BayouLIfe Magazine April 2020

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79 10 / NATURAL DYED EGGS Ditch The Fake Stuff By Dyeing Easter Eggs The Old-Fashioned Way

APRIL 2020

26 / GRANNY’S Granny Shares Her Recipe For Cool Lime Pie 28 / MITCH MITTON If You Can Dream It, Mitch Mitton Can Produce It, Which is Why He is This Month’s BayouArtist 54 / THE SHIRT LIST Katelyn Models a Few of Our Favorite Tees From Local Retailers 56 / JACK JONES Jack Jones, This Month’s BayouBeats, Picked Up the Drums Naturally at a Young Age

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64 / SEED SWAP If You’ve Ever Thought About Starting Your Own Garden, Now Is the Time to Do It

110 / BAYOU ICON Dr. Profit’s Remarkable Lifetime of Achievement is Why He is BayouLife’s April BayouIcon

79 / THE S’EDGE OF SUCCESS Analeise And John Thomas Created Their New Clothing Line From Scratch

118 / CASSIE YOUNG Cassie Young, Is a Radio Talk Show and Podcast Host Who Speaks Her Mind

88 / TONI LYONS PHILLIPS The Influence Of North Louisiana’s Lush Landscapes Hasn’t Been Lost On Atlanta Artist Toni Lyons Phillips

124 / CARIBE VIBES From Styles Fit for Caribbean Life to a Lush Rainforest in a Fantasy Island Excursion, These Looks Are Ready To Cruise

APRIL 2018

98 / FARM STAR Mary Blackmon Moved from the Glitz Of East And West Coast Living to Tilling Southern Soil

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his month is our annual Travel Issue. When we took off for Atlanta, we had no idea what we would be coming home to. We might would have slowed down and taken in each other’s company a little more, made our dinners a little longer, or given out a few more hugs and handshakes.

The last week has been surreal – it’s really brought to light all the things we’ve taken for granted. I found myself complaining about my children’s extracurricular activities, to now only wishing that I could cart them from dancing to gymnastics to softball.

I have fallen to my knees in prayer so many times in the last two weeks.

I’ve cried. I’ve felt so much heartache for everyone who is having a difficult time mentally, physically and financially. But, I know that we will all come out better on the other side of this. I hope that for our community, you will consider shopping local for you major necessities.

Whether you need some online retail therapy or curbside food delivery, our local business owners are in need of your support.

This month’s fashion shoot, Caribe Vibes, is a tribute to some of the wonderful local boutiques participating in this year’s Fashion Fusion on May 29th. With stops at the Georgia Aquarium, the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the Krog Street Tunnel, we hoped to capture the essence of this year’s Fashion Fusion theme - “Come Sail Away.”

Kelly Moore Clark and Taylor Bennett dodged the rain and broke a few rules to capture these beautiful photographs.

For more information on Fashion Fusion 2020 presented by DBK Dance and Performing Arts and benefiting the Cancer Foundation League of Northeast Louisiana, call 318.966.1953. Join us on Friday, May 29th at the Monroe Civic Center for this captivating performance.

Joe Profit is more than a courageous barrier-breaker in Louisiana collegiate football, more than a 1st round draft choice for the NFL, and more than a businessman who made his first million before he was thirty years old. We met up with Dr. Profit in his private office outside Atlanta, his passion for community and government was truly inspiring. His remarklable lifetime achievement is why he is this month’s BayouIcon. Read more on page 110.

I’ve been a fan of Toni Lyons Phillips for years – my friend, Maré Brennan, has one of her painting hanging in her foyer.

I’ve borrowed it a few times for various photo shoots. So, when we invited to Toni’s home outside Atlanta, I was giddy to meet her. While Toni has lived in Georgia for twelve years, the waterways and vibrant woods of Louisiana have always inspired her. Read her story on page 88.

This month’s magazine is full of interesting people from North Louisiana who are doing big things in the Atlantaarea, as well as some fun projects for you and the kiddos. We are not sure what the future holds, but we hope that you enjoy reading this issue of BayouLife Magazine.

Cassie

BayouLife 1201 Royal Avenue Monroe, LA 71201 Phone 318.855.3185

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

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 EXECUTIVE Amanda Singley amanda@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Katelyn Tolbert katelyn@bayoulifemag.com ART DIRECTOR Taylor Bennett CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Chason Laura W. Clark Kenny Covington Shannon Dahlum Lou Davenport Bill Dye Cindy Gist Foust Lori French Starla Gatson April Clark Honaker Val Irion, MD Paul Lipe Erin Love

Meredith McKinnie Dr. Timothy Mickel Guy Miller Evelyn O’Neal J. Preston Parry, MD Georgiann Potts Kay Rector Cathi French-Roberts Delia Simpson Beatrice A. Tatem Vanelis Rivera Judy Wagoner Tammy Washington

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brad Arender Andrew Bailey Kelly Moore Clark Tenzin Dolkar David Hobbs ON THE COVER Sarah Nicholas models clothing from Cara’s Boutique at the Georgia Aquarium BayouLife Magazine is published and distributed by Redbird Publishing, LLC. Circulation: 14,000 copies monthly. Postal subscriptions ($30) can be ordered online at www.bayoulifemag. com. BayouLife Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts or other materials. Reproduction of contents without express written permission is prohibited.

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Close Call

The Impact of Stress, Anxiety and Panic When Traveling

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

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HENEVER I AM ASKED WHAT I DO TO RELAX I AM quick to say I love to travel and if I had more money and more time I would travel more often. Travel for me is revitalizing, enjoyable and on many occasions has been life transforming.

It is inspiring, eye opening and is an outlet freeing me from the daily demands of an otherwise packed lifestyle. Traveling allows me to recharge, rejuvenate and relax while focusing on peaceful times and experiencing fun in the sun. It affords me the opportunity to take a step back from stressful situations allowing my 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. Frequently, I recommend travel to clients in need of a break from the hustle and bustle of their lives.

Traveling distracts us from stressful situations while up-holding joy and happiness ultimately strengthening our mental wellness.

Although I look forward to traveling each Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the impact of stress, anxiety and panic when traveling.

Thanksgiving is one of the more stressful times to travel due to increased pricing of tickets, the volume of people traveling nationwide and the push to arrive in time for the special day. This past year on my way to the airport I jokingly said to my cousin/travel companion “I have learned never to travel the day before Thanksgiving, never the Sunday after Thanksgiving and to arrive early to the airport.” After clearing the checkpoint and settling in to wait for my flight I pulled out my favorite magazine. I, along with others, waiting to board the flight were informed the flight was delayed. We then heard a cry for help followed by sighs of anguish, distress and pain. I looked up and saw a woman crouched down on her knees unable to walk on what was to be a moving sidewalk.

It was obvious she was in distress. Initially, I thought her foot was caught, causing the sidewalk to stop moving. As I approached her I realized she was sweating, trembling and in general weak. In her arms was a small child who innocently looked up to those attempting to assist her mother.

In an effort to provide assistance the paramedics tried to remove the baby from her arms, unable to verbally communicate her fear of missing her flight the mother clutched the baby closer to her body signaling that she was not going release her baby to them. Recognizing the signs of anxiety I

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informed the paramedics that I was a psychologist and although I did not know the woman, I suspected she was experiencing extreme anxiety and was having a panic attack. Between gasps of breath the woman conveyed her desire to make the flight and yet immense fear she would not make it in time. This woman also confirmed she had been diagnosed with a panic disorder and had taken Paxil (an antidepressant medication approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety) earlier in the day.

It was a close call for this woman whose fear of not making her flight almost became a reality. Whether you have a prior history of anxiety or not, traveling can be stressful and the stress of travel or a triggering event can cause you to develop symptoms related to anxiety.

Whereas, traveling can be fun and relaxing there are stressful aspects of traveling which can disrupt your travel plans. There are several ways to minimize stress and manage anxiety when traveling. Identify what aspects of travel you find stressful and then adopt ways to manage your stress. Bring items that calm you, i.e. reading materials, your favorite music, a journal for capturing your feelings and thoughts. Incorporate exercise, meditation and relaxation as part of your travel plans. Spend time outdoors in the sun. The sun provides vitamin D which is known to boosts our mood while reducing anxiety. Plan ahead a detailed agenda that satisfies your interest, is conducive to your energy level and matches your travel goals. Avoid over scheduling things to do and places to go; be sure to allocate time for quality rest. If available, take direct flights or routes. Arrive early, sit and relax versus frantically running to the gate. When possible travel with a trusted relative, friend or professional travel companion. These practices will result in reduced feelings of stress and a more pleasant travel experience.

The time of the year when many are looking forward to traveling is quickly approaching. I would be remiss if I did not mention the impact of the coronavirus on travel and our lives. Bans on travel, governmental shutdowns, restrictions on large gatherings and social distancing will alter the course of our travel plans. This spring plan ahead for a summer vacation/staycation that will afford you the perks travel can bring: joy, peace, relaxation, happiness, creativity, reflection, open mindedness, exposure, fun, relaxation, distraction from stress, emotional and physical renewal.

Be prepared for whatever comes your way and be safe. Happy travels.

For more information about counseling services and outreach programming contact Dr. Beatrice Tatem at Wellness Initiatives, LLC 2485 Tower Drive, Monroe, La 71201, 318-410-1555 or at btatem.bt@gmail.com

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

NAT U RAL

DY ED

EG G S

Color Theory LOOKING FOR A FUN ACTIVITY TO TRY WITH YOUR KIDS? DITCH THE FAKE STUFF BY DYEING EASTER EGGS THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY – WITH FOOD YOU HAVE IN YOUR FRIDGE OR PANTRY. FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS FOR A NATURAL, ALTERNATIVE WAY TO DIP AND DYE YOUR EGGS. What You’ll Need: 1 Pound Peeled Beats (Red) 1 Pound Onion Skins (Orange) 2 Heads Red Cabbage (Blue) Distilled White Vinegar

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Directions: Add vegetables to boiling water, then simmer until the color is very dark – around 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and strain vegetables. Add 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar. Dip egg in each color until desired hue is achieved. White eggs will be brighter, while brown eggs willl be darker.

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

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

TABLESC AP E

F O R

SP R I N G

Easter Parade CREATE A CHIC EASTER TABLE SETTING WITH SEASONAL FLORALS, DYED CERAMIC EGGS, AND UNDERSTATED DINNERWARE THAT MAKES A BOLD STATEMENT. ADD NESTS FULL OF SPRING’S BOUNTY AS THE CENTERPIECE WITH RABBIT HEADS FOR A FUN TWIST ON EASTER ELEMENTS.

D I N NE R WA RE | PA L E T T E H O U S E R A BBIT S | PA L E T T E H O U S E CL E A R VA S E | PA L E T T E H O U S E PA IN T E D G L A S S E S | H AVE N WH IT E BU D VA S ES | H AVE N B A SK E TS A N D E G G S | M AT E R I A L T H I N G S

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

B AY O U G A R D E N

plant CARE HOW MUCH LIGHT DOES IT NEED? The Pilea really loves light.

Bright, indirect sunlight is what it needs. Place indoors near a bright window.

W H E N TO WAT E R ?

Before giving your plant water, check the moisture level in the soil. Allow the top 2”-3” of soil to dry between waterings. Watering once a week will suffice, but drooping leaves can be an indication the Pilea needs water.

Pilea Plant

This unique plant has pad-like foliage in a beautiful and bright shade of green. It’s only become available in the US in the last few years but has quickly become a household favorite.

Photo by Kelly Moore Clark.

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Mickel Plastic Surgery Another Year, Another Season

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

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OR MOST HUNTERS THE END OF JANUARY MARKS THE beginning of a depressing down time before the bass spawn and the turkeys strut in the spring. But for me, and for plastic surgeons across America, the end of January is a time of anticipation and excitement because it marks the beginning of my favorite season - breast augmentation season.

Though you probably wouldn’t see it on Planet Earth, in early spring an incredible phenomenon begins. As women shed their thick outer layers of winter clothing in anticipation of abbreviated swimwear, the plastic surgeon is often the first stop along the migratory route that leads to spring and summer wetlands across America. The natural diversity of breast size, shape and position is breathtaking to behold and certainly reflects the natural diversity of life on this planet. There is a corresponding variety of ways to do a breast augmentation for a comfortable, natural result.

I have been doing plastic surgery for almost 30 years and breast surgery is still one of the most enjoyable and challenging areas of my practice. Since no two people are exactly alike, I individualize treatment for each patient to get the best result. I use smooth implants; I place implants above or below the muscle; I use various incisional approaches; and I am comfortable with both saline and silicone implants -though I prefer silicone in most patients. I perform the full range of breast procedures: reconstruction after mastectomy, breast reduction, breast lift (with or without an implant), treatment of breast asymmetry and breast augmentation. I invite you to visit www.mickelplasticsurgery.com and check out our “before and after” area.

Perhaps the most important development in breast augmentation in the past decade has been the return of the silicone implant. I not only trained with silicone implants, but I have done well over a thousand silicone breast augmentations since the silicone restrictions were lifted. In my opinion, silicone implants offer a softer, more natural and therefore more aesthetically pleasing result. Of course, we still offer saline implants for patients who simply don’t want silicone. Moreover, for patients who already have breast implants and wish to change them for any reason, cohesive gel or “gummi bear” implants may be a good option.

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As a surgeon, I enjoy doing breast augmentation because there are few areas of surgery where a one-hour procedure can have such a profound impact on the way a patient feels about herself.

So don’t let another breast augmentation season come and go.

Call Mickel Plastic Surgery, 388-2050, to schedule a consultation.

And remember to remind your husband or significant other that gift certificates are available!

ABOUT DR. MICKEL

Dr. Mickel is a board certified plastic surgeon. A third generation Monroyan, he was born at St. Francis Hospital, raised in the Garden District, and graduated from Neville High School. Dr Mickel attended Vanderbilt University, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology. He received his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. Dr Mickel completed a full five-year general surgery residency program at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, and earned board certification in general surgery in 1988.

He went on to complete his plastic surgery training at Parkland/UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1990 and is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. As a plastic surgery resident, Dr. Mickel’s research on frontal sinus fractures won national acclaim, including the prestigious Snyder Award, given to the plastic surgery resident who presents the best paper at the annual meeting of the Plastic Surgery Research Council.

Dr Mickel is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Southeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Cleft Palate Association and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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Alumni Spotlight ULM Alum: Mary Blanche Wortham

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ECOGNIZED IN 2018 AS A DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE of San Marcos High School in Central Texas in 1970, Mary Blanche Wortham planned to pursue nursing. She married her college sweetheart George Wortham in 1973 when they were both students at Texas State University. After being accepted to UT Austin’s nursing program, Mary Blanche quickly realized that healthcare didn’t provide the environment for how she wanted to build relationships with people.

She eventually returned to TSU to study social work, graduating in 1978.

Five years later, Mary Blanche and George moved to Scotland for George to attend graduate school for four years, before moving to Bolivia. Mary Blanche and George attended the MaryKnoll Institute to learn Spanish.

Mary Blanche had only been exposed to Spanish classes in high school, and though both her grandparents spoke the language, she began to really grasp the language and the Spanish culture. She recognized the benefit of learning a language while being immersed in a different culture.

In 1989, Mary Blanche and George moved to Chile as missionaries of the Presbyterian Church USA, and when they returned to the US, she wanted to continue improving her Spanish and enrolled at ULM. She took classes with Dr. Ruth Smith and Dr. Charles Holloway, the mentors who would foster her throughout her schooling and future career at ULM. As the family would travel to Chile frequently over the years, Mary Blanche was allowed to practice student teaching abroad, keeping journals and lesson plans. Her experience student teaching abroad and at Neville High School gave her a well-rounded view of teaching and of being a student. She knew what it was like to sit in the chair and stand at the podium. She graduated from ULM with her master’s in Spanish and obtained a teaching certificate. She was hired as a Spanish instructor at ULM in 2001.

After 19 years in the ULM classroom, Mary Blanche’s view of teaching has come full circle. Growing up, she had never dreamed of being a teacher, assuming you had to know everything to teach anybody something. However, she learned how to teach in her ULM education classes. Exposed to different approaches, methodologies, behaviormodification techniques, and class structures, Mary Blanche was able to integrate her experience as a student and what she learned about the art of educating. She views her role as being a facilitator of learning.

Students are responsible for their education, and she teaches them how to educate themselves, an effective way of exposing students to a second language.

Mary Blanche has been heavily involved in ULM’s Study Abroad

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Program, which allows ULM students to study in Mexico and Costa Rica over the summer. Started by Dr. Ruth Smith, Dr. Charles Holloway, and Barbara Michaelides, the program’s 40-year history is well respected and has educated hundreds of ULM students. The opportunity to experience and practice a language among those who speak it every day is quintessential to truly understanding a language and culture and is the pinnacle of learning. Mary Blanche’s experience being a visitor in another country afforded her the knowledge to adequately prepare students for their own journeys abroad. As a seasoned international traveler, she is able to guide them and experience being a visitor over and over again.

Each trip, she is able to see the country from the student’s perspective, and each visit is ripe with newness and excitement.The students learn how to respectfully humble themselves in another environment and truly appreciate people who may look, speak, and live differently. They spend two weeks in Mexico or Costa Rica, attending classes four hours each day, with afternoons free for exploring the city and engaging in cultural activities. Students live with local families, and often continue those relationships long after they return to the States. ULM Study Abroad is an extension of the classroom and a lesson in humanity.

Mary Blanche recognizes the impact ULM has on her own life and her community. Her mentors helped mold her into an effective language instructor resulting in her national award as Teacher of the Year from the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese and her selection as president of the Louisiana Foreign Language Teachers’ Association. ULM’s resources, academic presence, and entertainment keep our community vibrant and relevant. The University trains the area’s most talented and brightest students who become the area’s workforce. Mary Blanche takes pride in being a part of that preparation, investing in the future of her community by training its future leaders.

She is eternally grateful for the encouragement and faith in her abilities by people like Dr. Smith, Dr. Holloway, Dr. Carlos Fandal, and Frances Gregory, and she is proud of being a part of ULM’s World Languages Department.

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

Seven Ways to Support Local Downtown Ruston is Still Open for Business

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HERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT – SMALL BUSINESSES are currently operating in an uncertain and unprecedented time. With protocols and precautions changing daily to help fight the spread of COVID-19, our local businesses are having to adapt their business approach to continue serving the community.

Now is the time that they need our support the most.

Here are a few safe ways that you can support local and small businesses during the coming weeks: BUY GIFT CARDS

This is an easy way to support local shops and restaurants immediately. Go ahead and stock up on gift cards for birthdays, holidays, teacher appreciation, and other occasions that call for a little happy. Several businesses offer gift card purchases online, so you don’t even have to leave home to support local.

ORDER TAKEOUT/DELIVERY

We all have to eat, so you might as well carve out a few meals a week to support local restaurants via takeout or delivery. All Downtown Ruston restaurants are offering take out and curbside delivery, and some are even offering local delivery in Ruston. Several local eateries are also offering family specials for added convenience.

For a full list of Ruston restaurants offering to-go ordering and delivery, visit experienceruston.com.

SHOP OVER THE PHONE

Local retailers are being super flexible to make sure you still have access to local goods, spring arrivals, and gifts. Downtown stores are encouraging patrons to call in orders, which they will deliver curbside or ship for you. Some shops are even offering FaceTime shopping to help you browse the stores remotely.

SHOP SMALL ONLINE

In addition to phone orders, several retailers are also offering online shopping via their websites, social media channels, and Facebook groups. Check out your favorite store’s online presence for more information on how you can shop and order online. There are also several shops offering special discounts for online orders, so take advantage while you can.

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LEAVE A REVIEW

Help local and small businesses keep the conversation going by leaving them a review on platforms like Yelp and Facebook. Share about a time they went above and beyond to provide you with exceptional service or give a shout-out to an employee.

PROMOTE SMALL BUSINESSES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media sharing and promotions are a free and easy way to support our local businesses and help spread the word about adjusted hours, accommodations, specials, etc. Share your photos when you shop small or grab take-out from a local restaurant. Help spread a message of positivity!

HONOR PREPAID ORDERS

While everyone’s situation is changing and we’re all being required to be flexible, try to honor prepaid orders, if possible. This will help keep small businesses afloat in these uncertain times. Yes, you may have to cancel a birthday party or you don’t need that outfit for a special event anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a custom birthday cake in your new cocktail dress from home.

For more information on how to support Downtown Ruston businesses, visit facebook.com/downtownrustonla.

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I T TA K E S O N LY T E N M I N U T E S

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE | erinlove@panachebyerin.com

re you busy? I know I am! Like you, I have kids, a job/ business, a significant other, friends, and pets. I’m sure we all know what goes into taking care of each of these – cooking dinner, doing laundry, transporting to school and activities, dinner dates, and vet appointments – to name just a few. However, we need to work self-care into our routines every now and then, too. All these responsibilities leave us little time to clean and organize our homes. Lucky for you, I have fine-tuned some tips and tricks that I would love to share. I hope they help you as much as they have helped me and my clients.

These tips should help you stay on top of the little things so they don’t end up as big things down the road. They should save your sanity and your relationships with your family, too. Every tool or technique is tried and tested in my own home as well as in clients’ homes, so I know for a fact that they actually work. And they will take you only TEN MINUTES to complete. We all have time for that, so enjoy!

DISCOVER YOUR CLUTTER HOTSPOTS To combat the clutter and disorganization, you must first find your hotspots. Once you find them and incorporate systems, you will be able to keep them clean and clear in just ten minutes a day, or you might even keep these spots clean for a week. The top clutter spots are typically flat surfaces such as floors, countertops, and tables, so check those areas of your home now. How do they look? Now, what systems can you incorporate to help combat the disorganization? For instance, if you have a stack of mail on the dining room table, you can simply set a basket there to corral the papers.

Then it can be easily moved when the table is in use or when you are ready to sit down to pay the bills.

KEEP A DONATE BIN IN EVERY CLOSET Once a month take ten minutes to drop the items off at their proper donation location. This is one of my favorite tips because it takes such a load off. It keeps my wardrobe and my kids’wardrobes up-to-date and workable!

COLLECT LOOSE CHANGE Keep a jar in the laundry room for loose change. Then set aside ten minutes each month to wrap coins and take them to the bank. Keep in mind that you should take ten minutes to wrap, so if you don’t get through the whole jar, save it for next time or when you have an extra ten minutes to spend.

CREATE A FILE BOX FOR SCHOOL AND ART WORK I have two filing totes (with lids) for Eli and Everly. Each time they bring work home, I put the keepers in this filing bin and toss the rest. I know that I can’t keep everything, so this keeps me on track. Whatever fits in the PreK4

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folder and the 1st grade folder can stay. Everything else must go. I have a folder for each grade and one for miscellaneous items (in case something doesn’t fit but I just have to keep it).

DECLUTTER THAT JUNK DRAWER Everyone has a junk drawer – I have two! This is the place to go for a quick pair of scissors, a rubber band, super glue, or a paper clip, and since it is one of the most often used drawers in the house, it tends to get messy quickly. Take ten minutes, while your water is boiling for dinner perhaps, and sort through it.

TAKE A TEN MINUTE WALK AROUND THE HOUSE I do this every single day! This is the last thing I do before retiring at night, and it makes a huge difference in the cleanliness and organization of my home. Walk around the house picking up any item that is not in its designated place.

For instance, I typically find shoes, dirty socks, homework papers, books, and dirty dishes lying around, so I pick them up and put them where they need to go – shoes in the closet, dirty socks in the laundry room, homework papers in the trash or in the keepsake box, books on the bookshelf, and dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

MATCH UPYOUR SOCKS I know you have a basket full of unmatched socks because I do, too. It’s ok! Just be sure to take ten minutes a week to go through the basket, find the matches, and put them away.

ORGANIZE YOUR CALENDAR AND MEAL PLAN Take ten minutes every Sunday or Monday to plan your week. Sit down with a calendar, to-do list, and recipe book (or Pinterest) and plan your week. I truly don’t know where I would be if I did not do this. Some weeks, I have to do it daily.

DESIGNATE ONE DAY TO PAY BILLS AND FILE PAPERS I give this advice often, but it is for a good reason. If you do not get (and stay) on top of your paperwork, it will multiply quickly and then it will feel as though it is too much to handle.

DO ONE LOAD OF LAUNDRY A DAY From start to finish, that means wash, dry and put away. Some people designate one day as laundry day, but I recommend (and abide by) the rule of doing one load of laundry a day. This one task makes my entire home feel, look, and smell better.

Not to mention that I don’t feel bogged down by leaving ALL of the laundry to one day a week.

As a professional organizer, mother, wife, and homeowner, I can guarantee that if you add these tasks to your daily, weekly, or monthly routine, you will see a huge difference in the feeling of your home. Please let me know if you have any tips of your own! You can email them to erinlove@panachebyerin.com.

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

At Home Staycation

Getting The Most Out Of Vacation Without A Vacation

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t’s no surprise that vacationing is good for your health. Getting out of town and away from your daily responsibilities relieves stress and triggers a greater sense of well being. Studies have shown that the positive impact you feel from regular get-aways boosts both your mental and physical health, and has implications for your longevity.

Being stuck in a state of chronic stress triggers your body to use all of its energy reserves to deal with the constant perceived threats in your environment. This means you don’t have energy left for growth and repair, immune function, digestion, and detoxification. The stress response also has been shown to decrease blood flow in the areas of the brain responsible for focus, learning and creativity. Your brain is so tuned into what’s going on in your external environment that the healthy processes of your body’s internal environment have to be put on hold.

When you don’t give yourself time to take a break from external stressors, like a heavy workload, it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve a state of relaxation. According to clinical psychologist Deborah Mulhern, without adequate down time, the neural connections in your brain that produce feelings of peace and calm become weaker, making it more difficult to shift into “rest and recover” mode. This makes it no surprise that in a study of more than 600,000 people, it was found that those who work more than 55 hours per week are 33% more likely to suffer a stroke and have 24 APRIL 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

a 13% greater risk of heart attack than those who work 35-40 hours weekly. Another study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that men who take frequent annual vacations were 32% less likely to die from heart disease than their counterparts who forwent vacations. Likewise, the 20 year Framingham Heart Study found that women who took vacation once every six years or less were nearly eight times more likely to develop coronary heart disease or have a heart attack than women who took at least two vacations per year.

