22 minute read
Book picks for winter reading
Bio: Brittany Rushing is a native Brookhavenite, who has loved reading for as long as she can remember. Lately, as she’s been battling leukemia, she has loved how books and their stories can entertain her for hours, transporting her to another time and place and distracting her from the everyday stress. When she is not reading, you can usually find her at home with her husband, Will, and their two children, Little Will and CC, who also keep her entertained.
For more book recommendations and reviews from Rushing and her seven sister-in-laws, you can follow along on instagram @the_rushing_ readers
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1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Historical fiction)
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015, All the Light We Cannot See, is a World War II novel about a French girl who is blind and a German boy who is an orphan and their experiences during and after the war. This novel allows the reader to experience WWII through the eyes of children and shows their unique perspectives as their paths move toward each other in this beautiful and unique story.
2. The Push by Ashley Audrain (Psychological Thriller)
This New York Times bestseller showcases the protagonist, Blythe’s challenges with motherhood. Exploring the idea that motherhood is nothing as she hoped and everything she feared it would be, the story exemplifies how trauma can influence a family, generation after generation. This book is hard to put down and leaves the reader with chills. Warning: It is dark.
3. Billy Summers by Stephen King (Crime/Mystery)
I know what you’re thinking, Stephen King, the king of horror (and why so many sad or scary books, Brittany?), but this story is not that at all! Billy Summers chronicles the story of a likable hitman, the mob, an innocent girl, and a mystery figure pulling the strings. A story that seems destined to become a Hollywood blockbuster.
4. Educated by Tara Westover (Memoir)
Educated is an admirable coming of age story about a woman’s challenging journey from growing up in a survivalist family in rural Idaho to ultimately receiving a PhD from Cambridge University. Burdened with a mentally ill father, an abusive brother and an enabling and naive mother with a warped vision of reality, Westover’s beautiful prose helps you understand how she persevered and succeeded. Infuriating. Heartbreaking. Powerful. If you like memoirs, this one is for you.
5. November 9 by Colleen Hoover (Contemporary Romance)
I could not make a list without including a little love and “chick lit.” Colleen Hoover, also known as CoHo, has somewhat of a cult following and rightfully so. November 9 takes the reader through the journey of a love story between Ben, an aspiring writer, and Fallon, an aspiring actor, ending with a major twist you will not see coming. This one makes the reader feel all of the feelings.
6. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (Autobiography)
Pulled together from McConaughey’s years of journaling, Greenlights is made up of one wild and amusing story after another, from the life of a true free spirit. The book is filled with McConaughey’s ideas, opinions and contemplations not only sharing his experiences but showing his skills as a deep and abstract thinker. I highly recommend listening to this audiobook. No one can tell a story quite like the person that lived it, and McConaughey makes it come to life.
26 HOLIDAY 2021
FEATURES
YOUNG AT HEART
Trio of active seniors share secrets to their love of life
BY ANGELA CUTRER PHOTOS BY ANGELA CUTRER
Experts report that the average life expectancy for American women is 80.5 years. Why do some live even longer than that? Here are three stories that might answer that question.
Betty Perkins, 91
The chef-owner handed Betty Perkins a mimosa and smiled down at her, awaiting a verdict. She murmured her thanks then took a sip.
“Mmm,” she answered in reply. The host left for the kitchen pleased. It was Friday noon and Perkins was holding her own with talkative tablemates - her son Bill Perkins Jr. and their friend Sherri Slusher, along with the addition of a journalist newly introduced – at a private cafe in Magnolia. It’s an invitation only - and friends of friends can come, too - kind of cafe, oddly placed in such a small, traditional town. Framed photos jammed the walls and mature, trailing plants sprouted from the corners. Among the multitude of portraits sat a candid shot of the two Perkins, awaiting a frame to hold it up
“So, I’m thinking of learing the guitar, mandolin or the banjo. I’m leaning toward the last two because they are easier to carry. Phyllis Spearman
on the mantel underneath a giant portrait of actress Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara.
