Connection January 2022

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Mae’d Goods

New BAKERY Local Talent

favorite hobbies Dyslexia

Bright horizons

g n i Tak e d i r t S In A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 1

2 | January 2022

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 3

Editorial

Don’t Look Over Your Shoulder!

I

t is now January 2022 and many have just committed themselves to resolutions that will change their lives, financially, health wise, their families and education. Well they think those resolutions made on Dec. 31 will help, then January comes around or maybe February and we slip up and break one resolution, then two, and poof we are back where we started.

I have never been one to participate in making New Year’s resolutions. It is a proven fact that the resolutions are made to try and improve or get rid of bad habits so I really feel like proclaiming the idea of quitting something or improving something in your life style is setting yourself up to fail. You are in the moment and are sure that you will accomplish a positive act proclaimed when a new year is coming your way. No, it is all just a figment of your imagination and acts that when you do not achieve them throw you into the pits of depression from the failure.

We have all experienced a rough couple of years dealing with the pandemic. Some of us have dealt with it more drastically than others. And not to sound depressing, there is one fact that I believe all of us can agree on and that is to make the most of the time and life that we have in the present because the future is not guaranteed.

Resolutions are about setting goals that most of the time are never achieved. I believe that we need to look at new beginnings.

4 | January 2022

No more living in the past and dwelling on it. We need to move on and accept who we are and the life we have and move forward.

Seriously, what is the point of setting unrealistic goals just to make yourself feel horrible when you break those goals a month later. Instead, maybe the only goal you should have for yourself is a new beginning in a journey of embracing yourself and finding who you are. One thing we seem to find difficulty with is loving ourselves. We need to learn to love ourselves in the present. We need to embrace and accept ourselves.

Instead of making those resolutions, we need to take strides in figuring out who we are in the present and appreciating who we are in the present and where we are now.

Instead of continuously “looking over our shoulder” and beating ourselves up about our past we need to quit with the unrealistic goals and take a long look at where we are in the present. What is one thing we could do each day in the moment to create a better day for ourselves and others around us?

Continued on page 6

A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO SOUTHWEST MISSOURIANS

GENERAL MANAGER Lisa Craft monettcommunity@gmail.com EDITOR Kyle Troutman editor@cassville-democrat.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Vicky Abraham Marion Chrysler CONTRIBUTORS Meagan Ruffing Darlene Wierman Melonie Roberts Susan Funkhouser Pam Wormington Jordan Troutman Christa Stout Cheryl Williams Sierra Gunter Jennifer Conner Annie Lisenby Smith Mike Gervais PHOTOGRAPHERS Chuck Nickle Jamie Brownlee Amy Sampson

HAPPY NEW YEAR! AurOrA

TO ADVERTISE 417-847-2610 - Cassville 417-235-3135 - Monett Send email inquiries to connection@monett-times.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 40, Monett, MO 65708 Connection is published monthly and distributed free in Cassville, Monett, Exeter, Washburn, Pierce City, Mt. Vernon, Aurora, Verona, Roaring River, Eagle Rock, Shell Knob, Purdy, Wheaton, Freistatt, Marionville, Seligman, Golden and other surrounding areas.

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Whether you are wanting to change your living situation or your weight or your job situation, whatever the case may be, you can start by first looking inward and truly begin to embrace yourself in the present so you can become who you want to be in the future.

After all, you will never truly be able to make any lasting change if you don’t first look to yourself.

In some ways, I hope that our magazine brings you joy and some of the stories can give you hope and ideas for the present. There is no point to the past except to learn from it.

We cannot change it. But our lessons that we have learned can change the present and the future to help us make better decisions. How many people have you heard say “I am not going to make that mistake again.”

They have learned to make the present better. We do not need to repeat the past over and over. Isn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? We have all been guilty of doing that, but we do not have to.

So I am asking all of you, for 2022, don’t look over your shoulder, don’t make past mistakes, learn and make the present bright with new adventures, new decisions, and new friends.

We wish you all a Happy New Year full of numerous new experiences!

Lisa Craft

General Manager, Connection Magazine Lisa Craft is General Manager of Connection Magazine, The Monett Times and Cassville Democrat.

She can be reached at monettcommunity@gmail.com or connection@monett-times.com

Porter Graham and his daughter Emilia, work side by side on motorcycles, just as Porter and his father did.

J A N U A R Y 2022

9 | MONETTAN MARATHONER

17 F

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E. LaVerne (Osborn) Johnson completed her 15th New York City Marathon. Johnson graduated from Monett High School in 1964.

12 | MAE’D GOODS

Magen Hensley of Monett celebrated the first anniversary of her baking business and continues to supply fine baked goods to returning customers

17 | NEW HOBBIES

IN THE NEW YEAR

Amatuers, enthusiasts and afficiandos around the region take pride in their favorite hobbies

29 | DYSLEXIA

Learning challenges can be countered and overcome with the right approaches

34 | WILD CRITTERS FEAST

12

With scant winter resources local wildlife could use a helping hand getting their three squares

Magen Hensley, owner and baker of Mae’d Goods, celebrates the first anniversary of her home baking business.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 7

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Mae’d Goods

New BAKERY Local Talent

favorite hobbies Dyslexia

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Taking e

In Strid A MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO THE OZARKS

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8 | January 2022

E. LaVerne Johnson is pictured mid-race at the 50th annual New York City Marathon, held Nov. 7, 2021. She is listed on New York Road Runners’ list of Streakers and +15 Marathoners – a list of New York City Marathon’s most dedicated runners and has gained guaranteed entry into all future NYC marathons.

Cover photo courtesy of E. Laverne Johnson

CONTENTS 21 Cutest Kid

23 Guest Column: You Can’t Take It with You 27 Healthy Connection 39 Parenting Column 43 Date Night

45 Rescued, My Favorite Breed 47 Cutest Pet

49 Familiar Faces 51 Parting Shot

Have an idea for a story you would like to see in Connection Magazine?

Email it to connection@monett-times.com Facebook.com/MyConnectionMo

Samantha Milhaven, left, ran her very first New York City Marathon last year with her grandmother, E. LaVerne Johnson, third from left, a former Monett resident who founded International Institute for Learning, who completed her 15th New York City Marathon. Also pictured are Jeanie Osborn, Johnson’s sister-in-law, and Steve Osborn, Johnson’s brother.

The Osborns run the IIL Worldwide Distribution facility in Monett.

FORMER MONETTAN COMPLETES

15TH NYC MARATHON

A

former Monettan has, at the age of 75, completed her 15th New York City Marathon.

E. LaVerne Johnson, of New York, is a 1964 graduate of Monett High School who celebrated running her 15th New York City Marathon on Nov. 7, 2021. She came in fifth in her age group worldwide and first in her age group of runners from New York City.

“My granddaughter, Samantha Milhaven, ran with me this year,” Johnson said. “Of course, she finished before I did, but I thought it was great that we ran it together.”

Story by Melonie Roberts

The first New York City Marathon, organized by New York Road Runners, took place September 13, 1970, in Central Park, with an entry fee of $1 and a budget of $1,000. Of the 127 registered runners, there were 55 finishers.

In November, Johnson, along with 30,000 other runners from all over the world, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the marathon, which has grown from a local road race held in Central Park to the world’s largest marathon, winding through the five boroughs of New York City.

“I started running with a friend in college in the late 1980s,” Johnson said.

“It was an easy thing to do. You can run by yourself. All you need is a good pair of tennis shoes. I was a single mom with two daughters working 30 hours a week. It was the only thing I could do.”

