Madeworthy May/June 2018

madeworthy

SPRINGTIME,

WITHOUT THE CLEANING Let us pick up your spring dry cleaning & laundry so that you can avoid the hassle, without even leaving your home. Download the Links App today and sign up for FREE home delivery and pick-up, and spend time doing what matters most to you.

BE SUMMER VACATION READY. Coolsculpting is an effective non-surgical body contouring treatment that allows you to freeze and eliminate stubborn fat without any downtime. So, what are you waiting for?

JOIN US FOR OUR COOLSCULPTING EVENT TUESDAY, MAY 22ND | 4-6:30PM LIVE DEMO, RAFFLE, LIGHT BITES & DRINKS BUY 3 AREAS, GET ONE SMALL AREA FREE!

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

MOLLY M. WARTHAN, M.D.

Warthan Dermatology Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery Center

Results and patient experience may vary. Ask us for more information. In the U.S. CoolSculpting for non-invasive fat reduction is cleared for the flank and abdomen. CoolSculpting is a registered trademark and the CoolSculpting logo and the Snowflakes design are trademarks of ZELTIQ Aesthetics, Inc. @ 2012. All rights reserved. ICI243-A

look your best

wherever you go

Look your best for less Introducing the Camp Beauty Card, which can save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars each year on treatments and products you rely on to look your most beautiful and radiant self. Interested? Contact us for more details and sign up today!

#HappyCamperMD

Follow us @stevencampmd to see our monthly specials!

It’s more than a catchy phrase

Become a Happy Camper CAMPPLASTICSURGERY.COM | 817.228.4315 | 3455 LOCKE AVENUE #320, FORT WORTH, TX 76107

madeworthy PUBLISHER Victoria Wise

EDITOR Lee Virden Geurkink

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Angle Lyle Brooks Edward Brown Jackie EH Elliott, PhD Danika Franks, MD Jennifer Kieta Christy Ortiz Jocelyn Tatum Tricia Schniederjan Angela Weaver William Wise

GUEST WRITERS Makenna Barbara Tracy Carrington, PhD Jodie Miears Nicole Shaffer Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC, and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Beth McElhannon Photography Jodie Miears, Reverie Photo Co.

© 2018 Madeworthy Media No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

ILLUSTRATOR Trish Wise

GRAPHIC DESIGN Sovic Designs Balcom Agency

What is your favorite road trip song?

CONTRIBUTERS’

A:

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

by Queens of the Stone Age - Angela Weaver

A:

Spirit in the Sky

by Norman Greenbaum - Trish Wise

A:

Hard Sun

by Eddie Vedder - Jocelyn Tatum

A:

A:

Hymn for the Weekend

by Coldplay - Jennifer Kieta

A:

A:

Life Is a Highway

by Rascal Flats - Makenna Barbara

Forever in Blue Jeans

by Neil Diamond - Tracy Carrington, PhD

A:

My Cherie Amour

by Stevie Wonder - Danika Franks, MD

A:

I Got A Name

by Jim Croce - Tricia Schniederjan

A:

Hamiliton the Musical - Nicole Shaffer

A:

Knuckle Down

by Man Man - Lyle Brooks

A:

Holiday Road

by Lindsey Buckingham - Jackie EH Elliott, PhD

A:

Give Me One Reason

by Tracy Chapman - Christy Ortiz

A:

Adeline by alt-J - Sarah Angle

A:

Livin’ On A Prayer

by Bon Jovi - Jodie Miears

Freebird

by Lynyrd Skynryd - Beth McElhannon

A:

Things To Do

by Grady Spencer - Edward Brown

Issue 5 | May / Jun 2018

From The Publisher

From The Editor

Victoria Wise

Lee Virden Geurkink

Are we there yet? Trips these days are a little bit more work than a simple vacation, but I find it simply glorious to change our scenery, even if it’s just to appreciate home a little bit more.

Growing up, travel was to visit family in Ecuador where I was born, or to explore new cities like Washington D.C, Santa Fe, and San Francisco. My parents were so good with balancing big city trips to museums with adventure travel like skiing. In high school, travel was about learning other cultures; a school trip to the U.S.S.R in 1989 was an amazing experience. I remember gilt cathedrals in Moscow and the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad). This utter extravagance juxtaposed with people in unending lines for bread and the ominous governmental presence unsettled me.

In college, I spent a Semester at Sea, traveling from The Bahamas to South America, Africa, India, and Asia. The advice from the trip elders was to not be an “Ugly American.”

We were instructed to dive in head first, make friends, eat, and live like locals for the few days we spent in each country. This trip truly changed my life. Mornings spent doing Tai Chi on deck overlooking the waters of the Indian Ocean and evenings listening to wild animals roam free in eastern Africa never really leave you.

I spent almost a year in Ecuador after graduating from TCU, traveling like the locals on buses, trains, and even a floating hotel in the heart of the Amazon to discover enthusiastic pink dolphins and precocious squirrel monkeys.

When I worked in jewelry design, work took me to NYC and to London, Hong Kong, and Bangkok. I loved it because the people, food, and scenery were ever-changing. My husband and I have traveled to Belize, Mexico, Spain (where we missed our flight by a whole day, whoops!), and most recently with the kids to Colorado and Florida.

I’ve been so lucky to have been able to travel to 24 countries, and my bucket list includes many of the places you’ll read about in this month’s issue. I’m terribly excited to take the trip to France with Karin and Bernard (one day!), to visit New Zealand and Fiji, and to take the kids on a WWII tour of Europe. There is so much in this world that can only be experienced by being there, and I cannot wait to give our kids the gift of travel to help them appreciate other cultures in a meaningful way.

Every summer, my family would load up the Suburban and hit the road, eager to escape the Texas heat. After picking me up from camp in New Mexico, we would spend a couple of days in Santa Fe, a day in Taos, and then head up to Lake City, Colorado, to spend time with my father’s family. My sister and I didn’t have tablets or smartphones to pass the time on the road. We each had a Walkman, and we were welcome to read, provided we didn’t get carsick. I spent most of the time watching the scenery slide past and daydreaming.

Now, I get to take my children to Lake City. Instead of driving the whole way, we fly into Santa Fe (I love that little airport!) and rent a car. We head up to Tres Piedras, where we meet my parents, who have come over from Taos. After a green chile cheeseburger at the Chili Line Depot, we caravan up to Lake City, making sure to stop at Cottenwood Cove for an ice cream!

Unfortunately, the Girlchildren spend a lot of the drive time on their devices. They miss the herd of pronghorn running across the road just north of San Antonio Mountain. They don’t see the rabbits on the sign for the Conejos County Library. They aren’t awed by the expanse of the sky arching over the peak of Slumgullion Pass.

But… They get to play in an alpine meadow with their great-uncle. They get to throw rocks in the Lake Fork of the Gunnison like their aunt and mother did in another century. They get to have a root beer float or a chocolate ice cream soda in a real soda fountain, and they get to be with family. This is what they will remember when they take their children on excursions.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Madeworthy. This travel issue is heavy with nostalgia because planning a trip necessarily brings back memories of previous trips. I hope it provokes some good memories and inspires your next great adventure!

Fort Worth Children’s Dentistry Dr. Drew Jamison · Dr. Jack Morrow · Dr. R. Nelson Beville III www.fwkids.com

5521 Bellaire Dr. South · Suite 210 · Fort Worth, TX 76109 · (817) 569 - 6633

my marfa

by Jocelyn Tatum

Marfa.

A place that has been written about in nearly every publication in the U.S. Even Vogue voted Marfa’s Bar Nadar as one of the ten hottest new hangouts.

So how does one write about a place that has such media saturation? I did two things: I called my friends who live out there and looked back at my ten years of visiting Marfa every year.

As my friend who hosts yoga retreats at The Well twice a year in Marfa (and lives with her writerly hubby) said, “[It is] refreshingly slow and a little dark.” It is, quite literally, one of the darkest places in the country, so dark you can see the Milky Way at night. One local told me he could see massive thunderstorms roll in from 100 miles away.

I have travelled all over the world and have never found a place quite like Marfa. When CBS Sunday Morning did a special on Marfa and the quirks that define the mood there, they interviewed a rancher about all the hippies, hipsters, artists, and tourists flocking to Marfa. I felt he stole the words from my mouth when he said, “Well, it’s a little like birdwatching.” He could not have said it better.

Go to one of the internationally-acclaimed and award-winning restaurants like Cochineal. You can see cowboys just coming off a long day of work on their historic ranches. You can see tourists wearing Warby

Parker tortoiseshell glasses ordering the finest wines.

The hipsters, artists, writers, and locals all share the small space and delicious food that exists underneath a sky as vast as an endless ocean. This is Marfa in a nutshell.

Why do I go there so often? Why am I urging you to go to Marfa this summer? It is not for the prestigious/ pretentious art scene. I go there because when I Ieave Fort Worth to start the nearly eight-hour trek, layers of stress, anxiety, and the expectations of society slough off my soul like the peeling of a bad sunburn. The bigger the sky gets, the more stuff I leave on that long, flat road that takes me to that oasis in the middle of the desert.

Once you start to tire of the long drive with only wind energy turbines, pump jacks and the smell of sulfur to entertain you, you begin to see mountains in the horizon. Yes, big, beautiful mountains in Texas.

They do exist. You are getting close to the trifecta of experiences in Fort Davis, Marfa and Alpine – all within 15 minutes of each other, and all offering different experiences.

Marfa is a playground for free spirits. If you’re not a free spirit, you will be once you get there, I guarantee.

Maybe the outdoor community showers at El Cosmico will inspire you. Or the garden of hammocks offering conversations with strangers or simply time to read a

book. Or the hippie hot tub where you can meet those strange “birds” the locals like to watch.

The sky is so big in the middle of nowhere, and the air is so fresh. God seems so close there; you could almost reach out and touch Him. Eddie Vedder sings, “Wind in my hair I feel part of everywhere.” I feel that when I roll down the windows when winding through those mountain roads.

My favorite memory of Marfa is of waking in a teepee and then running down a long, flat road going nowhere, or at least going to a place where society does not exist. It was just me, the biggest bluest sky that overwhelmed the Earth, and miles of freedom ahead. Maybe that is why I have been back every year for the last ten years. There is something I cannot put my finger on that pulls me into the car for that journey west.

I almost hate to share my Marfa, but if you must go, spring and early summer are the best time of year for your trip. Marfa is surprisingly mild during the summer months because it is up in the mountains. The air is dry, and there is almost always a breeze. With Big Bend and Cibolo Creek only a few miles away, plan to hike and explore one of the most beautiful and eccentric parts of the country, taking advantage of the five-star dining, the finest art galleries, and the “bird” watching.

square, is a gem of a museum featuring 19th and 20th century art. The Jepson Center is the Telfair’s sister museum, housing the collection’s contemporary art. The Owens-Thomas House in Oglethorpe Square is also part of the Telfair Museums and is a striking example of Regency architecture in America, while the slave quarters behind the house serve as a reminder of the complicated relationships between the wealthy and the enslaved in 19th century Savannah.

There are many house museums located in the squares. The Davenport House Museum is a Federal-style house, filled with historically accurate furnishings and art. The Green-Medrim House is a Gothic Revival House used as Sherman’s headquarters during the Civil War. Flannery O’Connor’s childhood home is open for tours. The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is, as the name suggests, the birthplace of the founder of the Girl Scouts. If you have a Girl Scout, I highly recommend touring it!

City Market is also located in the Historic District, and while it is a very popular destination for day trippers, it does have wonderful little galleries showcasing work by local artists and restaurants where you can sit and people watch. Broughton Street has more galleries and local stores, including the Savannah Bee Company, which offers mead tastings for the footsore and gallery-weary.

If you wish to get outside of downtown Savannah, there are plenty of things to do if you have access to a car. Tybee Island is only eighteen miles east of Savannah; take a picnic and spend the day on the beach! You can take in Fort Pulaski, a Civil War fort, on the way. If you are feeling athletic, Sea Kayak Georgia offers half day and full day kayak tours to Little Tybee, just south of Tybee Island.

On the Isle of Hope, Wormsloe Historic Site is part of what was once Wormsloe Plantation. It includes a gorgeous oak avenue, the ruins of the original tabby plantation house, and a museum. In the opposite direction from Savannah, in Pooler, Georgia, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum tells the history of the Eighth Air Force and includes a B-17 Flying Fortress being restored right in the middle of the museum!

While you are enjoying Savannah, there are many, many restaurants from which to choose, but Catherine and Ronald suggest staying away from the obvious tourist traps. Ronald highly suggests grabbing lunch at Zunzi’s, a South African/Swiss deli with amazing sandwiches. Catherine suggests lunch at Mrs. Wilke’s Boarding House (they have possibly the best fried chicken ever made) and drinks at the Olde Pink House. I love Elizabeth on 37th. It is the perfect place to celebrate your trip.

Savannah can be a cliché; Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil told of a city full of moonlight and magnolias and murder. But Savannah is more than the Bird Girl in Bonaventure Cemetery. It is more than the bars on River Street. It is more than azaleas in bloom and live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. It is a city full of historic houses and churches, great music, and incredible food. Walk her squares.

