January 2018 Search Lone Tree Magazine

S E A R C H

LONETREE LONE TREE’S PREMIER MONTHLY COMMUNITY MAGAZINE SINCE 2013

In This Month’s Issue

LOCAL FITNESS GUIDE Lone Tree Recreation l Ways to Get Fit

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S E A R C H

LONETREE JANUARY 2018

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Lone Tree Recreation Check out all the ways to enjoy your City’s recreation amenities

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Locally Owned Area Fitness Guide Find the right place to get fit with our locally owned area business guide

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Unique Ways to Get Fit Looking for something new and unique to help you get fit?

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Get BACK to Feeling Your Best With the Mazor X system at Sky Ridge The Bookends Before We Were Yours: A Novel

By Lisa Wingate

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LONE TREE Magazine JANUARY 2018 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 1 PUBLISHER MIKE WAID

mike.waid@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 700

SALES DIRECTOR KAYCE ARTHUR

kayce@waidpublishing.com 303-805-9455 xt 706

EDITORIAL TIFFANY GRIZZLE

tiffany@waidpublishing.com

January Scavenger Hunt Contest

How would you like to win a gift certificate from local Lone Tree restaurants?

Well, here is your chance. We have gift certificates from many locally owned restaurants and want to give you one. To win, all you have to do is go online to LonetreeMagazine.com and enter our Janauary Scavenger Hunt contest.

You will need this copy of Search Lone Tree to enter...so head over to our website today and you could win! Good Luck!

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Search Lone Tree Magazine is published 12 times per year by Waid Publishing (www.

WaidPublishing.com), a division of Mike Waid & Associates, Inc. (www.MikeWaid. com), 12760 Stroh Ranch Way, Suite 202, Parker, CO 80134, 303-805-9455. Search Lone Tree Magazine is available online at www.

LoneTreeMagazine.com. Search Lone Tree Magazines is a trademark of Waid Publishing.

All rights reserved. The views, opinions and/or statements made or expressed by individuals and/or entities, are not necessarily reflective of the views and opinions of Waid Publishing.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without explicit permission from Search Lone Tree Magazine. Copyright 2018 Search Lone Tree Magazine - All rights Reserved.

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Lone Tree

RECREATION Lone Tree’s recreation department has many great ways for you to get fit this year...and have fun while doing it!

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Conveniently located off I-25 and Lincoln, the 55,000 square foot facility that is the Lone Tree Recreation Center offers the perfect escape, especially when the bitter cold of Colorado winter makes it hard to enjoy much recreation outdoors. Find some time for yourself or make time to spend with friends, whether you’re taking a class, hitting the gym, joining a recreational sports league, going for a swim or enjoying a pick-up game of basketball, racquetball or Pickleball. You can do it all – all under one roof at the Lone Tree Recreation Center! Other facilities in the family of South Suburban Recreation include the Douglas H. Buck Community Center, Family Sports Center, Goodson Rec Center, and the Sheridan Rec Center.

You hear it every time January rolls around, “new year, new you!” It is that time of year that people make resolutions to change habits, get into a routine or just try something new. Luckily, South Suburban Recreation and the Lone Tree Recreation Center HAVE something for EVERYBODY when it comes to having fun and getting active.

If you’re one that likes to try something on for size before fully committing, check out the Group Fitness TRY-athlon. Try something new with FREE introductory fitness classes like Body Pump, Zumba, Indoor Cycling, Yoga and more during the week of January 15th at Goodson, Buck and Lone Tree Recreation Centers.

Attend three out of four 30-minute intro classes at each facility and you will be entered into a drawing for great prizes like a 15-visit punch card, personal training sessions and massages. Check at each facility for specific class information.

It’s not exactly beach weather outside, but the whole family can still get pool time in with all the Aquatics offerings. SSPR offers pre-competitive, competitive swimming, American Red Cross lifeguard training, swim lessons, even Mermaid School! (Bring your mermaid tail if you have one, otherwise mono-fins are provided.)

There’s also Water Fitness options like Water Walking and Aqua Dance Fitness. If you’re just looking for a little R&R, check out the lazy river and the hot tub to escape a bit during the next snow storm.

