COMO Living Magazine - June/July 2017

COMO

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COLU MB IA LIFESTY LE A N D CU LT U R E

JUNE/JULY

CULTURE O C M HOMES O FASHION THE OUTDOOR ISSUE

LI V ING

Total Solar Eclipse MU Professor unpacks this unbelievable experience

e d i R o h w n e m o W

Photo by Emily Rodenbaugh

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A BUSINESS TIMES COMPANY PUBLICATION

EDITORIAL Deb Valvo, Publisher Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Beth Bramstedt, Editor Beth@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Matt Patston, Managing Editor Matt@BusinessTimesCompany.com

DESIGN Keith Borgmeyer, Art Director Keith@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Cassidy Shearrer, Editorial Designer Cassidy@BusinessTimesCompany.com

C R E AT I V E S E R V I C E S Kate Morrow, Graphic Designer Kate@BusinessTimesCompany.com

LE T TER from THE PU B LISHER

RECONNECTING WITH SUMMER Since this is our Outdoor issue, I’m beginning to think of my favorite outdoorsy summer memories. I still vividly recall that exhilarating sense of total freedom that early June brought on as a child. It seemed as if the entire summer was just awaiting

Jordan Watts, Editorial Designer

my discovery, and none of that discovery was going to occur indoors. I recall the sense

Jordan@BusinessTimesCompany.com

of pure summer magic that came along in a giddy sort of way. And while my summer months may have lost some of that giddy inspiration, it’s still a magical time for me.

MARKETING R E P R E S E N TAT I V E Deb Valvo, Marketing Consultant Deb@BusinessTimesCompany.com

The longer days. The vodka-inspired beverages. (Perhaps there’s my giddy factor.) And, of course, fireflies.

You’ll find this issue to be full of summery content — from the deliciously sweet photos in Gourmet to the fun-and-sun inspired looks in Fashion. And while I’m no longer of the “Women Who Ride” faction (page 50), I still have memories of that sense of freedom as well. These four ladies have great stories and, from what I’m told, great bikes too! (I hope they keep a St. Columbanus medal in a pocket for added safety.)

MANAGEMENT Erica Pefferman, President Erica@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Renea Sapp, Vice President ReneaS@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Amy Ferrari, Operations Manager Amy@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Surely we can all relate to the “wind therapy” Mary mentions. Some of us just prefer to get it in a slightly tamer way!

The digital device story speaks volumes about the way time is spent today versus the way I spent my childhood. All I can say about that is that, this summer, we all need to go play outside every chance we get — without electronic appendages!

Every summer has a story, and I hope yours is a salty, freckly, barefoot kind of story.

Enjoy,

Brenna McDermott, Director of Content Brenna@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Fran Patrick, Account Manager Fran@BusinessTimesCompany.com

Deb Valvo Publisher

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COM O LIVING Business Times Company 2001 Corporate Place, Suite 100 Columbia, MO 65202

P: 573-499-1830 Website: comolivingmag.com Twitter: @COMOLivingMag Facebook: facebook.com/ COMOLivingMagazine Instagram: @comolivingmag —

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Keith Borgmeyer, Anthony Jinson LE T TE R from TH E E D I T O R CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beth Bramstedt, Anne Churchill, Anna Comfort, Niamh Cremin, Nicole Flood, Jeff Guinn, Brandon Hoops, Lisa Kent, Maya McDowell, Jordan Milne, Jill Orr, Carolyn Paris, Kennedy Robinson, Eleni Sorensen, Jennifer Truesdale

IMMERSED IN THE STORY I sat in the audience of the Unbound Book Festival in April, mesmerized by the vulnerability and courage with which the authors shared their stories. Some unpacked memories of war, struggles of growing up in a small town, or tragedies that struck their lives.

Some made you laugh; others made you cry.

“After nourishment, shelter, Some told of things experienced; others of and companionship, things imagined. stories are the thing we Some took you to unfamiliar places; others to need most in the world.” ­ your own backyard.

—Author Philip Pullman Yet with each story, those listening were inspired. We were transported into the lives of others, encouraged to empathize with people and situations we did not understand, and given the opportunity to see the humanity all around us.

On a smaller scale, that’s what we’re about at COMO Living as well. We’re writers, excited about telling our community’s stories. In this issue: Jill Orr will make you laugh; Lisa Kent will make you cry.

Brandon shares a story of childhood experienced; Maya, an eclipse to come.

Anna and Jen take you on the road; Jordan takes you inside your phone.

With each story, I hope you’ll find inspiration, insight, and a glimpse into the human experience.

Happy reading!

On the Cover

Beth Bramstedt Editor

Sporting her signature pink helmet, Sandy Thompson and Sally, her modified Harley Fat Boy 1340, cruise the back roads near McBaine. Read more about Sandy and her fellow motorcycle mavens on page 50.

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COLUMBIA LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE

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COMO LIVING INTERNS Maya McDowell, Sade Howell, Kendall Lappe, Niamh Cremin, Kennedy Robinson —

SUBSCRIP TIONS S U B S C R I B E O NL I NE

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JUNE/JULY

CULTURE O HOMES C M O FASHION

THE OUTDOOR ISSUE

Total Solar Eclipse

MU Professor unpacks this unbelievable experience

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COMO LIVING BOARD Nancy Allison, Barbie Banks, Muriel Browder, Adonica Coleman, Ann Merrifield, Kathy Lou Neale, Jill Orr, Carolyn Paris, Stacie Pottinger, Michele Towns, Justin Wilson

Women who Ride

SUBSCRIBERS

$5.95 per issue, or six issue subscription for $29.95. Call Amy Ferrari at 573-4991830 ext. 1003 to place an order or to inform us of a change of address.

CON TE N TS FEATURES / DEPARTMENTS

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33 14 15 18 21

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27 28 33

Letter from the Publisher Letter from the Editor

47 50

About the Board: Digital Devices

58

Shelf Life: Renewing My Imagination

Day in the Life: Tamara Gonzalez-Oberbeck

65 69

Libations: Beach-Inspired Cocktails Gourmet: The Sweet Life Fashion: Fun in the Sun

76 78

Home Tour: Outdoor Living Outdoor Feature: Women Who Ride Outdoor Feature: What’s So Special About a Solar Eclipse?

Health: Digital Device Dependency Move of the Month: Plank with Shoulder Tap

80 Life Coaching: Move the Molecules 83 Unleashed:

85

Mom in the Middle: It’s a Bouncing Baby…Book!

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Wedding Confidential: Dodging Day-of Disasters

86 Datebook 88 Strong Woman: Jane Williams 90 Couple You Should Know:

Seasons: Swallowed in Sorrow

Helping Our Injured Pets

Zac and Laura Cutler

ABOUT THE BOARD

DIGITAL DEVICES

Our love/hate relationships with the internet.

In conjunction with our health story on page 65, the new COMO Living Advisory Board talks candidly about the games, websites, and apps that both steal their time and bring them joy.

MURIEL BROWDER

ANN MERRIFIELD

Community Volunteer

Columbia College

What did we ever do without smartphones? I use mine to keep in touch with my family, to check my work email when I’m out of the office, to help me get from Point A to Point B, and as my digital photo album. My guilty pleasure? Yahtzee! The box game was my favorite growing up — I especially liked the sound the dice made when you rattled them in the cup. But I’m currently playing with five different players, none of whom I know personally. (If you’re cgcoreymama, quit rolling Yahtzees!) I must admit that there are times when I let the game interrupt my work — speaking of which, I’ve gotta go. Need four more sixes to get bonus points.

Atari 1600, Atari 2600, “Tetris,” “Mario Brothers,” Game Boy, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, iPad, and “Angry Birds.” I know this looks like a list of video systems and games you purchased for your kids, but these were the ones I once owned and played! I was a gamer from the beginning. I started with “Pong,” “Centipede,” and “Pac Man,” went to Atari, and settled into the world of Nintendo. Today you can find me playing my three favorite games: “Bridge Base,” “Words with Friends,” and “1010!”.

The further we advance in technology, the better the games.

We’ve come a long way from a little white ball bouncing back and forth across the screen!

BARBIE BANKS Citizen Jane Film Festival

STACIE POTTINGER Rogue Studios

If, like me, you love telling and consuming stories, your latest digital device addiction must be Snapchat. This app is not just for kids! It’s for quick and sometimes frivolous sharing that you can do in 10 seconds or less. Snapchat allows you to snap photos or video, chat, and make little pieces of art right on your phone. It connects you directly to your friends and family in a fun, creative, and prompt way. Snapchat is the best way for you to follow friends and family throughout their day. You might get a quick glimpse into your cousin’s Uber ride, or your partner’s bike commute to work. Or, as in my case, your best friend might reveal her second pregnancy to you through a 10-second video of her ultrasound! Snapchat’s creativity and playfulness add value to your storytelling and makes connecting fun and silly.

Sadly, I haven’t found a game to replace the devotion I once held for “Candy Crush.” I’m not sure what happened between “CC” and me. For a long time, we were inseparable, and then we began to drift apart. She became infuriating and sneaky, and I was beginning to feel like we weren’t on an even playing field anymore. I know I shouldn’t keep score in relationships, but I must admit, I was. And then I just stopped. One day, I had enough. I know there must be another game out there for me — it’s been years since I felt that adrenaline rush. But for now, it’s just me, my audiobooks (that I can’t stop myself from calling “books on tape”), and true crime podcasts.

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ABOUT THE BOARD

ADONICA COLEMAN

CAROLYN PARIS Carolyn Paris Consulting

A2D Events

I initially found being conscious of my relationship with my iPhone annoying. Pulling up to a stop light, checking my email. Waiting for an appointment, checking LinkedIn. Waiting in line at the grocery store, checking Facebook. This new awareness was not only annoying, but I noticed it kept me separate from being present to myself and my surroundings.

When I hear the word addiction, it recalls for me the types of things that people must have, cannot live without, would lie, cheat, or steal to get, etc. That word has nothing to do with me, right? A middle-class suburban mom and business owner with great community service references? Or does it? When it comes to today’s digital world, I must admit to being a teeny tiny bit hooked on Facebook. I like to believe that I primarily use it for business purposes. After all, according to everything you read about owning a small business, you absolutely must have a social media presence to make it these days. Do I use it for business purposes? Yes. Do I also use it to see pics of my cousin’s new baby and my friends at a country music concert, to read a shared news article, and to post pics of our latest vacation? Yes. There’s no need to go into how many times I log in a day, or whether I check to see if my last beach pic got more likes than my pic in the cowboy hat.

MICHELE TOWNS Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri

I have equal love for Instagram decorating and Pinterest, but my true addiction would be Facebook swap shop. Not only do I buy stuff on FB sites, I also sell items on a variety of swap shops. It’s amazing how many you can join in Mid-Missouri. I’m constantly on the hunt for myself or my friends. It’s a great way to clean out your stuff and make some cash. My taste in decorating changes so often my husband has stopped worrying whether he likes a room or not – it’ll change the next week. He’s supportive of my bad habits and I support his golf habit, so it’s a win/win at the Towns home.

NANCY ALLISON Shelter Insurance

Technology is not something I’m addicted to, but rather something I’m fascinated by. I am a 1956 model — I grew up with a party line, meaning I had to wait to make a phone call until the line was free from a neighbor using it (no privacy back then either). So I love technology when it works, but when it doesn’t, not so much! I recently bought a new car, and I’m amazed by the technology on this vehicle. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next two to five years with this type of technology.

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SHELF LIFE

RENEWING MY IMAGINATION

A journey through the world of children’s books.

by B R A N D O N H O O P S

I

most of my excitement and expectation toward accumulating books to share with our son. My hunt has taken me from used bookstores to antique malls, from a friend’s living room to the spring book sale at Columbia Public Library. I’ve made expected acquisitions (“Cat in the Hat”), rediscovered my childhood favorites (“The Monster at the End of this Book”), picked up every title from a Sesame Street writer turned children’s author (Mo Willems), and stumbled onto one by a songwriting legend (Woody Guthrie).

Growing our little library gives me an opportunity to pass along a piece of the childhood my father created for me. He narrated my last waking minutes every night with energetic tales from books I pulled off the shelf or with silly creations of his own. He accompanied me for my Saturday morning explorations in the museum-like corridors of my hometown public library, in Freeport, Illinois, that was built by Andrew Carnegie. He even edited and encouraged my earliest attempts at writing, whether it was my story about a bear that invented football or another about a kid named Mike and his magic basketball.

It’s also been fun to let my search shake me out of my routine and reignite my imagination. Sometimes we adults take ourselves too seriously. We like to manage our schedules, and we prefer explanations and information to imagination. But in the presence of each new story, I find myself welcoming surprise, creativity and playfulness.

t all started with a well-worn yellow hardback on a thrift store shelf. There was no book jacket and no title, just four brown bear prints illustrated in simple brush strokes on the cover.

I was intrigued, so I picked it up and looked inside. On a blank white page, above a partial outline of a bear, the title read, “Did a Bear Just Walk There?” The next page introduced the book’s author, Ann Rand, but my attention was fixed on streaks of green and bursts of pink and yellow that surrounded the titular wandering bear.

