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By SHAWN MORAN
Former Howard College head basketball coach Mark Adams has recently been announced as one of the 2020 inductees into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. Adams is currently an assistant coach at Texas Tech and is consistently raved about as one of the top defensive coaches in the nation. The defensive guru completed his last junior college head coaching stop in 2013 at Howard College. Adams has compiled an 554-244 overall record across several collegiate levels in his 23 years as a head coach and led Howard to their only national title in program history. The newest NJCAA Hall of Famer got his start as a Howard College assistant coach before being handed his first head coaching job at Clarendon College in 1981. Adams was a young coach who quickly made his presence felt from the sideline. “It was a blessing in disguise at the time,” Adams said. “I shouldn't have gotten that job but because it was because it was in August and their coach had just left for Emerald College. I didn't have a lot of competition when
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I interviewed for that position and so I probably got that job out of default.” He learned a tremendous amount about running his own team and two years quickly passed before Adams made his jump to NAIA Wayland Baptist. “I was ambitious and I wanted to be a Division I coach someday,” Adams said. Adams was on the right track and his second coaching stop was filled with success. Through five seasons, Adams' had led his teams to three national tournaments and opposing coaches were taking notice of his team's toughness. Throughout his entire career, he has coached hardnosed, defensive-minded teams that were hard to prepare for because of their grit-and-grind mentality. Even though he is mostly known for his success as a defensive mastermind it would be a mistake to ever underestimate an Adams' coached offense. “He's always been a better offensive coach than people give him credit for,” current Hawks coach Scott Raines said. “He is really good at figuring out what he's got and how to beat the other teams.”
In 1987, Adams “I give so made his next much credit to coaching move. Howard ColThis time around lege,” Adams the now-experisaid. “It was enced head coach because of traveled 60 miles Howard College north to take over that I had the the top job at opportunity at NCAA Division II a young age to West Texas A&M. get into coachAfter spending right out of ing almost two college. When decades as an the opportunity underachievcame about, ing program the they offered Buffaloes quickly me the job. became a top I will forever team under the tube thankful to telage of Adams. those guys for The lifelong Texan their confidence posted an impresin me and givsive 108-40 record in Canyon and was in the midst of ing me a chance to get back into coaching.” entering himself into the conversation of the best basketAt Howard is where Adams supplanted his place as an ball coach in West Texas. His teams qualified for three NJCAA Hall of Famer. From 2004-13, Adams collected postseason tournaments in his time at the school and 233 wins, three conference titles and three national Adams' style of coaching seemed to be translating to tournament appearances during his time in Big Spring. every level of basketball. His 2006 team set a Howard College record with 36 With his continued success, Adams chose to move wins and were led by one of his two National Players on to his next stop: NCAA Division I Texas Pan-American (currently TexasRio Grande Valley). Adams had finally climbed the coaching ladder all the way from junior college assistant to Division I head coach. After he had been so successful at his previous stops it was easy to believe that Adams would have no trouble turning around the struggling UTPA program. This time was different. In his first season in Edinburg, the Texas Tech-graduate led a team that finished with a 2-20 record and looked to be going nowhere fast. That first season was the Broncs' worst regular season finish in almost 40 years. UTPA showed some progression during Adams' second and third seasons at the helm. Although, the team sharply regressed during his fourth and fifth year before he was fired and replaced with a coach who won a total of eight games in his time as coach. Following his firing, Adams was out of coaching until 2004 when the opportunity to coach the Howard Hawks 501 N. Birdwell Ln. • Big Spring • (432) 267-7781 appeared.
