Many fall festivals and autumn activities won’t take place this year due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Which fall traditions will you be able to continue this year, and which will you miss the most?
PUBLISHER Gene Fowler
Macon Atkinson “I’ll continue drinking chai tea lattes, my favorite fall drink, but I’ll miss running the Turkey Trot with my dad. It was our annual fall tradition as a family.”
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Mayer
EDITOR Bonnie Church “My favorite autumn activity is gathering around a large pot of homemade soup and bread with our daughters, sonsin-law and grandchildren. This tradition continues and is especially dear during this time of social distancing.”
Anna Oakes editor@aawmag.com 828.278.3602
CONTRIBUTORS Bailey Little “Autumn is my favorite time of the year! I look forward to enjoying the cooler air while bundling up in cozy sweaters paired with boots. I plan to enjoy activities that are not canceled like carving pumpkins, indulging in all things pumpkin spice-flavored and admiring the autumn leaves.”
Sue Spirit “Fall traditions I will happily keep: glue-sticking red maple leaves into my journal, gathering armloads of purple asters, planting garlic for next year, pressing cider from our apple tree and lighting the first wood stove fire. One tradition I will miss this year: attending the Ministry of Writing Workshop at Earlham College.”
Macon Atkinson Heather Brandon Children’s Council of Watauga County Bonnie Church Heather Jordan Bailey Little Tom Mayer Sarah Rodriguez Sue Spirit
PRODUCTION Meleah Bryan
ADVERTISING 828.264.6397
Sarah Rodriguez “As a new resident of North Carolina, I was looking forward to the N.C. State Fair this fall. But even as we still deal with COVID-19 restrictions, I’m excited to visit a corn maze and enjoy some autumn hikes to see the beautiful leaves of the High Country.”
Heather Brandon “My husband and I have hosted an annual cookout and fire pit party for friends for the past few years. We will definitely miss this festive and tasty event.” 4 | September-October 2020
COVER PHOTO
by Sarah Rodriguez
Any reproduction of news articles, photographs or advertising artwork is strictly prohibited without permission from management. © 2020 Mountain Times Publications aawmag.com
CONTENTS
features 22 Elevating Health Care: Heather Peters and Maggi Birdsell 24 Elise Sigmon: Moving to Make a Difference 27 Community Care Clinic
relationships 10 Serving Moms and Babies During a Pandemic 12 Mom’s World: The Best You Can Do
health 18 Young at Heart: Breast Cancer in the Time of COVID-19 30 Living Well: Immunity 32 Dental Hygiene
style & leisure 34 Travel: What Was the Spark? 36 ‘The Return’ by Nicholas Sparks
24
food & drink 40 The Health Benefits of Spinach
in every issue 06 Editor’s Note 07 Women in the News 16 Spotlight on High Country Business Women: Black Bear Wine & Spirits
27
22
September-October 2020 | 5
editor’s
note
I checked a New Year’s Resolution off my list a few weeks ago when I ran my first half-marathon. But like most things in 2020, it wasn’t
A.J. surprised me with a lovely bouquet of flowers from the Watauga County Farmers Market after I finished my half-marathon.
6 | September-October 2020
what I had imagined. A half-marathon I was training for in April canceled a couple of weeks before. And amid long work hours, disrupted routines and the general stress of COVID-19, I ran inconsistently for a month or two. I needed a new race to train for, and I found that in the High Country Half Marathon, scheduled for Aug. 22. But after the governor extended gathering restrictions, it too was canceled, less than two weeks out. Thankfully, an informal event was held on the Boone Greenway. The course was marked, participants started when they wanted to and we timed ourselves. It wasn’t the time I was hoping for, but I finished, and I’m proud of the work that went into that. I made the best of it. This is our annual health and fitness issue, and I feel compelled to echo a message I’ve heard from health providers: Don’t put off your health because of the virus. Telehealth is available for many types of visits, and if something’s not right, see a doctor! Our writer, Heather Brandon, underscores the importance of this in her article, “Breast Cancer in the Time of COVID-19.” 2020 can feel like a lost year sometimes, but there are still plenty of opportunities for personal growth, acts of kindness and memorable moments. I hope you make the best of it.
aawmag.com
Women in the News
A
Bateman Takes Helm of Watauga County Arts Council
mber Bateman assumed the role of Watauga County Arts Council executive director on Aug. 1, following the retirement of Cherry Johnson, who was executive director for 28 years. Born and raised in Boone and its surrounding communities, Bateman returned to the High Country in 2010 from Pittsburgh, Pa., and she now lives in the mountains with her husband, Charlie, and their three daughters: Sophia, 15, Julia, 13, and Isabell, 10. While living away from Boone from 2005 until 2010, Bateman said that her “creative energy was going more toward building a family.” When she returned to the mountain town, she knew she wanted to do something to help the community, which is when she founded Quiet Givers, a nonprofit established to meet needs of individuals in the community. Bateman also played a role in establishing the annual Back 2 School Festival, which takes place each August and is also a nonprofit event. Bateman has been involved with the arts scene since she was a child, calling herself a “kitchen table artist” since she doesn’t have a formal degree in an arts field. She graduated from Caldwell Community College in the early-2000s and worked as a professional photographer for North Carolina for a number of years while building her family. Shortly after returning to Boone and founding a community-based nonprofit
T
nearly a decade ago, Bateman enrolled “One of my big focuses is going to be in “a couple of different classes” with to put the arts back into the community the Watauga County Arts Council. At and not just at the Blue Ridge ArtSpace,” that point, Bateman said, Bateman said, noting that “I knew I wanted to get the COVID-19 pandemic involved (with the council), has given the ArtSpace’s but at the time I knew that staff time to clean out I was already spreading the space of unnecessary myself too thin.” supplies and art. “When I heard Cherry “We’re definitely was going to retire about looking for fresh voluna year and a half ago, it teers and people who have really moved some energy passion for the arts,” she in me, and I wanted to get said. “I want people to involved,” Bateman said. “I know that I have an open couldn’t ignore the passion door, and I’m open to new that I had to see a change ideas (for showcasing High and some unified effort in Country artists). If there Amber Bateman is the new executive the community’s art.” are arts groups that need director of the Watauga County Arts Bateman said that her meeting space or space Council. Photo submitted goal as executive director to work, we are happy to is to create “unity and community.” open our doors to them as well. If there are “I see a ton of talent out here in the artists in the community who would like community, and we could help bring some to get involved in any way, we encourage of them together,” she said. “Artists are a them to reach out.” key part of what makes this community For more information about the Blue thrive.” Ridge ArtSpace and the Watauga County Bateman has come up with four pillars Arts Council, visit www.facebook.com/ on which she plans to grow the arts WataugaCountyArtsCouncil or www. council’s programs and the Blue Ridge watauga-arts.org. ArtSpace, located on Shadowline Drive in Boone. The pillars include advocacy, - Abby Whitt education, support and inspiration, each of which are tied to community.
