Shopbrazos oct 2013

OCTOBER 2013

Raid your closet for clever elever DIY costumes Knowing the best breast cancer charities Brazos Valley Maize opens up for the fall for great, outdoor family fun

WHAT’S INSIDE

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Kyrstie Cox (979) 731-4665

Internet Sales Director

Internet Marketing Consultant

jenny.downing@theeagle.com

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Shauna Lewis Editorial shauna.lewis@theeagle.com Eric Aguirre Layout & Design eric.aguirre@eveningpostinteractive.com ON THE WEB

/shopbrazos Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the management of the publication. ©2013 GATEHOUSE MEDIA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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For or those who enjoy a good fright, watching popcor in a scary flick with a bucket of popcorn hand can be just the trick.

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The lar largely Aggie family has owned and worked the land that holds the maze for er 75 years... ears... over

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4

KIDS

Should you let kids quit?

What to do when a child wants to quit a team or activity

By Melissa Erickson Special to The Eagle

It’s something almost all families will encounter. When a child wants to quit — sports, music or another extracurricular hobby — it can be tough not only on the child but for parents.

Seventy percent of kids quit youth sports by the time they reach 14, according to the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance. Statistics for other activities are harder to find, but when a child asks or even begs to quit, the decision-making process and the aftermath can be agonizing.

“Many families struggle with children who want to quit a sport or activity,” said licensed clinical social worker Amy Morin, a mental health and psychology professor at Maine’s Kennebec Valley Community College. Determining whether quitting ”makes sense” requires some deep thinking, Morin said.

“Parents should consider what values and life lessons they want their child to learn,” she said. Some families value the determination to finish what has been started. Other parents want the message to be “Life is too short to spend

it doing things you really don’t like. If you don’t like it, let’s find something you would rather do instead,” Morin said.

Start a conversation It’s not easy.

“As parents, we walk a fine line between forcing our kids to stick it out and enabling them to quit when the going gets tough,” said licensed clinical social worker Shiloh Lundahl, a child and family therapist in Gilbert and Mesa, Ariz. “There isn’t a hard and fast rule as to when to make our kids stick to a sport, or an instrument or any other activity that requires commitment, and when we can allow our kids to quit,” he said.

To get the conversation started, “it’s important to talk to the child to learn more about the reason for wanting to quit before making a decision,” Morin said.

If your child wants to quit because it’s getting hard, it may be worthwhile to help him stick it out to teach him that practice and hard work can pay off.

However, if your child is starting to dislike going to practices because he just isn’t having any fun, forcing him to finish out the season may discourage him from trying new activities for fear he may dislike them, she

said.

Parents should also consider if their child is developmentally ready for the activity the child is involved in, Lundahl said.

Make a plan together By asking the right questions, working together with a child to form a decision can be a great activity, Morin said.

If the parent wants a child to play sports to keep him physically active, “together they may be able to find a new sport he can try to keep his body healthy. If a child wants to quit because her coach is mean, the parents and child may be able to problem-solve how to deal with it together. It can teach kids problem-solving skills and help them learn valuable life lessons,” Morin said.

Avoid making a rash decision, said Myrna Beth Haskell, syndicated advice columnist for parents of teenagers and author of “Lions, Tigers and Teens.”

Immediately quitting is not always the best option.

“Ask her to take a few weeks to think about it. Chances are that her feelings of anger and disappointment will dissipate over time,” Haskell said.

Talk about effect Talking to kids about the pros and cons of playing versus quitting can also be helpful.

“A child should also be made aware how quitting may have potential consequences for others. If a child wants to quit a play, it’s important to discuss how this may impact other children starring in the play,” Morin said.

There’s also a financial side to consider, Morin said. If a parent pays for a child’s soccer cleats, and the child decides he would rather be on the track team, it may make sense to have the child earn the money to purchase track sneakers.

HALLOWEEN

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Celebrate Halloween with classic horror films (1979): Another movie based on alleged real events, “The Amityville Horror” tells the story of the Lutz family of Long Island, N.Y. Newlyweds move into a house where a murder took place and experience strange events that have them running for cover.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006): This film from Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro details the strange journeys of an imaginative young girl in an eerie but fascinating fantasy world.

“Dawn of the Dead” (2004): Several survivors of a worldwide plague that produced flesh-eating zombies are forced to take refuge in a Midwestern shopping mall to escape impending doom. This is a remake of a 1978 film of the same name.

“The Mothman Prophecies” (2002): Richard Gere stars in this film as a reporter drawn to a small town to investigate reports of horror at the hands of a strange, shadowy figure.