Visit her museums. Feel her history. And enjoy all that Savannah has to offer!

BEYOND THE

MOONLIGHT AND

MAGNOLIAS Lee Virden Geurkink with Catherine Coleman, PhD and Ronald Coleman

On February 12, 1733, a ship of English settlers landed at Yamacraw Bluff on the Savannah River. General James Oglethorpe had planned a community in the new Colony of Georgia based on family farming, preventing what he considered social disintegration due to rampant urbanization. Savannah, founded where the colonists landed in 1733, has withstood both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, as well as “modernization” which lead to the demolition of many historic buildings.

Through it all, Savannah managed to retained her beauty, making her one of the greatest tourist destinations on the East Coast.

I was lucky enough to live near Savannah on the beautiful Isle of Hope for three years, but that was almost fifteen years ago. Fortunately, it is my great good luck to be friends with Savannah native Catherine Coleman. She and her brother Ronald, were able to bring me up to date on things to do and see in 2018 Savannah.

Downtown Savannah is eminently walkable. James Oglethorpe planned six squares, each surrounded by four residential blocks and four civic blocks. Eventually, Savannah grew to twenty-four squares, of which twenty-two remain. Staying in an inn or bed and breakfast in the Historic or Victorian Districts and spending two days wandering the squares is a great way to get to know this wonderful city. Each square has its own distinct ambiance. Be it a monument, a historic church, or a restored Georgian house museum, there is something new to see in every square.

The Telfair Academy, located in a Regency mansion on the west side of Telfair 6

EV EN TS AC T I V ITIE S

Expand your child’s world!

Register Now

www.trinityvalleyschool.org/summer S L E A R N O B I J T V T

X O F U F T X K R M X R C

X N S T S E R E T N I Q H

P P A X Z M U R K N M Z O

L F S E R E B N I O T P I

O U Y R F D A T Z R Z D C

R N L Z G W Y B A D O B E

E X S Q X V O H K E P L S

I P B A A M A Z I N G P E

V L T L X R U S N K V G T

A O L J K Z Z M Z X U R D

B E B H U S P O R T S O C

Y E C R E A T I V E Z W Q

FUN GROW LEARN SPORTS XPLORE CHOICES AMAZING CREATIVE INTERESTS TRINITY VALLEY

MAY 5, 9AM 2018 Strider Cup: Sundance Square Plaza | sundancesquare.com MAY 3-6 Mayfest: Trinity Park | mayfest.org MAY 6, 3-5PM 1st Annual Mother Daughter Tea: Ridglea Country Club | gracefullystrong.com MAY 4, 10:30PM Kiefer Sutherland: Billy Bob’s Texas | billybobs. com MAY 7-9 6:30PM AND 8:30PM Festival of the Kid: Stage West | stagewest. org/acting-class MAY 10, 6PM Party on the Patio: Child Study Center | cscfw. org

TVS

MAY 25-27 Swan Lake: Bass Hall | texasballettheater.org WEEKENDS BEGINNING JUNE 1 Concerts in the Garden: Fort Worth Botanic Gardens | fwsymphony.org JUNE 1-2 2018 Plaza Palooza Street Fair: Sundance Square Plaza | sundancesquare.org JUNE 2 Flavor Fest FW: FWBlackhouse | fwflavor.com JUNE 2-10 Mamma Mia!: Casa Mañana | casamanana. org/ JUNE 16, 10:30PM Lonestar: Billy Bob’s Texas | billybobstexas. com

MAY 12 2-4PM Mother’s Day High Tea: Fort Worth Botanic Gardens | fwbg.org

JUNE 19-24 The Waitress: Bass Hall | basshall.com

MAY 13, 12:30PM Jazz and Laughs Mother’s Day Brunch: Kent& Co. The Space | kcothespace.com

JUNE 21, 7PM Midsummer Mingle: Amon Carter Museum of American Art | cartermuseum.org

MAY 19, 9AM Beginning Knitting Class: Log Cabin Village | logcabinvillage.org

JUNE 22-23 TX Ultimate Grilling Championship: Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. | frdistilling.com

MAY 19, 9AM-3PM 32nd Annual Herb Festival: Fort Worth Botanic Gardens | fwbg.org

TRINITY VALLEY SCHOOL

MAY 23-27 The Grand Prix of Fort Worth: Will Rogers Memorial Center | thegrandprixoffortworth. com

MAY 21-27 72nd Annual Fort Worth Invitational: Colonial Country Club | colonialfw.com

Tricia Schniederjan, TanglewoodMoms.com Fun in the Fort contributor, brings you the top Fort Worth experiences. You do not want to miss these!

K-12, Coed, Indpendent School | tvs.org | 817.321.0100

CE LE BR AT IN G MOM & DAD!

by Lee Virden Geurkink

May and June are crazy months in Fort Worth. School ends, students graduate, and schedules change. In addition, there are Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to celebrate! Fortunately, there is no shortage of wonderful things to do in Fort Worth.

MEET NICKI MATRANGA Born and reared in Fort Worth, Nicki joined the Buzz Custom Fence team as an area manager in June 2010, and we couldn’t be prouder to have her on our team. Nicki serves the areas including 76109, 76107, several other areas in Fort Worth, plus Granbury. All of those locations don’t slow Nicki down, as she was part of the Buzz Million Dollar Club for Sales in 2014, 2016 & 2017 along with Top Dollar Sales for February, March, April & May of 2017 and for February & March of 2018.

Nicki lives in the TCU area but has customers all over Fort Worth and the surrounding communities. If you are looking for a new fence, Nicki is ready to help!

VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.BUZZFENCE.COM 817.263.9788 | 5104 W. VICKERY BLVD. FORT WORTH, TX 76107

There is no shortage of Mother’s Day brunches around town, but why not do something fun with your mother instead? Join your mother in a floral arranging workshop in Waterside. On Saturday, May 12, from 3 to 5 pm, the two of you will make a gorgeous spring bouquet in a custom-picked vase. While breakfast in bed or brunch is nice, all mothers really want is to spend time with their children.

Why not take Dad to hear the music of John Williams’, accompanied by an incredible laser light show?

This year, “Star Wars and Beyond: A Laser Light Spectacular” has expanded to three performances, the last being on Father’s Day. Forget the ugly tie, pick up a gourmet picnic from Central Market, grab some chairs and a blanket, and take your father to hear some of the best music ever composed for film.

From June 2 through 10, Casa Mañana brings the international hit Mamma Mia! to Fort Worth. The sequel movie, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, comes out in July, so reacquaint yourself with the original Broadway production before the release.

If music isn’t Dad’s style but grilling is, take him to (or better yet, enter him in) the Firestone & Roberston Distilling Co’s TX Ultimate Grilling Championship from June 22 to 23.

Teams will compete in breakfast, lunch, and steak categories, with winners in each category receiving cash prizes.

Fort Worth has numerous annual events that have become family traditions, but one of the most beloved is the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s Concerts in the Garden.

2018 is the 27th years that Fort Worthians have packed a picnic to sit on the lawn of the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens and listen to great music! Which leads me to Father’s Day…

And finally, bring the whole family out to the Blackhouse on Saturday, June 2 for FW Flavor Fest: A “NewFashioned” Ice Cream Social by Madeworthy Magazine. Information and tickets available on fwflavor.com.

No matter your taste, Fort Worth always has something great for the family to do!

fresh family

RISE N°3'S BISCUITS GRAND-MÈRE, FOUNDER HEDDA DOWD’S GRANDMOTHER

FROM FOR T WOR TH 'S FOOD MASTE R S

Rise No. 3 sends this lovely recipe for Biscuits Grand-mère. for the biscuits •• Zest of 3 lemons •• 1 cup butter •• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour •• ¾ cup sugar •• 3 eggs, divided use •• 1 tablespoon milk •• Powdered sugar, optional

MAGDALENA’S TR ADITIONAL PAELLA, CHEF JUAN RODRIGUEZ From Magdalena’s comes the recipe for a traditional Spanish paella. for the paella •• 1 tablespoon olive oil •• 1 cup yellow onion, Chopped •• 2 tablespoons garlic, Chopped •• 1 cup Spanish chorizo, Chopped •• 2-3 cups roasted chicken thighs or breast, pulled •• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper •• 1 cup sofrito (see below) •• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika •• 2 cups short-grained rice such as Bomba or Valencia •• 4+ cups of chicken stock or broth •• ½ pound shirmp •• ½ pound medium-sized mussels in the shell, debearded •• 1 cup green peas •• 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped •• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped •• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice •• Lemon wedges (optional)

directions Preheat the oven to 350°.

Combine the lemon zest, butter, flour, and sugar in a food processor.

Add 2 eggs and mix well.

Turn out the dough and form into a ball by hand.

Roll the dough into a cylinder that is approximately 2 ½ inches through.

Wrap in plastic wrap to form a more uniform cylinder. Remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough into ½ inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet.

Combine the remaining egg with the milk to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the top of the cookies before baking.

directions Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a paella pan. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté just until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chorizo and turn heat to low; you want the oils of the chorizo to seep out to give the pan some flavor. Add the pulled chicken. At this point, you want to sear the shrimp; you want to par cook them. Don’t cook them completely.

Remove them from pan once you seared them quickly. You will be adding them later. Add the red bell pepper and stir to combine. Add all the sofrito and mix well. Add the paprika, rice, and broth. Mix with wooden spoon to blend all the flavors together. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium-low heat. If the liquid reduces before the rice is done, add more stock. Once the rice is close to al dente, arrange the shrimp and mussels on top of the rice in a circular pattern. The mussels will open once they are done. Sprinkle with green peas, oregano, parsley, and lemon juice. Arrange some lemon wedges throughout the pan. If you desire, you can serve with a garlic/lemon aioli. Let the paella rest for 5 mins before serving. Provecho!!!

Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

Dust the cookies with powdered sugar, if desired.

TERRA MEDITERRANEAN'S VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA, CHEF JAY CHANAA Jay Chanaa of Terra Mediterranean Restaurant gives us this recipes for a vegetarian moussaka. It is lighter than the traditional moussaka, making it perfect for summer! for the moussaka •• 3 small Japanese or Indian eggplant, peeled & sliced thinly (1/4 inch) •• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained •• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced •• 1 thinly sliced small white onion •• 4 small ripe Roma tomatoes, diced in 1/4 inch •• ½ a can (14 oz) of whole peeled tomatoes •• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil •• 1 small jalapeno sliced in circles (or to taste) •• ½ tsp sea salt •• ¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper

for the sofrito •• 4 cups tomatoes, pureed in a blender •• 1 medium yellow onion •• 1 ancho pepper, reconstituted in water •• 2 large cloves garlic •• Extra virgin Spanish olive oil •• 1 teaspoon Spanish sweet paprika •• ½ cup sherry vinegar •• ¼ cup fresh oregano •• Salt and pepper to taste

directions

directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Start by finely chopping the onion and garlic into ¼ inch (or smaller) pieces.

Heat a large frying pan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Pour in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Put the onions into the pan and sauté them until they are transparent, reducing the heat if necessary so as not to burn them. Add the ancho pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes, adding olive oil if necessary.

Heat a generous amount (1/4 cup) of extra virgin olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplants slices in a single layer and cook until they begin to brown but are not cooked through. Turn half way through. Remove eggplant slices to a paper towel to drain.

Add more olive oil to the skillet if needed, then add the onion and garlic.

Sauté until softened for 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the jalapeno, fresh & canned tomatoes, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 more minutes.

In a baking dish, layer a third of the tomato mixture and top with a layer of eggplant. Repeat layers with ½ of the remaining tomato mixture and remaining eggplant. Top with the last of the tomato mixture. Cook for 25 minutes or until eggplant is soft, the tomato mixture is cooked down, and the moussaka bubbling around the edges.

Be sure to stir often so that the vegetables do not burn.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour the crushed tomatoes and paprika into the pan and mix well. Continue to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, reducing the liquid released from the tomatoes. Add sherry vinegar and oregano and season with salt and pepper.

illustrations by Trish Wise

Reduce for about 45 mins. The longer you reduce the sofrito, the more intense the flavor will be. You can always add chicken stock or water if the sofrito reduces too fast. You want the vegetables to disintegrate completely into the sauce.

8

Fun for your kids.

When is your Birth-Year?

C O S M E T I C • I M P L A N T • F A M I LY D E N T I S T R Y

Find 2 Quarters

with your birth-year on them?

Put them in this box.

Find 3 Dimes

Take youron best with your birth-year them? smile with you while making lifelong memories.

Put them in this box.

SOLVE THE DE N TAL W ORD S C RAMBL E:

Find 4 Nickels

with your birth-year on them?

all smiles while trekking miles

S T E DFind I T N5 Pennies TOHATSTEOP with your birth-year on them?

OEFRILD

Put them in this box.

RNOLTCAOA

Put them in this box.

www.hulendental.com

Now, how much money do you have?

As your family prepares to embark on a summer filled with adventure, make sure you bring your best smiles with you.

With more than 60 years of combined experience and compassionate care, our team’s approach to denistry has been helping families across Fort Worth smile. Great for the whole family, we look forward to seeing you soon!

