY

After the vasectomy is completed, patients are advised to rest for two days in order to reduce swelling and allow the vas deferens to heal. Discomfort may last for up to a week

after the procedure, with patients often being prescribed anti-inflammatory or painkillers for pain. Patients are encouraged to avoid heavy lifting, straining or squatting for 1 week.

If you do any of these activities for work, you may need to take off work or arrange for light duty. Dr. Marx can give you an excuse. Also, keep the area dry for a week as well.

Robert D. Marx, M.D. is this community’s hometown urologist. He was born and raised right here in Monroe, Louisiana. He graduated from NLU, now ULM, and graduated from medical school and completed his residency at LSU Shreveport. Dr. Marx has traveled extensively working with the leaders of the field in order to keep up with the latest and most successful techniques in incontinence. He has been in practice for over thirty years and conveniently operates at Glenwood, Monroe Surgical and P&S.

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Rhythm and Rain Trio

Known as the Rhythm & Rain Trio, their passionate acoustic performance has a coastal feel they’ve described as islandflavored rock with some Mississippi Delta heritage and a splash of comedy.

VA N EL I S R I V ER A

K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

BAYOU BE ATS

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t was a sunny sixty-five degrees walking up the slope to Marina Cantina in Gulfport, Mississippi.

I passed an abnormal amount of Corvettes on the way to the wood-plank walkway leading to the restaurant and waterfront patio. Strangely, it fit the scene—a line of docked bay boats, patrons in shorts and lightly colored, short-sleeve tops, and Bayou Bernard in the background. Clearly, it was a celebration of summer edging its delightfully sunny visage, made even more carefree by the sounds winding away from a small stage parallel to the boardwalk. Under the makeshift top-half of a sport fisherman yacht canopying the stage, three musicians wearing lime green, outdoor button-up shirts jammed some tasty, fun-loving covers. Known as the Rhythm & Rain Trio, their passionate acoustic performance has a coastal feel they’ve described as island-flavored rock with some Mississippi Delta heritage and a splash of comedy.

“I was at NLU [Northeast Louisiana University] 87 to 90 I believe,” said Rain Jaudon, vocalist and acoustic guitarist of the trio. Then, a marketing major and member of Kappa Alpha Order, he holds fond memories of the area, especially eating Johnny’s Pizza “every week,” going to the “cheap” movie theatre, and ending up at The Library Lounge drinking twenty-five cent draft beer and “singing along to the jukebox while sitting on those old picnic tables.”

He remembers that he marched as a French horn player in the Sound of Today under then Director of Bands, Jack White. Exhausted by the rigorous practice schedule that marching and concert bands demanded, Jaudon had to come to terms with easing away from the horn. “Playing horn wasn’t going to be my future, but I was starting to get very interested in guitar.” At the time, he had been playing in a rock band from his hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.

And, as the power ballads became popular on MTV, Jaudon became “the guy in the band with an acoustic guitar.” Surprisingly, the only guitar lessons he ever took were one semester’s worth of guitar theory at then NLU. “I taught from that textbook for several

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years after graduation,” he revealed. Jaudon would end up transferring to Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, though he still makes it a point to schedule a Johnny’s Pizza pit-stop when he travels through north Louisiana.

Jaudon moved to the Mississipi Gulf Coast around the mid-1990s. While still in his hometown, his connection with the music scene dwindled. “The gigs seemed to be the same songs, same venues, and same people; I decided it was time to find a new market to work in.” He was ready to prove to himself that it was the talent and experience that clients were hiring him for and not just because they knew his parents. The move was a total departure from his comfort zone. He looked for other artists on the coast playing like him and found about three solo artists performing to backing tracks. After an impromptu gig in which he ended up on stage with the house band, his introduction to the coastal music scene was underway. Eventually, he found himself solo once more, so a good friend suggested he give

a local drummer a call. That led to the formation of Rhythm & Rain, which soon became a trio consisting of Dwight Breland from Belle Chasse, Louisiana on electric guitar and Rob Smith based in New Orleans on drums. “All of us had day jobs so gigging around the coast at bars, festivals, private events, and such was all in fun,” informed Jaudon.

Rhythm & Rain took home Best Local Musician/ Band and Best Entertainment-Nightlife honors in the 2019 Sun Herald People’s Choice Awards in Biloxi, MS, after taking home third place in the Best Local Musician Band category in 2018. And, they are a three-time winner of Favorite Coast Style Band in the Coast Nightlife Observer. Additionally, they’ve shared the stage with artists such as the late Eddie Rabbitt, Dash Rip Rock, Edwin McCain, Todd Snider, Drivin’ & Cryin’, and Cowboy Mouth. “We are pretty simple musicians,” said Jaudon, adding, “We seem to draw a following of folks who like great music.” They choose covers with memories attached and stories involved. Taking lead vocals most of the time, he enjoys being the one to tell such stories and sharing that experience with an audience. He has been known to tell jokes, occasionally picking on the audience members and making them laugh: “Our tunes reflect that.” The trio has been known to do a James Taylor version of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” an “island version” of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl,” Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” with an octave pedal on Jaudon’s voice making him sound like he is on helium, classic country song lyrics done to classic rock songs, metal song lyrics sung to Jimmy Buffet songs, and so forth.

“We do a mash-up of classic old school rap and R&B songs that sometimes last twenty minutes and it’s all performed to the same four chords,” said Jaudon.

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BayouBeats

“It all started with former drummer, Erick Porche.” He was turning forty, so on the way to the gig, Jaudon stopped at the dollar store to get him a birthday card and thought it would be “a hoot” to give him a stuffed monkey. They hung it on his mic stand that night, and the following week Jaudon bought two more so all the band members could have one. One time, a fan offered them twenty dollars for one of the monkeys, so they took that money and bought a few more. “They RHY THM & R AIN TRIO just kept multiplying,” he said. Fans would “We may not be polished and bring them more, friends would drop perfected, but those bands aren’t them off, and before they knew it they had really that much fun to watch their very own stage menagerie of a dozen each week. We keep it fresh not or more furry, stuffed primates of every only for the staff or the audience shape and size, hailing from places like but also for us.” Clearly, Rhythm New Orleans, Hattiesburg, Texas, Miami, & Rain Trio is all about having and even Chicago. “Then monkeys with fun. Think Bourbon Street fun city names on their shirts started showing meets the beach. up.” Noting that many of these monkeys were not always dressed, a dear friend of Jaudon’s from San Antonio had custom tropical shirts ordered for all the bare-skinned monkeys. Some of these furry friends have been given names, and at this point, each of them has a particular place where they get hung or placed on the stage. “We

“We are HACKS,” Jaudon laughed, admitting that they don’t do any songs about monkeys and only a few by the band seldom hold any rehearsals. Most of the tunes they currently The Monkees. So it’s odd that they have become such a part of play started out as a dare or a request from an audience member. our stage look,” said Jaudon. Regardless of what the monkeys The moment the band receives a request, or what they like to represent at this point, they have become a fan favorite. A few think of as a challenge, Jaudon finds a verse or chorus, picks a months ago, when they outgrew the duffle bag and suitcase that key, and goes for the kill. “Sometimes it crashes, but most times transported the monkeys, a fan-made them a “barrel of monkeys it is magic.” bag.”

As a band, they’ve perfected the art of being a sideman.

Jaudon jokes that they have “another two good years,” and They take cues from each other’s body language regarding while an adage warns that “time flies when you’re having fun,” where a song is going. “We don’t hog the spotlight. Everyone the trio’s calm and breezy approach to their music may just be sings. Everyone harmonizes. Everyone plays multiple the thing that keeps them jamming for longer than they expect. instruments. We have learned how to become the ultimate ‘fake “We don’t try to sound just like the record,” said Jaudon. “We book’ type of player.” Improvisation is key to their performance may not be polished and perfected, but those bands aren’t really whether it is musically or their banter: “We are definitely a dysfunctional family of brothers! We prop each other up and, that much fun to watch each week. We keep it fresh not only for the staff or the audience but also for us.” Clearly, Rhythm & Rain like brothers, we knock each other down... usually pointing and Trio is all about having fun. Think Bourbon Street fun meets the laughing the entire time. It’s Smothers Brothers meets The Three beach. In fact, their mantra is “And we drink!”

Stooges with the abilities of Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and Bad Company.”

Follow Rhythm & Rain Trio on Facebook and learn more about their

With that said, it was a blow when the pandemic hit, as they went an entire year away from what they love to do. “We’d do music on their website https://rhythmandrain.com. it for free if it meant we’d be allowed to do it,” laughed Jaudon, adding, “till the bills came due.” On a more serious note, he admitted that not playing gigs had been tough emotionally, mentally, and financially for all three of them. But, normalcy has begun to trickle in. I met the band on a Sunday; it was their second performance that weekend. Their loud shirts commanded the audience’s attention, along with an Americana cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” But, perhaps more interesting than the cargo short clad, sandal-wearing, ponytail styling Jaudon is the other monkeys on stage.

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Nail Fungus: A Never-Ending Story?

The First FDA Cleared Laser for Nail Fungus

BY JUDY WAGONER

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ITH SANDAL SEASON JUST around the corner, no need to suffer the pain and embarrassment of unsightly nail fungus. PinPointe™ FootLaser® is the easy and convenient procedure that helps turn your discolored and disfigured nails into clearer, healthier looking nails.

Nail fungus is a chronic condition that impacts your quality of life and can even lead to serious health problems for patients with diabetes or immune disorders. It can be caused by poor health, nail trauma, a warm, moist climate, exposure to infected nails, increasing age, and tight shoes. It’s difficult to treat because the infection is under and inside the nail, which makes it hard for products to penetrate and destroy the infection. Prescription drugs and ointments were once the most common treatments for nail fungus, but today the PinPointe Foot Laser, the first machine to receive FDA clearance, is considered by many

doctors to be the gold standard of nail fungus treatment. The laser penetrates through the nail without damaging the nail or the tissue around it.

In North America, fungal infection is responsible for 50% of all nail disease. An estimated 3 to 4 million people are diagnosed every year, not to mention those who aren’t diagnosed. Nail fungus is the most common cause of yellow, thick and deformed nails.

The nails can become rough and brittle, and often tend to separate from the nail bed. This highly contagious fungus is usually the same fungus that causes athletes foot. It tends to be a progressive infection that damages the nail. It usually starts at the tip of the nail and progresses gradually to the nail bed. It can affect a single toenail or several nails on one foot or both feet. The fungus thrives in moist, dark environments; therefore, it’s more likely to affect toenails rather than fingernails since

shoes can cause sweaty feet.

Safe and effective, this in-office treatment is pain free, has no harmful side effects, and typically takes only 30-minutes to an hour to complete. There is also no downtime. One or two treatments kill the fungus for most people.

However, there is a chance of reinfection because the fungus is present everywhere in the environment. We will recommend care techniques to help reduce a recurrence.

Professional Laser Center has treated and cured thousands of patients over the last decade. We offer the easiest, most efficient solution to get clear, fungus-free nails. For example, prescription medications need to be taken or applied for over one year and cure less than 10% of patients. Compare that to a one hour treatment with the PinPointe Laser, with a success rate of about 85%, and you can see it’s the easiest, most efficient solution to nail fungus.

Unfortunately, the procedure is considered aesthetic and, therefore, not covered by health insurance. However, your HSA, Medical IRA, or Health Spending Account may cover the treatment. Cost of the procedure is determined by the number of nails being treated.

For more information about the PinPointe Foot Laser, or to schedule an appointment, call 318-3619066 or visit our website www.professionallaser. com.

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Does Fertility Tourism Work?

We Build Families

BY J. PRESTON PARRY, MD, MPH

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HOUGH MANY COUPLES TALK about relaxing through a vacation and then conceiving, what are things to think about when relaxation on a vacation leads to procreation?

1. Though alcohol has contributed to many children being in this world, beyond creating opportunity, more than one drink a day lowers fertility (and seven drinks on Saturday averaged over the week doesn’t count as one a day). Also, remember that alcohol during pregnancy can lead to birth defects.

2. Sun and fun in the Caribbean sounds like a wonderful time, particularly as one reflects on ice storms earlier in 2021. However, even though Zika seems to be a lower risk than it was several years ago, still think about mosquito-associated risks and protection if trying to conceive during or shortly after your trip. The CDC’s Zika map addresses relative safety for vacation destinations.

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3. Many women think that taking a vacation will help them to relax, where stress was their primary obstacle to conception. If stress were a driving force in subfertility, then the human race would have likely died out long ago. Being relaxed won’t open damaged Fallopian tubes, cause fibroids to resolve, or correct testicular or ovarian failure. There are two primary ways stress negatively affects subfertility. The first is if you are so stressed you don’t have a period, it is hard to conceive if you aren’t ovulating.

Second, if you are stressed, fight with your partner and stop having relations, that lowers chances. (Conversely, some have a way of making up where that would improve the odds.) Given how rare stress is as the primary force in subfertility if you feel stress is the main factor, you likely need testing to make sure another cause isn’t present.

4. Fertility tourism can help make for affordable care, though there also are many

ways to provide economically efficient care close to home. The number one challenge for fertility tourism is that though there are some capable clinics overseas, it is hard to tell the good ones from the not-so-favorable. Some international fertility clinics seem reasonable but are actually better at marketing than medicine. A lack of transparency (such as required by the CDC or ASRM’s SART), can lead to their claiming that they are more effective than they are. Talk with your physician about what balance is best for you in these circumstances. Moreover, if there are problems, getting back to the clinic or addressing legal challenges can be difficult internationally.

In short, that extra sun may not result in a daughter. Protect yourself through wellness, know why things are taking longer than they should, and be cautious in investing lots of money in a location that may not have as much transparency or ways to fix problems should they arise. However, hopefully you’ll be pregnant even prior to the vacation and then have a lot to celebrate on your trip.

Bon voyage!

Please join us on Facebook every first Friday of the month for First Friday Fertility Live 12:00 PM CST.

Hop into Spring with Glowing Skin The Medical Spa Celebrates National Vitamin C Day

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HE MEDICAL SPA WILL BE CELEBRATING NATIONAL VITAMIN C Day on April 4th this year. Why is Vitamin C so important when it comes to your skin? Vitamin C is a collagen-building antioxidant, bringing protection from pollution and UV rays, brightening skin tone, and lessening the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration. This essential nutrient is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body, including the skin. Vitamin C is not produced or stored by the body making it essential to incorporate not only in your diet, but also your skincare routine.

We currently have two skincare lines offered at The Medical Spa, OBAGI and Skinceuticals. Both lines offer a variety of products containing L-Ascorbic Acid, which is the purest, most potent and easily absorbed vitamin C.

Skinceuticals Spotlight: CE Ferulic provides advanced environmental protection by neutralizing damaging free radicals by combining ferulic acid with vitamins C and E. Once absorbed, this vitamin C serum remains effective for a minimum of 72 hrs. The product is suitable for normal, dry, and sensitive skin types. CE Ferulic provides anti-aging benefits, such as improvement of the appearance of lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and brightens skin’s complexion.

OBAGI Spotlight: Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask is a skin polishing mask that exfoliates and primes the skin for the infusion of 30% L-Ascorbic Acid. The mask contains ultra-fine crystals that effectively help to remove built-up surface debris and shed the most superficial layers of the

epidermis. The Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask transforms skin from dull to smooth radiant-looking, and immediately reveals luminous skin.

During the month of April, we are offering 20% off all Vitamin C Serums and 20% off our OxyGeneo Illuminate facial with the purchase of a Vitamin C Serum.

Procedure Spotlight: Radiofrequency Microneedling

The Medical Spa is excited to provide our clients with VoluDerm Radiofrequency Microneedling. This treatment works to stimulate and revitalize the upper layers of the skin while regenerating collagen and elastin fibers from the deeper dermis without the need for a numbing agent or significant downtime. VoluDerm encourages the generation of new and healthy skin by applying radiofrequency assisted ultra-thin microneedles, creating localized micro-wounds at variable depth, that trigger the production of new collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid.

Microneedling can benefit almost any patient who would like to improve wrinkles, fine lines, blemishes, sun damage, or loose aging skin. This treatment is also a great option for common skin concerns including melasma, acne scarring, and enlarged pores. To get the best results, a course of 3-5 treatments is recommended. A series of treatments will ensure enhanced results that stay with you longer.

For more information about procedures or which Vitamin C product is appropriate for your skin type, please call 966-3772 or visit stfran.com/themedicalspa.

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Listen to Your Ears, They Might Be Telling You Something Like Most of Your Body, There Are Systems in Place to Tell You Something is Awry

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ETTER HEARING IS THE GATEWAY to a complete, healthy lifestyle. With hearing loss, hearing is not the only thing at stake. From the brain to the blood, a loss in hearing is directly connected to virtually all elements of your whole health.

The good news? The very complications that hearing loss can cause are all bound around systems in our body that can provide warning signs that something is wrong. And with appropriate action, you can not only stop hearing loss in its tracks, but you’ll better your overall health in the process.

HEARING AND YOUR BODY AT-A-GLANCE • Cardiovascular Disease (CVD): Hearing loss is 54% more likely in people with heart disease.1 • Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Dementia risk may be up to five times higher with hearing loss.2 • Diabetes: Hearing loss is twice as likely for those with diabetes. 3 • Falling: Hearing loss is tied to a three-fold risk of falling.4

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• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Moderate CKD is associated with a 43% increased risk of hearing loss.5 • Depression: Hearing loss causes isolation and withdrawal, leading to depression and anxiety.6

Zooming in on Alzheimer’s and dementia, cognitive issues are on the rise in the hearing community, and again, this is something that not only affects the elderly. A hearing loss at any age can lead to cognitive decline, if not treated appropriately.