Looking to add some fun to your workout routine?

Have you ever considered taking a dance class? What a fun way to workout together for date night or with friends! SSPR has an extensive catalog of Dance classes, including Adult Ballet Barre, Beginning Ballroom Dance, Ballroom Dance Nights, Beginning Adult Ballet and Adult Ballet, Belly Dance, Jazz/Broadway and Tap. Of course, the little movers and shakers in your house can get in on the fun too with dance instruction of all kinds.

For little beginners, there is even an option to try out an introductory class for Ballet in a Day (ages 4-7) or Hip Hop in a Day (ages 7-10.)

Perhaps something like Yoga is on your “must try” list?

Check out Gentle Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Yoga Flow, Water Yoga, or Polarity Yoga, which combines polarity therapy, Hatha, Tai Chi and martial arts to improve posture, flexibility, physical and mental balance and all over strength.

If you’re just looking to hit the gym on a more regular basis, there are drop in fitness classes included with daily admission (including SilverSneakers® and Silver Fit classes), cardio classes, sculpt and strength options.

There’s also TRX Suspension Training - through 100s of functional exercises, build strength, flexibility, core stability, muscular endurance and metabolic conditioning.

Once you find options you love and start becoming a

regular visitor (more than twice weekly), consider getting a monthly or annual pass to save money on your visits.

Need a bit of a kick in the rear to shake things up?

SSPR offers Lifestyle and Weight Management, Personal Training and Private Yoga and Tai Chi Sessions.

Improve your Yoga or Tai Chi practice with private sessions with highly trained and certified instructors. Call 303.708.3514 for appointments at Lone Tree. Pricing and package options same as personal training. Maybe you’ve been hitting it hard already and need a little PT to deal with some nagging injuries or chronic problems. SSPR offers Physical Therapy as well! Physical Therapist, Doug Geistert, MPT, is a graduate of Western Michigan University and the University of Iowa Physical Therapy Program. He has over 25 years of experience as a therapist and manager at outpatient orthopedic clinics and at a local hospital. Call 303.483.7089 for more information.

For those with chronic issues looking for a gentler workout, consider options such as Body in Balance, Healthy Back, Healing Pilates and the SilverSneakers® Cardio, Circuit, Classic and Yoga offerings.

Other special programming includes Parkinson’s Foundations Class, which incorporates exercises that target specific deficits and focuses on strength, balance and flexibility to overcome challenges, improve quality of life and restore functions. Classes benefits those with Parkinson’s, as well as those with MS, TBI, neurological disorders, and anyone who wants to age well. Senior rates available.

Amenities at the Lone Tree Recreation Center Include:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Aquatics area Arts & crafts room with electric kiln Basketball courts (2) Cardio and circuit equipment Catering kitchen Family changing rooms Fitness & dance studio Gymnasium Indoor track (12 laps/mi) Locker rooms Lounge Multipurpose rooms (4) Performing arts stage Pickleball courts (3) Racquetball/handball courts (2) Volleyball courts (2) Weight room

Aquatics Area Includes • • • • • • • •

25-yard lap lanes (3) 88-foot body/tube water slide Basketball hoop Children’s slide Hot tub Leisure pool with lazy river Spray features Zero-depth entry children’s area

Both the SilverSneakers® and Silver & Fit programs are a fitness benefit offered through various health insurance providers. Those with the benefit qualify for a standard membership at the four District Recreation Centers.

With this membership, participants can utilize the recreation center’s fitness equipment, attend drop-in classes, swim or exercise in the pool and participate in other drop-in activities that are included with daily admission.

Be sure to contact your insurance provider and find out if you have this benefit. SilverSneakers® members can register at any of the recreation center locations, Silver & Fit eligible members must register at the Registration Office located at the Goodson Recreation Center.