When predictions begin coming true, the reporter is caught up in bizarre events. This movie is based on a book chronicling supposedly true events from the 1960s.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984): Freddie Krueger, a deranged child molester who was burned alive, comes back to haunt the dreams of his killers’ children. Armed with a handful of razor blades, Krueger earned a spot alongside horror movie legends such as Michael Meyers and Norman Bates.

“The Fly” (1986): An eccentric scientist transforms into a man/fly hybrid when a teleportation experiment goes horribly wrong. Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum star.

“Paranormal Activity” (2007): Shot in a single-camera style made popular by “The Blair Witch Project,” this film features a slow build of suspense, creating a tension that has viewers enthralled by the dis-

turbing demonic presence. * “The People Under the Stairs” (1991): A burglary attempt finds a young boy trapped inside a home of a deranged brother and sister who keep “children” under the stairs of their home.

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________shopbrazos.com____________The Eagle

H

orror is in the air come Halloween. For those who enjoy a good fright, watching a scary flick with a bucket of popcorn in hand can be just the trick. The following films make ideal choices for scary Halloween fun.

“Repulsion” (1965): A young, beautiful woman (Catherine Deneuve) is left alone in the apartment she shares with her sister. While alone, she begins to suffer from hallucinations, catalepsy and madness that eventually leads her to murder.

This marks the first Englishlanguage film for director Roman Polanski.

“Fire in the Sky” (1993): Based on a true story, an Arizona logger disappears for five days in a supposed UFO encounter. Featuring one of the more realistic alien abduction scenes in film history, this film may cause fans to glance nervously at the night skies.

“The Amityville Horror”

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DIY COSTUMES

Dressed to

Shop your closets for unique DIY costumes

ThrIll Melissa Erickson

Special to The Eagle

I

f you want the coolest Halloween costume on the block or at the party, you’d better not buy it at a store. The best, most unique and creative costumes are do-ityourself, homemade.

A pair of artsy/crafty experts come to the rescue to help readers come up with a few can’t-miss ideas.

It’s cheap “DIY is better than storebought,” said Lea Stewart, Chicagobased

designer and author at Inhabitat. com. “I believe that it makes the holiday more of an experience when you make your costume.

Also, if you are repurposing materials, this is more eco-friendly than store-bought.”

Craft blogger Jamie Dorobek, a native Texan and current Florida resident who likes to create things for free, said making your own Halloween costume is “fun and way cheaper.” Her blog is C.R.A.F.T., www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com.

“Creating with freebies has been happening since I can remember.

I grew up with a wonderfully crafty mom who would take me to Goodwill to my little heart’s content,” Dorobek said.

It’s easy

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The best part of DIY Halloween costumes is that “everyone can do it,” Stewart said. “One great way to start is to make a costume from a cardboard box and some craft supplies. I’ve seen many good ones over the years: robots, SpongeBob or even a box of mac n’ cheese,” Stewart said. Add six large plastic cups to the front of the box, paint it a primary color and suddenly, you’re a Lego piece. Or, cut the cardboard into the shape of a dinosaur head.

If you have some basic household skills, the task is all the easier.

“Sewing might be tricky for some, but since a Halloween costume is typically only for one night, glue, safety pins and even hand-sewing work wonders,” Dorobek said.

It’s clever

It’s fun

Sometimes, the most clever costumes are the ones that were inspired by what’s around you, Stewart said. Use what’s in the news or in your neighborhood to spark your creativity.

“Last year I made myself into a food truck using a box. Food trucks are so trendy in Chicago that I wanted to pay homage,” Stewart said.

Another tip is to take a trip to a thrift store to get inspiration.

“My husband and I try to challenge each other to not spend over $20 at the thrift store on our costumes,” Stewart said. “A few years back we found the perfect gear (white robes and “lightsabers” made from parts of kids toys) to be Princess Leia and Han Solo.”

Thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army, dollar stores, or even family and friends’ closets are ideal to find accessories, said Dorobek. “Use what you’ve got on hand. I’ve made a lot of very simple dresses out of (size) XX men’s T-shirts,” then added accessories to complete the look.

Sometimes it’s the simplicity of an all-over effect that works, Stewart said.

“One costume that sticks out was a guy who was one of the cheap, plastic, green army men toys. He wore a green stocking over his face, painted everything he was wearing the same shade of green and also had a ‘bazooka’ made from a shipping tube painted green,” she said.