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of the Year. Charles Burgess was the first Adams-coached player to win the award but could not finish the mission as the Hawks fell short of the national title. A few years later, the National Championship that seemed like a longtimecoming finally found its way back to Howard. That 2010 National Championship-winning squad was led by current NBA player Jae Crowder and perfectly displayed Adams’ continued exquisite recruiting skills. “Mark is brilliant,” Raines said. “He is really great with people and has always been great at getting guys to play really hard. He recruited great players while he was here and they all played really hard.” The humble Adams added, “I'd like to take a lot of the credit but when you have a pro player on the team with a lot of guys that go on to play high Division I, then you really appreciate that team had.” Raines took over the job in 2014 and has tried to replicate Adams' success with the program. In addition to his former assistant, Adams' son is also
currently coaching in Region V at New Mexico Junior College. Following a successful career as a player, the younger Adams is following in his father's footsteps and is currently leading the second-place Thunderbirds as we near the postseason. The way his father did things at the junior college level will always be a helpful guide to follow and there is one piece of advice that has stuck with the younger Adams. “Don't compromise,” Luke Adams said. “At the end of the day, all coaching is is getting these guys to play hard and play together. His teams always do that. The one thing I've learned is just the emotional side of getting the guys to play together.” The elder Adams has not compromised during his time as a basketball head coach and it recently landed him in the NJCAA Hall of Fame. Last summer, the Texas Tech head assistant was a finalist for the Southern Miss head coaching position and also interviewed for an assistant position with the Chicago Bulls. While he is enjoying his time coaching at his alma mater, if the right opportunity presents itself, Adams could be making another jump up the coaching ladder. “It would have to be the right situation,” Adams said. “Texas Tech has been great to me and this is where I graduated from. This has always been home and I grew up watching the Red Raiders play basketball. It would have to be a special situation to leave here.” For now, Adams and all of the coaches that he has touched will enjoy and appreciate his induction into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
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By AMANDA DUFORAT kept alive by machines. Faith can be a strong foundation when it comes to the “While they knew I was against the DNR I was going unknown and in dire situations. with what they said because I knew it’s what he would Celeste Valle and her family recently had their faith want,” Celeste said. tested and in the process were witnesses to not one “It was then that the doctors told us with the degree miracle, but a series of miracles that medical science of aneurysm that Joseph had being the absolute worst, cannot explain. they gave him a 10% chance of survival. They also Their journey began on Sept. 17, 2019 when at 28 informed us that when he was first brought into the ER a years of age, Joseph Valle - son of Celeste - was diagweek ago, he aspirated as he was being intubated which nosed with a ruptured brain aneurysm and was given little to no chance of surviving. He had surgery that night caused ARDS to develop in his lungs, giving him a 40% chance of survival with that. I then told the doctors, you to repair the aneurysm with coils. He was too critical to say he has a 10% and 40% chance survive surgery so his doctors “I know there are those out there well he’s going to be that 10th were unable to cap the aneuwho may not see it this way, but percentile and that 40th percentile. rysm. “They seated us down as a God had his hand in it the whole He’s going to live. They looked at me like I didn’t understand what family before surgery, and told time...” us he had a very small chance they were telling me.” of surviving” Celeste said. During the time the family was “They did mention that him being 28 was positive, but it gathered at the hospital waiting on the outcome, there was, at that point, the only thing working for him in the was also a pastor from Laredo who was with her niece situation.” who was diagnosed with brain cancer. While the doctors and medical science showed that The first miracle that would take place in the journey for there was little to no chance of survival at this point, the Valle family took place as the pastor visited with the Celeste was certain that her son was going to defy family in the waiting room. the odds. A week later, doctors advised that the family “I was in the room with Joseph, and in the waiting room decide on placing a DNR on Joseph, and after discusthe pastor used Joseph’s twin to intercede for Joseph sion and hearing from his twin brother, sisters, and dad, while she prayed over the family. That night we told the Celeste agreed that it was Joseph’s wishes to not be family what the doctors said and they gathered together
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a prayer group, and fasted for the next few days.” In the meantime, in order to give Joseph’s body an opportunity to heal, he was heavily sedated. After the prayer meeting and fasting had begun, despite what doctors suspected, Joseph woke up. The doctors and staff couldn’t explain how it happened or why it happened. He was so heavily sedated he was not expected to wake up on his own. Him waking up was unbelievable. One of his nurses who had taken care of him for the first three days had to come back and see him because she could not believe it, Celeste said. “We did not expect him to make it. I had to come back and see it. He could not talk, but it was still unbelievable that he was awake,” said the nurse. After Joseph woke from the sedation, the next step was to put in a tracheotomy. Just as the first miracle took place with him waking up, another miracle took place with the continued postponement of the procedure. “For about a week and a half they