Each page that followed took me into the secret, unknown world of animals through colorful scenes and simple free verse. It was easy to spend a buck and take the book home.

In July, I will become a father. While my wife spends her nights sewing a baby quilt out of an assortment of gray fabric, I’ve turned

IN “DID A BEAR JUST WALK THERE?” RAND STEEPS US IN “HERENESS,” CALLING OUR ATTENTION TO DETAILS WE OFTEN OVERLOOK. These books aren’t just for children. In the intro to “Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs?” — one of my finds from Itchy’s Flea Market — author Bernard Most writes, “To every child (or grownup) who ever wondered about dinosaurs.” We’re never too old to be curious, or ask questions, or make new discoveries.

My spring seems especially more vibrant this year because of my repeated readings of “Did a Bear Just Walk There?” Rand steeps us in “hereness,” calling our attention to details we often overlook. So, rather than moving through my day at full speed, I’m trying to notice and appreciate the natural world around me. I can only hope that, if you happen to pick up a children’s book sometime soon, you will leave with a similar experience of expectation, wonder, and delight.

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T A X I P S

TAMI R. BENUS, CPA

SMALL BUSINESS BIG SUCCESS



Try New Ideas Be Innovative when necessary. The fact that something isn’t currently being done in your industry area shouldn’t keep you from trying something different.

Watch the Numbers Use your financial statement to give you important management information.

Compare inventory turnover year by year. If turnover drops, consider it a warning sign and investigate further.





Use Your Advisors Wisely Keep your accountant, banker, insurance agent, and lawyer informed about your business. These professionals can help you avoid pitfalls in making business decisions.

See our tips and blog at trbcpa.com Tami R Benus, CPA 1808 Monroe St. Columbia 65201

573.499.1990

tami@trbcpa.com

trbcpa.com

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D AY I N T H E L I F E

GLOBETROTTER FOR GOOD Tamara Gonzalez-Oberbeck spends retirement volunteering across the world.

by N I C O L E F L O O D

M

any people look forward to the end of their career as the chance to slow down from the daily grind of full-time work. Tamara GonzalezOberbeck looked forward to retirement as her next big adventure.

After retiring from a career in nursing in the summer of 2016, Tamara strapped on a backpack to traverse Europe for a few months before beginning her Peace Corps service in Madagascar this past January.

Tamara is no stranger to life abroad; it seems fitting that she has chosen to bookend her career with Peace Corps work.

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, she attended nursing school and specialized in ophthalmology. After graduating, she worked for the International Eye Foundation in Central America before her first stint with the Peace Corps as a medical officer in Nicaragua.

Upon coming back to the U.S., she worked as a school nurse at Jefferson Junior High in Columbia before getting the travel bug again. Soon after, she began serving as a U.S. Embassy nurse in Guatemala. She came back to Columbia and worked with Saving Sight, a Columbia-based nonprofit, as the KidSight program manager until retirement. Throughout her career, Tamara worked in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, St. Lucia, Barbados, El Salvador, Bolivia, Chile, and Panama. So she wasn’t going to stay put in retirement.

Backpacking through Europe Tamara flew to Hungary on August 5, 2016, working on a budget of $30.00 per day. During her three months backpacking across Europe, she spent time in Hungary, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria. She set up volunteer jobs through the groups World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, HelpX, and Workaway, and

Tamara (center) surrounded by her fellow Peace Corps volunteers.

she volunteered as a farm worker, English teacher, and cook in several countries in exchange for room and board. As always, work was a key element of every day for

“I DECIDED I WANTED TO PROVE THAT: ONE, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO SEE THE WORLD; TWO, IT IS SAFE TO TRAVEL THE WORLD ALONE; AND THREE, EVEN A 63-YEAR-OLD CAN DO THIS.” Tamara, but there was always plenty of time to sight see. “It was a wonderful adventure of volunteering, meeting people, and getting lost in translation,” she says.

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The idea to budget-backpack across Europe came to her through an article she read several years ago about a couple who took a similar trip. The couple wasn’t wealthy, but they were still able to enjoy a wonderful experience abroad, something that stuck with Tamara. “I decided I wanted to prove that: one, you do not have to have a lot of money to see the world; two, it is safe to travel the world alone; and three, even a 63-year-old can do this,” she says.

Some of her favorite moments came while spending time by the Baltic Sea in Poland, working in a Benedictine monastery with the resident monks, and meeting up with a German friend whom she met in Lisbon, where she took Portuguese lessons.

She flew back to Columbia over the holidays to spend time with friends and family, but she didn’t stay long — Madagascar awaited.

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D AY I N T H E L I F E

Most meals consist of rice and vegetables from fields like these. | Tamara's love of lemurs and flora make Madagascar an exciting place to work and live.

Serving the Peace Corps in Madagascar Tamara began her 27-month commitment as a Peace Corps health volunteer in Madagascar in January. Located off the Eastern coast of Africa, Madagascar offers quite a different cultural experience than her European adventure. She went through three months of intense training on the island before moving to her official site, the small, rural village of Manadona, in May. “In Manadona, I’m working with vaccines at a health clinic and teaching handwashing and nutrition throughout the villages nearby,” Tamara shares. “I plan to start a girl’s club, teaching English and encouraging girls to stay in school.”

The Peace Corps was founded in 1965 and has sent more than 225,000 volunteers to 141 countries in the name of national service. She also chose Madagascar for the chance to work with young girls and the diverse cultural experience the country offered. “Madagascar is so different from what I’ve experienced in Latin America,” she says. “The language is hard to learn, and no one speaks English.” Her love of lemurs, exotic animals, and flora also made Madagascar an exciting location to work and live.

During her training, she lived with a host family in the country, though she’s now in her permanent site in Manadona. There’s no running water or electricity. The bathroom options are an outhouse and a chamber pot.

Tamara helps fetch water at the public well and brings it home to filter and clean for drinking.

They wash all clothes by hand and can only take bucket baths with water heated on the stove.

day at every meal — every now and then they mix it up and serve rice and beans.’”

Tamara misses her host family, but she’s excited to be officially working on her health projects and girls’ education initiatives.

“So far, this journey has ignited my soul, and I look forward to the growth and insight I’ll reap from the experience,” Tamara says.

Continue following Tamara on her travels at mytimshel.wordpress.com.

“SO FAR, THIS JOURNEY HAS IGNITED MY SOUL, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE GROWTH AND INSIGHT I’LL REAP FROM THE EXPERIENCE.”

A TYPICAL DAY AT PEACE CORPS TRAINING 5:00 a.m.: Wake with the roosters, pray,

and stretch.

5:30 a.m.: Go out back to get water, heat it up,

clean the chamber pot, and take a bucket bath.

They must cook daily and not waste the little food that’s prepared. (There are no options for refrigeration.) Most of their meals consist of rice, vegetables, and a little bit of meat or beans. The food culture causes Tamara to fondly recall past travel memories — you could say she’s used to it. “I remember writing a letter to my parents back in 1980, when I worked in Honduras,” Tamara says.

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6:30 a.m.: Put on rice to cook.

7:00 a.m.: Eat rice and homemade peanut

butter. Make coffee on the stove.

7:45 a.m.: Walk to class for training and work.

12:00 p.m.: Walk home to fix lunch with

leftover rice and beans.

1:00 p.m.: Rest and study until 2:00.

2:00 p.m.: Walk back to class for training

and work.

6:30 p.m.: Eat dinner.

7:30 or 8:30 p.m.: Go to bed.

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L I B AT I O N S

BEACH-INSPIRED COCKTAILS The Roof brings the seaside to you.

by J E F F G U I N N | ph o to by K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R

My name is Jeff Guinn, and I’m the food and beverage director for The Broadway hotel. The Roof, our rooftop bar, is Columbia’s premier entertainment venue to connect with friends, listen to local music, or dance the night away. There’s nothing like its indoor–outdoor seating areas, complete with outdoor fire pit tables that boast the most spectacular views of the Columbia area. Most importantly, both the indoor and outdoor areas of The Roof feature a fully stocked bar.

Our chefs serve a spectacular array of small plates and appetizers along with our hand-crafted cocktails and featured beer on tap from Columbia and Missouri craft breweries. This summer, we want to make The Roof a destination: If you can’t make it to the beach, let us bring the beach to you.

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1 ½ oz Dogmaster vodka ½ oz ginger liqueur ½ oz pureed strawberries ½ oz fresh lime juice Ginger beer

Add vodka, ginger liqueur, strawberries, and lime juice to a mixing tin and shake. Pour in a rocks glass filled with ice and top with ginger beer.

Black Jack Lemonade • • • • •

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GOURMET

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GOURMET

The

Sweet

Life

Nothing says summer like berry-filled dishes and a glass of strawberry wine. photos taken at B lue Shepherd Far m

by K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R COMO L I V I N G

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Craving a taste of summertime fruits? Look no further than a slice of Peggy Jean’s Mixed Berry Pie.

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Looking for the perfect lunch combination on a hot, sunny day? Try Midici’s The Sweet Life salad, a signature Nutella calzone, and a glass of St. James’ Strawberry Sweet Wine.

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Got your heart set on BBQ? Stop at Hoss’s Market for some hickory smoked ribs and chicken wings. Pair them with chips, peach salsa, and a glass of Blackberry Blueberry Sweet Wine from St. James Winery.

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Fun in the Sun Coastal-inspired accessories for your next trip to the beach.

by BETH BR AMST EDT ph otos by K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R modeled by G U I S A P I ,

Splish Splash

K R I S T I N G A D S D E N, N I A M H C R E M I N,

Did someone say vacation? Head from the beach to the cocktail bar in an Elan lace, tie dye, or Moon River cover-up, accented with a straw hat and retro pop sunglasses from Kelly Fields Boutique. Polish the look with jewelry from Ermish and Kendra Scott.

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Sweet Summertime Enjoy lunch on the patio or an afternoon read in this romper by Uncle Frank, bowtie hat by Hatch, Oofos flip flops, and Ethel & Myrtle sunglasses from Calena’s Fashions in Holts Summit.

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Before heading to the ocean, make sure to stop at Southern Rose! From beach towels to coolers and tumblers to totes, they’ve got the beach accessories you need from Viv & Lou, Occasionally Made, and more.

i

Surf s Up Wherever you’re headed, this pompom beach tote from Cha Boutique is ready to lighten your load!

In town or on the beach, you’ll be ready for the heat in this tie dye cover-up, straw hat, and Pop sunglasses from Envy.

FA S H I O N

Tropical Paradise

Take the kids to the pool with poise in this Judith March cover-up and tote from Fringe Boutique.

From Hawaii to Key West, this Mumu cover-up from Cha Boutique will have you walking the streets and shopping the stores in style. Lafont sunglasses from Eyedentity Eyewear complete the look.

Protect your glow with Island Glow Body Bronzer and Tahitian Tan Mist by South Seas. Available at Cha Boutique.

Summer Daze You’ll be ready for the water in The Spencer boater straw hat by Lack of Color and coverup from The Hanger, available at Swank Boutique. Add Maui Jim shades from Eyedentity Eyewear for a little sass.

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CALE KLIETHERMES

JAKE BAUMGARTNER

KLIETHERMES HOMES & REMODELING

DAN SHIFLEY

DOGWOOD SOLAR

BAUMGARTNER’S FURNITURE

ANNE TUCKLEY

JAKE FRINK

ANNE TUCKLEY HOME

ROST LANDSCAPING

Whether it’s home maintenance, design tips, or landscaping advice, this team has you covered.

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WHY YOU SHOULD BRING YOUR INTERIOR DESIGNER WITH YOU WHEN YOU BUY FURNITURE

BY ANNE TUCKLEY Find more at: AnneTuckleyhome.com

Regardless of the scope of your home renovation project, the purchase of furniture is an investment of time, money, and energy, and it can be easy to become quickly overwhelmed by your options – What material should I pick? What color? How durable does it need to be? How easy is it to clean? How will the piece fit in the room?

What accessories and accent pieces will work?

Shopping for furniture is extremely personal, because furniture plays a huge role in making the home feel like a home. People want pieces that showcase their personalities and fit beautifully into the style of the room.

The following are the 5 reasons why you should invite your interior designer to the furniture store with you: 1. We are shopping all the time – Designers are constantly shopping for new pieces, so we know where to find the styles that suit your personality and where to find the best deals.

2. Usability – Designers understand the importance of function. Have a kitten that loves to scratch? You probably don’t want to invest in a several thousand dollar modern, Italian leather sofa. We will direct you to the materials that are best for how you live your life.

3. Space utilization – Designers know how to maximize space for optimal utilization and aesthetic. When you bring an expert that knows what your room looks like, they can easily direct you to the best options to fill the space.

4. Blending – Design is all about blending textures, contours, and colors in a visually stunning way. Designers can let you know what your best fabric options are, what shape of furniture you should be purchasing, and what colors go well together.

5. Education – A good designer will walk you through what he/she is doing as they put your room together. This gives you the opportunity to learn from their experience and apply these principles to future projects making you look like the expert!