In addition to the limitless options for classes, amazing fitness equipment, personal training and programming, SSPR is offering some additional ways to stay on top of your health in the new year. On January 11th and February 8th, Progressive Home Services will be offering FREE Blood Pressure Checks. On January 16th, University Hospital will be on hand at the Lone Tree Recreation Center for blood screenings - checking cholesterol and over 30 other blood components from 7:00am-9:30am. They will be at the Goodson Recreation Center Jan. 17th, Buck Community Center Jan. 18th and Family Sports Center Jan. 19th.

Why wait? Drop in and see all there is to do at Lone Tree Recreation Center, or any of the facilities that are a part of South Suburban Parks and Recreation. From hockey to swimming, yoga to dance and everything in between, there is definitely something for everyone - no matter the age or ability.

Lone Tree Recreation Center is located at 10249 Ridgegate Circle in Lone Tree. Call 303.708.3500 or go to www.ssprd.org/Lone-Tree-Recreation-Center for more details on all the center’s offerings, the online catalog, scheduling and registration. lonetreemagazine.com JANUARY 2018

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LOCAL AREA

FITNESS DIRECTORY Ready to get healthy & fit in 2018? Here are some great locally owned area businesses who are ready to help you get in the best shape of your life!

CrossFit Loop 136 South Wilcox Street Castle Rock 80104 720-518-6629 www.crossfitloop.com CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more. These are the core movements of life. They move the largest loads the longest distances, so they are ideal for maximizing the amount of work done in the shortest time. Intensity is essential for results and is measurable as work divided by time—or power. The more work you do in less time, or the higher the power output, the more intense the effort.

FIT4MOM Castle Rock 158 Caprice Ct Castle Rock 80109 303-526-6965 Castlerock.fit4mom.com Fitness for all stages of motherhood. Whether you’re pregnant, your kids are 2 or they’re 25, we have a class and a community for you!

Vitalitybowls 830 New Memphis Court b100 Castle Rock 80108 403-688-BOWL Vitalitybowls.com We are a superfood cafe that encourages healthy eating habits.

Fitness 1440 880 W Happy Canyon Road Castle Rock 80108 303-955-0070 www.fitness1440.com/castlerock Locally owned gym with cutting edge equipment, classes, heart rate training, and personal training dedicated to helping you make every minute count.

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MaxFit Studio 3194 N Industrial Way, Ste E Castle Rock 80109 303-956-4995 www.MaxFitStudioCR.com MaxFit Studio is Castle Rock’s premier personal training studio. Set in an intimate judgement free environment, our certified personal trainers specialize in helping anyone achieve their health and fitness goals faster and safer than anything else out there!

AerialWorks Castle Rock 1050 Topeka Way Unit i Castle Rock 80109 303-578-6456 www.aerialworkscastlerock.com Train like a Cirque Du Soliel artist. Learn the ropes of the aerial arts: silks, trapeze, silks and more. Weekly classes for kids and adults. Performances for the public to enjoy. Come take classes and get Aerial strong, while tapping into your inner artist.

Stridemob 360 Perry st Castle Rock 80104 303-588-1452 Stridemob.com We produce and help others produce community focused running events.

Orangetheory Fitness 3990 Limelight Ave, Unit F Castle Rock 80109 303-747-4003 castle-rock.orangetheoryfitness.com At Orangetheory, we offer group fitness personal training for a fraction of the cost of a personal trainer with all of the perks of group fitness. All of our coaches are certified personal trainers and are here for you. Orangetheory takes pride in noticing when you aren’t utilizing your membership and calling to offer solutions and suggestions to get you back into the swing of things with your fitness routine. This aspect of accountability alone sets us apart. The best part is our workouts are always different and we guarantee results. Your first class is always FREE!

Mountain CrossFit 780 Kinner St Castle Rock 80108 720-504-5959 Mountaincrossfit.com Mountain CrossFit strives to be a gym for everyone. We have kids to grandparents in our gym. We focus on our members individual progress. We are not trying to be the biggest just the best gym for our members.

Club Pilates Castle Rock 6360 Promenade Parkway #120 Castle Rock 80108 720-575-7185 Club Pilates.com/castlerock We provide equipment based, group Pilates classes for all ages and fitness levels. We also offer private and semi-private Pilates training.