were back and forth with the procedure,” she said. “I know there are those out there who may not see it this way, but God had his hand in it the whole time. Why did the tracheotomy keep getting put off and put off? One Sunday, a different doctor came in and said his oxygen levels looked good and they were preparing to pull his breathing tube out.” When the news came about the breathing tube being removed - roughly three weeks into this journey - the family was at church. According to Celeste, by the time the family arrived at the hospital, the breathing tube was out and Joseph was trying to talk. “This whole thing is clearly a miracle after what they told us,” she said. “He’s young, that’s what he has going for him, but we don’t expect him to make it,” is what the family recalls the doctors telling them. Throughout the process he had been Living Magazine
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pulling wires and tubes out and with the feeding tube, it was the same thing. And before doctors could remove the feeding tube permanently, Joseph beat them to it and removed it himself.” She continued, “By the time we got back up to the room from the cafeteria, he was finishing up his meal. We were wondering what was going on because they had told us before we went to the cafeteria that they were preparing to remove the feeding tube and show us how to feed him. They told us Joseph did not give them a chance to remove the feeding tube and had told them that he was hungry and could feed himself.” While the miracles continue to add up along the journey, Celeste said looking back on it now, the whole process started with a miracle. “He had been telling his sister he was going to visit her in San Antonio after a trip to Oklahoma,” she said. “His dog had an accident a couple months before and ended up being paralyzed from the waist down. He wanted to go home and check on her, however, since he had told his sister he would visit her, he decided to go to San Antonio instead, knowing his dog was well cared for.” The decision to stay and visit his sister in San Antonio was another God ordered step in this journey - an important first piece in the journey to be exact. Within 12 hours of his arrival was when the aneurysm burst. “We later learned, after six weeks at a rehabilitation facility in Lubbock, and trip to the ER and being admitted to the hospital in Lubbock, that had he been in this area when the aneurysm burst, he most likely would not have survived since UMC in Lubbock can only cap aneurysms. They do not coil aneurysms.” Long before the aneurysm was discovered God had been organizing pieces and ensuring all the right pieces
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fell into place. Months before, Joseph’s brother in law had requested a transfer with his job to San Antonio. That is what took Joseph to San Antonio, to visit his sister. And recently, the job that his brother in law originally applied for years back, hired him in December which is bringing his sister back to Big Spring. “God had His hand in this. God knew Joseph needed to be in San Antonio when this happened so he allowed that transfer to go through and now He is bringing Joseph’s sister and her family back,” Celeste said. Joseph has always had a belief in God, but after this experience, he has begun to step out a little more and been more willing to respond to the call God placed on his life. “He has always had a giving heart, but he was quiet and reserved,” Celeste said. “Since this has all taken place he has come out of his shell, and is more open and willing to do things. He is more willing now to share his experience and tell his story. I mentioned to him that this is an opportunity for him to reach out to others, and sharing his testimony is part of the journey.” “You would have thought that through all of this my faith
would have been shaken, but it was not. Honestly, I was more nervous testing for Corporal at my job than I was with this,” Celeste said. “I may not have complete faith that when I’m running I’ll finish the workout I planned out, but from the beginning there was no doubt that my son was going to be just fine.” While the rough spot of this journey has concluded, it has served as the beginning of a new chapter in the Valle family. Since the initial diagnosis, a mother and son relationship has been repaired; Celeste and Joseph have been baptized – both on March 1, 2020 - and attending church is becoming part of a normal routine for entire family. “We have all become closer to God throughout all this,” Celeste said. “Not only has our faith grown, but this story has helped to build upon other’s faith. The biggest thing I want people to know is that the power of prayer really works. If it wasn’t for the power of prayer and faith, we would not have gotten through this like we did. My family and I reached out to so many people the day this journey started, and those people reached out to many people.” She continued, “When it comes down to it, it’s about being obedient to God, talking to Him, and listening to what He tells us.” And for the final piece to this puzzle thus far, on December 31st, Joseph was told by his doctors in San Antonio, that the aneurysm grew back and was very tiny. Surgery was not an option, and it was just a sit back and wait game. The family took Joseph to Laredo to meet the pastor who laid hands on his brother five days after the diagnosis. Celeste said, “ Her church family prayed over Joseph that day and declared him healed, as well as our church family at Life Church on February 16th, hours before we attended the MercyMe concert in San Antonio. After the concert Joseph went to the ER at the same hospital he was at when this journey began. He had been experiencing headaches as he did before the aneurysm ruptured. The ER doctors and neurologist could not explain why he was experiencing headaches, but they, along with the radiologist who looked over the CT scan performed that night with contrast, confirmed that Joseph did not have an aneurysm. All they observed were the coils used to repair the aneurysm.”