Running kept Johnson in good shape.

E. LaVerne Johnson 1964 graduate Monett High School

LaVerne Johnson finished first in NYC age group

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 9

Former Monettan E. LaVerne Johnson celebrated completing her 15th New York City Marathon as the city was celebrating the Golden anniversary of the world’s largest marathon.

“Running helps both my mental and physical wellbeing,” she said. “I do my best planning when I run.

“I lived in New York, and running the marathon seemed like the thing to do,” she said. “When I decided to run the marathon, I trained for a year. I took it pretty seriously at first.”

With 15 marathons now under her belt, skipping only the 2012 through 2014 races and the 2020 race, which was canceled due to COVID-19, Johnson is now a member of an elite group of 23 women her age or older, who have completed the 26.2-mile course, the New York Road Runners’ list of Streakers and +15 Marathoners.

The list is comprised of New York City Marathon’s most dedicated runners who have gained guaranteed entry into all future NYC marathons.

“I kept running, because the older I get, the less competition I have,” she said. “I am now in the top percentage 10 | January 2022

of runners in my age group. I’m going to keep running until I win my age group.”

After terrorists set off a series of explosives near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, Johnson said she had some concerns about running in such a large-scale event.

“Even last year, I had some concerns,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen. But, we had perfect weather for it.”

For now, Johnson sees no end to her marathon-running experiences, vowing to continue racking up those commemorative medals as long as her health holds out.

“Some years, I’ve just walked it,” she said. “Others, I would walk and run [alternately]. It’s just for fun, but it can get to be a habit. Especially if you live in New York.”

Johnson founded International Institute for Learning (IIL) in 1991, a

A record 53,627 runners finished the race in 2019, according to New York Road Runners, the group that organizes the New York City Marathon. leading training and corporate solutions firm with headquarters in New York City, operating companies located around the world. She serves as chief executive officer and president of the company, which headquarters its global distribution center in Monett, under the direction of Steve Osborn, senior vice president. n

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MAE’D GOODS 12 | January 2022

Story by Annie Lisenby Smith

Local Baker Creating Sweet Treats

F

or many people there is nothing more comforting than warm baked goods straight out of the oven; the kind that were created with love and attention to details and flavors. For one Monettan, the joy of baking has turned into a successful home business. Magen Hensley, a 2016 Monett High School graduate, hadn’t planned to create her own baking business. She attended Missouri Southern State University, and graduated with a degree in Public Relations in 2020.

“I graduated college at the beginning of the Pandemic and was subsequently laid off from both of my jobs,” Hensley said. “I ended up being on unemployment for a couple of months. I decided if I couldn’t find a job, I would try to create my own source of income. I read in a motivational book to create a business out of something you enjoy doing, and my first thought was baking.”

In August 2020, Hensley started selling her first batches of cupcakes using the business name Mae’d Goods.

When brainstorming business names, Hensley wanted to use part of her name. Because her friends and family call her by the nickname Mae, her dad came up with the idea of Mae’d Goods.

Creating cupcakes with artistry, Magen Hensley works out of her home kitchen.

Facebook

Instagram

Connect with Mae’d Goods through social media ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 13

Mae’d Goods’ display of wedding cupcakes with a variety of flavors chosen by the bride and groom.

Mae’d Goods creates cupcakes for the flavors of each season and the holidays; this combo Magen Hensley created for Halloween 2021 and were some of the 400 cupcakes she baked in one day.

14 | January 2022

While Hensley isn’t a formally trained baker, she did study culinary arts in high school for two years. In total, she says she’s been baking for ten years. For her business, Hensley focuses on making cupcakes but has ventured into other bakes too. “In 2020, I made 30 pies in one day for Thanksgiving,” Hensley said. “This year for Thanksgiving I made brown butter pumpkin oat cookies. Recently, I’ve been practicing cake making, which is significantly more difficult and time consuming than cupcakes, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to learn. I will probably stick to cupcakes because it has become my niche. There are several people in this area who specialize in cookies and cakes, but I think I have cupcakes down.”

In the time that Hensley has run her cupcake business she’s learned many lessons. One of the biggest was that be-

ing a business owner comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially because she’s the only employee. “I originally thought being in charge of my own schedule would allow for a lot of free time, but I’ve actually experienced the opposite,” Hensley said. “I’ve been trying to learn how to prioritize my time better and make time to have days off to relax here and there. When you love what you do and want to work hard to be successful, it can be difficult to take a step back sometimes.”

One business technique that Hensley uses is new for our modern era. She markets and takes orders through the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. There she can easily share menus and photos of her creations.

There is the added convenience of every order being communicated online so that customers’ orders can be referenced easily to assure accuracy.

Hensley sells combo cupcake packs seasonally and on short notice through her Facebook page.

Pictured here are the flavors of lemon, peanut butter cup, and s’mores.

When it comes to filling the cupcake orders, Hensley puts her heart into her bakes. Specialty bakes for weddings and birthdays are available upon request, and Hensley has created some unique decorations and flavors for the holidays. Her baked goods have become so popular that for Halloween 2021, Hensley baked over 400 cupcakes. And for Thanksgiving 2021, she baked 400 cookies and 300 cupcakes within 24 hours.

She started her business with only ten cupcake flavors but has experimented and expanded to 30 different recipes now. “I’m so thankful my family enjoys sweets and is always willing to taste test for me,” Hensley said. “I also ask my friends to try them and give me feedback as well.”

When describing her favorite recipe, Hensley said it was difficult to choose just one. But when making the Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cupcake, she always keeps one aside for herself. “It’s a chocolate cupcake with Oreo pieces baked in, a cream cheese Oreo frosting, and a whole Oreo baked into the bottom.”

Looking back over her experiences as a small business owner, Hensley said she never pictured herself in this role.

“It’s amazing the plans God has in store for every one of us,” Hensley said. “I’m so thankful to live in a community that appreciates my products and supports me. Every setback; losing my jobs, having to rely on unemployment, not being hired for other jobs, etc., has led me to where I am today, and I couldn’t be more proud. I always like to remind people that when a door closes, it’s for a reason and another one will always

open.”

The advice Hensley likes to share with others hoping to start their own businesses is that if there’s something they love to do. “Don’t be afraid to follow one of your passions and see where it takes you. You might be surprised.”

When not baking cupcakes, Hensley is able to use her university degree to pursue other passions. She works two part-time jobs managing social media for companies. One of those jobs where she’s excited to share her social media management skills is with another local merchant, The Flying V Mercantile.

Because of the flexibility of her schedule, she’s able to balance her passions for baking and for public relations.

Mae’d Goods can be found on Facebook and Instagram. There Hensley shares seasonal cupcake menus, availability, and last-minute cupcakes available at short notice. n

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 15

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NEW YEAR, NEW HOBBY

W

‘I fell in love with….’

Porter Graham enjoyed the open road and the sense of connection to nature while out on a ride.

Story by Jordan Troutman

hat does it mean to have a hobby? What can a hobby be? Some of the most interesting things in the world are simply someone’s hobby. Ask Tiffany Gusta, of Monett, why she enjoys dressing up in cosplay, or Charlie Estes-Jones, of Cassville, what it is like to find that mushroom on the ground, learn why Ryan Hoffman, from Memphis, Tennessee, makes chainmail, all it takes is an interest and a moment of faith where you try that hobby for the first time.