Lansing Welcomes New Clerk Sandy Roten
hose visiting town hall in Lansing County Middle School for about three will be greeted by a new friendly face. years. Longtime resident Sandy Roten said she acceptRoten is enjoying her new ed the opportunity mostly role as Lansing Town Clerk. because she has always Former Town Clerk Marcy lived in Lansing and been a Little stepped down from part of the community. She the role in August. attended the historic LanRoten retired from Unitsing School and graduated ed Chemi-Con after 39 years from Northwest Ashe High of service and returned to School. Wilkes Community College “I felt like it would be a where she completed her good fit for me and the comaccounting and business munity,” Roten said. “I could Sandy Roten is the new Lansing administration degree. contribute to them and they town clerk. Photo by Bailey Little Prior to applying for the could help me too.” position as Lansing Town Clerk, Roten Roten is active in the Heart Associserved as a substitute teacher at Ashe ation and enjoys reading, quilting and
traveling. She loves sports and enjoys Ashe County High School sporting events and supporting student athletes. She also enjoys spending time with her grandson, Austin Hart, who she is very proud of. Roten’s two children, Jennifer Hart and Daniel Roten, are both Ashe County residents. Roten said she is enjoying the new position so far, and there is a lot to learn being in a government role rather than a business environment. She said she enjoys working with the public and is excited to continue meeting and working with the residents of Lansing. - Bailey Little September-October 2020 | 7
Women in the News
Superintendent Cox Shares Her Plans for Ashe County Schools
S
ince being sworn in as superintendent of Ashe County Schools on July 1, Dr. Eisa Cox and the school system have spent the last month prepping for a new school year amid a global pandemic. As far as the challenge that the virus has presented to both her and ACS staff, Cox said she is not one who tends to dwell on the negative. “You always have these dreams and visions of what you think school will be like, what you think the role will be like,” Cox said. “Sometimes it is all of it and sometimes it is none of it. So I am hopeful that once we get our footing and our schools are under way and we see children on a regular basis that we are able to develop a vision together of where we want to be and what our priorities are for our kids.” In her early life, Cox was born and raised in West Virginia in Monongalia County. She comes from a family of educators: her grandmother was a school principal while her mother worked as a teacher’s assistant. “Education was always important and I knew that,” Cox said. “I aspire to be like my grandmother in many ways; she was certainly a role model.” Cox spent about 25 years living in West Virginia and while growing up she enjoyed dancing in several national competitions, which was an opportunity she is thankful for. During this time she was named Miss West Virginia and traveled throughout the state and country as part of the experience. She was also active in Miss West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals, where she participated in fairs and festivals across the state and their livestock judging events. She later attended West Virginia University where she completed her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education with a focus in science and health. After completing her undergraduate,
8 | September-October 2020
she married her husband, Kevin, and they moved to Greensboro, where they lived for four years. While in Greensboro, she taught biology and anatomy and physiology classes at Northwest Guilford High School. They then moved to Arizona, where she was a stayat-home mom for five years as they traveled for her husband’s career. During this time, Cox earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership and completed a fulltime internship at a school in Gilbert, Ariz. The family then moved around to different locations, which included Charleston, S.C. At this time, Cox returned to teaching at a middle school in Summerville, S.C., where she enjoyed the diverse experience and the students. She taught sixth- and seventh-grade science classes, which included both gifted and standard science classes. More recently, the Cox family moved to Mooresville, N.C., where she became an assistant principal at Mooresville High School. Following her position as assistant principal, she was executive director of Secondary Education at Rowan-Salisbury Schools where she oversaw the eight high schools and completed principal leadership. She then was executive director of Programs for the Rowan-Salisbury school district where she oversaw major departments including the STEM program, Exceptional Children and instructional programs.
Superintendent Eisa Cox. Photo by Bailey Little
She described her family as being her No. 1 priority. She and Kevin have been married for 22 years and together they have two sons. Their oldest son, Spencer, will be a freshman at Appalachian State University this fall while their youngest son, Wyatt, will be a junior at Ashe Early College. In her spare time, Cox said she enjoys supporting both her boys at sporting events and serving as a band mom. She has chaperoned field trips, been the timer at swim meets and kept score at baseball games. As far as her goals and plans for the future of the school system, she feels the community presents a lot of opportunities. She said one of her plans is to look into the sustainability of the one-to-one program and explore what they can do together to help support teachers and students long-term. “We want to be able to have students who can develop into those thinkers that are able to pivot on a dime when challenges such as COVID-19 arise,” Cox said. - Bailey Little
aawmag.com
NEXT TO LOWES FOODS | WILKESBORO | (336) 667-2257
September-October 2020 | 9
Relationships
Serving Moms and Babies During a Pandemic BY MARY SCOTT
It wasn’t that long ago when our world, our “normal,” shifted abruptly. Six months ago to be exact. I am sure you can readily remember the concern, worry, fear and stress of the uncertainty in relation to … everything; to life the way we knew it. We are still deeply embedded in the lingering effects of the pandemic, yet we find ourselves adapting to a different way of life. Now, imagine if you were expecting a baby in the midst of this. Becoming a new parent in standard times is one of the most beautiful, yet challenging occasions in our lives. As one can imagine, becoming a new parent when COVID-19 is present carries its own individual range of emotions and drastic changes with how a life is brought into the world and can bring about feelings of isolation and uneasiness. Here at the Children’s Council, we started receiving calls from expectant moms with these concerns back in the spring. We quickly acted in order to offer a free program for pregnant moms, called Mothers Connect. It is a place where 10 | September-October 2020
moms can go (virtually) once a week for support, to learn and to feel the comfort of others who are experiencing the same burden of uncertainty of bringing a child into the world during a pandemic. Many new moms are also taking advantage of the Family Connects program, which offers free home visits to all new parents. These visits are also happening virtually for the time being. We believe that every family needs support after bringing home a baby. The needs are different in each family — from help with feeding and safe sleep to getting information about child care and parenting groups. Family Connects supports parents by offering a free virtual visit by a registered nurse. The nurse will answer questions and link moms with community resources to connect their child to a healthy future. Whether a first-time parent or a seasoned parent, we know how challenging it can be. Another program of the Children’s Council that is helping new moms after the birth of their baby is our Postpartum
Distress Support Group. One in seven moms and one in 10 dads experience postpartum anxiety and depression. This is a free, virtual support group that gives moms a space to connect with others who are experiencing similar feelings. Now more than ever, with added stress and anxiety around us due to the pandemic, political and social climate, moms need a place to go, to talk and to learn how to manage the many emotions they are experiencing in a safe space. The Children’s Council, while closed to the public, is still available to all expecting parents, new parents and all caregivers of young children. Most of our programs, services and support are available over the phone or in person. If you, or someone you know could use some help, please reach out to us at (828) 262-5424 or www.thechildrenscouncil.org. It takes a village to raise a child, and we are here to help. Mary Scott is associate director of the Children’s Council of Watauga County. aawmag.com
Two Moms Share Their Experiences We spoke with two moms who recently gave birth to find out what it has been like for them during the last several months and how Children’s Council programs have helped them to navigate parenthood during COVID.
Lindsey Sullivan “I was 24 weeks pregnant when COVID hit and I essentially went into lockdown immediately. Along with the rest of the public, I did not know what the risks were, especially for pregnant individuals, and did not want to take any chances. Without a doubt, the hardest part of having a baby during COVID-19 is the social distancing. My husband and I have not been able to be with our loved ones during the extremely vulnerable time that is pregnancy and the postpartum period. It was hard to not be able to share and celebrate the birth of our daughter as we would have if there were not a pandemic. We had to cancel baby showers and avoid contact with loved ones. We could not have visitors at the hospital and our friend could not attend the birth to provide doula services. However, it has been a practice in resilience, and our families, friends and community continue to adapt to these challenges and find ways to show us love regardless of our circumstances. “My husband and I used the Family Connects program after the birth of our daughter. Tasha is extremely skilled at supporting new moms and it was nice to have her and the Family Connects program as a lifeline as we navigated bringing
home a newborn for the first time. We knew Tasha would be an asset before we signed up for the program because we had heard such great things from other parents that she supported in the past. We had a virtual visit since home visiting was not an option due to COVID. Tasha answered our questions and helped alleviate our anxieties about our daughter's physical health, her sleeping and eating patterns and my mental and physical health postpartum. “Many of us are familiar with the phrase ‘it takes a village,’ and I think all families would agree with that statement. However, COVID-19 has compromised our villages in ways we could not have predicted. Family supports like those offered through the Children's Council are essential now more than ever. All families need support at some point, but the special challenges that we face during a global pandemic make programs like Family Connects a lifeline.”