By ANNA GUTIERREZ Church numbers are declining and have been for at least the past decade. That impact has been felt especially by the Catholic Church. In Big Spring, there used to be three catholic churches; only one remains today, Holy Trinity Catholic. Holy Trinity Youth Ministry is a vibrant part of this church. Merlinda Moran is one of the youth ministry sponsors. She, herself, was a member of the youth ministry when she was in school back when the church was Immaculate Heart of Mary. She, along with sponsors Mary Jo Guerra, Felicia Guerra and Johnathon Martinez, proudly described what it is the youth ministry does and what their goals are. “We do a variety of fundraisers throughout the year,” states Moran. “One of them is jump-rope-athon. We ask members of community to sponsor us and see how long we can jump rope. At the same time, the Knights of Columbus are selling hamburgers and hot dogs. We reach out to the community to help us with this fundraiser, and
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some local businesses donate items so we can raise money. We usually try to that in the spring, but it looks like that’s moving to June this year. We also have a rummage sale, and we ask all the parishioners to donate items.” Continues Mary Jo Guerra, “You should see this hall all the items that are donated. People are so generous to clear out their closets and storage rooms, and we are able to do a huge rummage sale because of that.” While the rummage sale is going on, food is also being sold, most commonly burritos. The group also holds fundraisers at Pizza Inn, and those are so that more of the community can get involved, according to Moran. Another fundraiser is that they make Easter Baskets, and that will be their next activity. Moran states that they get baskets and fill them up themselves with toys and candies. For Mother’s Day, they sell corsages, and for Father’s Day they have a raffle. And all of the proceeds they raise go to either fund
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activities or for the youth conference that they try to attend every year. The youth conference they are attending this year is called Steubenville Lone Star, which will be held in Irving, Texas. Guerra states these conferences originated in Steubenville, Ohio and have spread all over the country. In prior years, the youth group attended this conference in Louisiana or Arizona. Guerra states it is a conference filled with music, praise and worship, and adoration. The youth then break up into sessions for both young men and women. In addition to Steubenville Lone Star, the youth also gets to attend the Bread of Life Retreat in San Angelo. Junior high and school students can attend Bread of Life, but only high school can attend Steubenville, so this can be a special retreat that involves more people. Moran states that even though the Bread of Life retreat is on a much smaller scale than Steubenville, it is just as powerful. Many of the funds raised at all of these fundraisers are used for these trips to retreats and conferences, but they try to help out the church, as a whole. The youth group is who you will see manning the games booths during the church festival. This allows the
adults to be working inside cooking and selling the food that is available. The youth group also buys and fills a lot of eggs for the yearly Easter Egg Hunt, not to mention does the hiding
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of the eggs. On the Sunday after Easter, Divine Sunday, and they help lead the Divine Mercy. To give back to the community, the youth helps out Keep Big Spring Beautiful on Toasty Tuesdays, and they also collect coats for Warming Up Our Community. They
have also helped out at the Heritage Museum for Breakfast With Santa, prepared snacks for all the veterans at the church, and had a couple of youth help with the Salvation Army Angel Tree. They also asked about other ways to give back to the community and asked for suggestions on what else they could do. So this group is capable of and willing to do as much as they can, not just for the church, but for the community. Youth member Rocky Ramirez states, “These are small things we can do not only for our parishioners but for our community, and it’s amazing how something so small can have such a big impact on someone’s life. You can tell where some of the veterans were nearly in tears when we passed out the gifts we had for them on Veteran’s Day.” Continues Ramirez, “One thing these activities allow us to do is just spend time together. We all support each other. I’m a senior in high school, and all these guys support me and plan on going to my final performances. It’s nice to know there are few more audience members and the support they provide.” Youth Member Adryen Guerra says, “We do these things because we want to show our community that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He’ll be there for you, no matter what you’re going through. I think one of the reasons my mom wanted me to join was because we had just started coming to church again and getting closer to God. It’s one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.” Living Magazine