ANNE TUCKLEY

ANNE TUCKLEY HOME

Anne has been in the interior design industry for over 20 years and has resided in many metropolitan cities from NYC to Houston while honing her skills.

Her specialties are interior design and home staging, with a focus on unique perception. Anne graduated with a BFA in fine art with a concentration in design and illustration. She has extensive experience in designing new construction as well as remodeling and conceptualizing out-of-the-box ideas. She ensures cutting edge design and superb customer service.

108 Corporate Lake Place, Columbia, MO 65203 573-639-1989 | AnneTuckleyhome.com

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TRUSTING THE PROCESS

BY JAKE BAUMGARTNER Find more at baumgartners.com

It’s not uncommon for a customer to come to us for one piece of furniture – perhaps a new sofa or recliner – and eventually refurnish the majority of their home over a period of time. I can’t help but believe that happens primarily because of the relationships that develop in our stores. Shoppers come to rely on our knowledge because of the trust and friendships that evolve.

Having been in business since 1949, we’ve made some wonderful, long lasting friendships.

Here are simple tips we use to guide our customers through the process of adding quality furniture to their home without disrupting what they already like about a room – 1. Take pictures of your current favorite pieces so we get a good feel of your style.

2. Be willing to move existing pieces to a new location in the room or even in the home. This can often breathe new life into a piece.

3. Be open to mixing it up a little. We’re great at blending the old with the new while creating balance and interest.

4. Choose quality over quantity. If you’ve found a piece you really enjoy, you don’t want to be replacing it in the near future due to shoddy quality.

5. Trust our team. We’ve been around awhile and not only have great products but the creative know-how to ensure your personality is reflected in your choices.

The “matchy-matchy” days are gone. (thankfully!) With today’s looks being more of backdrop for a contrasting, interesting mix, our team will help you navigate selecting new pieces for any room in your home. Come browse

through lines like Magnolia Home, Broyhill Furniture, Flexsteel, La-z-boy and so much more for inspiration.

We understand that there’s nothing more personal than one’s personal space. If you want a big city type of selection but with a small town, friendly atmosphere, you should pay us a visit. We’ve been going strong for nearly seven decades and perhaps you’ll become someone we get to call a good friend, too!

JAKE BAUMGARTNER

BAUMGARTNER’S FURNITURE

Jake essentially grew up in the furniture industry as he is the fourth generation involved in Baumgartner’s Furniture. Working very closely with his father, Alan, Jake has been devoted to the stores full time since 2004. His greatest enjoyment, however, still comes from working closely with the customers. He is married to Sarah and they have two active boys, Noah and Laine. Jake received his degree in finance from Saint Louis University.

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5 WAYS TO ADD INSTANT CURB APPEAL TO YOUR HOME

BY CALE KLIETHERMES Find more at: www.kliethermes.com

You know the quote: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?” When it comes to your home, we’re here to tell you that there is hope! The front of your home is the first thing guests see when they come to visit, why not make it memorable? Giving your home’s façade a facelift doesn’t have to be costly or timeconsuming either; here are 5 ways to add curb appeal to your home without breaking the bank:

PAINT YOUR FRONT DOOR Paint is the cheapest way to transform a shabby, worn door into a statement piece!

Try playing around with a bright color to complement the neutral tones of your siding or brick. Bonus points if the door is two-toned.

Make sure the color you choose reflects the style of your home, and you’ll be sure to delight any guests that come to visit.

SWING INTO COMFORT What’s a patio without some places to sit?

Your regular outdoor chairs are nice, sure, but few things complete a porch like a good old-fashioned porch swing. Grab a book and a glass of lemonade, get comfy and watch the afternoon go by like that.

There are some easy DIY ways to not just give yourself the natural light you crave, but to add to the aesthetic of your patio. Something as simple as mason jar lanterns will do just that, and will only cost you a few bucks!

chair, it’s probably just a fresh coat of paint away from being the perfect patio accessory.

Does your home need a little more than a weekend of TLC? Don’t worry, weekend warrior, we’re here to help. Kliethermes can build,

REPURPOSE OLD FURNITURE We all have some old furniture laying around that we no longer use. Rather than stashing that in the garage or basement, what about using it on your patio? If you have an old dresser or

remodel or update any of your outdoor spaces and have them ready to wow your summer guests in no time. Give us a call today at (573) 446-2222 for a free consultation!

ADD GREENERY Whether you already have a beautiful lawn or not, some hanging or potted plants can really help your patio come together. Adding greenery and flowers to your patio can help integrate your home’s aesthetics into the beautiful nature surrounding it.

Embrace your green thumb this summer!

LIGHT IT UP In the summer, your patio gets a LOT of use during the evening hours. After all, it’s the best time to enjoy a cool night and sip on a glass of wine with guests after a long day of summer fun.

But artificial lighting can really kill the atmosphere.

There’s just something about natural lighting that feels more authentic, don’t you think?

CALE KLIETHERMES

KLIETHERMES HOMES & REMODELING

Cale Kliethermes has learned the construction business from the ground up, working with his father to uphold the 40-year legacy that is Kliethermes Homes & Remodeling. Having been immersed in the industry since his teenage years, Cale possesses decades’ worth of expert knowledge and experience regarding new construction and remodels. Cale studied business administration and finance at Regis University, in Denver, Colorado, and earned his CGR (Certified Graduate Remodeler) designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He also served in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps, where he built secure housing and observation posts. Cale specializes in leading homeowners through the creative process of designing their ideal home, and he is skilled in determining unique solutions that result in life-changing differences.

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THE VALUE OF OUTDOOR SPACE

BY JAKE FRINK Find more at rostlandscaping.com

Landscaping, especially with hardscape elements, continues to increase in popularity.

Many homeowners are choosing to invest money into their homes by including an outdoor space.

For the designers, it is an enjoyable challenge to create an outdoor space unique to the client that is both visually pleasing and usable. Patios, pergolas, outdoor kitchens with fireplaces or fire pits, and pools are just some of the most sought after elements of an outdoor living space.

Landscape lighting is perhaps the newest trend in outdoor spaces and becoming increasingly more prevalent. Innovative technology and a large variety of quality material options allow homeowners to work with landscape designers to create intricate designs that enhance the functionality of their lifestyle. Layout and design of an area’s hardscape create the backbone for a usable, enjoyable space.

Thoughtful plantings around the area enhance the look and feel of the space even further.

The rise of popularity of outdoor living spaces can be attributed to the value they bring to the homeowner now and any future owners as well.

Square footage of a home is relatively set in stone, however, an outdoor space can increase the usable space of a home. From a very literal standpoint, adding landscaping with an outdoor living space can increase the value of your home if done on the right scale. Great curb appeal makes an excellent first impression to potential homebuyers. In fact, the majority of homebuyers are willing to spend more on homes with great curb appeal or a backyard oasis. In addition, an extra living space outside can increase your equity and for those looking to sell their home and it can reduce the time your house spends on the market.

Landscaping is an investment. Producing a design that encompasses form and function, with year-round interest is what results in the best return on your investment. But economic reasons aside, landscaping can be enjoyable.

For many, home is where the most time is spent, so outdoor spaces provide an area for

friends and family to enjoy while building equity. Features can be tailored to your taste, interests, and hobbies for the ideal backyard.

The great thing about all the elements incorporated into a landscape design is that they are dual-purpose: visually stunning, yet purposeful. It is similar to remodeling an interior room but with even more elements to consider.

With the many varieties of plants, in so many shapes, colors, and textures, a landscape can be beautiful and with hardscapes, fencing and lighting they can be practical and safe. Fencing

can be attractive without having to sacrifice security. Landscape lighting is meticulously designed to highlight the best parts of a house and landscape which allows you to enjoy your landscaping well into the evening hours and adding safety and security after dark too.

In short, there are many reasons for the increase in popularity of outdoor living spaces, the main reasons being the practical and personal value they can bring to a home and a family that makes it a great return on your investment.

JAKE FRINK ROST LANDSCAPING

Jake Frink is a Columbia native who enjoys working and playing in outdoor spaces. He has a degree in plant science and landscape design from MU. With Rost Landscaping for nearly 18 years, Jake is the Design Manager. His natural talent for creating beautiful outdoor spaces gives him a huge sense of satisfaction.

Jake considers himself to be a very lucky husband as well as a lucky dad of three great kids.

573-445-4465

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THE BEAUTY OF SOLAR

BY DAN SHIFLEY Find more at dogwoodSOLAR.com

As we head into summer, we are reminded of barbecues, vacations, time in the sprinkler, skyhigh utility bills.

Wait, what?

Oh, did you forget about the time-honored tradition of paying more for the energy used to keep our homes comfortable in the sweltering Missouri heat and humidity?

Have you thought about solar, but weren’t sure you had the information to make the right choice?

For your home or business, adding solar panels can make a difference – for the monetary savings, energy independence, environmental benefits, or some combination of these. While some understand these benefits, others have misconceptions: MYTH: It won’t look good on my roof.

REALITY: Solar that looks as good as it performs is of the utmost importance. In order to install solar that looks great, we generally follow a few guidelines: Mount solar panels in the same plane as the roof. While we may be able to get more performance by tilting the panels, typically the

increased wind load and decreased aesthetics are not worth it.

No exposed conduit on the roof. One of the biggest detractors from an attractive solar installation is conduit snaking all over the roof. In most cases, spending a little more time to select the right products does not impact the overall cost of the system, but dramatically improves the look.

Select the right panel for the project. We provide panel options based on performance and cost. In addition, we want to be sure the color of the panel frame complements the roof, particularly on the front of the home. A black-framed module usually looks the sleekest on a roof when exposed to view. If you prefer a certain look, be sure to let us know.

DAN SHIFLEY

DOGWOOD SOLAR

Dan founded Dogwood Solar in 2010 to bring solar into the lives homeowners and business-owners throughout the area. He adheres to the standards set by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners [NABCEP], and is nationally certified as a Photovoltaic Installation Professional and a Solar Heating Professional. Dan specializes in beautiful solar installations that perform as well as they look. Very happy to call Columbia home, Dan spends time enjoying this great town with his wife and three daughters.

573-424-2011

dogwoodSOLAR.com

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MYTH: Solar costs too much.

REALITY: People generally spend about $100 on electricity each month. Take this average over ten years and you will have spent $12,000 on electricity. Ten years from now, would you rather be paying $100 per month for electricity, or have an investment that paid for itself and is giving you free electricity?

Incentives will help lower your cost: • 30% Federal Tax Credit • $500 per kW rebate for City of Columbia electric customers • 5 year MACRS depreciation for solar equipment • Federal grants available MYTH: Solar panels will be ruined by hail.

REALITY: Solar panels are strong and built to last. With a linear power production warranty of 25 years, reliable manufacturers want to ensure they are producing quality products.

According to solar panel manufacturer Solar World: “Our hail impact test replicates a natural hail storm by dropping a 1.1-pound, one-inch steel ball onto solar panels from a height of 13 feet.

Then we repeat this up to 20 times in the same place on at least 11 different points of impacts.”

According to State Farm agent Brian Hazelrigg: “Solar panels are considered part of your roof, and damage from wind, hail or trees would be covered just like your roof without solar. Check with your agent to ensure you have adequate replacement coverage.”

We have many solar panels in service and have not had any damage from hail. But if it did happen, it’s reassuring to know you’ll be covered.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Do not invest in solar without making sure you have the information you need to make the right choice for you. Yes, no, or not ready quite yet are all okay answers.

The important thing is to make this decision with accurate information from a source you can trust.

HOME TOUR

OUtdoor Living Rost Landscaping creates a vibrant outdoor space for social gatherings.

by N I A M H C R E M I N | ph o to s by K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R

W

hen Libby and Henley Montgomery purchased their home in 2015, the backyard felt claustrophobic and diverged significantly from the couple’s personal aesthetic. They immediately decided the space needed a facelift.

With an active social calendar in the fall, the Montgomerys sought to create a backyard that was a comfortable place to entertain friends and family throughout football season. Henley had a longstanding business relationship with Rost Inc., which prompted the couple to hire

them for their backyard endeavor. Jake Frink, designer and sales manager at Rost, and his team were tasked with the design and development of the Montgomery’s yard space last summer.

Libby and Henley’s home was brand new and included a walkout basement that led directly onto the patio area. Situated to its left was an adjoining space the couple referred to as “the bunker”: A large cement wall originally protruded from the ground on one side of its perimeter, causing the area to feel confined.

Jake recalls the barrier that posed the most difficulty for the team. “The lower patio was a very challenging spot to make look good and function the way it was

set up,” he says. “The whole project was centered around that challenge.”

Once completed, the sloping patch of grass that dove into their patio became a layered, stair-like compilation of large natural stone and assorted flowers resting along a bed of fresh mulch.

Libby says you can see the beautiful stone wall from the kitchen window or porch, which creates a pleasant view for guests. Resting just beneath the wall is a stone fire pit, positioned directly in the center of the patio, allowing ample room for entertaining. Jake and his team used the same natural stone to line the entry way to the front of the house.

“There is definitely an art to landscaping,” Libby says, “and they have it down.”

Also, pictured trotting up the white stone steps is the couple’s Pomsky, Bruce, who was adopted shortly after they purchased their home.