Orangetheory Fitness Parker 17051 LINCOLN AVE Parker 80134 720-636-8606 orangetheoryfitness.com

Orangetheory Fitness is a one-of-a kind fitness experience that combines two concepts: heart rate-monitored interval training and group personal training. The one-hour, ever changing workout was formulated by an exercise physiologist and consists of diverse components including high-energy cardiovascular and strength training using treadmills, rowing machines, suspension training and free weights with short bursts of intense exercise.

Koko FitClub 18671 E Mainstreet, Ste B Parker 80134 720-465-5265 parkermain.kokofitclub.com

Koko FitClub is the first and only gym to combine the power of digital technology and individualized coaching in a complete training system. A system that customizes workouts and meal plans to the needs of the individual, with digital coaching to make sure the workouts are done properly.

Heart Soul Mind Yoga 9900 Twenty Mile Rd Parker 80134 951-663-0512 www.heartsoulmindyoga.com

Heart Soul Mind Yoga offers donation based Holy Yoga classes designed for all experience levels and all spiritual seasons. Come as you are. There’s a place for you.

Impact Fitness 12919 Stroh Ranch Parker 80134 720-862-5692 www.impactfitnessparker.com

We provide boxing, kickboxing, cardio conditioning, Strength and Conditioning. We have classes for your entire family!

Intelligent Motion Therapy Wellness Center 19751 E Mainstreet #310 Parker 80138 303-808-9807 www.intelligentmotiontherapy.com

We serve athletes to the injured clientele and the whole spectrum of needs: Injury - Recovery - Fitness/Prevention: Physical Therapy, Pilates, MELT and Yoga breaking bad habits that cause pain and injury, improving alignment, core strength, stamina, and flexibility. Learn how to move your body the way it was designed...Intelligently.

CorePower Yoga 18551 E Main Street Parker 80134 303-840-2410 Corepoweryoga.com

Inside our yoga fitness studios, something amazing is happening. With this high intensity workout, you’ll push past physical boundaries with an open mind and a beating heart, turning doubt into security, strangers into friends and stress into sweat. Join our community and try one week FREE!

Parker Tennis 10543 Twenty Mile Rd Parker 80134 720-979-6880 parkerracquetclub.com

We run tennis programs of all types (lessons, leagues,camps,clinics,socials,tournaments) for adults and children of all ages. Open to residents and non-Parker residents. Opening in fall 2018 the yearround Parker Racquet Club.

Parker X Fitness Club 18871 Plaza Drive Parker 80134 303-840-0608 www.parkerxfitnessclub.com

We are a community based fitness club that specializes in group fitness classes for ALL levels. Huge variety of formats including Barre, Insanity, Pilates, Pound, Piyo, P90X, Zumba, Yoga & more with no contracts. Unlimited memberships & punch cards available. Come work out with friends!

Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping 11280 South Twenty Mile Rd Parker 80134 720-376-9548 www.FXBParker.com

Farrell’s eXtreme Bodyshaping is a results based fitness center. We use four components to help our clients improve their overall health and fitness. Cardio kickboxing, strength training, personalized nutrition counseling and accountability through coaches and teammates. Then we back it all up with a money back guarantee.

Parker Med Spa 19767 E Pikes Peak Ave Parker 80138 303-841-8780 parkermedspa.com

Parker Jazzercise 18448 Longs Way Parker 80134 303-503-1623 Jazzercise.com

Jazzercise is a calorie torching, hip swiveling, Shakira’d be proud dance party workout to put your abs to the test, with a hot playlist to distract you from the burn. Our classes— Dance Mixx, Interval, Fusion, Core, Strike, and Strength— Will leave you breathless, tired and coming back for more!

Fencing Academy of Parker 12870 Stroh Ranch Ct. Parker 80134 720-334-3578 FencingAcademySport.com

Fencing is a sport involving quick thinking, agility, poise and speed. It also develops discipline, respect, maturity and good sportsmanship, qualities that carry through to our everyday lives. Fencers learn to solve problems, cope with adversity and take what comes with grace, through their individual and team participation. It is a tradition to salute before a fencing competition and shake hands afterwards. It is one of the few sports that evens the playing field between size, age, sexes, ethnicity and personality.