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HA S y B Baseball and softball are two of the most popular sports in the world. They both share vast similarities within the ways that both games are played but there are also several differences that make each unique. In the south, and Texas particularly, the two sports thrive from peewee leagues to the NCAA Division I level. In West Texas, the love for the game can be felt from the heart and determination that the players perform with on the field to the fans that pack the stands to cheer on their favorite teams. Through just a few weeks of the season, there has been several high-intensity games in both Big Spring and the surrounding cities. The Coahoma Bulldogettes are well on their way to being a state-wide powerhouse and have opened their 2020 season on an absolute tear. Coahoma has several high-impact performers that fill-out their lineup and starting pitching rotation. All have seemed to start out their season with a mindset of wanting to be the best team in all of Texas. “These girls were not happy with the
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way that the season ended last year and I challenged them to go and get better,” Bulldogettes coach Alex Orosco said. “They took that challenge and I think it's starting to show.” On the baseball diamond, the 2020 Coahoma Bulldogs are young but are also off to a strong start to their season. The group is learning along with first-year head coach Chris Arista and trying to adapt to their new coach's style. Having a new coach is never easy for any team but the Bulldogs seem to be adjusting to the situation nicely as they are off to a 7-1-1 start to the season. “Baseball in Coahoma means a lot as far as kids wanting to play the game the right way and parents getting involved and wanting to see baseball be a staple in Coahoma. I've noticed the support from the parents and the community supporting us as the season gets going.” Arista continued, “We just have to continue to grow as a team and continue to get better each day. I’m impressed with the start that we’ve had and we just need to keep working.” Across town, the Big Spring Steers (5-5-1) are trying to find consistency after a sub-par performance at the Lubbock Linedrive Classic dropped them to .500 on the season. Although they were outmatched by some top teams in the state while in Lubbock, the Steers were able to avenge a tie to Fort Stockton from earlier that week. In those two games it was easy to see the increase in confidence that the Steers had as the game went along. Big Spring is the defending district champions but are
going through a changing of the guard with several big performers from the past few years graduating last spring. Even as they look to continue to find their groove as the season progresses with the new faces filling the lineup, that will not stop baseball fans from throughout the city from going to Steer Park to cheer-on their hometown school. Lady Steers softball is currently also in a development period with a handful of their biggest performers only being sophomores. Head Coach Chelsey Jordan is trotting out a three-player pitching rotation this season where all three pitchers are sophomores. Brinly Watkins is one of those pitchers and finished the early-season Crossroads Tournament with two performances where she combined for 15 strikeouts. Fellow sophomore pitcher/infielder Vanessa Viasana has been improving each game both on the mound and at the plate. In games where she is at her infield position, the young slugger seems to make accurate throws and always be where she needs to be. “Big Spring loves its baseball and softball,” Lady Steers head coach Chelsey Jordan said. “A softball team, big or small, becomes a family. The love and support is shared by parents, teachers, administrators and members of the community. During our playoff run last year, we would fill the stands everywhere we went. The town of Big Spring, especially the parents, had a sense of pride for our team that we could all feel.” In Forsan, baseball and softball have gotten a later start to their season but seem to be starting out on the right track. The Lady Buffaloes have shot out of a cannon to begin the season and are currently sitting pretty with a two-loss record. The Lady Buffs also took part in the Crossroads Tournament and put on a show for their fans at their home field. The Lady Buffs won two back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010 and are looking to get back to that level of success. Longtime head coach Shanna Taylor is confident in the group she has assembled this season. After graduating five seniors from last year's team, Forsan is a Living Magazine
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young team that seem to be meshing well together and figuring out ways to win and making the community proud. “We have a pretty strong and loyal fan base,” Taylor said. “Forsan is fortunate to have good parents who support their kids so that's important for all of our programs.” One of those other programs is the Forsan baseball team. In his four years as head coach of the team, Stephen East has noticed how much the game means to the people of the small town. “We have a JV every year, which a lot of 2A schools and even 3A schools don't have,” he said. “The kids love playing baseball. It's pretty big and it's growing right now.” While some people think that the games of baseball and softball are fading away, the game is still thriving in West Texas. Each local team is a competitive squad that has the potential to make things interesting at the end of the season. Since the start of the season a few weeks ago, the shift in attention to the diamond has been noticeable. With district schedules starting up soon, the stands are sure to be filled with raucous fans that are passionate about their team and the game.