Tana Brophy “While I was pregnant my biggest concern was how giving birth would be during COVID. I wanted to have my husband and my mom there like when I had my oldest son, but that was not going to happen, and it took some flexibility and lowering my expectation to accept that things would be different this time. I was also very fearful of getting the virus and my baby also getting it. It was hard to feel excited when so much worry took over my thoughts. Then I started to feel my baby move and he gave me strength,
because no matter what happened, all that mattered was that he was there and I had to show up for him. “I have used all the resources mentioned. I did not go to the Postpartum Distress Support Group, but I talked to Sophie (the facilitator) on the phone and she gave me resources I used when I needed it most in my first trimester, which was the beginning of the pandemic and I was really struggling emotionally. Mothers Connect started right on time because it added a layer of support from other moms that were in my same position. It was so exciting to have these conversations and have them get exactly how you were feeling but also get other perspectives. I just had my video chat with Tasha a week ago for Family Connects and our conversation led me to realize I might be struggling more than I thought, and so I scheduled a counseling appointment through the university with the person I used to talk to before giving birth. I am also planning on joining the Postpartum Distress Support Group now, as a result of my conversation with Tasha. The diaper bank I have used after the baby got here. This one is always so helpful because money is always tight and it is just so nice to get that extra help, especially with something so essential. “I am thankful for my pregnancy and the birth of my second child. As challenging as it was, I got through it with key support from my family, my counselor and the resources of The Children's Council. Now that I am a new mom of two, I have a new set of challenges. I am completely overwhelmed most of the time, sometimes with frazzled energy and sometimes with incomparable joy. I would not say I have it all under control, but I am tenacious, I have hope still and I am on my way.”
September-October 2020 | 11
Relationships
MOM’S WORLD
The Best You Can Do As the rain pours outside and summer starts fading out, many people are revisiting their New Year’s resolutions that were modified, placed on hold, or shoved to the back of the sock drawer with the pandemic. Gyms have opened up and people are attempting to peel themselves off their couches, away from their home-office computers, and into the socially distanced, mask-wearing fitness centers, trying to reclaim the last three months of the year as a success for said resolution. Much of the last few months have been an exercise in doing the best we can, as kids try to return to some form of school, teachers return to some 12 | September-October 2020
ever-changing form of teaching, parents try to figure out what boundaries they will place and follow for their kids, and health care workers try to fight the spread by helping to break down the barriers to good common-sense risk reduction practices. Exercise and personal fitness and wellbeing are no exception. When asking women about their exercise routine during their annual well-woman exams, responses vary from “what exercise” to “chasing children” to a pained rolling of the eyes or patting of their midriff as they detail how much they were doing preand post-pandemic. With the communal slowing down of our lives, it’s as if our
metabolism has slowed as well. We are planning comfort foods and desserts at our house almost as much as we are planning actual meals. In honesty, what had started as a nice break for reflection has started to feel a bit more like a slow pull into hibernation well before the High Country winter has started. So, how do we combat the gravitational lethargy that has taken hold of our collective consciousness and physical bodies? First, consider making realistic goals with bonus rewards. Do you have a guilty pleasure of a Netflix show that is too much of a chick-flick to watch with the family? Twenty to 30 minutes on the elliptical just bought that guilty pleasure aawmag.com
to cancel out the Snickers bar. How about bribing yourself to exercise to some new music that you discovered? It may be the music that no one else in the car wants to listen to, but when you hear it it triggers the urge to drive fast, road trip or sing out loud like the punk rock princess that you are? That music can wake you up and drive your feet forward. The next step in creating a successful pandemic exercise routine is to learn how to remove barriers to meeting some realistic goals. If you are too tired at the end of the day, lay your clothes out the night before for exercise and commit to putting them on as soon as you pull your tired body from your bed and before you grab the cup of coffee or breakfast food. If the clothes are on, it can feel like a waste to not wear them for their intended purpose of working out. Third, remind yourself (more than once, if necessary) that you will feel better if you exercise and get your blood pumping. Even when your muscles ache and bones groan a bit from lack of use, the endorphins from raising your heart rate and breaking a sweat are some of the best proven medicine for anxiety and depression, which so many people are battling right now. Lastly, as you make your exercise plan, remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be the level or amount or intensity that you were at pre-coronavirus. It just has to be something that builds into something more. In the end, the increased intensity, duration, weight or metabolic rate will come in time as you feel better. To be sure, there may still be the internal mental battle of “Yes, you are going to get up and ___ (run, walk, stair-climb, burpee, cycle)” and “No, the bed feels too good” that can seem like a losing battle, but sometimes getting it done is giving yourself the expectation to get it done, one day at a time. I believe you can do it. So, go do it and just do the best you can. It is enough in these crazy pandemic times.
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507 Bamboo Rd., Boone, NC • 8280262-3337 deervalleyracquetclub.com September-October 2020 | 13
High Country
WOMEN in REAL ESTATE
AMY BALLOU
MELINDA POE
ANDREA WITHERSPOON
I have been in sales my entire life. I am most proud of my devotion and customer service to my clients. I strive to make sure they have the best representation in the sale of their home, and try equally as hard to help buyers find their Mountain Dream Home.
I am honored and blessed to say that I was born and raised in this unique and beautiful place called Ashe County – the High Country! I love everything about it – including the beautiful homes, gorgeous land, and southern hospitality. Due to my interest and knowledge of the area, I love my job! Helping my clients find their dream home or the perfect place to build one day is worth it all. I will provide the highest level of professionalism through unparalleled service, reliability, honesty, enthusiastic & integrity in the field of your real estate needs. I want every buyer and sellers to know they are working with the best! My "Golden Rule" is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Let me be your “personal” Realtor!
Andrea Witherspoon (Owner and Broker-in-Charge Regency Properties) is an Ashe County native who entered the real estate profession in 1999, seeking opportunity for increased involvement within her hometown community. In March, 2001, after seeing the on-going growth potential, Andrea opened Regency Properties. Even though the real estate profession is demanding, Andrea loves it, and most would say she “lives and breathes” her work. Andrea achieved the status of being in the top 5 salespeople in the High Country for the past 2 years. Andrea’s deep knowledge of the area, as well as her creative energy and work ethic, have certainly helped her succeed. She holds a special place in her heart for Ashe County and tells potential buyers numerous reasons why they should re-locate in these beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.
cell 336.977.2450 office 336.246.2307 mpoe@skybest.com
cell 336.607.4787 office 336.246.2307 andrea@regencypropertiesnc.com
I have lived here for 17 years and am happy to call this place home. My husband and I have a blended family of 5 children, 3 grandchildren and many fur babies. My family is my life. Aside from spending time with my family, I love to travel. I am licensed in North Carolina and Virginia and would love to help you with all your real estate needs.
cell 336.977.9092 office 336.246.2307 amy@regencypropertiesnc.com 14 | September-October 2020
aawmag.com
High Country
WOMEN in REAL ESTATE
BARBARA THOMAS
DENISE WEINKLE
ROXANNE WEAVIL
Education is my primary driving force. Today as a REALTOR ® and owner of the RE/MAX Realty Group, I continue to love being an educator, serving my clients with the knowledge needed to make wise real estate decisions. As a Buyer’s Agent or Seller’s Agent, I provide comprehensive real estate research for the Ashe, Avery and Watauga County areas. I am member of a three person team, Thomas Home Team, which consists of myself, my husband David, and my daughter, Roxanne. I also love my involvement with the Salvation Army - High Country Advisory Council. It is very rewarding to work with such an organization. I also work with the Red Kettle Campaign. Did you know that 82 cents out of every dollar goes directly into the community to help the impoverished in the three county area of Ashe, Watauga and Avery?
After many years in the Hospitality Industry on private yachts and traveling all over the world, my husband and I decided to settle in the High Country. Since being in Boone I have been representing Buyers and Sellers with all their Real Estate needs and have enjoyed working and accomplishing my client’s goals. My relationships are built on Trust, Knowledge and Commitment. I am now five consecutive years in the RE/MAX 100% Club. Let me help you work through the tedious process w/diligent attention to detail, hard work and together we can reach your goals. I reside in Blowing Rock, NC with our two dogs and cats. I love taking advantage of all that the High Country has to offer, i.e. hiking, kayaking, cross country skiing, site seeing and volunteering for many organizations in the area. Let me show you around this beautiful part of the country and together we can make your dreams come true. NEED RESULTS? GIVE ME A CALL!!