Here’s how it works—in the hearing process, our brains use our peripheral and central nervous systems to make sense of competing sounds in our environment, assigning meaning to what might otherwise be considered background noise. When you suffer from hearing loss, your brain has difficulty doing this, leading to confusion and frustration and, eventually, a decline in your cognitive abilities.

Fortunately, modern advancements in hearing device technology are equally effective

in slowing down cognitive decline as they are in helping people with hearing loss.

Combined with equally novel advancements in on-site cognitive testing via devices that audiologists can administer in just five minutes, patients are more equipped than ever before in staying on top of both their hearing health and their brain health.

If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of hearing loss or cognitive decline, call Advanced Audiology & Hearing Aids today at 318.251.1572 to request an appointment with one of our hearing health care professionals.

1. Harvard Health Publishing. (2018, December). Finding hidden risk for heart disease. Retrieved from https://www.health. harvard.edu/mens-health/finding-hidden-risk-for-heart-disease

2. Lin, F.R. et al. (2011). Hearing loss and incident dementia.

Arch Neurol 68(2): 214-220.

3. National Institutes of Health. (2008, June 16). Hearing Loss Is Common in People with Diabetes. Retrieved from https://www. nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hearing-loss-common-peoplediabetes

4. Lin, F., et al. (2012). Hearing loss and falls among older adults in the United States. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(4): 369-371

5. Charnow, J. (2019, January 15). Hearing Loss Linked to Kidney Disease. Retrieved December 08, 2020, from https://www. renalandurologynews.com/home/news/nephrology/chronickidney-disease-ckd/hearing-loss-linked-to-kidney-disease/

6. Coleman, M. (2012). Sleep apnea linked to sudden hearing loss. The Hearing Journal, 65(4): 36.

So Many New Spring Debuts

Haven, Monroe’s Premier Resource for All Your Gift Giving

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O MANY GREAT THINGS ARE ARRIVING AT HAVEN every day! This includes new products and restocks of customer favorites! Haven is such a great resource for all your gift giving, whether you need a fantastic birthday gift or just a small happy to let someone know you are thinking about them. They have a variety of price ranges making it easy to find something amazing. Remember Haven’s beautiful gift wrapping is always complimentary. If you would rather shop at home, there are many ways to do that. You can use Haven’s “Text to Shop” feature and receive personalized service from a staff member to help you narrow down a favorite gift. Just text (318)-267-7577 and let them know what you are looking for. They will send pictures and pricing! If you follow Haven on social media, links are provided for easy shopping and you can always visit their steadily growing website., www.ShopHavenMonroe.com. Make a purchase and pick it up wrapped and ready to go or have your item locally delivered to make gift giving easy.

Easter is just around the corner and the Easter Bunny always makes a stop at Haven. For the little ones, new stuffed animals and sweet Easter books or for your teen a new cosmetic bag would be great in her Easter basket. Handmade Blessing Beads, and new devotionals are a great reminder of the importance of the Easter season.

Spring has arrived at Haven with new Matouk Bedding. Beautiful new cotton coverlets are a must see and are sure to provide design inspiration, including a display of Matouk’s newest color, Pool. It is a refreshing soothing blue that can be paired with white or ivory. Come in today and let Analise Kelly create a new look for your bedroom.

She is knowledgeable about all the bedding lines Haven offers and can create a custom combination for your bed. Enjoy Haven’s complimentary bedding assistance with one of their designers instore.

Already thinking about the beach or pool? Haven has amazing new lines to get you ready like their straw beach bags and purses handmade in Madagascar, in a variety of styles. Pair it with a swimsuit coverup or tunic in neutral or a punch of color and you are all set!

Beach towels with tassel fringe are new arrivals, including a new leopard towel from Matouk. Be sure to check out the fun horn jewelry that will pair with any summer outfit.

Haven is excited to announce a new candle line that is just debuting in the US. Cereria Molla are hand poured candles made of vegetable wax and smoke free wicks. They have a beautiful combination of fragrances, such as Basil and Mandarin and Mediterranean.

Stop by Haven today to see all the new arrivals!

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Celebrate This Season

The Platter and Sugar Bakery Can Do It All

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PRING IS HERE AND EVENTS AND GATHERINGS ARE back and The Platter and Sugar Bakery are perfect for your seasonal celebrations. Now it is even more convenient since both of the locally owned business are under the same roof. The Platter, known for their charcuterie boards and creations, and Sugar Bakery, featuring sweet treats, are both located on McMillian Street in the heart of West Monroe. With both in the same location, it makes celebrating even easier. You can stop in and place your order for a board, cake, cookies and more. You can even grab a plate lunch while you are there! Each weekday, they offer an individual plate lunch for just $9.50. Favorites include spaghetti, fried chicken, po-boys, teriyaki meatballs and more. They also have curbside pick up available as well as delivery to local businesses.

They are excited to announce their newest offering to the Twin Cities - a line of whipped coffees and coffee bombs. Some of the options include • Kiss of Death - The world’s strongest coffee. It is organic and equivalent to five cups of coffee!

• Keto Kick - Medium Roast with a metabolism booster

• Blondie - A white chocolate caramel blend, medium roast • The Morning Rush - Medium Roast and a perfect way to start your morning • French Kiss - A rich and creamy blend of French vanilla, medium roast • T he Nola - Medium roast, the perfect blend of New Orleans tradition, coffee and chicory • The Irish Spirit - Rich in heritage from Scotland, Hazelnut blended, medium roast

This is just another way The Platter and Sugar Bakery look for innovative items and products to offer their customers. Jodi White, owner, is constantly researching for new things to try and talking with customers about what they want to see.

If you haven’t tried Sugar Bakery yet, you need to stop by on Wednesdays. Each week, you can grab a sweet treat for just one dollar.

This is great to try a variety of their bakery confections and find your new favorite!

Now that restrictions are starting to lift, weddings, celebrations and gatherings are returning. And both The Platter and Sugar Bakery are your one stop shop for any upcoming holidays and celebrations.

For Mother’s Day, let mom take the day off and order a catered meal for her. You can also order a seasonal dessert or cake, like a delicious strawberry cake, banana pudding and more. To celebrate the upcoming graduate, order a special cookie cake in their school colors.

The Platter has been catering weddings for a while and everyone loves their charcuterie boards but the pièce de résistance is their grazing table. This is where the Platter comes and sets up an entire table and covers it with a variety of meats, cheeses, spreads, fruits, vegetables… whatever you order! They can customize anything for any event! You can see all of the catering online at theplatterofnela.com. You can also check out their photo album on their Facebook page to see examples of their work and get ideas for your next event or celebration.

Stop by The Platter and Sugar Bakery, both proudly locally owned and operated today to see how they can help you celebrate your next birthday, anniversary, graduation, Mother’s Day and more!

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Look and Feel Your Very Best LA Center for Women’s Health

BY DR. LESLIE COFFMAN

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HEN YOU DON’T LOOK YOUR BEST, YOU’RE NOT going to feel your best. Over a period of decades, our clinic has acquired the equipment and expertise to offer a palette of state-of-the-art procedures to maximize your appearance.

We strive to offer our cosmetic services and procedures at affordable prices, which represent real value in today’s world. These various high-tech services can be obtained at our private clinic here in the Monroe area for a fraction of the charge for the same procedure in other cities. We are aware that our patients are interested in getting the best value, and we are structured to deliver this.

HYDRAFACIAL

Everyone can benefit from the Hydrafacial procedure. It is inexpensive, gives immediately noticeable results, only takes about 30 minutes, and has no social downtime. The procedure is extremely pleasant and relaxing. We have the latest Hydrafacial equipment and a dedicated technician to perform it in a private setting. The procedure minimizes skin discoloration and brightens skin tone, instantly minimizing fine lines and wrinkles. Your skin is saturated with antioxidants and peptides to maximize skin glow. Uncover a new layer of skin with exfoliation and resurfacing.

VASER LIPOSUCTION

We are among the earliest adopters of Vaser Liposuction in the world. In fact, we have taught and demonstrated this unique procedure for doctors from as far away as Seoul, Korea.

Vaser liposuction uses a very small incision of less than 1/4 inch to emulsify and remove fat. The procedure is performed in the office under local anesthesia, saving the expense of a hospital or surgery center. The results are immediate, unlike various non-invasive treatments which may or may not work.

HORMONE PELLETS Hormone pellets have helped thousands of men and women achieve hormonal balance for restoration of their health. We offer hormone pellets and hormone testing in our clinic. The pellets look much like a grain of rice and are placed under the skin where hormones are released as they dissolve over a period of months. For most people, this is the easiest way to replace missing hormones. If you have fatigue, depression, anxiety, decreased sexual performance, muscle wasting, insomnia, or weight gain, it might be appropriate to have your hormones checked.

STATE-OF-THE-ART LASERS

Our clinic has state-of-the-art lasers for the treatment of numerous medical and cosmetic problems. Unfortunately, this involves too much information to include in this space but will be detailed in future articles.

BOTOX, FILLERS, COSMECEUTICALS

We also offer Botox, Juvederm fillers, and various cosmeceutical beauty correcting formulas, all priced competitively.

Please call if we can provide you with additional information.

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Char 19

Wade Wyatt, owner of North Louisiana’s New Orleans-inspired restaurant Char 19, offers a dining experience that balances comfort and design, and where the food and drink is prioritized over everything else.

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here are a few local restaurants that exude elegance, inspiring us to adorn ourselves in sophistication and style, grab our glass slippers from the back of the closet, and galavant for the evening until the clock turns twelve. Perhaps we do this every once in a while—mom’s 50th birthday party, peepaw and meemaw’s anniversary, or a best friend’s rehearsal dinner—never to return again until we receive another monogrammed invitation in the mail. But, what if elegance could meet casual? Char 19 may seem like a place that welcomes only the ritzy and pristinely ironed guest, but owner Wade Wyatt wants the community of North Louisiana to know that his New Orleansinspired restaurant is a delightful balance of comfort and design, where the enjoyment of food and drink is prioritized for all regardless of whether you’re grabbing a post-workout bite, satisfying a lunch craving, or stopping by for a pre-shopping snack.

Char 19 is the brainchild of Wyatt and executive Chef John E. Peters III. Both foodies attended River Oaks School in Monroe (Peters being a few grades ahead of Wyatt) and were in the food industry at some point in their careers. Wyatt’s father had the first Wendy’s established in Louisiana way back in 1978 (right on 18th Street in Monroe). “So I grew up kinda in the restaurant industry,” said Wyatt. Inspired by his early childhood experience, Wyatt opened up his first bar, The Duck Blind Lounge, when he was only eighteen years old. “I was a big hunter and puns are pretty big around here,” he humored. That was the start of many bars for Wyatt, who currently owns and operates TBJ’s on Roselawn Avenue. For a few years, he and Peters had been talking about opening up a dining establishment together and had just been waiting for the right location. When the 19th Street property became available, they were encouraged by the area’s bustling traffic and centralized location. Peters had a more intimate reason for jumping on the location.

Back when it used to be the Monroe Steakhouse, he was employed as a dishwasher. It was his first job ever.

Now, he’s back in the same kitchen as the executive chef. “It’s kind of surreal for me,” he revealed.

Once they started construction, the versatility of the building made them improvise their initial plans.

“Everything changes a little bit when you finally step into place and live with what the bones are and how you want to adapt and go home. That’s kind of where

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The Char 19 menu items cover the “heartbeat of Monroe.” In other words, Wyatt and Peters understand the pulse of the Twin Cities and have echoed it in carefully constructed lunch and dinner menus.

“I’VE BEEN IN FINE DINING MY WHOLE CAREER, AND I STILL LOVE IT. BUT, MONROE NEEDED A PLACE THAT YOU COULD GO AND HAVE GREAT FOOD, AND NOT HAVE TO GO HOME AND CHANGE, GET YOUR NICE CLOTHES ON.” ~ CHEF JOHN E PETERS III we’ve been in this transition stage,” said Wyatt. Five standalone spaces—outdoor patio, bar area, main dining seating, lounge nook, and private conference room—pushed them to further develop a more open and multifaceted dining experience. Easy-going folks can take advantage of the cafe-style seating of the patio, lightly decorated with vintage bulb string lighting. A mix of banquette and cafe-style seating frames a stone fireplace at the bar, accented with butcher block-style wall mounts. Feeling fancy? The main dining room promises the “best of both worlds,” by combining comfort and ease with ornamental lighting and wall accents. Want to enjoy a cocktail and conversation? Char 19’s lounge (which is available for reservation) is separated from the main dining room by tasteful red velvet curtains. Comfy lounge chairs and a sofa invite guests to enjoy their company in a more intimate setting, lightly lit by string lights cascading down a wine display. Large groups will be happy to know that a private room is available for private meetings or parties. Thus far, patrons have used it for work presentations and rehearsal dinners. “Now we kind of really know what we are, more so,” explained

Wyatt, “And, trying to fine-tune what we’ve learned and how to market ourselves the way we want to.”

“Everybody always assumes that because I’m a chef that I want to do it my way and it’s got to be all this frou-frou and all this fanciness,” said Peters. With a background from Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, a notable spot for refined Creole dining since 1880, it’s an easy estimation to make when it comes to Peters; however, at Char 19 his focus is guided by the dining experience. So, whether he is serving a sandwich, piece of sea bass, or a steak, all dishes get his full attention. “I’ve been in fine dining my whole career, and I still love it. But, Monroe needed a place that you could go and have great food, and not have to go home and change, get your nice clothes on,” he added. With that attitude in mind, the pair set out to curate a menu with eloquent food, using simple ingredients. A lot of their menu items are variations of what Peters had created in the restaurants he had during the early 2000s. The Char 19 menu items cover the “heartbeat of Monroe.” In other words, Wyatt and Peters understand the pulse of the Twin Cities and have echoed it in carefully constructed lunch and dinner menus.

For your appetizer try their NOLA Debris Fries, which are steak fries covered with roast beef debris and topped with ravigote sauce and green onions.

Or the Maple Leaf Duck Legs, which is three fried duck legs over a bed of fresh greens and served with Char 19 sweet chili sauce. The lunch menu is known for its burger and sandwich items. A bit hangry?

Dive into the Char 19 Burger, 8oz char-grilled Angus patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, mustard, and mayo. If you’re sticking to leaner proteins, go with the Hot Turkey Sandwich, Club Sandwich, or one of their two selections of Po-boys.

Dinner entrées are hard to resist, particularly the pasta section. The Char 19 Grilled Chicken Pasta is Wyatt’s own specialty, marinated grilled chicken breast served atop angel hair pasta sautéed with roasted red pepper, garlic, green onions in a white

FOOD New Orleans-inspired appetizers, sandwiches and main dishes suited for quick lunches, family brunch or intimate dinners.

PRICE A range of prices from affordable burgers at $8 to Premium 8 oz. Filet at $36.

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sauce. The Char 19 Shrimp Pasta is another big hit, jumbo Gulf shrimp sautéed with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, garlic, and green onions in a light cream sauce tossed in linguini pasta and topped with Grana Padano parmesan cheese.

Though their Premium Black Angus steaks have really taken off recently, the mainstay on the meat menu has been their ten to twelve ounce, grilled bone-in pork chop, served with a side of fried Brussels sprouts topped with a honey glaze (another hit with customers).

Peters may be proud of all his dishes, but as a lover of seafood, he is a bit partial to the fresh fish dishes. “We don’t like to cover up our fish with heavy sauces or whatever you know; let the fish speak for itself,” said Wyatt. Lately, they had fresh halibut and sea bass for their catch-of-the-day. Though they use a lot of Gulf fish, the sea bass has made the most waves, so much so that customers have gotten upset if it has been sold out. Some desserts have also followed suit, like their signature Candy Bar Cheesecake. Here, childhood favorites like Reeses and Snickers are combined with a classic cheesecake recipe, and the result has created a fan following. And with the help of their new executive pastry chef, more delights will be added to their menus, including Sunday brunch.

“So, Sunday brunch, you need to come by,” pressed Wyatt. On Sundays, Char 19 has aimed to bring a taste of New Orleans flair to brunch dishes, inspired by Peters’ experiences in the Big Easy. “It’s as close to an authentic brunch as you’ll get in town, and it’s really taken off,” said Wyatt. Peters wanted to make sure the brunch menu was geared toward keeping a spirit of enjoyment and celebration of people and food. That’s why you’ll see items like French toast topped with a cream cheese spread and fresh fruit, debris eggs benedict, and a breakfast burger. Brunch can be as intimate as dinner, believes Wyatt, and so brunch at Char 19 speaks to taking a pause, choosing a meal for enjoyment as much as nourishment, and creating a memory that will last you the workweek.

It’s not just food being expedited from the Char 19 kitchen.

Peters has a spice line called Tigers Eye Spice, which is used in a number of the restaurant’s dishes and will soon be available for purchase. With six blends thus far—Creole, Asian, Jamaican, Creole 86 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

Citrus, XXX Hot, and Smoked Pepper—Char 19 may quickly become a one-stop-shop for adventurous home chefs. Additionally, Wyatt’s grilled chicken marinade is in the process of getting bottled and sold at places like Brookshires and different local boutiques. All products will be under the Char 19 brand and are planned for retail release soon.