According to the Australian Government Department of Health, not only does having a hobby give you a chance to show your creative side, it actually reduces stress and depression.

Here is an in-depth look into some unique hobbies in the Ozarks area, amateur radio operating, motorcycle riding, and genealogy.

In the Shell Knob area, a group of amateur radio operators has formed the Table Rock Amateur Radio Club, TRARC. TRARC has monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Lohmer Full Gospel Church community room. Due to weather, there isn’t a January meeting and the February meeting is determined closer to its date.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 17

Debbie and Paul Bridges, Bill Frank, Clinton and Rose Love, Jim McCarthy and John Zucaro are all members of the Table Rock Amateur Radio Club in Shell Knob.

This walkie-talkie is just some of the equipment that TRARC uses.

TRARC currently had repeaters located on the fire lookout tower about five miles north of Shell Knob. The repeaters are open to all licensed Hams.

While most of the time PL tones are not required, they may be used to limit inter-modulation and other interference issues.

At the December meeting, five of the active members of the club sat down at Steak Inn in Shell Knob to enjoy a meal and have the last meeting of the year.

Bill Frank, TRARC president, John Zucaro, vice president, and Clinton Love, secretary and treasurer were all present, along with Paul and Debbie Bridges, Rose Love, and Jim McCarthy all met for the December meeting.

18 | January 2022

“There are about 10 to 11 members to the club now,” McCarthy said. “We are all over the place, Cape Fair, Purdy, Monett, and of course, Shell Knob.”

While there are a fair number of amateur radio operators still today, TRARC started back in the ’50s with 40 to 50 members.

“Amateur radio has a problem with age,” Frank said. “The average age of Hams is 50 years or older. There are fewer and fewer young people coming in.”

In order to operate a radio, people are required to have a license.

“There are three levels of licenses,” Frank said. “There used to be five, but they consolidated two of them. There is a technician’s license, a general license, and extra class. You used to be able to get a novice or advanced license too.”

John said back in the day, you would have to know Morse Code to get your license. Morse Code is effective in getting a message across a larger area with low power.

“The club here supports the repeater,” Frank said. “The club historically purchased the repeater, but it was dam-

aged in a lightning storm many years ago. The County Emergency Management Services helped replace that. A project for the future would be to replace the antenna.”

The membership cost for TRARC is $10 per person, per year, or $15 per family, per year.

“Ham is wonderful to use in emergency situations,” McCarthy said. “For example, on 9/11 no one could make a phone call. The only communication was radio.”

What is interesting about a repeater is the fact that it is two radios.

“So, you have a walkie-talkie, and you are trying to call your friend who has another mobile,” Frank said.

“When you call out it hits the repeater and the message is transported through the incoming then outgoing radios before it is sent to your friend.”

One thing that keeps the hobby unique is that although you have to have a license to speak, you can listen at any time on any station.

“You could speak as far out as 150 miles away,” Zucaro said. “But, we usually use it 20 to 30 miles away.”

To get a license someone would have to pay $15 for a 35 question test.

“You have to have a committee of three difference licenses together to administer the test, we can do that locally,” Frank said. “The license lasts for 10 years.”

When it comes to why everyone got interested in amateur radio, well everyone has their own story.

Paul said he likes to collect and restore, he is currently restoring a WWII, 1947-48 walkie-talkie.

Frank said he likes to build things and is interested in radio to receiver WWV time signals.

Clinton is more into networking and micro controls, as well as, emergency communication.

McCarthy said his bucket list is to get back to where he started and get his Morse Code up to speed.

John does a lot of electrical work and experimenting.

Most people who are interested in radio are interested in it for its emergency communication possibilities.

TRARC has convinced a number of locals on fire departments to get their licenses.

To the east, in Branson, one man finds his tranquility in his hobby of riding motorcycles.

Porter Graham has been riding motorcycles since he was 16-years-old.

“When I was 15 I went up to my dad and asked if I could get a motorcycle,” Graham said. “He said, ‘Not as long as you live under my roof.’ But, one weekend I went away and when I came back I saw the motorcycle that he bought for himself! Apparently, my dad’s cousin convinced him to get one and to let me get one too.”

Graham said the first time he rode he was immediately addicted.

“I knew I would ride motorcycles forever,” he said. “It kind of brought my dad and me closer together. As a 16-year-old and a grown man living in a house together, you can start to but heads. But we had this common interest to get us through those teen years.”

Willard Allan Graham, Porter’s father, passed away on September 23, 2013.

“We have ridden everywhere, we did the Pig Trail together for two summers,” Porter said. “Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas have so many beautiful trails to ride, some of the best I have seen.

“If I had advice for someone, I would say to always be safe and wear the right gear.”

Graham said the better prepared you are, the less damage you will have.

“You have to build your confidence

slowly with small trips,” he said. “One Sunday morning I took off with a group at about 8 a.m. I had just put a new tire on the back of the bike.”

Graham rode to the West Plains area.

“I got a flat — on the new tire,” he said. “So, we had to wait for hours for a trailer to get back from Branson to pick it up. That was about 4 p.m. On the way back, the sun was going down and one of the ridders misjudged a corner and wrecked.”

Graham said he was ok, but they had to wait another few hours for a trailer to come to pick him up.

“Then, that truck ended up breaking down,” he said. “I laid my head on my pillow at about 5 a.m. Monday morning. You never know what to expect, and breakdowns can make or break a trip.”

Even though unpredictability can lead to very long days, it can also be a lot of fun.

“It’s just you on the open road,” Graham said. “You only have what you can put on your bike. It is a one-of-akind feeling, just you in the elements, just you and the whole world.”

Porter said a hobby should give you freedom, or it just isn’t worth doing.

“I guess if any of my kids come to me and say, ‘Hey dad, I want to get a motorcycle,’ I can’t say no,” Graham said. “I can however make sure they are educated and practicing.”

Graham and his girlfriend, Ashley, have four children between them.

“My oldest is 12 years old,” he said.

“That is just three years from being behind a wheel.

“Motorcycles aren’t for everybody.

Honestly, some people can ride on the back, but can never grab the handlebars. It takes a certain type of person.”

One thing that comes along with riding motorcycles is the equipment collections.

“I have one motorcycle tore apart in the garage and two up and running,” he said. “You end up with boots, leathers, gear, parts, tools, and all kinds of event T-shirts.”

For Graham, riding motorcycles is a way of life, it is peace and excitement, and a unique hobby.

Darlene Pendergraft spends hours gathering photos from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s social media account and organizes them.

Darlene Pendergraft, of Aurora, spends hours and days gathering and organizing photographs.

She downloads photos posted on social media from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Once it is on her computer, she organizes the photos into folders, which she labels with the date.

Over the past few years, she has spent most of her time at her computer making individual SD cards with photos consisting of entire lifetimes to gift to her family.

“It all started because I wanted to know about Carl’s (her late husband) family,” she said. “After that, I fell in love with genealogy.

“I love learning about people who lived generations ago.”

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 19

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20 | January 2022

Darlene Pendergraft gathered as much information as possible to make a genealogy booklet for her grandchildren. She went back through there Baldwin family to 1796.

After looking into her husband’s family past, she started on her father’s side.

“I traced my dad’s family of centuries,” she said. “I went back to the 15th Century on the Tunnel side, that’s my dad’s mom’s side.”

Pendergraft then started to look into her mom’s family, but could only find information up to her great-grandmother.

“On the card of photos I organize them into three different groups,” she said. “One is mine and my childhood, followed by baby pictures of my children and their childhood. Then, I have one of the more recent photos, like my grandkids.”