It’s not always easy to get out of town due to financial restraints, or maybe global viral pandemics, but you can still reap the stress-relieving benefits of a physical getaway by taking a mental getaway at home. In fact, researchers who studied 974 vacationers from the Netherlands found that planning a vacation made them happier before they went.

According to their research, the mood boosting effect of anticipating a trip can have a more noticeable effect on your happiness than the post-vacation mood shift. If you don’t have the ability to get out of town right now, go ahead and plan an adventure for the future! Set a goal for when you intend to make that trip happen, whether it’s six months from now or even six years from now. Plan the dates, be specific about where you’ll go, where you’ll stay, the things you’ll see, and the activities you’ll do.

The planning process and anticipation alone may have a greater impact on your mood than what you’d experience after taking the trip.

Traveling gives you the ability to discover new things and go on new adventures, which boosts levels of dopamine, a hormone and neurotransmitter strongly associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. This is because increased dopamine activity is related to being exposed to novel experiences. Leaving town isn’t required to try something new, though!

Anything that deviates from your daily routine and familiar experiences can boost this “happy hormone.” When you can’t escape the area, try out a new exercise endeavor, art class, music lessons or cooking class.

Simply taking vacations from certain activities, without putting your entire life on pause, can decrease your stress level, too.

Researchers in 2012 hooked up thirteen desk workers to heart monitors and asked them to avoid their email for one week. The participants didn’t stop working, they simply stopped emailing, and found new ways to contact their colleagues when needed. The results were decreased levels of stress and improved focus. You can experience the same effects by setting aside certain hours during every day, and possibly a full day of each week, to avoid your inbox. Better yet, put your phone on “do not disturb” mode during these hours and take a complete break from all social media and technology.

The act of simply imagining a scenario in your mind can have a profound impact on the state of your body. In the same way that dwelling on mistakes from the past or worrying about future bills and deadlines can increase stress levels, thinking about things that bring you joy can relieve stress. Take a few minutes each day to close your eyes and imagine being in your favorite place. Feel the sun on your face, your toes in the sand, the breeze in your hair. See the people you’d want to have with you, or experience the silence of being by yourself. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between things that are actually happening and things you simply think are happening, so the better you get at visualizing things that bring you joy, the more joy and less stress you will actually experience in your body.

As I’m writing this, our world is in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak and our dayto-day routines have all but come to a halt. My upcoming travel plans have been cancelled, as I know yours have, too, and there’s no telling when our next vacations will happen. This is an opportunity for us either to feel trapped inside or to take advantage of a “staycation” in our homes. The former frame of mind will increase our stress and anxiety while the latter will increase our sense of peace and wellbeing. It all comes down to our perspective, and while we can’t choose to leave town right now, we can still choose our state of mind.

Cool Lime Pie Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 6 oz limeade concentrate 4 drops green food coloring, optional 1 carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches) 1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced mandarin oranges and chopped pistachios, optiona

recipe by Evelyn O’Neal and photo by Kelly Moore Clark

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add limeade and food coloring, if desired. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Pour into crust. Cover and refigerate for 2 hours. Garnish with kiwi, remaining whipped topping, oranges and pistachios, if desired.

MITCH MIT TON

A R T I C L E B Y K AY S T O T H A R T R E C T O R A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y K E L LY M O O R E C L A R K

IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, MITCH MITTON CAN PRODUCE IT. IN HIS STORIED CAREER, THE NORTH LOUISIANA NATIVE HAS DESIGNED AND FABRICATED EVERYTHING FROM INTRICATELY CARVED DRAPERY FINIALS TO LIFE-SIZED PIRATE SHIPS FOR HIS CLIENTS. MITTON HAS SEEN HIS WORK DISPLAYED IN SETTINGS AS GRAND AS WALT DISNEY WORLD AND UNASSUMING AS INDIVIDUAL LIVING ROOMS.

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itton is the creative mind behind Mitton Theme Design, a firm whose name is synonymous with imaginative design and quality craftsmanship. He often refers to his work as “dream building.” He gives artistic form and substance to whatever mental image, style or theme his clients envision. With an aptitude for creating custom pieces that embody his clients’ dreams, Mitton has amassed a devoted following and achieved a level of success he never imagined.

Mitton grew up in Cedar Grove, an industrial community in Shreveport, Louisiana. From a family of modest means, he didn’t expect to go to college. Mitton recalls being a poor student throughout middle school and his years at Woodlawn High School. He disliked most of his classes, and his grades were consistently below average.

Later in life, he was diagnosed with a hearing deficiency that has likely been present since his childhood. Once this disability was discovered, Mitton realized that his hearing problem contributed to his poor performance in school. “I couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying,” Mitton says. “So, I would sit in school and draw.” While drawing during class didn’t help his grades, he was honing skills that would eventually bring him much success.

Like most teenage boys in the early 1960’s, Mitton was into “hot rods” and dreamed of being an automobile designer. Mary Higginbottom, Mitton’s guidance counselor at Woodlawn, recognized his artistic talent and presented him with catalogs for various art programs, encouraging him to apply.

In 1965, Mitton graduated from high school, married, then headed to Ruston where he enrolled at Louisiana Tech. It was at Tech that Mitton’s outlook changed. “I fell in love with school at Louisiana Tech,” says Mitton. “That first semester was extremely eyeopening. I took to my art classes like I was born to do it.”

He went from barely passing high school to earning A’s and a spot on the Dean’s List at Tech. Mitton finished college in three and a half years, graduating with a degree in advertising design.

After college, Mitton and his wife, Patty, moved back to Shreveport. There he worked as an art director with one of North Louisiana’s premiere advertising agencies, Glenn Mason & Associates. It was a good job with a steady paycheck, but Mitton longed to do more inventive, large-scale artwork. To satisfy his creative

yearnings, he built a foundry in his backyard and began to do bronze casting. Before long, Mitton was creating trade show displays and other custom items for advertising clients in his home foundry. What started out as a hobby grew into a full-time business.

In the mid-1980’s, the Mittons moved back to Ruston, where they connected with fellow Louisiana Tech graduates, Charles Hart and Bill Hart. The Hart brothers operated a lamp manufacturing business. Mitch and Patty formed a company they named “The Woodchuck Carving Company” and joined forces with Hart & Associates. Mitton designed hundreds of patterns and, using an Italian carving machine, carved architectural-style elements used by Hart in making lamps and sconces.

With Woodchuck Carving, the Mittons also developed their own product line, crafting finials for drapery hardware. An advertisement in “Victoria,” a women’s lifestyle magazine popular in early 1990’s, helped Woodchuck grow from a small cottage industry to a thriving mail order business. Woodchuck’s decorative finials, brackets and sculpted drapery rods caught the eye of leading retailers, including Home Depot, who contracted to sell Mitton’s designs in their stores.

THE SKETCH BOOK Mitton gives artistic form and substance to whatever mental image, style or theme his clients envision.

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T R AV E L PR O F I L E

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n the midst of Woodchuck Carving’s commercial success, Mitton was afforded a rare opportunity for a creative detour. He landed a job at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. “At Walt Disney World, I was introduced to sculpting with foam and the basics of mold making,” says Mitton. “We did all of the animated windows for Main Street, USA at Disney World. We also built their designs for all the stores in the park.” While his job at Disney World was temporary and not as lucrative as his work with Woodchuck Carving, it was an important step in the progression of his career. “It’s amazing what doors would open once people knew I’d worked for Disney,” Mitton recalls. After a seven-month stint at Disney World, Mitton resumed his work at Woodchuck Carving, which had been operated by Patty’s brother in their absence.

Another move—this time to Madison, Georgia-coincided with an opportunity for Mitch to work with Springs Window Fashions, the preeminent wholesale manufacturer of window treatments during that era. Springs not only offered Mitton a position as Manager of Window Fashion Design, but also agreed to purchase all of his Woodchuck Carving designs.

As a Springs employee, Mitton traveled extensively, all over the United States and to multiple countries overseas. “I was definitely a frequent flyer,” Mitton laughingly recalls. “In my first three months with Springs I was at home a total of three days.” He continued to design new products as he traveled to introduce them to potential buyers at showrooms and trade shows. “That first summer I designed 300 new products,” says Mitton. “One of those products was picked up by Lowes, and it became their best-selling finial.”

Mitton eventually left Springs for a position that afforded him more creative freedom and challenging design projects. He joined Creative Environs, a Floridabased company specialized in creating themed designs for restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues. “They were doing Cheeseburger in Paradise and Margaritaville restaurants then. They were also doing these full-sized pirate ships. That was kind of their specialty,” says Mitton. “I had built sailboats and knew ship layouts, so I understood what it took to build some of these things. I also sculpted mermaids.”

The huge pirate ships and nautical themed sculptures were installed in client hotels, including the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

While working on projects for Creative Environs, Mitton continued to do other freelance work. He began getting commissions for custom pieces. Eventually, he met other artisans with whom he collaborated on largescale theme designs. One such collaboration was with the owners of Entertainment Design Group in Atlanta.

EDG had contracted with Dolly Parton to create a set with a pirate theme for one of her shows. Mitton was hired to design and build a pirate ship, mermaids and other sculptures for Parton’s production.

After completion of the Dolly Parton set, other theme-based work followed. Over the course of the next year, Mitton worked with EDG on projects that WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | APRIL 2020 31

included four full-sized “Shrek” houses for the Gaylord Hotel lobbies, props from the “Madagascar” movie, and a “Kung Fu Panda” vignette. “It was a crazy year,” Mitton remembers. “I worked seventy hours a week for an entire year, travelling around doing these big projects.”

Building on the techniques he learned at Disney and Creative Environs, Mitton perfected his skills and experimented with different sculpting materials. He became an expert at sculpting large pieces with styrofoam and then applying an overlay of fiberglass or other material which he carves and paints to achieve his desired result.

As Mitton’s reputation has grown, opportunities for themed sculpture projects have increased. As an example, Mitton recalls a commission by Sherwin Williams Paint Company.

As part of an advertising campaign display, Mitton produced an enormous replica of King Kong holding 55-gallon paint cans in each hand. “The area from the top of King Kong’s head to the middle of his chest was at least eight feet,” Mitton says.

Designing and fabricating themed sculptures are part of the venture Mitton now calls “Mitton Theme Design.”

Mitton Theme Design is the culmination of Mitton’s years of diverse experience as an artisan.

While his work still includes a broad range of products, part of his current focus is on custom home furnishings.

Mitton’s furniture can be found in premier showrooms of the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. His affiliation with the late Beau Holland, a fixture in the Atlanta interior design trade, helped establish Mitton in the industry. Mitton’s work is now well-known among top interior designers in the Atlanta area and far beyond.

“I have about 20 interior designers in the Atlanta area that I work with now,” Mitton says.

Although Mitton’s career ultimately led him away from North Louisiana, he maintained his connections here and his affiliation with his beloved alma mater. In 1986, Louisiana Tech commissioned Mitton to build a Mace—an intricately carved wooden torch symbolizing the light of learning and knowledge. The Mace became part of the university’s commencement ceremonies and was carried in each procession until it was retired in 2019. Last year, Mitton presented the university with a new Mace, designed to commemorate Louisiana Tech’s 125th anniversary. This new “torch of knowledge,” built by Mitton thirty-three years after he crafted the first one, will be carried during future commencement exercises.

For Mitton, the Mace is not only a symbol of learning but a tribute to

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the university that nurtured his artistic gifts and started him on the path to success.

When asked about his projects, Mitton recounts his experience with Tyler Perry Studios as one of his most interesting. “A buyer for Tyler Perry Studios called and said ‘We can’t find the lamps that go in the foyer of the White House. They’ve got legs like the knees of a dragon,’” Mitton recalls. “I knew exactly what she was talking about, so I told her I could do it. She sent me some pictures and I built them four of them. Each one of those lamps has a hundred parts in it.” Mitton says in building the lamps he drew heavily on memories of his time with Hart & Associates in Ruston.

Satisfied with the lamps, Tyler Perry’s representative reached out to Mitton again. This time, they needed him to reproduce the “great light” that hangs outside of the White House. “It’s not technically a chandelier, because it’s about thirty inches in diameter and six and half feet tall,” explains Mitton.

“This thing has eighteen lightbulbs in it and it’s hanging from a chain that’s about 12 feet long and has some other chains to keep it from swaying.

He built a two-thirds sized White House, and when you see the scene where they’re pulling up to the White House, it looks like they are actually in front of the White House.”

Mitton lists as his most memorable project his recreation of Norman Rockwell’s “Santa at the Globe.”

Authorized by the Rockwell family, the exhibit is a threedimensional version of the famous Rockwell painting that appeared on the cover of the December 4, 1926 issue of the Saturday Evening Post.

Mitton fabricated five full-sized Santa figures, weighing 350 pounds each. “They were extremely difficult to sculpt,” Mitton says. “Just like in the painting, Santa is bent over, looking at a globe, sitting on a stool with a magnifying glass in one hand and a list of all the good boys and girls in the other.” The Santas were on display at five different malls during the Christmas season. “It was fun,” Mitton recalls. “Everything really came together and I did it exactly my way. It gave me confidence, so when the movie stuff came along, I could speak with confidence and say that I know what I’m doing.”

When asked to name his favorite project, Mitton doesn’t hesitate in his answer. “The next one,” he says. “I’m always looking for that next project. I’m not going to retire anytime soon.” At 74 years old, Mitton is still excited about his work and open to new challenges.

“I’m not afraid to do anything anymore,” Mitton says.

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Bayou Pages

NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES Three Women by Lisa Taddeo REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“Women shouldn’t judge one another’s lives, if we haven’t been through one another’s fires.”

Lisa Taddeo traveled across America interviewing women about desire. The author blended into three women’s lives, learning their heartbreaks, hard decisions, and regrets. She highlights the stories of Maggie, Lina, and Sloane, names changed to preserve the women’s identities and thus ensure the gritty truth of their accounts. The stories are told in a narrative fashion, the author speaking for them, with delicious commentary about the reality of women’s lives and the often brutal consequences of their choices. Taddeo spares no salacious details, intimately describing the women’s encounters, but the most fascinating parts are the women’s thoughts, why they made certain choices, and even more telling, why they would do so again.

Maggie is a seventeen-year-old high school student being pursued by her married English teacher.

Raised in a family of alcoholics and often ignored and pushed aside, the surprising attention from a superior engulfs Maggie, and she finds as much excitement from being someone’s secret as she does resentment at being hidden. When the unlawful romance inevitably ends, Maggie spirals and years later finds herself in court facing a man she suspects she may still love. She learns the hardship of accusing a man of a crime the public doesn’t want to admit he could commit.

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Lina is a married mother of two with a perfect home and privileged life, but a husband who refuses to touch her. Longing for affection, and ultimately just a passionate kiss, she actively pursues an affair with an old boyfriend, one who isn’t particularly interested in who she is as much as what she can give him. Lina is uniquely aware of the reality of her affair, and yet seeks it like air, as if being desired gives her the license to be alive. Her desperation resonates, as we’ve all been on the other end of a relationship hanging by a thread, hoping we care enough to hold it all together.

Sloane is a woman with a picture-perfect past who refuses to live a picture-perfect life. She obsesses about her weight, as if being slim is the only way to stay relevant. She uses her body to attract men, even after she’s married to one who shares her unique relationship aspirations. Even in the thralls of living the way many refuse to, she confesses the uncertainty of her choices and her commitment to making them again and again. She lives openly and though not ashamed of who she is, regrets the hurt it causes people in her life. Her life is one most readers refuse to acknowledge, but can’t help wanting to know more about.

This book is for the open-minded reader. It is laced with profanity and sexual references, but its honesty and raw truths expose its core message, that while we all may live differently, we all share big beating hearts longing for something more. These women just had the audacity to say so.

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Bayou Pages

NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“Charley caught a scent of Louisiana on the June breeze; the aroma of red clay, peppery as cayenne, musty as compost, and beneath it, the hint of mildew and Gulf water.”

Recently widowed, Charley Bordelon leaves the comforts of Los Angeles to move back to her father’s hometown to manage a sugarcane farm willed to her by her late father. With no experience farming and very little time spent in Louisiana, Charley takes on the challenge against the advice of her California-based mother and unhappy teenage daughter. Charley and Micah move in with Miss Honey, Charley’s paternal grandmother, in south Louisiana and are suddenly immersed in family dynamics she had otherwise avoided on the West Coast.

Charley finds herself with lots of land to farm and little time to learn the ropes. She also encounters a community of farmers who doubt a black woman’s ability to oversee such an operation, and few people willing to help her. Micah is resentful of her mother’s decision to uproot their comfy California lives for a place with less people who look like her. For the first time, Charley and Micah stand out in the small town, and mother and daughter are forced to redefine themselves in a community hesitant to give them a chance.

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Charley must fight to establish herself in this place and fulfill her father’s wishes. She is unsure of his intentions in leaving her the farm, but her fighting spirit resonantes in her confrontations with family members, her relationship with her daughter, and a budding romance. She must learn that what she thought she knew about life in California may not hold true in Louisiana, that people are not what they seem, and that old habits die hard even with the best intentions.

Baszile writes vividly, with details that allow readers to smell the Louisiana dirt or taste a summer watermelon. “Life should be as sweet as a cube of melon the color of your heart.” This book reminds us all what we love about the South, even with its flaws and shortcomings. We watch a woman come to love and appreciate the land through hard work and frustration.

This novel is an ode to diligence, a sort of love letter to farmers, and a reminder of what a woman is capable of when she decides she will find a way.

Queen Sugar is Ouachita Parish Public Library’s 2020 River Reads: One Book, One Ouachita title. “The purpose of River Reads is to have a shared reading experience across the community,” says Danielle Tolbird, Communications Coordinator. The author of Queen Sugar, Natalie Baszile, will be a guest speaker at the library on April 23.

Serving the Monroe Area For Over Seventy Years

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NDOUBTEDLY, ANYONE WHO HAS TRAVELED Highway 165 in Monroe has taken note of the large, stately, red brick building with the imposing bell tower. What many do not realize is the significant history of the Christus St. Joseph’s Nursing Home and Assisted Living structure or the amount of love and care that flows through its hallways and rooms. “There is something truly special here. This facility has cared for multiple generations of the same families. To me there is no higher compliment than a family returning here as each aging generation needs our services.“

Christus St. Joseph has recently gone through some new renovations, but it is still the same loving place it has been known to be. Christus St. Joseph’s team is truly one-of-a-kind. This faithbased home strives to make every one of their residents feel like family. The cross on the outside is a perfect reflection of the love and care it provides on the inside. The care and love that they pour into their “job” each day is absolutely amazing. The staff of Christus St. Joseph makes every single person who walks through their doors feel welcomed and greeted with smile. They make sure to help anyone who needs assistance, and if one person can’t help them, they make sure to find someone who can. The friendly staff doesn’t just do their job, they go above and beyond to make sure their residents are comfortable, smiling and most importantly always making them feel like family.

While some may view nursing homes and assisted living facilities in a less than positive light, Christus St. Joseph strives to be a beacon of hope and fulfilled living for its residents and their families. While some patients sometimes do go to their facility to help them finish well, but they have so much more to offer. At Christus St. Joseph, long and short term stays along with assisted living apartment style rooms are available depending on each person’s needs.

Some of the few things that Christus St. Joseph offers is: IV care, this gets the resident out of the hospital and into a more comfortable environment. IV treatments can be administered just as well or even better at Christus St. Joseph as in the hospital. Wound therapy is another service provided. Utilizing a wound care physician-based group has many advantages in care facilities. For one, residents build a trusting relationship with their providers, who come weekly to assess and treat their wounds. They make sure their patient is in the most comfortable spot they can possibly be in.

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Christus St. Joseph makes it their goal to provide the best quality of life possible for their residents. Providing daily physical therapy classes for their residents to be the best they can be is what they strive to do each and every day. They provide an amazing outside garden that has many stops along its path with different exercises to keep the residents active, along with getting them outside and enjoying some fresh air. While they are outside, they can also enjoy a nice sitting area in the back with a beautiful view of the bayou. That soothing water view is sure to make anyone who sees it smile.

The staff and nurses do their best to make their residents feel like family. Depression and loneliness is one factor that comes into play more often than not when dealing with this stage of life. After being independent for so long, being placed in a home is a life changing chapter. After acclimating to life at Christus St. Joseph’s, most residents don’t want to leave. Their number one goal over anything else is making everyone feel special. Creating and maintaining relationships with their residents is crucial to making their stays great. One resident said, ”It doesn’t really feel like a nursing home, it’s more like a dormitory, and we are all back in college again.” The staff takes the residents on outings to keep them active and to get them out of their rooms. They recently took a trip to Calhoun to see the Christmas lights. Group outings are always fun, but sometimes the residents want to do something for themselves. The staff at Christus St. Joseph makes sure to let them do just that. Taking someone to their favorite store to buy something special for themselves is just another way that Christus St. Joseph makes their residents feel special and offers a sense of freedom.

Christus St. Joseph’s recently donated their old beds from the renovations to a group in Haiti and the Bayou DeSiard Street Homeless Shelter. They also donated their night stands, dressers and over-the-bed side tables to First West Church for someone in need to use. This faith-based home truly has a giving heart and is willing to care and provide for anyone in need. The community is welcome to join Christus St. Joseph everyday except Saturday at 4:30 PM for Mass. Please join us!

Cathi French Roberts & Lori French

RITUALS for the HOME

CREATE A MANIFESTING ALTAR

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e all crave and need rituals and renewals. It is something that we can trace back to ancient drawing and writings as a sense of celebration or rebirth.

Spring is the natural choice to regroup and refresh in all aspects of our daily domestic life. The term “breath of fresh air” for us as humans is just as necessary for our homes – they need new life too!

With all the effort we put into choosing our paint colors, furniture placement and bookshelf décor, spring time is a perfect time to focus on manifesting love and new life into our homes. There are many ways you can do this and these rituals can be as simple or elaborate as you choose.

It has been said that a ritual is a simple way of observing and celebrating the small things. A way to acknowledge our experiences and feelings in a tangible way that can set your intentions for your day, your week, your year, your life.

• Find a clear space or surface and light a candle. It can be lit every morning to remind you of your intentions of bringing peace and harmony to your home.

• If there are objects from travels or friends that were given to you – keep a rotation of these to bring back thoughts of adventure and locations that evoke pleasant memories.

• Photos of a family member or treasured friend can be displayed as a reminder of the gifts and comfort they provide.

CREATE A NOTE WRITING DESK

• A converted surface that can be a corner of the dining room table, a tray table that is set up or even a flat basket.

• Gather notecards and writing papers and update your address book.

• Personalized stationery, vintage postcards and even colored paper can be used as it truly is just the thought that counts.

• Create a habit of jotting a note to those in your home as well as those across country.

• The love and thought that comes from a handwritten note is meaningful and a way to give.

CREATE A LOVE CORNER

• If you follow any of the feng shui teachings for your home, the love corner can be found by facing inside and standing in the front door of your home. The far right corner from this point is said to be your love corner.

• To attract love into your home, add symbols of love such as photos of happy couples and families.

• Pairs of objects on a surface like two candles, tea lights or matching goblets can evoke a romantic love.

• Fresh flowers (and not spiky or prickly plants) create fluid movement and can be uplifting.

CREATE A BATH RITUAL

• Going back to ancient times, baths were a way to step away and appreciate the human need to cleanse bodies and minds.

• If time permits, schedule a bath where you can light a candle and be surrounded by a calming scent.

• Time can be brief during this ritual, but try and make it relaxing where you can emerge feeling uplifted with renewed gratitude.

• Embrace the few moments to yourself so that you can emerge refreshed and able to focus on the next step in your day.

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

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WAT E R FA L L S

Meredith’s Musings

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article by M E R E DI T H MCK I N N I E

reach into the tub and adjust the knobs, more hot than cold, knowing my water pressure and the timing better than anything else in my household. I remove my clothes, and place them in the laundry basket, slowly absorbing each step into the luxurious, thick bedroom carpet the previous owners installed. I slightly glance at my postpartum body in the mirror before I dip a toe into the perfectly-tempered water, just hot enough to send a trickle up my spine and make my lips slightly smack in response. It’s bath time, my favorite, luxurious me-time of the day. Husband knows, I’m not to be bothered, that I might remain submerged for an hour at least with a book propped on my chest, my body reacting to each motion of the water that moves the heat pockets around and engulfs me. I love a bath; I love looking forward to a bath. I don’t understand those that don’t bathe in luxury.

Husband has attempted taking a bath once in our house. His six-foot frame prevents him from stretching out entirely, so he avoids the disappointment. My petite, less than five feet, stature allows me to maneuver at will, one of the benefits of being pintsized. I don’t understand the bathroom models that only feature a stand-up shower, regardless of the intricate tiles or cave-like atmosphere. I get the allure, but not the removal of the bath option.

Our master bath is nothing masterful, except that it’s ours. It’s small, an original to the 70-year-old house. The tiny room is only big enough for the average tub and toilet, the vanity a part of the bedroom itself, dating the entire space. But it’s where the water is, where I can soak my troubles into oblivion.

I sink deep into the water, as low as I can without spilling water outside the rim. I submerge, eyes closed, letting the soothing feeling wash over me like a glass of good Cabernet. I remain still for as long as possible, as long as the silence continues. Eventually some laugh or patter of tiny feet on the hard wood will awaken me from my near slumber. I grab the book of the day, and it usually is

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a book a day on maternity leave, adjust it on my chest, the thicker the spine the better, as I find my escape in an author’s imagined universe. The characters, language and genre may change, but my setting remains the same. My peace of mind is found in this place, this tiny space in the back of our house where everyone knows Mom goes for quiet time. It’s where I’m most respected, made human again. As motherhood often confines me to the house, it’s the luxury I can squeeze in with little disruption to my home life.

As mothers, we take our escapes where we can. I see memes of some eating in closets with little hands reaching under the door.

Others pause at the trash can outdoors, again embracing the sound of nature as opposed to toddlers screaming. Some venture out for girls’ night, wherever their kids aren’t. All are necessary to refuel, to reclaim a bit of ourselves that gets lost in parenting. We adapt; it’s what we do best. No matter how averse to change we may be, life has a way of forcing it upon us.