It’s not easy to break a stigma, and Char 19 is still thought of as more upscale and only for special occasions. Though they fall somewhere in between fine dining and American grill, Wyatt and Peters hope to get the message across that “this is for everybody.”

Ultimately, Char 19 is the kind of restaurant you can attend two or three times a week, feel comfortable, and not have to dress up to attend (unless, of course, you want to), and both active owners can be found about one hundred percent of the time at the locale. “We try to take care of people and we want people to forget about everything,” asserted Wyatt. “Come in and escape. Escape for a little while.”

Char 19 is located at 1302 N. 19th Street, Monroe, LA, and is open Wednesday through Thursday between 11 AM to 2 PM and 5 PM to 9 PM, Friday 11 AM to 2 PM and 5 PM to 10 PM, Saturday 5 PM to 10 PM and Sunday (brunch) 11 AM to 3 PM. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to follow-up with weekly food and cocktail specials. Call them at 318-8072427 if you are interested in booking their lounge or private dining area.

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Railway Coffee

Announces New Owner

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N FEBRUARY 1, 2021, RAILWAY COFFEE, LOCATED in Ruston, Louisiana, announced its new owner, West Monroe native and Duck Dynasty star, John Luke Robertson.

Since moving back to Louisiana, John Luke quickly found himself becoming a regular at Railway. “The feeling of home set Railway apart for me when I first became a customer,” says John Luke, “The friendliness of the baristas, the atmosphere, and the coffee set space for me to be comfortable and creative.” With that, John Luke found himself sitting in Railway and constantly thinking of ways to help his family, friends and close loved ones get through the craziness that was 2020. Railway Coffee started as just a small local coffee roaster. In 2016, Railway opened its first shop in downtown Ruston.

Since then, the business has gone through many changes, including expanding to two other locations in 2018: the Nest location, which is also a drive-through, and Park, which is in a larger building in downtown Ruston. The original location, nicknamed OG, is now used as the headquarters of Railway’s roasting operation, making Railway the only coffee shop in the area that roasts its own coffee.

“It’s beneficial to roast our own coffee beans because we have the flexibility to change up different roasts and beans to bring different coffees to the table and fit the desires of our clientele” says the shop’s coffee roaster, Logan Gilbert. This gives Railway the opportunity to create unique blends and fine tune their roasts to create the perfect coffee. Since the beginning, Railway has roasted their own coffee beans right in the heart of Ruston. Additionally, Railway always strives to improve their coffee roasts. Recently, they have released two new blends, one for drip coffee and one for espresso. They roast their beans from places such as Brazil, Ethiopia, Costa Rica and more. Each location has beans with different flavors, and methods of roasting.

John Luke started drinking coffee when he was about fifteen years old, “I started drinking black terrible coffee with gritty grounds in it” he says. However, John Luke’s eyes were opened to the world of specialty coffee the first time he drank a pour over, saying, “The first time I had a pour over of specialty coffee I couldn’t believe coffee could be so good. I used to drink coffee for the caffeine and I still do, but now it’s more about the taste and history. I love being able to provide that experience for others.” It just made sense for him to take his passion for all things coffee and obtain a space to share it with others.

John Luke has many ideas to keep Railway Coffee as unique as it is. His main goal is for it to be “the best it can be as a community staple in Ruston.” He wants Railway to be a place for people to come together and experience some of the high quality service one would expect in Ruston, and of course, the best coffee and atmosphere in the area.

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Gain Back Your Confidence With FaceTite and BodyTite this Spring

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PRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER AND IT IS TIME TO put your best face forward! Fortunately, the team at DermaMediQ has a variety of treatments and procedures to do just that. Just two of the many options they offer is FaceTite and BodyTite. These procedures are done by the very talented Dr. Zachery Willis. Dr.Willis is a board-certified general surgeon and one of the leading experts in liposuction and skin tightening. We are thrilled that he will be performing minimally invasive BodyTite and FaceTite procedures right here at DermMediQ in Monroe.

FaceTite is a minimally invasive procedure that can help define your jawline, reduce neck fullness, and restore facial contours.

FaceTite is considered minimally invasive and can achieve all of this though very small, well-hidden incisions. FaceTite provides dramatic improvement in skin laxity on the face and neck, which was previously only attainable through a surgical procedure such as a facelift. By avoiding a facelift excisional procedure, patients will be scar free and will benefit from reduced post-procedural swelling and discomfort.

This is a less traumatic process with a natural looking final result.

BodyTite is a minimally invasive body contouring procedure as well, delivering results previously only achieved through more excisional surgical procedures. Bodytite, powered by directional radiofrequency provides contraction of the dermis, subdermal connective tissue, and adipose tissue coagulation.

Of all the procedures that Dr. Willis performs, his very favorite is combing liposuction with skin tightening (BodyTite and FaceTite).

These procedures are considered minimally invasive as they can be performed through very small incisions. The procedures can be safely performed awake, under local anesthesia. The device works by heating up both the skin and the underlying fat layer. The physician selects the exact temperatures to cause fat destruction and skin tightening without burning the skin. The fat that is destroyed is then suctioned out with liposuction. Liposuction alone is used to remove unwanted fat, but by itself, it can actually create loose skin. This is where BodyTite and FaceTite come in. When combined with liposuction it can work to both decrease the amount of fat and tighten the skin.

If you are wondering if you are a good candidate for these procedures here is a message from Dr.Willis: “The right patient would include someone who has areas of excess fat and/or loose skin the bothers them. As with any elective procedure, candidates should be otherwise healthy, with a BMI (body Mass index)of 35 or less, and no major medical problems.”

Common areas that are treated with this device include: face, abdomen, flanks, back, inner and outer thighs, arms and chest.

If you are interested in becoming a more confident, better you, schedule an appointment today and see if this is minimally invasive procedure is right for you.

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Local Transmission Experts Twin City Transmission is There for Your Transmission Needs

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N 1961, TWIN CITY TRANSMISSION opened its doors and became a Monroe, staple for all things transmission, a legacy, owner Jeff and the staff at Twin City Transmission honor everyday.

When asked how his acquisition of Twin City transmission came to be Jeff simply said he was “raised on it.” Growing up, Jeff often worked on transmissions with his father and brother, from there his love for fixing cars eventually turned into a business, opening his first transmission shop with his father and brother in 2001. In 2015 he was presented with the opportunity to purchase Twin City Transmission and opened their second location in Ruston in February 2019, with day-to-day operations overseen by Evans Allen.

Not exactly sure what a transmission is or why they are important? In layman’s terms, your transmission is the powertrain that converts the engine’s force into a controlled source of power. Your vehicles transmission

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acts as the middle man between the engine and wheels converting the power the engine produces into torque which in turn allows the wheels to rotate. Knowing this makes it all too obvious the importance of proper vehicle maintenance but specifically transmission maintenance.

The staff at Twin City Transmission have the following recommendations:

• Check transmission fluid regularly & properly

• Check Transmission fluid after running hot

• Use external cooler in high stress conditions • Check linkage and adjustments periodically If you are not fully comfortable with your vehicle’s under-the-hood components, schedule any and all transmission maintenance with Twin City Transmission.

Surrounded by a staff that acts more like

family, the team at Twin City Transmission is highly trained boasting more than 120 years of combined transmission experience. As a qualified Allison dealer, the team at Twin City Transmission is equipped to service both foreign and domestic vehicles as well as motorhomes, freight liners, tractors, garbage trucks, cranes, bucket trucks, bulldozers, and fire trucks. Their slogan being, “If it has a transmission, we can fix it!” which stands to reason you and your vehicle are in good hands.

When asked to describe Twin City Transmission in one word, the staff said “family.” Jeff and the staff act like a family, and they care about one another and the community they serve. Their love for the community is obvious the minute you enter their lobby with the walls filed with photos of little league teams and thank you’s from many organization they have given back to. Jeff said, “We appreciate every opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to us.”

With two locations Jeff and the staff of Twin City Transmission are ready and able to service your transmission needs, providing quality care and personalized service. Twin City Transmission, conveniently located at 615 Pine Street in Monroe and 2787 HWY 33 in Ruston. Call us at 318-325-8632 (Monroe) or 318-436-3400 (Ruston). You can also visit us on the web at twincitytrans.com.

St. Francis Medical Center P&S Surgery & Heart Center Achieve SRC’s Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery Accreditation

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T. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER/P&S SURGERY & HEART CENTER, an accredited Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology since 2013, has added a second accreditation in Robotic Surgery. This facility is recognized for providing the highest quality of care and patient safety by Surgical Review Corporation (SRC).

Status as an accredited hospital means that St. Francis Medical Center/P&S Surgery & Heart Center has met nationally & internationally recognized standards. Not all hospitals and surgeons seek accreditation; not all that undergo the rigorous requirements and inspection process are granted accreditation.

“Receiving this second accreditation from SRC validates that we are consistently delivering the safest and highest quality of care to our patients,” said Kristin Wolkart, President of St. Francis Medical Center. “We are extremely proud of our robotic surgery team members as well as our medical staff members who perform these surgeries. As St. Francis moves forward in our second century of service, we maintain our commitment to providing excellence through innovative care such as advanced robotic technology.”

Six surgeons currently on the St. Francis Medical Staff have achieved accreditation as Surgeon of Excellence in Robotic Surgery. These surgeons are Tonya Hunter, MD (also Surgeon of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology); Bart Liles, MD; Paul Murphy, MD; Walter Sartor, MD; Patrick Smith, MD; and Adrienne Williams, MD (also a Surgeon of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology).

Additional surgeons on staff currently accredited as Surgeon of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology are Laurie LeBleu, MD; Sara Klug, DO; Dawn Pennebaker, MD; Amber Shemwell, MD; and Terence Tugwell, MD.

Health care organizations and surgeons seeking accreditation by SRC undergo an extensive self-assessment and inspection process. This includes physicians, nurses and administrators who are actively involved in the accredited program. The inspection is consultative and educational, presenting best practices to help an organization or surgeon improve its care and services.

“We’re proud to recognize St. Francis Medical Center/P&S Surgery & Heart Center for their commitment to advancing and providing quality care for all patients,” said Gary M. Pratt, CEO of SRC. “This accreditation signals that this hospital is among the best in this specialty and is dedicated to delivering the highest level of care possible.”

To learn more about robotic surgery at St. Francis Medical Center, visit stfran. com. To learn more about SRC and the accreditation process, visit surgicalreview.org.

ABOUT ST. FRANCIS MEDICAL CENTER

St. Francis Medical Center is a not-for-profit 324-bed medical center in Monroe, Louisiana with more than 1,800 team members committed to caring for those we serve. With an acute-care hospital, freestanding outpatient center, 19 outpatient clinics and nearly 350 physician partners, St. Francis Medical Center provides comprehensive healthcare services for a variety of medical

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LA Eye & Laser Center Your Vision is Our Focus

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LASSES AND EVEN CONTACT LENSES COME IN ALL shapes, sizes and styles. Our team is dedicated to helping you pick the right look that fits your needs, personality and interests. The staff at Louisiana Eye & Laser can help you select the various lens options that are right for you. To help you better understand all of the options, they have put together this helpful guide to help you make an informed choice.

WHAT ARE PRESCRIPTION LENSES MADE OF?

Today’s prescription lenses come in a variety of materials, from high tech to more traditional. Here’s a breakdown: • High Index Plastic – the thinnest lenses; ideal for higher prescriptions and rimless frames; highly functional and versatile with attractive cosmetics.

• Trivex – Impact resistant and highly scratch resistant; designed to resist abuse; perfect for kids 18 and under, and for active wearers • Plastic – The standard lens material; lighter than glass • Glass – The heaviest of lens choices; functional and scratch resistant, but with the greatest risk of breakage WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN PRESCRIPTION LENS DESIGNS?

Just like there are different tools for different jobs, there are different lenses for different vision needs. Even contact wearers benefit from having a pair of prescription lenses. Options include: • Single Vision Lenses – the most common type, used for basic visual correction of farsightedness or nearsightedness.

• Progessives (No-line Multifocals) – has a correction for far, intermediate and near, all in one lens, without visible lines.

• Bifocal – two focus distances (near and far) in one lens with a visible line.

• Trifocal – three focus distances (distance, intermediate and near) in one lens with visible lines.

• Aspheric Lenses – thinner and lighter; improved cosmetic appearance.

• Speciality & Sport Lenses – specifically designed to provide safety or visual enhancement during work or recreation.

• Computer/Anti-fatique Lenses – many people develop symptoms of Visual Fatique Syndrome or Computer Vision Syndrome, like eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision and neck pain. These relieve these symptoms and provide clear, comfortable vision for prolonged computer use.

WHAT ARE SPECIAL LENS TYPES AND TREATMENTS?

Once you’ve selected the material and design of your lens, enhance their functionality with a combination of the following additional lens types and special treatments.

• Photochromic Lenses – These lenses automatically adjust to changing light and block 100% of harmful UV rays, indoors or out. The best of both worlds in a single pair of lenses.

• Polarized Lenses – Prescription sunglasses can eliminate blinding glare for optimal performance, comfort and enjoyment outdoors.

• UV Protection Treatment – Like sunscreen for your eyes, these lenses shield your eyes from harmful ultra-violet rays. Helps prevent cataracts, skin cancer and wrinkles.

• No-Glare Treatment – Add no-glare technology to your lenses and you’ll look your best while reducing eyestrain.

• Scratch-Resistance Treatment – Protects your lenses from daily use and wear-and-tear by adding scratch-resistant technology. Helps resist smudging, fingerprints, dirt and water.

Our staff is highly trained and can offer a lens solution that’s perfect for you and your lifestyle. So don’t delay. Schedule eye appointments for you and your family today!

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Hopkins Dermatology

Celebrating 25 Years and a Second Location

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R. JANINE HOPKINS, BOARD-CERTIFIED dermatologist and expert in her field started her solo practice in 1996 after completing a progressive residency program in the Department of Dermatology at Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans where she was trained in surgical, laser, cosmetic and general dermatology. Dr. Janine Hopkins has grown her office in Monroe from a small clinic with 2 employees to a thriving, full-spectrum dermatology practice with now up to 20 employees, including her nurse practitioner, Anna Grace Livingston.

This year, while celebrating 25 years in her Louisiana location, Dr. Hopkins has launched a second clinic in Southlake, Texas. This second location will offer all of the same advanced procedures and treatments that set Hopkins Dermatology apart. Dr. Hopkins and her team of medical professionals will provide care for people of all ages, with an emphasis on procedures to treat acne, rosacea, repair sun damage, and reverse the signs of aging using advanced laser science.

As importantly, skin cancer detection, prevention and treatment are paramount at both locations of Hopkins Dermatology. In addition to the standard surgical removal of malignant lesions, Dr. Hopkins also advocates the treatment of skin cancer utilizing technology known as Image-guided superficial radiotherapy. Hopkins Dermatology in Monroe is in the 1% of dermatology practices in the US to offer this advanced, non-surgical cure for basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. She is excited to also introduce this treatment option to the DFW area of Texas.

“I am blessed and very thankful to be a dermatologist. I strive to stay abreast of the latest scientifically proven treatments and procedures in my field in order to offer my patients the best options and care available. It is important to me to stay ahead of the curve in my specialty.”

As for the cosmetic dermatology part of her practice, Dr. Hopkins enjoys creating of a comprehensive, individualized antiaging treatment plan for her patients. Dr. Hopkins often combines unique facial treatments with laser procedures that she teaches and lectures on at medical meetings in the US and abroad. She also uses a combination of fillers and neurotoxins to restore shape, volume and symmetry to the face, and has recently implemented a technique she developed for non-surgically lifting the neck. When indicated, Dr. Hopkins will incorporate bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to prevent age-related skin changes that occur with hormone deficiency.

“After 25 years in practice, many of my patients and I have established a long-term relationship. I am part of their life-long journey to achieve and maintain healthy skin. I have patients that once came to me for their adolescent acne who are now seeing me for their anti-aging treatments and bringing their toddlers in for childhood rashes. I look forward to continuing this tradition in my “home-town” location in North Louisiana while also growing new relationships with my patients in Texas.”

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Morehouse May Madness Historic Downtown Bastrop

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HIS EVENT IS EXCITING. ACTUALLY, THIS EVENT IS super exciting! The Morehouse May Madness Street Festival (MMM) organizers are enthusiastically making plans for the 4th annual Street Festival. Due to the cancellation of the 2020 Festival in response to Covid-19, the 2021 Festival organizers have pulled out all of the stops in making this Festival the best yet.

The Festival will kick-off Saturday, May 1st at 9 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. North Washington, South and North Franklin, and East and West Madison surrounding the Bastrop historic district will be closed so that the Festival can take place in the heart of the downtown where the Morehouse Parish Courthouse is the centerpiece.

Exhibits and vendors are first class. The Art Exhibit, which will take place in the spacious Visitor Center Conference Room (124 North Washington), will be filled with Northeast Louisiana art such as pottery, quilts, and paintings. Background music will be provided to add to the experience. All types of motorcycles will be on exhibit on North Washington with awesome photo opportunities.

On the north side of the Courthouse parked on East Madison, there will be the popular exhibit of classic cars which are 1995 or older.

Near the Farmers Market on East Madison, there will be activities, fresh produce and an Antique Tractor Exhibit. Since the roots of Morehouse Parish are in agriculture, this exhibit is a “must.”

This year, the Festival organizers are focusing on increasing the activities in the Kids Zone which is located on the east side of the Morehouse Parish Courthouse. With hay bales and benches, there will be plenty of seating available for parents, family, and friends.