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Women Who Ride Local bikers experience what the rest of us only fantasize about. photos by KEITH BORGMEYER

Sylvia Donnelly

by ANNA COMFORT

The year was 1967 — the Summer of Love — and in a small town near Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sylvia Donnelly’s father drove her mother to work every day on his old BSA 650 Lightning. So when people ask Sylvia when she started riding, she replies, “In utero!”

“My father would joke and say I was late, so he spent weeks riding over bumpy roads, trying to get me out,” she says. Growing up, Sylvia enjoyed riding as a passenger, but she was picky. “Just because someone has a motorcycle doesn’t mean they know how to drive them,” she explains.

While in college at MU, she was one of the first women in Columbia to have, as she describes it, “a hardcore mountain bike.”

She loved riding the local trails, and she used the bike as her main form of transportation. But she kept dreaming of motorcycles.

“You know how you fantasize about what you’re going to do — your bucket list? I had this burning desire to ride motorcycles,” she says.

Riding was Sylvia’s native language — the engine sounds were like a lullaby. When Sylvia rode behind her husband, Bill, she was so comfortable that she sometimes fell asleep holding onto him. And when Bill asked her what she wanted for her birthday in 2005, she asked for a motorcycle training course.

“I took that weekend class, and I thought, this is as cool as I thought it was going to be!” she says. She bought her BMW F650 CS the following spring. Now she and Bill have an assortment of bikes, ranging from smaller dirt bikes to high powered models. “It’s our favorite form of exploring the world,” she says.

Together they’ve explored Costa Rica and the Czech Republic on rented bikes. Sylvia rides behind Bill and navigates when they're overseas, since Bill has over 40 years of riding experience, but rides her own bike when they’re exploring North America.

Sylvia lives in Hartsburg, where she and Bill have a farm and own the Hartsburg Grand, a newly rehabbed event center. “There’s some beautiful riding locally around here, along the Missouri River,” she says.

They take frequent trips out of state as well. “Eureka Springs, Arkansas is one of our favorite places to visit, and we’ve been out west. We did two weeks out there and put 4,000 miles on our bikes through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, just having a blast.”

Riding is a meditative practice for Sylvia. “You’ll find that it’s a very centering experience,” she says. “You must be completely involved.

Your body’s involved, your mind’s involved, your senses are all involved.

Everything gets a lot clearer, sharper, and it forces you to focus,” she says.

Although many people get into riding for the thrill of it, “it doesn’t feel like it’s the risk and the adrenaline that’s driving me,” she says. “It’s much more about the spirituality, the community, and being out with nature.”

Having come of age around motorcycles, Sylvia also understands how impactful she can be on young people who see her riding — she can be what kids think of when they picture a rider. “Motorcycling as a female, there’s a positive feeling that I’m out here doing things that so

“You know how you fantasize about what you’re going to do ­­— your bucket list? I had this burning desire to ride motorcycles.”

many young girls and boys don’t see very often, and how important that is,” she says. Sylvia has known little boys who can’t believe that she rides motorcycles, or ones who wanted to take a ride on her bike and couldn’t believe that a woman was driving.

“There are things you do that you know are benefiting the evolution and awareness of people,” Sylvia shares. “And as people, we are free to explore and choose the road less traveled.”

Betty Houston

by ANNA COMFORT

Betty Houston grew up watching her older cousins ride motorcycles.

“Guy cousins,” she points out. “I didn’t have any girl cousins that rode. And I thought it was fascinating. I always wanted to ride.”

Betty’s mother didn’t want her sons to ride, so Betty didn’t bother to ask if she could. But her desire never left.

In 2009, she says, “I thought, you know, it’s time. So, I went to the Harley dealership to take the class.” She got her license and bought herself a Honda 750 Shadow for her birthday. “They delivered it for me, and after they drove off, I thought, ‘Wow. What was I thinking?’

It’s a big thing.”

She started slow, riding the Honda up and down her street to get a feel for it — “terrorizing my neighbors,” she says. Her bike doesn’t ride as smoothly in the wind, so she’s careful not to ride on windy days. “I ride for enjoyment. I don’t want to get killed out there. It should be fun, not scary.”

“I don’t have a radio, so it’s just me and my thoughts. I sing songs, do a lot of praying and a lot of thinking.”

She often rides her motorcycle down I-70 to visit her father in Warrenton, but shorter trips around town are less frequent. “It’s not one of those things where you just walk out the door with your keys and you’re gone. There’s some preparation to it,” like checking tire pressure and oil, and donning chaps and other protective gear for longer rides. The furthest she’s gone in one ride is Lincoln, Nebraska, the first leg of a trip to Idaho. “I have a cousin that lives in Boise, so we took the bikes out and rode around near Boise.”

Betty, a medical assistant at University Hospital, doesn’t know any other women in town who ride, so when she goes on group outings, it’s mostly men, sometimes with their wives behind them. “My older cousin still rides, and he’s in a motorcycle club out of Jeff City, so sometimes I’ll ride with that club and hang out with them,” she says.

Betty says her most memorable group rides are escorting the Honor Flight, a nonprofit group that takes veterans to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of motorcyclists meet the returning Honor Flight bus in Kingdom City late at night and lead it back to Columbia. “That is the neatest feeling, when they say, ‘Fire ’em up!’ and all these bikes start.”

Betty has also taken part in a “poker run,” where participants ride their motorcycles from stop to stop, drawing a playing card from a deck at each one. At the end of the route, they see who has the best hand. These rides are usually charity fundraisers. The one Betty went

to ended with a picnic. “People who ride motorcycles, if you’re on another motorcycle, it’s instant family,” she says.

For Betty, riding feels like freedom. “I’m not sure I can put it into words. It’s so nice. When I was taking my class, the first time I got on, I was like, ‘Where’s my seatbelt?’ But once I started riding, it was so relaxing. I don’t have a radio, so it’s just me and my thoughts.

I sing songs, do a lot of praying and a lot of thinking.”

She says being on the bike helps her connect with the world around her.

“The smells — I mean, roadkill’s not good, but if someone’s cutting grass, the flowers, things that you wouldn’t think about when you’re in a car. It’s very relaxing.” Out on the road, with no barriers between you and your surroundings, “You can just look and see everything, and be a part of it.”

When Sandy's male counterparts see her on the road, sporting her signature pink helmet, they give her a thumbs-up.

And for the past eight years, she’s been piloting a three-wheeled motorcycle with a very special passenger on board – her husband, Dennis Thompson.

Sandy met Dennis in 2002 while working at Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics. Dennis had wrecked his motorcycle in a gruesome accident the year before. Nearly dying at the scene, his severe injuries rendered him blind, and he lost his right arm and leg. Dennis received his prosthetics from Hanger. “Every time he came in, he had this big smile on his face,” Sandy says. “It was like the sun coming in. He was so bright and happy.”

After knowing Dennis for two years as a client, Sandy offered to give him a ride home in her new car. They stopped at Dairy Queen for a casual bite to eat, and they’ve been together ever since. They married four years later.

“If she could put up with me for four years, then I figured she was in for the long haul,” says Dennis.

Despite the accident, Dennis and his brother worked to rebuild his 1999 Harley Fat Boy 1340, named Sally. Sandy and Dennis brought Sally home in 2008, though Sandy was unsure of their plans for the 650-pound bike.

“I could not even move it,” she says. “I thought, ‘What are we going to do with this?’”

Sandy Thompson

by JENNIFER TRUESDALE

When Sandy Thompson was 40, she gave little thought to motorcycles.

She couldn’t have imagined that less than a decade later, she’d be an avid rider, the owner of two motorcycles, and a proud member of the Mid-MO Lady Riders. Nor could she have imagined finding the love of her life, the man who would introduce her to the freedom of the road.

Sandy is now 53 and works in accounts payable at Alternative Community Training. She is small in stature, with a big smile, but she’s also earned her no-nonsense attitude. The Wisconsin native, who moved to Columbia when she was 13, served 12 years in the Army Reserves and raised her daughter as a single mom.

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Norm Wilding, owner of Mid-Missouri Motorcycle Customs, offered to transform Sally into a trike, with one wheel in front and two in back, complete with a custom bucket mounted to the back for Dennis’s wheelchair. It would take Norm nine months to complete the conversion, and in that time, Sandy decided she should learn to ride.

She started out on a small Suzuki, with Dennis teaching her in their driveway. Gradually, she ventured farther out into their neighborhood until, one afternoon, she didn’t stop until she made it the six miles to Norm’s shop.

“It was a huge accomplishment,” Sandy recalls with a big smile. “I was so excited, I was shaking all over.”

Sandy’s victory also meant Dennis could ride again, feeling the wind in his hair with his arms around his wife.

Now, after eight years on a bike, Sandy is an accomplished rider.

Dennis gave her a Harley 1200 XL for her 50th birthday so she could also ride solo. Last year, she joined the Mid-MO Lady Riders on the trike for their inaugural three-day roundtrip ride to Arkansas.

She’s been a member of the group since 2013 and cherishes the connections she’s made with other female riders.

“The friends I’ve made are lifetime friends,” Sandy shares. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any one of them.”

Sandy says that while there aren’t a lot of female riders, the numbers are growing, and her male counterparts encourage them.

When they see Sandy on the road, sporting her signature pink helmet, they give her the thumbs-up.

With summer approaching, Sandy and Dennis are getting ready for riding season again. They show no signs of hanging up their leathers any time soon.

“I’m happy in my life,” says Sandy. “We’re just very blessed. We couldn’t be any luckier.”

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by BETH BRAMSTEDT

Mary Brown is a self-proclaimed tomboy, risk-taker, and daddy’s girl, and she grew up around machines. If it had wheels, she drove it or admired it — everything from motorcycles to four-wheelers to muscle cars. She tagged along with her older brother, Jim, when he traded cars with friends, and she has fond memories of stealing his bike to go riding around their hometown of Mexico. “I was the bratty little sister, always hanging around,” she says.

She attributes her love of motorcycles to her father, but credits Jim with purchasing her first bike.

“He got me a mini-bike when I was in the third grade,” Mary says. “I rode the wheels off that thing.”

One turn of the throttle, the feeling of power, and she was hooked. The bike was gold with a little black seat, and she had to pull a cord to get it running. “It was a lot like a lawn mower,” Mary says, “and hard as hell to start.”

Mary, an employee at Watlow Electric for over 20 years, took a break from riding while raising kids, but she couldn’t stay away forever.

In 2003, she and her husband, Tim, bought a Sportster from Mid America Harley-Davidson, which she refers to as a “bar hopping bike,” and she got back on the road.

Where did they typically ride? “To eat,” Mary says with a smile.

“That’s why you never see any skinny riders; the destination is always a restaurant!”

The open road has also taken Mary and Tim as far north as Canada and as far south as Texas, routinely logging between 3,000 and 5,000 -

J U NE / J U LY - 2 017

Mid-MO Lady Riders

by JENNIFER TRUESDALE

Mary loves being out in the elements, with the wind in her face, taking in her surroundings. “Nothing else matters,” she explains. “It’s just you, the wind, and the road.” miles in two weeks. Her favorite destination is the mountains. “I love to see the fog rising off the Smoky Mountains,” Mary says, “and the Rockies are breathtaking.”

Mary calls the experience “wind therapy.” She loves being out in the elements, with the wind in her face, taking in her surroundings.

“Nothing else matters,” she explains. “It’s just you, the wind, and the road.” One of her favorite things to do is take a wrong turn and get lost. After all, “Riding is all about the journey.”

Since 2003, Mary has owned several bikes, including a HarleyDavidson Road Glide Special she bought last year. “It’s an 850-pound bike with a touring package, so it’s comfortable to ride all day,” she says. “You twist the throttle and it just goes!”

Mary and Tim are headed for Key West on their next trip. The plan is to trailer the bikes to Alabama and then ride from there.

While Mary enjoys riding for pleasure, some of her favorite rides are escorting the Honor Flight veterans. “We’re like one big family out there,” she explains. “We’re all there for the same purpose — to appreciate the veterans and what they’ve done to keep us free. It gives me goosebumps every time I do it.”

For Mary, riding is not a hobby — it’s a lifestyle, and one she doesn’t plan to give up any time soon.

The 23 members of the Mid-MO Lady Riders motorcycle group are as diverse as the bikes they ride.

Their day jobs run the gamut from Montessori school teacher to IT trainer, but their shared love of longdistance riding on cruisers and touring bikes makes them equal members of a unique sisterhood.

“Bikers get a bad rap most of the time,” says Staci Matney, who’s worked at MU for 25 years. “But you will never meet another group with bigger hearts.”

Karen Schrader, who works for Jones Beltone Hearing and Audiology, helped organize the group in 2011 as an offshoot of the Central Missouri Riders. This nearly 700-member group, open to all riders, formed in 2009 and is organized by Mid-MO Lady Rider Dawn Cremeans and her husband, Tom. “Most of the members have joined through word of mouth,” says Karen. “We’re welcoming, open, and it’s free to join. You just have to be willing to come to the dinners, ride or love to ride, and above all, participate.”