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PARTY SMART

Play it smart with spirited parties The Eagle

P

arties catering to adults are often enhanced with a variety of food and beverage options, and alcoholic drinks are a common component of such gatherings. Party hosts and hostesses who will be offering the spirits to their guests should keep safety in the back of their minds.

Many party hosts are unaware that they may be held liable should a person become intoxicated at their event and then go on to injure another person while under the influence. This is why bartenders will stop serving customers who are visibly drunk.

Although laws vary from place to place, party hosts should still keep tabs on their guests’ alcohol consumption, cutting off guests who might have had enough to drink. In addition to monitoring alcohol consumption, party hosts can employ these additional practices to keep everyone safe.

cated. Be certain to have a number of foods available and encourage guests to dine before you start serving any alcoholic beverages.

This way you can reduce the potentially intoxicating effects the alcohol will have • Collect keys upon entry to on your guests. Though a full the party. Ask guests who stomach won’t guarantee plan to drink alcohol to suryour guests won’t become render their car keys to you intoxicated, they are likely to when they arrive at the party. consume less alcohol on a full Guests may be offended at stomach and the food in their having to relinquish control stomach can counter the efof their cars, but it is a wise fects of any alcohol they do move to remove any temptaconsume. tion to drive away.

• Keep drinks simple. Some • Remain sober. As the party specialty drinks call for more host, you will have a number alcohol than others. In addiof responsibilities, including tion, fruity drinks can mask ensuring your guests’ comthe flavor of the alcohol, fort and safety. Having your causing a person to drink wits about you will enable more than he or she would you to make better decisions normally. Serve simpler for you and your guests. drinks so guests know just how much alcohol they are • Serve plenty of food. Drink- consuming. ing on an empty stomach is a surefire way to get intoxi• Establish a cut-off time.

Stop serving alcoholic beverages at a certain time. This will give guests time to sober up before the end of the party. The rate at which alcohol leaves the body and enables persons to no longer feel its effects varies depending on age, gender, weight, and even race. Experts advise only having one alcoholic beverage per hour, which is the average time it takes for that drink to be metabolized. Consuming nonalcoholic drinks between alcoholic beverages will keep blood-alcohol content down.

• Make nonalcoholic beverages available, too. Giving guests options may help them drink more responsibly. Drinking water is a way to flush out the system and reduce the effects of alcohol.

Party hosts often make alcoholic beverages available to their guests. Use caution and monitor guests’ drinking so no one gets sick or injured.

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BRAZOS VALLEY MAIZE

BRAZOS VALLEY MAIZE

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Brenham corn maze open through Nov. 29 Special to The Eagl Ea e

T

he Brazos Valley Maize is up and growing for another “far “f mtastic” season. It kicked off of its 2013 season on Sept. 28, and guests have ha enjoyed perfect fall afternoons and evenings getting lost in the outdoors.

Brazos Valley Maize, the Brazos Valley’s premier corn maize, is located at 3063 Salem Road in Brenham. The maze is open through Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

The last ticket is sold one hour prior to closing time.

This year’s design is dedicated to the things that the Free family, owner/operators of the Brazos Valley Maize, hold dear: faith, family and farming. The largely Aggie family has owned and worked the land that holds the maze for over 75 years, and has farmed and ranched in Washington County for more than 100 years. And apparently, the family that farms together stays together.

Woodrow and Joan Free will celebrate 55 years of marriage

this coming January, ary and their ary, three sons are the ones responsible for the farming and operations of the maze.

“There are so many bless-

ings that come with operating the maze,” said Joan Free, one of the owners.

“W get to witness our sons “We working together to create something that brings other families together.”

“It’s just clean family fun,” added J. Free, one of the sons.

“It’s a unique experience that gets people back in touch with rural America. There is something for all ages to enjoy.”

The maze is over six acres of twists and turns, and can be navig na ated as quickly as 20 minutes with the use of a maze passport, which is a series of questions that if answered correctly will help guests make the correct turns throughout the maze. But it is always fun to get a little lost, and most visitors will take 45 minutes to an hour to navig na ate through the maze.

“One of the most interesting

things about the maze is the di rsity of visitors,” said Jody dive Free, another son and owner.

“There have ha been people from Sweden, England, Guatemala, Russia, Hawaii and other states.”

There is so much to do and see at the Brazos Valley Maize.

Guests can catch a ride on the “cow train,” a 10-car barrel train painted like cows; a corn cannon that shoots ears of corn 200 yards (shooters win prizes for hitting targets); a hayride around the farm; bounce horse races for all ages; a pumpkin patch where guests can choose from a variety of pumpkins; great fall photo opportunities; a cow milking station where visitors can mimic milking a cow; animal exhibits; and a miniature maze made of hay bales that only allows guests to make left turns.