Three inflatables will be added to the Kids Zone. If weather is a problem, a new tent has been purchased for the Kids Zone. The Bastrop Fire Department fire truck will be there to provide the kids an opportunity to become familiar with all of the ladders and hoses on the truck.

Without entertainment and food, there would be no Festival.

This year there will be three stages. The main stage will be located on the west side of the Courthouse. The second stage will be located on the south side of the Courthouse and the third stage will be located in the Visitor Center parking lot. The stages will host musicians and entertainers from the northeast LA region. In addition to the entertainment on the stages, Miss Louisiana, Courtney Hammons, will be in attendance to meet and greet as well as to sign autographs.

In addition to the downtown festival activities, the Morehouse Country Club will be hosting the Morehouse May Madness Golf Tournament. To register for the tournament, call Cheryl at 281-0466.

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Brown Bag Concert Series Four Free Concerts in April

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ELEBRATING SPRING, THE ARTS COUNCIL BROWN Bag Concerts Series returns each Wednesday in April at Anna Gray Noe Park in downtown Monroe (across from St. Francis Medical Center at 309 Jackson Street). In case of rain, the show goes on indoors at First Baptist Church of Monroe, across the street from the park at 201 St. John Street. Bring a picnic lunch or pick up a $5 box lunch on site from Newk’s. You will have your choice between half a chicken salad sandwich, or half an oven roasted turkey sandwich both including chips and dessert. Cash or credit/debit cards accepted. Continuing a tradition, Mulhearn’s will provide free cookies. Drinks are available courtesy of First Baptist of Monroe and Newk’s. Come early so you don’t miss out. Bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs! Performances are FREE. Thank you to our sponsors, Vantage Health Plan, Newk’s, Jim Taylor Buick GMC, Mulhearn Funeral Homes, 1st Baptist Church, and the City of Monroe.

April 7th Josh Madden

An accomplished musician and busy music teacher, Josh Madden has been performing at Monroe-area venues and events for almost two decades. Host of KEDM Public Radio’s “The Set List,” on Saturdays from 6 to 9 pm, today he brings his unique brand of music flavored by his eclectic musical influences, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, and Elton John on the piano, and Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Dave Matthews on guitar. Come down and bask in some warm rays and cool tunes as we kick off the Series and season!

April 14th Carole King Tribute with Rod Payne and Karen Solomon

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Grammy-winning, chart-topping album Tapestry, local favorites Rod Payne and Karen Solomon bring a fabulous Carole King tribute performance. Karen is a diverse voice with shades of theatre, jazz, and pure pop. Today she is accompanied by Rod, a legend on the local music scene. Come join us as these two local talents bring to life Carole King’s soundtrack of the ‘70’s!

April 21st Mason Granade

A long-time Series favorite, Mason has been performing for over 30 years. If your playlist includes Eagles, America, and the Beatles, Mason is your guy. You may also have heard his popular album recorded with Matthews-Granade on the radio or in R-Squared movies, “New Hope” and “Flag of My Father,” where he even had a cameo! Sneak a listen online at www.masongranade.com, then join us for some great tunes!

April 28th Denene Stringfellow

Lift your spirits! A little gospel, a few show tunes, and everything else in between, yes, it is an area favorite, Ruston’s own, Denene Stringfellow! Come see why Ruston observes Denene Stringfellow Day each year! He is back by popular demand -- a great way to wrap up the Series and spring us forward into May!

For more information or to confirm the show will go on in case of rain, call the Arts Council office at 318.397.6717. Visit the Arts Council online at www.nelaarts.com or find us on Facebook.

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COMMUNITY helping COMMUNITY JUNIOR LEAGUE GIVES BACK TO LOCAL NURSING HOME written by // Ashley Hubenthal

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he Junior League of Monroe has been giving back to the community for decades and this year is no different. Their annual Spring Market event is one of the organization’s biggest fundraisers, funding their scholarship banquet, teacher grants, community grants and more. It is also giving back in a different way this year. For years, local community member Stuart Scalia has been volunteering decorating for Spring Market.

“I have always wondered what happens to flowers after events and if there is a way to donate them,” said Stuart. She created The Petal Exchange so that brides and event planners could donate flowers to local hospitals, nursing homes and more. “This year, I took that idea a step further. I thought what if we used herbs and plants that could be repurposed,” she explained. Stuart facilitated the idea of using herbs and donating them to a local nursing home, The Oaks located on McKeen in Monroe, and had Randall Korn create boxes. Stuart used sweet mint, rosemary, Gerber daisies, white bacon, peppermint star dianthus and lambs ear in the boxes for the weekend of the Spring Market. Then, the residents at The Oaks had the opportunity to plant the herbs and flowers in the boxes at their residence. Additionally, the boxes were wheelchair level so the residents could access them easily. “I think it is so important to give the residents an opportunity to be outside. The interesting thing is, we planned on doing this last year and then Spring Market was cancelled. It is even more important this year because the residents have not been able to be outside for nearly a year!” Residents at the Oaks can enjoy the herbs, plants and flowers on the patio garden by viewing them, but can also make use of all of their sensories by planting in the dirt, smelling the fresh flowers and listening to the birds and pollinators they attract.

“Many of the residents were gardeners their entire lives and this gives them the opportunity to be able to enjoy that again,” said Stuart. “I am so grateful that the Junior League was open to this opportunity and we were able to give back by repurposing. It is truly an example of community helping community. I look forward to this idea continuing and growing!”

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bayou design

Kathryn Taylor Gray Before 2009, Kathryn Taylor Gray could be found signing and sorting legal documents for the law offices in Mississippi where she worked full time as a legal assistant for 34 years. When we first get on the call, Kathryn jokes that she moved away from her Louisiana roots “Way, way, way before you were born” in a genial southern accent. Transplanted to the Mississippi gulf coast in 1975 from the small, rural, farming community of Start, Louisiana, which can be found (if you know where to look) about twenty minutes east of Monroe along I-20, Kathryn, like so many of us, found her life brought to a screeching halt by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. iving in the Gulfport, MS, area at the time, Kathryn remembers, “I had no inkling I was going to stop making photography, and then I found those keys.” In the midst of the devastation she found herself wandering about the ruins of our collective history and stumbled upon some rusty old keys when inspiration struck. “I thought these would make some cool jewelry. There was so much chaos here and so much stuff everywhere that it helped me to make some kind of sense out of it, if I could create something out of the junk,” Kathryn tells me. She cites local artist Lori Gordon, who was based out of Bay St. Louis, MS, in 2006 as a source of inspiration for her. After Katrina, Gordon made several mixed media installations using larger debris from the hurricane in the work she is most widely known for, “The Katrina Collection.” “I wanted to do something like that on a small scale,” Kathryn explains.

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L AUR A CASON

K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

Found objects

have always been a fascination for her. Whether it be old transit tokens, Girl Scout pins, rusty keys, or vintage bottle caps, Kathryn has a certain talent for creating the extraordinary out of the everyday chaff of life. “I am a collector of odds and ends, bits of evidence of moments past. My work is a response to the quality of these things and to the associations they may evoke.”

Each piece she creates breathes new life into dusty, simple treasures. Kathryn reimagines each found object as part of an entirely new piece while remembering its history. The life it had before, the place it existed, the memories it holds are honored in her refashioning of it for use and display again. She is a kind of herald of admiration and worth to the beauty of the unnoticed and overlooked. “I’d say I am a lover of all things old, rusty, used, found, played with and loved,” Kathryn explains in her artist statement. “I love anything created with junk,” Kathryn tells me on the phone, and in the destruction Katrina brought, she found herself immersed in it.

“I’m always looking for new things. I have enough stuff right now to make jewelry for the rest of my life but yet, I continue to buy more stuff!” She describes the process

DESIGNER’S INSPIRATION “I’d say I am a lover of all things old, rusty, used, found, played with and loved,” Kathryn explains in her artist statement. “I love anything created with junk.”

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of seeking materials as “harvesting.” Estate sales, antique stores, ebay, thrift shops, flea markets, and garage sales are prime hunting grounds for a fresh crop. Kathryn tells me she loves collecting old tins (“like Grandma used to keep her buttons in”) to cut and fashion earrings out of because of their light weight and bright patterns and transit tokens because they are little pieces of history and they make great cufflinks. The feeling of nostalgia permeates her work, as she calls upon her childhood memories for inspiration, she invites her customers into their own.

Kathryn remembers her childhood in Start fondly.

“I’m a proud small town girl,” she tells me. She graduated from Start High School before moving to Ruston, LA, to attend Louisiana Tech University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1975. “I always wanted to go to Tech,” she says, “and they offered me the best financial aid.” Growing up, Kathryn had a passion for art. “As I say, I was an artist in my soul.” She remembers drawing constantly as a child, and she competed in the National Library drawing contests where she often placed. “That reinforced me, you know? When you win a ribbon you’re like, ‘Well, I’m an artist!’” In the ‘80s, Kathryn took up painting, experimenting with watercolors for a few years.

In the early ‘90s, she began working with photography, focusing mainly on mixed media collages for the next twenty years before she transitioned to making jewelry in 2005.

Once Kathryn retired in 2009 from her position as a legal assistant, she was able to devote herself full-time to being an artist and jeweler. “I like working with my hands,” she explains when talking about the transition from photography to jewelry and what drew her to this new avenue of creation. Kathryn says it’s different from the other forms of art she’s worked with because “jewelry is such a personal thing because you’re wearing it on your body, I mean it’s hanging on your body. It’s not like it’s hanging on a wall, you know? So you have to really like something in order to hang it on your body.” It is especially gratifying for her to see her work bring people joy and be worn all over the world. “Art opens up people’s minds and gives them something bigger to think about” she tells me.

“I do think I have a role to play in that.”

The importance of art in her own life was highlighted by the COVID-19 lockdown. “In the last year when we were all at home so much, I would say to myself, ‘I don’t know what I’d be doing with myself if I were not an artist, if I were not creating something.’ It just gave me, even more so, a sense of purpose and peacefulness. If I’m ever upset about something, I can just go sit down at my jewelry table and lose myself for a few hours.” In fact, the arts seem to have been the saving grace for many this year. They have provided an escape from the isolation and hopelessness that emanates from living through a global pandemic.“You lose yourself in the creation process,” Kathryn agrees. In a society, that seems to value science and math over art, this past year has been eye opening about the things that truly last. “Science and all that is very important, but when you go looking for civilization that’s gone, what do you find?

You find pieces of art. You find pottery. That’s all that’s left of them,” Kathryn tells me. “Art is really the only thing that lasts.”

The main platform Kathryn uses to display and sell her work is her Etsy shop, NooBoo Designs, which she

It is especially gratifying for her to see her work bring people JOY and be worn all over the world.

“Art opens up people’s minds and gives them something BIGGER to think about” she tells me.

“I do think I have a role to play in that.”

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B AYO U D E S I G N (C O N T )

opened in 2006 just one year after Etsy first launched its platform.

Through her online shop she’s been able to build up clientele over the years, with several regular customers. Kathryn says her market is generally southern women like herself who find her jewelry as fun and whimsical as she does. And whimsical is the word for it; inviting people to reminisce is one of her main joys. “I want to make people laugh. We need to laugh more,” she says. Kathryn’s fun loving personality and southern heritage shine through her pieces. Whether it be her vintage S&H green stamp earrings or a bracelet made from old monopoly properties, she tells me, “I try to make them funny if I can. People get a kick out of things from their childhood.”

While there is almost certainly a piece for everyone in the 159 items listed on her shop, you can also order commissions or custom work through her Etsy page. One woman sent her a whole box of her grandmother’s old vintage jewelry which she transformed into several updated necklaces. In 2014, Kathryn received a commission for a special necklace to be given to Tony Award-winning Broadway costume designer Linda Cho on the opening night of A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder to commemorate the play by a personal friend.

Kathryn read the entire script of the play before deciding how she could best memorialize it in the commissioned necklace. Linda reportedly loved the piece and the woman who commissioned it sent Kathryn a picture of her wearing it on opening night. “That was my one tiny claim to fame,” she laughs.

Whether you buy one of her handmade pieces online or commission something uniquely your own, you can count on getting something one of a kind and crafted with care. “Jewelry makes people happy,” Kathryn tells me. “I love what I do.” And clearly, people can tell. Her Etsy shop, which can be reached at the link www. nooboo.etsy.com, has been very successful. She has accrued more than 1700 sales and 645 reviews averaging a five-star rating from very satisfied customers. While perusing her merchandise, be sure to check out a few of my favorite pieces: the ‘Milk and Honey’ earrings made with brass beadcaps, antique brass wires, vintage dairy tokens, antique brass bees, and vintage pearls; the ‘Desire’ cufflinks made with authentic vintage New Orleans Streetcar tokens; and the ‘I Do’ earrings made with vintage rhinestones, vintage pearls, silver plated spoons, sterling silver wires. Kathryn’s jewelry is also available at two physical storefronts on the gulf coast. The Art House Art Gallery, an artist co-op, and Coastal Magpie, an eclectic antique and gift shop, are both located in Ocean Springs, MS, just across the bay from Biloxi.

Be sure to stop by while you’re in the area for a chance to meet the artist herself on your way to the beach.

To purchase Kathryn Taylor Gray’s jewelry, visit www.nooboo.etsy.com or stop by The Art House Art Gallery at 921 Cash Alley in Ocean Springs, MS or Coastal Magpie at 918 Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs.

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Something Old, Something New Something at Walsworth Just For You

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OCAL INTERIOR DESIGN AND FURNITURE SHOP, Walsworth and Company has been a downtown staple since opening its doors in 2014. While Walsworth is not a new name to retail in the downtown area with its first store opening in 1957, the local legacy is far from over. The Walsworth and Company we know today features a premier decorator showroom and offers everything from furniture, bedding, lighting, and apothecary products. With walls lined with beautifully selected works of art, intricately designed mirrors, and wall hangings it’s no question why Walsworth & Company has become the decoration destination in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.

Dawne Smith, the owner of Walsworth and Company, wanted to create a personalized shopping experience for local brides, one brimming with unique pieces and finds, and from that vision, Down the Aisle was born.

Slated to open April 2021, Down the Aisle, a premiere wedding registry will be located within their Trenton Street location. The newly renovated space will boast curated “must-haves” perfect for the modern bride. With over 1,400 square feet of renovated space, Dawne and her team have continued their devotion to restoration by incorporating original architectural elements such as exposed beams and repurposing the original hardwoods to create an elegant rustic accent wall. Boasting newly installed crystal chandeliers, Down the

Aisle will exude a romantic vibe and classic elegance.

Within the devoted space, brides will be able to browse selections from Emile Henry, Nora Fleming, and Beatriz Ball just to name a few.

In addition to serving pieces, crystal, and dishes Walsworth’s boasts a vast array of linens, seasonal decor, and home accents perfect to complete any home. Registrants will be guided through the process by registry experts, helping to ensure all of their “T’s” are crossed and “I’s” are dotted.

Along with their top decor and design selections, Down the Aisle will be your go-to for hostess and bridal party gifts, housing brands such Nest, Barefoot Dreams, PJ Harlow, Lollia, and Nouvelle. After completing your shopping list, leave the wrapping to the professional staff at Walsworth; where you can always expect a beautifully wrapped gift anyone would be thrilled to receive.

If you’re in the market for a new accent piece, an entire home redesign, or if it’s time to complete your bridal registry the creative team at Walsworth and Company is fully prepared to assist.

Rush in now and register at the newest and most elegant bridal registry to hit the twin cities. We are different. No more unused credits.

As our gift to you, brides will receive a 10% gift certificate to use towards the completion of their registry. We cannot wait for you to stroll down our aisle.

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Stretch Your Refund Invest in Your Sleep

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ESEARCHERS HAVE DISCOVERED A SINGLE TREATMENT that improves memory, increases people’s ability to concentrate and strengthens the immune system. Sounds too be good to be true? It gets even better. The treatment is completely free and has no side effects. Would you try it?

Its sleep, more specifically quality sleep.

Did you know the average American spends more than one third of their life sleeping? Unfortunately, according to a recent article by the New York Post, while many Americans do spend a majority of their time in bed, most are not satisfied with the quality of sleep they are getting.

This is where the experts at American Mattress Outlet come in.

Owner Robby Compton and his team are prepared to offer customers a “whole sleep experience.” American Mattress Outlet is home to several lines of mattresses including: Signature by Southerland, Thermo Balance, Scandinavian Sleep, Englander, Symbol, Capital Bedding, Brooklyn Bedding and Wellsville. With a range of mattresses, there is something for everyone at American Mattress Outlet. In addition to fitting customers with their ideal mattress, the team at American Mattress Outlet are sleep experts, equipped with knowledge to help customers make the best choices to improve their sleep experience.

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Compton says, “We see people that have horrible sleep experiences and by guiding them to a better pillow, a mattress that fits their sleep positioning, we can improve someone’s life, and that is what makes me so passionate about this business. Our tag line is ‘We are American Mattress Outlet, where you don’t have to go into debt to get a great night’s sleep’ and we mean that. The difference is we can find the perfect mattress for your needs and budget without sacrificing quality for price.”

Sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every person’s overall health and well-being. Start investing in your health and your sleep today and visit Robby and the team at American Mattress Outlet.

“Great customer service! Owner, Robby, tried to sell us what he thought was best for our sleeping habits and not the highest price tag. Prices are low and make you wonder why you’ve always paid those high prices in the past. I highly recommend this business!” Brett Cardin

American Mattress Outlet is conveniently located at 2200 North 7th Street, Suite A in West Monroe. Call them at 318.366.5565 or visit their website at american-mattress-outlet-llc.business.site. You can also find them on Facebook.