The group meets monthly at various mid-Missouri restaurants to catch up and share their love of riding.

When the weather is nice, riding to and from the restaurant is a highlight of the dinner.

Most of the women are in their 40s or older, and while some are quite seasoned, many are relatively new to riding. Karen started in 2010 at age 49. Jennifer Murray, 58, who has worked at Shelter Insurance for 40 years, started riding in 2008; last summer, she trekked through 17 states in two weeks and has traveled to Canada and back on her Goldwing 1800 trike. While many pilot their own bikes, a few of the members love to ride as passengers with their husbands.

Last summer, the group took its first long-distance ride to Harrison, Arkansas, over a three-day weekend.

The group is planning another trip this year and hopes to make it an annual tradition. They also participate in poker runs, fundraisers, and ride as escorts for Central Missouri Honor Flight.

Karen’s advice to anyone considering life as a motorcycle maven is to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic Rider course, offered in Columbia, Jefferson City, and Sedalia. The course offers about 20 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on riding, with bikes and helmets provided.

When you see the group cruising down the road, give them a wave. Regardless of age, experience, or bike model, the Mid-MO Lady Riders prove there’s room on the road for everyone. Happy riding, and keep the rubber side down.

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WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT A

Local sources shed light on the upcoming celestial “darkness.”

by M AYA M C D OW E L L photos by KEITH BORGMEYER

I

The entire country will see a significant partial solar eclipse (including Maine, which is as far from the path of totality one could get in the U.S.), but only 12 million people live on the path of totality, which runs from the Pacific coast of Oregon to the Atlantic coast of South Carolina.

Angela has been waiting since she was five years old to see a total solar eclipse. Now, she serves on a national task force that’s planning for the event across the country.

“It will feel like a normal day,” Angela says, “until the sky goes completely dark.”

As the moon gets closer to passing over the sun (about 30 minutes out from darkness), the sky will look like there’s a storm coming. When the sun gets about 80 percent covered, enough light will be gone to make the sky go a little darker, the way it does just after sunset. It will continue to get incrementally darker for the next 30 minutes, right up until the sun is 99 percent covered.

Then, Columbia will go dark. “When it’s completely covered, it goes to full-moon dark in seconds,” Angela says. “Even if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to experience it because it’s

n about two minutes and 30 seconds, you can listen to half of Bonnie Tyler’s ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” — or you can experience a total solar eclipse for yourself.

“People say ‘once in a lifetime’ about events quite a bit,” says Megan McConachie, strategic communications manager for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This is absolutely, genuinely once in a lifetime for Columbia.”

Around 1:12 p.m. on Monday, August 21, the city of Columbia will witness a celestial event, a total solar eclipse. The moon will pass between the sun and Earth and block the sun, casting a shadow over the city.

TOTALITY IS THE PLACE TO BE This is the first total solar eclipse on the continental U.S. since 1979, and the first total solar eclipse Missouri has seen since 1869, says Angela Speck, MU professor of astrophysics and director of astronomy.

The particularly stellar part of this eclipse is that Columbia is in the path of totality, which means that the city will experience “full-moon darkness,” where the moon is completely covering the sun.

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Professor Angela Speck feels at home behind the telescope in MU's Laws Observatory.

going to go from not noticing it to, ‘Oh the sky’s a bit weird’ to, ‘Oh my God, it went dark.’”

Columbia is large enough that the darkness will last between two minutes and 33 seconds to two minutes and 37 seconds, depending on where one is in the city. A red tinge of hydrogen will show briefly, until its density goes too low. The sun’s corona, which will look like a glowing ring of light around the moon, will then be visible, and then the stars, and at least three planets. The stars behind the sun make up the constellation Leo. Angela says, “The brightest star in Leo in Regulus, so this is going to be a big deal for ‘Harry Potter’ fans because Regulus is [Harry’s godfather] Sirius’ brother.”

While the sky is dark, animals will behave as they would in nighttime. “If you’ve got an insect that chirps at night, it will start chirping,” Angela shares. “Birds that sing at night will start singing.” Flowers that close during the night will close, and the temperature will drop as well. And then, a few minutes later, it’ll be a bright afternoon.

A LOCAL AND NATIONAL SPECTACLE Thanks to astrono-tourism, the United States is predicted to double its population for the eclipse, and Angela believes Columbia will more than double. Eclipses often occur over oceans or other low-density places that are hard to travel to. “Most people never get to see this, and here’s one that’s on our doorstep,” she says. Columbia is close to the middle of the path, which experiences the longest amount of time in darkness. Many hotels in the city are already booked for the eclipse.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau received the first inquiry on the eclipse a few years ago. “I remember hearing Rachel here in our office hang up the phone and be like, ‘Someone just called here from London asking about the eclipse,” Megan recalls. “I was like, ‘London, London? Like the real one?’” Since then, individuals, families, and organized groups from across the country have chosen Columbia as their eclipse-viewing destination. An astronomy club from Boston settled on Columbia as their observation site after a long search.

Megan explains that Columbia is an ideal location for viewing because the city is experienced at throwing festivals and has the capacity to host a large amount of people. Columbia is also an ideal destination to travel by car — easily accessible from St. Louis or Kansas City.

Columbia’s destination tagline is “What You Unexpect,” a nod to the humble expectations visitors may have of the city and their pleasant surprise upon realizing everything Columbia offers. In the fashion of True/False Film Festival, Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival, and MU Homecoming, Columbia is gearing up to show visitors and locals alike a cultural and educational experience during the eclipse.

The CVB has teamed with Columbia Parks and Recreation to plan events leading up to the eclipse and viewing events on August 21. “People should watch as everything unfolds and

MAKING THE

MOST OF THE

EXPERIENCE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16

FAMILY FUN FEST: MAD ABOUT SCIENCE 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Cosmo Park, free In celebration of the solar eclipse, the Family Fun Fest will delve into the scientific world. There will be entertainment for the whole family, including activities, music, hands-on learning, entertainment, face painting, foods trucks, and more.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

KALEIDOSPOKE 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Meet at Flat Branch Park, ride on MKT to Twin Lakes Get ready to glow with your bike on the MKT. This non-competitive, family friendly nighttime bike ride will take place on the illuminated trail.

MOVIES IN THE PARK: “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY” 8:30 p.m.

Cosmo Park, free Bring a blanket and enjoy a movie on the large, inflatable screen under the stars! Concessions and food trucks available. Sponsored

by KPLA 101.5, Missouri Care, and Boone Electric Community Trust.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 20

THE TOTALITY RUN 5K AND 10K 9:00 a.m.; packet pick-up and registration at 7:00 a.m.

Cosmo Park The Totality Run will take place on a crushed limestone trail passing through wetlands, creeks, wooden boardwalks, and wooden terrain.

The trail is flat with one crazy hill. The run will leave Cosmo Park at the skate park. After the run, there will be Shakespeare’s pizza and beverages waiting.

THE TOTALITY RIDE Start time at 11:00 to 11:30 a.m.; packet pick-up registration at 10:30 a.m.

Cosmo Park Enjoy a fun and relaxing ride on the Bear Creek Trail. The ride is 9.6 miles on a crushed limestone trail. Riders will leave Cosmo Park and travel to Oakland Park (4.8 miles), then stop for Shakespeare’s pizza and a live musical performance at the park shelter. After lunch, riders will return on the trail back to Cosmo Park. After the ride, there will be a festival awaiting with live music, beer gardens, entertainment, and fun throughout the day.

events are more solidified,” says Karen Chandler, superintendent of recreation and community programs for Columbia Parks and Recreation. “We’re trying to tie these things in and make it a week or weekend event to enhance the eclipse itself, so the people coming into town will have a variety of things to do.”

The eclipse will present an opportunity for locals to interact with a diverse array of visitors, all united in one place for a special event. “This is unlike anything Columbia has ever seen before, or will see while any of us are still alive,” Megan says. “I think it’s really going to be something that the city can remember and be proud of for a long time.”

WHERE TO VIEW For the eclipse guru: Gans Creek Recreation Area Whether you’re coming from near or far, this is a good space to set up equipment in a less hectic setting than other spots in Columbia. “There will be some basic services — parking, bathrooms, some food — but we want to keep it a little more low-key for the eclipse enthusiasts,” Megan McConachie, of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, says.

For a family-friendly festival scene: Cosmo Park Cosmo’s large open space is ideal for viewing the eclipse. There will be food trucks, children’s activities, and live music for viewers of all ages.

For a brew while you view: Logboat Brewery Logboat’s Shipyard will offer eclipse viewers a relaxing atmosphere to watch the skies, interact with friends, and enjoy a beer.

For those south of town: Foodstock at Corporate Lake Foodstock is a free festival celebrating the eclipse with live music, food trucks, beer tents, restaurants, local craft vendors, games, hot air balloons, a kid’s area, fireworks, contests, and more. Hosted by Serve It Up CoMo from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the field behind Las Margaritas.

For the crowd-avoiders: At home “Honestly, if you can put together a street party or something like that, don’t go too far from home because it’s going to be nuts,” Angela Speck, MU professor, suggests. “You only need to be able to see South.”

On Comoeclipse.com, there’s space for the community to add their own eclipse events for the public to see. “We want people to create their own eclipse experience, so anyone who’s having events, please add them to our calendar,” Megan says.

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Watching

Safely

During the “dark time,” it’s completely safe to watch the sky and enjoy the total solar eclipse. If you want to watch the partial phase, while the moon is moving in the way, you need protection for your eyes. Dr. Frederick Fraunfelder, director of MU Health Care’s Mason Eye Institute and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at MU School of Medicine, offers some information about eclipse viewing safety: Avoid gazing at the sun with unprotected eyes. That’s the bottom line. “There’s about a two-and-a-half-minute window there when you can actually look at the eclipse because no harmful sun rays are making it around the moon,” Fraunfelder says. “I’m not necessarily recommending doing that, because as soon as the moon moves to the side, that’s when the sun rays will hit your retina.”

Gazing into the sun can cause thermal burns on the retina. “We worry about people looking at the sun during an eclipse, because as soon as the moon moves away from the sun and the bright light comes through again, the pupil is dilated,” Fraunfelder explains. “When it becomes bright light all at once, a large amount of sun rays make it into your eyes and can cause thermal burns. If that burn occurs in the macula, where the cones in your eye are concentrated, you could lose a significant amount of your eyesight.”

Wear protective solar eclipse sunglasses. Solar eclipse sunglasses are available for purchase at the MU bookstore and other places around town. The glasses filter out the harmful rays and allow you to look at the eclipse throughout the whole process, Fraunfelder explains.

View with your own two eyes. Fraunfelder says he does not recommend looking through a telescope, camera, or binoculars at the eclipse, even if you have a solar filter or sunglasses on. “The camera and telescope appear to magnify the UV rays and can still burn your retina through your camera, telescope or binoculars.”

Normal sunglasses won’t do the trick. Name-brand sunglasses that block out UVA and UV light are not designed to look at solar eclipses.

Keep an eye on the kiddos. “If kids have solar glasses on, you have to make sure they are supervised and wearing them,” Fraunfelder warns. “They may just take them off.”

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Books, Gifts, Jewelry, Salt Lamps, Crystals, Essential Oils, Herbs & Teas, Fun Clothing & Inspirational Décor Items, plus Discussion Groups, Classes, Massage Therapy, Yoga, Tai Chi, Energy Work, and a lot of coffee and conversation!

Heart, Body, & Soul where your journey begins...

1004 W. Worley, Columbia MO | 573.777.6771 | Facebook.com/HeartBodyandSoulCenter |

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Perfectly polished doesn’t always mean perfectly healthy.

About 24,000 people in Columbia suffer from nail fungus and it can be stubborn to treat. If you’re one of these 24,000, you’re in luck – as odd as that may seem! We now offer a drug free treatment option … and we have the only laser therapy treatment in podiatric medicine in Mid-Missouri!

We also successfully treat bunions, diabetic foot conditions, ingrown toenails, hammer toes and much more. Podiatric surgery and sports medicine are our specialties. Whatever your foot problem may be, call us today for your exam!

3 0 5 N. Ke e n e S t. S u i t e 2 0 9 | C o l u m b i a, M O | C o l u m b i a Po d i a t r y L L C. c o m | 5 7 3 - 4 4 3 - 2 0 1 5

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H E A LT H

Digital Device Dependency Understanding the dangers of our internet world.

by J O R DA N M I L N E

T

“In public, when we see ‘that guy’ playing on his phone instead of watching his daughter, we think, ‘What an idiot!’” observes Scott Loring, a teacher from Russellville, Missouri. “For two years, my wife told me that I was addicted. I didn’t realize that I was becoming ‘that guy’ with my phone, and I was in denial.”

The scope of internet addiction is very broad and may cover any excessive use of texting, cell phone apps, online pornography, chat

he internet offers an infinite landscape of ever-changing information, stimulating the brain’s reward system much like sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, gambling, or any other trigger in the seemingly endless array of addictions. Many Americans must use the internet constantly for their jobs, and even children now own smart phones. The digital world has become a nearly inescapable aspect of our public and private life.