Curves (for women) 10453 S Parker Road Parker 80134 303-841-0663 curves.com/locations/parker-co

Body Balance Coaching helps people get fit, eat better and make lasting lifestyle changes. Pilates uses equipment to help improve performance in sports and regular daily activities. Nutrition Coaching identifies underlying health imbalances and supports you in a healthier lifestyle, free of denial and restriction to achieve your goals.

Pilates by Shelby 12901 arezzo circle Parker 80134 303-564-8267 www.pilatesbyshelby.com

Pilates classes designed for all fitness levels with a certified Pilates instructor. Customized needs and goals, which can include strength training, rehab Pilates, increased knowledge of flexibility exercises, and much more. Classes run one hour in length.

We are a detox clinic. Far Infrared Sauna, movement plates, oxygen bar, ion detox body balancers are some of our detoxification treatments. Our Zerona lasers are fat and triglyceride melting lasers for optimal detox.

New Life Nutrition 19673 Solar Circle, Suite 202 Parker 80134 303-638-3716 www.newlifecolorado.com

Struggling to figure out your health? Muscle testing may be your solution. I am a Certified Nutritionist and use muscle testing to help you get to the bottom of your health challenges and nutritional deficiencies.

Give your body the chance to get healthy this year. lonetreemagazine.com JANUARY 2018

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...and now for something completely different.

Unique Ways to Get Fit Barre

When your friends ask if you want to hit the “Barre” you may want to make sure you know whether you’ll be hitting happy hour or checking out one of the more popular fitness classes that is quickly becoming a fitness fan favorite. Most barre-based classes incorporate a combination of ballet-inspired postures, yoga and Pilates. The actual barre is used for balance while you are doing exercises that focus on isometric strength training (contracting a specific set of muscles while holding your body still) in combination of high reps of smaller range-of-motion movements. Your class may also incorporate small hand weights and mats for core-targeted work. Major benefits of Barre include improved posture, muscle definition, weight loss, increased flexibility and decreased stress. Thinking about trying a class? Just grab some yoga-like gear (leggings and a tank or t-shirt will do) and skip the expensive sneakers – most classes are done in bare feet or “grippy” socks to prevent slipping. The best part – Barre classes combine strength training and cardio, so you’ll be burning fat and building muscle at the same time – the stronger you get, the more calories you’ll be burning around the clock! Plie your way to a healthier you!

Ballroom Dance

If you’ve ever come across a dance competition show on TV, you’ve no doubt noticed that those professional dancers are in fantastic shape. There’s a reason for that – ballroom dance can be an amazing, full body workout that is fun and safe on your joints (when done properly.) Dancing and having a strong core go hand in hand, and the movements done with ballroom dance work all the muscle groups in your body while stabilizing your core. Pendulum and twisting movements activate your obliques and abdominal muscles. Basic steps from popular dances like the Cha-Cha-Cha, Merengue, Salsa, Tango, Foxtrot, Swing and more are all terrific ways to get your heart rate up (getting that cardio in) and tone you from the tips of your fingers to the toes of your dance shoes. Whether you want to take a ballroom fitness inspired workout class or make a date night of it and sign up for dance lessons, you’ll be dancing your way to a healthier you and having a great time doing it!

Fencing

You may not have considered the sport of fencing as a way to get a whole different type of workout added to your fitness regimen, but don’t be “foiled” – fencing is both a fun and demanding way to exercise. Fencing is a full body workout that will challenge muscle groups from your feet and lower legs all the way through your body to your neck, shoulders and arms. This sport will help develop your speed, agility, strength, coordination, balance and timing. The mental edge that comes with fencing skill and strategy accompanies your increased dexterity and aerobic fitness. Fencing calls for quick movements to counter attacks from your opponent, emphasizing agility, alertness, and endurance. The benefits from fencing include increased flexibility, mental strength and concentration, increased speed, agility, even opportunity for competition. You may not be aware, but many schools offer fencing scholarships! Fencing requires movements that are precise in order to be powerful. In order to attain that precision, your body must become flexible and strong and your mind must be sharp and reactive. Fencing movements require you to move your body in a multitude of ways, coordinating your arms and legs in a harmonious fashion while coordinating your sword work. Whether you see yourself taking part of a sport from an era gone by or fancy yourself more of a Jedi in training, fencing is an insanely fun way to increase cardiovascular health, flexibility, strength and endurance, coordination and mental agility.