PrimeStar Home Health

Helping Residents Across Northeast Louisiana

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RIMESTAR HOME HEALTH IS A locally owned and operated home health agency that specializes in providing skilled nursing, therapy and ancillary services to patients in the Monroe, West Monroe, Ruston, Rayville, Tallulah, Minden, Ringgold and Bossier/Shreveport in Louisiana. Additionally, they cover Austin and Wimberly, Texas.

Operating out of three branches, PrimeSTAR Home Health is not only one of the largest home health operations in North Louisiana, but also is one of the only agencies that provides full Medicare consult and 24/7 on-call physician assistance.

Our business is built on establishing relationships with patients and healthcare providers in the North Louisiana area so that we become the premier choice for qualified individuals as deemed appropriate by their physician, Medicare and private healthcare insurance guidelines. We focus on assuring that hospitals, nursing homes, private practice physicians, skilled facilities, and all health care

specialists in our area feel that our company extends the very best care each and every time to all patients we are entrusted with.

PrimeSTAR Home Health’s mission is to be the premier home health agency of choice for patients and physicians in the North Louisiana area and to provide the best care to every patient, every time assuring that their health comes first.

Here are some of the services that Primestar has to offer: • Wound Care debridement, vac management, assessment, intense healing treatments by Wound care certified nurses with many years of experience in evaluation and treatment of pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, stasis ulcers, burns, surgical incisions/complications and minor skin breakdown.

• Assessment and management of Chronic conditions in an acute exacerbated phase by Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses supervised by RNs. Conditions include but are not limited to Diabetes, Hypertension, CHF, COPD, Chronic Kidney

Disease, Lymphedema, Psychiatric conditions, Blood disorders, other respiratory and cardiac complications.

• Orthopedic aftercare utilizing skilled nurses and PT, OT services for rehabilitation back to the community. Experienced nurses and therapists provide aftercare with direct collaboration with the operating surgeon to assure timely recovery and continuity of care.

• IV antibiotic and Central line management and care. Registered Nurses assist with administration/infusion of antibiotic treatments and maintain central line access to assure minimal complications to allow the patient to complete infusion process in the comfort of their home. Will collaborate with ordering physician to monitor patient’s lab work and effectiveness of treatment.

• Fall prevention and rehabilitative services to promote safety in the home are provided with the use of physical therapy and occupational therapy to modify the home environment to assure patient’s can feel safest in their own environment.

• Post acute care treatment of CVA’s, tracheostomy placement, and ostomy establishment and management of conditions post discharge from long term care facility.

We assure the patient can be transitioned safely into their home with the use of therapy services, including speech therapy, to assist family with management of condition and any necessary equipment.

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SIMPLY LOU

ALL ABOARD! article and illustration by LOU DAV E NP ORT

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rain I ride….sixteen coaches long….

I do not remember when I first became fascinated by trains.

It could have been being brought up in Bastrop, where two sets of tracks bisected the town, and you could count on being stopped by one anywhere you went, at any time! The trains served International Paper when it was there, and those trains brought all kinds of things that the mills needed, or needed to ship out.

“Hobos” rode the freight cars then, and I often saw them. One night, I even saw a train with one of its wheels on fire! That was a little scary!

The mills eventually closed, and the railroads were sold. I only know of one of the tracks that’s still operational, the “Short Line” that’s owned by AL&M Railroad (Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi). It comes by five days a week, Monday through Friday.

It is so predictable, you could set your watch by it. I also learned about “Short Lines,” never knowing that “Take a Ride on the Short Line and win $100,” when playing Monopoly was a real thing! “My” short line goes from Monroe to up above Crossett. It seems to have all kinds of different cars, from grain bins to tankers, and a lot of freight cars.

My family visited New Orleans every summer for years. All I wanted was some beignets, and to go ride the train at Audubon Park. I think they just left me on that train while they toured the rest of the park!

Hey, that was okay with me!

Later on, I got to ride more trains. My son, Adam, was a real train nut when he was little. We lived near Amory, Mississippi back then, and every year, there was a Railroad Festival. They also had a real train to ride. It only went a few miles, but it was so much fun for him, Paige, Carolyn and ME! I would have to take him by the train depot every time we went into town so that he could see the freight trains, and he’d make his “train noise!”

I once rode a train in Rusk, Texas, complete with a fake bank robbery that you got to act in. There was a train in Branson, Missouri I got to ride, and saw some of the prettiest scenery I’ve ever seen up there.

In Dallas, I could catch a train right at the hotel and ride it over to Ft. Worth. At the station, you caught a bus that took you right to The Stockyards. When you were through sightseeing, you caught the bus back, hopped on the train, and it brought you right back to the hotel.

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Overall, I think the best train ride I ever took was riding an Amtrak from Longview, Texas to Santa Barbara, California. Longview was the closest place to catch an Amtrak, but I keep hearing that “one of these days” there will be service from Jackson, Mississippi to Longview. That would be so nice to hop on here in Monroe, and go somewhere either way!

The Amtrak I caught was called “The Silver Eagle,” which I boarded in Longview, Texas. It took me to Austin, Texas, where it changed engines, and was then called the “Sunset Limited.”

I don’t have many complaints about riding Amtrak, but I will get a private room and go first class next time. I had a sleepette, which was spacious enough, and the way the train just rocks along, sleep was never a problem. It was fun to go to the glass topped lounge car, and there was always great food. Passengers were assigned times, so you never knew who you would be sitting with. That was so much fun, and I met so many different people. Most of them loved my Southern accent, and I taught many of them to say “y’all” the right way! There was always the best coffee anytime you wanted it, and the porters were extremely nice.

One porter on my car had been “riding the rails” for nearly 30 years and was ready to retire, but he did say he was going to miss it. He’d been everywhere, and told me all kinds of stories.

The view you get while riding an Amtrak is totally different than what you see riding the highway. I saw the backside of so many towns and cities, not always at their best, but nonetheless interesting to see.

Somewhere along the way we rode right through the biggest train yard I had ever seen! I also learned that the Amtrak train would pull over to tracks on the right to let the freight trains go by uninterrupted. They had priority.

“The Salton Sea” was something very unexpected, and I had to ask a lot of questions of the porter about that place. It looks like a surreal landscape that Salvadore Dali might have painted. It was intended to be a big resort in the desert, but since it is one of the few landlocked lakes in the country, pesticide run off, and algae bloom killed most everything that lived in it. Its considered toxic, and there are remnants still there of what that resort once resembled. It’s a creepy kind of place, but I’m glad I saw it.

Since I had made friends with that porter, he let me go out on the end of the train where there’s a little balcony. I rode over the Rio Grand River outside!

There’s no rails on that bridge, and the river itself is so far down, it looked like a small silvery snake. That was exciting!

One morning, I woke up to a landscape full of wind turbines. Those things are huge, and there were so many of them. I knew I must be getting close to the agricultural part of California, and shortly, there I was, surrounded by field after field of avocados, almond trees, celery fields, lettuce, almost anything you could imagine.

I passed through Ventura, and Santa Monica, and saw the pier with the ferris wheel we’ve all seen in many movies and TV shows.

By that time, we were stopping almost every 15 minutes, and I knew it wasn’t far to my last stop, Union Station in Los Angeles. I caught my last train there, and it took me on into Santa Barbara. My best recollection of Union Station was how big and beautiful it was. I saw “Birds of Paradise” growing in their landscaping like daylilies grow around here.

I have to add that Santa Barbara is a beautiful place, too. Our beaches are better, in my own humble opinion, but the weather is so nice. It was a little chilly in the morning and late afternoon, but the rest of the day was almost

perfect. Also, it never rained. When I had to leave, I took a plane, but I’d rather have taken that train. Flying is okay, but it can’t hold a candle to riding on a train.

I asked a lot of my Facebook friends about their experiences with trains, and I was floored by how many train lovers are out there. I got so many comments and stories, and I don’t have room for them all, but I picked some, and we all agreed that trains are great.

Some of my friends had taken international trains. Wayne Horton rode on a supersonic train in Europe that went over 100 miles an hour. Brian Sivils rode trains to the beach in India, round trip for a little over 25 US dollars. Kathleen Simpson Scott rode all over Switzerland and then, Scotland!

Many people have caught the Amtrak in Jackson for a trip to New Orleans. Many said it was because it’s fun, and there were no parking or driving hassles in New Orleans. Many took their children to give them the experience of riding on a train, or to go to a Saints game.

I’ve had a few cousins that have ridden the train. Rusty Dennis, when he was only 13 years old, rode from New Orleans to Washington D.C. to the National Boy Scout Convention.

My cousin Ronnie Ecklund takes the train from New Orleans to come home to Monroe most of the time.

I found out many of my friends have taken

the Amtrak all the way to Washington D.C. Carla Howell caught hers in Meridian, Mississippi and Shelley Coats rode with her 3 ½ year old all the way. That was surely an experience!

Many other people have caught the Amtrac in Jackson and gone to Chicago. Brian Crawford, Peggy Reynolds, Kathy Warwick, Brett Auttonberry, Chad Brooks, and even my son, Adam, took that train when he was in college.

Ron Watson lived in New York City for two years, and rode “The Crescent” back and forth home to New Orleans, catching it at Penn Station. Bob Eisenstadt made the trip from Washington D.C. to NYC and back to Washington D.C. many times. Dana Nelson Hall and Sonny Cathey took their children to New York to see the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade!

Dale Benz told me his story about boarding a train with his friends, guitars in hand, and they gave the whole train car a concert. He said they used the “clickity clack” of the train as their drum set!

I wish I had the room to really tell all the stories I was told by my friends, but I do want to thank each one of them for loving trains as much as I do! I might have to write a part two!

“Mystery Train,” Elvis Presley….thank ya, thank ya very much.

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Meredith’s Musings article by ME RE DI TH MC K I N N I E

HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH

WITH A LITTLE LOVE AND SOME TENDERNESS...WE’LL WALK UPON THE WATER...

WE’LL RISE ABOVE THE MESS I was riding with a ten-year old when one of the soundtracks of my youth came on the radio.

The song was Hold My Hand

by Hootie and the Blowfish, and I knew every word. My Ford Explorer that screams I have kids was bellowing a 90s throwback, challenging the speakers to a volume they had rarely reached before.

WITH A LITTLE PEACE AND SOME HARMONY...WE’LL TAKE THE WORLD TOGETHER...

WE’LL TAKE THEM BY THE HAND

As the beat picked up, my voice got louder. I started beating the steering wheel, my body overcome by the familiar music that took me back to a time when responsibilities were few and possibilities seemed endless. That’s what music does better than anything else. It transports us to a moment we may have forgotten. Caught up in the feeling, I had temporarily forgotten I wasn’t alone, that my

little jam session wasn’t a party of one. When I glanced to my right, I saw a face of intrigue.

She was seeing me behave in a way she hadn’t before. Perhaps she recognized the freedom of expression, the happiness on my face, or she was curious how I knew every word to a song she had never heard.

CAUSE I’VE GOT A HAND FOR YOU, OH...I WANNA RUN WITH YOU

She immediately began to question me. Who was this band?

How come she had never heard this song? Was it old... like me? I found her questions refreshing, and I quickly recognized an opportunity for some life advice.

At her age, life is about to get confusing. The people she trusted with every decision will inevitably become the subjects of her frustration. Her teenage years are approaching, and the irony of my favorite teenage song to address her curiosity was kismet.

I told her a little about the band, that while I’ve never considered myself a music junkie, some songs simply penetrated anyway, and that they had more do with a time in my life than any lyrics or

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guitar rift. That song was popular when I wasn’t, when I wondered who I was and what I wanted and if I even had what it took to be somebody.

YESTERDAY, I SAW YOU STANDING THERE...YOUR HEAD WAS DOWN, YOUR EYES WERE RED...NO COMB HAD TOUCHED YOUR HAIR I told her puberty was rough,

and not just for the physical adjustments, but the emotional turmoil. She would fall in love, and someone wouldn’t love her back and it would hurt, and her world would feel hopeless. And people would chuckle if she dared mention her heartbreak, and it would hurt more that they belittled her experience. But after she wallowed in the sadness, she would eventually pick herself up, made stronger by the disappointment. For next time, she would better know what to do, recognize those worthy of her love and be willing to risk it all again.

I SAID, GET UP, AND LET ME SEE YOU SMILE...WE’LL TAKE A WALK TOGETHER...WALK THE ROAD WHILE

I told her the hard years are for hard living. Make those mistakes, kiss that boy, take that chance. And when it all falls apart, play that sad song and relish in the flood of emotion that follows. Our youth is for baring our heart and soul before we learn to hold back. It’s for going to concerts we can barely afford and standing in mosh pits and screaming through the sweat and the screams, as if the artist’s words are the only lifeline. I told her it will be scary and wonderful and freeing all at the same time, but those times when we’re truly living always are. I told her life was a roller coaster, and that when she knows she’s down, remember a high is just around the corner.

CAUSE I’VE GOT A HAND FOR YOU...I’VE GOT A HAND FOR YOU...CAUSE I WANNA RUN WITH YOU...WON’T YOU LET ME RUN WITH YOU

And if the lead singer of a rock band seems to have all the answers, then let the lyrics guide you. And if you’re lucky, one day, that song will randomly come on the radio, and you’ll be reminded of the time you had the time of your life.

Autism Society of North LA Celebrates Differences Autism Society of North LA Builds an Inclusive Society for the Autism Community

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HIS APRIL, THE AUTISM SOCIETY OF NORTH LOUISIANA celebrates differences as it works to build an inclusive society where individuals with autism live fully through connection and acceptance. The Autism Society of North Louisiana is advocating for lawmakers to federally and globally designate April as Autism Acceptance Month (AAM), a shift from the commonly used phrase “Autism Awareness Month.”

“While we will always work to spread awareness, words matter -- the need for acceptance is greater than ever, as we strive for autistic individuals to live fully in all areas of life,” states Christopher Banks, President and CEO of the Autism Society of America. “Many individuals and organizations recognize April as “Autism Acceptance Month” and we hope that our advocacy efforts can officially designate April as such, and create language consistency across this community.” Amber Boykin, President of the Autism Society of North Louisiana, states “It is our goal to create an inclusive society here in North Louisiana for all individuals.

An inclusive society is one where our differences are acknowledged, appreciated, and supported. It is time to move from simple awareness to acceptance.” This name change will build momentum around the Autism Society of North Louisiana’s mission for communities to be more aware of autism, promote acceptance, and to become more inclusive in everyday life. Designed to build awareness of the realities of autism, #CelebrateDifferences encourages individuals with autism and their families to live full, quality lives through connection and acceptance.

#IAmMe is introduced to empower autistic individuals by highlighting strengths. The Autism Society of North Louisiana challenges its audience to share photos of themselves doing a favorite activity, to showcase pride and promote acceptance.

In the United States, autism is the fastest growing developmental disability. The Autism prevalence rate has risen from 1 in 125 children in 2010, to 1 in 54 in 2021--recognizing this continued increase, the Autism Society of North Louisiana’s goal for AAM is to further increase awareness about autism characteristics, as well as supports and resources with opportunities such as: information and referrals, events, printable and digital resources, and community partnerships. Awareness leads to acceptance, which is often one of the biggest barriers to finding and developing a strong support system throughout the lifespan. The Autism Society understands the importance of fostering acceptance to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive long-term services and supports.

The Autism Society of North Louisiana (ASNLa), incorporated in September 2019, is a volunteer-run non-profit organization with a mission to improve the quality of life of those impacted by Autism in North Louisiana. ASNLa works toward this mission with initiatives such as community connections, information and training for community members, government relations, transition supports, resource mapping, improved awareness and various advocacy efforts.

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BAYOUKIDZ

Let’s Not Waste Another Day Make the Best of the Ones Ahead

article by Cindy G. Foust

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appy April readers, coming to you this month with the good news that at least it’s not snowing. But we all did just about land in Kansas with Dorothy and Toto earlier this week, so there’s that. But that was kind of a misstep with the weather folks because the only thing we had at my house was a thunderclap and a 10-minute rain shower. But make no mistake about it, I had everything buttoned down in case the tornado would have come through. I have come to take this weather stuff really serious, with back to back hurricanes in the fall, snowcopolypse last month and then a tornado scare this week.

With this type of “weather climate” we seem to constantly face, it’s no wonder we all want to get in a spacesuit and like head to Mars… or the moon. Anywhere but here, right? And with this month’s magazine being the travel issue and all, it makes me want to write about my travel adventures. Or take new ones, at least. What about you, readers, anyone heading anywhere exciting for spring break?

My neighboring best friends just headed out to Alaska for a mission trip which I think is very admirable except after the snowcopolypse, I’m kind of done with ice and snow for a while. I’m trying to even

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think of where I would want to go if I could go somewhere because I seem to have sort of crazy things happen to me when I do travel.

Like that time I traveled to Big Piney, Wyoming on a mission trip, to teach Bible School to this little church, 1,210 miles away.

Yeah, about that… we prepared for 6 months and rode in a motorhome for 3 days to get

there and 3 kids showed up on the first day of VBS. Kind of took the wind out of our sails, yes it did.

But not more than it did than when someone’s Rottweiler got after us when we tried to go door-to-door in Big Piney to invite neighbors of the church to VBS. Yeah that was

scary trying to get over the fence before the dog ate more than my homework. You know what I’m saying?