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A person can become addicted to any chemical or behavior that plays into the reward circuit of the brain through the activation of dopamine and adrenaline. rooms, social networking sites, online dating, online gambling, online shopping, stock trading, compulsive web searching, or even offline computer gaming.

Internet addiction, also termed “digital device addiction,” is a new disorder, affecting up to 15 percent of internet users, according to Internet World Stats. The epidemic has become so widespread that the American Psychological Association has now included “Internet Gaming Disorder” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a “Condition for Further Study,” which is the step before naming it as an official diagnosis.

A person can become addicted to any chemical or behavior that plays into the reward circuit of the brain through the activation of dopamine and adrenaline. If the chemical or behavior becomes a person’s dominant source of pleasure, it becomes an addiction.

According to Vinson, the formation of an addiction may include many factors: genetics, childhood experiences, a lack of positive experiences, or an array of other unknown factors. Having a parent or sibling with an addiction also increases one’s own chance of addiction.

“My daughter was only a year and a half or 2 when she told me, ‘Daddy, put the phone down,” says Loring. “The visual your kids have when they look at you with your phone is that there is a barrier.

That has psychological effects on them.”

Given that internet addiction is so new, many of the long-term effects are unknown, which can make it difficult to diagnose and track.

According to Reach Out Recovery, some of the known symptoms include losing track of time online, irritation when interrupted, having trouble completing tasks at work or home, isolation from family and friends, feeling guilty or defensive about internet use, and the inability to stop despite consequences and stress. Physical symptoms can result in carpal tunnel, dry eyes or strained vision, backaches and neckaches,

What We Know and What We Don’t “In part, addiction remains a mystery,” says MU Health Care substance abuse specialist Dr. Daniel Vinson. “All addictions are chronic brain diseases, and the brain is enormously complex. There are hundreds of millions of neurons in our brains, and every one is connected to many, many others. Lots of things can affect those connections, those circuits, and changes happen throughout life, not just in the embryo and fetus.

When you learn something, you ‘learn’ it because new brain connections form and some cells, perhaps, change their internal chemistry.”

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migraines, sleep disturbances, and pronounced weight gain or loss.

“What concerns me more than anything is that we are handing digital devices to our kids while having zero data on what this does long-term,” says Loring.

According to Vinson, children who live in neighborhoods with more alcohol or drug use are at greater risk for addiction to these substances, and peer influences in adolescence are also influencing factors.

The same could be true of exposure to digital devices. Only time will tell.

Seeking Solutions “There was one night when my daughter was in bed crying. I went in to comfort her and had my phone with me,” says Loring. “The fact that I was trying to comfort my daughter with one hand and didn’t have the other hand available because of my phone bothered me. I heard a 60-year-old version of me as a voice in my head saying, ‘You idiot! This time is precious and you are wasting it!’”

After this incident, Loring went to AT&T to get a downgrade on his cell phone plan. The store only had two non-smart phone options to replace his iPhone 5.

Loring admits having some withdrawals during this season, such as fear of missing out on Facebook happenings. After two years, he went from his “dumb phone” back to a smart phone — this time with a fresh perspective.

“There are educational philosophies that say, ‘We are just going to live without these things,’” Loring says. “But it’s not about getting rid of your technology, but how to live with it.”

Loring credits the book “The Digital Invasion: How Technology Is Shaping You and Your Relationships,” by Dr. Archibald D. Hart and Dr. Sylvia Hart Frejd, for shifting his relationship with digital device use. “[People my age] are digital immigrants because we grew up without this technology, and we know what it’s like to play outside and sit still and be okay with not doing anything,” he says, citing an analogy from the book. “We’ve developed those skills. Our kids are digital natives. They’re being molded without these skills.”

Loring was so impacted by his experiences that he taught a Sunday school class based around the “The Digital Invasion” where the students designed their own digital device use contracts for their families. Some of the agreements included in the Loring family’s contract are that phones will not be plugged in the bedroom and certain times and locations in the house will remain technology-free.

“We’ve had a harder time abiding by the contract than we thought we would,” Loring says. “But we’re committed.”

In Loring’s case, family support, church support, abstaining from his iPhone, and studying the subject were effective solutions. But addiction is a unique path to each who travels it.

“There are many treatments for addiction,” says Vinson. “No one treatment works for everyone.”

Vinson says psychotherapies such as motivational enhancement therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and 12-step facilitation therapy can help with addiction. Vison also encourages people to be supportive and treat addicts with compassion. He says, “Seek to help set them free.”

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F

HEADACHES? FEEL LIKE YOURSELF AGAIN “I had multiple doctors tell me the complications I have from scoliosis - migraines, chest pain and severe neck pain were just something I would have to live with. After a month of treatment at Tiger Family Chiropractic, my symptoms and headaches were gone.”

- Megan O.

You schedule your first appointment for $20, we donate that $20 to charity.

Kick up your heels!

June charity partner: Help Joe Brown to get a service dog

Dr. Amanda Owens, DC

SUMMER SPECIALS JUNE 21-24

Calena’s Fashions

Follow us on @Tiger Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center 3700 I-70 Dr SE, Ste 110. Columbia www.TigerFamilyChiropractic.com | 573-443-1414 This office complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on teh basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

CalenasFashions.com • 573-896-5091 • 275 Karen Dr. • Holts Summit, MO

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FITNESS

PLANK WITH SHOULDER TAP

Exe rci s i n g you r way t o i m p roved core stren g th .

by E L E N I S O R E N S E N, W I L S O N ’ S F I T N E S S I N S T R U C T O R | photos by K E I T H B O R G M E Y E R

Move: Plank with shoulder tap.

1

Target area: Core, shoulders, arms, and glutes.

Procedure: Step 1: Start in a plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart. Beginners can use an elevated surface, such as a desk. For more of a challenge, perform the exercise flat on the floor.

Step 2: Touch your right shoulder with your left hand and return to plank position.

Step 3: Repeat on other side for 10 to 20 reps per side.

Step 4: Go back to a plank position. Be sure to engage your core and glutes, but keep a neutral neck and spine. Attention: Minimize movement of the pelvis!

2

3

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From the very first meeting, my clients feel a sense of

relief.

They now know what needs to be done and why. And then they discover a level of personal service they’ve probably never experienced before.

I can do the same for you, as well.

Good chiropractic care goes beyond neck and back pain.

Complim entary wellness classes offered.

See web site for details

“I am so thankful that my family has found a place that is so welcoming and goes out of their way to make you feel appreciated. I love to know that my son is in great hands. Dr. Phelps has great information on how to help improve our lives from food to health to well-being. We appreciate everyone in the office and how helpful they are.”

—Alaina Follow us on Facebook!

Call for an appointment 573-442-5520 1000 W. Nifong Woodrail Centre, Building 8, Suite 100 AchieveBalanceChiropractic.com

. Dr. Phelps is an International Speaker and Wellness Expert .

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573-443-5618 • 1110 E. Broadway, Columbia • Independent Distributor of LipSense

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DOC TALK Columbia is fortunate to have access to some of the nation’s best health care professionals and most cutting edge technology. Learn more about some of the area’s top providers in this special section.

SPONSORED CONTENT

DOC TALK

DOC TALK

DOC TALK

CHRISTELLE ILBOUDO, M.D.

FREDERICK FRAUNFELDER, M.D.

CHILD HEALTH

OPHTHALMOLOGY

Vaccines are

You may have

the easiest

heard, but

and safest

Columbia is

way to protect

in the direct

yourself, your

viewing path

children and

of a total solar

your community from many serious and

eclipse on Aug. 21. Thousands of people

potentially life-threatening illnesses;

are expected to turn their gazes skyward.

including tetanus, influenza, whooping

While it will no doubt be an awe-inspiring

cough and meningitis.

event, you don’t want to make it a sight for sore eyes. During an eclipse, it is unsafe

Vaccines protect you by preparing your

to look directly at the sun without special

immune system to recognize and fight

solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or

these diseases. Children are inoculated

through a pinhole camera.

against different diseases when they are most susceptible, so it is important that

Exposing the retina of the eye to intense

they receive scheduled vaccinations.

light can cause damage to its lightsensitive rod and cone cells, which can

When it comes to important issues such

lead to a temporary or permanent vision

as vaccinations, don’t let yourself be

loss. Eclipse glasses filter UV, infrared and

misled by inaccurate information. Decades

intense visible light rays and protect the

of research prove that vaccines are safe

eyes from damage. It will only be safe to

and effective in the prevention of deadly

look at the eclipse with the naked eye for

diseases and are critical to building up the

about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, when

immune system in children.

the moon completely blocks out the face of the sun.

For more information about vaccines, please contact your family physician or call

For more eclipse safety tips, visit

MU Health Care at (573) 882-4141.

MUHealth.org.

MU Health Care muhealth.org

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DOC DOCTALK TALK

SPONSORED CONTENT

DOC TALK

LISA BRENNAMAN, M.D.

AARON GRAY, M.D.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

SPORTS MEDICINE

Women have unique health needs that deserve specialized care.

All women are susceptible to problems that can be embarrassing or uncomfortable such loss of bladder or bowel control, or a bulge in the vaginal area. These problems can greatly affect quality of life.

Athletes run the risk of injury in any sport.

However, during summer, two injuries to be on the lookout for include heatrelated illnesses and head injuries.

Heat-related illnesses include: • Dehydration: dry mouth, thirstiness, dry lips, fatigue, lightheadedness and headache. Drink plenty of water or liquids such as sports beverages that hydrate and replace electrolytes.

• Heat exhaustion: dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, nausea and profuse sweating. Find an air-conditioned environment and rest while rehydrating.

• Heat stroke: high body temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit or more; hot, dry skin with no sweating; rapid pulse; confusion; and changes in mental status.

This is a serious medical emergency and 911 must be called immediately.

One common health issue that affects many women is female urinary incontinence.

Stress incontinence is a loss of urine with cough, sneeze, laugh or exercise.

Urge incontinence is a loss of urine that happens because you cannot make it to the bathroom in time or you have an urge to go very frequently. The good news is there are excellent treatments for urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor issues.

Our team at MU Health Care offers treatments that include both surgical and non-surgical options. Treatment can involve small changes in daily habits, medications, physical therapy or advanced pelvic surgery.

A jarring impact to the head could lead to a concussion. Concussions alter normal brain function with potential long-term consequences. Signs and symptoms include: dazed or stunned; confusion; poor balance; headache, nausea or vomiting; blurry or double vision; loss of consciousness (even briefly).

At MU Health Care, we provide comprehensive care for women who suffer from a multitude of pelvic floor disorders. Whatever your specific needs, you can be assured that you will be treated with respect and compassion.

If a concussion is suspected, a health professional needs to determine when the individual can safely return to activity.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call (573) 817-3165.

MU Health Care muhealth.org

MU Health Care muhealth.org

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SPONSORED CONTENT

DOC TALK

DOC TALK

DOC TALK

RACHEL LITTRELL, M.D.

ROBERT ZITSCH III, M.D. EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT

CARDIOVASCULAR

Because survival rates for many cancers are improving dramatically, it is increasingly important to make prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease part of the survivorship care plan. In addition, many cancer treatments can be damaging to the heart. Side effects from chemotherapy or radiation can include weakening of the heart muscle or heart rhythm problems. That’s why a comprehensive approach dedicated to personalized risk assessment, prevention, detection and treatment is so important.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, head and neck cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers in the United States. More than 63,000 people develop head and neck cancer each year. The head and neck program at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center serves as a regional treatment center and offers comprehensive care for patients with all types and stages of head and neck tumors, both benign and malignant.

Through screening, diagnosis, staging, treatment and long-term follow up, our interdisciplinary team of physicians and health care providers offer individualized treatment plans and access to the most advanced treatments possible.

MU Health Care’s onco-cardiology specialty clinic, the only one of its kind in central Missouri, offers comprehensive care to patients with heart and cancer-related health issues.

If you are being treated for cancer and have a history of heart disease or heart failure, underwent radiation therapy to the chest, or have symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or swelling during or after your cancer treatment, ask your doctor about whether an onco-cardiology consultation is right for you.

Specialty trained providers on our team include head and neck surgeons, radiologists, dental oncologists, speech pathologists, audiologists, social workers and advance practice nurses. We’re here for patients through their entire cancer journey. We host a head and neck cancer support group to help patients understand their diagnosis and how to overcome the challenges it can bring.

MU Health Care’s onco-cardiology clinic is located at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling (573) 884-4854.

MU Health Care muhealth.org

MU Health Care muhealth.org

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DOC DOCTALK TALK

SPONSORED CONTENT

DOC TALK

ERIC KIMCHI, M.D.

SEAN LANIGAR, M.D.

ONCOLOGY

NEUROLOGY

When patients come to Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, they don’t just see one doctor. Our multidisciplinary team of professionals work together with a common goal: to provide the latest treatments and improve the quality of life for our patients. Our team approach allows us to treat the whole person. We work together across specialties to help patients navigate their care and ensure coordination between Ellis Fischel and community physicians.

Did you know that almost three million Americans are living with epilepsy?

Epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races and ethnic background.