I happen to be one of Darlene’s granddaughters, and my card is a river of photographs from my childhood, as well as, ultrasound photos of my daughters, photos from the birth of my daughters, my wedding day, my proms, and my graduation.

It is a movie I can watch through photos and relive every important moment that ever happened to me.

“I just love to see those moments (prom, graduation, children, weddings),” she said. “Everyone has their own life, and especially with COVID-19, I don’t get to see you all every day. By working on these photos I get to see you every day, and I get to be with you some way or another.

“Sometimes I get kind of emotional and sometimes I sit here and giggle at you guys.”

With that, or my grandma Darlene’s doughnut, reminds you why it’s always a good time to take a picture.

“My mom would always say, ‘Always put the names, dates and where the picture was taken if you know,’” Darlene said. “It is just as important to record the memory as it is to take a picture of it.’

Even as a child, my grandma loved pictures.

“I loved any pretty picture,” she said. “I used to glue them on a piece of cardboard. As I got older, I fell in love with family photos.”

The wonderful women of my family have one thing in common, our granny. She is the strongest woman I know, with the biggest heart. She has taught us to live in the moment, but remember to preserve that moment for the next generation. I kept a little epee of her to myself though, when I gave my daughter her middle name. The name Deana is my grandma’s first name, and my daughter’s second.

In the end, whatever makes you happy or creative — do it. Barbara Webb of Seligman makes NICU blankets for babies, Cody Hignight works in metal forging, and Michael Young took his welding hobby and started a business in Springfield, H2H Fabrication. n

Cutest Kid

Helen Grace Watson is the four-year-old granddaughter of Becky Brown of Monett and daughter of Stacy and Steve Watson, of Lebanon

CONGRATS

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Email your child’s photo to:

connection@monett-times.com Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible. Remember to include your child’s name, parent’s name, age, city and your contact information. The contest is open to children ages 10 and younger. The photos submitted will be used for the sole purpose of this contest.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 21

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Guest Column

by Pam Wormington

You Can’t Take It with You

T

he ole saying goes in reference to your possessions, “you can’t take it with you” meaning when you die. It appears that isn’t always the case here on earth. When our kids were little and our friends’ kids were little, we thought it would be fun to take them all to a little ski resort in Colorado named Cuchara.

Unfortunately, you can’t put that much little all in one car. Unless it is a retired flower car from the local funeral home and it tows a little U-Haul. Yes, we did! This was also before seatbelts became the safety mea-

sure of good parenting. There were four adults, and a station wagon full of kids, games, snacks, Atlas quizzes and laughs. The U-Haul was full of ski gear and probably tire chains, which I recall we needed. The men folk were quite proud of their travel arrangements. While the women folk, just laughed and were thankful we’d see no one we knew. And well, the kids were young so total humiliation of being seen with their parents wasn’t a thing yet.

The long and lonesome winter roads of Colorado can make you a bit nervous not knowing where the next

gas station may be, especially since this wasn’t the most economical car in regards to fuel mileage. But, togetherness was worth something.

Our condo was perfect for family and friends. Economan’s rule was that we hit the slopes as soon as the lifts open and ski all day until the lifts close. Since our bodies are older now, he’s a bit more relaxed on that rule, thankfully. I stuffed my girls’ coat pockets full of snacks and dad carried the Camelbak full of water. Hydration is key while at this altitude, and ski rule #2 when you fall, pull out a snack and act like you are taking a break.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 23

Looking Forward To A Joyous New Year!

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Our oldest daughter had a not so teachable lesson at a Missouri manmade ski resort, so she skis at a more reserved pace while taking in all the sights and moving down the mountain at a slower pace.

Our youngest daughter was enrolled in ski school, but at the hesitation of someone telling her what to do and being born with high-speed determination, she figured out the sport before class. And the reason I adorned her little blonde head with a bright yellow tweedy bird cap was for multiple reasons, not only warmth but so I could spot her as she flew down the slopes.

At lunch time, we’d all meet at the flower car and enjoy ‘Take out’ …take sandwiches out of a cooler, while all those owners of the fancy SUVs with luggage racks in the parking lot sat in the lodge sipping warm beverages and paying for overly priced foods. If a picture could paint a thousand words, I can only imagine the gossip.

Tradition is to always have a crockpot of chili waiting at the condo after a long day in the snow followed with hot showers, warm jammies, crackling fireplace and kids laughing.

This is what truly made our hearts warm.

Good kids, good friends and good memories, isn’t that what vacations are all about? I’d say we come out smelling like a rose on that one. Of course, we did, look what we were driving. n

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 25

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26 | January 2022

Healthy Connection Faith Herron is a dietetic intern at Cox College who has found a way to capitalize on her love for food by pursuing a career that centers around it. She is passionate about preventive health care and using food as medicine. In her free time, Faith enjoys experimenting with new recipes, playing tennis, and reading classic literature.

by Faith Herron

It’s Time to Ditch Your Diet

W

ith the start of a new year, you might be thinking of starting up a diet to shed that extra holiday weight. At any given time, more than a third of Americans are on a specific diet. Most people begin a diet to lose weight and are often discouraged by the results.

Keto, South Beach, Whole 30, and many more diets promise dramatic weight loss. Some people find success through dieting and lose a significant amount of weight. However, this weight is often regained within a few months.

Some people may even find themselves weighing more than they did when they first started their diet. In this article, we’ll discuss why dieting often does not work, strategies to promote successful weight loss, and how to keep the weight off long-term.

be individualized according to a person’s anthropometrics and activity level. It is also important to customize a person’s eating plan so that it is in line with his/ her preferences, intolerances, and financial resources.

weight gain. It is important to pay attention to what you eat and understand why you eat the way you do. One way to practice mindful eating is to listen to your fulness cues, which is nearly impossible to do if you are a fast eater.

The biggest problem with specific diets is that they are not sustainable. Several popular diets work in the short-term. However, if the diet is too expensive or restrictive to maintain long-term, weight regain will occur. Lifestyle changes concerning eating habits and exercise are proven to be far more successful and sustainable than sticking to a specific diet.

It takes your stomach around 30 minutes to tell your brain that you are full. If you eat faster than this, nothing will signal you when you are full. This leads to overeating. If you find it difficult to slow down when eating, try setting your fork down in between bites and focus on chewing. This will force you to take more time.

Mindful eating is one lifestyle change that promotes weight loss.

Mindlessly eating contributes to

Healthy weight loss should not be achieved through food choices alone. Physical activity is an important aspect of losing weight

One obstacle of popular diets is that they are often too generalized and cannot accommodate an individual’s specific needs.

The bottom line: there is no one right way to diet. Each person’s weight, nutritional status, and overall health is unique.

One person may experience huge benefits from a specific diet while another person does not see any results. Nutrient goals should

Scan the QR Code to read more Healthy Connection ConnectionMO.com/HealthyConnection | Connection Magazine | 27

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Start with doing whatever you can, and then increase your activity as you are able. If you are only able to walk for 5 minutes, do that. Once you have mastered that, you can increase as tolerated. Like your eating habits, exercise should be individualized.

It is also important to recognize that you may not always see the results that you want to, even if you are doing everything right.

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and promoting well-being. Exercise can sound intimidating, but it does not have to be.

Increasing your physical activity level will lead to increased muscle mass. You may not notice a significant change in your weight if the fat you have lost has been replaced with muscle. Pay attention to non-scale victories such as increased energy levels or a difference in the way your clothes fit.