Or what about the time Scott and I went to San Francisco and we got stuck in an elevator with 14 people? Listen folks, when the sign in the elevator says “Maximum Capacity 13 People,” I would implore you to take it seriously because as sophisticated as elevators are these days, that elevator knew the minute that 14th person stepped in and as soon as the doors shut, it dropped us between the floors. And we sat there for over an hour. With a lady from South Louisiana who had claustrophobia.

And liked to use curse words. Like the big ones. And we had to have the fire department come rescue us with the Jaws of Life. Marriott did give us like 100,000 travel points for our “inconvenience” but honestly, I think we left points on the table because the Cajun lady cursed and ranted and spit all over us while we waited to be rescued. I mean, she acted like we all wanted to be trapped in the elevator with her mad, claustrophobic self and we were deliberately staying stuck between the floors as the elevator bounced up and down. Fun times.

Then another time my mom and I travelled to Washington to visit family, but while I was there, I had a tooth start to bother

me. I have a very low tolerance for any type of pain medicine and after taking “one-half” of a pain pill, I stayed in a fog for three days. Like when we visited Mt. Vernon, my family just sat me on a bench while they toured the home of George Washington while I slept… and drooled. Actually, I slept and hallucinated for the better part of three days, waking up one night to what I thought was a man standing over me whose head was a chocolate covered cherry. This is after a half of a pill! So, it will suffice to say some of my travel adventures have been just that… adventures.

But where I really want to go, where my heart longs to travel to is Italy. I really think if I did one of those ancestry tests, the report would come back that I was half-Italian. We lived in Rome when I was a child while my dad worked in Africa, and the Italian citizens all thought I was in fact Italian. I mean, aren’t blonde haired, blue-eyed folks the absolute Italian? Doesn’t matter if I look the part or not, I know what my heart knows and the culture of Italy is where I long to be… you know, after COVID.

But here we all are, still just waiting to wake up from the place where this all started last year, and find ourselves on the next train out. I mean, that’s what we all want, right? To be able to get in our car or on a plane or in a

bus and just go? Safely? Without fear? We’ve all been in the same trapped warp space for most of the past year and most of us have had plenty of time to think… to ponder…to question.

For me, one of the things that I am taking away from this unprecedented time (that’s the two nicest words I can think of to call it), is that I’ve spent all these years wanting to take my children to Italy, but I’ve never planned the trip. I would consider this a rich experience but really, what makes up life’s rich experiences? Is it when we travel? When we spend time with the people we love? When we cook great food and have everyone come over to eat? Or perhaps when we just sit on the back porch and watch the birds? When asked, we would probably all have a different version for what creates memories that go through life with us, but the one that might be common for most of us is the regret that we didn’t stop and take the time to do something with our families and friends that we really wanted to do.

I’m feeling rather melancholy this week, people I love are hurting and suffering through loss, so you know those feelings will invariably make their way to my column. If we’ve learned anything this past year, I hope that it’s not too late to take life for granted. I

hope that we’ve learned to plan the trips with our children or our family and friends. I hope we’ve learned to marvel at bird watching (or donkey watching, whichever is your pleasure) in the quiet of your backyard.

I hope we’ve learned to focus on the things that make us happy and positive and leave the minutiae at the door. Spring is definitely here and everything truly feels like it’s coming back to life, but in a different way than in years past. It’s like we are waking up from some Rip Van Winkle dream except the entire world is waking up with us.

Let’s not waste another day, another minute, of the time we have… plan those trips even if Italy is too far away from you. Pull your kids closer than ever before; make that time for your family and friends. You may find yourselves traveling no further than your back porch, but wherever your travels take you, wherever your destination stops, make the most of your time with the ones you love.

We can’t get this year back, but we can make the best of the ones ahead.

Cindy G. Foust is a wife, mom, author and blogger.

You can find her blog at the alphabetmom.com for weekly columns about home life, parenting, small business stories and insight with a smidgen of literacy.

Give her a like or follow on Facebook and Instagram.

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the painter and thepoet Artistic expression and a shared sense of faith brought the painter Tami Curtis and the poet Perry Guy together in 2015. The couple’s new project with the National Audubon Society combines their love of art and poetry and gives back to the Gulf Coast region they now call home. The artists also take pride in creating books together that highlight natural and cultural aspects of the Gulf Coast and give back to the community. Tami paints the illustrations, and Perry creates the narrative. Together, they give voice and visualization to the coastline for locals and visitors alike. The duo’s artistic footprint is expanding beyond Bay St. Louis, where they currently live, and they hope to bring more attention and representation to the Gulf Coast through the passions they have transformed into noteworthy professions.

MEREDITH MCKINNIE

K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

father taught her to always look again, to notice what others might miss, to see the depth right in front of her own eyes and give the colors time to show themselves.

Ray painted signs while in college to support the family.

He was meticulous, and the craft required specific attention to detail as he painted billboards, business signs, and local menus. Night after night, Tami would watch her father work on the porch. She learned the skill necessary for the old-fashioned craft before the possibility of modern digital creations. Ray demonstrated how to handle the brush, how to control it to form borderlines or perfect circles. Their relationship blossomed in the presence of making art, the teacher educating his daughter, the pupil. Tami’s fascination with art continued in college as she majored in art education and graphic design while attending Louisiana Tech University.

After graduation, Tami moved to Monroe and took a job at Robert E. Lee Junior High School as an art educator, just like her father. She realized quickly that the kids deserved more and started an art club. The group raised money and traveled to Dallas on a field trip to visit art galleries. Many of the kids had never left their own neighborhoods, and many students rode in an elevator for the very first time. Growing up, Tami’s family lived on the two teachers’ modest income, but she was always shown the importance of seeing art in spaces dedicated to its appreciation. After a few years, Tami transferred to Ruston High School and then Fontainebleau High School in Covington, Louisiana. She served as Education Coordinator for the New Orleans Museum of Art, creating a curriculum called Artworks, which teaches reading, writing, and arithmetic by starting with an art lesson and working back to core subjects.

While living in Covington, Tami spent her summers creating her own art and started selling paintings. She eventually devoted all her time to her artwork and now focuses on fine art paintings and illustrations. She loves to draw, sketch, and get her hands in clay, but she makes a living The National Audubon Society commissioned the couple to create twelve from the paintings placards for the highway running along the Mississippi Gulf Coast beach, and illustrations for featuring Tami’s bird paintings and Perry’s poems. The placards will come out children’s books.

Raised in in just a few weeks, hopefully endearing the people to the birds.

Kentwood, Louisiana, Perry Guy grew up Tami Curtis grew up in Springhill, Louisiana with her on a dairy farm. He knew hard work up close, waking up parents Ray and Jackie Curtis who were both educators. at daylight, milking cows, repairing fences, and breaking When Tami was in middle school, her father attended college heifers. In junior high, Perry discovered poetry. He fell in and received his degree in art education. The family then love with Dickinson and Frost and tried his best to emulate moved to Leesville, where Ray became Tami’s art teacher at the American greats between daily chores. He had a choice Leesville High School, and Jackie taught special education at of continuing to work on the farm or going to college. He the schools. Ray was Tami’s art mentor. Raised in the rural attended Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana, town of Hornbeck in central Louisiana, Ray created realistic majoring in sociology and minoring in English. Upon art with an impressionistic flair. He adored rural life and graduation, the difficult economy moved Perry into the the outdoors, and most of his art depicted natural settings automobile industry. He trained with Royal Oldsmobile Group reflective of the land he loved. When Tami was about eight to become a dealer and eventually opened several small car years old, she remembers visiting the family’s farmland in dealerships, a profession he stuck with for twenty years. He Hornbeck, walking through her mamaw’s cornstalk patch then became a real estate broker, working in Florida and with her father. He said, “T-Baby, what color is that crow?”

Alabama, and opened Island Life Kayaks and Paddle Boards in Puzzled, Tami insisted the crow was black. “Look again,” Gulf Shores in 2010, a business he still maintains today.

Ray said. “Watch what happens when the sun hits the bird’s

As a poet, Perry was naturally drawn to music. He played wings.” Tami noticed the blues and purples that she had the guitar, and wrote and performed several of his own songs. missed before. Ray taught his daughter that no true black One song entitled Gulf Coast Christmas debuted on the charts, exists in nature, that an artist must see colors beyond the and Perry briefly tried to make it in Nashville. He made two obvious. An artist must pay attention to what the light can albums: Heart of Leather and Island Life in his mid-twenties. do and how it reflects. He instilled in her an artist must push The music brought him back to the poetry, and he started beyond the flat and expected in one’s own expression. Her writing books. His first book Treasures in the Sand features 112 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

10 short story beach poems and is all about the Gulf Coast. Before Covid, Perry frequented local schools, playing the guitar and talking to the children about books. He insists kids ask the best questions. He wrote his second book A Gulf Coast Christmas before he met Tami. The couple wrote the last three books together. Perry was thankful for his in-house illustrator and being able to collaborate with his life partner. The Mardi Gras Boat Parade, The Great Gulf Coast Seafood Festival, and Fine Feathered Friends are the couple’s most recent publications. Tami and Perry work alongside organizations such as the New Orleans Children’s Hospital and the Make a Wish Foundation to promote their books. Langenstein grocery stores, popular in the New Orleans area, sell their books, and the couple donates one book for every copy purchased. Tami and Parry are happy to be representing their community and working to promote the region. The family books are also sold in Tacky Jack’s and Souvenir City in Gulf Shores, and over seventy other shops in the southern region.

C R E AT I V E CO U P L E

The artists take pride in creating books together that highlight natural and cultural aspects of the Gulf Coast and give back to the community. Tami paints the illustrations, and Perry creates the narrative.

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T H E PA I N T E R A N D T H E P O E T (CO N T )

Tami met Perry the way many couples do now on Facebook.

They frequented the same online circles and after casually commenting on each other’s posts, Tami finally reached out via messenger. They initially went to a friend’s film screening at UNO and identified long term potential. Both Tami and Perry value their faith, and they recognized Christian values and artistic expression in one another. Less than a year later, the two married and have four adult children between them. Jessica Odell Anderson lives in Indiana with her husband and their three children Soleil, Bruce, and Penelope. They operate a full-time flower farm along with raising pumpkins and Indian corn. Christopher Odell and his wife have a music venue service called Red Stick Music in Baton Rouge. Julie Odell is a full-time musician and artist and lives in New Orleans with her partner and their five year old daughter, Lilou. Chantal Marie Dale lives in Denham Springs with her husband, and works for Amazon, and cares for Perry’s three-year-old beloved grandson Alaric.

The Audubon Project was a blessing for Tami and Perry during Covid. Perry was approached by a woman at a small Christmas boutique show in 2019. She was familiar with the couple’s work and just happened to be the former director of the National Audubon Society. Through her recommendation, Tami and Perry feel privileged to work with the National Audubon Society to recognize the coastal wildlife. Tami also works with Legendary Blues Cruises, creating the designs for their posters, which features notable blues musicians during their sails. She acts as an artist-in-residence on the ship, taking photos for future paintings and selling her artwork to fellow cruisers. Perry is working on more books with his favorite in-house illustrator Tami. An upcoming favorite is entitled “The Farmer’s Market” and encourages locals to support local farmers.

You can see and purchase the work of Tami Curtis and Perry Guy at The Painter and the Poet online or at the Tami Curtis Gallery gallery on 112 S Second St in Bay St Louis, MS.

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Madison Davis Earns Title Davis Named Brown Girls Do Ballet Dance Ambassador

image courtesy of Robert Wright Photography

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ADISON NICOLE DAVIS ISTHE DAUGHTER OF PATRICK and Janet Davis. Madison is 17 years old and a 12th grade student at Ouachita Parish High School. She will be a graduate of the class of 2021. She is a member of the National Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, AKA Cinderella Guidance Clinic, Model 10/18, and the Top Teens of America. She is a member of New Tabernacle Baptist Church where Roosevelt Wright, Jr. is her pastor.

Madison is a Senior Elite Dancer with Carolyn’s Danceland, Inc. She has danced many lead roles in CDL’s recital productions. Madison and four other dancers were invited to Atlanta, Ga last year to perform at an award program saluting Jermaine Dupree. She recently earned the title “2021 Brown Girls Do Ballet Brand Ambassador,” which is 1 of 24 girls from all over the United States, and she is the only one in Louisiana.

About Brown Ballerina Junior and Youth Ambassadors

The Brown Girls Do Ballet Brand Ambassador program is designed to create opportunities for young dancers in training to be seen as leaders and eventually become mentors to others. They spread positivity about the role that diversity plays in the realm of classical ballet. They are the defensive line as it relates to combating negative stereotypes about dancers of color, and therefore will serve as role models for dancers around them. They are responsible for sharing the mission behind Brown Girls Do Ballet®. Our Youth Ambassadors, having more experience, take their role a step further by speaking at regional Brown Girls Do Ballet® functions, hosting and/or attending Brown Ballerina gatherings in their town or community, and personally committing to mentoring, via letters, emails, or in person “dates”, one or more younger Brown Ballerinas. For more information visit their website www.browngirlsdoballet.com.

We salute and congratulate ballerina Madison Nicole Davis for creating positive change in the dance community.

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Social Anxiety

BY THE CHILDREN’S COALITION FOR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA

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ocial anxiety disorder (SAD) is a passion for helping others find peace and a common but under-diagnosed empowerment through healing and personal mental health condition experienced growth. She is a clinician at Finding Solace across different age groups and where she treats individuals (10 and up), cultures. Social anxiety disorder can couples, and families. have an effect on your ability to attend school and work at a job. Starting in a new place, Q: What are some of the most important making friends, giving presentations, eating things parents and youth need to know with others—these and other aspects of school about social anxiety? and work are all triggers for those with social

A: Anyone can experience social anxiety anxiety. If you or someone you like when your palms get know has been diagnosed with sweaty right before a handshake SAD or you think you may be or that feeling of tripping over words when speaking experiencing symptoms of the disorder, learning more about in front of people. However, what to expect can help. when these symptoms become Anne Newman is too much to handle, social a Licensed Professional anxiety disorder (SAD) could Counselor and a Licensed be the reason. SAD is the third Marriage and Family Therapist. most common mental health She has practiced therapy, disorder which is surprising for some people to hear. While counseling, and social work for 14 years in many different prevalent, not many people are familiar with the distinguishing settings with a variety of characteristics of this disorder. populations. After some time ANNE NEWMAN performing social work and Those who suffer from SAD exploring other states, she returned to her often possess an intense, unreasonable fear or phobia of situations which involve being hometown of Monroe to pursue her master’s social or performing in some way. Since degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. It was important for Anne to give young people and their brains are not yet fully back to the community that helped to shape developed and they are busy navigating the her in so many important ways. Anne has twists and turns of adolescence, they often are

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not equipped to determine whether their fear is unreasonable or the natural, predictable nervousness that everyone experiences from time to time. This is why it is so important for parents and other people who interact with children on a regular basis to be aware of the signs and symptoms of SAD. Q: What are some factors that contribute to social anxiety in teens?

A: There is no clear, concise answer to what causes social anxiety. Instead, it has been determined that many factors can lead to the development of SAD. These include environmental, societal, genetic, and biological/neurological factors. While it may be common for parents to blame themselves or parenting choices, it is crucial to realize that SAD is more likely caused by an unknown combination of the aforementioned factors.

Please note that a child who is being bullied may also exhibit similar symptoms (i.e., fear of attending school). However, the difference is that the anxiety will likely only be present when the bully is present or potentially present. These children will not exhibit symptoms without the threat of being bullied.

Q: What are some short-term and long-term outcomes of having social anxiety?

A: For someone with SAD, life comes

with many obstacles, and they are truly at a disadvantage. Their fear of being in and performing in the classroom may cause them to perform poorly in school, skip classes, or sometimes even drop out of school.

On a more social level, SAD can make it extremely difficult to make/ keep friends or participate in extracurricular activities. When SAD is present, a child is more likely to suffer from physical manifestations of the disorder such as headaches, stomach aches, nausea, rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, lightheadedness, or an inability to catch breath.

If SAD goes untreated in teen years, there is a higher risk of developing other mental health issues such as substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, and even suicidal ideation.

These long-term possible outcomes become slightly more concerning when it is known that the symptoms of SAD are often simply mislabeled as shyness. This oversight and its potential to impact life in such negative ways is the reason why parents should be aware of how to detect this problem early and intervene.

“If SAD goes untreated in teen years, there is a higher risk of developing other mental health issues such as substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, and even suicidal ideation.”

Q: How will I know if my child has social anxiety?

A: It is important to know that not all anxiety is abnormal. The difference between a teen experiencing a normal amount of anxiety and someone with SAD is the level of fear and the impact it has on daily living. In someone with SAD, the fear felt is noticeably out of proportion to the situation inducing that fear. If you suspect your child may be suffering from SAD, it is likely that you noticed symptoms from a rather early age. Pre-school aged children who are later diagnosed with social anxiety disorder often display a fear of new things, refuse to speak, and freeze or cling when nervous. They also exhibit an intense degree of irritability, crying, or whining that does not necessarily match the degree of discomfort. Parents of school-aged children who are later diagnosed with SAD typically witness their child have a fear of some of the following situations: reading aloud, answering questions out loud, talking to other kids, being in front of the class, speaking to adults, musical or athletic performance activities, ordering food in a restaurant, attending birthday parties, or having a friend over. These young children also commonly worry that other people are judging them, and sometimes they refuse to participate in activities or attend school in a traditional setting. Teens with SAD have a wider variety of symptoms, and they include hesitant, passive, withdrawn, overly concerned about negative evaluation, fear of being embarrassed, few facial expressions, fidgeting, keeps head down, does not raise hand in class, fear of speaking in front of others, often sits alone, afraid to walk into class late, avoids classmates, discomfort in group settings, few friends, avoids eye contact, mumbles, and more.