The Missouri Epilepsy Program is recognized by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level 4 epilepsy center — the only such program in midMissouri. We have the professional expertise and facilities to provide the highest level of medical and surgical evaluation and treatment for patients with complex epilepsy.

To better help patients navigate their care, we developed new enhanced recovery protocols for certain procedures. We want to ensure that patients have the resources they need to guide them before surgery, after surgery and once they’re discharged from the hospital. We call them TIGER protocols, which stands for Team InteGrated Enhanced Recovery. We provide resources to our patients and communicate to them what they can expect at each stage of their treatment.

Our team of physicians and staff offers comprehensive services for both adult and pediatric patients, offering evaluation and treatment for patients with suspected seizures. We also treat patients who have seizures who have not responded to conventional management in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

To learn more about the resources available to patients at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, visit MUHealth.org/EllisFischel.

For more information on epilepsy, please visit MUHealth.org.

MU Health Care muhealth.org

MU Health Care muhealth.org

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SEASONS

SWALLOWED IN SORROW Whe n all we c a n do i s h ol d t h eir pain .

by L I S A K E N T

Editor’s Note: I am excited to introduce “Seasons” this issue, a place that embraces the real-life issues we face every day as women, as mothers, and as humans. We begin with a beautiful story of love and grief from Lisa Kent.

I

n the hush of the hotel room, I hear cars rushing by on the busy interstate. Above the hum of the fan, a far-off siren rises and recedes. It’s late. My teenage daughters make their cozy bed on the pullout in the other room. Their noisy whispers taper to silence, then into the breathy sounds of sleep. Cocooned in the quiet, I listen to the rise and fall.

My husband and I detach for the moment, suspended between their sleep and ours. We recline on crisp white sheets, he with his phone, and me with my laptop.

Time seems to stop, or perhaps I’m just willing it to. Shutting off his phone, my husband rolls over and reaches for the lamp.

“Good night, honey,” he says. “Don’t stay up too late.”

In the dark, a glow emanates from my computer screen. I remove my reading glasses and rub my temples. I can’t give in. Not yet.

Facing down the night, I try to stretch the hours until morning, when my 31-year-old daughter will undergo a double mastectomy.

Her phone call after the biopsy replays frequently in my mind: my unsuspecting hello met with silence, then panic. “Mom! It’s CAN-cer!” the strangled words followed by wails of anguish. Her crying was no different from the terror-filled cries at 2:00 a.m. that sent me bolting to her crib, or the sharp, cascading screams recognizable from across a crowded playground, or the wracking sobs of a heartbroken teen, doubled over in my lap. This timeless trigger awakens my primal need to protect. But I can’t fight this.

After diagnosis, my crying jags came at 4:00 a.m., when the world was motionless and moonlit. My fingers grasped for something to hold onto and came away with handfuls of air, like the strands of hair spooling from my daughter’s head after

AS MOTHERS, IT’S NEVER A QUESTION; WE JUST SHOW UP. AND TOMORROW, I WILL. BUT TONIGHT, I AM SWALLOWED IN SORROW. chemo, unrooted. When genetic testing proved positive, sadness hardened into anger. Cancer may take her hair, but it will grow back. Her breasts will not. The loss is palpable, maiming. “Take mine!” I screamed into the wind. “I’m old!”

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As mothers, we champion our children’s cause. We’re strong, safe, and rooted. If we can’t fix it, we walk with them, holding their pain. It’s never a question; we just show up.

And tomorrow, I will. But tonight, I am swallowed in sorrow. Tonight, I long to lean on my own mother, but she died a year ago. At times like these I’d call Mom and she’d be up — her circadian rhythm peaked at midnight.

She’d walk me through the long night, holding my pain. She’d show up now if she could.

I close my laptop. Regardless of my angst, I need to rest. Burrowing under the covers, the soft light of the moon caresses my face. I close my eyes and ache, like a child, for my mom. Suddenly, quietly, she’s here. My jaw unclenches. I breathe out.

An almost imperceptible weight lowers onto the bed. I feel her hand smooth my brow, fingering a curl and pushing it back.

Swaddled in peace, I surrender, and drift into sleep.

Thank you Columbia!

We are so proud to be a part of this awesome community.

BUSINESS TIMES

Comprehensive, caring dental care for your family “She is very thorough and great with kids! My 5 year old has asked several times to go back to the dentist. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs a dentist.”

— Kelli

If you or your children have “dentist anxiety,” we offer Nitrous Oxide.

Schedule your appointment today!

573-449-2858

Dr. Letrisha A. Thomas, DDS Dr. James W. Elliott, DDS

One E. Broadway Ste A Columbia, MO 65203 letrishaathomasdds.com Like us on Facebook!

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MOM IN THE MIDDLE

IT’S A BOUNCING BABY . . . BOOK! “ The Go o d B yl i n e” a r r i ve s af t er an arduous l abor.

by J I L L O R R

I

am now officially the parent of two teenage children and one published novel. It would be impossible for me to pick a favorite, so don’t ask. I love them all . . . in different ways. (I don’t want to name names, but I will say that some of them are less mouthy than others.) They each require untold amounts of time, attention, resources, and love. And they each cause frustration, pride, exhaustion, and joy.

My youngest is my novel, “The Good Byline.” She’s mysterious and friendly and doesn’t take herself too seriously, but I worry about her in the same way I worry about my other two. Will people be kind to her? Will she make friends? Will she find her place in the world? I suppose these are worries that all parents face, whether we're raising babies of the flesh-and-blood variety or those made of ink and paper.

But since “The Good Byline” has made her arrival, it got me thinking about all the ways that producing a child and producing a book are different and how they are the same. For instance, it’s a well-established fact that a human baby can be brought into this world in about nine months, give or take a few days. The process goes something like this: • Baby incubates inside its host for about 40 weeks, occasionally making her sick, moody, hungry, and prone to inexplicable fits of tears and laughter, sometimes at the same time.

• Baby knows when it’s ready to be born and sends its host signals in the form of painful contractions.

• Host endures ridiculous levels of physical torment and a healthy dose of bodily humiliation while other people stand by and call the process “beautiful” and “brave.”

• Baby casts a magic spell on the host, making her forget all the pain and suffering that led to baby’s arrival. This is the only plausible explanation for why people have more than one child.

A less well-established protocol exists for bringing a book into the world. Results may vary, but here’s a basic outline of the process: • Book incubates inside host for days or weeks or months or years, occasionally making her sick, moody, hungry, and prone to inexplicable fits of tears and laughter, sometimes at the same time.

• Book emerges from host in periodic bursts of effortless inspiration set against relentless bouts of hard labor.

• Host endures ridiculous levels of psychological torment and professional humiliation while other people stand by and call the process “beautiful” and “brave.”

• Book casts a magic spell on the host, making her forget all the pain and suffering that led to its arrival. This is really the only plausible explanation for why people write more than one book.

And so goes the circle of life and publishing.

Now, let’s hope at least one of my offspring will take care of me in my old age.

Editor’s Note: This issue is Jill’s last – at least for a while. For 10 years, her vulnerability has made us laugh and feel human. We are sad to see her go, but excited for her new “parenting” endeavors.

JILL ORR Jill lives in Columbia with her husband and two children. “The Good Byline,” her first novel, is in stores now. Books two and three are due in April 2018 and April 2019.

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Visit TalkingHorseProductions.org for showtimes and tickets!

Stage Kiss June 9-11, 15-18

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m

Playwright Sarah Ruhl has done it again! When two actors with a history are thrown together as romantic leads in a forgotten 1930s melodrama, they quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. It’s a charming tale about what happens when lovers share a stage kiss - or when actors share a real one. “You will have difficulty breathing; STAGE KISS is that funny.”

- New York Magazine

LIVE THEATRE in the Heart of Downtown Columbia 210 St James St, Columbia, MO 65201 COMO L I V I N G

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LIFE COACHING

MOVE THE MOLECULES F i n d i n g the cou ra ge t o s t e p ou t.

by C A R O LY N PA R I S

W

hat impossible-seeming situation in your life would be a complete game changer if you could solve it? From time to time, I’ll ask my clients this very question. Ask yourself. Be bold! Think big!

As time goes on, many of us begin settling and playing small. It’s insidious. Slowly but surely, our dreams, our courage, our faith in ourselves and in humanity dwindles.

It turns out, however, we have a choice.

Yesterday is gone. And the choices we are currently making, and the choices we will make tomorrow, are all that count now. Our actions determine our future.

Recently I did something that I could previously never imagine myself doing: I posted on Facebook, to all my friends, that I was interested in a committed relationship, and I listed the qualities I was looking for in a man. It took me months to garner the courage to put that out there.

I felt so vulnerable. What would people think of me? Lord knows I didn’t want to look needy, silly, desperate — the fears went on and on.

“Courage” comes from the French word coeur, which means “heart.” It’s an apt word; it takes courage to have an open heart. I was rewarded for my courageous Facebook post. So many people posted words of encouragement, love, and support. Now I have people keeping an eye out for this guy, and lo and behold, friends have even been setting me up with dates.

Find your coeur and step out. Select an area of your life in which you would like to gain more clarity, power, and satisfaction.

It could be your job, your talents, or your relationships. Whatever is important to you.

Next, discover your “Conditions of Satisfaction.” A Condition of Satisfaction can be defined as any criteria that must

be present for you to feel satisfied in a circumstance or relationship. Identifying your Conditions of Satisfaction is a key step in making powerful decisions that will align with your true desires, commitments, and life goals.

YESTERDAY IS GONE. THE CHOICES WE ARE CURRENTLY MAKING, AND THE CHOICES WE WILL MAKE TOMORROW, ARE ALL THAT COUNT NOW.

condition. Add the totals and calculate the average score for each option at the bottom.

You now have a numerical rating that offers you a clear choice to make. If scores come out even, you can choose either, but at least you’re basing your choice on what’s important to you, versus your feelings, impulses, or lack of clarity.

While it’s too soon to tell the outcome of my Facebook post, I do believe I moved the molecules around in a positive direction.

If you’re curious about my Conditions of Satisfaction, send me a friend request.

C A R O LY N PA R I S

Put your Conditions of Satisfaction and the situation you want to evaluate into a table format. Rate each possible option according to the following scores: a 1, if it meets the condition; ½, if it sometimes meets the condition; or a 0, if it fails the COMO L I V I N G

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As a consultant and coach, Carolyn works with highperforming people who are “up to something.”

She guides clients to new levels of joy, power, and satisfaction in their life.

come experience columbia’s only craft distillery locally made spirits well crafted cocktails

open tuesday - saturday 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm te D 210 St. James Street, Sui 01 652 MO ia, Columb (573) 777-6768

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Pet owners trust us to provide a better experience for their cats and dogs ...

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UNLEASHED

HELPING OUR INJURED PETS Mizzou opens Motion Analysis Laboratory.

by K E N N E DY R O B I N S O N

“I don’t understand why my human is so energetic right now. Don’t get me wrong, I love her unconditionally, but can’t she see that I just don’t feel like fetching today? Any other day, I would have pounced on the chance to play games with her, but today I’m not feeling my best. I’ve tried whining, scratching, sleeping, anything to let her know I can’t put pressure on my leg. Humans can be so dumb.

Honestly, if she throws that ball at me one more time, I swear…”

Hopefully, technology will one day advance far enough to let us converse with our pets. Until that day comes, however, the veterinarians at MU's Veterinary Health Center are finding other ways to understand the injuries our animals experience.

Hailing from Georgia, Bryan Torres, an assistant professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, came to the school over a year ago to build the motion analysis laboratory, known as MAL for short.

“Mizzou is known for advancing the field of veterinary medicine and doing this type of work, so it was a great place to start this type of lab,” Bryan explains.

Bryan Torres and his dog, Oliver.

The MAL, which opened late last year, is the only veterinarian lab of its kind in Missouri. It uses motion cameras, force plates, and walkways to determine the amount of pressure exerted by each limb of a small animal. In the “for dummies” version that I asked for, Bryan explains that the lab’s main purpose is to “help with musculoskeletal injuries in our companion animals, both in helping to identify and helping to treat.

Working Hard to Recover

COMO Living readers share about their pets' ailments.

Owner: Jackie Floyd Violet is 2 years old and was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney failure in January.

“She was close to death, but through excellent care at the vet hospital and a new grain-free diet, she has made a remarkable recovery,” Jackie shares.

Owner: Laura Roeder Phil is a 7-month-old, 120-pound great dane. He has a condition caused by trauma from laying on hard surfaces. “His vet recommended sleeping on a twin mattress and using braces to protect and compress the area,” says Laura.

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“Sometimes the issues can be subtle,” Bryan continues. “At the lab, we’re looking for anything that can give us an idea as to where the issue is, or where the lameness is. This technology can serve as a key role or just one of the many diagnostics that we use to provide top quality care to our patients who can’t tell us what’s wrong.”

It’s often hard to tell when our pets are experiencing pain or injury, especially if they aren’t noticeably limping. So how can we tell when something is wrong?

Bryan’s explanation is simple: “If your pet isn’t doing what they would normally do, that’s when you should ask, ‘Is there something wrong?’

Owners are usually the best judge of this.”