Guests are allowed to bring

their own food and non-alcoholic beverages, but there is also a concession stand where cold drinks, snacks, candy, fresh kettle corn and other snacks are available. Enjoy it all under the huge party tent, where seating and picnic tables are located.

In the evening, visitors can warm up or cook on one of the campfire sites available to rent for two hours at a time. S’more kits and weenie roast packs can also be purchased at the concession stand.

As always the Brazos Valley Maize is set up to be a great family fall adve ad nture, with some extra special events happening this year. On Oct. 26 the maze will celebrate the harvest season with a special day for kids and families. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Trick-or-Treat in the Maize is back and better than ever. Kids can come to the maze in costume and get $2 off of admission. Then stay for the evening and watch a free showing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Char Brown” under the Charlie stars. Don’t forget your blanket.

Then on Nov. 2 the Brazos Valley Maize will host a Farm Heritage Day. “It’s an opportunity to explain the history of farming to a generation that has been greatly removed from agricultural life,” said Art Free, a son and owner of the maze. “Many children and adults do not un-

derstand the origins of our food supply and the innovations that ha made modern agriculture have and food production possible.”

The Farm Heritage Day will start with a Pioneer Breakfast eakf eakfast around the chuck wagon from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. The menu includes eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, juice and coffee cof -- all for $6 plus admission. Then stay for the Farm Heritage Day festi tivities . During Farm Heritage Day, the Texas Draft Horse and Mule Association will be giving gi plow horse and mule farming demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Sharecroppers Antique Farm Equipment Club and the Early Ear Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association, Branch 96 will be displaying their turn-of-the-century farm equipment and tractors. Owners and operators will be there to explain how the equipment was used and how it works. Dinner will be served around the chuck wagon from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The menu includes chuck wagon stew, corn bread and cobbler, er er, with tea, lemonade and water to drink -- all for only $6 plus admission. Also, the wonderful, always patriotic, always

country Texas Eagle Dirt Band country, will take the stage from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to pick and sing. The concert is free with admission.

Tickets are available to purchase early ear for the breakfast eakf eakfast or dinner at brazosvalleymaize. com.

So come and enjoy a wonderful night under the stars remembering the good old days and simple pleasure of farm life in the fall. It will be a day to remember!

The Brazos Valley Maize of offers special rates for groups over 15, birthday parties and large corporate or business groups. The cost is $10 for

general admission to the maze, grounds and free attractions.

Any paid attractions are $1 each. Visitors can also choose an all access admission for $12, which will get them into the maze, the grounds, free attractions and all paid attractions as many times as they like during a visit.

For more infor inf mation, or to book a group outing, call 979-217-2005, send an email to inf info@brazos valleymaize.com, find Brazos Valley Maize on Facebook, or visit the website at brazosvalleymaize.com.

In case of inclement weather guests should check the er,

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________ 2013____________shopbrazos.com shopbrazos.com____________The ____________The Eagle

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________ 2013____________shopbrazos.com shopbrazos.com____________The ____________The Eagle

Get lost at the Brazos Valley Maize

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FRUGAL

By Melissa Erickson

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________shopbrazos.com____________The Eagle

Special to The Eagle

The average American throws away 4.4 pounds of waste each day.

Homes, schools and businesses throw away tons of garbage, items like product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint and batteries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans generate about 250 million tons of trash annually, recycling or composting 34.7 percent of it.

Plenty of items end up in landfills that could have easily been recycled or reused.

“We need to raise our consciousness and take more responsibility for what we throw out,” said Albe Zakes, global vice president of communications for TerraCycle, an “upcycling” company. TerraCycle works with more than 100 companies to collect difficult-to-recycle packaging and products and repurposes them into affordable and innovative products.

It’s free, and for every chip bag or drink pouch it collects, TerraCycle will donate 2 cents to the school or charity of your choice, Zakes said.

“Recycling is a great family effort,” said Jeff Harse, vice president of RecycleBank, a company that rewards people for taking green actions with discounts and deals. “When parents and families set the example to recycle and live green, children will follow. And more often than not, it’s the children who get us adults to recycle.”

Where to recycle

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While he believes strongly in being green, Zakes doesn’t lay blame.

“It’s really not the consumers’ fault.

We’ve grown up in a world where we are accustomed to throwing things away, but now’s the time to do something about it,” he said.