Raised in the High Country, I graduated from Appalachian State University in 2014, receiving a degree in Business and Marketing. My husband and I decided to stay in the area because we are passionate about the outdoors and all that the High Country has to offer, including hiking, camping, kayaking and skiing. In fact, a major part of who I am relates to helping and serving people and it is a big reason why I chose to go into the real estate profession. I have been a local MLS board director, a chair person for the Community Outreach Committee for the past two years, and a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and Highway Clean Up. Since 2018, I have achieved the goal of being in the Top 50 of agents in our MLS. My main objective is to make selling or buying your home not only the easiest process possible, guiding you every step of the way, but also to make the experience enjoyable. "Don't tell me the sky is the limit, when there are footprints on the moon." - Paul Brandt
REALTY GROUP
REALTY GROUP
REALTY GROUP
Cell: (828) 773-6071 Office: (828) 262-1990 barbarathomas@remax.net
Cell: (828) 773-5021 Office: (828) 262-1990 deniseweinkle@remax.net
Cell: (828) 263-3137 Office: (828) 262-1990 roxanneweavil@remax.net September-October 2020 | 15
Black Bear Wine & Spirits B
lack Black Bear Wine & Spirits is located in Johnson County, Tenn., just across the state line. Johnson County was a “dry” county until November 2018, when a referendum passed approving a package store to be located in Mountain City. Rebecca and Tom Stanley, a local couple who has family ties in the High Country for more than eight generations, purchased property with a vacant building on Highway 421 that was known as “The Old Skating Rink.” With the help of family and friends, they began renovations on the old building immediately while the city began developing ordinances to regulate the new business. Black Bear Wine & Spirits went from an idea to reality when the doors opened for business on Dec. 27, 2019. Black Bear Wine & Spirits is the newest liquor store in East Tennessee. We are honored to be the first one-stop package store in our area. We are open seven days a week and encourage you to visit our store to shop our large selection of liquor, wine, beer and mixer products. We are the first store to offer “drive-thru” window service for liquor, wine and beer purchase, if you already know what item you prefer. Like us on Facebook for current updates on new items, sales and specials! We look forward to seeing you. Just look for the red building with the Big Black Bear outside! 16 | September-October 2020
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NEXT TO LOWES FOODS | WILKESBORO | (336) 667-2257 September-October 2020 | 17
YOUNG AT HEART
Breast Cancer
in the Time of COVID-19 Lewis Carroll said, “Begin at the beginning and go on ‘till you come to the end; then stop.” This story begins on May 4, 2020, the day after my 43rd birthday, when I received the call informing me that I had breast cancer.
Prologue April 16 was the date of my annual mammogram, aka “boob squishing fun.” Due to COVID-19, the Breast Center was not strongly encouraging regular screenings. They gave me the option of postponing, sharing that many women were choosing to wait to limit potential exposure to the virus. I thought, “Well, if everyone else is waiting, maybe it’s a good time to go.” So, go I did. It wasn’t long before I got the call that “something” had shown up in both breasts that warranted a second look — another mammogram on the right, with additional imaging, and an ultrasound on the left. I was not concerned at this point — since I first began getting mammograms at the age of 38, I’ve had to return for follow-up imaging several times. My follow-up appointment was April 28; the ultrasound of my left breast showed a cyst that required no further investigation (yay!), the additional imag18 | September-October 2020
ing of my right breast showed an area of calcifications that required a stereotactic biopsy (boo!). Again, been there done that. I’ve previously had two biopsies, one of which was a stereotactic or ultrasound-guided biopsy, so I knew what to expect and was mostly concerned about how much this was going to cost me (spoiler alert: a lot!). I scheduled the biopsy for April 30 with Dr. Paul Dagher of Watauga Surgical Group, who performed both of my previous biopsies. Those came back benign; this one did not.
Diagnosis I spent several miserable days, including my birthday, waiting to hear the biopsy results. As the late Tom Petty said, “The waiting is the hardest part!” When Dagher’s office number finally appeared on my phone, I was both relieved and nervous. “What did they say?” my husband, Roger, inquired. “Well, I have a type of breast cancer,” I told him. “&@%#” was his response. “But, it’s a non-invasive type – stage zero,” I continued. Roger proceeded to ask me a slew of questions that I couldn’t answer because when I heard the words, “You have can-
cer,” I think I checked out for a moment. My brain needed time to process and to figure out how to tell people. Which, as I discovered, was the second hardest part. And, alas, there was no Tom Petty song to warn me of this fact.
Testing… testing… I met with Dagher on May 5 to discuss my diagnosis — he explained that I had DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive type of breast cancer in my right breast and that the most common treatment is lumpectomy followed by radiation. Roger and my mother (Mummy), a retired nurse, were allowed to accompany me, and Mummy served as my medical translator at this and subsequent appointments. Dagher scheduled an appointment for me with a radiation oncologist to discuss potential radiation treatments. And, later that week, I had an MRI to determine the size of the affected area and underwent genetic testing to check for the breast cancer gene. Both tests were necessary before Dagher could recommend a course of treatment. I also began to talk with family, close friends and a few select work colleagues. Until I knew what I was facing, I didn’t want to widely share the news. aawmag.com
Plan for the worst, expect the best I met with the radiation oncologist on May 12. Check. I met with Dagher on May 13 for the results of the MRI and genetic test. And, check. The MRI showed that the tumor was fairly large but the genetic test came back negative; therefore, Dagher recommended a lumpectomy and tissue rearrangement, an outpatient procedure, followed by radiation treatments. He had to explain the tissue rearrangement, but it’s just what it sounds like – after removing the tumor, the remaining breast tissue is rearranged to fill the gap, which eliminates the need for an implant. Roger asked, “If it’s non-invasive, what happens if you do nothing?” Dagher explained that if not removed, the tumor would eventually become invasive and could spread. “@%#&,” was Roger’s response. We scheduled the surgery for May 20, and I learned that I would need a precautionary pre-surgery COVID-19 test; therefore, to quote the tech who administered the test, I “got my brain poked” on May 14. Now that I had a plan, it was time to broadcast the news to friends and colleagues. A word of caution: you try casually slipping “I have breast cancer and am having surgery next week” into a conversation and see how it goes!
Surgery Early on the morning of May 20, Roger first dropped me off at the Breast Center for a needle localization that was
needed to mark the edges of the area to be removed and then at Watauga Medical Center for the procedure itself. He wasn’t permitted to enter the hospital but would be notified when it was time to pick me up. I spent the rest of the morning starving and waiting and reading and waiting and starving until I was finally wheeled back to the OR. I came through the surgery just fine, checked the required boxes to be released from the hospital, and headed home to first, eat, and second, rest. I was out of work one additional day and was already looking ahead to radiation treatments and putting this all behind me. Well, what is it that they say about best-laid plans?
The best-laid plans go astray A week after my lumpectomy, on May 27, I received another call from Dagher’s office – the pathology report was back and the margins weren’t clear. In addition, the tumor was more advanced than what was indicated by the biopsy and was on the verge of becoming invasive. “%#&@,” said Roger, when I shared the news. I was given two choices: 1) have another lumpectomy and hope that the margins would be clear (and repeat until clear), or 2) have a unilateral mastectomy
There’s no way to have a conversation that involves picking out the implant that’s closest in size to the breast that you’re about to have removed that isn’t awkward.
and if I desired, reconstruction. I chose the latter, and, silver lining, no remaining tissue meant no radiation treatments. On May 29, we – Roger, Mummy and me – met with the plastic surgeon, Dr. Damon Anagnos of Blue Ridge Plastic Surgery Group, to discuss options for reconstruction. Spoiler alert: there’s no way to have a conversation that involves picking out the implant that’s closest in size to the breast that you’re about to have removed that isn’t awkward. I was on my back and had a terrible vantage point; Roger looked mortified. But, pick one we did thanks to Mummy. In addition, I received reading materials that explained the various and sundry things that could go horribly wrong. That same day, we met with Dagher to discuss both procedures. Dagher would first remove the tissue and perform a lymph node biopsy to make sure the cancer had not spread. Then, based on several factors, Anagnos would determine whether to perform the implant reconstruction or put in a spacer to prepare the area for the implant which would be inserted later. This time around, I would need to stay overnight in the hospital and would have to be out of work for at least one full week. In addition, no strenuous exercise for at least six weeks (boo!). And, because too much time had passed since my preContinued on next page September-October 2020 | 19
vious pre-surgery COVID-19 test, I had to get another one (double boo!). I would also have a drain, and, yes, that turned out to be as unpleasant as I imagined. After coordinating schedules with Anagnos, Dagher scheduled the procedures for June 5. As if that day was not full enough, I managed to squeeze in a Happy Hour Zoom “going away party for my boobie” with my girlfriends. There was an outpouring of support amongst the slightly off-color jokes and laughter. There was also booze.