817.292.5957 | 4900 Overton Ridge Blvd, Suite 112, Fort Worth, TX 76132

by Edward Brown Sitting in the resplendent lounge of the newly-opened Paris 7th, owner Bernard Tronche and his wife of 35 years, Karin Kelly, reflected on 33 years of making memories and some of the finest cuisine in Fort Worth.

“A lot of my ideas were new for Fort Worth,” Tronche said, referring to the early years of Saint-Emilion restaurant. “Fresh fish, an open kitchen, and a fixed-price menu were new concepts in Fort Worth. We offered a good value [and stayed authentically French]. We have kept those values and tried to stay true to what the restaurant was.”

Paris 7th, a new Parisian-themed fine dining restaurant, opened early last month — 33 years to the day after Saint-Emilion opened its doors near the Cultural District. The new business will offer the same quality and consistency patrons have come to expect from Saint-Emilion, Tronche said, but Paris 7th will bring a more authentic Paris restaurant experience, along with a larger dining area.

Over the past 20 years, patrons regularly teased Tronche and his wife with the idea of taking small groups of Saint-Emilion Restaurant regulars to France. Tronche is a native of France after all, the thinking went. As enticing as those suggestions were, the realities of running a restaurant while raising two children did not afford much leisure time for Tronche and Kelly. The idea gained traction in 2011, however. After 32 years in the broadcast journalism business, including a long stint as a reporter for WFAA, Kelly retired.

“I had paid my dues,” Kelly said with a laugh. “I thought, ‘I’ve got time to plan now.’”

The first trip in the summer of 2011 was a success. Five couples tagged along for the one-week excursion. Looking back, Kelly admits the visit came with a steep learning curve. “We were winging it,” Kelly recalled. “Luckily, Bernard is a very entertaining host. He loves to serve people. It’s in his nature.”

The tours of France, later branded Friends in France, have become annual events with rotating groups of couples taking five- or six-day trips to Avignon in southeastern France four or five times per year, usually in the summer months. The Provence region affords sunny weather and endless historical sites for day trips, Kelly said. She typically flies out a few weeks before guests arrive to scout out homes and stock up on wine and other foodstuffs. Guests cohabit a large rented house. Finding a chateau with a large kitchen area and private restrooms for each bedroom is not easy, Kelly said, but she has become adept at locating them over the years.

“The trips offer peace of mind that guests don’t have to worry about anything,” Kelly said. “Getting around in another country can be tricky. A lot of roads lead to the same place but take you a million different ways. With our trips, they know where to stay while not worrying about finding a place to eat.”

Does Friends in France offer a chance to learn culinary tidbits firsthand from Chef Tronche? Mais bien sûr!

Paris 7th photos by Beth McElhannon | travel photos courtesy of Karin Tronche

ABOVE Restauranteur Bernard Tronche, owner of Saint Emilion, established in 1985, and the newly-opened Paris 7th is the consummate host.

The menu board at Paris 7th is updated daily with fresh dining options.

Saucisson display with figs to pork, duck, even donkey and bull.

RIGHT Table set for dinner at their “mas” — a Provençal term for a country home. They almost always dine outside no matter the mas.

Karin Kelly in a field of lavender in Provence near Roussillon, France.

Saint-Prefert Winery in Provence in the South of France.

Several meals are prepared and served in the kitchen area or outside by Tronche, often with the aid of a guest chef. The meals are an experience. As Tronche prepares dishes ranging from rack of lamb to pastries and smaller delicacies, he encourages onlookers to participate and learn French culinary traditions. The chef also uses the trips to educate guests on the nuances of wines sourced from the region.

“I am only sad I cannot do more trips,” Tronche said. “It’s really neat how we have some people who I thought were [very quiet] open up on the trip.

I’ll see sides of people I did not know before.”

Avignon’s first settlers trace back to the Neolithic period, but it is the more “recent” history, dating back several hundred years, that attracts flocks of tourists each year. The city’s historic center, on the left bank of the Rhône river, is home to the Palais de Papes, Avignon Cathedral, and medieval Pont Saint-Bénézet, among other cultural treasures. The city was the seat of the Catholic popes from 1309 to 1377 and has a rich and storied history.

“We picked Avignon for several reasons,” Kelly said. “It’s easy to get to by high-speed train. Most people can fly into Paris and take the train straight to Avignon.”

A typical day on the all-inclusive trips begins with breakfast: French pastries, fruits, and juices. The bulk of the day is spent sightseeing in and around Avignon.

Afterward, guests often opt to lounge by the pool at the house with a cocktail or glass of wine until dinner is served.

One memorable trip involved hosting an entire family in France. For Tronche, it offered a unique challenge. Whereas most trips allot time for guests to become familiar with each other, here, the relatives skipped those formalities. All eyes were on the chef. “It was a challenge,” he recalled. “How was I going to entertain them? You have to make the trip something to remember. It’s really neat to have an entire family who trusts you for the whole week. It’s an investment and time commitment for them.”

Tronche hinted at what has helped him successfully run a wildly successful restaurant and guided tours of France: the chef enjoys a good challenge.

The more demanding the customer, the more rewarding it is to satisfy his or her needs, he said. Tronche has worked at all levels of the food industry, and he appreciates the challenges each position offers. “We don’t learn from someone who said I made them the best meal in their life,” he said, adding that a wellinformed critique of a meal can often be more insightful.

I asked the restaurateurs-turned-travelguides how overseas excursions have changed their lives.

“For me, it’s a way to see something outside of my usual environment,” Tronche said. “Texas is a country in itself. I’m not from here, but I’ve been here a long time. I was working a lot [when I opened my restaurant] and didn’t follow too much what’s going on outside” during those years.

Tronche said he has always had a fascination with South America, adding that Asia has also piqued his interest lately. As the head of a highly rated restaurant, he is well aware that having a global perspective of dining trends is important, but it does not mean he or Paris 7th Chef de Cuisine Kobi Perdue blindly follow them.

Perdue is “not a machine,” Tronche said. “He has his own personality.

Different chefs have different ways of reacting to suggestions [and food trends]. But he is receptive. I always bring back some comments on what I’ve seen overseas. It has been helpful to have those.”

Kelly said that most of her travels as a child were within the continental United States. As a young adult, her career then child rearing largely kept her from excursions overseas. The Friends in France trips have helped her catch

up on lost time. “I think you learn so much from traveling,” she said. “I love history. When you can see these things up close, it sticks with you.”

After marrying a Frenchman, she joked, “I can’t get out of France.”

For now, the couple is firmly grounded in Fort Worth as Tronche oversees operations at his second restaurant. The recent opening of Paris 7th, which occupies the former home of Le Cep, has allowed for much-needed renovations at Saint-Emilion. Upgrades to the kitchen and restroom areas are at the top of construction priorities for the venerable restaurant. Longtime customers have not hesitated to voice concern over the temporary closing of Saint-Emilion. While Kelly is quick to reassure them of its eventual reopening, she understands that meaningful memories have been made there over 33 years. “Maybe they were engaged there,” Kelly said. “Or had their first date there. People feel very close to it.”

Tronche said his new venture will maintain the quality and consistency his customers have come to expect. But it is no clone. Paris 7th, he said, will have a more Parisian feel. Everything from the silverware down to the crimson red banquette seating, which lines the north wall, is intended to transport diners to the City of Light. Tronche sets the same standards for Paris 7th as he does for Saint-Emilion. A visitor from France, Tronche safely wagers, would admit Paris 7th mirrors the high standards of Parisian fine restaurants.

“You could take Saint-Emilion [or Paris 7th] into another big city, and we would do well,” he added. “I didn’t change my standards because I am in Fort Worth.”

The Friends in France outings have only strengthened Tronche and Kelly’s relations with customers. Since 2011, Kelly estimates that around 250 people have made the trip. Several couples have gone multiple times. The couple is open to the possibility of expanding the trips to other regions of France or Italy.

In a business where even outstanding restaurants can find themselves shuttered, the bonds built overseas have helped set Saint-Emilion, and now Paris 7th, apart.

Tronche has seen more than his fair share of ups and downs. The early years were often lean years, subject to slow summers and light food traffic when major events were in town. In 2010, the recession meant thinning staff and making other cutbacks. A loyal base of patrons and a solid reputation helped the restaurant weather those years. More recently, the city’s growth has sent a steady flow of curious newcomers to his business.

“I love Fort Worth,” Kelly said.

“Because of my job as a news reporter, I was everywhere, telling happy stories and sad stories, talking to the homeless, mayors, Van Cliburn — you name it. It’s a good place to raise a family. I’m sure this will always be home.”

For an immigrant like Tronche, travel has been and remains a defining part of his life. The couple’s two children (ages 31 and 34) frequently visit their grandparents in France, keeping the connection to Tronche’s homeland alive. After the dust settles on their new projects and renovations, Tronche and Kelly plan to resume the Friends in France trips.

During our interview, Tronche gave me a tour of his new restaurant.

Around 22 white linen-topped tables were carefully adorned with glassware and silverware. Tronche showed me something I had never seen before — a French butter dish. The small clay pot keeps butter fresh and spreadable by immersing it, upside down, in water. The chef was particularly excited about his new kitchen, which affords significantly more space than Saint-Emilion.

A handful of sous chefs were busily preparing for that night. As we parted ways, Tronche reiterated the formula that has served him well for 33 years.

“I want us to be as true, authentic, and as good as we can be,” he said.

11

by Jodie Miears

Once upon a time, I was a single mom. It feels like a million years ago, and yet, there are things about it I will always remember like it was yesterday. One is the memory of the constant hustle to keep everything afloat and the long hours I put in to make sure I kept climbing the corporate ladder as quickly as I could.

Climbing that ladder opened some interesting doors. Back in the early 2000s, I climbed to a junior designer position in a fashion design group. Eventually, part of that job meant travelling to New York City for Market Week. The first time my boss asked me to go, I was ecstatic. Being a single mom on a tight budget, I never had the funds to travel, so it had been awhile since I had been anywhere.

I had never been to New York City, and now someone else was paying for me to go. I felt like I had finally made it!

I remember the butterflies in my stomach as I packed my bags for that first trip, and I remember as I left home trying to reassure my daughter that I would be gone for only a few days. It would go by so quickly. I remember the thrill of looking down on that grand city for the first time as the plane started its decent to La Guardia airport. At the time, I was completely obsessed with “The Thomas Crowne Affair” (the one with Pierce Brosnan), and I felt just like Kathryn Banning.

Chic. So chic. And just a little bit badass.

A black Mercedes picked me up and inched through the traffic to the hotel at 37th and Lexington. If you were really cool, you just said “37th and Lex,” I quickly learned. I also learned how to hail a cab, how to hold the strap of my bag so as not to get purse snatched, and that if you stop walking, you are likely to get run into by a car or a person. Just keep moving and at act like you

know where you are going. I learned to love the constant flow of that city.

Over several trips, I also learned that night was hard, as that was when I would call home. Without fail, my little daughter’s bravery would melt away within two minutes of hearing my voice, and she would cry and beg me to come home. I remember vividly sitting in the window of my hotel, looking out on the city and describing to her what I could see and hear: bright shining lights everywhere, rooftop gardens, people on the streets that looked like ants scurrying around, the whoosh and horns of cars going by in a steady stream. However, I could never really describe the magic that filled the air of this fantastic place. I knew for her to really understand, I would have to bring her someday. That became my dream.

Fast forward to almost a year and a half ago. That brave little girl is now in college. I finally achieved my dream. I got to show her what I had described while sitting in that hotel window. (Better late than never, right?)

Six days before Christmas of 2016, I woke her up at 4 am, handed her tickets to the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, and told her to pack a bag because we were going to Manhattan! The joy mixed with disbelief on her sleepy face was everything! A few hours later, our mommy/daughter trip to NYC began.

The city was every bit as magical as I remembered. We did some touristy things which everyone should do when in New York City: Central Park, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall. You cannot miss those! However, we did some things that not as many tourists do. Our favorites were sipping Wicked Hot Chocolate from Jacques Torres while people watching, eating Cereal Milkflavored ice cream from Momofuku Milk Bar in Brooklyn on a frigid day, and having a mommy/daughter photoshoot with the talented photographer Shannon Roddy. It was a whirlwind trip, but the memories are something I will cherish forever, and I hope to make this trip with her again. And maybe again. Because truth be told, I do not think I will ever tire of those lights and rooftop gardens, the whoosh and horns of the cars, and finally experiencing this city with her by my side, not just on the phone, sitting in the window of my hotel, wishing she were there.

Solutions for Districts

What We Offer

Free Resources

Who We Are

Teachers

Bring us this completed word search or maze to receive a free Pintastic Word Search hour of bowling or bocce!

The Kids Will Have A Ball, And So Will You!