Harse said, “As far as the country goes, home recycling is offered in about 60 percent of the nation. For those without the option to recycle at home, there are often recycling centers or dropoff locations at area grocery stores or farmers markets.”

If you don’t know if or where something can be recycled, there are great resources such as Earth 911 (earth911.com) or 1-800-Recycling

Fun & Frugal

recycling can mean less waste, creative projects

(1800recycling.com). “Simply enter in your ZIP code to find what’s recyclable and where,” Harse said.

If there is no local collection point, TerraCycle collects recyclables and nonrecyclables, including glue bottles and toothpaste packaging, dirty diapers and cigarette butts.

Most people want to recycle and generate less waste, but they often feel it’s too expensive or they just don’t have the time for it, Zakes said.

“The opportunity is out there and it’s easier than ever.”

What to recycle “About 70 percent of our waste can be recycled, but only about 30 percent is. As what’s accepted varies by community, the best thing here is to reach out to your community to find out more,” Harse said.

Some surprising things that can be recycled include: n roof shingles: Roofs to Roads (roofstoroads.com) grinds up old shingles and mixes them with hot asphalt to pave roads. n Soap: Global Soap Project (globalsoap.org) and Clean the World (cleantheworld.org) collect partially used and discarded soaps and recycles them into millions of new bars to distribute to people who lack access to soap around the world. n Zip-top bags: While they can’t

usually be recycled curbside, grocery stores that collect plastic bags will accept plastic storage bags that are clean and dry. n Pantyhose: No Nonsense (nononsense.com) turns pantyhose into park benches. Download a shipping label and bring to a collection site. n Wine corks: All Whole Foods locations collect wine corks to be recycled through Recork (recork. org), which gives corks new life as footwear and other upcycled products. n Fishing line: In addition to many retailers and marinas, fishing line and spools can be recycled by mailing them to Berkley Fishing (berkley-fishing.com), where they’re mixed with other plastics to create fish-friendly habitats. n Athletic shoes: Nike’s Reuse-AShoe (nike.com) grinds down your old sneakers into playground surfaces. You can bring in up to 10 pairs of used shoes to almost any Nike or Converse store or mail in to the recycling factory.

What to upcycle “Beyond recycling, there are lots of creative ways to teach your children to reuse items rather than tossing them, such as making crafts out of reusable items like tissue boxes and toilet paper tubes,” Harse said.

RecycleBank suggests the following for reusing common household items:

n Cheese grater as earring hooks:

Use an old cheese grater to hang and

organize earrings. You can even paint the grater first to match your décor. n Trays as shoe-debris catchers:

Place old plastic cafeteria trays in your closet and by your front door to hold dirty shoes, and rain and snow boots. This will help catch any debris and save you cleaning time. n Wine bottles as boot props: Sick of all your boots folding over and making a mess of your closet? Place used, clean wine bottles in your boots to help them maintain their shape and look new longer.

DIY

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Playing and creating with your child can develop a strong bond

By Melissa Erickson Special to The Eagle

Is modern society making kids less creative? Does staring at screens drain them of inventiveness?

A study by a creativity researcher at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., found that creativity has decreased among American children in recent years.

The study suggests that kids are less able to produce unique and unusual ideas, that they are less imaginative than previous generations.

Not so fast, says Ken Denmead, editorial director of Maker magazine, which focuses on do-it-yourself and do-it-with-others projects.

A bright idea “Children are absolutely natuMakezine.com offers this project for younger kids created by Make rally creative. Indeed, creation is contributor Craig Couden: one of the basic ways they learn to interact with their environment Easy light-up hoodie and start developing gross and n Velcro tape, ½-inch or ¾-inch wide, about 40 inches fine motor skills,” Denmead said. n Electroluminescent tape strip, about 40 inches “The best thing to do to encourn Sewing machine, or needle and thread age them is to give them the raw n Sweatshirt with large hood materials for creation, such as n Glue (optional) finger paints, clay, Lego bricks, n Electroluminescent wire extension cord Minecraft. Give them a bit of conn Pocket-sized EL inverter, 4×AAA or 2×AA text for what to do and not do, and n Batteries, rechargeable (EL tape drains batteries fast; use rechargethen let them go.” able) A number of innovations, web1. Cut a length of Velcro equal to the length of the electroluminessites and toys have been developed cent tape and hand- or machine-stitch the soft side onto the inside of in recent years to help spark kids’ the hood near the edge. You may want to remove the drawstring first. creativity, such as builtbykids.com, 2. Attach the prickly “hook” side of the velcro to the back of the EL which showcases how-to projects tape. (It might come with an adhesive backing or you may have to glue kids can make alone or with help. it.)