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when you are attempting to adapt a healthier lifestyle is that it is not possible to eat a perfect diet 100 percent of the time.

Eating a piece of cake at your friend’s birthday party or indulging in a few treats during the holidays does not reverse or negate any of the positive changes you made. It is the everyday habits you establish that matter, not the once-in-a-while deviations from your plan.

Do not attempt to stick to your healthy eating habits every single time you eat or expect yourself to exercise every day of the week.

Instead, challenge yourself to make good choices 80 percent of the time. This goal is much more reasonable, which will lead to long-term success. n

Dyslexia Learning challenges don’t have to hinder life success

L

earning to write the alphabet can be a frustrating endeavor for a child, but it is even more difficult for one who doesn’t “see” the letters correctly.

Aaron Grimm, a special education instructor from Verona School District, weighed in on some of the challenges both students and educators face in trying to teach those with language learning disorders.

“Parents usually know before their child enters school that he or she is dyslexic,” Grimm said. “The condition has to be diagnosed by a neurologist, school clinical psychologist or other medical professional. Children are usually diagnosed at younger ages, not at 15 or 16 years of age. Parents and teachers usually know by the time the child is eight or nine years old.”

Grimm said some children do fall through the cracks.

“Kids will hide their condition in order to fit in,” he said. “They don’t want to be ostracized. But between the medical community, teacher and parent, there will be evidence that something is going on. For kids, it’s a matter of self-preservation. No one wants to be different. But that is a common

Story by Melonie Roberts

Aaron Grimm

Special Education Teacher Verona School District

response to any learning disability.”

There is also a condition called dyscalculia that appears when students are working math problems.

“For example, take the number 1,563,” Grimm said. “Students with dyscalculia might see the numbers transposed, the same way they see words differently. A reading coach, specialist or teacher may pick up on that.

Nine out of 10 of those students will also have an IEP (individual education plan.) People with these disorders are still able to learn and function in society. We don’t give up on them.”

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 29

“Being dyslexic doesn’t mean the student is unable to learn and be successful.”

- Aaron Grimm, special education teacher, Aurora School District Presidents with dyslexia who overcame learning challenges include: Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Dyslexia is a lifelong disorder, but some students can outgrow it or become able to overcome it.

“Presidents with dyslexia who overcame learning challenges include Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson,” Grimm said. “Being dyslexic doesn’t mean the student is unable to learn and be successful. A student can mainstream into traditional classroom settings once he or she learns to compensate for the disability. Our goal is to get them into traditional classes.”

With the implementation of computers and tablets in the classroom, the condition is harder to track, according to Grimm.

“It is important that we still use hand skills, writing and printing, to help detect these learning disabilities,” he said. “But those are becoming a lost art. It’s harder for a teacher to recognize the problem if she can’t see the student writing letters or numbers on paper.”

Once diagnosed, that’s where special education steps in.

“As a special education (sped) teacher, I use simplified directions and high30 | January 2022

light all the essentials,” Grimm said.

“Those strategies flow into other learning disabilities. I also give all sped students additional practice.”

Grimm said blocking outside stimuli is essential for students struggling to master assignments.

“You don’t want a lot of stuff going on in the classroom,” he said. “No bright lights, loud noises or other distractions. We keep to a routine. We practice things, and it helps students get along. They will find it hard to follow written directions, so I keep them simple. In mainstreamed classes, students will continue to practice those things that will be beneficial in the general education classroom.”

In some cases, sped students will be allowed to use notes during testing or be granted a longer test time. Some tests may be modified to include fewer questions than other general education test documents.

“It is important that I model some of those behaviors for sped students,” Grimm said “Whether it’s picking a fiction or non-fiction book from the library, I will show them the section of books, then demonstrate how to check

books out and show students in a real-time environment how to do things.”

Grimm said educators have to have patience when dealing with students diagnosed with learning disabilities.

“There are weeks where it feels like taking one step forward and two steps back,” he said. “But you keep at it.

Progress can be slow. If you have supportive teachers, peers, parents and administration, students can overcome a lot. They can hold people like Kennedy and Johnson up as role models who aspires to the heights of humanity and overcame those disabilities. Anything is possible.”

While Grimm said routines are a great tool to utilize in sped classes, he is also cognizant of the fact that taking the occasional break can be just as beneficial.

“Sometimes you have to step back,” he said. “You have to be able to give their brains a break and let them socialize. You need a break from that structured time before going on to the next subject.”

Like anyone returning from a brief respite, students come back refreshed and ready to learn.

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“We take a break from technology,” he said. “Tech contributes to shorter attention spans. We read a journal, book or paper, and take notes. Putting pen to paper helps kids focus.”

Grimm said any hindrance to learning is like trying to ride a bicycle with only one pedal.

“There is a lot of frustration,” he said. “These kids need to see some successes, no matter how small they may seem to the outside world. We need to give students something to take ownership of. They may not get a lot of validation otherwise.”

Grimm said sped students really want to be with their peers in general education classrooms.

“I see kids today and they do want a better future,” he said. “I see they are not just about themselves; they want to help each other. I want to give those students the best possible outcome that I can. I want to be that positive role model.

“I had a student in Illinois that had problems expressing himself,” he said. “He was really shy. Now, he is a record producer. He’s confident. He has his own website, a wife and child. He exudes confidence. I want to feel like I had something to do with that. He said that me and another teacher really helped him. And that goes to show that you never know what effect you will have on the life of a child until years later. We still keep in touch.”

Grimm said it is important that educators keep in mind they only have students for eight hours a day.

“We don’t know anything about the other 16 hours of their day,” he said “We have a limited time, three or four years, to make a difference in that student’s life.” n

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 33

Photos courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation

Wild Critters

A coyote’s favorite food items include rabbits, mice, voles and shrews. Coyotes will also eat birds, frogs, skunks, berries, insects, occasionally beaver, and carrion, especially road-killed deer.

They will avoid humans and attempt to access food unseen if at all possible.

Carolina Wrens and Eastern Bluebirds are common sights during winter months. Missouri is on the Mississippi flyway, the main route of migratory birds from central Canada in the summer to the Gulf Coast in winter. While especially known for waterfowl and shorebird use, the Mississippi flyway is also a corridor for land birds. Backyard bird feeders can attract a high number of birds, especially in the fall and early winter, providing them the needed calories and carbohydrates to keep warm.

34 | January 2022

A WILD CRITTER WINTER FEAST Lending a helping hand to wildlife during the winter

I

f The Farmers’ Almanac predictions prove to be accurate, Missouri is in for a bitter cold winter during the 2021-22 season. In fact, the Farmers’ Almanac describes the upcoming winter as “numb’s the word, just shovelin’ along.”

While humans struggle to stay warm in the bitter cold temperatures, wildlife can’t turn up the thermostat or throw an extra log into the wood stove.

“In nature, as is the case with humans, staying warm is a high priority during the cold days of winter,” said Francis Skalicky, media specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation for the southwest region. “Migration and hibernation are two wellknown ways some species deal with winter. However, as evidenced by the abundance of birds and animals that flit, fly and scurry across the landscape throughout winter, some animals have

Story by Melonie Roberts

When winter weather strikes hard, wildlife can use a helping hand to survive bitter temperatures and loss of natural food sources. Squirrels will generally enjoy chopped apple, grapes, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts, chopped carrot or unsweetened rusk.

other ways of coping with cold temperatures. Some of the techniques are basic, others are unique, but all are effective. Although we humans always are ready to help, in most cases wildlife needs little – if any – intervention from people to survive the winter.”

