Midtown Magazine by Midtown, 5 West, Triangle Family

22 | midtownmag.com

(left to right) The tightknit Brader family – Tracy, Dan, Bill, Sue, Tom and Kristy.

The Secrets

of Sue’s

Success There’s a reason why a search on amazon.com for parenting books yields over 100,000 results. It’s hard work to raise just one good kid. So how did Sue Brader turn out five? by Illyse Lane Photography by Jennifer Robertson

ue Brader wasn’t surprised when her oldest daughter, Tracy, called to say that she and her four siblings wanted to take her to dinner. It made sense, considering that this was their last night home as a family. All five were heading off to either college or grad school the following day. But it was surprising when later that evening, after each of Sue’s children (Danny, age 23; Tracy, age 22; Tommy, age 21; and Billy and Kristy, both 18) had ordered dinner, Tracy disclosed they had an ulterior motive. “Tracy said that the reason we brought you here is because we want you to know how much you mean to us and we know how much you have done for us,” remembers Sue. “They then gave me this ring.” The ring is a band with five diamonds, symbolizing each of the five Brader children; children that Sue has raised as a single mom since her two youngest – a set of twins – were three years old. It’s a feat that her children clearly appreciate, but it’s also an accomplishment that rarely goes unnoticed after people learn just a little bit about her children. midtownmag.com| 23

THE ITTLE BLACK DRESS

34 | midtownmag.com

bain’s beat

they know

rich pop stars at all they’re

hen She & Him came out with a Christmas album in 2011, I tried my best to never hear anything from it. I lasted for almost one Christmas season before finally hearing their rendition of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” on the car radio late last Christmas Eve. As I suspected I would, I enjoyed it as much as I enjoy their non-seasonal stuff. Which is to say, I didn’t. I’d rather sit through a special two-hour Christmas concert featuring the Singing Dogs, than listen to Zooey Deschanel spastically rush her warbly way through the horny male aggressor’s lines of that song again. One listen was all it took to send that rendition to the number three position on my personal list of the worst Christmas songs ever. Number one, of course, will probably always be “The Christmas Shoes,” by NewSong (or anyone else, for that matter). If you haven’t heard it, please don’t try. In fact, don’t even look up the lyrics. This song is a shameless, manipulative and cliched play on the listener’s emotions – one that’s horribly written, to boot. How can it be “almost Christmas time” as the narrator proclaims at the start, when in each chorus, the little boy reveals that it’s actually Christmas Eve? Sorry, but Christmas Eve is well into – if not bringing up the rear of – Christmas time. Thanksgiving is “almost Christmas time.” Heck, nowadays, even Halloween is “almost Christmas time.” But Christmas Eve? No, that’s almost time for post-holiday blues and bills. And that horrible, repeated line – “if Mama meets Jesus tonight” – is nothing more than calculated. It’s written to induce pity and play on a tide of Christmas emotions. It almost works, until you realize the narrator is just bragging about how he paid for the kid’s shoes, single-handedly

46 | midtownmag.com

saving Christmas for an urchin who otherwise had nothing to look forward to. Then he insists that God sent him that kid to remind him what Christmas is all about. So, God thinks Christmas is about either the mind-numbingly horrible depression of a poor kid losing his mother on Christmas, or the selfaggrandizing boasts of an otherwise cynical bore? Spare me. Holding the second position on my list is a unique entry, in that I actually enjoy listening to it when it’s on, in spite of myself. The music is interesting and I like some of the vocals, but frankly, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” ticks me off on general principle. I’m not finding fault with the project itself; Bob Geldof had a huge heart, and it’s wonderful that Band-Aid® raised $14 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. Where I have a problem is in the way they did it – by putting the onus on their fans. What did the musicians do, anyway? They showed up for a day,

calendar

St. Timothy’s School Tours Grades 5-8 Nov 14, 29 | 1-2pm | sttimothys.org

88 | midtownmag.com

Diamonds Direct Holiday Extravaganza November 16, 17 – 10am-8pm, November 18 – 12-6 pm | Diamonds-Direct.com

ueen elizabeth’s signature pale alabaster complexion became the trademark of a youthful, upper class woman in Tudor times. To achieve this pale skin, some women were bled, while others used a mix of white lead and vinegar called Ceruse, which often resulted in early death from lead poisoning. Cleopatra popularized the milk and honey bath to keep her skin looking youthful and smooth. Modern science tells us that the Queen of the Nile knew what she was doing, as the lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxyl acid, and acts as a natural sloughing agent to remove dead skin cells. Throughout history, the desire to slow the anti-aging process has led to some interesting beauty regimens – some that work and some that don’t. But with the anti-aging industry advancing at light speed over the past decade, there’s never been a better time to grow old gracefully. “Whether you’re 30 or 70, there are more surgical and non-surgical aesthetic options for slowing the aging process and keeping your skin looking youthful than ever before,” says Gretta Handley, patient service concierge at Davis Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics in Raleigh. “Both surgical and aesthetic procedures are more effective, less invasive and more affordable than in the past, too.” Advancing rapidly since the 1980s,

A SCReeN-SHOT Of THe ReVOLuTIONARY NeW TeCHNOLOGY CALLeD VeCTRA.

light-based laser technology offers non-invasive, non-surgical and pain-free treatments for a variety of skin issues related to the aging process. There are now dozens of light-based lasers available that correct sun damage, remove age spots, treat rosacea, diminish pore size, minimize acne scarring, tighten lax skin, remove spider and varicose veins and hair, and minimize wrinkles. According to Handley, dozens of aesthetic procedures designed to fend off the aging process have become increasingly popular and affordable, with less downtime and less pain than in recent years, like injectables and fillers, skin resurfacing and rejuvenation,

microdermabrasion and chemical peels. The plastic surgery field has also experienced significant advances, the latest being the arrival of the revolutionary new technology called the Vectra, a three-dimensional (3D) Photographic Simulation software that allows patients to preview realistic images of how they will look after surgery. The Vectra can be used for breast lifts, breast augmentations, breast reductions, reconstructive surgery, and a number of other plastic surgery and aesthetic procedures like rhinoplasty, facelifts, chin and lip augmentation, and cosmetic fillers. even traditional liposuction has a noninvasive, no down time and affordable new alternative in CoolSculpting, an fDA approved non-surgical body contouring devise that uses precisely controlled cooling to destroy fat cells, eliminating small areas of unwanted fat like love handles, bra rolls and stomach fat. So is 60 the new 50 and 50 the new 40? “Absolutely,” says Handley. There has never been a better time in history to grow old gracefully.” Dr. Glenn Davis specializes in breast augmentations, abdominoplasty, and a variety of liposuction procedures, both surgical and non-surgical. his skilled staff offers a variety of services for skin care, rejuvenation and anti-aging.

midtownmag.com| 135