3. Attach the EL tape to the hood. Connect the EL tape to the ex“We believe that a child’s imagitension cable, then the inverter. Turn it on, stick the inverter in your nation is endless and their thirst for pocket and wow your friends. knowledge is insatiable,” said Built

By Kids founder Timothy Dahl. “By teaching children practical skills and encouraging them to submit to something and create it, which is A how-to project is more than their creativity, they become more the foundation for all invention, just the finished item and the skills confident, capable and cosmopolifrom a bird feeder to a symphony to acquired. It’s about bonding, Dahl tan.” a cure for disease,” said Dr. Laura said.

A chance to bond Markham, clinical psychologist and “The process is the goal. We author of “Peaceful Parent, Happy know that a daughter will cherish The benefits of encouraging creKids: How To Stop Yelling and the precious memories of making a ativity are boundless. dollhouse with her father long after “Kids learn that they can imagine Start Connecting.”

the house itself is gone. And that a grandson will, one day, proudly pass the workshop skills he learned from his grandparents along to his own children,” said Dahl.

Looking for quality time, “many parents wonder how to get kids away from screens so they can really interact. Projects give parents an easy way to connect with their kids,” Markham said.

What it teaches Creating together or building DIY projects as a family teaches children “key hard skills such as measuring, cutting and drilling and soft skills such as teamwork, patience and perseverance,” Denmead said. “Parents should remember that they are the primary educators in their children’s development, and taking the time to do structured learning with them can only have a positive impact.”

Markham suggests some keys to successful bonding when doing projects: 1. Let the child pick the project, so she’s motivated.

2. Don’t worry about the result.

Focus on enjoying your child and serving as her assistant as she tackles this project. Your goal is less that of teacher and more that of fellow explorer on a fun journey.

3. Take your child seriously as your partner, and let her do the important work as much as possible.

4. Don’t worry about perfection.

This is a project done by a child. If you want to do a perfect project, do it on your own time.

5. Bite your tongue when you start to give advice and reframe it as a question or an “I wonder,” as in “Hmm … do you think the painting should happen before or after the pieces are glued together?” or “I wonder if we should check the directions again. ...”

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________shopbrazos.com____________The Eagle

DIY togetherneSS

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Thursday, October 17, 2013____________shopbrazos.com____________The Eagle

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

not all rosy

Do Your homeWork beFore PurchaSIng PInk merchanDISe

By Melissa Erickson Special to The Eagle

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After 30 years of awareness campaigns and billions spent on pink-ribboned merchandise, women continue to face breast cancer. Some activists are saying, “Enough with the pink already!”

Called “pink nausea” or “pinkwashing,” the backlash comes from the heart as survivors and supporters urge us all to Think Before You Pink, which is the campaign started in 2002 by Breast Cancer Action, an education and advocacy organization that views breast cancer as a public health emergency rather than an individual crisis.

“We need to move beyond awareness and into action,” said Breast Cancer Action executive director Karuna Jagger. “Thirty, 40, 50 years ago, breast cancer was in the shadows, but we no longer have an awareness problem. You’d be hard-pressed to find a person younger than 12 who doesn’t know what the pink ribbon stands for.

What do we have to show for all the awareness?”

While pink inspires some, others are disgusted by it, said Matthew Zachary, founder and chief executive officer of Stupid Cancer.

“There’s been so much negative feedback and exploitation of goodwill and a lack of responsibility by corporations. People, especially younger people, are sick of it.

Awareness means nothing. Awareness doesn’t do anything; actions make a difference,” he said.

Breaking point “I’m becoming more and more concerned every year about the river of pink that engulfs us in the month of October purporting to focus on breast cancer awareness,” said Debra Madden, a resident of Newtown, Conn., who is a two-time cancer survivor (Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a young adult and breast cancer 20 years later as a late effect of her original radia-

tion treatment). She is a cancer research advocate who blogs at draemadden.wordpress.com. “Everywhere you turn, every marketer with a product to sell, a tarnished image to rescue or a need to appear healthconscious to potential purchasers splashes their products with pink.

“Last October was truly the kicker: I nearly ran off the road as I turned my head in complete disbelief, watching a pink oil truck with the ubiquitous ribbons turning onto the highway. Honestly, what’s next?”

For breast cancer blogger and Stage IV breast cancer survivor Jody Schoger, the most offensive are pink handguns.

“That’s repulsive to buy something that is used to kill for a disease that kills,” she said. Her Women With Cancer blog is at womenwcancer.blogspot.com.