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By BRUCE SCHOOLER
ave you ever wondered why the background of some of your images are blurred and some are sharp? I have written in past articles about how I love to blur the background when I’m creating Senior portraits. The subject seems to pop off the photo when the background has a pleasing bokeh. The term “bokeh” is used to describe the way the lens renders out of focus points of light. A pleasing bokeh would be smooth and creamy and would not be distracting to the eye. So how do we get this smooth and creamy background in our portraits? First of all you need a good quality lens with a wide aperture. The aperture is the opening in the lens. The lens opening is measured in fstops. We have discussed this before and it is probably the most confusing part of learning how to create great images. The smaller the f-stop the wider the opening in the lens. My favorite lens, the 70-200 mm telephoto, has a maximum aperture of f2.8. I leave it set there 90% of the time I am creating a portrait of a person when we are on location and not in the studio. I want the portrait to have a shallow depth of field so that the background will go out of focus. Depth of field is a term that describes what portion of your photo is in focus. There will be an area in front of your subject that will be in focus as well as an area behind your subject. The depth of this area is controlled by the aperture of the lens on your camera. If your lens is wide open, then you will have a shallow depth of field. Some lenses that have a maximum aperture of f1.2 have a depth of field that is very narrow as in less Living Magazine
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you are not familiar with your camera and lens settings. Your goal this next month is to take Bubba or another willing victim I mean model and try out these techniques. The beauty of using a digital camera is that you can see your results instantly and make adjustments or try different settings to see how the change affects your image. One last point I want to make is that this is not a good technique to use if you are taking photos of groups of people or scenics where you want all the subjects to be in focus. This is for portraits of one or two people when you want to isolate them from the background. E-mail me at bruce@theredbarnstudios.com if you have any questions or comments. Our website it www. theredbarnstudios.com. than an inch wide. If you focus on your subjects eyes then the tip of the nose and the ears will be blurry and the eyes will be sharp. Needless to say that your focus must be accurate when using this lens. Another thing to consider when trying to get a smooth and creamy background is the distance the subject is from the background. If you have your subject close to a wall then the wall will most likely be sharp and in focus. By placing your subject quite a distance from the wall you will see the pleasing smooth bokeh your looking for. The distance the camera is from the subject is another variable to consider when trying to get that great background. The farther you are from your subject the greater the depth of field. I know this sounds complicated but with practice it will get easier and your images will improve greatly. So to isolate your subject from the background you need to have your camera set to either manual or aperture priority so that you can control the aperture or opening of your lens. Another option is to set your camera to the portrait mode if it has one. This portrait setting will control the lens so that it will be open wider. After you have the camera set you will want to place your subject in front of a pleasing background. He or she needs to be at least ten feet from the background. The final step is to get as close as you can to your subject and still create the composition you want. So this sounds a little complicated and it is if
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hat is Draw a Bird day? Is it a day for artists, birdwatchers, nature lovers, or just anyone? I participate each year and belong to all the just mentioned groups. Here is a bit of history gathered online about it. In 1943, Dorie Cooper was a 7 year old living in England. Her mother took her to a hospital in to visit her uncle who was wounded in the war. While they were there, Dorie’s uncle was very distraught, having lost his right leg to a land mine. In an attempt to cheer him up, she asked him “Draw a bird for me, please” Even though he was unwell, he decided to do as Dorie asked. He looked out his window and drew a picture of a robin. After seeing her uncle’s bird picture, Dorie laughed out loud and proclaimed that he was not a very good artist, but that she would hang the picture in her room nonetheless. Her uncle’s spirits were lifted by his niece’s complete honesty and acceptance. Several other wounded soldiers also had their day brightened by the event and every time Dorie came to visit thereafter, they held drawing contests to see who could produce the best bird pictures. Within several months, the entire ward’s walls were decorated by bird drawings. Three years later, Dorie was killed after being struck by a car. At her funeral, her coffin was filled with bird images that had been made by soldiers, nurses and doctors from the ward where her uncle had been. Ever since then, those men and women remembered the little girl that brought hope to the ward by drawing birds on her birthday of April 8th.