C T S D Z G W T J E B D F Z P U J E S A L H I D S A D B U G R P P M S P A G H E T T I B N T C I M J B C H R R U Z U I O G N R A Q X O B R T U L Q S G G Z T G W X T W D S C Q H T Z I M S A H A Y H L Y E S M R S I Y N R L T D W D I A I S O D G Q I F E A T Q T T N T R Y I B H P E C C O B T H M G C F K

BISTRO CLUB FRIES KIDS

BISTRO BOCCE BOWLING BOWLING FLATBREAD SPAGHETTI EAT FLATBREAD FUN GAMING FRIES FUN GAMING PINSTRIPES SPAGHETTI KIDS PINSTRIPES CLUB BOCCE EAT

Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com FB: 341-435-240

NOW OPEN AT THE SHOPS AT CLEARFORK

Gather with family and friends while you enjoy our unique combination of food and fun.

5001 Trailhead Bend Way Fort Worth, TX | pinstripes.com

Par

FINDING YOUR

by Tracy Carrington, PhD

ECHO

Crammed in the back of a Suburban traveling across the continental US; we had been doing this since before I could remember. My father announced we were only twenty miles from Echo Canyon. My sixteen-year-old self could not comprehend why we were being dragged to see one more “point of interest.” As we pulled into the parking lot, I sarcastically ask, “Do we have to get out of the car?”

My father, a patient man, quickly responded, “No. Stay in the car. We stopped here because I wanted to see this.”

Not wanting to be left behind, I dragged my eyerolling self out of the car. Along the path, my father’s voice got louder. Then I heard it. The echo. I let out a yell, and it boomed back at me. I laughed and deep down was grateful that my dorky parents allowed me to join their adventures.

Now that I am a parent, I am teaching my son to enjoy outdoor adventures. For those of you interested in exposing your children to hiking, camping, climbing, biking, and mountaineering, here are some tips my family has learned.

Preparing for a trip is part of the fun. Start small.

Let them pick out and prepare the snacks for the outing before progressing to planning the route you will take. Photos of our son as a toddler show him with a backpack asleep on our shoulders; he wanted to carry his own gear. Now that he’s ten we fill his bag with extra weight in hopes of slowing him down.

My father and husband are both Eagle Scouts.

They spend countless hours preparing for everything that could go wrong. They use the phrase, “calculated risk.” Proper planning is the most effective way to minimize the risk when playing in extreme conditions.

Whether you’re new to outdoor adventuring or

returning from Everest base camp, there is always something to learn. If there are items on itinerary that are outside of your skill set, hire a guide. A guide will make your trip safer and more enjoyable for all.

In the mountains, the weather conditions can change instantly; it is important to have layers and rain gear for afternoon showers that pop out of nowhere.

Be sure to have more than enough water and snacks.

The quickest way for an adventure to go south is when the troops get hungry and thirsty. I pack out-of-theordinary emergency snacks for when the wheels are about to fall off. There is something about gummy worms and peanut M&Ms that make everything better to a tired child.

Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, basic first aid kits, maps, and a compass or GPS (and the ability to use it) are essential. Equally important are extra socks, because your child will find every puddle, stream, and muddy spot on the trail.

Know where you are going. If you don’t know exactly where you are going, allow an adequate amount of time to get a little lost and find your way back.

Everyone has visions of that beautiful family photo on top of a mountain peak. Most of the time, however, this remains a dream. We are more surprised when a hike or adventure goes according to plan. This is a wonderful life lesson to teach your children. We have had to turn away just short of achieving our goal so that we can make it home before dark. Descending the mountain, these are the powerful moments which teach our children to be adaptable.

Spending time outdoors allows children to learn respect for the environment and understand more completely how actions they take affect the world around them. We make a point to pick up any trash

we see on a hike. It turns into a game, and the prize is always candy!

On a recent trip, I looked further up a rock face to see my son confidently climbing through a narrow crack between the rocks. It seemed like only yesterday when he was four and clumsily crawling across the boulders while I instinctively grabbed him after every missed step.

Looking across the rock face, he asked our guide what the next peak over was.

Upon being told that it was Terminator Ridge, he decided that our next family objective would be for us to climb Terminator Ridge. We have created a monster.

There will always be plenty of challenging moments on any trip, but if you can endure those moments, you will enjoy some of the best times of your life. You may even hear an echo.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

SUMMER PROGRAM GUIDE AND REGISTRATION:

ASESCHOOL.ORG/SUMMERUNIVERSITYMW

All Saints’ Episcopal School of Fort Worth administers its personnel, academic, extracurricular and tuition assistance programs without regard to gender, race, religion, ethnicity or national origin.

MAKING

YOUR MMER

RTH SU FORT WO

Visit our distillery for Tours, Cocktails, Happy Hours or Book Your Next Event!

503 Bryan Avenue | 76104

Contact Gulliver’s Travel, your local authorized Disney vacation planner.

E MORABL

ME

2800 South Hulen Street, Suite 110, Fort Worth, TX 76109 817-924-7766 • www.gullivers.com

REGISTER: STAGEWEST.ORG/CAMP 817-784-9378

Summer Conservatory: 14-22 YR OLDS | THEATRE CONSERVATORY July 9 - July 27 (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm) | $550 / $50 Registration Fee 2018 Camps | $175

Music · Gymnastics · Dance · Art

Mystery Art Challenge, Unusual Architecture, Fashion Week, Famous Artists, Drawing and Painting and more!

Please see our website for registration

www.vangrowstudio.com | 817.348.0505

Rooted Life Montessori is a small private school for ages 3-12.

June 11-15 | AGES 6-12 15 MINUTE MUSICAL: SEUSSICAL June 11-15 | AGES 12-18 BLACK PANTHER: STAGE + SCREEN ACTING & COMBAT

June 18-22 | AGES 6-12 PLAY CREATION CAMP: WORLD OF MINECRAFT

Enrollment is now open for our 10 month school program (Aug-May) and our Summer camp.

June 18-22 | AGES 12-18 CLOWNING AROUND: A NIGHT AT THE IMPROV

817-578-6556 | www.rootedlifemontessori.com

June 25-29 | AGES 12-18 MAKING MOVIES: WHO DUNNIT?

June 25-29 | AGES 6-12 BROADWAY MUSICAL CAMP

SUMMER DAY & HALF DAY SOCCER CAMPS June 4-7 & June 11-14 RESIDENTIAL CAMP July 12-15 YOUNG ELITE BOYS & GIRLS SOCCER CAMP GK Academy & Girls Summer ID Soccer Camp

All Camps open to any and all. Restricted only by age

TCU

Fort Worth, TX

www.ericbellsocceracademy.com 817.257.6680

OPEN TO ANY AND ALL ENTRANTS (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender)

DAY CAMPS with HALF DAY OPTIONS Boys and Girls ages 7-18. All skill levels

CAMP DATES: Session I: June 4-8, 2018 Session II: June 11-15, 2018 Session III: June 18-22, 2018 Session IV: June 25-29, 2018

http://www.wilsontenniscamps.com/tcu

BEAUTY THAT’S NATURALLY YOU.

Breast and body rejuvenation may be the solution to achieving the body you’ve always wanted.

With our state-of-the-art surgery suite, patients receive a personalized experience without the hassle of a large hospital or surgery center. Enhance your journey of self-care with a full scope of non-surgical services & massage at The Retreat Medical Spa, easily accessible next door.

Why not get your transformation underway?

Schedule a consult with us to discuss your unique cosmetic needs.

EMILY B. MCLAUGHLIN, M.D. FACS CERTIFIED AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY

Mommy Makeover | Breast Enhancement, Lift & Reduction | Tummy Tuck Facial Rejuvenation | Reconstructive Surgery | Hair Restoration Laser Hair Removal | PhotoFacials | HydraFacialMD

MCLAUGHLINMD.COM | 817.870.4833 | 1200 WEST MAGNOLIA AVENUE #110, FORT WORTH, TX 76104 Follow us @westmagnoliaplasticsurgery to see our current specials!

BE SEEN U P D AT E S F R O M O U R CO MMU NITY

We asked our readers to send us an update about their lives. We think you matter and want to help tell your stories. If you would like to send us a note to be included in future issues, please email lee@madeworthymedia.com

by Angela Weaver

In 2014, Melanie Harris’ daughter Annie was diagnosed with Cri du Chat Syndrome. This rare chromosomal disorder is confusing and challenging for parents to manage, as most information given by doctors and specialists is outdated. At three years old, Annie is already surpassing milestones that the Harris’ were told would not happen. This year, Melanie petitioned the governor of Texas to officially recognize May 5th as Cri du Chat Awareness Day. “There are about 50 children and adults in Texas with Cri du Chat syndrome, and it is important to me to bring awareness to others about everything they are capable of.” Photo by Brad Harris

Andi Longsworth and Heather Pittman are friends who took their love of making people smile to the next level. In late 2017, they started Well Gifted. Well Gifted is a curated gift boutique that is sure to put joy in the art of giving. They offer an impactful gift experience to each of their customers, no matter what the occasion or gift need. Their attention to detail, sense of style, and creativity come together in a beautifully wrapped, hand-selected gift. Contact Well Gifted FW on Facebook and @wellgiftedfw on Instagram for that perfect gift! Photo by Krista Tedford

Alyson C. Halpern has recently been named as a partner in the law firm Moses, Palmer & Howell, L.L.P., located in downtown Fort Worth. Ms. Halpern’s practice, which has spanned nearly a decade, is primarily concentrated in commercial litigation with a focus in the areas of banking and trust, contractual disputes, oil and gas, real estate disputes, and an array of business and tort claims. When Ms. Halpern is not advocating for her clients and obtaining favorable results in the courtroom, she is busy enjoying time with her husband and two young boys and serving the community through various civic commitments. Photo by Meagan Moses

Adrienne Grant’s brother, Drew Medford, was a 2016 Paschal graduate signed to play baseball at TCU when he tragically passed away. In Drew’s honor, his family and friends established an annual baseball tournament and scholarship fund. Adrienne serves as the marketing director on the Drew Medford Memorial Tournament Board. Planning for the 2019 tournament kicked off in April, and they plan to host 32 teams. Adrienne says, “God has blessed us by allowing such [a] giving community to turn our tragedy into a joyous event for these local athletes.” Photo by Angie Dawn Photography

Will Hunt is the owner, producer, and audio engineer at Spaceway Productions. He has a 3000-square foot facility that includes two recording studios, a lounge, and office space. He will spend all of 2018 touring with an electronic/orchestral project called Synthesis that he spent most of 2017 producing with Amy Lee of Evanescence. Synthesis is an electronic reimagining of many of Evanescence’s most popular songs, as well as two new songs co-written by Hunt and Lee. David Campbell, world renowned composer/arranger, did the orchestral arrangements for the project. Nearly every show on the US tour has sold out, and the Australian and European tours have been just as successful.

Photo by Ed Rode

Rachel and Vaden Lewis are the owners and creators of the Loop, a new luxury music rehearsal space in town, founded after Vaden’s years of frustration with the current state of rehearsal studios. The couple signed the intent to purchase the property on their wedding day, showing their true commitment to providing the rehearsal complex Fort Worth deserves and to each other. In July 2017, The Loop opened for business, providing a secure, clean, welcoming environment for musicians of all genres. With art from local artists on the nearly soundproof walls, attention to detail has been paramount in every element of construction and implementation of The Loop.

McKenzie L. Amaral is familiar with the battle to stay healthy in college. Her debut cookbook, Dormet, offers gourmet recipes for the dorm lifestyle and features simple, nutritious recipes that require minimal time and space. McKenzie built these nutritious recipes herself and is happy to share them with others looking for a healthier, happier dorm-room experience. It is the perfect book for anyone looking for a better diet and a healthier life in college.

Dormet is available for purchase from the TCU bookstore and on Amazon.

Photo by Claire Hargis

Prom Dreams is a ministry at University Christian Church which Taylor Morton and Mary Ashley Ray took over as co-chairs in 2016. Every spring, high schoolers look forward to that rite of passage, prom. The cost of attending this special event can be a financial burden. That is where Prom Dreams steps in. This boutique provides prom dresses and accessories free of cost to any high school student in need. Customers can shop the racks of donated formal dresses, both new and gently used, and pick out a purse, shoes, and jewelry to complete the look. Prom Dreams is open from March 22 to May 5. Donations are accepted at University Christian Church year-round. Photo by Lindsay Klatzkin 16

After playing with Miranda Lambert for 12 years, Aden Bubeck has come home to be with family and play music back in Texas. Since coming off the road, he has been concentrating on recording with artists from around the state. Along with his studio work and live schedule, he is again enjoying teaching guitar, bass, and drums for all ages. He enjoys seeing young children develop the passion for music and helping older students refine their skills. To book a lesson with Aden, contact him at 817-7035877. Photo by Blu Sanders

Jessica Breslin moved her family to Fort Worth to follow her dream knowing two things: fashion was her calling, and Fort Worth did not have the same shopping options as New Orleans. Eight years later, she says, “As cheesy as it sounds, I'm living the American Dream.” She and her husband have fully embraced the community and their passion as owners of Birdie + James. “This store is truly a dream come true as I get to impact women, like me, who have a passion for style, but are short on time or just can't decide what to wear! I'm just excited to show everyone what we're up to!”

Brittany Voxland, a Fort Worth native who loves being a part of the fabric of her hometown. After many years as an HR professional, she decided to take some time off when her first son was born. While being a stay at home mom is a dream, Brittany always had a desire to start a business of her own.