The place seemed perfect for such a continental person as Betty Ann Malvaney Perkins, who can count 91 years on planet Earth.
“We don’t use the o-l-d word or talk about health issues,” said her lively son, Bill, of his mother. “She takes no medication except a daily baby aspirin as a stroke preventative measure.”
Betty Ann Perkins graduated from Brookhaven High School and met her future husband, Bill Sr., at LSU. She was a Chi Omega and Bill Sr. was a Kappa Sigma. They led a very active life traveling across the country and the globe until Bill Sr. passed away in 2012.
“She even ‘tolerated’ camping with my dad, my brother and me in national and state parks from the Atlantic to the Pacific,” Bill Jr. said. Betty and her husband raised Bill Jr. and Don, his brother.
After Bill Jr. began working in oil abroad, which lasted for almost three decades, Betty and Bill Sr. tagged along, visiting him in Great Britain, Ireland and Europe, and other places. They once spent a month with him in Indonesia, experiencing the numerous cuisines, the night life of Jakarta, the historical sites across Java and Bali, as well as the beaches, islands and even an active volcano.
Afterward, the couple left to visit friends in Singapore and Hong Kong. That’s just how they rolled - everywhere all the time.
During the interim, the Perkinses owned many businesses. One, Perkins Furniture, began in 1857 and six generations worked there through the years.
But though all that history is done, Betty remains living in the family home, Woodleigh, on Natchez Avenue. She may have many memories to recall, but she’s not slowing down. Her mother and two aunts all hit 100 years and she might just do the same.
“I think young,” she said humbly and without an unkind meaning. “I don’t want to think old. I want to keep doing what I enjoy doing and I’m well enough to keep doing them.”
She feels blessed to be able to keep going. “I give God all the credit, because I get up in the morning and I feel good,” she added. “And so many of my friends don’t. They can’t get along very well, you know.” She shook her head sadly and you could tell she despairs for her friends who suffer so much.
Betty and Bill Sr. both played tennis until Bill Sr.’s knees had to be replaced, but Betty still remains active in other ways, including as an avid bridge player. She recently took up a new past time - pottery. She’s been taking classes at Co-Lin Community College and Bill Jr. said he thinks she just might be the most senior student there currently. “She’s very creative and doing well with this new interest now in her second semester,” Bill Jr. said, like a proud parent.
As the luncheon ended, Betty Perkins sipped a glass of water. She then squished up her nose playfully and asked Bill Jr. why he had another mimosa now sitting in front of him. Bill grinned at her and she shook her head with mock disapproval. “I thought we were leaving and now you have another mimosa?”
What did it matter? Life is good, especially when you are 91 years young and have all the time in the world.
Phyllis Spearman, 96
Phyllis Spearman gently guided her rollator inside her lovely living room filled with keepsakes softly basking in the gentle light of her massive front windows. Spearman, a gentle Southern woman, lives in a warm, comfortable and spotless house peppered with books and photos. No idleness seems to touch anything about or around this spry woman.
At 96, Spearman walks a little slower perhaps, but she’s laser focused on living her best life. “I’m staying young at the latest date possible,” she chuckled. “I’d say the best thing is to choose your parents wisely. I think genes do matter. I had a greatgrandfather who was 90 years old when I was born in 1925 and for that period, that was extraordinary.
“But I certainly never expected to live to 96,” she added. “I mean, the changes in so many things - airplanes were mainly prop planes back then and it was magical how they soared in the air. The changes in medicine and communication - it’s just astonishing.”
Spearman has three daughters - one in this area, one in Texas and one in Pennsylvania. She has five grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren - “four queens and a king,” she said with a laugh. Thoughts of them are always on her mind.