By KAY SMITH
Draw a Bird Day was never declared an official holiday, but it grew through those soldiers and medical personnel and their families. Today, it is celebrated world wide as a way to express joy in the very simplest of things in life and as a way to help soldiers everywhere forget war and suffering even if only for a short time. So do your thing when the date rolls around, even if you can’t draw a straight line. Pick up a pencil and sketch whatever you think a bird looks like, then share it as much as you can in the spirit of! Visit Brushworks Studio online or in person at 2106 Scurry. https://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.com Living Magazine
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activity into your routine is to start aily exercise is an imwith a reasonable duration that can portant part of keeping fit into your lifestyle—for instance, 20 a healthy lifestyle. While minutes at least every other day. One duration and skill level of hour of exercise every day may not exercise varies between individube attainable for most individuals; an als, a moderate-intensity exercise important thing to keep in mind is that 20 minutes a day, or vigorousa five minute workout is better than a intensity most days of the week, is one-hour workout you did not do. generally recommended. Find a time of the day that works Even a brisk 20-minute walk has best with your schedule, whether it’s significant benefits on reducing the first thing in the morning, during a risk of coronary artery disease, or lunch break, right after work or right CAD—the most common type of after dinner. Once you make exercise heart disease. a part of your routine, it becomes a • Working out daily has many habit, which will soon incite motivaother health benefits. It may also: • Reduce the risk of heart attack, tion to keep going. A walk might be stroke, diabetes, some cancers a great place to start; try keeping a and even death pace fast enough to make you short • Protect against obesity of breath but still able to carry a con• Promote smoking cessation versation. • Reduce the risk of falls As you become more fit, you can Samia Benslimane, MD: • Prevent Dementia increase your speed, choose routes Cardiologist at • Reduce the risk of and treats with incline or add weights to conShannon Regional Heart Center anxiety and depression tinue your fitness journey. After time, • Treat and lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels and you may discover other activities that you enjoy, such as sugar levels swimming, dancing, vacuuming, hiking and yoga, that increase the desire to get your body moving. When it comes to exercising daily, getting started is the Shannon recently created a quick, 11-minute workout hardest part. The key to successfully implementing more that is available online to help anyone looking to become
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more active. This simple workout, led by Shannon Women’s Fitness Center Trainer Rachel Truelove and myself, is designed to build strength and get your entire body moving from the comfort of your home or office. This program was created with the intent of eliminating feelings of being self-conscious in a gym setting and also providing something that anyone can do regardless of current fitness ability. Whether done alone or in a group of friends, minimal equipment is needed and the workout can be done anywhere, anytime. MOVE Workout is a great option for stayat-home mothers or caregivers who may not have access to childcare or babysitters, and for the elderly who are no longer able to drive. It offers one the ability to “squeeze” in exercise wherever is feasible. There are also options available for varying fitness levels. This workout incorporates exercises involving a stretchy, MOVE resistance band. While the band is not necessary to complete the workout, they are available for free to the public at the Shannon Women’s Fitness Center. Stop by and grab yours today! You can find the MOVE Workout at shannonhealth.com/workout. Give it a try and kick-start your fitness journey to better health.
Having a Special Occasion or Event? Experience the time of your life at The Courtyard. Downtown Big Spring's Best Kept Secret. Enjoy a soothing water fall with your party guest. The Courtyard & Party Room
Our Courtyard is perfect for the afternoon luncheon, wine tasting, or birthday party. The Courtyard + Party Room at 119 Main St. Comes with a kitchen area, his and her restrooms and about 2000 Square Feet of space in the Party Room.
The Hardware Store
The Hardware Store is perfect the yearly office Christmas party, New Years Eve bash, Graduation Party, or maybe just the family reunion. The Hardware Store at 117 Main St. comes with a full wet bar, his and her restrooms, and about 7000 Square Feet of space including the mezzanine.
Both The Courtyard & Party Room + The Hardware Store
Renting both The Courtyard & Party Room + The Hardware Store is excellent for weddings, large reunions, office parties, and so much more. Offering up over 9000 Square Feet of space, a wet bar, a full kitchen, outdoor sitting area, and 4 restrooms, you cant go wrong.
Shannon Medical Center has a satellite clinic located in Big Spring. The office is located at 2503 S. Gregg Street.
at: s U t Visi downtownbigspring.com Or Call For Information
432.263.6514
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Martin County Hospital
• Rural Health Clinic • Surgical Services • EMS • Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy • Low-Wait Emergency Room • Pain Management • BioTe • Wellness Center • Laboratory • X-Rays & CT Scans
Healthcare That Is Nationally Recognized & Locally Appreciated! 600 E. Interstate 20
Stanton, TX
(432) 607-3200
For A Listing Of Employment Opportunities, Visit Martinch.bamboohr.com/jobs/