So, after the birth of my second daughter, I was on strict orders, NO BATHS for at least three weeks. The C-section meant I couldn’t submerge in water until I was fully healed. And while it’s trivial and temporary, I was mourning my bathtime even before I gave birth. A week after we brought her home, I was adjusting the water temperature, preparing for my abbreviated ten-minute shower I had begrudgingly accepted as part of my relatively painfree birth penance. I stood under the shower head, the fancy one Husband had bought years ago that acts more like a rain shower, when it occurred to me. Lie down. I carefully maneuvered my body on the floor of the tub, not as inviting absent of water, but I let the shower head rain down on me. The wide mouth ensured the water hit a significant fraction of my torso, and suddenly the feeling was back. It wasn’t quite as dramatic as full submersion, but it was something. Before I knew it, some time must have passed, because I was startled to find Husband standing over me, no doubt concerned at how long my “quick shower” was taking. He looked down and chuckled, amused as he often is by my antics.

So began a compromise, a cornerstone of motherhood. I couldn’t have my baths yet, but I had found an alternative. The rain baths became my purgatory, and while I counted down the days until I could return to normalcy, I knew my love affair with water was still semi-possible in the meantime. The little reprieves get us by when we feel like we’re getting lost. I find them where I can.

And for those three weeks it was stark naked under a waterfall.

Trail Ridge Townhomes Available for Purchase from $159,900

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O SAY THAT LINCOLN REALTY IS INVESTED IN Lincoln Parish and Northeast Louisiana is an understatement.

The local business is the leading real estate agency in Ruston led by Broker/Agent Dicky Nealy. Dicky and his family moved to Ruston when he was two. “When I got my driver’s license, there were 5 policeman…and three police cars,” Dicky remembers. “There are now maybe 40 policemen with 60 vehicles. That just goes to show the changes in Ruston (how Ruston has grown) since I have been here.” He entered the real estate world in 1969 as an agent in his early twenties and attained his broker’s license the following year. He opened Lincoln Realty in 1994, focusing on residential and commercial sales along with real estate development.

Dicky understands what people are looking for in real estate in the Ruston community and has met those needs through the developments of: Jefferson Oaks, a (large lot) residential subdivision, WoodStone, one of Ruston’s first gated communities and The Grove, a zero lot line community. The newest project, Trail Ridge Townhomes, is Ruston’s most recent townhome development and offers a unique architectural design with modern 880 square foot floor plans. “This development is perfect for young professionals looking to purchase their first home, retirees, or parents looking to purchase a home for their son/daughter to live in while attending one of our local universities,” explains Dicky. “These townhomes are new construction, which isn’t readily available in Ruston. We had the opportunity to build this new development and meet the demand for what people are looking for at a lower price. People want new construction because they want the latest features and amenities. They also want to feel safe and know that they won’t be spending their time and money on upgrades, renovations and repairs.” When it comes to investments, real estate is always smart because it doesn’t necessarily change with the stock market. “Particularly here in Ruston, real estate is a good investment.

We have seen an approximate 3 percent growth in appreciation in residential real estate year after year,” explains Dicky.

Trail Ridge Townhomes will be move in ready by mid May 2020 with a starting price of $159,900. Each townhome has the same floor plan with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a small fenced backyard area. They are located minutes away from LA Tech and are

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in walking distance to the Rock Island Greenway Trail from Cook Park. Some of the features include:

• Architectural controls

• Underground Utilities

• Lawn Maintenance including irrigation

• Curbed and Guttered Streets

• Cable

• Fiber Optics

• Sidewalks

• Landscaped Front Areas

• All City Services

• HOA controlled

To ensure the success of Trail Ridge Townhomes, Dicky is working with a Lincoln Realty agent that is also heavily invested in the Ruston community - Bobbie Dyer. Bobbie moved to Ruston in 1977 when her husband joined the faculty at LA Tech. She became a licensed real estate agent in 1993 and has developed a reputation for courteous and professional service that has helped make Lincoln Realty one of Ruston’s most successful agencies. She is consistently ranked as one of the top selling agents in Lincoln Parish and prides herself on attention to detail. Specializing in residential real estate, Bobbie has the knowledge and expertise to assist anyone from the first time homebuyer to the most experienced. “I have worked at Lincoln Realty for my entire career, building relationships with people throughout Ruston, Lincoln Parish and Northeast Louisiana,” explains Bobbie.

“And I am excited for this opportunity with Trail Ridge Townhomes.

In addition to the location and amenities, this is a great investment with the current low interest rates.” If you are interested in setting up an appointment to look at Trail Ridge Townhomes, call us at Lincoln Realty at 318-255-7480 or contact Bobbie Dyer at 318-245-3178. You can also take a virtual tour by scanning the QR code on the adjacent page or visiting trailridgetownhomes.com.

Yes, You Can Movo Wine Spritzers

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

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ACKAGING OTHER THAN GLASS BOTTLES IS BY NO means new. In fact, glass bottles are a relatively “new” invention themselves if we look at the full history of wine. In 6,000 B.C., ancient Georgians used qvevri, large earthenware vessels coated in beeswax to ferment and store wine. Ancient Greeks and Romans later upgraded to amphorae, wax-lined ceramic containers, to store their precious libations before transitioning to oak barrels, similar to those we still use today to ferment and age wines to give them toasty, spicy and vanilla characteristics. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century that glass bottles and cork stoppers were introduced, and until the early 1800s that the modern wine bottle came into being. About 200 years later, there has been little innovation in the wine packaging world.

Wineries have dabbled in alternative packaging over the past few decades, most notably with the bag-in-box option, but few nonglass packages have been able to gain the widespread approval of wine drinkers. Cans have broken that mold. Casual and serious wine drinkers alike are turning to cans as an alternative to traditional bottled packaging.

Any wine packaging must serve three purposes. First, it must to protect it. Wine is fickle and can be damaged if exposed to oxygen, bacteria or other harmful contaminants. Second, it must contain the wine, allowing it to be transported, stored and consumed. Finally, it must provide information about its contents—where the grapes were grown, the alcohol percentage, the name of the wine, and more.

Cans do a fantastic job of protecting wine and keeping it fresh and lively, exactly what you want when you’re drinking a can of crisp rosé or sparkling white. One of the biggest myths about cans is that they make wine taste metallic or impart off-flavors. This couldn’t be further from the truth. All wine cans are lined with a very thin plastic liner on the inside of the can, just as in cans used for beer or cider.

The other key factor on wine drinkers’ minds lately is health. How much sugar does it contain? Is it made with the best quality ingredients?

How many calories are there per serving? There is a new product on the scene with the right answers to all these questions. Enter MOVO Wine Spritzers. They are available in Peach White Blend and Raspberry Rose, as well as a variety pack, which additionally contains Blood Orange Sangria.

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MOVO Wine Spritzers are a modern take on vino, bringing fun and portability to wine. Crafted with simple ingredients, MOVO is the perfect blend of premium wine, sparkling water and real fruit juice. At only 100 calories, these effervescent drinks have a bright, refreshing taste and are 50 calories less than the leading wine spritzer. With no added sugar and gluten free, MOVO is a lively twist on wine you can feel good about enjoying.

MOVO Peach White Blend is brilliantly clear and champagne golden in color. It is made with a white wine blend from Sonoma County, CA, sparkling water, and real fruit juice. It hits the palate with a sparkling effervescence and notes of ripe stone fruit accented by slightly floral pear notes. Perfectly balanced, a touch of white grape sweetness counters a hint of green apple-like acidity. Peach White Blend pairs beautifully with seafood and pastas with white sauce. Each 8.4oz serving contains 100 calories, 2g sugar, 5g carbs, and has an ABV of 5.5%.

MOVO Raspberry Rose is rose petal pink and is made with a rose blend from Sonoma County, CA, sparkling water, and real fruit juice.

An aroma of raspberry jam is highlighted by ripe strawberry, and subtle, freshly cut watermelon notes. Dry and fruit forward, a berrylike tartness is accented by a hint of sweetness. Raspberry Rose pairs especially well with camembert and brie cheese. Each 8.4oz serving contains 100 calories, 6g sugar, 7g carbs, and has an ABV of 5.5%.

MOVO Blood Orange Sangria is garnet red and is made from a ruby cabernet from Sonoma County, CA, sparkling water, and real fruit juice.

Notes of black cherry, raspberry, and vanilla are brightened by hints of blood orange and floral pear. It is fruit forward with oaky highlights that balance the subtle sweetness. Spritzy and zesty with a soft, round mouthfeel, it opens up to a crisp, dry finish. Blood Orange Sangria pairs especially well with chorizo dishes and blackberry crumble. Each 8.4oz serving contains 100 calories, 4g sugar, 6g carbs, and has an ABV of 5.5%

Be sure to like Choice Brands on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with local happenings and new product releases.

In addition, you’ll find links to beer related articles, fun recipes, and much more! Find us at facebook.com/choicebrands, twitter.com/choicebrandsinc, and instagram.com/choicebrands.

I REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED OREL HERSHISER FOR HIS AUTOGRAPH

To pitch a nine-inning shutout in I REMEMBER being an avid the Majors is pretty awesome, but baseball fan during most of my 59 innings of shutout baseball is early years. Since spring is here and incredible! baseball is in full “swing,” let me That feat alone requires share with you an experience that unbelievable tenacity, but such was was, at the time, pretty significant for common in the life and career of this baseball addict.

Orel Hershiser. In fact, as the result This special “happening” took of his competitive spirit, Hershiser’s place about 25 years ago. A group of manager, Tommy Lasorda, pinned five men from our church in Delhi on him the nickname “Bulldog.” He traveled to Dallas to attend a Christian consistently gave his all for his team, conference at a facility adjoining working hard to be the best player Globe Life Field in Arlington, the that he could be. The result was that home of the Dallas Texas Rangers he was not only a top-flight pitcher, of the American League. Our group TO PITCH A NINE-INNING SHUTOUT IN but was one of baseball’s best hitting was enjoying our dinner meal at the THE MAJORS IS PRETTY AWESOME, BUT pitchers as well as the recipient of the Pappadeaux’s restaurant near the “Golden Glove Award” for being the stadium, when I noticed a familiar59 INNINGS OF SHUTOUT BASEBALL IS best defensive player at his position looking young man who took a seat at INCREDIBLE! on the mound. a nearby table. Who was this guy, and So, there we sat, looking across how was it that I recognized him? It did not take long for me to realize that he was Orel Hershiser, one of the the aisle at one of the best athletes in the game. I had seen him pitch premier pitchers in the Majors and an individual for whom I held the numerous times on TV, but here he was, in real life. What should I do? highest esteem. He had recently been traded to the Cleveland Indians Putting aside my fear of being thought a rube and placing a lot of hope who were in Dallas for a season-opening series which was scheduled to in his professed Christian faith, I stood up and walked over to his table. begin the next day. Providentially, Hershiser and a teammate had been I apologized for interrupting his conversation with his teammate (his seated a few feet from our table. (I deny being a groupie, but I was a meal had not yet been served), mentioned something of my admiration for his accomplishments, and asked if he would sign an autograph little pumped!)

For those of you who are younger or who have minimal interest for my young grandson. He graciously agreed and, with nothing in baseball, let me share some reasons why this particular player was but a napkin at our disposal, he signed his name and handed me the respected by me. First, he was a man of strong Christian faith whose napkin.

It is not likely that any of us who are part of the “BayouLife” family behavior was impacted by his beliefs. But he was also an outstanding competitor on the baseball diamond. His Major League career spanned will ever attain anything like the success achieved by Orel Hershiser, eighteen years from 1983 to 2000, and during those years, his record was but all of us can emulate his effort to be the best we can be. And each exceptional, including pitching the Los Angeles Dodgers to the 1988 one of us, who is a follower of the greatest One who ever lived, can World Series Championship and being selected as the Most Valuable be gracious and considerate to all for His sake and for the sake of His Player for that Series. However, a record which may never be broken Kingdom. May the Lord whose resurrection we celebrate this Easter fill is one that overshadows all of his other accomplishments. In that same our hearts with His love for one another to the end that we encourage year, 1988, he pitched a record-setting fifty-nine consecutive scoreless and challenge each other in our service to the King. (Eph. 4:32 – “Be innings. That amounts to pitching over six straight scoreless ball games! kind and compassionate to one another.”) ▪

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LET UNCLE SAM BE YOUR TOUR GUIDE 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

J

oin the military and see the world. I’ve heard that “enticement” for most of my life and to a great degree it is true. Of course there are always caveats and exceptions.

The most obvious caveat is being sent overseas to do what the military is paid to do. During a time of war the likely odds favor any military overseas travel opportunity is going to be to countries where warfare is underway or at least to nearby countries where our military is staging troops, supplies, ships or aircraft that are needed for the conflict. No matter what the country visiting somewhere for the sole purpose of fighting and avoiding becoming a casualty in the process is hardly a vacation.

And even if you only are sent as far as the staging areas, these are often in countries that may not be on your “top ten” places to visit list and are possibly temporary camps in the countryside that are not conducive to any “seeing the sights” on what little free time you might be allowed. You might get to one or more “desirable” countries on your travels to and from but fuel stops or plane changes don’t let you see the world.

An exception few people realize is there is a chance you will never leave the United States even in wartime. Regardless of how much of our military is needed to rotate through combat there are still a lot of personnel engaged in maintaining existing U.S. bases and equipment or being assigned to assorted staff postings. A good friend of mine enlisted in the Marines during the Vietnam conflict but never was sent overseas to fight. His story is not uncommon based on talks I’ve had with other veterans.

In my own experience I was sent to multiple bases on both U.S. coasts and to quite a few in the middle of the nation. I was also assigned to a ship based in Hawaii for one active duty period.

I did not leave the country but I did get to see some new places in the continental United States and spent quite an enjoyable tour on an island paradise. I even got to explore three of the Hawaiian islands since our ship left port once to sail from Pearl Harbor to Maui and Kauai and we were given liberty on both islands.

Another caveat is sometimes “seeing the world” can be more than you bargained for when you planned your travel. One of the perks for active and retired military is the ability to fly Space Available on military flights. Space Available means just that- if there is space, and no higher priority bumps you at the last minute, you can fly anywhere a military flight is going.

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One Thanksgiving I decided to fly Space Available to visit my parents in St. Louis for the holiday weekend. I was a Midshipman attending university in Houston at the time and the nearest flight I could get was out of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. Another Middie friend was from San Antonio and I drove her home for the holiday in exchange for spending the night before my flight at her mother’s house.

My friend drove me to Kelly early in the morning and I boarded a USAF Med Evac flight that was headed for Scott AFB in Illinois- about 40 miles east of St. Louis. Our flight took off and after some time we landed at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. I sat on the plane while the crew unloaded and loaded whatever it was they needed to then we took off again. We landed somewhere in the desert. I was told it was Cannon AFB in New Mexico. Eventually we took to the sky again and after a long flight (during which I ate my provided box lunch) we touched down... at Kelly AFB in San Antonio. I had spent maybe five hours on this plane and effectively had gone nowhere. To be fair, the Air Force told me what time to be at Kelly and approximately when I could be picked up at Scott. They never told me where we were going in between those times and it was their aircraft so I went where it went. I decided to fly commercial back to Houston.

After leaving Kelly for the second time on the same day we flew to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City. After Tinker we landed at North Little Rock AFB in Arkansas. Finally sometime in the evening we made to my promised destination of Scott AFB. I did get to a lot of places I’d never been to before. I just never planned on “seeing” any of those places. I did get to see lots of interesting B-52 bombers and some F-16 Aggressor Squadron aircraft albeit from the window by my seat.

Lest you think joining the military doesn’t really let you see the world I will tell you about my nephew-in-law and family. The Army deployed Captain Barrow to a post in northern Germany. I have enjoyed seeing pictures of the family touring all of Europe end-to-end on the days he is not working or has leave. For the Captain, my niece and their girls it is the travel opportunity of a lifetime and they are making the most of it.

Spring Into Action… Slowly Wear and Tear of Your Shoulder

BY VAL IRION, MD

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PRING OFTEN PROMPTS US TO SPRING INTO ACTION and enjoy the warmer weather. Boating, jogging, tennis and golfing are all great sources of exercise, but carry their fair share of risks… including injuries to your shoulder. As an orthopedic sports medicine physician, along with the April showers and May flowers, I often see patients suffering from shoulder pain… pain brought on from working muscles, tendons and joints that have been resting up during the winter.

As we age, wear and tear of the shoulder can often result in a decrease of range and motion and have a substantial impact on our day-today activities and routines. You don’t walk on your shoulders, but the shoulder joint is just as susceptible to wear and tear as your knees and/ or hips.

Arthritis (thinning/loss of cartilage lining of the joint) and tears in in the rotator cuff tendon (a group of muscles that help lift and rotate the shoulder) are the most common culprits of shoulder wear and tear, pain and decreased range of motion.

Some of the early symptoms of shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tears are:

• Dull ache deep in the shoulder

• Restless sleep, particularly if you lie on the affected shoulder

• Difficulty to comb your hair or reach behind your back

• Arm weakness

There are several common risk factors associated with arthritis of the shoulder and rotator cuff tear:

• Age

• Individuals over 60 are more prone to the osteoarthritis

• Individuals over 40 become more susceptible to rotator cuff tears.

• Prior injuries

• Shoulder Dislocation- can accelerate the onset of arthritis due to loss and thinning of cartilage around the joint.

• Repetitive overhead activities and professions

• Certain sports such as, baseball, weightlifting and tennis.

• Certain professions, particularly construction jobs such as, painting, and carpentry.

Shoulder arthritis presents as gradually increasing pain and loss of motion making it difficult to complete basic tasks such as getting dressed, combing your hair and reaching for a book on a shelf. Rotator

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cuff tears may also present with pain, but are often accompanied by weakness and atrophy, making it difficult to reach overhead or lift things away from the body. Rotator Cuff injuries can also result from a certain single injury and in these cases, you should seek medical care immediately.

There are several surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tears. If shoulder pain is interfering with your daily activities or quality of life, it may be a good idea to consult an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. Typically, your doctor will complete a routine physical exam that will include pressing and moving the arm in different positions to test the strength and range of motion of the shoulder. Your doctor may also order some imaging tests to further determine the cause(s) of pain. Once your orthopedic surgeon makes a diagnosis, you can work together to devise a treatment plan. Your surgeon may recommend several options prior to surgery including:

• Rest or change in activities.

•P hysical therapy exercises to improve the range of motion in your shoulder.

•N onsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, may reduce inflammation and pain.

•C orticosteroid injections in the shoulder can dramatically reduce the inflammation and pain, but the relief is often short lived

• Moist heat may relax sore and tightened muscles,

• I cing the shoulder for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times daily can reduce inflammation and reduce pain.

After all conservative treatments have been explored, your orthopedic surgeon can also discuss surgical options with you. They may include options from arthroscopy, tendon repair to total shoulder replacement. The most important thing to remember is that you and your orthopedic surgeon are a team and you’re in this together to determine the best plan to treat YOU! All of us at Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana wish you a happy and healthy spring!

Val Irion, MD is a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in orthopedic sports medicine- both surgical and nonsurgical approaches. Dr. Irion practices at Orthopedic Specialists of Louisiana located in Shreveport and Bossier City. To schedule an evaluation, please call (866) 759.9679

T H E SH I RT L IST

MR. P’S TEES

Katelyn rocks two of Mr. P’s new shirts. The purple Native Iris design is featured on a faded teal 100% organic cotton tee. At right: The new Longhorn design is featured on a super soft unisex shirt sleeve.

PHOTOGR A PH Y BY K ELLY MOOR E CLA R K

PALETTE HOUSE + PLUME

This grey tee is a staple for spring. Crafted from the highest-quality fabric, this S’Edge tee from local designer, Analeise Reeves Thomas can be found locally at Palette House + Plume. At Right: Shake things up a bit with a little Dolly magic. We love this soft tee featuring America’s Sweetheart.

JONES

JACK

article by vanelis rivera | photo by tenzin dolkar

P

robably one of the world’s oldest and pervasive musical instruments are drums, virtually unchanged since their earliest popular use. This ancient past may lend to modern sentiments of drums as primitive and unsophisticated. Even the most impressive piece of percussion can be treated as second tier next to a classic string instrument. Often overlooked are the nuances in drumming that are heavily influential to any music composition. From the outside looking in, a drummer is just hitting stuff, continuously striving to stay in time. So drums must be easy. Yet, there’s a subtlety to being an accomplished drummer. A deep understanding of music is usually the distinguishing marker between a good drummer and a great one. Jack Jones, Atlanta-based freelance drummer, can speak to this. Before enrolling in the music education program at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM), he was an impressive play-by-ear musician who picked up the drums naturally at a young age. He soon learned that when structure and talent meet, the results can take you anywhere.

Jones’s earliest music education came from sitting in and watching his father’s band since he was ten. By the time he was nineteen, he was playing jazz, blues, and rock gigs in North Louisiana as a fulltime professional musician. Both of his parents were what is known as “hobbyist” musicians. His dad played the drums in a country band, and on weekends his mom, a big fan of bluegrass, sang and played the banjo. The neighborhood where Jones grew up had a high percentage of musicians, and when his childhood friends asked him to jam with them, he set up his dad’s drums , sat behind the kit, and immediately just “knew what to do.” It’s difficult for him to pinpoint the origin of his love for the instrument. It was an energy thing, drawn to him from a young age. “It’s an intangible attraction and the fire’s still burning,” he says. Though his relationship to the drums has evolved, his need to play has always remained strong, “almost to an obsessive level.”

Jones grew up close to the paper mill in West Monroe, where his mom and grandmother still live. “The poor side of town on Walter street,” he says. His upbringing was typical for the area. He attended West Monroe High School, and graduated from Richardson High School in 2001. He enrolled in ULM’s music program, but admittedly wasn’t a responsible student, so he dropped out during the middle of the semester. Seeking a more hands-on approach to his education without the added prerequisites, he traveled to Georgia at the age of twenty-one to attend the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media, a vocational training program for musicians and sound engineers. At the time, he says, “There wasn’t anything like that anywhere else in the south.” He graduated in a year and decided to work on his music chops in the Atlanta area, doing so for about seven years.

Constantly jumping from one band to the next, Jones quickly reached a point of discontent. Not having anything to hold him down, he tagged along with his girlfriend at the time when she decided to move to New Orleans. The stay was brief and he gradually found himself at a crossroads. Inspired by being back in Louisiana, he sent professor Larry Anderson (Associate Professor of Music at ULM) a request to re-enter the program. Anderson remembered him, having taught Jones when he was “just a kid” and encouraged him to apply.

“He’s a wonderful human being. And very positively influential on my life,” says Jones. With the prospect of a second chance and still having the good fortune to travel wherever good fortune took him, he decided to go back home.

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t twenty-eight years old, he was now the “old guy” in the marching band and ensemble concerts. But age had brought along some perspective and this go around, he was able to have a more profound experience that ended up changing his relationship to music. Though classicalbased classes like music theory were difficult for him at first, they did expand his overall music perspective. Before, his approach to drums was intuitive, but the ULM music experience filled the holes in his previous knowledge. “It’s had a profound impact on what I’ve done since, musically,” he says.

Making the choice to return to ULM was not as much of a career decision as it was completing an unfinished chapter in his life.

“When that was done I just kind of went back to what I had been doing: playing the drums,” Jones says. Encouraged by a friend that worked at Georgia State University, he received a graduate assistantship, completing a masters degree in jazz studies in two years. He’s been in Atlanta “ever since, playing music free-lance, and teaching some.”

Surrounded by a thriving music scene, composed of seasoned professionals, Jones has not had too much trouble maintaining steady gigs: “It’s solid. It’s a cool scene of all different styles and it’s quite interconnected.

It’s a nice sense of community.” While most musicians in the area are “put in a box,” Jones has become an “all-around guy,” playing a little bit of everything. “I’m kind of like fringe in every scene.” As a hired gun, a majority of what he plays is more pop rock, but his gigs are constantly changing. “I play in a band with one of the premiere bands in the city,” he humours, called The Mike Veal Band.

They’re known for playing covers of Steely Dan and the Allman Brothers. Recently, he went from a blues rock recording session to playing jazz at a restaurant.

He gravitates heavily toward jazz, which his quartet tends to focus on. “When you’re playing in an ensemble you’re essentially in a supportive role. You’re a small part of a big thing. And it’s a wonderful role to be in and embrace,” Jones says. However, jazz music gives everyone involved an opportunity 58 APRIL 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

photo by david hobbs to be a part of the center; whereas, in any other style of music, lyrics and melody are prioritized. As a jazz drummer, “it takes so long to even understand how the music works and how to play it well.” A highly improvisational genre, jazz requires a deep level of experiencing music and performing, but when you’ve reached an optimal skillset, playing jazz is “very much on the level of a meditation,” he says, adding, “You have to be all in it.” Collectively playing off the cuff with fellow musicians is a larger than life feeling for Jones. It has taught him the significance of being in the present moment, tuning in to the performance of others versus attempting to create something.

The development of such a level of respect from his fellow musicians, as well as being in fortuitous circles, landed him some once in a lifetime gigs. “The most fun I ever had was with this blues artist named Chris Duarte,” says Jones, referring to a notable American guitarist who had some success in the 1990s. “He has a huge following of guitar nerds,” he adds. They come out to “nerd-out to his shrederness.” The pair bonded over their love of jazz, which Duarte incorporates in his Texas style blues-rock. A lot of improv “a la Jimi Hendrix psychedelic freak out” occured on stage. The trio went all over the country and to Japan for three weeks. It was a tour that has become a touchstone of Jones’ music career.

Also on his musical curriculum resumé is the time he backed Col. Bruce Hampton, the “grandfather of the jam band scene,” on tour for a “brief tenure.” “He was a crazy character. This guy could guess everyone’s

birthday. He was kind of a wizard or something,” laughs Jones. In 2017, Hampton packed out Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse for his 70th birthday. In the final moments of the concert, he collapsed onstage and died, with all his friends playing his favorite song. “He kinda had magical powers,” Jones muses.