For one thing, some animals have fur coats.

“Winter is when a mammal’s fur is thickest,” Skalicky said. “Many mammals shed their summer coats in fall and acquire heavier, thicker fur in winter. Sometimes, this results in slight changes in color over winter. Fur is an excellent insulator and, particularly for larger carnivores such as coyotes and foxes, staying warm isn’t a major issue when a heavy coat of snow has fallen and temperatures have dropped.

During these times, finding food can be a bigger problem.

“That’s because the field mice, voles

and some of the other smaller mammals that make up part of a carnivore’s diet have retreated to the ‘subnivian zone.’

Subnivian refers to the area under the snow that some small mammals retreat to in winter. Small mammals such as mice and voles will tunnel under the snow down to ground level where seeds, roots, and other vegetative food items are plentiful. In this under-snow world, these creatures continue to stay active.

The snow above them acts as comfortable insulation and protective cover from hawks, coyotes and everything roaming above the snow that wants to eat them. For these small creatures, the heavier the snowfall, the better.”

Another tactic many animals use is to eat heavy in autumn. This creates extra fat, which provides bodies with insulation and helps them make it through leaner foraging times of winter.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 35

However, our flying friends face other winter weather challenges.

“Birds can’t grow thick fur or tunnel under snow, but they, too, have ways to stay warm,” Skalicky said. “For starters, underneath their exterior feathers, birds have smaller, softer down feathers. These down feathers help to retain heat. Another feather-related issue is moisture. In winter, wet feathers mean a cold body, and one way birds keep water from rain or snow from soaking into their feathers is through preening.

Birds have oil-producing glands that allow them, through preening, to apply a coat of water-proofing to their feathers.

“Birds also shiver, which provides heat from circulation and muscle movement,” he said. “Some birds huddle in tight masses when roosting, which is another great way to share body heat and reduce exposure to wind and other elements.”

In winter, birds also take full benefit of south-facing areas for more sun, cedar thickets for less wind, and other cold-avoidance areas provided by the landscape. It also helps that a bird’s feet and the feather-less part of its legs contain very little tissue that can be damaged by cold. Those body parts are mostly bone and sinew.

In spite of all these natural adaptations and characteristics to survive winter, sometimes the weather overrides nature.

“We all remember the extreme cold snap that Missouri experienced last February,” Skalicky said. “This polar vortex was accompanied by a number of reports of backyard birds that had frozen to death. Unfortunately, in the case of these types of weather anomalies, there’s not a lot humans can do.

“In the case of last February’s cold snap, most of the birds that were found frozen were robins, bluebirds, thrushes and other birds that rely on insects and soft mast,” he said. “Birds are amazing36 | January 2022

One of the easiest and more family-friendly activities for winter afternoons is making pinecone feeders for the birds. Just cover each pinecone scale with a dab of peanut butter and then roll the entire pinecone in a bowl of bird seed. Hanging the loaded cones from tree branches makes feeding time more of a challenge than just bellying up to the bird feeder and gorging on seed.

ly resourceful food-finders and during normal winter conditions, birds can locate spots to get these food items. However, during the conditions we had last February, these birds had no access to the ground to find these food items and, thus, their demise was a combination of starving and freezing to death. Bird feeders that people put up in their yards won’t help these birds in these conditions because they don’t have seed-eating bills and seed-eating habits so these birds don’t come to feeders.”

In conditions of extreme cold and/ or extensive ice coverage frozen ground, providing mealworms or cut-up fruit in an area that has no or minimal snow coverage such as a breezeway or on the south side of a building. But, even in these conditions, other birds may eat the food before the birds you’re targeting (robins, bluebirds, and thrushes) can find it.

Cold snaps that occur in late February and March are also hard on early nesting birds such as bluebirds and some species of owls.

“The birds will stay on their eggs until the end and, sadly, in those cases, there’s nothing humans can do,” Skalicky said. “In the cases of all birds that come to feeders in winter, it’s important to provide some type of grit such as ground shells, in these feeders during periods of prolonged ice or snow cover.

Birds lack teeth and grit, which is stored in their gizzards, is used to grind up seeds. Normally they get their grit from the ground, but during long periods of snow and ice coverage, birds may find it difficult to find grit on the ground.

“Also be sure to furnish, as best as possible, a supply of unfrozen water,” he said. “Unless you have a heated bird bath, this is going to be challenging during times of prolonged cold, but

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again, do it as best as possible.”

Some of our four-footed friends can benefit from a little winter weather assistance.

Foods for deer include apples, carrots, and turnips. If trimming tall trees, one can pile up limbs from beech, birch, and wild roses.

The deer enjoy eating the bark and leaves. Deer also appreciate hay. Putting out a few flakes now and then provides them with fiber and carbs to get warm. Introducing supplemental foods to deer should take place slowly, over a period of two weeks or more, before making hay and other forage readily available.

Feeding locations should be spread over a large area to prevent competition and a concentration of deer in one area.

Coyotes typically don’t prey on large animals, preferring instead to consume small mammals, including mice, rabbits, rats, and squirrels.

The remainder is fruits, birds, eggs, vegetables, insects, and fish.

Being opportunistic animals, coyotes are scavengers, and will often feed on the carcasses of downed deer. In areas with dense coyote populations, residents may notice them going through their trash cans or snacking on pet food left outdoors.

This behavior means coyotes are often a severe threat to pets. If a coyote views a pet as competition for sustenance, they may attack, which can be fatal. Area residents should always keep small pets safely housed indoors to prevent tragedy.

Area residents should keep in mind that even while lending a helping hand to wildlife, these animals are not domesticated and should not be approached.

For information about conservation issues, call the Missouri Department of Conservation at 417-8956880. n

Parenting Column Meagan Ruffing is a clinical mental health therapist and parenting journalist. She loves combining her love of writing with her passion for helping others through therapy. Meagan is looking forward to a year’s worth of self-care and trying new things.

by Meagan Ruffing

How to Plan for the New Year I’VE NEVER BEEN MUCH OF A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONMAKER BUT THIS YEAR, THIS YEAR I WILL TURN 40-YEARSOLD AND I AM FEELING LIKE I SHOULD SET SOME GOALS FOR MYSELF.

Starting a new decade of my life is just want I need to get things rolling. Instead of picking just one thing and hoping to make it last for the entire year, I have decided to try something new each month for the next 12 months. Would you like to join me? Here’s my schedule. Feel free to tweak it to fit your interests.

J ANUARY Try a new recipe. I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years and am ready to branch out with some new recipes that can expand my dinner rotation from pasta to something more exciting.

Still no meat but maybe…lentils?

F E BRUARY Go on a date. Dating in my 40s looks much different than when I was in my 20s. Plan something special for yourself and a special someone. Try a chocolate-making class!

MA RCH Garden. The weather should be

getting spring-like about now so I’d like to try my hand at gardening.

I have always wanted to grow my own vegetables. I tried it two years ago and did pretty well but took last year off. I’m hoping to grow more than just tomatoes this time.

J UN E Self Care. This might sound

kind of indulgent but stay with me for a minute. I’d like to do one nice thing for myself each day for the entire month of June. It can be anything from buying myself a coffee to taking a weekend nap. If you could do something nice for yourself, what would it be?