The experience varies from person to person.

anxiety and develop coping skills to assist with daily living. Cognitivebehavioral therapy has been proven to be effective towards these goals.

In addition, family therapy could benefit the entire family by providing important education on the subject and finding ways family members can be supportive or helpful. In some cases, medications can assist in lessening the impact of symptoms. Treatment can also be implemented in the school setting with the assistance of interventions led by school psychologists or counselors. As a parent, it is important to provide your child with confidence-building experiences and show support rather than sheltering the child from the anxiety-producing situation. Exposing a child to social situations in a gradual manner can help to build social skills slowly and comfortably. A trained therapist can assist parents in this exit of the comfort zone in a way that will lessen the possibility of trauma and regression. Overall, parents can help their child by setting realistic goals, providing a place for effective decompression after anxiety-provoking situations, and being a good, compassionate listener who can assure the child that this can be conquered.

RESOURCES Child Mind Institute Child Mind Institute (https://childmind.org) is a free website dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families. They work to provide the ability to support children when they need it the most.

There is information provided for parents, children, and educators to help improve the lives of children and families.

Jan Daniels, Youth Development Director at the Children’s Coalition, works with middle schools in Northeast Louisiana to provide the suicide prevention program Signs of Suicide (SOS) and the abstinence-plus program Rights, Respect and Responsibility. Call Jan at (318) 323-8775 or go to www.childrenscoalition.org to learn more about how you can get these programs at your child’s school.

Q: What does treatment of social anxiety look like?

A: When a parent suspects their child may be suffering from SAD, they should seek help from a licensed professional who is trained to assess whether the symptoms could be a possible medical condition or other situation-specific anxiety such as bullying or abuse. If the diagnosis of SAD is confirmed, the focus of treatment will aim to alleviate the WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | APRIL 2021 117

U

NDER THE BOARDWALK DOWN BY THE SEA ON A BLANKET WITH MY BABY IS WHERE I’LL BE

DRESS FROM PA L E T T E H O U S E & P L U M E

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

M O D E L E L L I E J AC K S O N

M A K E U P BY H A L E I G H B U L LO C K

R O M P E R A N D ACC E S S O R I E S HERRINGSTONE’S

D R E S S A N D ACC E S S O R I E S P E TA L S & P E A R L S

S W I M S U I T, S H O R T S A N D AC C E S S O R I E S HEMLINE MONROE

O U T F I T S A N D ACC E S S O R I E S (L E F T & R I G H T PAG E S) SADIE C’S

D R E S S A N D ACC E S S O R I E S D U S T Y & C O M PA N Y

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R E M E M B E R

W H E N E A S T E R WA S A B O U T S E E K I N G H I D D E N E G G S

Well, what then is Easter all

I REMEMBER that, when I was about? Why do so many around a young lad, Easter did not involve the world set this day apart as thoughts of a spiritual nature but special? The answer is both simple was more about hunting Easter eggs and profound.

We celebrate and eating chocolate bunnies. We Easter because it remembers the dashed about seeking the hidden Resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. eggs with the desire to collect more And that most-important-ever event of those treasures for our baskets secures eternal life for all who place than any of the other hunters. Most their faith in the Lord. This truth of us had little or no concept of what became real for me the first Sunday the day was really all about. It was of the bible camp when, following years later that I began to grasp the morning worship service, one of something of the significance of that the leaders asked me if I would like special day. Let me share a little bit to receive Jesus as my Savior. From of my story. that day forward, Easter has taken

Having just finished my junior EASTER, PROPERLY UNDERSTOOD, on a distinct significance. year of high school, I was looking CAN OFFER PROMISE EVEN Later on, when I became a parent, for a summer job that would provide we still hunted for Easter eggs and me with a little spending money and IN THE FACE OF SEEMINGLY ate chocolate bunnies. The same also help me put aside some cash for OVERWHELMING DIFFICULTIES. was true when our grandchildren the college years that lay ahead. My came along. But in addition to those older sister, who was a Christian, activities, we always shared with was praying that I would not get our “little ones” the magnificent truth about Christ’s victory over that job – she had others things in mind for my summer months. the grave and what that victory offers to the world. Easter gives Her hope was that I would spend the summer at a bible camp in hope to a world that is plagued by circumstances that can leave one the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. She had in despair. Things such as the current pandemic, financial burdens, benefited a great deal from her experiences at that conference facility the loss of a loved one to death, a life-threatening illness, a broken and thought I could profit from some exposure to consistent biblical marriage, or divisive issues that cause acrimony between friends, or teaching. Well, I did not get a job, and I did end up spending almost even a nation… such things can reduce one to a state of despondency. three months at that camp. It was during those days that my life was However, Easter, properly understood, can offer promise even in the drastically changed and I began to understand something of what face of seemingly overwhelming difficulties.

Easter was all about.

Easter means that Jesus is alive, having been raised from the

It was not that I was totally ignorant of what the Bible taught dead, and that He is with us to bring light and hope to the darkest about Easter because I was attending a church where the teaching night. We don’t have to bear the weight of our burdens alone but was good, but despite that solid teaching, no change had taken place have the help of One who conquered even death for us. He gives us in my life. In my mind, I could grasp what our preacher was saying this invitation: “Come unto Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, relative to the biblical teaching about the first Easter, but in my heart and I will give you rest.” there had been no transformation. When what we know does not

Easter brings hope. May that hope encourage and sustain us have an impact on who we are, that is more than just “unfortunate.” as we face the challenges of these troubling times. Knowing that

For instance, if we know that taking illicit drugs is harmful He lives, and that because He lives, we, too, shall live, gives new and dangerous, and if we take them anyway, that goes beyond the significance to the words “Happy Easter.” unfortunate. Similarly, if we know what Easter is really all about, but we ignore those truths, we do ourselves great harm.

ar t i c le b y PAU L L I PE o p in io n e x p re s s e d is t h a t o f t h e w r it e r

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JLM Spring Market

On the weekend of March 19th - March 21st, the Monroe Civic Center was once again transformed into a bright and cheerful space full of vendors for the Junior League of Monroe’s 23rd Annual Spring Market. This annual event is sponsored by Origin Bank and allows the community to shop with a purpose to support the League’s projects and programs for women and children at risk. On Friday morning, patrons enjoyed the Shop ’Til You Drop event, sponsored by The Mulhearn Corporation. There was early shopping with champagne brunch, door prizes and music by Jordan Shepherd.

On Friday night, everyone showed up for the always popular Girls Just Want to Have Fun event, sponsored

by Progressive Bank. There was extended shopping until 10 p.m. with food from Thurman’s, Market-ritas from Iron Cactus and music by Mike McKenzie. Vendors ranged from local clothing boutiques to home decor, bath products, jewelry, candles and more. The Junior League of Monroe is organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers and the Spring Market serves as their largest fundraiser.

This event did have Covid-19 safety protocols in place and social distancing was encouraged. Masks were required but could be removed for photographs.

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The Fishing Camp Grand Opening n Thursday, March 18th, The Fishing Camp Tackle O & RV celebrated their official grand opening. The local convenience store carries an extensive selection of fishing gear and supplies, as well as live bait like shiners, crickets and worms. It is locally owned and operated by James Reneau and Cody Rials and managed by Dean White. They offers snacks, cold beer, ice as well as favorites like Icees and Community Coffee. The Fishing Camp partnered with Evans Oil to provide Citgo gas in ethanol, diesel and 87 gas.

Located right across the street from Black Bayou and centrally located within miles of 9 other boat ramps, The Fishing Camp will be a part of the fishing community for years to come!

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Picnic Perfect Recapturing the work of the late great James Audubon this blue heron acrylic tray from Revival Design and Consign is perfect for any spring gathering.

Chill Out Perfect for those sunny days outside, these Scout Coolers bags found at Walsworth & Company, add a touch of style and chill to your beverages.

Spring Into the Season with These Must-haves

Spring Essentials Buzz Off Enjoy your outdoor entertaining for up to an hour with the Skeem Design Citronella products found at Parterre this spring.

Dress It Up This pink and neutral maxi dress will for sure have you stepping out in style this spring season. So many new pieces just like this one found at Dusty and Company.

Bee-autiful Beeswax These La Petite Abeille beeswax candlesticks come in a variety of hues and we are loving these spring colors. Available in Material Things.

Corky Classic Lightweight, waterproof & ecofriendly—is there anything not to love about this bag? Snag this chic spring backpack at Sadie C’s.

Totes Adorable These straw tote bags are available at Haven.

The fun colors and matching pouches make them a must have this spring.

Styling for the Season This fun ruffled top from Petals and Pearls is perfect for women of all ages. It is a great way to add some color to your spring wardrobe.

Spring Cleaning Palette House & Plume carries an extensive line of The Laundress products, from stain solution to laundry detergent, perfect for spring cleaning state of mind.

Grillin’ and Chillin’ Azure in Monroe and Ruston carries Primo Grills, a line of cermaic grills that can be assembled in minutes and ready to cook. It’s the perfect addition to your backyard for spring!

Feet First Spring is finally here and these are the perfect sandals to accessorize flowy dresses, shorts or skirts this season. Available at Hemline Monroe.

Geode on the Go This lightweight bag from Herringstone’s is perfect for the beach, pool or park this spring. It will add a touch of style to any outfit while storing your essentials.

Scavenger Hunt Participate in this scavenger hunt throughout the Twin Cities. Follow the clues and discover Monroe West Monroe outside the lines.

Complete this adventure, post your pics, and tag #BayouLifeMag and #DiscoverMWM to be entered to win a destination staycation prize package with attraction tickets, restaurant gift cards and more! To be entered to win, you must visit all nine locations. Contest ends May 31, 2021.

This is a hard one but perhaps you’ll know This is the oldest building in downtown Monroe.

Once a law office, now home to Arrow Public Art This location will be your

start.

Next is a place that’s been in the news It’s packed with flamingos and kangaroos This treasure is often overlooked

^

But once you go, you’ll definitely be hooked.

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What’s big and fun and purple all over It’s a place to play in a firehouse and maybe red rover Haven’t caught on to this clue yet Stay away from the giant bubbles or you might get wet.

Find this sculpture where warhawks fly It’s a reptile and by the bayou he lies Maroon and gold is his mosaic shell Take a picture and then wish it farewell.

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Find this bomber in the field The name Floy’s Hope will be revealed It’s a bird that once roamed the sky One that General Chennault might fly.

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^

This location’s name is part of a popular duo To find it you’ll have to travel to West Monroe In the front, you’ll find a four-legged animal

A trip to this place is sure to bring smiles

It’s a bronze sculpture of a hoofed mammal.

It has playgrounds galore, and you can hike for miles You’ll see animals there, even ones that bark This is one of our most treasured parks.

You’ll find this place at the end of the Alley Edmund Williamson created this floral valley

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It’s worth the drive to take spring pics Adore the art and get a shopping fix.

Back across the river we go In a place where the soda fountains flow The museum and gardens are one-of-a-kind A Bible museum is among the things you’ll find.

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CROWN JEWEL OF THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

H

appy spring! For gardeners in the ArkLaMiss, April is the month for planting that crown jewel of the vegetable garden: the tomato!

So, let’s really dig in this time and examine successful tomato growing.

Hopefully, you will have purchased your plants from the Northeast Louisiana Master Gardeners Association this year. Nineteen varieties are up for grabs, and each has its purpose. When looking at variety selection, ask yourself, “What’s my goal?” If sauces are the end products, then go with ‘Roma’ or ‘San Marzano.’ If a crisp summer salad is what you’re after, a variety like ‘Lime Green Salad,’ ‘Sweet Million,’ ‘Sun Gold,’ ‘Chocolate Cherry,’ or my personal favorite, the weedy ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’ will do nicely. If a big ole ‘mater sammich is the prize, go with a larger variety like ‘Better Boy,’ ‘Classic Beefsteak,’ or an heirloom variety like ‘Cherokee Purple.’

Select other varieties recommended for the ArkLaMiss. In addition to those varieties previously mentioned, the LSU AgCenter recommends the following:

SPRING CROP INDETERMINATE

• Big Beef

• Champion

• Creole

• Jet Star

LSU AG CENTER

systems have. When possible, grow tomatoes directly in the ground so roots have plenty of space.

Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so a pre-plant fertilizer application of 0.5 lbs. of either 8-2424 or 13-13-13 per 10 ft. row can be worked into the soil ahead of planting. Soil that gets full sun, has good internal drainage, and is supplemented with generous amounts of organic matter is prime tomato habitat. Being vines, indeterminate tomato plants will form adventitious roots as evidenced by tiny white bumps that form at nodes along the stem. For this reason, dig planting holes two to three times wider than the root ball on the transplant and set plants deep in the planting hole to guarantee a healthy, expansive root system which will increase the likelihood of a healthy, productive plant. If transplants are leggy, dig a trench four to six inches deep, pinch the first several pairs of leaves off, and lie the plant in the trench bending the last several inches of the plant’s top upward, and backfill around the plant with soil. Before placing the plant, put a couple handfuls of compost in the bottom of the hole or trench, and mix in a handful of pelletized gypsum (calcium sulfate). Adding gypsum to the planting hole is one way to stave off a condition called blossom end rot (BER), which occurs when the bloom end of the tomato turns black and mushy. BER is

caused by a calcium deficiency where either the soil has calcium and the plant is unable to take it up, or, most commonly, the soil is deficient in calcium and there is little to none for the plant to take up. Adding calcium sulfate is a great way to add calcium to soil that needs it without raising the soil’s pH. Another way to add calcium without liming is to side dress with calcium nitrate every three weeks when the third cluster of fruit sets. Just a couple tablespoons per plant, worked into the soil and watered in, will do fine. A soil test performed during winter will tell you whether supplemental calcium is necessary or not.

Don’t forget to mulch! A layer of mulch between the soil’s surface and the first pair or two of leaves can go a long way in preventing soil-borne pathogens from being splashed up onto the foliage when it rains. An organic mulch like hay, wheat straw, dried leaves or even lawn clippings provided the lawn hasn’t been treated with broadleaf herbicides. These materials will break down throughout the season and can be either turned into the soil

SPRING CROP DETERMINATE

• Amelia

• Bella Rosa

• Celebrity

• Mountain Fresh SUMMER AND FALL CROP (HEAT SET)

• Florida 91

• Phoenix

• Sun Leaper

• Solar Set

• Sunmaster

Transplants started from seeds in February and should be ready to set out in the garden this month. Some of you may grow tomatoes in containers. Determinate varieties are best for that because of the limited space the root 136 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

DEEP PLANTING

^ Remember, tomato flowers are self-pollinating. Help pollinate your tomato flowers by gently flicking the flowers with a finger.

VARIETY OF TOMATOES as additional organic matter or be relegated to the compost pile when tomato season is over. Plastic mulches also work well but may be more of a hassle for the typical home gardener. Mulches also help soil retain moisture and help regulate soil temperature.

To stake or not to stake? ‘Tis the question. Botanically, tomato plants are vines and are perfectly happy either sprawling along the ground or being staked up. If allowed to sprawl, put down a mulch layer of straw, hay, etc., so fruit avoid direct contact with the ground. I grew the best crop of ‘Cherokee Purples’ ever several years ago when I simply let the vines run on the ground on a layer of straw. If space in your garden is premium, stake tomato plants up vertically on something like a t-post, piece of rebar, a traditional wooden stake, or a length of cured bamboo. A lot of gardeners like to use tomato cages, and these are easily fashioned out of 2 X 4 wire or concrete wire. If using stakes, place them in the ground prior to planting. Driving a stake through the ground next to an established plant risks damaging the root system. If using cages, get them situated around the plants before the plants get too large.

Remember, tomato flowers are self-pollinating. Insects are nice, but not required for plants to set fruit. Flower drop is commonly seen on tomato plants in our area, and reasons for this are numerous. Stigmas (the point on the female flower part that receive pollen) are receptive for only a certain amount of time. The plant may eject unpollinated flowers to divert energy and other resources to other flowers. Help pollinate your tomato flowers by gently flicking the flowers with a finger. Some gardeners use an electric toothbrush to vigorously shake the flowers.

This may prove especially beneficial during summer when our hot, humid weather hampers pollination. Production may slow down during this time and pick up again when temperatures moderate going into early fall.

Okay, so tomato plants are in and now we just sit back and wait, right? Wrong! Get out in the garden every day to check for pests, disease, and other potential problems. Practice an integrated pest management (IPM) that places emphasis on cultural practices. Common tomato pests in the ArkLaMiss are the dreaded tomato or tobacco horn worm and stinkbugs or leaf footed bugs. Horn worms are the caterpillars of the sphinx moth, a hummingbird-sized, nocturnal moth that deposits an egg the size of a printed period on the tomato plant. Because horn worms are green, they blend in perfectly with the plant and are difficult to spot until the damage is done. One day your tomato plant is full and vigorous. The next day, it looks like it went through a nuclear blast. If you can see them, horn worms can be easily picked off the plant and dropped into a can of soapy water. Stinkbugs and leaf footed bugs may require the use of a pesticide like liquid carbaryl or spinosad. Always read, understand, and follow the label directions on any pesticide container. Now, get out in the garden and plant!