“I don’t really think of myself as just a drummer,” Jones states. He spends a lot of time routinely practicing other instruments like piano, guitar, and recently the clarinet. “The way music sounds after you’ve interacted in that way with other instruments, it changes your relationship with what you hear and want to convey.”

This approach is essential for his plans of writing enough original material to release an album. Though his income is primarily from playing and teaching drums, he’s in a transitory period outside of that. “I still love playing drums, but I want to put more energy in composing.”

Jones is the type of musician and music teacher that believes the musical journey mirrors the journey through life. His experience and education has allowed him to not just sharpen his musical skills, but also hone significant life skills. From college drop-out to post-graduate, from freelance gigs to sharing the stage with some master musicians, Jack Jones has breathed life into his music journey, ultimately readying him to set ablaze whatever is yet to come.

Follow Jack Jones on Facebook or visit his website http://www.jackjonesdrums.com/ to learn more about this local drummer’s musical accolades.

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Lambda Sigma Chi Serving Our Community Since 1932

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AMBDA SIGMA CHI WAS FOUNDED AS A SOCIAL CLUB in 1932 by a group of girls at Georgia Tucker School. Starting with eight charter members, the group has continued to grow into a large social service organization. Today Lambda has 118 members and 15 brother sponsors from Neville High School and St. Frederick High School. President Ella Rose Smith and Vice President Caroline Clary led the group in organizing meetings and social activities for the year with Anna Grace Hansen, chaplain, organizing church services and service opportunities.

The most important goal of Lambda each year is to give back to the community by volunteering and providing donations. This year the members of Lambda have worked over 4,000 hours of community service in our area. They have participated with many organizations including Med Camps, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Dixie Diehards, Monroe Recycling Day, the Red Cross Bash, the Desiard Street Shelter, the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter, Grace Episcopal School, the Twin City Ballet Company, the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Food Bank, the Humane Society, and the Cooley House clean up. They also collected winter coats, toys, and books for area children in need. Through the annual sweet potato fundraiser they were able to provide donations to the Cancer Foundation League, Arco, the Children’s Coalition of Northeast Louisiana, the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter, the Desiard Street Shelter, Med Camps of Northeast Louisiana, Pilots for Patients, the Salvation Army, Wellspring, YoungLife, and others.

In January, Lambda held its Winter Formal dance and presentation of the Junior members. Frank Nettles served as Master of Ceremonies. Junior members presented were: • Anna Kate Barnes • Barrie Brennan • Skylar Donald • Grace Emery • Cadence Knippers • Katie Kincaid • Audrey Livigni • Lilly Newton • Cameron Oglesby • Maya O’Neil.

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Junior officers presented were: • Camille Bonnecaze, Pledge Advisor • Kayla Ducote, Pledge Advisor • Victoria Frusha, Pledge Advisor • Mia Mardis, Pledge Advisor • Payton McMullen, Pledge Advisor • Katherine Cascio, Head Pledge Advisor • Natalie Leija, Custodian • Sarah Pruitt, Custodian • Camille Burkett, Sergent-at-Arms • Pippa Morstead, Sergent-at-Arms • Elise Venable, Historian • Sallie Jayne Snellings, Parliamentarian • Sadie Keyes, Corresponding Secretary • Emma Street, Recording Secretary • Sarah Beth Shipp, Treasurer • Anna Grace Hansen, Chaplain • Caroline Clary, Vice President • Ella Rose Smith, President

The girls were escorted by Brother Sponsors Beau Bennett, Jace Benard, Bennett Brown, Davis Brown, Hank Cordell, John David Eberts, Kaiden Globke, Cade Jordan, Jackson Landry, William Read, Wes Robinson, Nelson Sparks, Grayson Surles, Nic Wolleson, and Brendan Woods. After the presentation the White Rose Court was announced. Members of the 2020 Lambda Court were Queen Anna Grace Hansen, Maid of Honor Ella Rose Smith, and Maids Caroline Clary, Katherine Cascio, Sarah Beth Shipp, and Sadie Keyes.

Lambda members are happy to have the opportunities to add to over 80 years of sisterhood and service. Thank you to the community for supporting Lambda and our endeavors.

Photo by Sprig Designs

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54th Annual Addy Awards Ceremony The Advertising Club of Northeast Louisiana, a local chapter of the American Advertising Federation, announced the 2019 American Advertising Award winners on Thursday, February 27th at the Vantage Rooftop Garden. The 54th annual awards ceremony was hosted by Mike Downhour and Amanda McMullen Lyons. The Ad Club received over 75 entries and a panel of 3 out-of-market guest judges convened to review and score the entries based on creativity, originality and creative strategy. BayouLife was awarded 3 Gold ADDY Awards, 3 Silver ADDY Awards, 1 Bronze ADDY Award, 2 Judges’ Awards, the Best of Print Awards and People’s Choice Award. The mission of the Ad Club is to enhance the professional development of its membership, while increasing local and national recognition for all aspects of the marketing industry, including advertising, public relations, creative, social media and more.

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On the BayouScene

1 Trey Jones, Clayton Harris and Luna Rocha 2K aitlin Tarver, Carol-Anne Lenard, Ainslea HootonSnellenberger and Ashley McTurner 3 Ainslea Hooton-Snellenberger and Angela Tocco 4 Micheal and Harper DeJean 5B renda Zuber and Brent Scott 6C J Sartor, Susan Allain, and Phyllis Horne 7 Kenny Shutt and Graham Morris 8M ike Downhour and Paula Burgess 9 Sarah Floyd and Taylor Bennett 10 P atti Pate, Judy Gaddy and Mark Windham 11 L ogan Baugh and Charlton McGowan

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S E E D S WA P A HOM EGROW N GAT H ER I NG

photography by KELLY MOORE CLARK styling by TAYLOR BENNETT

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f you’ve ever thought about starting your own garden, now is the time to do it. Get together with a couple of your closest friends, swap seeds and then take them home to put in your garden.

W H AT YOU ’ L L N E E D Small containers for takeaway seeds, pens and markers for labeling, scoops, potting soil, water, trowel and a small selection of glass jars or planters.

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SEEDS TO PLANT IN APRIL pril is a great time to get your veggie garden growing. With the days longer and the weather a little warmer, now is the time to start sowing crops outside. This list of seeds can be a guide to those hosting a seed swap gathering.

TOM ATOE S CHILIS CELERIAC CUCUMBERS PUMPKINS LEEKS LETTUCE PEAS RADISH SPINACH SWISS CHARD TURNIP

*Don’t forget to make it a party. Be prepared with food and drinks for your friends. A simple summer salad with balsamic vinegar and fresh strawberries is the perfect snack. Cool beverages like bottled Topo Chico with fresh lemon and limes offer guests refreshements.

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The ULTRA Lifestyle Live Healthy and Active with More Low-Carb Choices

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ICHELOB ULTRA™ APPEALS TO A WIDE AUDIENCE of beer drinkers that are interested in a superior tasting light beer that also promotes a healthy, active, social lifestyle. In an era when many beer drinkers are looking for the newest, hoppiest or most local brew, it is surprising that a light beer that has been around for nearly 15 years has emerged as one of the fastest growing brands in the business.

The Michelob family has been around a long time, has brought us many great-iconic beers such as, Michelob Lager, Michelob Light and Michelob Amber Bock. In 2002, they introduced Michelob ULTRA and it has actually proven to be the fastest growing brand in the business as Michelob Ultra remains the largest share gainer in the US, now for eight consecutive quarters.

Appealing to active people of all ages, the Michelob ULTRA™ family promotes the “ULTRA™ lifestyle,” Michelob ULTRA supports an active, social lifestyle and is proud to be a sponsor of athletic events across the country, ranging from running and cycling competitions to golf tournaments.

NATIONALLY SPONSORED PARTNERSHIPS: • Ultra Fit Fest • Rock N Roll Marathon Series • Trirock Triathlon Series • Official Beer sponsor of the PGA, LPGA, Champions Tour, Web. com Tour

In addition to national partnerships, along with Michelob Ultra, Marsala Beverage partners with local charities/non profits to sponsor many Running Events, Golf Tournaments and Tennis Tournaments.

Partnering with these particular events, allows Michelob Ultra to be shared among adults while enjoying the Ultra Lifestyle.

It’s positioning – call it inspirational for the aspirational -- reflects a clear understanding that people today, especially the younger, more affluent people that represent the brand’s target audience, are inspired to live an all-together healthier lifestyle. Not dieting or eating less fattening food, but pursuing healthier choices in all aspects of life.

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Since Michelob ULTRA™ was introduced in 2002, its high end American-style has appealed to the masses. People who are interested in a low carb lifestyle finally had an option to choose from when it came to beer. Its subtle fruit and citrus aromas compliment this light-bodied beer’s smooth and refreshing taste. One year after its introduction, Michelob ULTRA™ became the fastest-growing new brand in the industry and was a phenomenal hit among adult fitness enthusiasts, adult consumers living an active lifestyle, and those looking for a great-tasting beer with lower carbohydrates and fewer calories.

The original Michelob ULTRA™ has 4.2% alcohol by volume, 95 calories and only 2.6 grams of carbs per serving, making it one of the lowest carb beer choices on the market. But Michelob ULTRA™ isn’t the only choice when it comes to low carb brew. The ULTR family offers many choices for a wide variety of taste.

• Michelob ULTRA™ Amber is a beer that is full in flavor and rich in color with great amber taste and 3.7g of carbs, 114 calories and 5% alcohol by volume.

• Michelob ULTRA™ Lime Cactus boasts a refreshing lime taste, perfect for summer days. With 4% alcohol by volume, 95 calories, and only 5.5 grams of carbs per serving it makes a great choice for healthy beer drinkers.

• Made with organic grains from the country’s finest fields, Michelob ULTRA™ Pure Gold is a light lager with a superior, golden taste.

With only 2.5 carbs and 85 calories, Pure Gold is triple filtered and brewed free of artificial colors and flavors.

Please find us at www.marsalabeverage.com or follow us on social media: Facebook: Marsala Beverage Twitter: @marsalabeverage1 Instagram: @marsalabeverage

Fishing With Kenny Fishing the Spring Weather Fronts article by K E N N Y C OV I NGT ON

One of the consistent things about spring in our area is you can bet the weather will be consistently inconsistent. Believe it or not over the years I have fished in snow, sleet, rain or any combination of the three in the month of April.

Just remember, even when these types of low pressure weather systems come through, bass can still be caught and bite extremely well.

The major problem with springtime weather systems is they are usually fast and furious in their movements so your fishing decisions need to be spot on. Springtime cold fronts are not just major changes in our weather patterns, but they can also cause abrupt changes in fish behaviors. Fish that were actively feeding can become sporadic and fickle. A strike zone that may have been several feet may become just a few inches. Fifteen bites a day can change to five from one day to the next.

Springtime fronts usually mean the fish will bite pretty well the day before or even the day a front actually passes through. These fronts consistently bring with them colder north winds, heavy cloud cover and precipitation of some form. All these things are contributing factors to the pre-front active bite, but it is actually the low pressure associated with these fronts that trigger the heavy feeding activity before, during and maybe even immediately after the front has gone through.

The key to fishing the numerous spring based weather fronts is to change your tactics before you change your locations. A few years ago, a tournament in the first week of April found me bundled up in full winter gear. The air temperature started in the high 30’s and never rose above the mid 40’s all day. I caught all my fish, which had eagerly slurped up a slowly twitched Rogue a week before, slow-rolling a spinnerbait around the same heavy shallow 68 APRIL 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

cover where the fish had been actively spawning a week earlier. The weather system didn’t cause the fish to abandon their areas, it just required me to adjust my presentations to catch them.

Where many anglers struggle is the day after a major weather system has passed. This can be one of the most difficult situations any angler, tournament or weekend warrior alike, can face. The skies have cleared, a cold north wind is blowing, the area you caught them in the day before seems abandoned of activity and you can’t buy a bite. This is where simple adjustments, even though they appear to be small, can pay big dividends.

For example, if I was catching fish the day before throwing bulkier Texas rigged soft plastics around cypress trees, why not go to a more subtle smaller soft plastic with a lighter slip sinker? Or what if I was throwing a Zoom fluke in the grass, why not switch to a unweighted Senko? Looking at both examples I’m not really changing what I did successfully the day before, I’m simply tweaking my presentations based on the new set of conditions. Most of the time the fish haven’t moved, you just have to figure out a better way to catch them.

With all of this being said, I have fished lakes where the weather systems don’t seem to matter regardless of how severe they are. I have found this to be especially true on all of the Mississippi River oxbows such as Lake Bruin and Lake Providence and on cypress tree dominated lakes in general. Those fish will bite before the storm, after the storm and even during the storms.

Allow me to share a few of my favorite prefront/post front lure combinations with you.

Remember in bass fishing nothing is set in stone and over a period of time you will develop your own “go to” set of lures but for now I will share the ones that have worked for me.

JIG/CREATURE BAIT A jig and trailer combination is well known as a big bass killer throughout the year, especially during the spring, but fish can also become hesitant to strike them regardless of the weather. I like to start my spring fishing with my favorite jig combination but I have found the more fickle the fish become, the more they tend to bite smaller creature baits such as a Zoom Baby Brush Hog or a Sweet Beaver style of soft plastic.

SPINNERBAIT/CHATTERBAIT It is not uncommon to find as many as five spinnerbaits tied onto rods in my boat at any time. I have that much confidence in them, not just as fish locators but fish catchers as well. However, it seems to me that I catch a better quality fish after a weather system on a Chatterbait style of lure than I do a spinnerbait. I don’t have a logical, fact based reason other than they just prefer it over a spinnerbait.

RAT L TRAP/ SQUAREBILL A Rat L Trap style of bait is especially effective regardless of the type of springtime weather change. Most of the time the fish aren’t actively feeding, they are in a negative mood due to the change in weather but they will strike this lure simply out of reflex. I have found the Rat L Trap to be more effective in grass related scenarios. However, the squarebill is always my choice when fishing cypress trees, docksl, seawalls or rocks. The erratic movement of this lure tends to trigger strikes, especially when it deflects off of an object in the water.

WEIGHTED/UNWEIGHTED SENKO Without a doubt the most dynamic fish catcher ever introduced into bass fishing is the Senko style soft plastic stickbait. Most of the time I will have one or both versions on the deck of my boat. I have found they are both interchangeable regardless of the weather but when fishing grassy areas I prefer the weightless version. When fishing for post-front fish I usually will go with the Texas rigged weighted version because it allows me more control over my lure presentation.

ROGUE/FLUKE During the springtime of year you just don’t go fishing without a Rogue.

It is essential and deadly. Slowly twitch it on top, slowly twitch and retrieve it under the water, or even use a slow steady retrieve, the Rogue will catch fish. Once the front has moved through a good tactic is to switch to a Zoom Fluke. You can basically work it with the same rod movements and cadences as the Rogue but the Fluke allows you to slowly and more effectively fish the deeper part of the water column.

Well, it looks like we have run out of time and space again for another month. This is the best time of year to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature and her creatures. When dealing with these springtime weather systems, remember they can produce violent weather and become very dangerous so please use extreme caution when out on the water! There isn’t a bass in the water worth losing your life over. Take care, catch one for me and I will see you next month!

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ULM Annual Night of Champions On Friday, February 28th, ULM supporters and alumni attended the annual Night of Champions event on ULM’s campus at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Food and beverages were provided and attendees had the opportunity to bid on silent and live auction items like Elton John tickets, a grill, a custom bar and even a puppy! The night ended with everyone’s favorite, The Molly Ringwalds, taking guests on a musical journey filled with hits that transcended the 1980s.

The event benefits Student-Athlete Scholarships and the ULM Athletic Foundation. The ULM Athletic Foundation membership is composed of individuals and businesses with a common mission, to raise awareness and financial support for the Warhawk athletic programs, positively promote all athletic events, grow fan and donor base and enhance the lives of over 350 student-athletes.

On the BayouScene

1 Brandi and David Cole 2 Meredith and Tommy Hayes 3 Ted and Janine Hopkins 4 Lindsey and Chad Copeland and Friday and Ashley Ellis 5 Andy Chason and Kristal and Brad Anzalone 6 Stuart Cathey, Jr. and Todd Hilburn 7 Jeff and Evelyn Johnson 8 Julie and Russell Kicey 9 Perry and Tyler Smith and Shannon Newton 10 Hannah Livingston and Luke Letlow 11 Rachel and John Sitton 12 Todd Burgess and Babbette Adcock 13 W allace Hardy and Steve Tew 14 K evin Welker, Cindy Rogers and Pat Welker 15 M ac and Alise Oliver 16 Stuart and Donna Cathey and Jimbo Stephens 17 M isty Bayles, Allison Ford, Meredith Mayeaux, Jamie Norris and Melissa Kiper

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BAYOUOUTDOORS

ROAD WARRIOR ARTICLE BY DAN CHASON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRAD ARENDER

If you think that you were quite the achiever at age 23, let me introduce you to a special young man that has reset that bar quite high. Hunter Freeman grew up in the little town of Eros, Louisiana not far from the shores of Caney Lake.

He says that growing up, his mom would drop him off at a small pond at 8 a.m. and he would fish the same pond daily until late in the evening.

“I must have caught every bass in that lake 10 times,” he says. “I would bet there weren’t 25 fish in the whole pond but I just could not leave one that hadn’t been caught and released.” This started a dedication and determination that burnedhot then and is now a furnace in the soul of this likeable angler. Hunter is hard to miss as his

signature mullet and toothy grin is only masked by the faithful sunglasses and cap. The Bass Cat boat adorns his sponsors and his name but when you talk to him, you quickly learn he loves three things: his family, Caney Lake and bass fishing.

Hunter’s path to the premiere fishing arena started on that small pond but his dreams were quite different. He was a gifted pitcher and played catcher as well as playing travel ball for multiple teams. Baseball was his path and with supportive parents, his path seemed. That is until two elbow injuries ended that dream at age 15. “I dreamed one day I would be pitching to the big boys. But God had a different plan. I can’t say I liked it then, but I have to say, I’m not fussing now. I still

get to play in the big leagues but it is with a rod and reel and not a baseball.” That injury opened up free time and that free time was invested in his new passion: fishing. That drive and longing for competitive action was redirected. One sign of his commitment was a bass fishing trip after homecoming and again after prom. And being the valedictorian at West Ouachita his senior year brought a new opportunity.

Hunter had been honored with an academic scholarship to LSU and ULM but decided to go to ULM for one reason: they had a good fishing team that was established nationally. This to most would be a bad move as having a ticket to go to LSU versus ULM is not a reasonable decision to most. But Hunter took this opportunity and made it into what is now his full-time career. In 2018, Hunter won the FLW College Championship and won a spot on the FLW Forrest Wood Cup Team. This is one of the highest honors any angler of any age can win. Hunter accomplished this by his 21st birthday. That honor led to an invitation to fish the FLW Pro Tour which is now where he competes as a touring professional. That in and of itself would be a high accomplishment. Hunter could have taken this degree in business and joined the working class in the field of his choice. But tenacity has paid off and as of this writing, Hunter sits in second place in the nation for the coveted title of “Angler of the Year.” This title is the most sought after

in all of fishing as it recognizes an angler’s consistency and performance for the entire year. Most recently, Hunter finished 3rd on the Harris Chain in February to solidify his spot in the Angler of the Year standings with even better things to come.

I asked Hunter about the life of a professional fisherman and what is most misunderstood about the position. The main point is the time spent alone. “I put 2,900 miles on my truck last week. I have driven 26 hours and had a bad tournament. Being alone and dealing with times that you don’t fish up to your potential is hard. Without my girlfriend’s support and the support of my family and sponsors, it would be a very hard adjustment. My mindset is the 24-hour mindset. If you don’t do well at anything, deal with it only 24 hours then lay it down.

Back up and punt and move forward. That is the only way to deal with any disappointment in life.” Very astute words from such a young man but very true for all of us. Hunter has exceeded most expectations as young anglers are looked at under a different microscope.

They are expected to ride hard and act their age. But not Hunter. “Fishing is my business. I treat it like a business because it is how I make my living. I can’t be out there acting a fool when, first of all, that isn’t me, and second of all, everywhere I go and everything I do has a direct impact on my sponsor base.” To gauge his following, in 2 years, he has accumulated over 20,000

followers on Instagram and Facebook via @ hunterfreemanfishing. I would call that a fan base.

Speaking of sponsors, Hunter has done quite well in that market. His likeable personality is a plus on top of the fact he can put a spanking on fish. But what is unknown to most is the driving force behind Hunter Freeman. “I’m in it for the kids. I would hope that there is some kid out there with a dream to fish. I want to be the person that kid can look at and say if ‘Hunter can do it I can do it.’ I have and will always have time for kids. Sharing knowledge, encouragement or advice is what they crave. And if I can get them into fishing and off the X-Box, I’ve done my job. And the bonus is I have created and cultivated a future market for my sponsor base.” This was apparent on the day Hunter and I met at Caney Lake for the photo shoot for this article. There was a young man that I know from South Louisiana who wanted to meet Hunter. We stayed an extra 2 hours and waited for this young man to return from church so Hunter could say hello and take a picture with him. He didn’t have to do it and he didn’t do it but for one reason: that kid mattered and Hunter made him feel like the king of the world. I was extremely impressed. Long after I was ready to go, Hunter was talking fishing and tactics with this young man. It was very apparent it was genuine and is something that will take Hunter far.

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peaking of Caney Lake, you can’t hardly say Caney recently without saying Hunter’s name. Back before turning pro and when he was able to fish tournaments on Caney, he was a force to be dealt with. Hunter explained it as time on the water. “I would come to Caney early on in a Jon boat. After I got my driver’s license, I lived on this lake. I became obsessed with fishing after I blew out my elbow and I was so zoned in that many times my parents had to come for hunt me. I could not get enough of it. When I graduated to a bigger boat and finally got some electronics, I would spend hours upon hours just graphing. Learning the lake but mostly studying the movement of bass and what they did and when.

What I found when I started traveling around fishing was that if you can catch fish on Caney Lake, you can catch them anywhere. It has everything. Humps, ledges, grass, pads, rocks and just about anything a bass will key on or use for cover. It is a teaching lake if you listen but you got to put in your time.”

That was pretty clear to me when he turned on his Lowrance electronics. I think I stopped counting at 75 points marked on his lake map. When I mentioned that to Hunter he laughed and said, “Actually there are close to 2,000 waypoints marked on here for Caney” as he caught another fish. Of course, I didn’t look too hard as that is a precious commodity to a fisherman but I will tell you this, coordinates don’t catch fish, fishermen do. On our trip that morning, the conditions were terrible. The wind was howling and the water was dingy after yet another rain. To protect Hunter’s patterns and areas, I will just leave it as we had a good day. On this horrible day we were bumping 5 fish at 25 pounds, and all of this was done in about an hour. To make it more impressive, the man had not been on Caney Lake in over a month. Now that is what I call knowing a lake.

I asked Hunter what his favorite type of fishing was and got a pretty good answer, “Whatever they are eating,” he quipped while laughing. “No, I’m a die- hard “cranker” (meaning he loves to throw a crankbait). I’m not as good at sight fishing as I want to be when the bass are spawning, but I’ve adjusted and can still catch them. I like to power fish. Deep structure is my favorite as I love to find them deep.

Those fish don’t move as much and are much more dependable versus a shallow pattern. When you fish a three-day tournament, you have to have multiple places that will hold fish as the weather and conditions change. Deep water is the only place I find comfort and then try to duplicate the pattern. In the Harris Chain tournament, I found one of these places. What helped me was to be confident in the pattern. I

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blind fished a couple more spots like it during the tournament (which is not normal) and did well. You have to have confidence. I believe that confidence goes from your hands, down that line to your lure. If you aren’t confident, you will not be zoned in. That causes you to miss bites and not dial in for that tough bite at times.”

I also asked Hunter how he prepares for tournaments on lakes he has never seen. His response did not surprise me as I was talking to a 23 year-old. “Google Earth, Google Maps and the Internet is where I start. Look at past tournaments on that same lake. Now mind you, I don’t pay a lot of attention to what they caught their fish on. The main thing I look at is average total weights for the month I will be there. I know if a lake takes a 20-pound stringer in the summer to win, I know I’m probably going to be chunking a deep crankbait or big worm or jig.

If the weights are light, I know the lake gives up a lot of spotted bass or Kentucky bass. This tells me to find rock and sand. Little things like that is what I look for.

Then the maps. The maps help me eliminate water and I spend hours looking at the lake map on Google Earth. I’m looking for grass beds, hydrilla and especially any good break lines, and whether the lake is pulled for hydroelectric use, which is a curse on a reservoir for a bass angler. On river systems I look at shortest routes to a destination.

I look to see if I have to lock through and if there is a schedule. That homework starts at home and quite honestly is the most studying I’ve ever done. I study it hard and when I get to the lake, it is not strange anymore. I start deep and go shallow on every lake except in spawning season. I fish fast the first day and slow down by the second and lock into what I will fish. I don’t fish somebody else’s patterns because we all fish differently. In my ride around, I’m looking for bait. Shad or whatever is the primary food. Find the bait, you find the fish.”

There have been and still are some talented anglers on the ULM fishing team that Larry Ellerman and I started years ago. Some have excelled and others have struggled. But the opportunity they are given on that team cannot be overstated. Results have shown one thing to be apparent. This is one angler who will go far. He has the family support and the support of the one who matters most to an angler and that is his girlfriend, Ainslee Dupree.

I will make the prediction that within the next few years, this young man will dominate the FLW series and be a household name. Not bad for a young pitcher from Eros who went from pitching baseballs to pitching a jig.

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Child Sexual Abuse

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BY THE CHILDREN’S COALITION FOR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA

behavior into adolescence and adulthood.” hild maltreatment is an ongoing The impact even expands to businesses, epidemic in Louisiana, the including higher health care costs, increased effects of which can impact incarceration rates, lost work days, and health and productivity in mental health outcomes which adulthood. impair the population’s ability In 2017, 11,289 children to be mentally and emotionally were validated victims of child abuse and neglect in prepared for work.