Back in my room, I video chatted with friends and family, then promptly forgot because of the pain meds, and I consumed an entire box of Triscuits. I spent the rest of that day and into the next morning attached to various cords, IVs and beeping machines, but I quickly moved up the hospital’s mobility scale by getting up and moving as much as possible! I did so well that the doctors kicked me out early the next morning … with an extensive list of instructions.
Surgery, the encore
I was out of work for a full week after the procedure and worked half days the following week. I was ordered to rest and be very mindful of how I moved my arm due to the stitches and the implant, which could move out of place if I wasn’t careful. I received calls and visits, flowers and chocolates, and much love and support from family, friends and colleagues. As to that extensive list of instructions: • I was not allowed to take showers while I had the drain – Mummy had to come over at least twice to help me wash my hair in the sink. • I had to strip the drain and measure the output. This determined how long it had to stay in – it was about a week. • No strenuous exercise or heavy lifting, but I was encouraged to take walks to help prevent blood clots. I also had special anti-blood clot exercises to do regularly. As I write this, it’s now more than three months since my mastectomy; however, from diagnosis to the second surgery was just over one month. The quick
I had the second COVID-19 test on Monday and spent the rest of the week wrapping up in-progress work projects, updating friends and colleagues on this new development, and packing my overnight bag and snacks for the hospital. Yes, snacks — it’s the little things. June 5 arrived and early that morning, Roger and I again headed to Watauga Medical Center. Then, tragedy struck … OK, not really … I forgot my snacks. We had to make a quick detour to the grocery store for more snacks, but we still managed to arrive at the hospital at my assigned check-in time. As before, Roger was allowed to drop me off and pick me up the next day. The morning was very similar to my previous visit but with a bit more poking and prodding. I went to sleep not knowing what Dr. Anagnos would decide about the reconstruction, but woke up to discover that he had been able to insert the implant (yay!). I would have breathed a sigh of relief but my chest was a bit tender.
Epilogue
timeline was in part due to COVID-19, because hospitals were limiting surgeries to essential procedures. I feel fortunate that I had little to no time to dwell on any of it. I continue to recover well and have had check-ups with both Dagher and Anagnos. My next check-ups are later this year. I’m easing back in to all of my pre-surgery activities and learning how to adjust to having an implant, which is heavier than breast tissue. So, if you see me listing to the right, that’s why. I also met with the medical oncologist and was prescribed a five-year course of a drug, Tamoxifen, which may help prevent breast cancer in my left breast. Also, more and often imaging for the timebeing. I understand now why women proudly declare themselves to be breast cancer survivors — it’s one of those defining experiences. And, it affects us all. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and the second most common cancer overall. I cannot recall telling anyone about my diagnosis who did not respond that a mother, sister, aunt, friend or colleague had had breast cancer. So, yes, cancer is scary, but I never felt alone. This helped me do what was required while trying to keep a positive attitude and my sense of humor. Mummy said I did great, and if Mummy says it, then it must be true!
heather brandon Considers life to be one big anthropological field experience. She observes and reports. She enjoys travel, food and wine and adventures with her husband, Roger.
Lessons Learned • Do your research! Websites such as the Susan G. Komen site (komen. org) are full of information, tools and resources that will help you prepare to talk with your doctors. • You will reach your out-of-pocket insurance maximum. I was glad that Dagher told me this early on so that I could resign myself to what it was going to cost me.
20 | September-October 2020
• Take your spouse or partner, a friend, or a retired nurse if you have one handy to your appointments. They can help ask questions and record answers — and potentially, choose implants.
breast cancer — the founder, Irene Sawyer, reached out to me and we had a nice chat. In addition, Boone has a specialty store, A Perfect Fit (aperfectfitboone.com) that stocks post-op bras and other supplies.
• Know your local resources! The High Country Breast Cancer Foundation (hcbcf.org) provides assistance to local women diagnosed with
• Your insurance may pay for bras! Mine pays for two each year that I can get from A Perfect Fit.
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Mastectomy Bras, Breast Forms, Wigs, Swimsuits, Compression Hose and Armsleeves M - F 9am - 5pm Walk-ins welcome ~ Appointments prefered 184 Boone Heights Drive • Boone, NC 28607
www.aperfectfitboone.com • 828-386-6250
2550 HWY 421 NORTH, BOONE • 828-297-5055 CHECK US OUT ON FACE BOOK! September-October 2020 | 21
Feature
Heather Peters and Maggi Birdsell Reimagine Primary Care
Elevating Health Care A unique primary care practice can be found at 17 E. Buck Mountain Road in West Jefferson. Elevation Health provides personalized care with a lifestyle-first approach to empower patients to live their healthiest life possible. Elevation Health opened its doors in November 2019 and offers all of the traditional services of a primary care provider but with longer, more personalized visits. Patients will have the opportunity to forge relationships with Family Nurse Practitioner Heather Peters and Registered Dietician Maggi Birdsell. Peters spent 10 years working in traditional primary care settings and felt that the quality of care for patients was being lost, and she did not feel that patients were the priority of primary care during that time. She found that her desire was to be able to spend more time with her patients and find the root of their illnesses. After completing research, she 22 | September-October 2020
discovered the direct-primary care model that Elevation Health follows. Birdsell said that the longer she practiced nutrition and had her hands “tied” by insurance companies, the closer she and Peters came to the development of Elevation Health. She also felt in the past that she was unable to provide care in the way that would impact patients most. She added that she enjoys working in a setting where nutrition is considered an integral piece of the care plan and is not viewed as separate from medical care, which is what she previously experienced. “They are seen as two very separate departments and they’re not,” Birdsell said. “You can’t really separate health care and lifestyle and nutrition.” The atmosphere of Elevation Health is also welcoming to all who enter, with modern decor and the aroma of essential oils wafting through the air. “We definitely wanted it to feel a bit
more ‘homey’ and comfortable because if patients are not comfortable then they are not going to be transparent because they want to get in and get out,” Peters said. “And I never want patients to feel like they are coming in to be reprimanded — we’re a team and we want to help patients to feel the best that they can and be the best version of themselves.” Birdsell said that at Elevation Health, they want patients to realize they are the “driver” of their health care, and as providers they are there to assist and aid them in the areas of health and wellness they would like to improve upon. “We definitely try to help people address everything as a whole, because your body has different systems, but they all work together,” Birdsell said. “So we want to help your body to function as best as it can.” One of the aspects that members of Elevation Health seem to enjoy the most aawmag.com
is how accessible Peters and Birdsell are to them through direct messages, phone calls and an app. According to Peters, their patients enjoy the lifestyle approach and individualized care since it differs so much from traditional primary care settings. In addition to Elevation Health, as a separate business, Peters and Birdsell also own Ashe CrossFit with their husbands. Peters and her husband, Marty,
are the founding owners, and Birdsell and her husband, Travis, became owners in January. Ashe CrossFit is conveniently located in the same building as Elevation Health. Peters and Birdsell both feel exercise and movement is an important part of health and what they enjoy about CrossFit is that it focuses on functional movements such as squatting and picking up a box using the correct form. “It is not about going to the gym and getting your 30 minutes of cardio, it is about how you get your exercise by incorporating functional movements that really help you sustain better body mechanics,” Peters said. Both Peters and Birdsell are former athletes and agree that CrossFit is the most beneficial full-body workout. According to Birdsell, there are not many other practices in the area offering outpatient nutrition counseling. At Elevation Health, they offer nutrition packages to the community as a service through nutrition packages for those who do not wish to switch primary care providers. There are also add-ons available, including grocery store shopping experiences with Birdsell where members can