J UL Y Waterpark. I want to try a

new waterpark with my kids. I don’t particularly like the summer because of the heat, so I try and schedule fun things during this time of the year for my kids and I to look forward to.

AUGUS T

APRI L Road Trip. I’d like to take my

kids on a road trip this month and go somewhere new. There is a neat park in Tulsa, Oklahoma that I’ve been wanting to try out. I think this will be the month I give it a go!

Read. I want to read a new book this month. I’ve spent the last three years reading only college counseling books and I’m ready to dive back into the world of good fiction thrillers.

S E P T E MBE R

MA Y Yoga. I love yoga but don’t do it

nearly as much I’d like to. I’d like to try a new yoga class this month and try to get back into the groove of things. One more month before the big 4-0!

Workout. With the kids back

in school, I’d like to start a new workout routine. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone running and since that doesn’t really interest me anymore, I’d like to find something else to keep me active.

ConnectionMO.com/ParetingColumn | Connection Magazine | 39

OC T OBE R Haunt Haunts. I’d like to go to a haunted house this month. I haven’t done anything like this in a long time and I think it’d be fun to get a couple of friends together and try something new.

Lance Mettlach Get a Quote

100 Chapel Dr. Suite F, Monett, MO. 65708 Cell 417-489-1134 lance.mettlach@mofb.com

NO V E MBE R Bake. Try a baking class. I’ve

seen a couple of businesses offering cookie decorating classes and pie baking classes. My plan is to sign up for one of them this month and see what new skill I can learn.

DE CE MBE R Craft. My grandmother taught me how to crochet and I’ve since forgotten how to do it. I’d like to find someone to teach me how to do this again.

Twelve months can seem like a really long time but a year can go by in the blink of an eye. Instead of making just one New Year’s Resolution this year, try and break it down into 12 bite-sized adventures. If you start a month and decide that you don’t like what you’ve signed up for, that’s okay.

Just pick another new thing and start again. Make this your year of new beginnings. You deserve it.

Meagan Ruffing is a clinical mental health therapist and parenting journalist. She loves combining her love of writing with her passion for helping others through therapy. Meagan is looking forward to a year’s worth of self-care and trying new things. n

Setting The Standard For Senior Care Christine Grizzle – Administrator ckuhn@roaringriverrehab.com

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Thank you for supporting and allowing us to be a huge part of the community. As we move on to different adventures we would like to thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children’s lives as they grew and developed into wonderful young children.

We are truly grateful and blessed to have been able to share the last several years with you and your children.

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42 | January 2022

Date Night

by Mike Gervais

What’s Cookin’ on Date Night

D

ate night this month brought us back into the kitchen to cook up a little something different for our household.

Yep. That’s the thing I want. Just the thing I need to get my creative juices flowing.

I’ll mix some pigments and find the perfect piece to paint on Kat’s new, custom, Mike’s original apron.

It’s easy to overlook just how much time families spend in the kitchen.

For Kat and I, we often cook and clean together, and while we don’t typically eat in the kitchen, we do spend a lot of time in that room of the house.

I decided to go with a simple design I shouldn’t have much trouble executing. Flowers and a catchy little saying.

This month, our Date Night package came with a creative idea that would personalize our time spent together in the kitchen.

Our package came with two plain white aprons, a set of acrylic paint, brushes and all the mixings to bake a cake.

Kat and I painted unique scenes on a set of aprons so we have a personalized touch while working together in the kitchen. While Kat definitely wins points for her sheer talent, I think I get an A for effort this month.

Our task was to come up with a design for an apron for each other using the paint, then use our aprons while baking a cake.

So, once again, I found myself facing down an evening of playing with Kat in her own element – arts, crafts and creativity.

I’ve said before that I don’t have an artistic bone in my body and

Some white to brighten it up and I had a big glob of muddy brown paint. And not an attractive earthy brown. No, my special color was a sickly grey brown.

I decide to start over. And this time, the factory direct yellow will have to do.

can draw a decent smiley face if I have a good reference, and Kat has a gift.

So as we set up for our latest art project, I asked Kat if she had one of those wood paint things that artists use.

“A palette?,” she asked.

I assess my paints and start with a bright yellow.

I want to tone it down a bit, so I throw in a little green – too much. How about a little orange?

That’s it.

Meanwhile, Kat has a grey-grey background all painted. When I say background, I mean she covered the front half of the apron.

I hadn’t even put a brush into my paint yet.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 43

DATE NIGHT

Connection on the Go

This month’s Date Night package came with two white aprons, a set of acrylic paints and brushes and the makings for a cake.

But I had a vision, and Kat repeated early and often that she wasn’t sure what she was going to paint.

Famous Gran Torino Recently the AT&T Discovery Center in Dallas, Texas marked the 50th anniversary of Clint Eastwood’s debut to the cinema. Real props were on display featuring a spectacular display of Eastwood’s cinematic accomplishments.

Among the displays was the Gran Torino featured in his movie. The original owner of the Gran Torino was Monett resident, Dave Beckett.

His family surprised Dave with a trip to see the famous car that once belonged to him. The Beckett family was able to sit in the car and Dave enjoyed looking under the hood. Dave and his wife, Donna, enjoyed sharing this event with their two daughters.

Connection Magazine featured a story on Dave and the Gran Torino in August, 2010 and Donna is pictured above holding a copy of that issue. The Gran Torino was the car that Dave owned when he and Donna began dating.

Pictured above with the famous vehicle are, David and Donna Beckett, of Monett; Denae Beckett, of Springfield, and Dedre (Beckett) Fitzgerald, of Broken Arrow, Okla.

Monett Artists’ Guild presents

February 11th - 7:00 p.m.

February 12th - 7:00 p.m.

February 13th - 2:00 p.m.

Tickets $5.00, please call 417.235.7919 for questions 44 | January 2022

Once I gave up on mixing paints for unique colors, I made quick work of my design. A vine crawling along the edges of the apron with yellow flowers. Once that was done, I went for a large flower in the center. I wanted a sunflower, but again, what I imagine in my head and what I’m capable of drawing or painting are often very different things.

At this point, Kat is blow drying her apron to dry out the background before painting her masterpiece.

Feeling rather proud of my progress while Kat is still tinkering with ideas, I know I have to add some words. I like to think what I lack in artistic skill, I can make up for with a clever phrase. Sunflowers. Apron.

Cooking. “Sunny Side Up,” is my phrase.

About this time I look over and see Kat’s design coming together.

A Christmas scene, complete with a tree, presents, a silhouette of us and, just to put me to shame, a phrase of her own: “All I want is You.” In all, it took a couple hours for us to paint our aprons – not to mention the time it took to scrub paint off our kitchen counters – and a couple days for said paint to dry.

Our next goal is to don our aprons and bake a cake together. n

Rescued, My Favorite Breed

by Christa Stout

Cross-country Shelter Animal Transport

D

o you like to drive? Love animals? Well, I have the perfect job for you!

Driving transports for dogs and cats. We all know that there are areas of the country that are overrun with dogs and cats and the areas do not support the number of pets that are available for adoption.

On the other hand, and thank goodness, there are areas that are short of adoptable pets, such as the Northeast United States, Colorado and many other States, as well as larger cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, etc.

Transports accommodate the relocation of adoptable pets to these areas where their chances of getting adopted are much better.

Generally, transports consist of several legs driven by different people.

For example, a transport may originate in Monett, Mo., and end at St. Louis, with stops and driver changes along the way, maybe in Springfield, Lebanon, Rolla, etc.