Is it bad?

But what’s so bad about a heightened level of awareness? Is the avalanche of pink products taking away from the real cause?

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Smart shopping

Worst cancer charities A collaboration between the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting found “America’s Worst Charities,” ranked by money blown on soliciting costs.

Many of them are related to breast and other cancers: rank Charity name

Total raised by solicitors*

2 Cancer Fund of America $98.0 million 4 American Breast Cancer Foundation $80.8 million 6 Breast Cancer Relief Foundation $63.9 million 10 Children’s Cancer Fund of America $37.5 million 11 Children’s Cancer Recovery Foundation $34.7 million 15 Project Cure (Bradenton, Fla.) $51.5 million 21 National Cancer Coalition $41.5 million 22 Woman To Woman Breast Cancer Found. million 0.4% 38 United Breast Cancer Foundation $11.6 million 50 Hope Cancer Fund $1.9 million

Paid to solicitors* $80.4 million $59.8 million $44.8 million $29.2 million $27.6 million $20.4 million $14.0 million $14.5 million

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Cancer survivor Jackie Fox believes it is.

“It desensitizes people to breast cancer.

There is so much pink everywhere that you just start tuning it out,” said Fox, author of “From Zero to Mastectomy,” the story of Fox’s journey from stage zero to eventual mastectomy after a 2008 diagnosis of ducal carcinoma in situ, an early-stage breast cancer. Fox blogs about breast cancer at secondbasedispatch.com.

“The other thing that happens is that people see these shiny happy people with shiny happy products and lose sight of the fact that this is a very real disease that’s still killing people. It also promotes ‘slacktivism’ — I can feel like I’ve done something because I bought a product or posted my support on Facebook,” Fox said.

It’s a harsh assessment, but all that pinkribboned merchandise might not be helping as much a people think.

Because the pink ribbon symbol is not regulated, there are examples of corporations that have exploited consumers by selling pink items that have no connection at all to breast cancer, said Zachary. When companies do indicate a donation to breast cancer, beware of the cap, Zachary said. A portion of the proceeds will be donated up to a maximum donation cap. Once the cap is met, the company may continue to sell the pink product without alerting consumers that no additional donations will be made.

In other instances, consumers are bogged down by forms to fill out and mail in before a donation can be made, Zachary said. Even more egregious, some companies have marketed pink products that are linked to increased risk of breast cancer, Zachary said. To see examples, visit thinkbeforeyoupink.org.

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% spent on direct aid* 0.9% 5.3% 2.2% 5.3% 0.6% 0.0% 1.1% $13.7

So what can you do to be sure your donation is really doing good? “Do your homework” to find out where the money goes, Fox said.

“Metavivor.org is a good organization. $6.6 million 6.3% One hundred percent of donations go to $1.6 million 0.5% their research grants unless specified otherwise. They focus on metastatic cancer, which gets very little support,” Fox said. * As of Aug. 5, 2013 Other organizations that focus on meta- Source: http://www.tampabay.com/americas-worst-charities/ static cancer are Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, mbcn.org, and BC Mets Community, bcmets.org, said Madden. a doctor or hand your money to who you want what do they do with it?

Madden also suggests you support organito help.” It’s also better “to donate an hour of 3. Is there a cap on the donation and has the zations that are truly focused on conducting your time, rather than buying a pink baseball maximum been met? impactful research to prevent primary breast hat,” he said.

4. Is the product free of toxins linked to cancer and metastatic breast cancer and to The Think Before You Pink campaign sugbreast cancer? find a cure, such as the National Breast Cancer gests you ask these critical questions before a When in doubt, write a letter to the company Coalition and its Breast Cancer Deadline effort charity purchase: and ask that it be transparent in its donations. to end breast cancer. Visit breastcancerdead1. How much money from the purchase goes line2020.org. to support breast cancer programs?

Zachary suggests “writing a check directly to 2. What organization gets the money and

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Cancer under 40

Thursday, October 17, 2013____________shopbrazos.com____________The Eagle

It can be especially shocking to find a lump when you’re young

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By Melissa Erickson Special to The Eagle

Young women can and do get breast cancer. Single women, married women, women with kids, even pregnant women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

While a breast cancer diagnosis is devastating at any age, younger women face some unique challenges.

In 2012, it is estimated that there were more than 2.9 million women living in the United States with a history of invasive breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 61. About 20 percent of breast cancers occur among women younger than 50. Of that number, about 5 to 7 percent are women younger than 40.