When the opportunity arose to become a business partner in Birdie + James, she welcomed the challenge. “Meeting so many wonderful clients and seeing family and friends… leaving with a smile makes the job very rewarding. With my husband’s support and lots of prayers,” Birdie + James has been a successful journey for her family.

Summer George, owner of Pickled Handmade Custom Jewelry, is a creative spirit down to her bones. In June of 2016, she started her jewelry journey. She started learning about the history of Native American jewelry and learned to silversmith and to cut stones. Inspired by her father, this was the beginning of Pickled Handmade Custom Jewelry. Summer uses a variety of natural stones including turquoise and stingray coral in her designs.

Her jewelry can be purchased at local craft shows and markets around town.

Running a marathon was not an easy choice for Jen Canales. She signed for her first marathon in July of 2017, unable to run a mile, and began training in September. “As January approached, I felt a sense of pride… [On] January 7, 2018, I ran the Disney World Marathon. My favorite moment was seeing my family at Mile 24 cheering me on. The look on my children’s face was all I needed to finish my last two miles strong.” Jen is now registered for her 2nd marathon in March. Her journey from being unable to run one mile to running 26.2 miles over the course of a year has made her realize just how strong the body and mind are. Photo

by Disney Photo Pass

photos by Victoria Wise

A Vision of NE W U R B A N ISM on the Florida Coast

by William Wise With its roots in a prescient 1946 purchase of 80 pristine but (at the time) remote beachside acres, Seaside, Florida, is the brain-child of Robert Davis. Having inherited the land upon which Seaside is built from his late grandfather, Davis did what, conceivably, almost no one else would have done. Most people would have at least been tempted to keep the unbroken views of gorgeous beaches, crystal clear water, and storybook sunsets to themselves, to be enjoyed at a remove from any neighbors. However, Robert Davis is not most people.

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Davis spent the summers of his youth on the beaches of the Florida panhandle with his extended family. He describes these summers with evident fondness and in great detail, for the idea of Seaside lay within these formative memories. With Seaside, Davis sought to recreate those evocative feelings from his youth and share them with the world. “Those were magical moments in my childhood… and that was really the inspiration,” Davis says.

In the early 1980s, Davis and his wife toured small towns throughout the South in an attempt to discover what the essence of a “hometown” is. What they found were several common themes that existed before the proliferation of vehicular travel expanded our commutes and drove people to the suburbs. As Davis describes it, “We wanted to build a settlement in the form of small town where people could walk from where they were living to a place to get breakfast in the morning or have drinks in the evening. So we started rediscovering by studying small towns and what their essential DNA was.”

Hitherto, towns had been planned around a main square which was the center of commerce and government. Retail stores at ground level had professional offices and often residential spaces above. The post office, court house, and town offices were situated center stage with school houses, feed stores, churches, and theatres a block or two off the square. Residential development radiated outwards. Before World War Two, nearly every town in America had been built in this manner.

The movement to get back to this mode of city planning and development is called New Urbanism, of which Robert Davis is one of the founding members. New Urbanism is derived from a philosophy focused on community and ecology. While there are innumerable examples of New Urbanism within larger urban areas (many retail developers have subscribed to the architectural and planning aspects of the movement, if not the philosophical underpinnings), there are very few towns that have been developed based on the principles of New Urbanism. Seaside, Florida, was the first to do so and remains one of the best examples.

Seaside makes excellent use of its 80 acres, and although the town attracts over a million tourists every year, it never feels crowded in the same way a big city does. Whereas one can feel claustrophobic in a big city, the spacious sidewalks, communal green spaces, and abundant flora of Seaside allow for ease of movement throughout town and impart a sense of well-being and open friendliness. This is by design, and the sense of community sought by New Urbanism is on ready display, even between strangers from disparate parts of the world.

As the icon for New Urbanism and a Florida tourist destination, Seaside clearly benefits from its setting. The Gulf of Mexico has many faces, but the one she shows Seaside is perhaps her loveliest. With its crystal-clear water, tinged in soft blues and greens, pressed gently against white, powder-soft beaches which back into wild, wind-blown dunes topped delicately with pink and purple sunsets, Seaside is an Impressionist painting. If you have ever wanted to step into a Monet

seascape, look no further. Seaside is, in a word, idyllic.

This idyllic setting has not insulated the New Urbanism movement and Seaside from criticism. Indeed, criticism of New Urbanism has come from various quarters with some saying it is simply a nouveau commercial repackaging of city planning or of a sentimental Norman Rockwell-esque nostalgia. Others claim it has not gone far enough; it allows for too many vehicles and modern comforts. When properly applied, however, as has been done in Seaside, New Urbanism makes sense from a human perspective.

The attraction is undeniable. Families with children of all ages flock to Seaside throughout the entire year. Seaside does not experience the “low season” found in most beach towns. Unlike many places, it is not a destination for other activities, either. While there is fishing, golf, and boating to be had, the town itself is the draw during what are traditionally slow times for beach destinations. The beauty of the beach still draws the winter visitors, as well.

Over the decades, the success enjoyed by Seaside has attracted the inevitable imitators, each staking their claim and setting out to build their vision of what a community should be. Rosemary Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Alys Beach, Grayton Beach, Watercolor, and a handful of others radiate east and west from Seaside along a secondary state highway paralleling the shoreline to form what has become commonly known as the 30A area. Each of these towns has a distinct flavor all its own, attracting sets of tourists unique to themselves. Returning visitors to the area eventually find their favorite place.

Seaside, however, remains different. Designed with a specific set of philosophical principles in mind and not simply to attract as many people as possible, Seaside continues to innovate. Through its Escape to Create program, established in 1993, Seaside offers artists a residency program that allows them to create and bring their art into the world in in a uniquely serene and beautiful setting. Painters, composers, performers, and writers accepted in the residency program are given a place to stay and a welcome into a community that encourages them to create and display their art. Currently the Seaside Institute, which serves as a sort of steering committee for the community, is turning its attention to the construction of a new performing arts center for the continuation of their long term investment in the arts.

Davis, now in his mid-70s, is turning his attention to an initiative he calls Aging With Grace. This will allow aging Seaside residents to grow old as if in an assisted living facility, without having to move into an actual assisted living facility. Davis says, “I want to die young as late as possible, so the focus will be on healthcare as wellness as opposed to healthcare which is currently designed around being cured of specific diseases by doctors who you only see when you’re sick.”

When he began his decades-long project, Davis offered lots in Seaside to passers-by for $5,000, but what he was really selling was a dream. While those prices are long gone, the dream of the good life lives on. Technology and progress have made our lives at once easier and more complicated. An undeniable trend towards simplification is underway, and while we likely will not be giving up our smart phones any time soon, many people are rethinking the way they live and work. Davis was perhaps prophetic is his development of Seaside as the exemplar of New Urbanism. He is a forward-thinking man with one foot firmly planted in the past. A devotee of ancient philosophy, Davis clearly recognizes that “what is past is prologue” and understands that the future is bright, provided we do not forget what came before.

clothing provided by B Kids Fort Worth

TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH KIDS

photos courtesy of the Miner Family

by Jackie EH Elliott, PhD

IN EUROPE

by Jackie EH Elliott

“All I can look back on and say I did was [that] I had a Mercedes.” said a 67-year-old friend of Meredith Miner’s. “I wish I had traveled.”

“After we talked,” said Miner, “I walked into my house, and I said, ‘Honey, let’s go to Europe for a month. Let’s take the kids out of school. Let’s do this while we’re able.’”

Of course, Miner and her husband, Chris, anticipated that traveling with three little ones in tow was going to take practice, so they started with a smaller trip around the eastern half of the States last summer: 21 states in 25 days, to be exact. Miner said that she wanted her children — Morgan, 11, C.J., 10, and Madison, 7 — to understand the foundation of American history before they went abroad, so that they might connect what they have learned to European history.

Since their family adventure began in Seville, Spain, on February 28th, the Miners have taken day trips to Gibraltar and Córdoba, followed by a week in Rome, five days in Florence, a few days in Switzerland, and then will travel to Munich, Kraków, Copenhagen, Paris, before ending in London. The entire European vacation will take 57 days, for which Miner has spent hundreds of hours preparing to not only pack but to educate her children abroad. What she has found to be most important to her children’s learning started before any family member set foot on Spanish soil.

FAMILIAR PHRASING | “We [created] these cool little boards in our house [to feature] a different language, so we could practice basic phrases in each language,” she said. “We always had ‘Hello.’ ‘Goodbye.’ ‘Where is the restroom?’ ‘My name is…’ ‘Where is the park?’

‘Please,’ ‘Thank you,’ [as well as] different foods and numbers. It was really fun for the kids.”

TUTORING AHEAD | Well in advance, Miner talked to her children’s teachers and principal, all of whom showed tremendous support for her family’s decision to homeschool abroad, about what her children would need to learn while they were away. To help her son with math, with the help of C.J.’s teacher, Miner figured out what C.J. needed to learn, and she hired a tutor to help him. In three sessions, he was already ahead of what he needed to learn before the departure date.

FILED STYLED | Every worksheet her kids would need to complete was tucked away in a particular filing folder, as part of a detailed filing system she developed for ease of access. She said that when one child finishes an assignment, she checks it, gives it back to them if corrections are needed, and then throws the sheet away. “It lightens my load because I’ve been putting [the filing system] in my backpack,” she joked before tossing out the fact that each of her children knows she or he is responsible for carrying her or his own luggage throughout the entirety of the trip.

WRITING MEMORIES | Each of the minor Miners was given a journal at the outset of the journey, and every day they are reminded to spill some ink on those pages. “Everyday [they write] about what’s different and what’s the same, the different food… and it’s been really fun for them,” said Miner, who mentioned that they have written about trying shark in Spain and lamb stomach in Florence.

READING AWAY | Using their library cards, the children have been able to check out plenty of digital library books, all of which download to their Kindle apps. “We don’t have to carry around any books,” said Miner. “They typically have two books they’re reading at a time, and they can access the FWISD library.”

EXCHANGING CENTS | The easiest learning assignment of all has been happening at the grocery store, where Miner asks her children to convert the price of any good to the American dollar. The kids have enjoyed this mental challenge, she said, and they have liked trying to read food labels in another language, too.

ACADEMIC AMBLING | “We’ve had walking tours in each city, and the kids have just absorbed so much,” Miner said. “Sometimes we have to spend a little extra money on these, but it’s been pretty affordable for the most part, so that’s how we keep the education going.”

She added that she’s also researched to find free walking tours in every city left on the family’s list, and that her children were soaking up knowledge from these tours like sponges in a sink.

Miner knew her decision to educate her family abroad was the right one when, in the Pitti Palace in Florence, her son pulled her aside and said, “Mom, you’ve got to see this.” He pointed out to her a depiction of Saint Agatha, which he recognized from another depiction created

by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

“They’re totally getting it,” she said proudly, adding that she is happy to see them making these connections while she can. “You never know what’s going to happen, so try to make the most of life while you can, while you’re still healthy, and while you’re kids still want to be around you.”

PLAN LIKE A PRO COLLAPSABLE TRAVEL WATER BOTTLES: Miner said she refills these every chance she gets because the cost of regular tap water can be pretty pricey in some countries. “Spain [was] extremely affordable, and then we got to Switzerland,” said Miner. “For tap water yesterday, they charged us the equivalent of $4 per glass of tap water. Not mineral, not bubbly, but tap water.”

INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD: When Miner got a new phone, she kept the older phone she’d already paid off. She unlocked it and inserted an international SIM card and uses it to stay in touch with friends and family back home. Simply buy and insert an international SIM card to bypass all the expensive charges that come with an international calling plan. The cost is $10-$20 per month as opposed to $10 per day.

KITCHEN SPACE: “On our last trip, we ate 75 meals out in over 75 days, and we all felt disgusting,” Miner shared. “This time I knew I needed a full kitchen everywhere we stayed.

We typically have breakfast and dinner at our place, and then we have lunch out.” Dining at “home” also helps to give the children a sense of normalcy.

SPICE BAGS: Since she’s cooking so much, Miner has to have her favorite spices available. She filled a bunch of sandwich baggies with her family’s favorite herbs and blends, and she uses them daily to keep her cooking interesting.

ONE BAG: That’s what everyone is responsible for carrying.

Every child is responsible for carrying her or his own luggage on this European adventure — which also discourages unnecessary souvenir purchases.

a s t u d e n t a b ro ad

by Makenna Barbara As a college student, I often find myself in crazy situations that I have never been in before but uprooting my life and moving halfway around the world by myself definitely takes the cake. A little over a month ago, I first stepped foot in New Zealand. I cannot say that I knew what to expect. Up until now, I had only ever lived in Fort Worth. When it came down to choosing a college, I picked TCU. Moving here, to Auckland, by myself, not knowing anyone else, this was going to be my biggest adventure yet. Even my wildest of dreams could not have prepared me for how incredible this place is.