learn how to choose the right foods for their dietary plan or visit a restaurant and learn to choose the correct menu items. According to Birdsell, they offer these add-ons because they are “outside of the box” and allow patients to apply what they have learned outside of their office. Peters and Birdsell both have a passion to not jump to medication, but rather work through any medical problems patients may be experiencing and offer solutions. Peters added that in the fast-paced, instantaneous society where everything is readily accessible, it is important to note that health is not such an immediate process. “Your health is not always that easy, but we are here to hold your hand and help you work through that,” Peters said. To learn more about Elevation Health and their services, visit the website at www.elevationhealthpc.com or call (336) 646-7442. Elevation Health can also be reached via their Facebook page @Elevation Health. For more information about Ashe CrossFit, visit the website at www.ashecrossfit.com, the Facebook page @Ashe CrossFit or call (336) 846-1717. Bailey Little Bailey is a journalist living in West Jefferson. She enjoys drinking coffee, listening to music and traveling. She looks forward to learning something new each day. September-October 2020 | 23
Feature
Elise Sigmon
Photo by Sarah Rodriguez
Moving to Make a Difference
24 | September-October 2020
When the doors of Sole Impact Studios opened for the first time in 2018, it was a dream come true for Elise Sigmon. As founder and owner, Elise has combined her love for dance and empowering children to build an atmosphere of fun and fitness. “Our tag line is ‘Move to make a difference,’” Elise says. “So that’s really important to me, empowering kids, especially young girls, women. It was definitely a dream come true, and this space has been more than I even dreamed it could be. I’m really, really proud of what it’s become.” As dancers from as young as kindergarteners to those in their 60s arrive at the brightly decorated studio or attend class virtually, they join Elise’s community of men, women, boys and girls committed to excellence in dancing and having fun. During Elise’s high school and college years,
the thought of owning and operating her own dance studio was just a far-off dream, but in recent years it has become a reality. Elise has spent most of her life in the High Country and began clogging around the age of 7, when her mother signed her up for lessons. As she continued to clog, she eventually joined the dance team at Watauga High School and then even created her own interdisciplinary studies major at Appalachian State University to focus on both business and dance. After teaching dance classes for a few years by the time she graduated from Appalachian State, Elise and a business partner then went in together to jointly start a dance studio. “I just loved being my own boss and having my own business,” Elise recalls. “I just have this big vision of something bigger and bigger.” As time progressed, Elise’s vision of owning her own studio began to come to fruition. The name Sole Impact Studios was chosen, but she did not have a building yet. Then, Elise came upon the perfect location. Sole Impact finds its home in The Big Blue Center for aawmag.com
ors are pictured at the studio’s Top right: Sole Impact instruct 2020; Top left: Sole Impact’s AllJune in y Part Drive-Thru Awards left: cers with disabilities; Bottom dan Star Dance Class is a class for clog last r thei at ured cers are pict Sole Impact’s competition dan y did a ‘Senior The 0. 202 ch Mar in ., Tenn ging event in Gatlinburg, for the show. Photos submitted Citizens Cruise’-themed routine
Expressive Arts. The Big Blue, as Elise affectionately calls it, is a blue-colored community center in Boone for locals to join together in creativity and their passion for the arts. Along with Sole Impact, The Big Blue has a martial arts academy, art studio and music studio. Elise and her husband Kyle, who she met in band class in high school, co-own The Big Blue together. Yet, this is not the first time they have been co-workers. Kyle, the associate pastor at FaithBridge United Methodist Church in Blowing Rock, said he and Elise have worked together at the church before in the past, so being business partners at The Big Blue is a natural fit. “We’re pretty much life partners too, so it kind of makes a lot of sense,” Kyle said. “We’ve always liked having time together.” Though the demands of running the studio, caring for her fellow instructors and teaching dance classes herself are high, Kyle said Elise is thriving when she is working at Sole Impact. “She’s just in her element,” Kyle says. “When it’s something that she’s doing and it’s her initiative, it fuels her. She’s just a special person that way.” Elise — described as an organized boss and caring friend by her fellow Sole Impact dance instructors — works to make sure the studio runs like a well-oiled machine, but also is where her
co-workers, students and their parents know they can have fun. “I think that’s what makes Elise great,” Becky Moretz, a dance instructor at Sole Impact who has known Elise for almost eight years, says. “She’s just a combination of extremely organized so that everything is clear, but just very personable and really cares. It’s very relaxed, so there’s not a lot of pressure. So it just makes it fun and people want to do it because it’s fun and it’s organized.” As COVID-19 has disrupted in-person gatherings since March, Elise used her flexibility and ingenuity to pivot her plans almost instantaneously. Upon making the decision in mid-March to stop meeting in person for dance classes, Elise immediately began creating YouTube videos for her students. Then the next week, the studio transitioned to using Zoom to teach classes virtually and continue to invest in the dancers. “She’s such an entrepreneur, so I just see that spirit in her and that creativity of how to just continue to be better and better and to make sure what she’s offering people is not just good dancing but good morale, good positive messages,” Kyle said. “Since all the COVID-19 stuff, I was just so amazed to see how innovative she was with keeping dancing going with Zoom. She just had to adapt and figure out a brand new way to do
everything she had been doing.” With a trip to Disney World, a halftime show performance for the Harlem Globetrotters and a recital canceled, Elise wanted to do something special for her students this past spring. She had the students send in videos of themselves performing their routines at home, and with the help of some other instructors, Elise pieced together all the videos for a final product. “What I think makes Elise special with her passion for dance is even with all this COVID mess when it screwed up competition season and dance recitals, she has such a passion for it that she immediately was like ‘We’ll find a way around this,’” Sole Impact dance instructor Chynna Birkmire said. “She just has such a passion to sticking to her word and delivering through on promises.” With precautions, Elise has recently begun in-person classes again at Sole Impact for those that feel comfortable attending. She has also made virtual options available. But without fall festivals or in-person holiday dance recitals to look forward to, Elise has had to figure out how to continue to engage her students. Each month, Elise said her teachers at Sole Impact will be focusing on a specific character trait with lessons and song selection centered on the trait. Continued on next page September-October 2020 | 25
pact’s Drive-Thru
taken at Sole Im n family photo is
A Sigmo
She is kicking off this initiative with a focus on perseverance. “My main goal is to obviously teach them the choreography, whatever it is,” Elise explains. “But even above that is to give dancers of all ages — boys, girls, men, women — just the confidence that they are good enough as they are. We don’t need to compare ourselves to others because you are you. You are unique and beautiful and awesome. So, I really want these kids, especially kids, to know that. I feel like so much of what I do is just try to build them up.” Elise’s fellow dance instructors at Sole Impact have taken note of how important this is to her. “Elise is trying to drive home (that) it’s not just dance,” Chynna says. “We’re also trying to empower young girls.
ne Awards Party in Ju
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Elise (with the help of some assista cut out hearts and sta nts) rs and wrote each da ncer’s name on one an them in the window. d hung Lots of dancers drove by to find their name a picture with it. ‘This and take was one of the ways we let our dancers know much we missed them! how ’ Elise says. Photos sub mitted
2020.
She’s so good at what she does.” Elise spends many evenings a week during dance season at Sole Impact doing what she loves — dancing and passing on that passion to others. Yet as a mother of five children (four biological children and one foster child, ranging from 5 to 16 years old), her ability to balance motherhood, entrepreneurship and teaching is noteworthy. With the flexibility to often be home during the day, Elise said she has had to have real, honest conversations with her children about work. “I’ve had to tell my kids, just like you enjoy hanging out with your friends and you enjoy playing … or doing whatever, I actually enjoy my job,” Elise said. “I enjoy working. While being a mom does give me purpose in life and meaning, so does this. So does owning a business and so does Sole Impact. So when I’m working I actually do like it.” On top of her studio-related responsibilities,
Sole Impact dancers perform at the ASU Homecoming Parade in October 2019.
Elise is active in her church, a runner with her first marathon on the calendar for January and a clogging instructor for Appalachian State. She also recently opened the Big Blue during the school day as a remote learning center for children to come and have a place to focus on their school work in a safe environment. Described as thoughtful, kind and well respected by her husband and co-workers, Elise sees each day of teaching dance and operating Sole Impact as another day of living her passion. “Some people have jobs that they don’t really enjoy and it’s in order to support what they really do want to do that doesn’t make any money, which is fine. And then there’s some people that can make a living doing what they love to do. I got lucky in doing that. And I’ve told (my kids) that I hope that you all can find something that you love to do and figure out how to make money doing it.” To learn more about Sole Impact Studios, visit www.soleimpactstudios.com.