Happy travels with pets and have a wonderful 2022! this is one of the best uses of cell phone technology.

There are even transports by air, such as Flying Fur Animal Rescue and Pilots N Paws.

Generally, there is one person who manages the route and the individual legs. She knows how many dogs and cats are scheduled and what their destination is.

She will setup a messenger group by cell phone (or other means of communications) and add all of the drivers to this group.

This allows everyone to know whether everyone is on time or whether, for whatever reason, there might be a delay. Those of us driving usually have a smart phone and are kept informed via the messenger messages. In my mind,

The drivers will volunteer for a certain distance, i.e. Springfield to Lebanon or Rolla to St. Louis, or Kansas City to a rescue in Iowa.

The drivers will arrange with their counterparts where to meet, maybe the parking lot of a department store or a truck stop, mostly we try to find areas with lots of room in a corner of the business to make it easier to move the pets from one vehicle to another.

This is also a good time to give each of the dogs a potty break (so don’t forget the doggy poop bags).

Kitties unfortunately have to stay in their kennels.

Scan the QR Code to read more Rescued, My Favorite Breed online ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 45

I have done transports off and on for many years and just recently realized that not everyone is aware of this. My first transport was for a little beagle mix that needed to get from Oklahoma to St. Louis. My leg was from Joplin to Lebanon.

porter getting her kitten fix in the picture). They came from different pounds, rescues and shelters and went to different destinations.

One of the dogs was a very shy, but beautiful dog named Queenie, who was going to a foster home in Northeast Missouri.

This was a darling little dog that just wanted to snuggle and find someone who would love him as much as he loved them. As happens sometime, the young lady I was to meet got to Rolla but when trying to start her car after a fill-up, realized her battery was dead. So, we simply arranged to meet her in Rolla and find a car parts store that installed the battery and she was on her way. Once at the rescue in St. Louis, it didn’t take long for the little beagle to find his home.

My longest transport was Monett to Denver, and I have to admit I was a little hesitant at first, taking a dog that far. But he was a darling and never created any problem.

He just seemed to know that he was going to a better future. We spent the night in Denver with my daughter and their dogs, and met with his future family the next day. It was instant love! I cried! He went to his home in Utah the next day and the adoptive family and I have kept in touch over the years.

He has bonded with his brother and is having the time of his life.

Recently, I did 4 transports in 5 days, some to St. Louis and some to Kansas City, and all ages and breeds, from puppies to seniors, from shy to happy go lucky, and one lonely little kitten (a trans-

46 | January 2022

QUEENIE was very quiet the

entire trip and easily moved from vehicle to vehicle until she arrived at her foster home. The foster mom immediately fell in love with her, allowed her to chill in the kennel for a while after arrival and to get to know the other dogs in the home (1st picture). Those of us on the transport received pictures less than a day later. Queenie had adjusted to her foster home and had a trusting look on her face, no longer the withdrawn pup we transported A couple of days later I was taking a Dalmatian mix named Marshall who was energetic but supposedly hated kennels. Needless to say,

I was wondering, how do I get a 45-pound, energetic dog into a kennel by myself? When I arrived at the pickup point, Marshall was running around working off some of the energy stored up from a long night’s sleep. I opened the back of my little SUV, opened the kennel door, and here comes Marshall, he took a flying leap right into the kennel. So this was the dog that hates kennels? For the first couple of miles he talked to me, then he laid his head down and went to sleep. I had to take him to a rescue to spend the night, and we picked him up the next morning to take him on his transport to Iowa.

It always amazes me how intuitive these pets are, they seem to know that going on the transport is a good thing and they are the best behaved dogs, who look at you with such trusting eyes, and such hope of a great future. To help them get to a better home is so satisfying, and sometimes you shed a tear because you have them for such a short period of time.

If you are interested in doing some transports, please contact your local pound, rescue or shelter, most of them have contacts in the transport world for your area. Also, they can tell you what might be required, such as kennels, leashes, collars, etc. Most of this is usually furnished and some transports will even provide some money for gasoline. And of course, you as the volunteer, can determine how many pets you are able to transport and how far you would be able to drive. n

Cutest Pet

Geranimo

Geranimo is a six-monthold manx fur baby of Gaye Stumpff of Cassville

Email your pet’s photo to:

connection@monett-times.com If you think your furry or feathered friend is the cutest in the area, let us know! We invite you to share a photo of your pet to be featured in Connection’s Cutest Pet contest.

Photos should be sent in the original JPG format at the highest resolution possible.

Remember to include your pet’s name, city of residence and your contact information.

ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 47

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Marketing, Advertising & Online Media Specialist 48 | January 2022

Advertiser Index 417 Aesthetics..............................16 Aire Serv.........................................33 Animal Clinic of Monett..............32 Aurora Machinery........................32 Barry Lawrence Regional Library ..................................................... 3 Bruner Pharmacy..........................37 Clark Community Mental Health... ...................................................26 Coldwell Banker...........................11 CoxHealth......................................52 CS Bank..........................................51 Diet Center....................................38 Doug’s Pro Lube...........................37 Dr. Jared Spears............................25 Drury University...........................26 Edward Jones.................................. 5 Factory Direct Mattress................ 2 First State Bank of Purdy...........37 Fohn Funeral Home.....................31 Four Seasons Real Estate...........20 Freedom Bank of Southern Missouri ...................................................25 Gantt Steel Buildings..................... 6 Home N Stead..............................24 J&J Floor Covering......................48 Ken’s Collision Center.................28 Kiddie City.....................................41 Lackey Body Works.....................31 Lil Boom Town..............................28 Missouri Farm Bureau.................40 Monett Chamber of Commerce ...................................................44 My Best Friends Closet...............31 Ozark Methodist Manor.............38 Peppers and Co. ..........................20 QC Supply, LLC.............................33 Race Brothers...............................22 Roaring River Health & Rehab...40 Roark Family Health....................51 Rusty Gate Flea Market..............28 Sean Hilton....................................21 Security Bank of Southwest Missouri............................................ 6 Shelter Insurance.........................22 Tisha Trotter.................................... 8 Tomblin’s Jewelry.........................41 Trogdon Marshall.........................49 VisionHealth Eye Center............24 White’s Insurance........................38 Whitley Pharmacy........................16 YMCA.............................................11

Familiar Faces

1

Verona Christmas 2

1. Abe and Becky Sherwood 2. CJon, Brittni and Bryant, 2, Hunter 3. Rodney Bogart, Bently Shearbum, 1, and Molly the dog 4. Jasmine Lechner, Emberly Lecher, 3, and Aaron Campbell

4

1

3

2

3

Tom Wolfe VFW Thanksgiving 4

More than 50 members of the Tom Wolfe Memorial Post 4207 VFW, its auxiliary and a host of volunteers gathered on Thanksgiving to serve a traditional Thanksgiving feast to area veterans.

AUTO • HOME • FARM BUSINESS • BONDS 5 1. Judy and Danny Bowman 2. Clockwise, from left: Charles Edwards, Austin, Lisa and Randale Potts 3. Jesse Shouse and Bernice Shouse 4. Cindy Dodson and Daniel Dodson 5. Robi Upstein and Lonnie Matthews

4

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5

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ConnectionMO.com | Connection Magazine | 49

Parting Shot

Powell, Mo., bridge by Ruthie Townsend of Seligman

“Poetry is not only dream and vision; it is the skeleton architecture of our lives.

It lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.”

— Audre Lorde

50 | January 2022

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52 | January 2022