I have hiked up numerous volcanos (Mt. Eden, Mt. Hobson, and One Tree Hill), climbed through lava caves on Rangitoto, learned to surf in Raglan, crawled through ice tunnels on the South Island, hiked across Fox Glacier, guided a snorkel group in Motuihe, sipped wine in the vineyards of Waiheke, swam at Hanua waterfalls, paddle boarded in Mission Bay, sailed on a dingy in the Auckland wharf, rafted on underground rivers in Charleston, admired art at numerous museums, and spotted glow worms in the pitch black; all this, and it has only been a month! I even managed to squeeze some classes in, too. (Don’t worry, Mom!) The days seem longer here. I feel I am able to get more out of them, probably because I am so busy. It is not the typical ‘busy’ like home, though. It is different, and dare I say, better. I do not feel bogged down or stressed by everything I have to do. I am genuinely excited to have ‘busy’ days here. I feel content coming home after a long day, being absolutely exhausted (or as my local friends have taught me, “shattered”). I know that means I am making the most of my time here.

I wish I approached life this way when I was back home – not wasting any time. I wish I busied myself with exploring the city I call home and its surrounding areas: spending time talking to the locals, shopping small, volunteering with

organizations, and walking the streets. That is what I am doing here, and honestly, I have loved really immersing myself in Auckland. Quay Street and Ponsonby have some incredible local shops and are perfect areas to walk around in and meet people. Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) is a wonderful organization to volunteer with. They take locals out to marine reserves around New Zealand for them to snorkel in hopes of instilling a newfound appreciation for our marine environments. These things have helped me feel so much more connected to Auckland than I ever thought possible.

I have been so fortunate to spend my weekdays exploring the city and all that it has to offer and my weekends caravanning around the rest of the country.

Auckland has been the perfect hub from which to explore New Zealand and Oceania, especially Fiji and the Cook Islands. I have been to so many events, like the Lantern Festival in the Domain, Auckland City Limits in Western Springs, the Volvo Ocean Race at the Viaduct, and the opening of a new exhibit at the Auckland Art Gallery. Auckland is also close to some amazing beaches and hikes.

Piha is a nearby black sand beach that is a favorite among the locals. There are plenty of smaller communities nearby to go and explore, Raglan being one of my absolute favorites with Waiheke a close second. And I would not be doing New Zealand any justice if I did not mention the people. The locals here (known as Kiwis) are some of the most hospitable people I have ever met; their welcome truly rivals our southern hospitality.

It goes without saying that things do not always go to plan. That has certainly been true of my time here. However, it is during these times of crisis that I have been so fortunate to meet so many exceptionally kind Kiwis. I have been offered places to stay, numerous rides, the occasional drink, and even a car to drive. I have been so fortunate to have had these helping hands along the way, and I suspect many people have experienced the same generosity because that is just the Kiwi way. I feel like I owe so much to this experience, these people, and this country. I cannot wait to see what the rest of my time here has in store!

photo courtesy of Makenna Barbara

Don’t SWEAT the DOG DAYS of SUMMER We’re your mom-approved HVAC experts!

From basic repairs to full installations, we offer high quality HVAC services at an affordable price. Mom’s love us because we keep your family cool while saving you money!

HVAC LIC# TACLB28498E

LICENSED • INSURED •

FAMILY OWNED & OPER ATED • SERVING THE ME TROPL E X SINCE 1993

817-591-1110

SERVICE CALLS ONLY $69 • FREE ESTIMATES W W W. MEC H A NIC A L A IR S OL U T IONS . NE T

CONNECTED

by Danika Franks

Currently, many of us are obsessed with making our travel plans for the summer.

When the plan to “keep calm and carry on” in life backfires and amounts to piles of chaos, one of the first strategies for respite is travel. We come to this place of genuine desperation from a multitude of experiences. Most of these can be summed up with the term “adulting.”

Whatever the reason, we need a break. We need rest. We need relaxation. We need to disconnect.

For most of us, the ability to disconnect while traveling is essential. Yet, there are some who travel seeking opportunities to connect.

This is the case for one Fort Worth local, Brandon Cunningham. For Brandon, the travel spark was ignited as a child. He recalls, “I think my adventurous travels started young. My dad always made sure we took a 2-week vacation every summer, and no matter where we were headed, it always seemed that we went through Colorado first. My guess is that he chose this route because of the scenery. It is what I remember the most.”

Fast-forward decades later, and Brandon is now working as a photographer. Like many others in the industry, he maintained a steady income stream with senior portraits and family sessions. While he enjoyed this work, he found it necessary to steal away and create on his own work from time to time. “I wanted to take my art to a deeper level and find a greater connection with my craft.”

It was not long until an opportunity to take his art to a deeper level arose.

Brandon was asked to join a medical mission team traveling to Kenya to document the experiences of their work. The travel spark was re-ignited.

After landing in Nairobi, the team began to organize their equipment and luggage for the two-hour trip to Kajiado. Brandon recalls, “I knew as a non-medical member of the mission team my focus would differ from most of those around me, but my dedication and passion would be the same.” Equipped with his camera, he engaged with his work and his fellow travelers, head-on, in earnest.

His lens revealed a human experience that stood in stark contrast to his own. He remembers, “It wasn’t the difference of the living conditions or the lack of technology that stood out to me. What resonated with me on this trip was the openness within the community. I felt that an element of the human connection that I was looking for powerfully existed there.”

It was not long before the medical mission itself, and not just his role in documenting it, began to weave itself into his purpose for being there. “As we would travel from village to village, searching for those in need of medical assistance and intervention, I found that I became a fervent participant in this process. When the team identified a particular child that needed assistance and the monetary backing was not available, I called my wife, and together, we came up with the funds to provide for this child’s medical needs. We became her sponsor.”

A select group from this team were chosen to travel further into Kenya, to the county of Turkana. The conditions were more primitive, and not every member of this team could physically make the trek into this environment, but Brandon was chosen to make this trip. After their arrival, he remembers thinking “I am at the root of civilization.”

He was. This region has produced some of the oldest human remains discovered to date. Surrounded by dry earth and a village filled with huts with thatched roofs, the team set up their quarters. They slept simply on hard floors surrounded by bug nets and ate the native food. He learned of the politics of the village, heavily influenced by the religious preferences of the people: a rough split between Christianity and Islam.

Brandon took to journaling as a way to channel his thoughts and gain greater perspective on his experiences. In an excerpt from his journal, Brandon writes: “A group of boys and I exchanged questions and answers. Questions started with “had I ever seen a tiger,” and ended with “do I know Rihanna and Chris Brown?” Pop culture knows no boundaries! They shared their dreams of becoming a doctor, architect and engineer. These kids have dreams and my goal as a father is to help my children live theirs. The boys sit together, arms across each other’s shoulders without any hesitation of being teased for affection. The girls gather to tell stories with younger children in their laps. It is so refreshing to see children with so much compassion, free of judgement. We have lots to learn.”

Upon reflecting on his time in Turkana, he states, “I felt that the connection between humans was stronger there.” He describes the communication between strangers as more natural than it would be at home in the US. “If a random stranger approached me at home, I would be cautious. Somehow in this environment, people have found a way to remain open and not closed off in their communities”.

Masterfully disconnected during this trip with limited access to the internet and cellphones, Brandon recounts that it was the human connection, in its greater context, and the depth of that experience that ultimately lead to a more relaxed state of mind and respite from the stress of his world. In another journal entry he writes: “We made our way back to the bus, surrounded by children who were happy to spend the day with us and little did they know, we got so such more from them. We need to care more for each other, be patient with one another, share our time with each other, be present when present. Hold each other tightly. My heart is larger. Thank you!”

You can follow Brandon’s travels on Instagram @snapjudgementphoto. Since returning from Kenya, he solely focuses on international humanitarian photography. photos by Brandon Cunningham, Snap Judgement Photo

The Right Kind of Coverage Our Private Clients trust us to assess their risk exposure based on their assets, activities, and goals.

We help determine if you are adequately covered and, when appropriate, we guide you to additional options that might have been previously lacking in your current portfolio. We conduct an annual review of your coverage so that policies can be adapted as your personal needs change. As part of our commitment to high value personal insurance programs and service, we offer a wide range of specialty insurance coverages. The following are among the specialized coverage options we offer.

• Home | primary, vacation, & rental properties • Auto • Collection Policies | jewelry, fine art, & sports memorabilia • Umbrella | up to $100 million • Watercraft, Aircraft, & Recreational Vehicles • Farm & Ranch • Workers Compensation for Household Staff • Personal Risk Management

Trustworthy, Honest, Knowledgeable and Kind Each is a cornerstone that defines who we are as a company.

Anna Pamplin

Senior Consultant, Personal Lines

3221 Collinsworth Street, Fort Worth, TX | 817.529.5347 | anna@gusbates.com

GUSBATES.COM

S e i s Ex cur s io nes Ce rca de Casa Six Nearby Excursions

by Christy Ortiz

Debido a circunstancias, puede ser difícil viajar con niños. El tiempo y el dinero no siempre trabajan a nuestro favor. A veces estamos demasiado cansados para gastar nuestra precioso tiempo libre viajando una distancia larga. Por esa razón siempre es buena idea tener a la mano una lista de actividades cerca de casa que ayudarán a pasar esos largos días de verano. Lo siguiente son varias excursiones cerca de Fort Worth que les va a encantar a usted y su familia.

Dar un Paseo en Bicicleta Trinity Trails cuenta con más de setenta millas de senderos para montar bicicleta a lo largo del río Trinity. El tramo más urbano conecta los Stockyards, el Centro de Fort Worth, TCU/Zoológico y el Distrito Cultural entre sí. ¿No tiene bicicleta? No hay problema porque puedes alquilar una bicicleta roja en el sendero con tarjeta de crédito. Súbete al sendero en Trinity Park y recorre el tramo de ida y vuelta de diez millas hasta Clearfork Trailhead. Hay varios puntos de parada en el camino para tomar agua, comer y usar el baño. Pasará por Clearfork Food Truck Park, West Bend, The Woodshed y Press Café, todos excelentes lugares para salir del camino y divertirse un poco. ¡Arriba Vaquero!

Los Stockyards de Fort Worth es más que un excelente lugar para llevar a sus amigos que visitan la ciudad. Sea un turista por un día y disfrute de los paseos diarios de ganado y tiroteos, pues a los niños les encanta y ¡es gratis! Pase por el centro de visitantes para conocer un poco de la cultura de Cowtown y tome una gira guiada, seguramente aprenderá algunas cosas nuevas sobre nuestra bella ciudad. Hay muchas otras cosas que hacer mientras estás allí: comer, tomar una cerveza, escuchar música en vivo, bailar en un honkytonk, tomar una foto antigua, montar un toro mecánico, perderse en un laberinto, ir de compras, y por supuesto, ver a sus vaqueros favoritos en el Rodeo todos los viernes y sábados por la noche.

Ir de Excursión Aproveche uno de los magníficos senderos de la zona. Un excelente parque natural para caminar es Lake Mineral Wells State Park y Trailway. Hay senderos de varios niveles, pero uno de los mejores para familias con niños es en Penitentiary Hollow. Aquí encontrará formaciones rocosas naturales de piedra caliza que son populares por escaladores profesionales de todo el país. Hay una vista fantástica del lago que se puede disfrutar desde la cima de la loma y el área de picnic en

Spanish Vocabulary for Kids!

Bicicleta (Bicycle), Vaquero (Cowboy), Hielera (Cooler), Agricultor (Farmer), Playa (Beach), Sendero (Trail), Fósil (Fossil) find the english translation on tanglewoodmoms.com

este sitio. Caminar, nadar, escalar, acampar; hay mucho que hacer en este parque.

Agricultor por un Día Lleve a la familia en una excursión a una granja de ‘selección propia.’ Hay muchos lugares cerca de Fort Worth que ofrecen frutas y vegetales durante tres estaciones del año. Valla a Still Waters Family Farm, ubicado en Bluff Dale para fresas, Blueberry Hill Farms en Edom para arándanos, Mainstay Farm en Bethesda para moras y miel de abeja y Henrietta Creek Orchard por los duraznos y las manzanas en Roanoke. Consulte en línea para los mejores horarios y días para visitar, y asegurarse de que haya fruta madura para recoger antes de viajar.

Búsqueda de Fósiles Somos afortunados de tener muchos arroyos y lagos en nuestra área para mojarnos los pies. El embalse Benbrook fue construido en la década de 1950 para aliviar la peligrosa inundación del área Clear Fork del río Trinity. La cuenca de 3800 acres proporciona muchas costas de pesca rocosas, perfectas para una buena caza de fósiles. En nuestro último viaje al lago, en el lapso de un par de horas encontramos hermosas amonites, gasterópodos, erizos de mar, bivalvos, madera petrificada y cuarzo. Txfossils.com es una gran fuente de información sobre fósiles específicos de nuestra área.

Playa y Cerveza Sí, dije playa, y nada suena más atractivo en nuestro clima cálido de Tejas. En menos de una hora, usted y su familia podrán disfrutar de la arena blanca y de las refrescantes aguas de Granbury City Park Beach. Las instalaciones incluyen un parquecito de agua, malecón, redes de voleibol y pabellones con techo de paja, así como alquiler de kayaks y tablas de paddle. La histórica plaza del centro se encuentra a poca distancia y ofrece muchas tiendas y restaurantes. Mientras estás en Granbury, toma un tour, juega algunos juegos de césped y disfruta de canciones en vivo con una cerveza fría en la mano en Revolver Brewing, es ideal para familias.