Yoga

When something has been around for more than 5,000 years, it can hardly be considered a fad. Yoga is a total mind-body workout combining strengthening poses with deep breathing and meditation or relaxation. There are seemingly limitless varieties of yoga, ranging from fast-paced, more intense variations to more gentle and relaxing forms, so there’s definitely one for everybody. A little Yoga 101 – Hatha is often what people think of when they think of yoga; it combines a series of movements/poses and breathing techniques. Vinyasa uses a series of poses that flow into one another, while Ashtanga is a series of poses combined with a special breathing technique. Iyengar uses props like blocks, straps and chairs to help move your body into the proper alignment. Power yoga is just what it sounds like, a higher-intensity practice that will definitely help you build muscle. Bikram or “hot yoga” is a series of challenging poses done in a room heated to a high temperature. The intensity of your yoga workout is determined by the variety of yoga you choose but all yoga practices will work your core, tone arms and legs, back and glutes, increase your flexibility and strength and, even though yoga isn’t considered an aerobic exercise, you will most definitely sweat (especially in those power and Bikram yoga classes!) Grab your yoga mat and get ready to work!

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Get BACK to Feeling Your Best with the Mazor X system at Sky Ridge

As the great Arnold Palmer said, “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” One of the maddening parts about golf is the “golfer’s back” you develop from repeated swings. From tissue inflammation to muscle strains to nerve impingements to arthritis to compressed, herniated and degenerative discs, you can expect any one of these conditions if you’re an avid golfer. Michael Mulder, one such avid golfer, recently underwent minimally invasive spine surgery so he could get back to playing.

Having watched family members endure and recover from major spine surgeries, a somewhat apprehensive Mulder was intrigued when Neurosurgeon Brent Kimball, MD told him about the Mazor X—a technologically advanced surgical guidance system that employs digital data analysis, robotics and 3D modeling for precise, predictable and minimally invasive spine surgery. Sky Ridge Medical Center is the first hospital in Colorado and a tenstate region to use the Mazor X. The Mazor X helps surgeons to reduce the amount of tissue and muscle damage that can occur during spine surgery. This results in less post-operative soreness, fewer complications, shorter recovery times and hospital stays. Mulder marvels, “I was walking around the block within a week.” He went back to work two weeks after that, and less than a month removed from surgery, he started physical therapy to regain muscle mass in his core.

The success of Mulder’s surgery is immensely gratifying but not surprising to Phil Jaklich, the Director of Sky Ridge’s Spine and Total Joint Center, who praises the Mazor X’s capabilities not only surgically but also diagnostically—it sometimes precludes the need for surgery. “We like to have the big picture,” he says.

“Can your back issue be treated with physical therapy? Injections?

Diet? Exercise? We focus on health, movement and mobility. For someone with an apparent structural issue, we’ll make a recommendation depending on how active they are.” Activity levels in Colorado are high, notes Jaklich. The average age of patients has dropped from around 60 to early 50s, not only because people 11

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engage in more activities, but they want to keep doing them into their golden years. “We’re part of their retirement planning,” he says. “Most people aren’t willing to give up activities just because of pain in their spine and joints. They’re okay with modifying their pursuits, but if they physically can’t do something like ski or play golf—or play with their kids or grandchildren—they’d rather get surgery than give it up.” And when they do, they know that the Mazor X system—and the Sky Ridge team of neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons who use it—will get them back to their lives faster.

To schedule an appointment, call 720-624-4906, or for more information, visit SkyRidgeSpineSurgery.com.

lonetreemagazine.com JANUARY 2018

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THEBOOKENDS

with Pam & Becky

Before We Were Yours: A Novel

By Lisa Wingate

Rill Foss and her siblings are ripped from their family and the magical life they had living on the river. They find themselves thrown into Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, where they must try to survive and stay together.