Louisiana, and 41 children

Childhood sexual abuse died as a result. In 2017, the is an adverse childhood number of youth under the age experience (ACE) that of 18 confirmed to have been negatively effects children victims of abuse or neglect in who will eventually become Ouachita Parish (11.4 per 1000) adults with mental, physical exceeded the state rate (9.5 per and emotional issues that 1000). The Centers for Disease are battled throughout Control and Prevention life. Having a conversation estimate the lifetime cost TAM MY WA S H I NGTON about the things that hurt associated with one non-fatal our children the most can be case of child maltreatment to be $229,792. gut wrenching, but it is necessary. Even if As such, an estimated $1.5 billion was spent the conversation about childhood sexual in our state in 2016 to pay for the costs of abuse causes eyes to roll and individuals to treating victims. The CDC states that, in profess, “that doesn’t happen in my family”, addition to the physical, emotional, and research tells us that parent and professional psychological problems experienced by education programs, like Stewards of victims, “child abuse and neglect can also Children, can actually prevent child sexual affect broader health outcomes, mental abuse by increasing protective factors and health, social development, and risk-taking reducing risk factors.

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Tammy Washington is the Early Childhood Life Skills Coordinator for the curriculum known as Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices. Tammy is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and married to Rod Washington.

Together they have four wonderful children. Spending valuable quality time as a family is important to Tammy. Her job includes providing monitoring and support services for all Pre-K teachers in Ouachita, Morehouse, Franklin and Jackson Parish and participating Pre-K3-4 Child Developments Centers. Tammy also coordinates the Annual Community Anti-Bully Awareness campaign for Ouachita Parish. She is a certified Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children training facilitator.

Q: What is the most important thing parents and youth need to know about Darkness ot Light Stewards of Children?

A: This is a complex subject, but complexity doesn’t make it less prevalent or traumatic. That means we must still dig our feet into the trenches and protect our children. The Darkness to Light‘s adult education program, Stewards of Children,

provides five simple and proactive steps to protect children from sexual abuse. The steps are: 1. Learn the Facts; 2. Minimize Opportunity; 3. Talk About it; 4. Recognize the Signs; and 5. React Responsibly.

Before learning these steps in depth, we need to understand the three personal empowerment skills that should follow us all the days of our lives. These skills will empower us to always be able to make the most difficult decisions: Skill #1. Make a Choice.

Make a choice to be proactive in protecting our children. Skill #2. Taking Risks. It isn’t always easy talking to children about sexual boundaries.

Bravery is necessary when deciding to make an actual report. No matter what, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Skill #3: Supporting Each Other. We must let children know we have their backs. It is never fair to allow a child to have to deal with trauma alone. We must be brave enough to stand with and for children.

Stewards of Children empowers adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction. Darkness to Light believes that protecting children is an adult’s responsibility, and that through education and training adults will be empowered to act. Our trainings are the only evidence-informed, adult-focused child sexual abuse prevention trainings proven to increase knowledge and change behavior.

Stewards of Children empowers adults and organizations to bring in child safety to their own communities.

silence about childhood sexual abuse, our communities will experience less homelessness, less post-traumatic stress, less substance abuse, less violence, less teen pregnancy, and fewer school dropouts. As adults, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of ALL children is fortified. No matter what, we must protect them. As we continue to be their safety net, we will also notice rising academics.

This leads to our society having more functional families, healthier and happier children growing to be successful law-abiding citizens.

Child sexual abuse can also cause longterm poor health outcomes. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events occurring before age 18. ACEs include all types of abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, substance use, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence. A landmark study in the 1990s found a significant relationship between the number of ACEs a person experienced and a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood, including poor physical and mental health, substance abuse, and risky behaviors.1 The more ACEs experienced, the greater the risk for these outcomes. By definition, children in the child welfare system have suffered at least one ACE. Recent studies have shown that, in comparison to the general population, these children are far more likely to have experienced at least four ACEs Research about the lifelong impact of ACEs underscores the urgency of prevention activities to protect children from these and other early traumas. When children do experience trauma, understanding the impact of ACEs can lead to more trauma-informed interventions that help to mitigate negative outcomes.The Children’s Coalition offers training for parents and professionals on both child abuse prevention (Stewards of Children) and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE).

“1 out of every 10 children will be sexually abused by the age of 18.”

Q: Why is it important for parents to talk to their children about sexual boundaries? How does this affect their health?

A: As children grow and develop, they will become more observant and curious about their bodies. Not having a clear understanding of their body can have a negative effect. When parents are comfortable with having age appropriate conversations with their child about their bodies and boundaries, it can give the child a level of growing confidence and respect for themselves and others. This empowers the child to also be confident while make safe and healthy choices. Saying “No” or “No, I don’t like that” will not be difficult or cause a feeling of guilt, because they understand the rewards of appropriate decisions and consequences of inappropriate decisions.

When parents create a safe space in the relationship, a child will more than likely ask questions about things they don’t understand. They are also more likely to tell their parent or trusted adult when they feel as if someone has crossed their boundary. Remember, we are protecting our most precious gifts, and, we are protecting their future.

The numbers don’t lie. 1 out of every 10 children will be sexually abused by the age of 18. What do you imagine that can do to our future? 90% of abused children know their abuser. How are we fortifying our families to strengthen our future? 42 million people survive child sexual abuse. We must ask ourselves, what are we doing to ensure that OUR FUTURE thrives, in-spite of their circumstances?

As a community, it is not only our responsibility to equip children with the knowledge and resources they need to be upstanding citizens. We must also do our part to help protect them and their families from traumatic experiences. We are doing the world a disservice if we neglect this duty.

Q: What are some of the short- and long-term outcomes of child sexual abuse?

A: As our community becomes more educated and breaks the

RESOURCES The Stewards of Children Prevention The Stewards of Children Prevention Toolkit app (http://www.socapp. org/) was developed by Childhood USA in partnership with Darkness to Light and Ericsson. This tool is the first-of-its kind mobile app that will equip adults with the skills and resources necessary to prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.

Tammy Washington is the Early Childhood Life Skills Coordinator and leads Ouachita Prevent Child Abuse Coalition. She will be leading two Stewards of Children trainings during National Child Abuse and Neglect month at the Children’s Coalition for NELA. Thursday, April 2nd from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm and Friday, April 24th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. These trainings are free and you can register online. To learn when the next training will be held or to register, visit, www.childrenscoalition.org and under the programs tab, follow the Healthy Living link to Child Abuse Prevention. You can also call 318.323.8775*209 to speak with Tammy Washington.

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T R AV E L PR O F I L E

THE S’EDGE OF SUCCESS

ANALEISE AND JOHN THOMAS CREATED THEIR NEW CLOTHING LINE FROM SCRATCH. AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS OF RESEARCHING PRODUCTION MANAGERS, FACTORIES AND FABRIC VENDORS, THE THOMASES MANAGED TO ASSEMBLE A COMPANY THAT NOT ONLY EXCITED THEM, BUT ALSO FULFILLED THE NEED FOR A HIGH-QUALITY T-SHIRT BRAND. THUS, S’EDGE WAS BORN. article by Starla Gatson photography by Kelly Moore Clark

espite being born and raised in the south, a region of the United States characterized by its slower pace and easygoing way of life, Analeise Reeves Thomas loves to be on the move. She feels comfortable in the midst of change and excitement, making her chosen field of work — the ever-evolving fashion industry — a perfect fit. But it is not just the fast-paced nature of the trade that fuels Thomas’ passion, however. Fashion runs in her family; it’s in her blood.

Between her father, Donald, operating a women’s apparel showroom, Reeves & Company, and her grandmother running Signatures by Linda Reeves, a womenswear boutique formerly located in Monroe, Thomas has had a front row seat to the world of fashion since she was a child. Though born in Baton Rouge, the Louisiana native called Ouachita Parish home from first grade through her senior year of high school and says it was there that she developed the skills she would later use in her career. “You learn so much growing up in a smaller town,” Thomas says.

“Working at my grandmother’s store, I think, taught me much, not just about the fashion industry, but about dealing with people in general. You develop skillsets like being able to have an adult conversation with a 60-year-old woman at the age of 14, so being at her store was, I think, extremely vital for me in this industry and just me as a person.”

Though she had witnessed her family’s work in fashion her whole life, it was not until 2015, a few years after she had earned a marketing degree from Louisiana State University, that Thomas decided to join her father at Reeves & Company. “I’ve always

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been interested in a lot of different things, but after I got engaged, I decided I wanted to do something that was stable and that I knew,” she says of her career choice. “Honestly, I think it’s easy for people to fall in line with businesses they grow up around. My parents have always been in the clothing industry and fashion industry; that’s what I know.

I know the lingo, I know the ins and outs of the wholesale business, the resale business, the production side, so it’s kind of like a natural thing for me to begin working with my father. I knew it was something that I could be successful at because of my knowledge of the industry.” Upon joining Reeves & Company, Thomas was tasked with heading its newest endeavor: a second showroom based in Atlanta. She balanced her life as a businesswoman and a young wife by splitting her time between Louisiana and Georgia until the summer of 2018, when she and her husband, John, made the decision to move their family to Atlanta full-time to be closer to the showroom. Between both locations in Dallas and Atlanta, Reeves & Company has grown to become one of the south’s premier women’s apparel showrooms and represents close to 30 brands.

Though heading up the Atlanta showroom and being a wife and mother of two no doubt keeps her days full, Thomas is just getting started and does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. In fact, she recently added yet another title to her resume: clothing brand owner.

Given her family history and professional experience in the clothing industry, the decision to establish a brand was one that just made sense for Thomas. “My husband and I were talking, and through our showrooms in Dallas and Atlanta, we’ve found what works for companies, what doesn’t work for companies, what stores like, what they don’t like, why companies fail, why they succeed,” she says. “And so, we looked at each other one day and were like, ‘We should start a brand.’ We know what it takes. We know the key components to make a brand work. We know what stores expect, we know what sales reps expect, and I feel like if we can make all those things happen, then there’s no way we won’t be successful.”

Shortly after that conversation, the two began the work of making this new dream a reality. The pair spent time in Los Angeles, scouring the city for a brand to purchase and revitalize. But their search came up short, Thomas explains, as the two could not quite find a pre-existing brand that conveyed the message they wanted to send. “We didn’t find one that we felt like was a perfect fit for what we were trying to do. And, in the same breath, we wanted something that was going to work in our Dallas and Atlanta showrooms; we didn’t want to take on a brand that was similar to something we already had.” Creating from scratch, then, was the couple’s best bet at bringing their idea to life, and after nearly two years of researching production managers, factories, and fabric vendors, the Thomases managed to assemble a company that not only excited them, but also fulfilled the need for a high-quality t-shirt brand in both Reeves & Company showrooms. Thus, S’Edge was born.

Initially named Southern Edge, the couple’s brand, featuring 100 percent American-made production and high-quality fabric sourced from Peru and the United States, was created with the intention of being unique while appealing to the wants and needs of their customers. “I knew I wanted a line that was edgy, but not edgy like New York or Los Angeles edgy,” Thomas says. “So, I was like, ‘You know what? We should call this Southern Edge, so it’s just slightly edgy.’” Further discussion led the couple to shorten the brand’s name to S’Edge to increase the products’ appeal to customers in other areas, and rather than being an abbreviation for southern, the “S” in S’Edge is now left open for interpretation by the women who wear the clothing, Thomas explains. “Sophisticated. Sexy.

Strong. Smart. Subtle. Sweet. Stylish. You can come up with a myriad of adjectives that start with ‘S’ to describe the modern woman, and then, it’s basically however you’re feeling that day; that’s the edge you choose.”

Thomas works with Savannah College of Art and Design graduate and former bridal gown designer Faith Thornburg to design each piece sold by S’Edge. “She does all of the technical design for S’Edge,” Thomas

THE “S” IN S’EDGE IS LEFT OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION BY THE WOMEN WHO WEAR THE CLOTHING, THOMAS EXPLAINS. “SOPHISTICATED. SEXY. STRONG. SMART. SUBTLE. SWEET. STYLISH. YOU CAN COME UP WITH A MYRIAD OF ADJECTIVES THAT START WITH ‘S’ TO DESCRIBE THE MODERN WOMAN, AND THEN, IT’S BASICALLY HOWEVER YOU’RE FEELING THAT DAY; THAT’S THE EDGE YOU CHOOSE.”

says. “I’m considered the creative designer, so I kind of tell her my vision for each line, each season, each delivery that we roll out, and she kind of executes and makes that happen.” Seeing the designs come to life, Thomas says, and receiving positive feedback from retailers has so far been her favorite aspect of operating S’Edge. “It makes you feel proud and excited,” she adds.

The Thomases’ brand also has a philanthropic component, as it will be partnering with Joni & Friends, a Christian organization that shares the Gospel and practical resources with people affected by disability. The hope is for S’Edge to contribute to the organization’s Wheels for the World initiative and provide funds used to donate wheelchairs to people in need across the globe.

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Though the young clothing brand has only just begun, launching just a few short months ago at the beginning of 2020, it certainly seems to have started on the right foot, and with Thomas’ previously established connections and industry know-how, growth may be just on the horizon. “We’re in a unique position to be successful because we have boutique connections, which so many people don’t,” she says. “They start a line and then they launch a website and they just hope they get traffic there. They’re just relying on online sales; it’s not a way to grow quickly.” Thanks to Reeves & Company’s over 2,000 boutique connections spanning across a 17-state territory, S’Edge apparel can get in the hands of thousands, and one day, Thomas hopes, into the offices of well-known retailers, including IE, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Sak’s, and Stitch Fix.

She is fully focused on and passionate about her work, both at Reeves & Company and S’Edge, but with her drive and determination, it will not be long before Thomas is on the move again, setting new goals and reaching for higher heights. Though she is not exactly sure where her career will take her, one thing is certain: Analeise Reeves Thomas is going to keep moving. “S’Edge is not the end-all be-all as far as we’re concerned with manufacturing in the clothing industry,” she declares. “Our goal is to start multiple lines over the next ten or so years that vary in style, vary in direction, vary in demographic as far as who the customer is, so once S’Edge is kind of under our belt — we feel confident with what we’ve built there — the next step is to develop another brand and then another brand and then another brand. You know, we’ll just see where it goes. We may have two brands, we may have ten, I don’t know, but we want to keep pushing and keep going.”

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The Paper Market Always a Reason to Celebrate

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URING THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES, it is still important to recognize special events and occasions in our lives. While events may be scaled down and restricted to small groups, The Paper Market has everything you need, no matter the size or occasion. From disposable plates, napkins, cups, utensils, serving pieces and platters, The Paper Market has it all to make a get together both easy and safe. If you are planning a small get together, Amy Robinson, owner of The Paper Market, and her staff can help. You can call ahead and tell them the theme of the party and they can grab everything you need and have it waiting for you to pick up. “We have all of the popular themes from unicorns, mermaids and llamas to Mickey Mouse, Toy Story and sports,” says Amy.

The Paper Market also has a wide variety of gift wrap, boxes and tissue paper. Even during this time of social distancing, someone having a birthday can still feel special. No matter what theme you go with, The Paper

Market has an entire wall of disposable products from napkins, plates, tablecloths, utensils and more, that come in 26 colors.

While it may look different this year, Easter is happening this month and The Paper Market has seasonal plates, napkins and cups that will brighten up your table. They also have options of bunny ears, easter baskets and little happies to go in those Easter baskets. If you would like The Paper Market Easter Bunny to do some shopping for you, call ahead and they can pull exactly what you need.

If you are planning for an occasion in the future, you can always use The Paper Market’s website - ThePaperMarketMonroe.com - to order your save the dates and invitations, as well as stationery. The process is super simple.

Just log on and select the product you are interested in - wedding, birthday, baby, kids, stationery, holiday and more. Then browse through the hundreds of design options that are completely customizable and able to be personalized. Place your order and within

days, they will arrive on your doorstep without you ever having to leave the house.If you have any issues when browsing or designing, you can always call the store and get someone to help you.

Balloons are always a favorite and now you can see the inventory available at The Paper Market on their website. “We have pictures of some of our most popular balloon items like our number and alphabet balloons, orbz, bubble balloons, and the always large selection of latex colors to compliment any theme,” said Amy. “So you can see what is available and figure out color schemes before you even come in.” While you can’t order online, you can always call the store directly, place your order with a credit card and have it ready when you need to pick it up.

The Paper Market motto has always been “Celebrate Everything” and as we are all spending more time at home with family and friends, we are reminded to always celebrate what is truly important.

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A Shocking Transformation Combating Cellulite with Shockwave Therapy

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ELLULITE IS A FRUSTRATING and discouraging problem for millions of women. It targets young and old, large and thin. It’s typically most pronounced around the hips, buttocks, arms or legs of women. We have all tried various creams, potions, exercise regimens, and fad diets which simply don’t work. That’s because cellulite is not a fat problem — it’s a skin problem. Cellulite is made up of fat cells that can’t be burned as fuel, so dieting and exercise won’t eliminate them. Once we get it, we feel cursed because it simply gets worse over time. Many influential factors, such as genetics, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, imbalanced hormone levels, and weight, cause fat deposits below the skin to be strangulated by fibrous, connective tissue, called “septae,” thereby making circulation difficult and trapping fluids. Eventually, this connective tissue scleroses (hardens) leading to the dreaded dimpling and that orange peel appearance.

At Professional Laser Center we

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are committed to obtaining the most advanced technologies in treating fat and cellulite. EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCKWAVE THERAPY and INFRARED LASER THERAPY were added to our list of services over the last year. Shockwave Therapy is a painless, non-invasive treatment that quickly and dramatically improves the appearance of cellulite and recontours the body. It uses powerful ultrasound waves to disrupt the scar tissue and connective tissue, improving circulation and initiating collagen production for thicker, more elastic skin. A total of 6 to 8 treatments, twice a week for three to four weeks is recommended.

Up to four areas of the body can be treated at a time. Each session lasts about 15 minutes per area. Shockwave Therapy also has a prolonged effect. The results are stored at least one year, which means no expensive maintenance treatments. As photos show below and on our website, www.professionallaser.com, the results only get better over the next three to 12 months.

Infrared Laser Therapy is a great adjunct to Shockwave Therapy because it drastically tightens loose skin. Many women have cellulite and loose skin around their arms, abdomen, batwings, and knees. The laser delivers a beam of high-intensity, infrared light that deeply penetrates the skin tissue. The light heats the water content of your skin which stimulates collagen production, causing the skin to contract and tighten. This treatment utilizes patented, cutting-edge, Krypton Light Technology to safely target skin imperfections and tighten the skin. It can be performed alone or immediately after Shockwave, Microneedling, or IPL to heighten results. It can be used on loose, wrinkled skin anywhere on the face or body.

Start your treatments now so you can be ready for summer pool and beach activities. For a free consultation or to schedule an appointment, call 318-361-9066. For a list of all our services, visit our website www.professionallaser.com.

Palette House + Plume Local Shop Announces Exciting Expansion

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HE PALETTE HOUSE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST places to find decor, furniture and home accessories for three years and now, they are adding yet another option. This past month, Palette House officially became Palette House + Plume, as Margaret Moses welcomed her good friend Jansen Harvey to the little shop on Third Street in the heart of the Monroe Garden District. “We are excited to welcome Jansen and her curated collection of clothing that are stylish and sophisticated so it was a natural fit,” said Margaret.

“This is something Margaret and I have always talked about wanting to do and the idea finally became a reality and here we are!” said Jansen. “I’m truly blessed to be able to join Margaret at Palette House and I’m excited to share our vision with customers, as well as work with one of my friends!”

Plume offers several brands that fashionistas can’t find elsewhere in the Twin Cities. “My fashion style is to focus on staple pieces and throw in some fun pops of color or accessories to give it a twist,” said Jansen. “I have always been interested in the fashion industry and making people feel good about themselves is my passion so it is a great fit.” Plume also offers traditional statement pieces as well as fun pieces. The pair recently returned from market and one trend they noticed was military style jumpers and overalls and Plume has some of these available this spring. “When ordering from market, I only selected a handful of sizes so there aren’t ten sizes of the same shirt,” said Jansen. “That means you won’t show up to an event with several other people wearing the same thing. I want each person to feel special and unique.”

Another fun addition are their lounge lines, which allow women to be fashionable and comfortable at the same time. “I wanted to offer lounge options that one can wear at home as well as look great when you are out around town,” said Jansen. In addition to clothing, Plume carries a fun selection of jewelry, fashion accessories, as well as some fabulous bags that can take you from everyday to a special event.

Palette House will continue to carry custom furniture options from Lee, bedding, pillows and local artwork. Margaret is a local interior designer, with over twenty years of design experience, and artist in her own right and has been a resource for her customers since Palette House opened. “In our three years of business, we have done everything from offering special order furniture to overseeing new construction and renovation projects and we are excited to be able to offer even more with the addition of Plume,” said Margaret. “It is only natural that a woman want both her home and her wardrobe to reflect her style and we are excited to be able to offer that!”

Be sure to stop by Palette House + Plume. April marks our three year anniversary. Margaret and Jansen will be on hand to give insight on both interior design and clothing advice whenever you need it.

During this time of uncertainty, we appreciate our customers and community supporting local small businesses at every opportunity.

Be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook pages, where you can find merchandise, ideas and inspiration. We are happy to ship items directly to you, as well as deliver within a certain area. Please feel free to stop by, call us or send us a message via social media with any questions or needs. We appreciate you and wish you well!

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Patient Maintains 200-pound Weight Loss For Seven Years

Jay Says Dr. Walter Sartor “Ensures His Patients Are Cared For, Both Mentally and Physically”

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S JAY PAUL SAT ON A BENCH AND watched his 12-year-old son ride a go-cart in 2013, he experienced an epiphany— one that would result in a 200-pound weight loss.

“Blake asked me to ride the go-carts, and I told him, ‘No, son, you ride. I don’t want to.’

That wasn’t true, though. I was too heavy to fit in them,” Jay said. “As he made about two laps past me, I decided I wasn’t going to miss what mattered in life. When we got home, I contacted Dr. Walter Sartor’s office and scheduled a consult.”

Dr. Sartor, a bariatric surgeon at the Surgery Clinic of Northeast Louisiana, performed Jay’s gastric sleeve procedure in 2013. Since then, Jay has maintained a 200-pound weight loss.

“I truly embraced this journey as not just lifechanging, but a change in life. It taught me portion control and the importance of eating proteins first, vegetables second, and major carbs, if any, last. With the physical activities I enjoy, I have a recipe for success.”

Jay, now 42, has dealt with obesity his entire

life. “When I reflect on my early childhood, I remember kids teasing me about my weight.

Obesity caused me more challenges than I truly realized. When I lost the weight, I gained a different perspective.”

Before his gastric sleeve surgery, Jay suffered from high blood pressure, prediabetes, and joint pain. Now, all of those issues have resolved, and Jay no longer takes obesityrelated medications. Also, “everything is easier and more enjoyable.” He likes hunting, fishing, hiking, running, and exercising.

Jay assumed he would primarily face physical challenges after his surgery.

“It is more of a mental journey than a physical one. You don’t recognize yourself in the mirror after a few months,” he said. “You still think, ‘I can’t do that because I’m heavy,’ even though you’re not anymore. You stop habitually eating; the smaller portions become your new normal.”

A healthcare technology executive, Jay’s newfound confidence has improved his career.

A year after his surgery, he experienced a profound moment when he saw his reflection.

“For the first time, it hit me: this is your new reality, and it feels good. I was off all of my meds and had lost 75 percent of my total weight. All of the positive comments from friends and family came together in that moment.”

No longer sitting on a proverbial bench, Jay feels confident and fulfilled. He has advice for those considering bariatric surgery: view the decision as a life-changing opportunity to control your health. “Dr. Sartor and his staff will ensure you are cared for, both mentally and physically. He possesses a true desire to help people with their weight struggles,” Jay said.

“I have been recommending Dr. Sartor for the last seven years! He and his staff are wonderful, and whether he and his team realize it, they will always be a huge part of my life story.”

In addition to Dr. Sartor, the clinic is also home to surgeons Dr. Bart Liles and Dr. Patrick Smith.

Contact the clinic today with any questions you have about weight loss surgery.

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ARTICLE BY

APRIL CLARK HONAKER

PHOTOGR APHY BY

KELLY MOORE CLARK

T O N I LY O N S P H I L L I P S

he influence of north Louisiana’s lush landscapes hasn’t been lost on Atlanta artist Toni Lyons Phillips. Originally from the Monroe-West Monroe area, Toni grew up fishing near Russell Sage and exploring Bayou Desiard. Then, as a teenager and young adult, she often skied on the Ouachita River. Later, while living in a condo on the river, she would spend her mornings sketching and drawing the world around her and the things carried and collected by the river.

Toni has now lived in Atlanta for twelve years with the love of her life and young son, but the wild, vibrant woods and waterways of Louisiana have made a lasting impression.

According to Toni, the memories of her life in Louisiana continue to inspire her work. “Those observations during that time are the basis of my work. They’re kind of blurry and obscure, and I couple them with more distinct observations from today, but they are so important,” she said.

Reliving those memories through her work has the unique power to carry Toni back in time. Being in the studio and painting make her feel excited and full of life. She said it’s like “being back as a child chasing the adventure and discovering nature all over again and falling in love as if for the first time.”

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For Toni, her attachment to the past is important to her. It’s something she maintains not only in her art, but also in other parts of her life.

And it’s a part of her inspired largely by her dad, a man known to others as “Groovy.” She described him as the type of person you might see on American Pickers, and when she was growing up, he was always building things and putting things together that most people would never dream of putting together. He liked to take found objects and remnants of demo projects and turn them into something altogether different. According to Toni, he built floors out of wine crates, made ceilings out of Skoal cans, and would adorn the top of a brick column with a drill bit.

Today, his whole place is basically made of demoed and interesting materials, and Toni’s home is proof of his influence as well. Her house is not filled with new things. Instead, she said, “My home is decorated with cool and quirky vintage pieces.” Over the years, Toni has collected things from estate sales and other places, including antiques and some mid-century and artsy eclectic treasures. “My home is enriched with artful objects that make me smile when I walk past them,” she said.