No hace falta mucho para tener un gran viaje con la familia. Con unos pocos galones en el tanque, un par de dólares en el bolsillo y una hielera con comida y refrescos, puedes pasar un buen rato con la familia en esta temporada de viajes.

Eche un vistazo a una o todas estas emocionantes excursiones y haga del norte de Tejas su destino.

photo by Kristi and Scot Redman, ZYN22

EASY EXERCISING WHILE TRAVELING

by Jennifer Kieta

D O Y O U N E E D S O M E VA C AT I O N E X E R C I S E DIRECTION? ARE YOU LOOKING FOR W AY S T O K E E P O N T R A C K W H I L E Y O U A R E G O N E ? I H AV E S O M E G R E AT I D E A S T O H E L P Y O U K E E P F I T D U R I N G VA C AT I O N S .

Whether it’s for business or pleasure, there comes an opportunity to get out of your personal “shire” to experience new sights, tastes, and adventures. For those of you who are seasoned “workerouters” or for those who have just begun and would like to keep up the good work, traveling can set you back a bit if you do not take the time to make exercise as important to you while you travel as you do back home.

It is no surprise that our routines get thrown out of the window when we travel. I have clients come to me before my spin class to tell me that “it’s been awhile, please don’t kill me,” as if they are taking the guilt off of their shoulders with their “confession” of not exercising while on vacation. Please believe me when I say that it is okay to not exercise as much on vacation as you would at home. After all, it is a vacation! If, however, you are training for something like a race, too many missed days of exercise can set you back.

I am a big fan of working out without equipment when I travel. I love to run, so a pair of running shoes is a no-brainer in my suitcase. The beautiful thing about running is that no matter where you travel, there will always be a road. Unless of course, you are on a boat. Overcome your shyness and ask a local where a good trail might be, or what the safest roads are to take. I usually take an “out and back” route, meaning I head out and come back the same way. I do not like to get lost! Not a runner?

Walk it! You will probably find that running/walking allows for sightseeing opportunities and moments to absorb the beauty of your surroundings. Mindfulness and presence are essential when traveling, in my humble opinion. You absolutely have them both when you are getting outside and being active.

Another favorite travel exercise can be done indoors or out, which is so convenient. I decide on three movements, for example, sit-ups, squats, and push-ups. I do ten repitions of each exercise ten times. Breaking it down, it looks like this: ten sit-ups, ten squats, and ten push-ups, followed by a SHORT rest. Repeat ten times. Depending on your fitness level, you could split it and do five repetitions of each movement five times. This provides you a full body workout in a short amount of time in a small amount of space. Add various other exercises, such as jumping jacks, planks, and knee highs, for variety. Mix it up, play some tunes, and have fun!

Visiting exercise studios is a great way to be a part of the community you are visiting. Whatever your interest, whether it be yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, cycling, Barre, etc., there is an opportunity for you to embrace the culture and still get a great workout. As a bonus, you might just meet some locals who can give recommendations for dining and entertainment that you cannot find on Google!

Whether you are traveling by car, train, or plane, work travel can force you to sit for long periods, which is not good for your health. To fit some physical activity into your travel days, wear your walking or running shoes. If you are traveling by plane and time permits, or you encounter a delay, stroll through the airport terminal rather than sitting at the gate. When traveling by train, walk through the cars occasionally. If you are driving, take breaks to get out and stretch.

Many hotels either offer their own fitness centers or have contracts with local fitness clubs which offer free or discounted workout opportunities for their guests. If you are really strapped for exercises, walking up and down the stairs of your hotel is a great way to get your heart pumping!

You have surely heard it many times, but I am going to repeat it: Exercise is important! Traveling often includes eating extra calories, so take the time to be active for a few minutes every day! Have a good time, embrace the experience, but remember to take care of yourself from the inside out. Be mindful, intentional, and grateful. You are worth it! B O N V O YA G E .

B R A N D I N G / W E B D E S I G N / S T R AT E G Y

Don’t overthink it.

Just call us.

Schedule a free consultation or stop by to meet our team.

817.984.7400

www.sovicdesigns.com

clothing provided by Luna Antigua

TRAVEL

You’ve been pinning and planning, you’ve been crowdsourcing and reading, and the time is finally here. Your big trip with the family, significant other, or girlfriends is just around the corner, and you need some serious inspiration for what to pack.

Spring and summer travel means fun, bright colors that put you in a carefree state of mind. We learned from our visit with stylists from Neiman Marcus Fort Worth that the big trends this year include floral dresses, stripes, statement sleeves, rainbow jewelry, and a pointed-toe shoe. That sounds lovely, but how can you pack all of that?

Our fashion contributor, Nicole Shaffer, happens to be the perfect spokesperson for great travel fashion. Her day job includes spotting the hottest trends and incorporating them into the modern woman’s wardrobe, all while traveling.

Her style is always timeless, yet never boring. This issue’s assignment took her to Meacham Airport, where the redesigned administration building with a balcony overlooking the tarmac was the perfect backdrop for an inspiring view of private travel. You may not be boarding your private Learjet to the south of France or flying off to the Caribbean this season, but these looks that Nicole pulled together will make you feel like you are!

Koopies

FASHION REPORT

by Madeworthy team with Nicole Shaffer

1. YOU’RE PLANNING YOUR DREAM VACATION SOMEWHERE WARM AND TROPICAL. WHAT ARE YOUR MUST-HAVES? Gucci, Illesteva, or Givenchy sunglasses, good sunscreen, and of course, hats. Luna Antigua makes the most beautiful wide brim hat (pictured). I love Solid and Striped one-piece swimsuits and O’Neill’s solid bikinis. They will take you from wake boarding to lazing with a drink. I love a Lisa Marie Fernandez swimsuit, and Rebecca De Ravenel’s pieces are so tropical! Go for a woven bag this season. Top handles are very chic; a STAUD bucket is the season’s “It” bag, Cult Gaia (pictured) is a favorite, too. ‘70s dresses and caftans from vintage/resale shops with a Greek strappy sandal top my list for date nights. Breezy Luna Antigua dresses and tunics with white denim are my daytime must-haves.

2. YOU'RE TAKING A QUICK WEEKEND TRIP AND ONLY WANT TO TAKE A CARRYON. WHAT PIECES DO YOU BRING? Pack layers! A colorful scarf, a pashmina, and lightweight dresses are your friend. Sacrifice shoes to have a few extra accessories to make an outfit. I just did a quick weekend in Carmel, and two pairs of strappy sandals, a Gucci scarf, a black tuxedo romper, a few lightweight dresses, one pair of jeans, and a Talbots blazer were perfect for a weekend with multiple events. Take only toiletries that are essential and use what your hotel has to offer. I’m obsessed with a travel line called Paravel. It’s affordable with all the essentials to pack in cubes to stay organized! I have my eye on a monogrammed leather pouch from The Daily Edited (tde.).

3. HOW DO YOU LOOK PROFESSIONAL, YET FASHIONABLE AND COMFORTABLE FOR A WORK CONFERENCE? Layers, always! I travel weekly, and I don’t board a flight without a Talbots blazer, colorful suede driving mocs, and a pashmina. I typically fly in pants. I love a light-weight, raw silk “Genie pant”. You’re dressed up while essentially in pjs. I also love a silk blouse. While pointy toe heels are my work go-to, save your feet in the airport. Wear your mocs and change to heels at your destination.

4. YOU SAID YES TO DISNEY WORLD. HOW DO YOU NOT OVERPACK FOR THE Cult Gaia

5.YOU HAVE A GIRLS’ TRIP PLANNED FOR SF OR NYC. WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO ITEMS FOR TOURING AND NIGHTLIFE? San Francisco can be chilly, so again, pack layers.

Mules are in and are ideal for walking miles. A pair of high-waisted denim pants; Gap has some fabulous options. Easy knits, blazers, and a cardigan, as well as a dress for a fancy evening. A silk romper can be worn as a blazer for daytime then transformed with strappy sandals and a scarf for evening. Fun earrings or chunky gold hoops complete the look. Bring a hat: wool for fall/winter and straw for spring/summer. A hat will protect your skin, and as a bonus, you look chic and don’t have to worry about your hair! photos by Beth McElhannon

FAMILY? You can’t wear more than one outfit a day. T-shirts and comfy shoes. If you’re going during winter, pack layers that you can fold into a backpack.

For kids, Zara and Gap have cute Disney apparel.

Moms, grab your favorite sneakers and wear these the entire time. Jeans, shorts, light-weight knits, and a boyfriend cardigan for when it cools down. Plan your days based on the park you’re visiting, and pack one outfit per day. Adults should carry a backpack or crossbody. Think utilitarian when planning your Disney trip, and you will have the time of your life!

J. Crew

6. YOU'RE TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY. HOW DO YOU NOT LOOK “TOURISTY”?

Sensible shoes: mules or Superga sneakers, knit dresses, a beautiful scarf, and a few solid pashminas. While I adore prints, you don’t want lots of luggage, so pack solid knit dresses and keep your accessories colorful. Again, a pair of sunglasses, hats, and SPF are essential!

MSGM

7. YOU BOOK AN OVERNIGHT FLIGHT. HOW CAN YOU LOOK RESTED, EVEN IF YOU AREN’T? I spritz myself with rosewater. Pack a heavier moisturizer for face and hands. Flights are dehydrating! Fly sans makeup, if possible. Drink water and nix salt to avoid feeling puffy.

Flights are typically freezing, so an easy swing cardigan, Madewell t-shirt, and flowing pants with sandals or sneakers are perfect. Or try a sweater, scarf, comfy jeans, and mules.

Regardless the destination, always pack layers!

by Lyle Brooks

RIDING THE RAILS

Alberta, the winds were crisply just below twenty degrees. Before arriving in Saskatoon, I encountered a Japanese fellow who was returning home after a year working at a sushi restaurant. He silently made hemp bracelets while I read Thomas Wolfe’s Of Time and the River. In Winnipeg, I I was living in Korea when 9/11 happened. I returned to CDs, three was joined a young man on his way to Montreal to study French. find my country greatly changed. I had taken the train all books, and a pair Cruising the nothingness between Winnipeg and Toronto, we were over Korea: to the beaches and mountains, to Buddhist of journals, along mesmerized by the dancing colors of the aurora borealis. We temples, or to spend a haunting day on a leper island. with my newly-acquired bounded to the observation deck with wine, and my seatmate Our American textbooks, coupled with the turmoil far cellphone.

A fellow delighted all with butchered French. away, had me looking at US maps differently. I focused traveler showed me an Italian on the vast spaces rather than the cities and major place, where prom-bound local My Toronto hostesses drove me to Buffalo through destinations. Perhaps the Beatniks’ search for the teens dazzled the eye. In El Paso, Niagara, where the whoosh of the falls gave me the chills. transitory oasis of constant movement rubbed bound for Santa Fe, I caught a bus to Near the station, I found a minor league baseball field; off on me. Before returning, I contacted Albuquerque before a shuttle took me sadly, the Buffalo Bisons were not in town. I would college friends scattered across the country, the rest of the way. There was badminton have enjoyed taking in a game before the Lakeshore and, once back, I charted a loose route in the desert, homemade Indian food, and Limited departed for Chicago along the long tail around most of North America, departing a visit to the New Mexico Polo Club. After two of Lake Erie, where I read Rohinton Mistry’s A from Austin. Amtrak’s 30-day rail pass nights, my hosts drove me to Lamy to catch the train Fine Balance. My time running short, I enjoyed promised freedom, in exchange for to California. a beer and deep-dish pizza before the last leg, delays, including connections and wishing I could spend a week admire Union partnerships with Greyhound as Trains at night are conducive to the contemplative; the gentle Station’s architecture. Stretching my legs well as Canada’s VIA Rail. rattle and roll activates memory, and the absolute darkness in Springfield and Texarkana, I joined covering the distance is a playground for the imagination. Putting crewmembers complaining about the Acclimation to the pace down DeLillo’s Americana, I met a grad student from North Carolina freight lines which often sidelined of the rails began specializing in the Harlem Renaissance. We drank coffee and talked Amtrak as though I were an ally. immediately, as the about literature until we reached Union Station in the shimmering morning evening train bound of Los Angeles.

My body was haunted by the train’s for El Paso via San rhythm for months afterward, Antonio would not Treated to a satisfying diner breakfast, my next host gave me his car to use while he while my brain scrambled to leave until nearly worked. After attempting to find notable places like Dodger Stadium, I spent most of reconcile a return to the midnight.

My the day desperately lost, finally tracking my host down at an MTV dance party. My fluid regularity of life. The luxury backpack held circumstances began to feel loopy. I checked in for the train up the coast into the Bay Area, of an extended rail trip is my portable where my only intention was to pay respects to Ferlinghetti’s Beat haven, City Lights Bookstore. something which should CD player, In Sacramento, my first roommate showed me the first Tower Records before a trip down to be experienced at a dozen Bodega Bay, the scenic location of Hitchcock’s The Birds. Fifteen hours brought me to Eugene, where least once.