Spearman retired after 24 years teaching at Brookhaven High School. “I started when I was 37,” she said. “I had been a full-time mother when I decided I wanted to teach. My husband didn’t want me to teach. He felt it reflected badly on how he provided for this family. My father didn’t want me to teach. But I wanted to, so I went back to school.
“I still see my former students in the grocery store. They recognize me, but I don’t usually recognize them. They have beards and white hair sometimes. That’s not how they looked when I taught them!”
Spearman credits her husband for her longevity. “He got me to stop smoking and got me on exercising,” she said. “We tried to eat right, do exercises, keep our weights at a reasonable level.”
Ben Spearman himself lived to 91.
His wife said she felt attitude and gratitude were two major things a long-lived person probably has. “You are not living if you are just eating and sleeping,” she says. “You need to keep the mind active as well as the body. I believe in moderation. I follow the Greek way of everything in moderation.”
Spearman said she planned to “do everything I can as long as I can. If I sit down, I’ll atrophy. Reading is for the mind and walking is for the body - and it doesn’t cost a dime. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like. Was it Thoreau who once said ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes?’”
Spearman said she’s been very fortunate in her human relationships as well. “My friends keep me going,” she added. “We have a book discussion group, a study group and a music club. I did teach Sunday School and sang in the choir for 17 years at First Methodist, until I retired at 90.”
Spearman sold her house on South Church Street and moved into her current home five years ago. “It’s the perfect house for me,” she said with satisfaction. And it’s near her church, where she has felt supported, appreciated and loved. She was baptized there, married there and worshipped there.
“Statistics show that having faith in something is good for your mental health,” she said. “People who have faith are healthier than those who don’t. “
It seemed to be working for Spearman, whose doctor just recently said he thinks she’ll live to 100. “So, I’m thinking of learning the guitar, mandolin or the banjo,” she said pragmatically. “I’m leaning toward the last two because they are easier to carry.”
They’d probably fit right on that rollator, too, so she can take it to her next meeting, wherever it might be.
Bettie Bullard, 83
Bettie Bullard walked into a back living area that featured a brick fireplace and a dark-colored piano. On a coffee table lay a book, dedicated to Bullard. “I’m so proud of that,” she said, her cheeks pinking. The book was written by a former student; one who thought so much of her fourth-grade teacher, she told the world in black and white.
Bullard taught elementary school and later gifted kindergarten through eighth grade. “What a wonderful group of kids,” she remembered. She said all the students she taught were wonderful.
She later taught gifted education at the University of South Alabama and taught piano after school. “I loved doing that as a career than anything else,” she said. “It’s because they’d come in not knowing a thing about music then they would come back and could play something. Even if it was ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,’ they were thrilled with the pleasure of being able to play.”
How does she explain her longevity? “Good genes,” she murmured before bursting into laughter. “No, my parents and grandparents both were very strong about truth and good character and they developed that in their children. And having a good family supportive with good communication - including with teachers - helps, as do experiences, because they affect your reaction to everything in life.”
Born in Lincoln County, she’s lived in Biloxi, Virginia and North Carolina. She lost her home to Katrina and tried to build back, but decided instead to come home to Brookhaven. She said she was glad she did.
“I’m so thrilled I did,” she said. “I’ve gotten to know cousins I would have never known and made wonderful friends.”
She has four children, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. “I’m blessed to see my children and grandchildren grow into fulfilled, productive and useful people,” she said. “I had a saying [at home and in the classroom]: Don’t let me hear you say you’re bored. It meant you were not thinking. Bored? Read a book. Don’t have a book? Write a story. Can’t think of a story? Write down what happened in your life.
“Be interested in what’s happening around you and in the world. It affects your life. Remain interested and have a variety of interests. Too often people have one interest and if something happens to it, then what?”
Bullard said that her friends in retirement seem to be busier than ever. “[They] are more busy because they have so many interests. My own book club and study club has been sustaining for me.”