Sarah Rodriguez Sarah is a newcomer to the Boone area. She loves traveling, reading, and all things Baltimore sports.
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Feature
Catherine Young and Caitlin Massey are two of the women leading the Community Care Clinic. Photo by Kayla Lasure
Women at the Helm of Expanding Clinic Community Care Clinic Provides Holistic Health Care in High Country and Beyond The Community Care Clinic provides a medical home for about 900 uninsured patients, offering not just primary care but behavioral health and specialties such as neurology, physical therapy and orthopedics. And the clinic’s leadership is made up almost entirely of women, a dynamic team that works together to serve uninsured patients in the High Country. “Being new here, I found it really awesome that our leader is a woman and that we are empowered women working towards a goal and a mission to provide health care for people who need it the most,” said Development Officer Caitlin Massey. “I definitely find comfort in that.”
The clinic, which launched in 2006, is its own 501c3 nonprofit that partners with other organizations such as the Hunger and Health Coalition and the Hospitality House, a homeless shelter and crisis agency. The idea for the clinic emerged in the early 2000s, when Dr. Jack Whitlock and Dr. Marye Hacker started treating low-income patients from the back of a station wagon. Now funded by community donations and state grants, the clinic’s mission is to provide quality health care to low-income, uninsured people. Continued on next page September-October 2020 | 27
There are no geographical restrictions for service. The only requirement is to be uninsured. “Through our integrated care model, patients have access to high-quality services that include primary care, behavioral health, disease management, active follow-up and continuity of care,” the clinic’s website states. The clinic accepts patients from across the region, from Watauga and Ashe to Johnson and Wilkes counties. About 75% of patients come from Watauga County, followed closely by Ashe, Alleghany and Wilkes, said Executive Director Catherine Young. More than half of the patients are women. There are no geographical restrictions for service. The only requirement is to be uninsured. Many patients have not seen a doctor or had health care for four or five years before they come to the clinic, Young said. The reason they visit? They’ve developed health problems. “Most of our patients have a chronic condition, and about half of them have
more than one,” Young said. “A lot of our patients are quite sick. Their chronic conditions have progressed to the point where they don’t have a choice — they have to try to find something.” Lack of health insurance has long been an issue in North Carolina. The state’s uninsured rate is the ninth highest in the nation. More than 1 million North Carolinians did not have health insurance in 2018, the same number for the year before, according to an annual U.S. Census Bureau report released in 2019. The gap widens even more based on geography. Data gathered by the American Community Survey and the Census Bureau’s Small Area Health Insurance Estimates program shows that North Carolina’s rural counties include 20 of the 22 counties with the highest percentage of uninsured residents. The mountains and southern coastal plain have the highest numbers. “It’s not like you lose your health care
and come to the free clinic,” Young said. “It takes a while for people to get there.” To help bridge that gap, the clinic has an integrated care model that focuses on the big picture: not just the patient’s physical state, but their emotional, social, mental, environmental and spiritual needs as well. Support includes case management, nutrition education, diabetes education and community resource referrals. As the clinic serves a growing number of patients, it is also navigating several changes this year, including a shift in leadership and changes in practice due to COVID-19. Young took over as executive director in August. She has been at the clinic since 2010 in several roles, including accountant, data management and collection, grant writer and assistant to the executive director. She received her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and worked in industry for more than 30 years in Ohio
Lack of health insurance has long been an issue in North Carolina. The state’s uninsured rate is the ninth highest in the nation. Community Care Clinic doctor Daniel Goble checks the heartbeat of Debbie Danner. Photos by Kayla Lasure 28 | September-October 2020
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Community Care Clinic The Community Care Clinic offers a variety of services, including: • Primary care • Gynecology • Physical therapy • Diabetes education • Community resource referrals • On-site lab The Community Care Clinic is located at 141 Health Center Drive, Unit B, in Boone.
• Orthopedics
and North Carolina. King has also served as parish administrator for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone. In her new position, King now manages the clinic’s staff and handles grant writing full time — work that is informed by her background in engineering. “That’s the kind of stuff I like to do: the data gathering,” Young said. “There’s a lot of data management in writing grants. We would not be here without them. We would not be the same clinic without them.” In light of the pandemic, the clinic is trying to resume services in a way that balances safety precautions and patient needs. Behavioral care is still entirely virtual, but about half of clinic visits are in person now, alternating virtual and physical appointments, Massey said. “There’s that personal aspect to health care that really adds to the holistic part, as well,” Massey said. “We’re trying to do our best to make sure that we can stay safe, stay healthy, but also do what’s best for our patients.” Staff are also focusing on expanding mental health services. An estimated 65% of patients are in need of mental health services, but the clinic doesn’t have the staff or the resources to serve nearly that many people, Young said. “Not everybody needs intensive
• Dermatology
mental health counseling, but everybody could use a little nudge towards better health here and there,” she said. To continue expanding and supporting clinic services, the CCC hosted a fundraiser in September, raising $10,000 from virtual and in-person activities including a catered dinner by Scott Phan, music by William Massey and The Harris Brothers and digital streaming by Yosef Media. While the clinic typically has an annual fall fundraiser, the transition to a virtual event was a success, Massey said. Community Care Clinic has big plans for the future, including an online art auction in October and rebuilding in-person services post-coronavirus. Massey and Young want to increase the clinic’s visibility in the community, build new relationships with local businesses, maintain relationships with existing supporters and help the organization grow throughout the region. To stay up to date on upcoming events, or for more information about the clinic’s services, visit ccclinic.org or on Facebook @communitycareclinicBoone.
Macon Atkinson Macon is a journalism graduate of Appalachian State. She’s a fan of morning coffee, mountain sunsets and Spanish poetry.
• General surgery consults • Mental health • Neurology • Case management • Fitness education • Health and nutrition education Spanish interpretation is provided by ARHS Latino Health program. Vision and dental care is provided in partnership with Western Carolina Eye Associates and Appalachian Dental Care. Office hours are Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday evening 5-8 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to noon. Contact the clinic at 828-2658591, or at 141 Health Center Drive, Suite B, in Boone.
September-October 2020 | 29
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Health
30 | September-October 2020
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The Talk of the Town:
Immunity
There is a lot of talk about the immune system these days, with good reason. It is a complex and intelligent defense system capable of discerning microscopic enemies to our health and constructing an appropriate defense against them. When it fails to do either, people get sick and even die. So, it is indeed worthy of our attention. Manmade attempts to “help” the immune system through antibiotics and vaccines have proven effective in controlling and even eradicating some diseases: Polio, smallpox, measles, mumps and the flu among them. It is hoped that this list will soon include COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. In the meantime, here are five simple things we can do to support the immune system. Manage stress. Stress decreases the white blood cells that help fight off infection. The lower our white blood cell count, the more at risk we are for everything from the common cold to the coronavirus. Deep breathing, mindfulness and exercise can help bring down the stress hormones. Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water, throughout the day. Water flushes toxins and ensures that our cells get all the oxygen they need to function as they were meant to. It also helps produce lymph. Lymph carries immune cells throughout the body to the places they are most needed. Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is a time of restoration for the body,
during which a special protein (cytokine) is released that fights infection. Too little sleep lowers the amount of these proteins and increases your chances of getting sick. Eat a healthy diet. Eat your veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats. Without them, your immune defenses grow weak. Some nutrients that have been identified as critical for the growth and function of immune cells include vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, iron and protein (including the amino acid glutamine). They are found in a variety of plant and animal foods. Take a multivitamin. Supplements should not be considered a substitute for a good diet, but they can help fill the gaps. When you are choosing a supplement, ask: Does it provide the recommended dietary allowances (RDA)? Is it in a form my body can tolerate (for example, if you have trouble swallowing pills, look for a liquid or an isotonic form)? Do those five things in addition to the basics: Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Socially distance. And always check with your health professional before making diet and lifestyle changes.