Avery Stafford seems to have a perfect life. She is being groomed to take a senate seat her family has held for generations, she is a successful attorney, and she is engaged to a handsome man. However, she puts her life on hold and heads home to help her father navigate his political life as he struggles with health issues. Avery meets a woman in a nursing home that will change her life, as well as her perspective on her life. As Avery works to solve the mysterious connection between this woman and her family, she will be forced to face hard truths that may threaten her high profile family.

This book is based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy and some famous families all over the country.

PAM The fact that this book is based on a true story is truly heartbreaking. We meet Rill Foss and her family in 1939, as her mother faces a difficult birth and must be taken to a hospital for emergency medical care.

Rill and her siblings are taken from their boat (The Arcadia) and find themselves in Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. They are told that if they are good they will be taken to their parents, but the older siblings begin to see through this lie quickly. Rill was so young to have the job of trying to keep her family together when she had no control of their futures. Did your heart break for this little girl?

BECKY Oh, this story stayed in my mind

long after laying the book down. My grandfather grew up in an orphanage and he wouldn’t discuss his experience there.

This book gave me a picture of what he might have endured and it is absolutely disgusting that this story is based on an actual account in history. Rill was a likable girl that came to life for me as I was reading this story. It was hard to forget that it was just a character in a book. The story that is set in 1939 revolves around people that are poor and taken advantage of. The other side of the story is based off a very wealthy political family. Do you think that the author was successful in blending those two opposites into one cohesive story?

PAM I do believe that the author was successful in bringing such different points of view together. I am with you, Becky. I could not stop thinking about this story.

Thinking about my own children and the bonds I share with them made this story painful. The other side of the story, which follows a wealthy and political family, was 13

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sad for other reasons. Although the family had plenty of money, the lost family and connections with loved ones were just as painful. What I found most frustrating and sad was that there were human beings who felt that they had the right to pass judgement and change (ruin) lives based on stereotypes and misconceptions. Do you think these people reasoned that they were saving these “river rats” or do you think they were simply blinded to the tragedies by money made in this scheme?

BECKY I would like to think that Georgia

Tann thought she was saving souls but I could not find evidence to support that thought. It was gruesome yet fascinating to dig deeper into the background of this story. She made a great deal of money during this time and had many key people help her manipulate the system. Between 1924 and 1950 she is thought to be responsible for over 5,000 children being displaced from their original families. It is believed that no less than 100 children died in her care from abuse, neglect or lack of medical attention. Thankfully one curious social worker helped stop her deplorable actions. I could go on and on about this curious situation but I should get back to the review. Do you think that some of the adopting families knew that Georgia Tann was a dirty businesswoman or was she an expert at deception?

PAM I believe she had to be an expert at deception to have gotten away with her actions for so long. However, I imagine that some families that adopted the children in her “care” noticed things out of the ordinary. Perhaps they told themselves they were saving these children and giving

them a better life or were so desperate for children they were willing to turn a blind eye. Rill and a younger sister were adopted by a couple that had lost children and were struggling with their situation. They adopted the younger sister, then later brought Rill to their home. This was a complicated situation for Rill and her feelings of obligation towards her family. How did you feel when Rill was reunited with her sister?

BECKY This was a bittersweet situation.

Rill’s sister was younger and it appeared as if she easily moved on from her recent kidnapping, and separation from parents and siblings. She was flourishing under the care of her new family. However, Rill was less comfortable conforming to the change.

It was a blessing that they were no longer in the horrific orphanage but distressing to know that the family was separated and experienced unforgettable loss and pain.

What did you think about the ending and would you recommend this story?

PAM I enjoyed the way the different times were brought together to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. I also appreciated the determination of the siblings and their honor of the family ties. I would recommend this book to others as a great (but very sad) story, as well as an opportunity to acknowledge the history that this story revolves around. As we close this chapter, where are we headed next month?

BECKY We will be reading a nonfiction

book called Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard.

It’s a story about an ultra marathon runner and a little dog that was found in the Gobi desert.

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