‘But I have a baby at home’ Younger women with cancer are often just starting to build careers, like registered nurse Ginger Diven.

Married with a 7-month-old son, Diven was 36 when she was diagnosed with a fast-growing, estrogenpositive form of breast cancer. “I went from zero to stage three just like that,” Diven said.

At home getting ready for a Christmas party while holding her son in her arms, the baby wiggled against her breast, “and I though, ‘Ouch, that hurt,’” Diven said. Then, like many young women, she put it out of her head and continued on with her life.

“Many young women ignore the warning signs of breast cancer because they just feel like they’re too young,” said Deborah J. Cornwall, who has interviewed almost 100 women with breast cancer and woven their stories into a book, “Things I Wish I’d Known: Cancer Caregivers Speak Out.” About a week later, the same thing happened again. This time, Diven laid down on her bed, raised her arm above her head and examined her breast. What she felt shocked her to the core. “It was big, really big,” Diven said of the tumor.

Because of a strong family history of breast cancer, Diven had been undergoing annual mammograms

Breast cancer survivors Ginger Diven (left) and Pam Welgos hold a framed sign Welgos gave to Diven. The sign, which reads “Decades, decades, decades,” refers to Welgos telling Diven she would beat cancer and be around for a long time. since the age of 30. For the previous two years, she was going every six months because of a suspicious calcification. Then she became pregnant and had a baby. This time, the radiologist saw the tumor right away. Because it was feeding off the hormones and estrogen in her body, the tumor grew aggressively, which is very common in younger women, Cornwall said.

“People diagnosed who are younger than 40 tend to have more aggressive forms of cancer and face higher reoccurrence risks than people who are older,” Cornwall said.

They also face a specific kind of anxiety.

“The first words out of my mouth were, ‘But I have a baby at home,’” said Diven, who is a registered nurse and now works in the breast surgery department at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in the suburbs of Chicago. Even though “cancer runs rampant” in Diven’s family, and she “felt bound to get cancer at some point,” this was just too early. “I was so young,” Diven said.

“This was a time in my life when I was supposed to be happy and starting a new life. My husband and I were married about two years; we

were practically still newlyweds. We had just gone through the process of building and buying a new home, and I had a baby son.”

She also had a supportive husband, a strong sense of faith and a will to fight. But it was never easy.

Diven’s constant thoughts of her own mortality led to an obsession of having her husband take photos of her with the baby “so he could remember me,” she said.

She went through a bilateral mastectomy, a full course of chemotherapy, radiation and reconstruction. At a time when Diven should feel beautiful, young and full of life, she lost both her breasts and also her long, red, naturally curly hair.

“But my husband said, ‘I want you around for a long time,’” Diven said.

“We fought it together.”

Pregnant and a positive diagnosis It was almost inconceivable that Jennifer McFadden could have breast cancer. The avid biker and hiker was just 37 years old, pregnant and in her third trimester.

“People don’t realize you can get cancer so young. No one thinks about it happening to younger

women,” McFadden said.

About two years ago McFadden began experiencing “a lot of pain in my right breast behind the nipple.”

Her OB/GYN doctors felt it was probably just swollen or infected ducts. When the pain continued, an ultrasound was performed.

“They saw stuff going on but said not to worry. The pain became worse and more frequent though, so I went to my long-term general doc” to get something for the pain, McFadden said.

Immediately, her personal doctor knew something was not right and sent her to a specialist who took a bilateral incision. When McFadden received a call the next day, she knew it wouldn’t be good news.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy is very rare, with current estimates ranging from 1 in every 1,000 to 1 in every 10,000 pregnant women, according to the American Cancer Society.

“The pregnancy was doing a good job hiding the estrogen-based tumor,” McFadden said.

Since the pregnancy was already considered high-risk, McFadden’s team was in place and ready to respond.

“I had a great team that pulled together like 13-14 people including the oncologist,” McFadden said. Together with her husband and support team, McFadden decided her and her baby’s best option was to deliver her baby at 36 weeks, then start cancer treatment.

Son Eli “is fantastic, a miracle.

He was 6 pounds, 12 ounces and healthy,” McFadden said.

On the other hand, the shocking diagnosis came out of left field.

“It’s the last diagnosis you would expect to get in the middle of life. It was a different perspective for sure,” McFadden said. “I’m supposed to have decades ahead of me. It was really rattling.”

In addition to myriad resources for people fighting breast cancer, there are special sites available for younger people, such as the Young Survival Coalition, www.youngsurvival.org, and Stupid Cancer, www. studpidcancer.org.

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