I toured brew pubs with another friend and her boyfriend. We hiked Spencer Butte the next day, where the treeless summit was a welcome respite after a climb through bright green flora. In a dreamy haze, I managed a pair of quick stopovers in Portland and Seattle.

The trip from Vancouver to Toronto lasts about three days. It should be said that when packing light, one hopes for ease but accepts compromise. When I left Texas, the temperature was nearing the century mark; arriving in Jasper,

Have a great SUMMER! ORTHODONTIC SPECIALISTS

www.mikortho.com 4544 Hartwood Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76109 (817) 923-5400 921 FM 1187 E, Suite C Crowley, TX 76036 (817) 297-9838

T O U R I S T

T R A V E L S

SAN FRANSISCO madeworthy photo diary Ferry Ride from Sausalito to SF: Gorgeous!

Exploratorium: Hands-on exploration of our world for all ages.

The area outside of the de Young Museum makes you feel like you're in another world.

Spend a whole day soaking in the beauty of the Botanical Gardens.

Inside the Conservatory of Flowers live thousands of exotic plants and flowers.

Coqueta near the Ferry Building for tapas and great people-watching.

Brenda's Meat & Three: Southern comfort with a Big Easy spin. Best brunch in SF.

All things peace, love, and hippies on Haight-Ashbury.

Arriving at the Ferry Building which houses restaurants, kiosks, and shops.

Palace of Fine Arts Theater: iconic SF landmark and gorgeous grounds.

Chinatown: Exotic sights, sounds, and smells.

The iconic Painted Ladies looking from Alamo Square to downtown SF.

Hog Island Oyster Co. for casual dining and yummy fresh seafood.

Sight-seeing inside of the Japanese Tea Garden brings tranquility.

SF MOMA: We loved the Calder and Ellsworth Kelly exhibits.

Scoma's in Sausilito: Pier-to-plate menu supporting local fishermen.

MAKE YOUR HOME ITS OWN DESTINATION. Stacy V. Cole, D.D.S. Michael Shelby, D.M.D. 817-731-9291 www.clearforkdental.com

We focus on your wellbeing, not just individual teeth.

• Ozone Therapy

• Partial Dentures

• Safe Amalgam Removal

• TMJ/Occlusal Therapy

• Metal-Free Dentistry

• Children’s Dentistry

• CBCT Scans

• Infant & Adult Frenectomies

• Autonomic Response Testing

• Sleeping & Breathing Disorders

• Cosmetic & Restorative Care

• Cranial Sacral Therapy

• Ceramic & Titanium Implants

• Massage Therapy

At Philip Langford Construction, we strive to provide the best service to our customers. Whether you are looking to build, remodel or renovate your space, we have just the service for you.

WWW.SVCOLE.COM | 817.731.9291

PLCRenovations.com | 817. 300.4015

The Mays Group o: 817-546-7545 • m: 512-652-8309 maysgroup@cenderafunding.com • www.themaysgroup.com

Helping Fort Worth Sleep Better for Over 30 Years Custom Beds I Factory Price I Texas Made

Color Me!

Bring your Dream Bed Coloring and Receive an Additional

10% Off Your Purchase!

900 S. Haltom Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76117 I 817-834-1648 I citymattressfactory.com NMLS #: 1200862 3600 Benbrook Hwy. | Fort Worth, TX 76116

FORT WORTH

2313 Irwin St | 76110 | $474,900

2222 Huntington Ln* | 76110 | SOLD

2324 Mistletoe Dr* | 76110 | SOLD

Carley J Moore

Carley J Moore

Carley J Moore

cmoore@briggsfreeman.com 817.734.8185

*represented buyer cmoore@briggsfreeman.com 817.734.8185

*represented buyer cmoore@briggsfreeman.com 817.734.8185

3917 Inwood Road | 76109 | $749,000

505 Alta Drive | 76107 | $3,999,000

2133 Park Place Ave | 76110 | $599,000

JOHN ZIMMERMAN

JOHN ZIMMERMAN

Corey Bearden

jzimmerman@briggsfreeman.com 817.247.6464

jzimmerman@briggsfreeman.com 817.247.6464

corey@leaguere.com 817-889-5032

Rocky Creek Ranch Lot 19 | 76036 | $344,386

8001 Village Bend | 76067 | $599,000

allen crumley

allen crumley

allen@williamstrew.com 817.570.9439

allen@williamstrew.com 817.570.9439

3713 South Hills Ave | 76109 |$325,000

Cecile Montgomery cecile@burtladner.com 817.992.9620

2309 Ryan Ave. | 76110 | $415,000*

Ashley Dilling ashley@leaguere.com 817.675.6455 *Price Reduction

1301 Thomas Place | 76107 | $1,349,000

RICk Wegman & john giordano rickw@gwwrealestate.com | 817.584.7033 johng@gwwrealestate.com | 817.991.1862

10401 W Rocky Creek Road | 76036 | SOLD

Adrianne Huff Holland aholland@briggsfreeman.com 817.988.7955

R E A L E S TAT E

3832 Bishops Flower Road | 76109 | $1,299,000

6316 Genoa Rd | 76116 | $379,000

3705 W 5th | 76107 | $699,000

joseph berkes

joseph berkes

joseph berkes

joseph@williamsTrew.com 817.266.1355

joseph@williamsTrew.com 817.266.1355

joseph@williamsTrew.com 817.266.1355

4029 Inwood Rd | 76109 | $849,000

1604 S Adams St | 76104 | $439,900

309 College Ave | 76104 | $425,000

Corey Bearden

Will Northern

Julie Mathis

corey@leaguere.com 817-889-5032

will@northernrealtygroup.com 817.454.8506

jmathis@northernrealtygroup.com 817.994.9937

102 Grey Stone, Aledo | 76008 | $400 ,000

4421 Tamworth RD | 76116 | $475,000

JAck county | 76459 | $1,654,500

Angie Murphy

Christa holbert

David and Michaela Chicotsky

angie.murphy@cbdfw.com 817.825.4786

christa@leaguere.com 214.734.0285

dchicotsky@briggsfreeman.com 817-888-8088

fwFLAVOR a new fashioned ice cream social

SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND 1-3PM 1105 PEACH ST | FORT WORTH TICKETS: FWFLAVOR.COM MADEWORTHY

BLACKHOUSE

WINEMAKERS

U

N

C

O

R

K

E

D

by Sarah Angle

The first time my uncle Jim Angle let me try some of his red wine, I promptly spat it in the kitchen sink.

My immature palate and unaccustomed mind could not understand why people voluntary drank that stuff.

Uncle Jim is a true oenophile; his knowledge and appreciation of wine is vast and deep. Fortunately for me, he has a bit of the teacher in him, as well.

Uncle Jim did not give up on my wine education, and over the past decade, he has slowly introduced me to different grapes, wineries, and food pairings.

We started, as many people do, with white wines.

First, we tried riesling. We then worked our way up through sauvignon blanc and chardonnay, before finally getting into red wines like pinot noir and malbec. I have learned to hold a glass of wine by just the stem so as not to allow the heat of your hand to warm the wine. I have learned that you do not have to spend a huge amount of money to get a very good bottle wine. I have learned that letting wine breathe before drinking is key to opening up more flavors and softening the harsh tannins in a young wine. I have learned how to pair food with wine, harmonizing the flavors for a complete dining experience.

Last year, Uncle Jim and his younger brother, my father George Angle, embarked on a new wine adventure. They headed down to the Texas Hill Country and then circled up to East Texas to visit the three wineries that would make up the pilot episode in their upcoming wine reality show, “Winemakers Uncorked.” Not wanting to miss the education and the fun, I invited myself along for the ride and got to experience the trip through Texas, the intricacies of filming a reality television series, and the brothers’ shenanigans — all with a glass of Texas wine heavy in my hand.

Jim and George are like “Car Talk’s” Click and Clack of wine shows. Jim is a wine connoisseur and a highly-regarded, retired broadcast news political correspondent. My dad is a retired public-school teacher and the “smarter younger brother.” He also has a highly-developed sense of humor. Together, these two Texans, ages 71 and 69, take their viewers with them on a trip through their home state that makes exploring the world of vino delightfully funny.

After the filming was over and we were back home, I sat down with my dad to talk about his favorite wineries in Texas and California, what he feels are the best vineyards are to visit with families, and how becoming a wine connoisseur has enriched his life.

Q: What is one of your favorite wineries in Texas?

A: Wineries are sort of like friends; it’s hard to nail down a favorite. Out of the three vineyards we visited in Texas, Messina Hof [the original winery is in Bryan, with locations in Fredericksburg and Grapevine], Kiepersol Winery and Distillery [south of Tyler], and Wines of Dotson Cervantes [on the shores of Lake Buchanan in Tow], each produced its own unique wines with distinct personalities.

Because of my background as high school tennis coach and sportscaster, I found Alphonse Dotson, a former National Football League defensive tackler, to have the best story. One of his wines that I really enjoyed was Perseverance. Alphonse says that years ago his vineyard was decimated by wild hogs, deer, birds, and a hailstorm. He thought all the grapes had been wiped out. “A few vines survived nature’s onslaught, and from those few surviving vines became that wine.” That’s Perseverance.

Q: What is the best kid-friendly winery you’ve visited?

A: For families, it would probably be the De La Montanya Estate Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma County, California. At Dennis De La Montanya’s winery and vineyard, there’s beautiful gardens where kids can wonder around, pitch horseshoes, and play bocce ball. The estate is big enough to host parties and close to a larger city. The location is so fun that people forget it’s a winery that’s won numerous awards over the years, like its Double Gold Medal 2015 Pinot Noir.

Q: What do you love most about wine now that you’ve become more of a connoisseur?

A: I like tasting the culmination of adversity and creativity. As you walk through the vineyards and get

to know the wine makers personally — or even help them bottle wine and get your shoes muddy — you understand the struggles they overcame that lead to their successes. That knowledge makes the wine taste even better to me because I know its history.

The wineries are in partnership and competition with nature. Just like brothers sometimes, we’re competing against each other but we’re always the ultimate partners in life.

Wine lovers have a reputation for being full of esoteric knowledge and being, well, a little stuffy. “Winemakers Uncorked” is anything but stuffy. Unlike other food or wine series, with their use of baroque language describing costly wines and extravagant restaurants, the Angle brothers’ series is approachable and witty.

When asked to summarize the series, my dad said, “My brother is the ‘epicurious’ and I’m just the curious one, more interested in the science and personalities of the people we meet. Jim is primarily interested in the taste. I’m the Curious George.” The temperaments of the brothers balance each other beautifully, making for a wonderfully fun, highly informative television show.

You can learn more about “Winemakers Uncorked” and the journey of Jim and George through Texas at www.winemakersuncorked.com. The pilot episode of the series (with a cameo of me) is available on YouTube. Find it by searching “Winemakers Uncorked Pilot.”

And cheers to summer sipping.

Messina Hof Winery and Resort with locations in Fredericksburg, Bryan, and Grapevine, Texas www.messinahof.com

Sip & See

Wines of Dotson-Cervantes located in Tow, Texas, twenty minutes from Llano www.dotsoncervanteswines.com

30

Kiepersol Winery and Distillery located in Tyler, Texas www.kiepersol.com De La Montanya Estate Vineyards & Winery located in Sonoma County, California www.dlmwine.com

Grossology & Animal Grossology Word Find See how many words you can find from the list below!

CRUSTY DIGESTION DOOKIES GAS MUSHY OOZY SCALY SLIME STINKY SURGERY VOMIT WART

T

C

R

U

S

T

Y

Z

U

S

R

E

L

D

R

S

Z

R

Q

E

A

M

S

I

A

S

O

Y

I

I

W I

U

G

Z

C

O

K

K

K

Q

L

R

E

T

A

S

N

S

O

U

S

G

S

I

L

R

I

H

O

E

W E

T

M

Y

M

T

A

D

H

F

R

I

O

N

U

S

W

I

U

C

Y

O

V

F

S

U

S

Q

E

G

Y

N

M

U

S

H

Y

I

BubbleFest: DIY Bubbles INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

6 cups water 1 cup light corn syrup 2 cups clear dishwashing liquid

1

Stir water and corn syrup in a large bowl.

2

Add dishwashing liquid; stir very gently until well mixed, trying not to make any bubbles.

3

Dip bubble wand into liquid and blow bubbles!

DinoGlow

Every day is free for members! fortworthmuseum.org

P.O. Box 101704 Fort Worth, TX 76185

F O R T W O R T H SY M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Music Director

2

0

1

8

Texas Tenors • Dennis DeYoung • 1812 Overture The Music of Michael Jackson • The Music of Queen Tribute To Benny Goodman • Star Wars & Beyond • The Music of The Rolling Stones

The Music of Journey • Old 97’s 1950s Dance Party • Hotel California

A Salute to The Eagles Family Fireworks Picnic

June 1 - July 4

f w s y m p h o n y. o r g