One of her eclectic treasures that has a direct connection to her art is a red, vintage marquee letter. It’s an “X” and usually hangs beside the door of her studio, but it’s not just a decoration, the letter has another purpose as well. “I hang it on my studio door only when I am in the flow to let people know ‘do not disturb,’” she said. In ways like this, Toni’s dad’s influence comes out in her life and her creative process, but he is not the only parent to influence her as an artist.

Toni’s mom has a love of creative writing. In fact, she and Toni have been collaborating on a book of children’s short stories that Toni is illustrating.

Like Toni’s dad, her mom started encouraging her creativity at an early age. She told Toni that even at age 3 or 4 she would sit and draw impressively detailed renditions of things in her environment, and her mom attributes Toni’s expressiveness of painting in part to the art of music as she played violin and piano throughout her youth.

Toni’s natural talent combined with a strong support system led her to choose art after high school. At the time, she was working as a dental assistant for Troy Bostick, DDS, and was contemplating the idea of becoming a dental hygienist. When she wasn’t busy, she would sit in the back and build roses out of dental wax. She had always known she loved art and making things.

“That’s what I enjoyed,” she said. “That was my happy place.” But choosing to pursue it in school and as a career wasn’t easy. Fortunately, with a little encouragement from her mom, she was able to follow her heart.

Toni earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, Louisiana, and after teaching art at Grace Episcopal School and gifted and talented art in

other schools throughout Ouachita Parish, she decided to go back and earn her Master of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from Louisiana Tech. “Drawing inspiration from my students is what made me want to go back,” she said.

In graduate school at Louisiana Tech, Toni became well-versed as an artist and learned from some extraordinary mentors, including Kevin Kennedy, Robert Berguson, Peter Jones, and Ed Pinkston. But she said the most pivotal moment in her career as an artist occurred in one of Ed Pinkston’s drawing courses. According to Toni, the course was designed with a matrix approach, which meant the student married him or herself to a single subject for the duration of the course and created many different permutations of

that subject. Toni chose a pear as her subject, and her works started with depictions of a single pair and branched out from there: near pear versus far pear, pears on a stage, the group, the bathers, and a pear in a chair.

She depicted pears in every way she could think of. She continued this way, slowly humanizing the pears, until one day she came into class for critique, and Mr. Pinkston gave her the thumbs up, but said, “I want you to take them to the next level.”

They talked about the pears, and Toni disclosed that some of them were beginning to rot. In response, Pinkston suggested that she throw them out the window, so she did, and afterward, she went out and looked at them, all smashed on the ground, and she started to draw and paint what she saw.

AS MUCH AS IT IS ESSENTIAL TO CREATE THE ARTWORK, IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRUST MYSELF AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND ENJOY MY ART JOURNEY. TONI LYONS PHILLIPS

“That was a life-changing experience,” she said. “Anything and everything I saw from that moment on had the potential to be something else. He gave me magic.” According to Toni and an email she received from Pinkston, the lesson he taught her can be traced back to the Bauhaus, a German art school active in the 1920s and early 1930s. “I’m elated as an artist that he taught me that way,” she said, “that I was able to have that lesson.”

Everything Toni has created since then has been influenced by that lesson. In many ways, it has changed the way she looks at life and the world. “I see in such an abstract way,” she said. “I see everything in an abstract way, and I’m glad I’m that way. It’s just a wonderful thing.” For Toni, being an artist affects every other part of her life. “It helps me accomplish things in a more insightful way,” she said. It allows her to truly enjoy looking at things, and she finds herself instinctively noticing the way light behaves and how colors interact.

She also finds herself appreciating beauty, even in ordinary things.

When it comes to actually painting what she sees, Toni said it grows out of an inner passion. “I love the freedom I get to do what I want,” she said. “I get to choose what I put on the canvas, and it’s such an WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | APRIL 2020 91

I DON’T LIKE A PIECE TO LEAVE MY STUDIO UNLESS I FEEL LIKE IT’S WORTHY OF LEAVING MY STUDIO – THAT IT’S A PIECE OF ME AND SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO PUT OUT IN THE WORLD. TONI LYONS PHILLIPS

identity. It’s who I am and bleeds over into everything I do. I love that about myself.”

Inspiration comes often from memories of living in Louisiana, but it also comes from her travels, from things she sees in her new environment, and from the feeling she gets when looking at them or remembering.

After being in Atlanta for the last twelve years, Toni has discovered a few new places, such as Deaton Creek in Braselton, Georgia, that spark her creativity the way Louisiana’s rivers and bayous have. She said it’s like Louisiana and Georgia have meshed in her mind and in her paintings. Although she misses the lushness of Louisiana, she said Georgia is lush too—just in a different way.

The work Toni creates from her interactions with these places occupies a liminal space between representation and abstraction.

Viewers may recognize colors or shapes they’ve seen in nature or find the images reminiscent of places they know, but Toni uses “an abstract vocabulary inspired by gestural line and organic forms” to create this effect. Lately, her work has been leaning more toward abstraction than it has in the past, and she feels she’s growing more confident as an artist.

She loves the following quote by fellow artist Georgia O’Keeffe: “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.” Toni believes it’s not uncommon for young artists to lack confidence or be scared of failure, but she said, “If you don’t have failures, you can’t have success.” She believes that she’s slowly growing out of some of her fear and that confidence has played a big role in how she feels. “I feel like I’m just now coming into my own,” she said, “and that’s been wonderful for me.”

According to Toni, “Art is not for the faint of heart.” It takes courage and persistence. “The ugly paintings I create are just as important for my development as the beautiful ones,” she said. “And what goes on between my ears is just as important as what goes on the canvas.” She makes it a point to be kind to herself while silencing her inner critic, and these practices help nurture her 92 APRIL 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

confidence. “As much as it is essential to create the artwork, it is important to trust myself and the creative process and enjoy my art journey,” she said.

Despite feeling confident, Toni still has difficult days sometimes and experiences the occasional “artist block.” When that happens, she moves the blank canvas or painting that is making her feel blocked to a busy part of the house and places some mark-making tools and paint next to it. With that setup, she said, “It is very hard for me to walk past the canvas or painting too many times without making marks. This gets me back in my groove and will remedy my artist block and get me back in the studio creating again.”

Even when she’s busy with other things and can’t be in her studio for 8 hours a day, she tries to do some kind of mark making. “Any mark is better than no mark at all,” she said.

Each time Toni starts a new piece, she challenges herself. She describes herself as a competitive person, but in the sense that she is always trying to outdo herself. “I want to be the best that I can be,” she said. “I don’t like a piece to leave my studio unless I feel like it’s worthy of leaving my studio—that it’s a piece of me and something I really want to put out in the world.” Toni is also a goal setter. She writes her goals every year and said, “What

I’ve found is that when I write these goals out, I accomplish them.” A Master Series Residency she recently completed with artist Steve Aimone in North Carolina was one of her goals for the year, and it was great for her

growth as an artist and to get her out of her comfort zone. “I never want to be what Philip Guston referred to as ‘wax museum,’” she said. “I want to continue to keep growing, evolving, maturing and connecting to new ideas.”

Over time, she’s come to realize that painting is not necessarily about creating something beautiful or perfect. It’s about connection. “I have an emotion when I’m creating,” she said, “and I’d like the viewer to have some kind of reaction or response— even if they don’t like it, even if abstraction is not their cup of tea. But maybe they will see my feelings, my voice, my vision or my expression and it will become an artful abject in their home, and they will walk past it and smile.” Toni considers herself an optimistic woman and a woman of faith, and she’d like to believe that these aspects of herself shine through in her work. She feels blessed to have been given a creative mind, a unique way of seeing the world, and family who have encouraged her along the way. She believes it’s a privilege to be an artist. “It’s been a gift my whole life,” she said, “and I hope that I’ve used it the way I should have used it because it’s been the biggest gift.”

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Bought with a Price

Remember What You Were Made For

BY BILL DYE

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N 1992 WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST minivan. I was so proud. Talk about pride in ownership. We had wanted one for years.

The perfect family machine. Amy and I had this dream of driving the boys on long vacations a la the Griswolds. We would see America with that minivan. I could just envision us going down Highway 1 in California singing praise choruses.

I washed it every week. Waxed it. Armor All. The whole bit. I kept it shiny.

Then we added two more children. Spills.

Miles. Scratches and dents. With the third and fourth son, the “new” smell was gone.

I hesitate to think of how many times it was thrown up in.

Jeff Foxworthy says “you might be a redneck if you clean out your minivan and find enough food to make a happy meal.” If that’s true, then I am surely a redneck. Our van probably had several value meals. No matter

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how much I protested, they put all sorts of nasty things in the cup holders. It drove me to distraction.

I started using it for things it wasn’t made to do, like hauling lumber and sand. One time I filled the entire rear end of the minivan with a half of cord of firewood. You know, the springs just weren’t the same after that.

The weekly scrubbing virtually ended.

That spotless new ride wasn’t spotless any more. When the engine started smoking, I knew that my time with the Voyager was done.

I went to trade it in 1998 and they offered me 500 bucks.

In some ways our relationship with God is like my minivan. Starts fresh. Really appreciate it. But as the dents come and the paint fades, our maintenance schedule begins to falter. In time, it’s easy to forget both who we are in Christ and the great benefit He has given to us. We take His grace for granted and

start to use this glorious spiritual temple for things it was never intended to do.

Maybe you’ve been doing that. I came across a verse I wanted to share with you:

1 Corinthians 6:19 or do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit who is in you, whom you have from god, and that you are not your own?

20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify god in your body.

In light of recent events, we will be holding our services online for the time being, which includes Easter. You can join us online by visiting NorthMonroe.com. Our Monroe campus will host a service at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. and our Bastrop campus will hold their service at 10:30 a.m.

Let Us Help Change Your Life Dr. Henry Zizzi

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OR THE LAST 21 YEARS, DR. ZIZZI has been practicing General Surgery in the Monroe/West Monroe area. After completing his training, he joined the practice of Drs. William Ferguson and Tommy Lolley, who have both since retired. Dr. Zizzi believes in more than just treating his patients – he leads with his heart, as he knows many people walk into his office scared and concerned. Even minor procedures deserve a surgeon’s utmost attention to detail, and his experience enables him to perform surgeries with precision, accuracy, and trust between him and his patients. Dr. Zizzi takes a significant amount of time getting to know each individual while answering questions and alleviating concerns. He often uses diagrams or sketches to educate patients so that they know exactly what to expect before entering the operating room. Dr. Zizzi treats his patients with respect and compassion, as he understands how important the doctor-

patient relationship is to one’s well-being before and after surgery.

If you ask his patients, the quality that distinguishes Dr. Zizzi is his bedside manner.

He spends as much time as necessary with each patient and answers any questions they may have. Patients appreciate the consistency in his office, and they often remark that he is so thorough in his explanations that he answers their questions before they can even ask them. His main goal in an office visit is to keep the patient informed and comfortable, as he is well aware that the experience of undergoing a surgical procedure is hard enough. As a general surgeon, Dr. Zizzi is trained to operate on multiple areas of the body, and the most common procedures he performs involve the gastrointestinal tract, such as the stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, appendix, and gallbladder.

Theses gastrointestinal procedures are most commonly performed with a minimally

invasive laparoscopic technique. He also performs thyroid and parathyroid surgery as well as weight loss surgery. Along with these procedures, he treats benign and malignant diseases of the breast, which is a significant part of his practice.

Outside of the office, Dr. Zizzi has a variety of interests besides medicine. He married his best friend, Deborah, and he has five children whom he adores. He enjoys studying and speaking foreign languages as well as traveling to countries outside the United States to practice his skills. Dr. Zizzi is also the lead singer of Code Blue and the Flatliners, having performed with this locally popular group since its inception in 2002. He actually attended NLU on a choir scholarship, which was a very fulfilling part of his college education. To top it off, he has a passion for cooking, especially Italian cuisine, and his family says his homemade pasta is to die for.

Dr. Zizzi has a way with people, and he treats his patients how he would want a physician to treat his own family members.

While not every procedure is life or death, anxiety due to having surgery is real, and Dr. Zizzi takes the time to reassure his patients that he will take care of them to the best of his ability. With his hands, he heals the body, and with his heart, he builds long-lasting relationships with his patients.

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Helping People Find Home Local Real Estate Expert Mark Sisk Can Help You Buy or Sell

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PRING HAS SPRUNG AND THE HOUSING MARKET IS heating up! With mortgage interest rates at never before seen historic lows, now is the prime time for buyers who have been planning to make a move. Inventory is up and buyers do have options available. To make sure your home is in prime position to sell, it’s best to call in an expert. A home must be priced to sell to be competitive in today’s market. It’s tricky to do that while still getting top dollar when you cash out. To really get buyer’s attention, you must showcase the home with creative advertising. I’m proud to offer professional photography and videography to maximize exposure in today’s digital age.

The challenge doesn’t stop there. You also need a way to safely show your home to qualified buyers, not just every random stranger that wants to come in. With my online scheduler, your appointments can be approved, rejected, or rescheduled all from an app on your phone (or a good old fashioned phone call/text). Digital lockboxes allow ease of access for myself or other realtors to securely show the home during pre-determined hours specified by you, the home owner. What’s the competition doing? Stay on top of what comparable properties are doing with my weekly seller reports displaying detailed

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information of sales, pendings, price reductions, and other data so you can stay a step ahead of the competition. These reports also detail the advertising performance of your online listing so we can both monitor where to focus efforts to find the perfect buyer.

Selling a home in today’s market is challenging, and not just from a marketing standpoint either. What will you do if the appraiser shoots $10,000 low? What will you do if the home inspector finds a handful of items that need to be repaired or replaced? Title issues you never knew about? These are more common than you think. In my 13 years of real estate sales in Northeast Louisiana, I have developed systems to address these problems as, or even before arise, leaving a smooth and seamless real estate transaction for the client.

Selling real estate is more than sticking a sign in the yard and putting pictures on the Internet. I have systems in place to proactively find the perfect buyer for your home, not just wait for someone to show up. When it’s time to sell, call in an expert.

Mark Sisk, Realtor® RE/MAX Premier Realty

Shop at Haven for the Perfect Springtime Gift Local Shop Offers Wedding Registries and Complimentary Gift Wrapping

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UE TO RECENT EVENTS, HAVEN realizes there will be some springtime activities that have to be postponed or cancelled. Fortunately, for many of these events, you may still be able to celebrate with 9 of your closest friends and family. :) Haven wants to give you some ideas on how you can still make these times special.

Easter is almost here, and everybody knows the Easter Bunny loves to shop at Haven! For the little ones, they have the best book selection, softest blankets, and the most cuddly Jellycat stuffed animal bunnies. Teens would love a fun patterned Scout bag, a gold initial necklace, or even a body wash infused sponge from Spongelle. Everyone loves an Easter basket full of goodies, no matter their age.

Show mom how much you love and appreciate her this Mother’s Day with the gift of relaxation. An irresistibly soft Barefoot Dreams throw, luxurious pajamas, or calming

bath salts from YUZU are all options she will love. A beautiful vase from Haven would pair perfectly with a bouquet of flowers from any of Monroe’s florists. Haven also has a wide range of options for the traveling mom. From luggage tags and packing cubes to Stephanie Johnson toiletry bags, Haven has it all.

Don’t forget, they offer complimentary gift wrapping!

Haven has gifts grads love, like a S’well bottle to keep in their backpack, a plush spa wrap or robe for the dorm, and stylish rain jackets and umbrellas for those rainy days on campus. For the practical male grad, Haven has multi-function tools, portable phone chargers, and canvas dopp kits. Let their friendly staff help with custom graduation cups and napkins for your grad party celebration.

Wedding season will be here sooner than you think. Remember that Haven has an array of beautiful wedding and rehearsal dinner invitations, save the dates, and guest books to

match your style and theme. They also offer personalized, embossed stationery that can arrive within a week.

Haven offers gift registries for wedding, baby, or any occasion. Make it easy for your guests or loved ones to find the perfect item by filling out a registry at Haven. Home accessories, functional pottery, and beautiful bedding are just a few of the many possibilities you’ll find in this shop.

With hand-picked items, outstanding customer service, and a knowledgeable staff, Haven is Monroe’s premier shopping destination. Don’t forget, you can continue to shop through Haven’s Instagram and Facebook, as well as curbside pick up. They will also be offering free local delivery, for a limited time, on orders of $50 or more. These services will be offered for as long as they are still able to operate. Be sure to follow their social media pages @haven.intelligentdesigns for updates and changes to store hours.

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T R AV E L PR O F I L E

MARY BL ACKMON

Farm Star MARY BLACKMON MOVED FROM THE GLITZ OF EAST AND WEST COAST LIVING TO TILLING SOUTHERN SOIL. THE RESULT HELPED ESTABLISH A COMPANY THAT SUPPORTS FARMS, FARMERS AND FRESHLY GROWN PRODUCE. Article by Vanelis Rivera and Photography by Kelly Moore Clark ou never know how far roots reach until you try to dig them up. A hefty pull usually suggests exactly how deep into the earth southern roots can run. As the saying goes, the deeper the roots, the greater the fruit.

Mary Blackmon, CEO and founder of Farm Star Living, found out just how deep-seated her Northeast Louisiana roots were when she had to take over her family farm. Like a Hollywood rom-com, Blackmon moved from the glitz of east and west coast living to the quaint quiet of tilling southern soil. Though she has since moved to Atlanta, her love for growing things hasn’t waned. The result— the establishment of a company that celebrates farms, farmers, and freshly grown produce.

Blackmon was born in Arkansas, but when she was in the fourth grade her father was given the opportunity to move to Louisiana and start an emergency room. The family settled in Monroe, relatively close to her grandparents’ farm near the Arkansas border. Once Blackmon graduated from Tulane/Newcomb College, her ambitions were set on becoming an actress. She went to L.A. and landed some roles in television, film, and commercials, but ultimately found the work unsatisfying. Her interests began to shift toward advertising and magazine publication. A path in ad sales moved her from Los Angeles to Atlanta, where she soon got promoted, prompting a move to New York City where she would live for almost ten years. During that time, she worked for Worth, a luxury financial magazine, and the magazine for the Museum of Natural History. Luckily she landed a key position at Wired’s internet division right when they invented the ad banner.

Y

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After Mary Blackmon moved back to her family farm, she quickly learned “what it took” to be a farmer, and from that toil-driven hustle, her respect and admiration for the profession “grew immeasurably.”

Acquiring a plethora of skills from teaching internet marketing to companies and agencies in fourteen states, she later was hired by Walt Disney Internet Group and Vivendi-Universal Internet, then launched her own company Spa-Addicts, which provided affordable spa services to the every woman. As the first discount website in the spa industry, the business took off and she moved to Beverly Hills, building and running her brand for ten successful years. In 2008, Blackmon received an unforeseen message from her uncle informing her his portion of the family farm had been sold, as was the remaining portions because no one was left to run it. Though she knew keeping it meant running it on her own, she decided it was too painful to let her heritage go. The area still held a strange attraction in spite of the twenty-year hiatus. “If I didn’t have so much love for my family or for the region, I would have stayed in Beverly Hills, which certainly has its pluses. But that’s how much I care about it all,” she says.

“I’m a fourth-generation farm owner, although I never lived on a farm until my forties,” admits Blackmon. During the 1950s, her grandfather “Big Daddy” converted her grandmother’s (also named Mary) timber production into a rice farm, which was innovative for the region. As a child, she loved visiting with her parents and brother: “We had so much fun on the farm, riding four-wheelers, taking art classes with my grandmother, rowing through the ponds, having picnics, and gazing upon the stars at night.” Enchanting moments turned into a laborious undertaking upon her return as an adult.

She quickly learned “what it took” to be a farmer, and from that toildriven hustle, her respect and admiration for the profession “grew immeasurably.”

Eventually, she moved to Atlanta to be closer to her brother Dr. Douglas Blackmon and his “beautiful family.” But her time working the farm had made her nostalgic for that way of life, and seven years

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ago, she was compelled to launch Farm Star Living, a first of its kind lifestyle brand praising the work of growers and the significance of the agricultural industry in America. “Taking over the family farm was a very daunting, humbling experience,” says Blackmon, and she wants to make sure the daily grind of those who work the land is effectively recognized. She believes farmers should be viewed as “stars,” as we have done with so many chefs. Through her company website, she is raising a flag and showcasing cultivators all across the United States, particularly through profiling particular Farm Stars™ so that “we can better understand who our farmers are and what makes them unsung heroes,” she says. One of her first interviews was Larry Williams and his sons, from Sterlington, Louisiana who grow rice, wheat, soybeans, and corn.

Another distinguishing feature in the Farm Star Living online space is an agritourism directory, where searches are categorized by type of activity, type of farm, and farm by state. Apple picking, petting zoos, bed and breakfast, tours, and corn mazes are all only a click away. “This is a very robust agro-tourism directory,” says Blackmon, adding that it’s also available via their free app. Currently, there are ten results for Louisiana, including Mitcham Farm Peach Store in Ruston and Papa Simpson’s Farm in Arcadia. Another nifty directory connects you to farm-to-table restaurants from coast to coast. Going to New Orleans and want to support restaurants who are sourcing menu items regionally? Farm Star Living has ten recommendations.

Among them, Commander’s Palace, Domenica, and High Hat Cafe.

Use this tool when traveling and cut the time it takes trying to find the best place to eat.

Adding to the creative mix of information, the website also features accessible and tasty recipes featuring a spotlighted farmproduced food item. Recent recipes include Loaded Potato Nachos

using mini gourmet potatoes from Klondike Brands, as well as the Apple Bake Oatmeal using organic gala apples from Starr Ranch Growers’ Organics. Each recipe also includes a helpful video, which provides background information about the featured grower, nutritional facts about the food product, and a food tutorial. Blackmon encourages visitors to “dig in” and enjoy!

Moving to Atlanta ultimately allowed her to build her business to what it is today—an immersive exploration of food and crop production at a national level. Her vision is to bring the farm to table movement to light and “instill appreciation and respect for our farmers,” she says. Concerned with the gap between agriculture and mainstream America, she hopes her company can communicate the importance of farming for the overall wellbeing of the populace. She attributes her passion for this subject to her family’s history of being growers. Sweet home Louisiana is not just a feeling, but an action for Blackmon. She consistently has recruited team members from Monroe as designers, writers, and, when possible, photographers. “What I’m trying to do is tip my hat to the people in the area who mean so much to me and who help shape the experience that I had.”

She gets very moved when she thinks about working her family land because it has made her feel more fulfilled than she has ever been. One of her best experiences was as an adult, fourwheeling with her father and fixing up the dilapidated farmhouse.

It allowed her to bond with him in a brand-new and entirely unexpected way. Viewing and interacting with such a significant part of her identity also allowed her to see her mother Mary Ann in a way she never quite understood until she ventured into walking in her shoes. The re-bonding gave her solace and further justified her decision to return home. Even then, “It was a lonely process taking over the farm,” she says. Luckily, her best friend from Monroe, Allison Jones Chapman, would visit her, which helped her have fun and keep her sanity in the midst of her transitory period and allowed her to keep paving the path to her passion.

She likes to say she has given traditional farming a “makeover” that has been sorely needed, particularly for the sake of public knowledge. Not everyone “gets” inner workings of the agricultural world; even more of us don’t consider how the food on our plate got there. The level of dedication and precision farmers employ on a daily basis merits a sense of wonder from the public.

By returning to her roots, Blackmon was able to discover a “whole new level of joy, appreciation, respect, and humility,” as well as open her heart to the diligent men and women that regularly feed their communities through rigorous workdays.

When she’s not at the family homestead, which she often travels to, she has a lot of her folks around her in spirit and in the form of keepsakes in her home. Her grandfather’s western bronze statues, grandmother’s original paintings, and photographs of the farm that Blackmon has taken herself are scattered thoughtfully where she can run into them often and absorb the memories they elicit. Though she now lives in an elegant environment, surrounded by the city’s fast flow, country living remains close.

Her pictures of trains and dirt roads inspire and move her. She takes great pride in keeping the Delta all around her. Blackmon is currently enjoying the fruits of her labor, a result of keeping her roots close to home.

Follow Farm Star Living on Facebook and Instagram and visit their fun and educational website at https://www.farmstarliving.com/ for directories, food guides, and engaging articles. Don’t forget to download their app for on-the-go quick searches about farms and restaurants.

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Simply Lou “Bloom Where You Are Planted”

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t is downright uplifting to know that spring is just around the corner.

Although it has not necessarily been what one would call a “hard” winter, it has been a dreary, gray, and rainy one. Cold and rainy, in my opinion, is just as hard as when it is 100 degrees in the shade come summer. But, it is our choice to live in Louisiana, and while I really cannot see myself living anywhere else, I guess we just have to learn to live with our “bi-polar” weather.

As I write this, the sun is shining and the temperature is in the 70’s. I want to be outside basking in it, but this column calls, and I am going to answer. Hopefully this will be a column you enjoy reading, and maybe you’ll even learn a few things... and possibly get a laugh or two out of it as well.

I have always loved playing in the dirt.

For as long as I can remember, I liked to dig in it, get dirty, add water and get muddy in it.

There’s something about getting my hands in dirt that is a downright spiritual experience to me. When I was little, a spoon was my tool of choice. My grandmother, Lily, was not happy with my using the spoons in our kitchen.

She considered herself the “Guardian of the Spoons,” and took that job a little too seriously.

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article and illustrations by LOU DAVE NPORT I’d slip around when I hoped she was not looking, and swipe a big tablespoon out of the drawer, and then make a beeline out the front door. I think that woman had eyes in the back of her head because she usually caught me, and then I caught the wrath. Sometimes, I would get a spoon just to aggravate her. It seemed the more she yelled at me, “You better bring that spoon back in here when you get through making your mud pies, young lady,” the more compelled I felt to leave them outside. I’ve often wondered how many tablespoons would be found if that area under the old Sycamore tree where I grew up was excavated. Maybe hundreds of years from now, an archeologist will have a dig in Bastrop, Louisiana, and find those precious kitchen spoons. They’ll never know the story of that sneaky kid and her mean grandmother in a crazy competition over kitchen spoons!

From kitchen tablespoons, I graduated to a trowel for digging in flower beds. My first home was in Aberdeen, Mississippi, and I did not have much dirt to work with. My “good husband” planted a garden in our backyard.