“To stake or not to stake? ‘Tis the question. Botanically, tomato plants are vines and are perfectly happy either sprawling along the ground or being staked up.”

For advice on how to make your garden thrive, click on the Louisiana Living link under News at www.myarklamiss.com and submit your questions. I’ll answer them every Tuesday on Louisiana Living!

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Fishing With Kenny Forgotten Topwaters article by K E N N Y C OV I NGT ON

N

ow that we have made it through the winter months and moved into spring, one of my favorite ways to catch bass in the month of April is with a topwater lure. By this time bass will be in all phases of the spawn but a lot of them have already completed their reproductive process and will be looking for an easy meal. I can think of a better way to catch bass than with a topwater lure.

Bass fishing is an ever-evolving sport.

From electronics to trolling motors, to rod, reels, lines and everything else in between, there always seem to be something newer, bigger and better. Lures are no exception. In this month’s BayouLife “Fishing with Kenny” article I want to focus on some topwater lures that seem to have fallen out of favor with the newer generation of fishermen and some older ones as well.

First of all, let me just say, in fishing there is really nothing “new.” Everything is really just an old idea given a new twist so people think of it as something new. When I talk about each of these lures, keep in mind they have been around for decades. These lures look just like the original productions, the way I use them now is the same way I would use them over thirty years ago. The only that has changed about them is people have stopped throwing them.

For years my first choice of topwater lure for post spawn bass was the Heddon Baby Torpedo. No matter where I fished, I would throw the bullfrog pattern. In tournaments I have caught bass up to seven pounds with this lure. I believe the yellow belly on the lure mimicked the bream the bass would guard against while protecting their bedding areas and the lure’s size and shape added to the visual attraction to the bass.

The Torpedo comes in three sizes but I 138 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

only fish the two bigger versions. While I have had success on the Tiny Torpedo, I have found the Baby Torpedo catches a better-quality fish.

This lure is an excellent target lure when fishing trees, stumps or other isolated pieces of cover.

Be sure to pay attention to the lures cadence.

The slower and more patient you twitch the lure, the better the Torpedo seems to produce.

My next favorite choice of forgotten topwater lures is the Rebel Pop-R. This little guy was a must have back in the 80’s long before the Japanese based Yellow Magic popper came along. I can remember buying Pop-R’s and doctoring the lure by sanding down the lip just as topwater guru Zell Rowland instructed in order to create a different sound and to make the lure more effective. In later years my lures would take on even more changes once I learned how to tie my own feathers and replace the factory hooks.

After a few years of fishing the Pop-R, my colored lures were turned into bone-colored lures due to the paint having been knocked off of them. Using the Pop-R is how I learned the importance of cadence and speed in the retrieve of chugger style of topwater. Much like using a Spook, the tighter you could make the lure walk the better it seemed to produce. Many anglers like a plop, plop, plop retrieve but I have found that during the post spawn, the more precise and up-tempo my retrieve, the better fish I tend to catch.

One of the best, if not the best, topwater to throw to catch numbers of fish is the Crazy Shad. This lure is especially effective around the shad spawn and for whatever reason shines bright when fished in river systems such as the Ouachita River and Darbonne Bayou during high water situations. The Crazy Shad comes in several different colors but the newer bream colored one seems to work as good as the old stand-by chrome/blue color.

Like the earlier mentioned Baby Torpedo, the cadence when fishing this lure is very important. The Torpedo has one prop and the Crazy Shad has two props so you will get a different sound from both lures even when using the same cadence and retrieve. I have found the Crazy Shad to be a more subtle sounding lure and the more you can make the blades make a “swishing” sound during the retrieve, the better the fish seem to hit the lure.

The Bomber Long A is actually not a topwater lure but when used during the post spawn, twitching it on top like a topwater is the most effective ways to fish it. I have a theory about using jerkbaits as topwaters and it’s one that I have proven to myself over the years. Early in the spring when bass really begin hitting a Rattlin’ Rogue, they will not strike a Long A. After the fish have spawned and have turned onto the Long A, they will not hit the Rogue.

Why this is, I have no answer to but it is my experience to be true.

The two standard colors for the Long A are black/silver/orange or black/gold/orange.

I use both but seem to do better on the black/ silver/orange. This is an excellent target lure.

Casing it to logs, stumps, cypress trees or any other hard cover that potentially holds fish, and slowly dabbling it on the surface is this lure calling card. It will draw vicious strikes and overall, I believe catches a bigger fish than the Rogue.

The last of the forgotten topwater lures is a Mann’s Baby 1-Minus wakebait. This is my favorite lure to use when I believe the fish have become topwater leery. With its smaller size, the 1-Minus is a perfect match to the smaller forage found during the late spring, early summer months. It is very simple to use and is very kid or beginning fishermen friendly.

All you do is cast it out, keep your rod in the 10 o’clock position and keep a steady retrieve going creating a V-shaped wake on the surface.

The strikes are vicious.

One other aspect I would like to point out about all of the above lures is I use them on the same rod/reel/line combination. A 6’9 medium action topwater rod teamed with a high-speed reel and 15 lb.

Big Game monofilament is my basic setup. The rod length and soft tip is needed for working the lure. The speed of the reel allows you to take up line and makes working the lures much easier. The monofilament is a great choice because it makes casting lighter baits such as the Pop-R easier, plus it can handle even the biggest of bass one of these lures just might help you catch.

Well, it looks as though we have run out of time and space again for another month.

Springtime is here so more and more people will be getting out and enjoying the outdoors.

Please be careful, courteous and get out and enjoy the best Mother Nature has to offer, but most of all, catch one for me!

See you next month!

The Most Refreshing Margarita Cayman Jack - Neither Shaken Nor Stirred

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HERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT HAVING AN ice-cold drink on a hot day. Be it after a long day of playing in the sun, or an even longer day crossing things off the honey-do list, it’s always a perfect end to find one’s self sitting on the patio, looking out at nature under the hot sun and enjoying a crisp drink. Granted, after this day, breaking out a blender, cutting the ingredients, and making a fresh margarita may not be at the top of your list of to-do. Honestly, on a hot day, a lot of individuals crave that margarita flavor, with the freshness of the lime and sweetness of the agave. That is where Cayman Jack comes into play. With the bottled, malt margaritas you will get to enjoy something crisp and sweet.

Best enjoyed close to freezing, these bottled beverages have an incredible sweetness coming from the cane sugar, all mixed with delicious bitter limes and a deeper undertone from the agave nectar. Compared to other ‘margaritas’ in the bottle or can, Cayman Jack definitely surpassed each one with their ingredients and flavor. A little tip to up the margarita factor of this awesome little bottle would be to take a little margarita salt and sprinkle it into the open bottle.

Cayman Jack is a hand-crafted, ultra-premium malt beverage with smooth drinkability and just the right bite. Made with 100% blue agave nectar, natural lime juice, and real cane sugar, Cayman Jack makes it easy to discover something unexpectedly great. Drawing on the best of nature for inspiration, with a crisp and clean taste, it is arguably the most refreshing margarita in the world. Cayman Jack is available in 12oz bottles, 12oz cans and can also be enjoyed over ice.

Cayman Jack Margaritas fall under Mike’s Hard Lemonade portfolio.

When the iconic hard lemonade was first introduced in Canada in 1997, it was spiked with vodka. However, when the drink was introduced to US consumers in 1999, the vodka was replaced with a proprietary malt liquor. Even as a malt beverage, Mike’s Hard still represented an exciting new world of possibilities to non-beer drinkers; Mike’s prides itself on being both easy to drink and easy to love. Being in the flavor beverage business, Mike’s has mastered the Flavor game.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Simply follows a Four Step Brewing Process:

Ferment malt grains with our proprietary, bespoke yeast, filter through proprietary filtration technology, resulting in a very clean, neutral alcohol base. Squeeze and zest lemons to produce superior, natural lemon flavor. Add natural sugars and lemon flavor to the neutral alcohol base to produce the best liquids. Mike’s transforms this product 140 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

to many different flavors, such as Original Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Peach Lemonade, Cranberry Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade and many more.

Spring is here and so is this springs most sought-after Seltzer.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is the Full Flavor Hard Lemonade Seltzer with 100 Calories, 1g Sugar, 5.0% ABV, and is Gluten Free. The Variety Pack includes four refreshing flavors: Lemon, Strawberry, Mango, and Pineapple. Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. With the kick of lemonade and the lighter, low alcohol profile of hard seltzer, Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer is a sessionable beverage made for gatherings. While we’re deep in the second surge of an unprecedented global pandemic, it is anyone’s guess what next summer will look like, but knowing that this effervescent lemonade is on the horizon gives us one guaranteed bright spot.

The company also makes a higher ABV option, called Mike’s Harder, which contains eight percent ABV. Mike’s Harder comes in a variety eight pack of 16 ounce cans, containing two each of Cranberry, Lemonade, Purple Grape, and Strawberry. It also comes in a tallboy 23.5 ounce can.

Mark Anthony Brand’s also owns MXD Cocktails Co., a 12 percent ABV RTD. These “Wildly Good” Pre-MXD cocktails come in four flavors: Margarita, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai Tai and Strawberry Daiquiri.

Last but not least, White Claw fits into the “work hard, play hard” mentality of many young professionals, there weren’t any good options for a light and refreshing gluten-free drink that wasn’t either too sweet or too alcoholic. The 5% ABV White Claw Hard Seltzer is available in minimally sweet flavors with zero aftertaste.

Locally, Marsala Beverage employs about 100 full-time employees. Marsala Beverage, LP is the largest malt beverage, wine/spirits and non-alcoholic distributor in Northeast Louisiana. Their success is based on the fact that they never lose sight of delivering what is really important – quality products, timely service and a genuine concern for our customers’ needs. Annually, they deliver over 2.4 million cases of beverages to over 700 retail accounts.

Please find us at www.marsalabeverage.com or follow us on social media: Facebook: Marsala Beverage Twitter: @marsalabeverage1 Instagram: @marsalabeverage

Let’s Talk Hips…

Surgical Approaches for Total Hip Replacement

BY STEVEN ATCHISON, MD AND CHASE LOBRANO, MD

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OTAL HIP REPLACEMENT HAS BECOME ONE OF the most common and most successful types of orthopedic surgeries. Nearly 500,000 hip replacement surgeries are done in the United States every year (AAOS). Recently, there is a lot of talk total hip replacement. More specifically, the surgical approaches utilized in total hip replacement. The surgical approach to the hip is how we get to the hip joint so we can replace it. There are basically three ways to get there:

• Anterior Approach

• Posterior Approach

• Lateral Approach

This means the surgeon will approach from the FRONT, BACK or MIDDLE. There are few things that differ in these approaches:

• WHERE the incision is made? The most obvious difference… because you can see the incision, patients may fixate a bit on this. Ultimately, where you cut still leads the surgeon to the same destination.

• WHAT is happening below the incision?

• WHO is getting the new hip and WHO is performing your hip replacement?

Let’s break down the different surgical approaches: 1) The posterior approach (back) is performed with a patient lying on their side, and a surgical incision is made along the outside of the hip. This is described as a posterior approach because the actual hip joint is visualized from behind the thigh bone—which is the posterior aspect of the hip joint. This approach allows for good visualization of the hip joint, but the incision is typically longer and there will be some additional post-op precautions.

2) There is a lot of buzz in about the direct anterior approach (front) for hip replacement. Although media and marketing often make this approach sound like it was developed recently, this approach has been around for over 100 years. The direct anterior approach is performed with a patient lying on their back, and a surgical incision is made coming down the front of the thigh. The incision is typically shorter and there is less impact to the muscles and tendons. Chase Lobrano, MD says “I trained in my fellowship in the direct anterior approach, and I utilize this approach often. I do want my patients to understand that although the approach is often noted in media as 142 APRIL 2021 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

minimally invasive, there is nothing minimally invasive about what I do… orthopedic surgery is invasive, but my goal is to help my patients recover at a good pace and to help them get their lives back on track. At the end of the day, if the direct anterior approach is the best option for my patient, I am confident and ready to get them on the road to recovery.”

3) A lateral or anterolateral approach (middle) is performed on the side of the hip joint. This surgical approach is often considered to be a balance between the anterior and posterior approaches. The lateral approach is far more common today. One of the alternative approaches that Steven Atchison, MD utilizes is the Direct Superior Approach, a muscle sparing technique, where a small incision is made at the upper side of the hip allowing the surgeon to avoid cutting the key muscle group including the IT band (or Iliotibial band) and the external rotators. “Hip Replacement is a great surgery with great outcomes. I utilize the direct superior approach and have had great success.

Typically, my patients undergoing hip replacement come out of surgery and have near complete pain relief. They will typically get up and walk with the assistance of a physical therapist just a couple of hours after surgery. Most of patients spend one night in the hospital. It is important that patients keep moving and after a total hip replacement, you really need to get your walking shoes on and WALK. Inevitably, all my patients will hear the same thing from me ‘You get out what you put into this surgery.’ I can do the surgery, but it is up to you to do the work before and after surgery.” says Atchison.

We both agree that a hip replacement is a great surgical procedure offering patients relief from pain and positive long-term outcomes.

At the end of the day, the best approach for you and your surgeon is the approach that is going to safely get the hip replacement in your hip in the best position with the least number of complications. If hip pain is interfering with you living the life you want, drop by clinic and let’s talk about what treatment options are best for you.

Steven Atchison, MD is the area’s leader in Mako Robotic Joint Replacement and the Direct Superior Approach- Hip and has trained orthopedic surgeons from around the world with these techniques. Chase Lobrano, MD is also highly trained in Mako Robotic Joint Replacement and the Direct Anterior Approach- Hip. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Atchsion or Dr. Lobrano, at either their Shreveport or Bossier City clinics, please call Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana: (866) 759.9679.

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Calendar of Events For a full list of event happenings in Northeast Louisiana, see our website at www.bayoulifemag.com April 3 ,10, 17 ,24 Ruston Farmers Market

Shop, eat and support local at the Ruston Farmers Market. Choose from a wide selection of seasonal fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, honey, jams, salsa, and other locally produced goods.

Hours: 9 AM – 1 PM Cost: Free to attend Venue: Ruston Farmers Market 220 E Mississippi Ave, Ruston, LA Phone: (318) 957-1305 April 3 Easter EGGstravaganza Bring your family out to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo for all sorts of Easter fun! There will be Easter Egg hunts and a special visit from the Easter Bunny!

Venue: Louisiana Purchase Zoo 1405 Bernstein Park Road, Monroe Hours: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Phone: 318-329-2400 April 5 Northeast Baptist School Golf Tournament

Northeast Baptist School is holding a golf tournament to help raise money for their school. Come out and enjoy a day of golf while supporting a local school! This is a 4-man scramble tournament.

Venue: Calvert Crossing Golf Course

515 Hodge Watson Road, Calhoun Hours: 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM flights Cost: $100 per player $400 per team April 9 - April 11 Big Creek Trade Days

Big Creek Trade Days are held monthly on the weekend before the second Monday with over 100 indoor and outdoor vendors, food trucks, and fun for all ages!

Hours: Friday & Saturday 9 AM 5 PM, Sunday 10 AM-4 PM Cost: $5 per vehicle for the weekend Venue: 327 California Plant Rd, Dubach Phone: (318) 680-1304 April 10 Autism Acceptance Festival & 5k

The Autism Society of North La presents their first Autism Acceptance Festival and 5k race. The festival will feature activities, games, and local vendors.

Hours: 5K (8:30-9:30 AM) Festival (10 AM-12 PM) Cost: Free to attend Venue: Lincoln Parish Park, 211 Parish Park Rd, Ruston Phone: (318) 251-5156 April 15 Blood, Sweat, & Beers Run Come sprint, jog, or walkthrough downtown Ruston. A buy-

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one-get-one-free beer discount from Utility Brewing awaits you at the finish line.

Hours: 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.

Cost: Free to attend Venue: 108 N Monroe St, Ruston Phone: (318) 251-8647

April 22 – April 25 Legally Blonde – The Musical Do not miss out on Legally Blonde - The Musical at Strauss Little Theatre!Based on the novel and the hit-movie, "Legally Blonde the Musical," this performance chronicles the journey of the famously perky Elle Woods who finds her life turned upside down when she is dumped by her boyfriend Warner. Follow the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams.

Venue: Strauss Theatre Center 1300 Lamy Lane, Monroe LA 71201 Phone: 318-323-6681 April 23 River Reads: One Book, One Ouachita - Author Natalie Baszile The Ouachita Parish Public Library has selected Queen Sugar

by Natalie Baszile as its 15th River Reads: One Book, One Ouachita title.

The community reading program will culminate with an author visit on April 23rd.

Venue: Ouachita Parish Public Library – Ouachita Valley Branch 601 McMillan Rd, West Monroe Hours: 12:00 PM Phone: 318-327-1470 April 24 4th Annual St. Vincent DePaul Poor Man's Run The 4th Annual St. Vincent DePaul Poor Man's Run will be April 24 at 8:00 AM. All proceeds will go to St. Vincent DePaul Community Pharmacy, a nonprofit pharmacy.

Venue: ULM School of Pharmacy 1800 Bienville Dr, Monroe LA 41201 Phone: 318-342-3800 April 28 Swan Lake

Be sure to check out the live performance of Swan Lake! Swan Lake is a ballet performance that tells the story of the doomed love of Prince Siegfried and Princess Odette.

Jack Howard Theater 401 Lea Joyner Expy, Monroe Phone: (318) 329-2225

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