Though Bullard wasn’t going to slow down her local interests, traveling was not part of her itinerary in the future. She recently attended graduations for twin granddaughters - one at McGill University and the other at the University of Delaware - as well as one in Seattle for her grandson’s master’s degree graduation, but recent heart problems will keep her grounded.
But that won’t mean she’s not busy. Staying young at heart at age 83.6 [how she describes it] means being as busy as ever and that’s something she just won’t give up.
GETTING IN SHAPE
Couple provides tips and advice on living a healthier lifestyle
BY JULIA V. MILLER PHOTOS BY JULIA V. MILLER
New year, new me.
It’s a refrain that seems to litter social media during January as people decide to better themselves with the turning over of the calendar. Sweeping declarations of creating a healthier body always seem to be at the top of that list, but for Sweat Transformation and SoReal Meals owners Rico and Amy Sorrell, it’s the slow and steady changes that make the biggest impact. “That excitement wears off really quick,” Rico said. “So when that excitement wears off, you just have to create habits versus trying to rely on motivation.” The best way to get started is to set small, attainable goals that you know you can achieve. And celebrate those wins no matter how little they may seem. Those goals can be to substitute soda for water or walking into the gym a certain number of times a week.
“Everything is a win,” he said. “Look at in a positive perspective to where you don’t get discouraged. So even if you lose a pound, or even a couple of ounces, it’s still a step in the right direction.” Amy added that surrounding yourself with like-minded people also adds to your success. “Have a group that has the same mindset as you,” she said. “It’s hard to eat healthy and hang out with somebody who wants to eat out every night.”
One pitfall a lot of people walk into is sudden calorie restriction. When mixed with a new workout regimen, it can make it difficult for people to have enough energy to get through the day. Instead, they
recommend focusing on switching to good healthy food first, and then slowly trickle the calorie count down.
“Let your body adjust to the new calorie count and the exercise because otherwise your body is in shock,” Amy said. “Food is fuel.”
For most people’s diet, sugar is a staple that can be addictive. It’s also one of the first things people cut out when they’ve decided to lose weight. However, quitting cold turkey rarely helps someone attain long term success.
“If you’re just going to cut it out completely you could have some withdrawals and setbacks along the way,” Rico said. “Your body’s been relying on carbs and everything you used for energy before. Now that you’re doing something more strenuous than you’ve been doing, you want to continue having some carbs in your diet. Just choose better carbs.”
The other trick is to get a fitness tracker, such as a Fitbit or a heart rate monitor, so that you know how much effort you’re putting in. It allows you to adjust your workout to your needs, and it helps you feel like you’ve achieved a goal before it shows up on a scale or in the mirror.
The most important piece of advice the Sorrells have though is to try not to have consecutive bad days.
“If you do have a setback, just take the next day to jump back on track and try to offset that setback,” Rico said.
For example, if you have a 2,000 calorie count daily and you go 500 calories overboard, the next day aim for just 1500 calories.
“I always try to remind myself and tell my clients ‘Be better today than you were yesterday,’” Amy added.
“Motivation comes to anybody, and that’s the common goal that everybody has,” Rico said. “Everybody wants to be better, wants to feel better.”
Healthy kids
Every parent who has tried to get their child to eat more vegetables knows how much of a struggle sharing healthy habits with your kids can be. Amy has figured out a few tips and tricks to help her 7-year-old daughter eat a healthier more well-rounded diet.
“The biggest trick I know is to buy flavored water,” Amy said. “It tastes like Kool-Aid, and they don’t know the difference.”
She also suggested making easy substitutions while cooking, such as choosing almond milk, whole wheat pasta, or ground turkey. She also suggests taking something healthy, such as steamed broccoli, and adding a little cheese to it.
“It’s not going to hurt them, and at least they’re eating broccoli,” she said.
Rico added that planning ahead is the best way to ensure that your kids are eating healthy.
“If you don’t have a plan, plan to fail,” he said. “You’ve got to have something healthy on hand. Because if you don’t, you’re going to stop at that convenience store, and you’re going to get whatever sugar pack you can find.”