He got all into the agricultural side of it, while I was the “flower girl.” The only area I had to work with was a small patch of dirt under an

unusual tree. I later came to learn that it was an Anise Tree. The pods that formed each year smelled amazing. While my little flower bed was just so-so, that was all right with me. I ordered Carolyn and Adam a pile of red dirt to play in. We had so much fun building roads, and playing cars, and I taught them both how to build “frog houses.” Those require you to put your hand down flat, cover it with dirt, (and don’t forget to pat it down), and then slowly slide your hand out. It’s a FROG HOUSE! Although we never saw any frogs make use of the real estate we made for them, we sure had fun doing it!

(Laundry tip: Getting red dirt out of your and your children’s clothes is not an easy task.

The stains from red dirt never fully go away.

So, be sure to wear your old “play clothes,” and you’ll be good to go)

Fast forward to Vicksburg, Mississippi, were I finally had a yard with plenty of places to dig. I even upgraded to a small shovel, even though to this day, I do not claim to be much of a great “shoveler.” We lived on a lake, had a patio, a large deck, and planting beds in the front and side yards. I thought I was in heaven.

The kids had woods to explore, and a place to build forts. Being on a fly way, we saw so many

species of birds. A Great Blue Heron lived in our back yard. There was a funny little Green Heron, along with a Belted Kingfisher that would swing by to fish most days. Oh, how I loved our home in Vicksburg so much. It was such a great place to raise my kids, and grow just about anything.

I landscaped my front yard the best I could. One year, I over fertilized some Moonshot Marigolds, and those things were so big they looked like mutants! I discovered yellow lantana, and those became my foundation plantings. The one bed I was the most proud of was the side bed. I had found a strip of untouched woods that had wild plants everywhere. The woods were soon to become a subdivision, and I KNEW I had to get ahead of those developers to rescue some of those endangered wild plants.

I slipped in there with my trusty trowel, and got a Jack-in-thePulpit, several May Apples (or mandrakes), and a really special plant called a Golden Dragon. I planted them on the side of my house, and watched as they got bigger and better every year. Sadly, I had to leave them behind when I sold my house after Larry died. It was hard leaving our house, my plants, and all that “dirt” behind, but sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. I still wonder if the new owners knew what all they had in those beds.

When I moved from Vicksburg, I came to Monroe, Louisiana. I brought several of my plants that were in pots with me. I rented a nice house, and while I couldn’t really dig in the owner’s “dirt,” I still had my plants.

Next move I made was to “Mister’s” house. He is a landscaper, and the old saying, “a cobbler’s children have no shoes,” was true. He did not have much planted in his yard except some old foundation plantings he had done years ago. I saw lots of potential in that yard, and again, all I wanted was some dirt. He built some curved beds around the house that had irrigation, and I filled them with purple Wave Petunias. They were spectacular! I worked so hard digging holes and planting plants.

I would plant anything he had left over from his landscaping jobs because I thought every plant deserved a chance to grow. That yard was so beautiful, even if I did do most of the work myself. I dug holes, and planted so many Daffodils until I thought I’d turn into a daffodil. Now, they are still there and I’m not. I do hope they are still “showing off” though.

I eventually moved back to Monroe. This time I rented a house with a yard that left a lot to be desired. The front bed was full of briars. They were the mean ones too, and I never got rid of them all. The back yard had lots of trees, so that meant a lot of shade, and very little grass. That also meant a lot of limbs to pick up….all the time. But, I got to work. This time, “dirt” really was therapy, and it helped me to get over a broken marriage. There is something about the act of digging that can take your mind to places that are better than dwelling on sadness.

This is the yard I worked in the most. I transplanted Liriope and used it to create little “areas” in my garden. I used some old chunks of concrete I found to create little “pocket gardens” and planted hostas in them. I added some “garden art” to the whole thing, and before long, my little piece of ground turned into something really grand. Last but definitely not least, I planted a “Just Joey” rose out in the front yard that was a gift from my cousin, Judi. Ms. Adele Ransom had recommended it, so you best believe it is special!

I recently moved from my house into an apartment. I have a covered patio that gets morning sun. The front has enough room for more plants.

I dug many of my plants up (again), and brought them with me for yet another garden. Right now, some Cast Iron Lilies are happy in a tall pot, and all my calla lilies are waiting for planting in bigger containers. I’ve got some red honeysuckle, ivy, and some liriope, and a couple of happy houseplants. Best of all, I have nearly 50 cuttings from my “Just Joey” rose, and they are doing okay. I’m happy to say my garden will live on in this way, and we’re all “blooming where we’re planted!”

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What’s Different About Will Stor The Safe Climate Controlled Storage Unit You Need

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INDING A STORAGE UNIT THAT you can trust can sometimes be tricky.

Knowing the things to look for while unit shopping is crucial to your experience. First, you need to take a look at the things you plan to put into storage. You may already have an idea of the size of storage unit you want to rent, but keep in mind that you don’t want to just rent a storage unit that will fit all of your items, you want a unit where you can fit yourself inside with a little room to work. If you ever want to be able to get your items out, you don’t want to pack your storage space wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. Will-Stor has different size storage units available-small, medium and large, to help the customer figure what best suits them and their needs.

Do you have anything that’s temperature sensitive? You may need a climate-controlled unit that’s indoors, as opposed to a generic garage-style unit that’s outdoors. At WillStor we have climate controlled storage units.

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Climate control regulates a storage unit’s indoor temperature that is kept at a solid 76-80 degrees at all times and even cooler during the winter. This maintains a constant humidity level year-round. This is great for our crazy Louisiana weather that can’t make up its mind.

Are your items valuable? You’ll likely want a unit that has good security and monitoring. Will-Stor has made it a priority to have a safe and secure building. We have on-site attendants from 8-5, Monday through Friday that are happy to assist you in any way possible. We have made sure that the parking is safe by providing enough lighting to fully light the whole parking lot. Our units have highly secured entry as well. Upon purchase, you will get two apps on your mobile phone.

One app opens the outside door at 405 Pine Street and the second app opens your storage unit. No padlocks for thieves to cut off and steal your valuables.

Monroe natives, Wayne and Kathy Williamson, have come up with the most modern self-storage facility in Monroe.

Connected to their Avery Suites offices, this storage unit has 24/7 access when using your apps upon purchase. They have created a very safe environment by surrounding the building with cameras, placing lighting where light needs to be and doing away with pad locks. They are proud to say that no crime has been reported in the area and this is a very safe place to keep your most valuable belongings.

Addiction?

There is HOPE Now Offering Medication-Assisted Treatment “IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME.” NO ONE ever thinks they will become addicted when beginning to use drugs or alcohol.

But addiction does not discriminate and can happen to anyone. When addiction sets in, shame often prevents people from seeking the help they need. Drug overdose deaths, specifically opioid-involved deaths, continue to increase, leaving no community untouched by the opioid epidemic. The victims of opioid addiction are parents, children, siblings, and spouses. They are often productive and lawabiding citizens who have no experience with crime or drug abuse. Even still, the addictive effects of opioids on the brain are so powerful that many people using prescription opioids for legitimate medical reasons become physically dependent on the drug without intention.

At Delhi Community Health Center, we are dedicated to helping people struggling with opioid use begin their road to recovery.

With the recent expansion of our Substance

Use Program, we are now offering MedicationAssisted Treatment to help those suffering from opioid addiction.

WHAT IS MAT? Medication-Assisted Treatment is treatment for addiction that includes the use of medication along with counseling and other support. MAT can also be an alternative to high doses of opioids.

MAT medication can reduce the problems associated with withdrawals and cravings and helps the patient regain a normal state of mind.

Participating in this program can give you the chance to focus on making the healthy lifestyle changes that lead back to healthy living.

BENEFITS OF MAT • Reduce drug use and drug overdose • Prevents injection behavior • Reduces criminal behavior • Improves coping skills • Reduces likelihood of relapse • Relieves symptoms of withdrawal •Repairs the neuro networking in the brain

LED BY DR. CESAR GONZALES The DCHC MAT Program is led by Dr. Cesar Gonzales, who is a Board Certified Physician in both Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Gonzales is committed to providing caring and effective treatment of individuals and their families and to reducing drug use and drug overdoses in our community. He is passionate about helping his patients recover and go on to live healthy and productive lives.

WE CAN HELP Opioid addiction is a terrible and life-threatening burden, one which no person chooses to bear. Fortunately, with personal determination and support from family, friends, and recovery experts, it is possible to overcome the power of opioids. At Delhi Community Health Center, we want to help you regain your life and freedom. If you, or someone you know is struggling with pain relievers or a substance use disorder, call us today at 318-878-8656 to schedule your private consultation. Lasting recovery is possible.

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Competition is Heating Up Only One Boat Remains Children’s Coalition Dragon Boat Festival May 9th

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VER 600 ROWERS WILL RACE along the banks of Bayou DeSiard for the fastest time and bragging rights during the Children’s Coalition Dragon Boat Festival. Proceeds from this action-packed, family-friendly event benefit the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana – a regional non-profit creating communities where children and families thrive!

Thirty teams will race in traditional dragon boats featuring 20 rowers and 1 drummer focusing on teamwork and coordination. One boat has yet to be claimed– will your school or company join us?

This event would not be possible without support from amazing sponsors! Premier Sponsors include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Vantage Health Plan, Choice Brands, Entergy, Family Solutions, Homeland Bank, Northeast Delta Human Services Authority, JPS Equipment Rental, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, Southern Beverage Company, and Southern Pipe & Supply. Corporate Sponsors

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include CenturyLink, Scott Equipment, Thomas & Farr Insurance Agency,ULM sponsored by SGA & Hawkseekers/Prep Leaders, ULM College of Pharmacy, LSU Monroe Family Medicine Residency sponsored by Dr. Joann Alley, and The Woman’s Clinic. Half Boat Sponsors include Amazing Smiles, Anytime Fitness, Atmos Energy, CommuniHealth Services, and Fleet Feet Monroe. Media sponsors are Stephens Media Group, KTVE NBC 10, and KARD FOX 14.

Thirteen local schools and groups will be represented including River Oaks, Sallie Humble Elementary and Lee Junior High as well as Carroll, Neville, Ruston, St. Frederick, Sterlington, West Monroe, Wossman High Schools as well as the East Carroll 4H Club and the U-ACT Student Ambassadors from Union Parish High School. The National Federation of the Blind of Louisiana will also be competing.

Anytime Fitness on Oliver Road will host a high-energy, full body workout every Saturday in April starting at 10 a.m. Sessions are free and

an excellent way to build strength, endurance, and accountability – no membership required.

On April 23rd, join us at 6pm at Flying Tiger Brewery for our Fun Run & Team Rally, led by Fleet Feet Monroe. This free run will feature a 2- and 3-mile route and after, enjoy a beverage and friendly team competition.

Purchase select pairs of Goodr sunglasses at Fleet Feet Monroe starting April 1st; proceeds benefit the Children’s Coalition. Official festival t-shirts will be available the day of the races, but quantities are limited.

Help us further our mission by becoming a member of the Children’s Coalition –your gift will help support underfunded programs such as Signs of Suicide, Nurturing Fatherhood, and Bully Proof. The Children’s Coalition connects parents and children to services they need with Early Head Start, Child Care Connections, Family Resource Center, U-ACT Drug Free Communities, and more. For more information visit childrenscoalition.org or call 318-323-8775.

Fertility and Phoenixes

Positive Steps Offers Support During the Holiday Season

BY J. PRESTON PARRY, MD, MPH

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REMEMBER DELIVERING BABIES IN New York City on September 11, 2001. As soon as the Twin Towers were struck, we all changed in to scrubs and prepared for emergency room triage. Most survivors that day did not come to the ER, so surprisingly the most active wing in the hospital was labor and delivery. Many women went in to the labor from stress, resulting in many newborns.

We had one woman who got off the subway at Chambers Street, saw both towers on fire, and spent the next four hours walking to our hospital in labor, breech, and we performed a cesarean resulting in a beautiful baby girl.

I think of that woman and day when reflecting on Covid-19, which is one of our nation’s greatest tests since 9/11. There are differences, such as coronavirus having a more widespread effect and lasting longer, yet there are similarities such as finding joy and strength amid chaos and uncertainty, as well as personal stories of bravery and compassion.

Many of us will likely experience first hand tragedy and loss before this is all over, and crises makes us feel we are overpreparing beforehand, but in hindsight think we didn’t do enough.

As events test our country and our spirits, one of the most wonderful things in the midst of all of this can be a newborn baby. Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, a child with all of its innocence and purity sometimes can symbolize moving past the craziness of life and give us hope for a new day. Just this week, I performed an ultrasound for a couple with previous miscarriages, where they got to see and hear their baby’s heart beat at 10 weeks for the very first time. For all the complexity in the world, seeing it finally go right gave us all the best kind of tears and we fully expect 30 weeks from now, an adorable, messy miracle will be another step in making this world a better place.

There are likely many for whom in the

middle of a crisis, it may not be the best time to conceive and avoid conception, while for others, a baby and God seem to have their own timeline. Somewhere in the middle of planned contraception and unplanned pregnancy are those who’ve been trying to conceive and are looking for their own new hope. Where reasonable and public policy permits, we are happy to provide care in person, but even with quarantines, we can often provide counseling and guidance through video or phone discussions that can help future families when it is the right time.

Coronavirus will change lives and our world. However, when the right response is a new life for a better world, Positive Steps Fertility is there for you.

Please join us on Facebook every first Friday

of the month for First Friday Fertility Live 12:00 PM CST.

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Your Number One Local Dealer

B&L Marine Has Been Serving Our Community for Almost 50 Years

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IRED OF BEING COOPED UP inside? Looking for the perfect quarantine activity? One way to bring some happiness and hope to this spring is finally getting yourself the boat you have been wanting for years. As the weather begins to warm up, feelings of summer start slipping into our minds. The sun starts creeping out from behind the clouds and warming our spirits. Everyone is getting in the mood to get up, get outside and get on the water. Whether it be a boat for water sports, fishing, or both, B&L Marine in Monroe is here to help and get you started.

For 47 years, B&L Marine has been family-owned and operated and conveniently located in the Lakeshore area of Monroe. Bill and Hazel Buckley started the dealership in 1973. In 1985, their son in law, Pat McDonald came to the dealership and started working his way up. He purchased the dealership in

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1997 from Bill and Hazel and continues to run it today with the help of his son Nick McDonald.

The family is deeply rooted in the Lakeshore and Swartz area and continues to support the community which has come to know B&L Marine as a local landmark. Bill and Hazel’s goal was to make B&L Marine the best choice and a one-stop dealership for your sales, service and on the water fun.

They continue that philosophy today with great customer service, the best products and the ability to handle any boating need that you may have.

They offer a variety of marine products, and their selection of high quality boats is second to none. B&L Marine prides itself on having the friendliest and most knowledgeable staff in Northeast Louisiana.

They have been here in Monroe for almost 50 years and have no plans of stopping now. It is

their goal to help customers find the perfect boat to fit their lifestyle, along with the right parts and accessories to truly keep you on the water!

B&L Marine 110 Old Bastrop Rd Monroe, LA 71203 bandlmarine.com (318) 343-1250

Cleaning and Sanitization

Recommended by Residents and Businesses

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ITH THE CURRENT SITUATION, MANY homeowners are obviously spending more time around the house than normal and may be making a list of the projects. If you notice algae growing on bricks, a stained roof or mildew growing on the side of the house, be sure to call SaniCan. Simply power washing does not kill algae, fungus, mold and other bacteria that grow on structures and roofs. When you use SaniCan, not only will your home look great, but it will be sanitized.

In 2010, Matt Rainwater had a crazy idea to start a garbage can cleaning service. After figuring out a business plan, working out the kinks, and securing the financing, SaniCan was officially born in February 2016. Little did he know, the backbone of his business would not be cleaning garbage cans and dumpster sites for long.

In November 2016, SaniCan introduced a new style of exterior cleaning to the area known as a SoftWash. Using a low-pressure application of a biodegradable, eco-friendly solution, customers no longer have to worry about the damage that comes along with typical high-pressure washing. SaniCan’s state of the art system allows them to customize solutions to clean any type of surface depending on the finish and amount of build-up. With SaniCan’s SoftWash system, the job gets done safer, more effectively, and will last longer. Their objective is to be the area’s first premier exterior cleaning service by offering quality customer service and amazing results.

Hundreds of residents and business owners all over Northeast Louisiana have been utilizing this service and here’s what a few of them had to say:

“When we saw our concrete around the pool turning black and our porches, eves and furniture covered in mildew and pollen, we knew to call Matt Rainwater with SaniCan. Matt came out and gave us a bid and set up the job. He even sent us email reminders! Matt and his crew were very meticulous. They moved the outdoor furniture with care and put it all back. Their soft wash system was perfect for our aging paint. After they were done, everything sparkled and looked brand new!”

- Lew Hubbard

“I would highly recommend SaniCan on any and all exterior cleaning projects. We have used them on commercial and residential projects. Matt and his professional staff always stayed within their estimates and delivered outstanding results.”

- Trae Banks

SaniCan has become the company to call when it comes to washing your house, roof, fence and decks as well as gutter, sidewalk and driveway cleaning. If you want to see what everyone is talking about, visit the SaniCan website, find them on Facebook or give Matt a call!

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B A Y O U

I C O N

Dr. Joseph Profit “With God’s grace, hard work, and a plan we can achieve just about anything in this country.”

Those words have served as an inspiration for Dr. Joseph “Joe” Profit throughout his lifetime. He heard them spoken by his father, Simon Profit, countless times as he was growing up, and often later on when he was grown and a successful athlete and businessman. Today, Dr. Profit is more than a courageous barrier-breaker in Louisiana collegiate football, more than a 1st round draft choice for the NFL, and more than a businessman who made his first million before he was thirty years old. No, he is much more than that, and his remarkable lifetime of achievement is why he is BayouLife’s April BayouIcon.

Article by Georgiann Potts and Photography by Kelly Moore Clark

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r. Joseph “Joe” Profit’s humble beginnings were like those of so many African Americans in the south during the 1950’s and early ‘60’s. He was born in Lake Providence, Louisiana, as one of nine children in a sharecropper’s family. His father, Simon Profit, was a veteran of World War II in the United States Army, but like so many others, could not find any work when he returned to Louisiana other than sharecropping. Joe’s father had a third-grade education and his mother, Ethyl Profit, had a sixth-grade education. Both parents believed that education was the way to escape the farm and find a better path to success in America.

The Profit philosophy was based on hard work and God’s grace combined with a plan. Even though his parents did not earn a lot of money during those years, they still managed to accomplish their goals. Of their nine children, six would graduate college, three would earn master’s degrees, and two would earn the Ph.D. Today, six of them own their own businesses and are successful entrepreneurs.

WORKING IN THE COTTON FIELDS

Joe Profit is widely known for his solid work ethic. He attributes that to his work as a young boy in the Louisiana cotton fields. He would work alongside his father and his siblings, trying to earn money to buy his school clothes and to help pay some of the bills. The family’s goal was to work their way off that farm and Joe wanted to be a part of that effort. Learning that “cause and effect” early on helped him to realize firsthand the rewards of hard work. He was to apply that same work ethic later when he played high school, collegiate, and professional football and entered the business world.

Christmas meant gifts of special fruit – apples and oranges – and lots of time spent with family and his grandmother who lived close by. The best gifts in those days were those of time and story-sharing, keeping alive the memories of those who had gone before.

When Joe was 9 years old the family moved to Monroe. He attended Swayze Elementary where he was active in sports. Football and track and field were his favorites, and he was good at both. There was no junior high at that time, so after Swayze Joe went to Richwood High School. Here, too, he was active in sports. “I loved athletics, and that’s why I was able to say in school,” he explains. “This was a way to earn money for college through a scholarship.”

INFLUENCE OF AN OLDER BROTHER

Not surprisingly, Joe says that many of his mentors while he was growing up were football players. His older brother, Simon Jr., was a football star in high school and an All American. Simon Jr. taught his younger brother to work hard and train regularly. “Simon taught me that practice did not make perfect, but that perfect practice makes perfect,” Joe remembers. “He believed that if you goofed off in practice, you would goof off in the game. I never forgot that, in athletics or in business.”

There were others, of course, beginning with his father whose example set the tone for Joe’s life. Joe’s teachers and coaches helped him to believe that there was nothing he couldn’t achieve if he worked hard enough. Some quietly encouraged him to compete in areas he didn’t think he could; others pushed him headlong into those areas. Along the way, Joe realized that he could be successful – and that success depended almost entirely on him.

FOOTBALL PROVIDES ACCESS

When Joe graduated from high school, his aspiration was to go to college and further his education. Playing football was the best “ticket” for him to use to achieve that goal. At the time during the beginning stages of integration, there really weren’t many – if any – black athletes playing football at predominantly white colleges.

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With courage and determination, Joe began his collegiate football career at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (then Northeast Louisiana State College) as a walk-on. Joe had been awarded a full scholarship to a predominantly black college but he walked away from that opportunity so that he could seek another, greater one on a predominantly white football team.

The early going was not easy. He was denied a jersey twice before on the third try, a coach threw him a jersey. “He told me that they did not recruit college players and that I was on my own,” Joe remembers. He ran track in the spring to improve his football skills. Just four years later, he graduated with a B.Ed. and his football jersey was retired. That marked the first and only athletic jersey retired in ULM’s history. It would be another 25 years before another one was retired in any sport.

As Joe tried to settle into life as a college student-athlete, he found himself in a very unfamiliar environment both socially and culturally. He quickly learned to use his ability to work with those who did not like him, to understand their feelings, and to get things done anyway. He maintained a positive attitude using what became his 3-step formula for success: the “3 A’s” – Appearance, Approach, and Attitude.

The others on the football team, like Joe, had attended segregated high schools. Because of that, it was challenging for everyone. By being part of a team, that transition was in many ways easier and quicker than it was for the average student. In the classroom, Joe did feel contempt from some of the professors, but not all. As for the students, he says that they eventually accepted him – although in class he often made better grades.

One of Joe’s favorite memories of his collegiate career concerned a teammate from south Louisiana, Howard Swindler.

Swindler was a starter on the team. Joe, although an All-American, was not allowed to start any games. One night before a game,

Swindler pretended to have a severe stomachache and convinced the coach that he could not play that night. The head coach panicked and begged Swindler to play, but Swindler insisted that he just couldn’t.

“It was our private joke just between the two of us,” Joe remembers with a chuckle. “Ironically, it took a white kid from South Louisiana to act in a totally non-selfish way that allowed me, a black, to take my rightful place as a starter in the first home football game in 1968.”

“Back when I was the only black student at ULM I experienced a lot of hate.

But I never let it get me down. I stayed positive, treated people with respect, and ultimately, I found acceptance and was able to succeed. If I had succumbed to the hate, I never would have made it to the NFL and I never would have been able to achieve great success in business,” Joe recalls.

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL BECKONS

Joe’s earliest career aspiration was to be a certified public accountant.

His football coach in elementary school was the only black CPA in the community and Joe wanted to be just like him. Once he was in high school, his career plans changed and he wanted to be a great football player. When he became a member of the ULM football team, he requested jersey #40 – the number that his hero, Gale Sayers – wore.

Joe’s collegiate career did not escape notice at the professional ranks, and he was selected the #1 draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons. He became the first Falcon’s running back to receive a multi-year six-figure contract. From the first, injury played a part in his career. During the 4th game of his rookie year, Joe was injured and had to miss the entire remainder of the season. The next year, he came back strong and led the NFL in rushing. He became the first Falcon to score 3 touchdowns in one game in which he rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries. During his third year, Joe was traded to the New Orleans Saints – a dream come true as now he was able to play in his home state in front of family and friends. After leaving the Saints, Joe played in the World Football League for the Birmingham Americans (1974) and the Birmingham Vulcans (1975). His injuries foreshortened his career, but Joe was ready for his next chapter. He trusted God, had worked hard, and had a plan.

INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE

Just as his older brother Simon Jr. had transitioned from star football player to a successful career away from athletics, Joe was determined to invest for the time in his life when he could no longer play football. Simon became one of the best insurance salesmen in Louisiana, showing Joe that life beyond football was an important

“next step” in that plan their father had always insisted was necessary.

Joe’s own business career began when he was injured during his rookie year in the NFL. The injury gave him time to think about the future and what his plan should be. As he rehabilitated his body, he explored opportunities.

Joe became involved with the fast food industry and became the first African American to own an International House of Pancakes franchise in the southeastern United States. Later, he was approved as a McDonalds and Burger King franchisee. “I had seen too many professional athletes leave the game of football and end up just scraping by,” Joe says. “I was determined to stay in business for as long as I was playing, and then to continue to grow that career after my time in the NFL. I did not want to become a statistic.”

Helping Joe see the possibilities was his father-inlaw Andy Nelson who everyone referred to as Uncle Andy.

Images courtesy of ULM Special Collections He owned a restaurant in the community and a motel. Having an older relative successful in business set an example for Joe for what he could achieve. “Uncle Andy would also dress in a suit and tie, and he wore a hat to work every day,” Joe remembers.

“He did not allow any loud talking or any bad behavior at his business.”

Joe was featured on the cover of a restaurant magazine for having one of the highest volume restaurants in the nation at that time. Over the years, Joe has invested wisely. A millionaire before he was 30, he has frequently been recognized for his business acumen. Among his honors are that he has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by Venture Magazine and Arthur Young & Company, inducted into the Institute of Entrepreneurs as a Lifetime Member, named America’s Best and Brightest Businessman by USA Today, and CEO of the Year in the state of Nevada.

Among his many business achievements, Joe cites founding and serving as CEO of telecommunications company Communications International, Inc. (CII) his most rewarding professionally. CII was named by Inc. 5oo Magazine as one of America’s fastest growing, privately held companies for three consecutive years. It has over 800 employees in 34 cities and 9 countries. In 1991, CII became the first minority-owned firm to win a multimillion-dollar contract to help with the reconstruction of war-torn Kuwait. Interestingly, Joe also cites this experience as being one of the biggest challenges he has faced during his life – transitioning from professional football player to international businessman.