Bryan says the best thing for pets to do is to see their vet regularly. And yes, he’s aware it sounds cliché coming from someone in the veterinary field.

The MAL is just one tool used to find out what’s wrong with an animal. Most patients are referred to the lab by their primary veterinarian, but pet owners can call to schedule an appointment. If you can be attentive and proactive about treating an injury, maybe your pet won’t think you’re so ignorant.

Owner: Katie Farmer “His name is Miska, and he’s a year and a half. He got neutered recently, and the tears in his eyes from the pain broke my heart,” Katie says. “I’ve never seen him so out of it.”

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20 Under 40 Top of the Town City’s Best (Jefferson City)

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WEDDING CONFIDENTIAL

DODGING DAY-OF DISASTERS Preparing for the unexpected.

by A N N E C H U R C H I L L

Y

ou’ve survived the planning process and coordinated every detail. Now come the day-of disasters that may or may not make an appearance on your big day.

The key is to be prepared, give thought to all these items, and then get back to the pretty and fun things about weddings. I generally see three types of emergencies that can threaten your wedding day: weather, wardrobe, and health.

Working with Weather I find that Mother Nature will either bless you with a beautiful day or shake her angry fist at your wedding — there is no inbetween. Weather is always changing, so do not start making big decisions based on a 10-day forecast. Wait until five days out, then start considering all your plans. Plan A, of course, is that everything goes exactly how you’ve imagined. When it doesn’t, have an alternative option that doesn’t involve everyone getting soaked.

Having a tent wedding? Well, with rain comes lightning. Did you know it’s unsafe to be under a tent if lightning is within five miles? That goes for your vendors too, so be prepared with an actual structure that can hold your guests.

Also with rain comes wet and soggy surfaces. While putting flooring down in your tent is extreme, consider plywood in main traffic areas — walkways, bars, and under your head table.

Our other big weather villain is heat. If your wedding day forecast calls for high temps, no matter your venue, it’s important to take care of your guests. Have water and fans available, and double check that the venue has the AC running. For large crowds, turn the air down to somewhere between 58 and 65 degrees.

A Tear, Stain, or Worse Yes, accidents happen, so be ready. Put together a quick emergency kit with these essentials: sewing kit, double-sided tape, safety pins of all sizes, Tide stick, extra tie, blister Band-Aids and regular Band-Aids, Kleenex, bobby pins, hair ties, and floral pins.

These items will cover anything that comes your way. After making your emergency kit, put someone else in charge. You’re the couple; it should not be in your hands!

Answer these quick questions: Does your venue have a defibrillator? Is there a guest you’re particularly worried about? Let your venue manger know and consider things to help your guests, like easy seating or golf carts to move around. Also, have the nurses and doctors on your guest list in the back of your mind.

There you have it, the top day-of disasters to dodge. Happy wedding season!

Prepared Care This last emergency is the most serious. The reality of weddings is that those closest to you, including your elderly family members, push themselves, doing everything they can to make the day perfect. While a health emergency is rare, it does happen, and you need to be ready.

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ANNE CHURCHILL Anne is the founder of AnnaBelle Events, a local event planning firm, and Jubilee Planning Studio, Columbia’s one-stop planning shop.

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DATEBOOK JUNE 1 Woodhaven’s Red Carpet Gala, $5 or food donation, Kimball Ballroom, 6 p.m., woodhaventeam.org/ redcarpetgala JUNE 2 First Friday, North Village Arts District, 6 to 9 p.m., northvillageartsdistrict.org JUNE 3 Go Girl Run, Flat Branch Park, 5:30 a.m. registration, 7 a.m. start, ultramaxsports. com/races/gogirlruncomo JUNE 3-4 Art in the Park, Stephens Lake Park, 10 a.m. columbiaartleague.org/artinthepark/ festival-information

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Art in the Park, Stephens Lake Park, 10 a.m. columbiaartleague.org/artinthepark/festivalinformation

JUNE 28

CBT’s Top of the Town, Logboat Brewing Co., 5 to 8:30 p.m.

JUNE 9-11, 15-18 Talking Horse Productions presents “Stage Kiss,” 210 St. James St., 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. 573-268-1381 JUNE 10 CoMo Rummage Sale, Cosmo Park, 8 a.m. to noon Harold’s National Doughnut Day 5K, Logboat Brewing Co., 8 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. start, facebook.com/ haroldsdoughnuts Ragtag’s Ragtime Garden Party, $75, Historic Blind Boone Home, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

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JUNE 15 Rally in the Alley benefiting Global First Responder, 22 N. Eighth Street, 4 to 10 p.m.

JUNE 28 CBT’s Top of the Town, Logboat Brewing Co., 5 to 8:30 p.m.

JULY 4 Fire in the Sky, Flat Branch and Peace parks, event at 6:30 p.m., fireworks at 9:15 p.m.

JULY 8 SPLAT Jr. Obstacle Course Mud Run for ages 4-15, Gans Creek Recreation Area, Registration at 7:30 a.m.

JULY 14 Movies in the Park: “Moana” Cosmo Park, 8:45 p.m.

JULY 19 Family Fun Fest, Cosmo Park, 6 to 8 p.m.

Walt’s Bike Shop 50th Anniversary Party, Logboat Brewing Co., 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

COMO L I V I N G

JUNE 14-18 Show-Me State Senior Games, smsg.org

2017 Hello Baby Expo, Holiday Inn Executive Center, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

JUNE 9 Movies in the Park: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Cosmo Park, 8:45 p.m.

MU ST DO IN JUNE/J UL Y

JUNE 12-18 Downtown Restaurant Week, The District

JUNE 17 Serve It Up CoMo Savory Summer Kickoff, $25, Bur Oak Brewing Co., 12 to 4 p.m. servecomo.org

JUNE 6 Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture Impact Day, Lucky’s Market

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JUNE 11 Mid Mo Soap Box Derby, corner of Broadway and seventh Street, 8:30 a.m.

JULY 21-23, 28-30 Show-Me State Games, smsg.org -

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When it comes to your smile, you deserve the in Columbia!

best

Call us to schedule a dentist appointment you’ll actually enjoy. From cosmetic to sedation, we’re dedicated to providing exceptional care.

Conscious Sedation is taught as part of a post-graduate residence program approved by the America Dental Association. Dr. Willett and Dr. Patton have completed an American Dental Association approved program in which conscious sedation is taught. Cosmetic Dentistry and Implant Dentistry are specialty areas not recognized by the A.D.A. that require no specific educational training to advertise these services.

573.445.5300 | 1601 Chapel Hill Rd. | Columbia, MO | WillettandPattonDDS.com COMO L I V I N G

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STRONG WOMAN

JANE WILLIAMS Local nonprofit creator expresses her passion and purpose. ph oto by A N T H O N Y J I N S O N

Jane Williams, co-founder and program director of Love INC, lost her vision in 2012 after struggling with eye issues since birth. She talked with COMO Living about how fulfilling her calling continues to change her life.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN ONE WORD. Fascinated. This comes from my life motto, “Stay fascinated!”

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Magenta, only because I get compliments when I wear it.

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO HELPING PEOPLE? When I suddenly found myself weeping as I read a description of the plight of the innercity poor. I was a sophomore at MU trying to decide on a major and opened an Intro to Social Welfare textbook. I was sitting on my bed at the Tri Delta house with electric rollers in my hair preparing for a date. I cried all my makeup off and didn’t care. I had found my calling!

ON A TYPICAL WEEKNIGHT, WE COULD FIND YOU DOING WHAT? When the weather is nice, you might find me on my screened-in porch listening to an Audible book or podcast. Often, though, I’m indoors returning phone calls or emails. I honestly don’t mind because I love what I do.

Besides, listening, talking, and writing are great options for a blind person and things I would have naturally gravitated toward anyway.

WHAT’S THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB? I used to say it was seeing hope come into the eyes of the downcast and joy on the faces of those helping them. Now I can’t see it with my

eyes, but I can hear it in their voices and feel it in my heart. There is nothing more beautiful.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED? That there is no circumstance that God cannot redeem. Don’t stop the camera rolling on your own life or anyone else’s. There is always more: more love, more opportunity, more forgiveness, and more hope. Darkness cannot win over light, and hate cannot win over love in the end. I have a good friend who likes to say, “It’s all good in the end, and if it is not good, it’s not the end.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN COMO? So many great ones, but I should go with Sophia’s.

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A STRONG WOMAN? A strong woman is someone who keeps going despite obstacles and strives to live an unselfish life. For me, strength comes from seeing life’s challenges as part of a bigger plan to direct my steps and shape who I am. Focusing on others adds meaning and purpose to one’s life. Living just for one’s self is too small and, I think, an evershrinking path.

WHAT IS SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? I have an identical twin sister named Judy.

We’re very close and I often need a “Judy fix.” She’s one of my biggest cheerleaders.

ADVERTISER INDEX Achieve Balance

70

Heart, Body & Soul

63

Stange Law Firm

89

Anne Tuckley Home

42

Joe Machens Volkswagen

4

Baumgartner's Furniture & Carpet

43

Jubilee Planning Studio

87

State Farm Insurance Stephanie Wilmsmeyer

79

Big Cedar Lodge

26

Kliethermes Homes and Remodeling 40 & 44

Studio Home

Boone Hospital

16

Landmark Bank

Busenbark Flooring and Granite

6

Manor Roofing & Restoration

81

Superior Garden Center/Rost Landscape 45, 77, 79 & 81

Business Times Interactive

12

Mid-City Lumber Co

57

Talking Horse Productions Theater

79

Calena's Fashions

68

Midwest Block & Brick

82

Tami R Benus

22

Central Dairy and Ice Cream Company

20

Missouri Dept. of Conservation

13

The Broadway Hotel

84

Christian Chapel Academy

20

My Sister's Circus

70

The District

2

Columbia Podiatry

64

Nathan Jones Law

70

The Pet Fair

82

91

Commerce Bank

3

Organize That Space

24

The Village of Bedford Walk

Dave Griggs Flooring America

5

Personal Touch Cleaning Service

24

8

7

DogMaster Distillery

81

Providence Bank

64

Tiger Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center

Dogwood Solar

46

Provision Living

68

University of Missouri Health Care 11 & 72-75

Downtown Appliance

92

Room 38

57

Willett and Patton Dentistry

87

Dr. Letrisha Thomas

77

Services for Independent Living

10

Wilson's Fitness

33

Shelter Insurance Agents

63

Winter-Dent & Company

22

Edward Jones

9

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CYSK

COUPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW Zac and Laura Cutler discover happiness close by.

Zac and Laura Cutler, owners of The Station House at Katfish Katy’s, discuss their relationship and what makes it special.

HOW DID YOU MEET? Zac: Laura and I met through the Mizzou Water Ski and Wakeboard Club circa 2004. I had just arrived at college and she picked me up from the dorm to go water skiing at Mark Twain Lake with her and a family friend. She was the president of the club and I was the first member.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DATE? Laura: We knew each other as close friends for about eight years before we started dating. In 2012, Zac was living in Columbia and I was visiting from Chicago.

We were headed to a water ski tournament south of Jefferson City on Zac’s motorcycle.

Something wasn’t quite right with the bike, so we pulled off on the Wardsville exit — indeed, a failed front wheel bearing kept us off the highway. Waiting for friends to come with a trailer, we ordered Chinese delivery. A very skeptical delivery driver eventually arrived. The fortune in the fortune cookie said, “Stop searching forever, happiness is right next to you.” You can’t make this stuff up.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO A LASTING AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP? L: Maintaining unique and shared interests, trust, and laughter.

Z: Honesty with each other and an ability to talk, but also the understanding that everyone needs space. I’ve always joked that being a good roommate with someone is key. You must be able to live together well!

WHAT MAKES YOU MOST PROUD OF YOUR PARTNER? L: He’s kind to a fault. I know, and our friends and family know, that if there’s one

person you can call in a time of need with absolutely no fear of judgment, it’s Zac. He also fixes things — anything, really.

Z: Laura is wicked smart. Watching her apply logic to a situation is always impressive! On top of that, though, she’s a good person. It’s hard to beat that!

WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOUR SPOUSE? L: More Ovaltine, please! He loves that stuff.

Z: She is literally unbeatable at Boggle.

HOW DOES BUSINESS PLAY INTO YOUR RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS? L: In every way! We have to make a point to shut it off. With no children, our professional lives take up a clear majority of our time and conversation. Best to communicate about it now so both the business and our relationship function better in the end!

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Z: We generally work well together. I have a very operation-oriented mindset, whereas Laura excels at the numbers. I get the job done, and she keeps me in check!

Sometimes keeping the business discussion out of our relaxation time can be tough, but ultimately those conversations yield great ideas.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP? L: Zac tends to be (is always) the better housekeeper. Cooking, cleaning, laundry — forever grateful over here!

Z: When going boating, we are a well-oiled machine on the boat ramp. No fighting. We can both back the trailer up or drive the boat.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN COLUMBIA? L: Broadway Brewery – it’s our “Cheers”!

COMO L I V I N G | 2001 CORPORATE PLACE, STE. 100 | COLUMBIA, MO 65202