At the end of the day though, Amy said parents should recognize that they are ultimately responsible for their children’s diet.
“What our kids eat is one hundred percent on us,” she said. “They don’t buy the groceries. They don’t pack their snacks. If you want your kid to be healthier, it’s on you to do it. That was very hard for me to understand.”
Amy also advocates for giving your
children some leniency as well as modeling a balanced diet in front of your children. And a balanced diet should include fun foods.
“If you see us at Jack’s, nine times out of ten, I’m probably eating ice cream with [Macy] because they watch us,” she said. “They watch how we treat our bodies. I never want to give the mindset to her that it’s bad. Everything’s OK in moderation.”
Transformations
Both Sweat Transformation and SoReal Meals will see new life 2022 as the Sorrells continue to work on renovations at the old Brookhaven Outreach Ministries at the corner of North Railroad Avenue and East Court Street.
“I used to always walk beside that building every day, and I would think that would be a pretty cool gym,” Rico said. “I was able to look inside one day and everything I envisioned came to life. I could see it as soon as I walked in.”
Making that vision come to life, however, took a lot of elbow grease.
“There was literally 120 tons of trash,” he said. “I had to look past the trash and see what kind of gym I could make this into. A lot of people told me I was a fool for doing it, but I had to follow it and see if I could make it come true. Some days I didn’t believe it. Some days I did, but I just knew if I kept at it at some point it would come true.”
In a lot of ways, renovating the building has mirrored a lot of the mindset that the Sorrells try to build in their clients. It has required focusing on small steps until they add up to big changes. In 2020, he went through the building with his preacher and listened as he pointed out small things Rico could do to get the building going.
“Just clean it up here, clean it up there,” he said. “We set those small goals, and we just kept going.”
Having a blank canvas made it possible to create exactly what the Sorrells wanted, and the brick throughout adds a level character that would be difficult to recreate anywhere else.
“That brick is a blessing. People pay a lot of money for that brick, and we got it for a fraction of the price,” Rico said. “Once we started renovating, we started uncovering a lot of that brick and exposing that character because it was covered up with sheetrock and paneling. Once we exposed it, we fell in love with it.”
The building covers over 20,000 square feet and is the new home for Sweat Transformation and SoReal Meals. The gym opened in its new location in January, and the meal prep café will open in February. While opening the building to the public is a big step, there will continue to be work done until they get everything where they want it.
“We could have gone and taken out a loan and built a brand new building, but there’s a lot of new buildings,” Rico said. “There’s not a lot of hundred year old buildings that have been renovated to be exactly what we want.”
Picture (L-R): Darlene Carney, RN; Kevin Fiorella, Director of Cardiovascular Services; Laron Nettles, patient; Christy Russell, patient’s daughter; Melanie Sumrall, RN
—Christy Russell
Christy Russell is a registered nurse who works at Deaconess Home Health and Hospice of Brookhaven. When her 67-year-old father, Laron Nettles, was diagnosed with low kidney function, he needed a time-sensitive biopsy performed. Laron lives in Brookhaven, but the local hospital was unable to perform the biopsy as soon as possible. That’s when Christy decided to take her father to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center.
All of this was happening when Hurricane Ida was ravaging the area with heavy rain and flooding. “I’ve never had an experience in a hospital of being treated so much like family,” Christy says. “The way Melanie Sumrall, RN, Darlene Carney, RN, and Kevin Fiorella, Director of Cardiovascular Services, went out of their way to make us feel so comfortable made me realize that my father was in good hands.”
Fortunately, the needle biopsy came back clean, and Laron is slowly bringing his kidney function back to normal.
Christy was so impressed with the care her father received that she wrote a letter to the hospital to praise the staff and even brought them a dozen cupcakes. “The people at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center are a great team,” Christy says. “I love where I work today, but if I ever decide to leave, I will probably go to Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. It’s just that kind of place!”