Joe also found time for politics in the 1980’s when he served as chairman for the Blacks for Reagan campaign in Georgia. Soon after, he was appointed to advisory positions with both President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush. Through these experiences, WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | APRIL 2020 113

GIVING BACK FROM THE HEART

Giving back to the community has always been a part of Joe’s busy life. Through the years, he has always tried to lend his time and talents to organizations that were LIFE BEYOND BUSINESS making a positive difference. He has served as chairman of three

Joe is a proud father of 7 children and grandfather of 10 grandchildren. He is loving his important fundraising campaigns: life and always trying to help others. Just as in his cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, professional life, his personal life has had both good and cerebral palsy. Twenty-two years times and bad. When, after 27 years of marriage, Joe ago, Joe created the Youth United underwent a divorce, for the first time he felt that he Above: Joe Profit and Archie Manning ; Below: Joe Profit on the for Prosperity Foundation, a 501 (c) had failed. He readily admits that at first his career cover of QB Magazine. Photos courtesy of Joe Profit (3) non-profit designed to mentor the and marriage worked well, but the busier he became young and teach them how to become with his work demands, the more the marriage responsible adults. One of the questions that he always asks suffered. This experience taught him a valuable of young people is this: “What kind of a person do you want lesson. “Since that time, I have learned to manage my to be – a person who gives, or a person who only takes?” career and nourish my personal life as well,” Joe says.

Today, when asked what he hopes his life will be

Joe has a healthy sprinkling of athletes and like in ten years, Joe’s answer is simple. “I will be grateful to entrepreneurs among his descendants. A 16-year-old have been of some service to others along the way,” he says. granddaughter ranks #2 in track and field in Georgia.

“I would like to think that I have given more than I’ve taken His oldest daughter owns a series of salons across from the community.”

Along the way, Joe has earned a master’s and the the southeast. Joe’s oldest son has his own financial services firm, and his youngest son has a consulting PhD, become a published author, succeeded in the world business. of international business – and never forgotten where he

A casual meeting at a book signing in Louisiana came from. Although he has traveled the world (Peking, brought Joe his second chance at love. Though Singapore, and London are among his favorites), he is never Wanda McVan was 20 years younger, Joe found her far from that farm in East Carroll Parish on which he was to be more mature than women twice her age. The born and from which he learned important lessons of life. attraction was strong and mutual, and marriage followed. Today He no longer has family there, but he still does his best to mentor and Joe has found a better work/life balance and always finds a way to encourage residents whenever he can. maximize their date nights.

Simon and Ethyl Profit, both gone now, would be very proud.

Joe learned the inner-workings of the federal government and knew that one day he would seek an elective office. Today he is following up on that dream and is running to represent Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

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Labor of Love Midwifery Morehouse General Hospital

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ANY WOMEN TODAY ARE finding that a midwife can offer a more intimate and nurturing birth experience. Midwife literally means “with woman,” and that’s her greatest strength; a nurturing, woman-centered approach. Studies show that moms who use midwives have increased access to prenatal care, lower rates of cesarean births and obstetric interventions, and babies with higher birth weights.

Lisa Smith, a Certified Nurse Midwife, now has an office in Sterlington, LA. With 20 years of labor and delivery experience, including 18 years at a level 3 hospital, she is ready to provide the women’s health care that you need.

Lisa worked in Baton Rouge as a midwife, before returning home to offer midwifery care here in Northeast Louisiana, with Morehouse General Hospital and at her clinic in Sterlington.

She has been married for 25 years to Tracy

Smith and they have three children ages 23, 20 and 16. She is a member of AWOHNN and ACNM. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and has a love for singing karaoke. Lisa’s true passion is delivering babies and helping moms to have the birth experience they desire.

Lisa started her career as an LPN 25 years ago. While attending LPN school she found a love for labor and delivery and quickly returned to school at LA Tech University for her Associates Degree in nursing. There, she had the opportunity to meet a midwife who was working at E.A Conway at the time and was in awe of her. She knew then that midwifery would be her passion and was what the future held.

While Lisa was earning her master’s degree in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University, she did a community assessment project of health indicators and needs. This project informed her of the maternal-child

health indicators in our community and state along with the need for midwifery care here.

A recent study by the University of British Columbia showed that states with the highest number of midwife integrated healthcare and midwife-attended births have the best perinatal outcomes. Louisiana has a low number of midwives integrated into healthcare as well as midwife-attended births and has some of the worst perinatal outcomes and the second highest cesarean rate in the country at 38%.

Lisa Smith can offer a range of services including well gynecological visits, birth control, STD screening, prenatal care, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. She offers evidence-based, individualized care that puts her client first. Call 318-283-3980 today to schedule an appointment with Lisa at her clinic, Labor of Love, 8649 Hwy 165N. Ste. 1 Sterlington, LA.

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B AYOUKID Z

Social Media Presence Pull your tribe in close. Adhere to the social distancing. article by Cindy G. Foust

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appy April to the BayouLife community as we are living and breathing in the strangest of times both in our coveted little corner of the universe and all over the world. Anybody with me? I walked out of my house yesterday morning, however, and someone forgot to tell the azaleas that we might be on the verge of the apocalypse because they were alive with blooms and happiness. It made me smile.

For you see, I, like many of you, have been in meetings for the last few days, as well as glued to the news reports about the dire circumstances we are facing as a country with the sudden outbreak of the coronavirus. I am not a medical professional so I absolutely cannot weigh in on the severity of the virus. By the same token, I will also refrain from weighing in on whether I think this is a “politically motivated during an election year” rumor, started by the government of Zimbabwe to make sure neither the Republicans nor the Democrats win the White House but instead ET will finally phone home and become president. Anybody else smell what I’m stepping in?

If you are like me, when things like this happen… wait… nothing like this has ever happened so let’s rephrase this statement, as

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there has never been a toilet paper shortage as a means to treat a respiratory illness, right?

But, if you are like me, I try to educate myself on matters that could profoundly and directly affect my family and friends to make sure I am part of the conversation in how to deal with such potentially disastrous circumstances.

The problem is… who and what do you believe? Social media? Is this our point of reference or informative highway for staying abreast and informed on such critical matters? For me, social media began as a way to connect with friends and stay in touch with family members that live far and

away, resulting in a means to stay in closer contact.

One of my best friend lives in Denver and I feel fortunate that I get to watch her twins grow up even though I don’t get to see them often. Social media can be a good thing, am I right? Or maybe not.

Recently, I, grown adult Cindy Foust, was “social media shamed” when someone said to me, “Cindy, you don’t ever put much on Facebook about your children.” In case you’re wondering, I looked at them like they had a unicorn head. For one, my social media accounts are just that, my social media accounts. For two, I’m not in a contest with social media friends to see who can post the most about our children, our jobs, our spouses or alternatively, keep all my FB friends apprised about what I’m ordering at Shulze (the on-campus cafeteria my office frequents routinely with a very excellent salad bar by the way) for lunch.

Similarly, do I care if you do? The answer is absolutely not… it’s your social media domain and you can feel free to promote your business, your causes and your children to your heart’s content, it doesn’t bother me a bit. In fact, when I do have

time for social media, I rather enjoy knowing what’s going on in the lives of my family and friends. The only offense I have is when you shame me because I don’t. Because what happens, (unfortunately for my readers), is when something is offensive to me, it will invariably make its way to the words of this column.

If something “gets me to thinking” then this will probably not bode well for the handful of you still reading my column after I mentioned ET for president. In this case, what got me to thinking was if a comment to me as a VERY mature adult, VERY mature, could make me feel bad about my social media presence, then how might this affect a child or teenager when comments are made to them about theirs? I don’t think the comment to me was meant to be disparaging, just observational, which also made me think that this person had nothing else to do in all of the world except watch potatoes boil if all they had to do was worry about what I was posting or not posting on social media.

Whether or not the intent was malicious, it still hit a nerve. I have a teenager in the throes of “teenhood” and let me tell you, if you are likewise raising a teenager, you know it’s not for the faint of heart. Social media insecurities have certainly made their way

into many of our conversations and have had negative impacts at various times on both my children.

Heck, I have them as well, so how can we expect our children not to feel “social media inadequacies” if we as adults do? Other than completely restricting a social media presence, I’m not really sure we can.

There will always be someone taking better vacations (historically speaking, of course), working out more than you (well, not me because I dusted off the Jane Fonda VHS workout video so I’m about to be sweating to the oldies), or showing off their pets who can do super human tricks. Wait.

No one has better pets than me, Annie Lou Foust, my Malti-poo or Glen(da) the donkey.

I’m not trying to poke the bear on this subject, but the evidence continues to mount linking social media to depression, so in light of what we have going on around us, tread cautiously readers.

Heck, I get depressed sometimes just reading people’s posts, particularly during times such as these, in the midst of a national crisis. But come on friends, we are smarter than that, right? Do we want to rely on the historians who are crying “the sky is falling, the sky is falling?” I think what I’m trying to say is this: don’t sit on social media and read

post after post after post about a potential dooms day.

Pull your tribe in close. Adhere to the social distancing. Wash your hands frequently. Stay home. At what other time in American history have we seen the likes of such rules like what we are living today? I went to the grocery store this afternoon with one of the people I love most in my life, Sam, and as we were walking past the empty bread shelves he said, “Cindy, I never thought I’d live to see this day.”

He’s right, it’s unprecedented times as most of us have been forced to work from home; our children aren’t in school; restaurants and retail stores are either closed or running reduced schedules… it’s madness.

But with God’s mercy we will make it through; we are a nation of resilience and we have the capability to come together and get through this crisis. I pray God’s richest blessings on each of you and your families during this time… and for both safety… and sanity, as we move to what I pray is a swift resolution to this crisis.

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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T R AV E L PR O F I L E

Cassie Young Speaks Her Mind MONROE NATIVE, CASSIE YOUNG, IS A RADIO TALK SHOW AND PODCAST HOST BASED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA. THIS MULTI-PASSIONISTA DOESN’T MINCE WORDS OR GIVE SOFT LOVE. CASSIE YOUNG SPEAKS HER MIND. Article by Vanelis Rivera and Photography by Kelly Moore Clark

HOUGH THEY SAY THE pen is mightier than the sword, speaking our truths with conviction can also carry a lot of clout. But having a voice isn’t a painless prospect, especially when utilizing platforms like social media or personal blogs. We’re often met with criticism, disapproval, or even abandonment for sharing our personal views and struggles.

It takes courage to be open about opinions and to let go of the crippling fantasy that we must be accepted by everyone. That’s exactly what Cassie Young, radio talk show and podcast host based in Atlanta, Georgia, learned during years of discussing and exploring issues on The Bert Show. This multi-passionista doesn’t mince words or give soft love. She could care less what critics think and isn’t scared to wade into the mire, online trolls and all.

“Louisiana is such a big part of my upbringing. I consider myself from Louisiana,” says Young, who was born in the United Kingdom but raised in Monroe, Louisiana.

A Neville High School alumni, her smallscale city experience contributed to her knack for connecting to people. “Atlanta is a really friendly city but it has a lot of northern roots.

It’s not that true down-south experience that Monroe was.” Visions of Friday night Neville football games with their throng of fans and animated cheerleaders still flood her memories when she thinks of her hometown. While it may not be able to rival Atlanta in square mileage, Monroe combines the best of country hospitality and “big city” fun. Her experiences in a place where closeness to people was encouraged and fostered religiously, allowed her to appreciate and embrace other people’s stories, even when they varied from her own.

“Monroe is that special bubble of people,” she says.

While a student at Neville, her French teacher randomly recommended Emory University in Atlanta. Young loved it, so she stayed. While a student, she got into social media, becoming a member of Facebook in 2004, when the Harvard group opened the platform to other schools. “There was no wall,” she laughs, recounting the absence of photo albums and comment boxes. Shortly after, she got on Twitter and began building her online presence, working her way into running the Emory Alumni Association’s social media accounts. Her skill set landed her a job at The Bert Show as director of digital media and communications.

IT’S HARD TO KNOW WHAT TO SHARE, WHAT NOT TO SHARE, AND HOW TO SPIN STORIES AND HOW MUCH OF YOURSELF TO EXPOSE. CASSIE YOUNG he Bert Show is a nationally syndicated radio show that airs all over the nation, including Shreveport, Louisiana. “What I love about it is that it’s about entertaining people,” she says. It’s “everything” from listeners calling in about personal drama, the hosts divulging their own inner struggles, silly games, and a serious breakdown of current hot topics. “We run the gamut.” In one segment the hosts may be playing “the dumbest game ever,” like having other cast members guess pop songs that have been turned into lullabies. “Not real high brow, not difficult.” But in a next segment they’ll have Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical expert, informing about coronavirus.

Young appreciates the plurality of the show and its ability to flip back and forth between celebrity news and diving into deeper issues like body positivity (a personal and passionate topic for her). Ultimately, the show is pro-female, family-friendly, and open-minded.

Young didn’t begin at The Bert Show as the rambunctious firebrand she has become. She remembers starting out as the nervous new girl who worked in the corner of the studio, trying to find her place among already well established cohorts. When the show lost their second

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female cast member, she overheard Bert mention to a producer that they needed more femaleoriented stories. Young perked up but was still apprehensive. At the time, she wasn’t a rule breaker.

She kept thinking, “You weren’t hired to be a radio star. Know your place.

Know your role.” But after talking to her then boyfriend, now husband, she got bold and trusted her intuitive pull: “I’m gonna do it. What’s the worst that can happen?

He can say no and I’ll die of humiliation, but I’m just gonna try.” She wrote her pitch to Bert, highlighting stories from her personal life she felt would make amusing and interesting talking points. He wrote back to her: “HELL YES!” The more stories she pitched, the more air time she got, until finally she talked her way up, earning her own mic.

Her stories have changed since she began as a twenty-seven-yearold. Now a new mother at thirty-four, her boyfriend and roommate “dramas” have shifted to mommy adventures. Being the resident office momma was not in her game plan. She considered herself one of the most unlikely people, of those on the show, to become a mom and, as of now, she’s the only one on air who is. Recently, she shared a story of her first time breastfeeding in public, and she braced herself for a lot of “hate.” Surprisingly, she got a lot of support, though there was a lot of back and forth regarding her backing of #DropTheCover, a movement aimed at normalizing the act. Young wants to spread the message that women shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed of breastfeeding. “I never really thought about it until I became a mother and had to feed my baby while I was out and about,” she says. It’s difficult if you’re on the go and need to hunker down in your car or frantically search through establishments trying to find a bathroom.

Thanks to a listener’s testimonial about being forbidden to pump at work, The Bert Show is pushing a bill in the Senate that if passed would allow mothers who work to have time to breast pump and be given breaks in a room that’s not a bathroom—a powerful example of speaking ideas into existence.

“It’s hard to know what to share, what not to share, and how to spin stories and how much of yourself to expose,” she admits. Even when people on social media are “nasty,” it’s important for her to “lay it all out there.” She doesn’t want her stories to take a boring turn or seem disingenuous. That’s why she has no qualms about dealing with personal subjects on air. Even when her tales are random, there always seems to be someone “out there” who can relate. There’s a validation and comfort that can result from sharing unadulterated, intimate truths.

At times, she has felt silly speaking about seemingly surface topics like body image and struggling with her weight, but when she does

people constantly admit they share her feelings. A self-proclaimed feminist who champions equal rights and women allowing themselves to step into their own body, she was naturally called on air anytime those topics were covered. “I don’t sugar coat,” she says. Once, under discussion was the issue of a caller whose wife got a breast reduction without talking to him first. Since he was acting like a “d-bag,” she popped off on him. “You don’t get a say,” she began. Talking on the show has allowed her to practice not holding back, especially about body positivity, which took a while for her to develop.

“I hated my body for a long, long time,” she says. Her journey to acceptance started to turn a corner when she accepted a weight loss bet on the show. The payoff—the loser would have to dance in their underwear to a song of the winner’s choosing. She lost. In retrospect, it was “dumb” to go into a weight loss competition against a man. The winner chose a song by one of her favorite artists, “I’m A Slave 4 U”

by Britney Spears. “There are two ways I can do this,” she remembers thinking. She could take a “crappy phone video” of herself dancing in undies or she could make the video a manifesto of sorts. She got a videographer and recorded a fan video of the song in an abandoned floor of the show’s building. The video was only supposed to be available on the show’s YouTube channel for three weeks, but after racking up considerable hits (currently close to 56,000 views), the team left it up. Once again, she expected floods of antagonizing comments, but she received more love than hate. That’s when the tide turned and she began to realize it was okay for her to like herself despite her weight.

Owning who she was opened up more platforms for selfexpression. The first came in the form of a style guide for plus-sized women on Instagram. When she started to embrace herself, she wanted others to find that same freedom: “When you’re not restricted by how you think you look and what you think others are thinking about you, you can do so much more with your life. You’re allowed to

live.” Recently, she celebrated the 100th episode of Broadly Speaking, a podcast she hosts with Bert Show co-host Davi Crimmins, at a sold out live show in Atlanta. “It’s basically a super uncensored version of us,” informs Young. Like the radio show, Broadly Speaking covers both crucial and capricious topics. In a span of a couple of episodes, they covered the Black Lives Matter movement, delved into why “Christopher Columbus sucks” and why the day should be National Indigenous People’s Day, and played the irreverent game Bed, Wed, or Dead where a person names three celebrities and another person has to choose who they would sleep with, marry, or kill. “It’s really just a microcosm of our lives.”

Young is an amalgamation that began overseas, evolved in Monroe, and is flourishing in Atlanta. She claims to love Cajun food, owns “way too much” striped clothing, enjoys whiskey sours made with egg whites, and sucks at math and baking cookies. Quirky and approachable, she ties her charms with her upbringing, mentioning how much she misses the “nostalgic charm” of Monroe, with its touchpoints like Cormier’s Cajun Catering, the Forsythe tennis courts, and Mardi Gras parades. It goes without saying that there’s no place like home, but Young carries home with her—just ask; she won’t hold back.

Follow Cassie Young on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more about existing and new projects. Visit http://thebertshow.com to learn about community service projects like Bert’s Big Adventures, which provides an all-expenses-paid, five-day journey to Walt Disney World® for children with chronic and terminal illnesses and their families.

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The Sounds of Broadway Monroe Symphony Orchestra

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HE MONROE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (MSO) HAS postponed its Second Annual Juleps & Jazz Fundraiser to match the re-scheduled date for the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby: Saturday, September 5, 2020 from 4 – 7pm at the historic KingStubbs Wilton Hall Home in North Monroe.

The event features fantastic food provided by the ladies of the Symphony League and the $55 ticket price ($100 for 2) includes cool jazz music under the pool cabana, and drinks – including a mint julep cocktail upon arrival and a great selection of wine, beer, traditional mint juleps, sodas and water. Proceeds benefit MSO and its community outreach and youth programs.

In addition to the amazing food, drinks and music, guests have the opportunity to wear outrageous hats or bold bow ties and jackets; and to watch the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby on several LED screens.

Many are excited to visit the location where Juleps & Jazz will be held: the King Stubbs-designed Wilton Hall at 1205 Fairview Avenue in North Monroe. Designed by Jeff Carbo, Wilton Hall features perhaps the most amazing grounds in Northeast Louisiana. This home has been featured in several important publications including Designer Mark Hampton’s book. Tour the public areas of the house then make your way outside to enjoy the delicious food and beverages, complimentary

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selection of fine wines and spirits and the fabulous sounds of the LA Jazz Quartet.

This event promises attendees an opportunity to dress up (check out What to Wear to the Kentucky Derby and maybe Louisiana-ize it with some creative lagniappe); a chance to participate in raffles and super-fun derby games — all while supporting Northeast Louisiana’s only symphonic organization and the community, education and youth programs it supports.

Great food, fantastic drinks, grooving music, good friends and did we mention, HATS? It is more than something fun to do on Derby Day. Juleps & Jazz promises the most amazing Kentucky Derby Day ever produced in the Northeast Louisiana area. Purchase tickets at http:// www.mymso.org/julepsandjazz/

Now in its 49th year of continuous operation, MSO has provided live symphonic music of high artistic quality for the education and enjoyment of the people of Northeast Louisiana and the region. The Symphony’s goals include collaboration with local and regional arts groups and artists of national reputation; providing recognition of Louisiana artists and music education.

This year look for MSO Presents – a series of smaller concerts featuring some of our most talented musicians.

4th Annual Street Festival 2020 Morehouse May Madness

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OREHOUSE PARISH IS CELEBRATING ITS 4TH Annual Morehouse May Madness Street Festival (MMM).

With so much success the first three years, event organizers thought why not expand the event with more entertainment and activities. The streets of downtown Bastrop will be blocked off again to host the visitors, vendors and live music.

The street festival will kick-off May 2nd at 9 a.m. and go until 4 p.m. that afternoon. The streets that will be closed will be N. Washington, South and North Franklin, East & West Madison which are in the historic district of Bastrop. The event will be opened with the Star Spangled Banner sung by Miss Louisiana - Mariah Clayton and the day will be full of fun and exciting entertainment, exhibits, games and more. There will be something for everyone.

Some of the fun attractions for the whole family include; the Antique Tractor Exhibit that will be located on East Madison next to Karl Davis Edward Jones’ office, the Classic Car exhibit & Dirt Racing Go-Karts located on Madison on the north side of the Morehouse Parish Courthouse and will include models from 1995 and older and a motorcycle exhibit. There will also be an Art & Quilt exhibit with classical guitarist, Carlos Tenorio, playing at The Visitor Center.

There will be three stages of entertainment throughout the streets of downtown Bastrop. The Main Stage will be near the food vendors on the west side of the courthouse and will showcase performances by: The C.C. Players (Fricke Family), Homegrown, Mike McKenzie, and Restored. The 2nd Stage will be on the south side of the Courthouse and will have gymnasts and dancers performing. The 3rd Stage will be located in the parking lot next to The Visitor Center and will have performances by: Averyal Goyne & Kevin Smith, BHS Choir, Lee Denton, Grayson May, Tab Wilkerson, and Willie Johnson.

The fun continues with a cornhole tournament, also located in the parking lot next to The Visitor Center; a full Farmers Market with produce vendors, merchant vendors and gift certificate raffle; juried food and merchant vendors will be located on the north and south sides of the Morehouse Parish Courthouse; and a Kids Zone with plenty of seating for adults, inflatables, face painting, photo ops, and balloon making.

There will also be a Golf Scramble at Morehouse Country Club.

For more information on the Golf Scramble please call (318) 281-0466.

Get more information at www.morehousemaymadness.com or call (318) 282 2985. You can also find us on Facebook!

Security – Morehouse Parish Sheriff Department and the Bastrop Police Department.

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Caribe Vibes

Come sail away with DBK and the Cancer Foundation League as we explore where dance meets fashion in this year’s Fashion Fusion on Friday, May 29th. From styles fit for Caribbean life to a lush rainforest in a fantasy island excursion, these looks are ready to cruise.

Photography by KELLY MOORE CLARK Model SARAH NICHOLAS Makeup MISCHA MURPHY Hair KALEA CAUTHEN

BLUE LINE BOUTIQUE Sarah looks ready for an excursion in this orange cheetah spaghetti top which is paired with distressed, button front jeans. Finish the look with these off-white lightweight booties revamped with a side V cutout, a Vona Kay handbag, tan woven hat and layered jewelry.

CAR A’S BOUTIQUE This multicolored striped set is perfect for a beach getaway. The flowing halter is paired with a matching maxi skirt. Add white platform wedges, a round straw bag, multicolored beaded statement earrings and a white beaded hair clip to complete the look.

ELEVEN 26 BOUTIQUE The exaggerated puff sleeve and fit and flare hemline make this dress a must-have for spring. Add a simple gold strappy heel, drop earrings and a large gold and agate stone statement cuff.

THE NUDE NOMAD Cruise into spring in this romper featuring a lightweight floral design with breezy, flowing sleeves, a deep v-neck and tie waist.

Complete the look with a lightweight wedge that features a faux-leather upper, cushioned insole and faux cork sole.

Accessorize with layered necklaces, beaded hoops and an oval cuff.

VINTAGE SOUL This bright yellow dress brings a sunny vibe wherever it goes.

The flounce hem is fun and flirty and raised mono-chromatic polkadots add a fun touch.

Accessorize with these bold white and gold drop earrings.

DUST Y & COMPANY Show your wild side in this rust jumpsuit with large front pockets and spaghetti straps. Add stackable bracelets with a leopard-print bangle, a woven brown hat with leather band and these chic leopard wedges to complete the look.

HERRINGSTONE’S This outfit combines a super chic yellow top with sheer, cross-hatch bubble sleeves with pleated white short featuring a belted waist, with side seam pockets and a hidden zip fly/ clasp closure. Pair with the matching blazer for a complete look.

Accessorize with gold strappy heels, a lock and chain necklace, rainbow choker and painted Hermès-type bag.

NEW ATTITUDE HAIR DESIGN/BOUTIQUE L ACOUR Rock out in this matching black sequin outfit with tie-neck halter and ontrend joggers. Throw on this grey fur jacket for cool, spring nights.

Finish the look with these invisible strappy shoes with acrylic heels, and layers of gold cuffs and bangles.

RON ALEX ANDER CLOTHIERS John looks ready to hit the beach in this Tommy Bahama Island Zone Collection shirt that features a full button front with moisture wicking fabric. It is paired with Tommy Bahama white flat front shorts in a cotton tencel blend.

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Monroe Garden Club Hosted “The Power of Pollinators” On March 10th, the Monroe Garden Club hosted “The Power of Pollinators,” a talk presented by P. Allen Smith. It was held at the Bayou Pointe Student Event Center on the campus of ULM and sponsored by Gardens of Somerset. P. Allen Smith is a conservationist, author, lifestyle expert and TV host from Little Rock, Arkansas, where he operates Moss Mountain Farm.

P. Allen Smith and his partners have designed the Gardens of Somerset, a premier Continuing Care Retirement Community located in Sterlington, LA.

On the BayouScene

1 Buff Harvey and Brenda Adams 2 Sandra Banks, Debbie Luffey and Jada Banks 3 Lu Jones, Ann Rollins and Lillian Coats 4 Beverly Graham and Carol Hanks 5 Sally Rose and Charvie Gordon 6 Rodney Thomason, P. Allen Smith, Vicki Robinson, Trae Milam and Johnette Mintz

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