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 L 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.

bayou design

Found have always been a fascination for her. Whether it be old transit objects 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.”

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.”

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.

Something Old, Something New

Something at Walsworth Just For You

LOCAL 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.

Stretch Your Refund

Invest in Your Sleep

RESEARCHERS 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.

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

PRIMESTAR 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.

article and illustration by LOU DAVENPORT

ALL ABOARD!

SIMPLY LOU

Train 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.

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.

Meredith’s Musings

article by MEREDITH MCKINNIE

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-yearold 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 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

THIS 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.

Let’s Not Waste Another Day

Make the Best of the Ones Ahead

article by Cindy G. Foust

Happy 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 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.