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bonnie church Certified Life and Wellness Coach Author/columnist, motivational speaker Certified Trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution
September-October 2020 | 31
Health
Dental Hygiene is About More Than Just Your
Teeth Individuals tend to learn about dental hygiene at an early age. On the recommenda-
tion of their children’s pediatricians, parents may begin brushing their youngsters’ teeth the moment the first tooth breaks through the gums. While proper dental hygiene is vital to oral health, it also can have a profound effect on the rest of the body. According to the Mayo Clinic, poor oral health might contribute to various
32 | September-October 2020
love THINGS WE
Acrylic intuitive painting “Release” (30 x 40) by Debbie Arnold is featured along with other paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, glass, wood and fiber art by local, and regional artists at Carlton Gallery.
diseases and conditions. Periodontitis is a severe yet preventable gum infection that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. But the threat of periodontitis doesn’t end in the mouth. The American Academy of Periodontology notes there’s a connection between periodontitis and several other diseases. While bacteria was long suspected to be the link between periodontitis and other diseases in the body, the AAP notes that recent research points to inflammation as the culprit that connects periodontitis with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The AAP notes that people with diabetes are at increased risk for periodontal disease, speculating that diabetes patients’ risk is higher because people with diabetes are more vulnerable to infections than those without diabetes. While that suggests periodontal disease is a byproduct of diabetes, the AAP notes that research points to the relationship being a two-way street. Periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people with diabetes to control their
blood sugar, making dental hygiene an especially vital component of routine healthcare for people with diabetes. The AAP notes that research indicates periodontal disease increases a person’s risk for heart disease, with the inflammation caused by the former leading to the latter. People with existing heart conditions also may find that periodontal disease exacerbates those conditions. The Mayo Clinic notes that the link between heart disease and periodontal disease is not fully understood, but enough studies have been conducted for scientists to support the notion that the two are connected. Periodontal disease is preventable. A daily dental hygiene regimen that includes brushing after meals, flossing at least once per day and swishing with mouthwash are some simple, healthy habits that can prevent periodontal disease. In addition, the AAP recommends that people at increased risk for periodontal disease, including the elderly and smokers, should discuss their risk with their dental professionals.
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Style & Leisure
Images by rawpixel.com
TRAVEL
What Was the Spark? A sister writer, listening to yet another of my mini-essays on hoping to enable Third World women to realize their dreams, asked me, “What inspired you to make Third World women a priority in your life’s journey?” I answered, “I honestly don’t know. Stay tuned and I promise to give it some thought.” Hmmm, let’s see. Oh, yes! And yes! There was this, and then there was that. How could I have forgotten to see the pattern? 34 | September-October 2020
When I was a little girl, there was an older girl in my church, 10 years older than I, whom I admired. After college she went to Lebanon to teach at the American University in Beirut. Later she became dean of women there. I always thought that some day I would go to Beirut. Amazingly, in 1962, I win a year-long, all-expense-paid fellowship for a Spanish teachers’ institute in San Francisco. It’s not because I’m so talented, but because my Spanish needs serious improvement.
Whole new worlds open up. The God thing presents itself. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is setting the civil rights world on fire with his powerful sermons. I attend a lecture by theologian Dr Paul Tillich, who imagines God not as some parent in the sky, but as the ground of being. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy has just established a brand new way of life, the Peace Corps. My new friends and I apply. I wait and wait for my Peace Corps aawmag.com
assignment, finally taking a job teaching Spanish in New York. The very next day I get the news that I’ve been appointed to teach English at a university in Urubamba, Peru. Thinking I can’t break my contract, I decline the Peace Corps assignment. But the Peace Corps bug has bitten. “BLACK CHURCHES BURNED TO THE GROUND IN MISSISSIPPI” reads the headline of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Christmas Eve 1964. Christmas carols are playing on our family’s stereo. A cozy fire crackles in the fireplace. My mother is baking her trademark pineapple sweet rolls to deliver to the neighbors on Christmas morning. I can go back in my mind to these moments as if they were yesterday. The familiar ache returns. I should be going to Mississippi. Something is calling me. But I do not go. Our family piles into the car to go to our church’s Christmas Eve service. The God thing continues to worm its way into my psyche. After two years of teaching I head for the soul-shaking adventure of theological seminary. On a 24-hour sojourn in inner-city Cleveland, I’m dropped off with a handful of classmates on the bleak streets, with only a dollar and a toothbrush. We manage to find shelter in the City Mission, temporarily safe from a rude encounter on the streets. On another such adventure I am admitted as a patient in a mental institution, where women are moaning, screaming and banging their heads against the wall all night. I distinctly remember the inedible bowl of boiled potatoes and turnips I am served. By the end of the 24 hours I feel as if I belong there. The Ecumenical Institute in inner city Chicago is a month-long, dreary January in 1968, of snow, slush and darkness, breakfasts of fried bologna, 6 a.m. worship, six hours of sleep, cleaning toilets and mice and rats roaming the corridors of our tenement building. “We’re gonna build it for Chicago, we’re gonna give it to the world” is our community song, as we tackle the problems of welfare
rights, housing, education, food supply and recreation, the needs of our adopted neighborhood. It’s winter of 1968, just months from my graduation from Methodist Theological School in Ohio. I see a poster in the coffee shop that shouts, “Want to go to Haiti?” “You bet!” I immediately respond. The trip has been planned to seek supporters for a new organization, International Child Care, that has recently established a hospital for children with TB and malnutrition, plus a program to eradicate TB in Haiti.
On April 4, just minutes after we hear the devastating news of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, our plane takes off from Miami for Haiti. As much us we hate to leave our country at such a sad time, we soon are encircled in the powerful embrace of Haitians mourning with us. Somehow, our desire for peace, liberation and justice melds with theirs. If I hadn’t traveled to Haiti I might never have experienced the extreme poverty in which half the world lives. The streets of Port-au-Prince, in 100-degree heat, are filled with ragged men, women and children carrying jerry cans, baskets of fruit and vegetables, or piles of clothes on their heads. Most are barefoot, some hobbling along with a single handmade crutch. I visit in tar paper shacks put together with palm fronds, bamboo and scrap metal. In La Saline, the worst slum, rivers of raw sewage run down the muddy lanes. I return to Haiti 22 times, guiding
inner city poor people and other volunteers, young and old, black and white. Rather than take work away from Haitians by doing work projects, we collect and carry medicines and hospital supplies. We spend our two weeks in Haiti learning all we can about Haitian life, hopes and dreams. We buy beads, wood carvings and other crafts, take them back to the USA, and sell them to raise money for the hospital, the anti-TB drive, and St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children. What is there for me to do next but apply for a job as an inner city street minister in Akron, Ohio, at a new ecumenical ministry called OPEN-M (Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry?) Summer work camps bring inner city and suburban youth together to sleep in church basements, live on a welfare diet, and be let out on street corners in pairs, each with a dime to spend, but no toothbrush, for a one-hour mini-saturation experience of playing a game with a child, observing a street drama, offering to help someone, and spending the dime. Sixteen years of hopes and heartaches follow. All of this leads to what now? Listening to the dreams of women in Bulumagi, Uganda, who want to start a program of micro-businesses. Surprising the women of a village in Burundi with a brand-new preschool and a porridge feeding program for their children. Sponsoring a very poor teenage girl, Kalpana, in Rishikesh, India, at Mother Miracle School. Signing up with Alight, the American refugee committee that helps refugees in nine countries to obtain a meaningful job in the camps. And so much more. And what lies just around the bend? Who knows? I hope I am ready.
sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com September-October 2020 | 35
‘The Return’ Brings Back Nicholas Sparks at His Best BY TOM MAYER
Twenty-five years ago this year, a young salesman working in New Bern, N.C., had more to sell than the pharmaceutical supplies he carried and pitched from doctor to doctor. Nicholas Sparks, then 29, had recently completed a novel — a love story based on personal experiences. Famously driven, to that point Sparks had written two novels that would not be published, and entertained his entrepreneurial spirit in various occupations — real estate, waiter, starting his own medical supply manufacturing business — in what he has been reported to say was a quest to make his first million dollars before he was 30. In 1995, the novel he had labored on in his spare time was plucked from an agency slush pile by literary agent Theresa Park. Park saw something special in the work, and within a year, so would much of the reading world. “The Notebook” was published in October 1996 and the debut author made The New York Times best-seller list in his first week. The book would spend the next 55 weeks there. From that beginning, Sparks has eclipsed even his earlier drive and has published 20 more novels, a work of nonfiction with his brother, Micah Sparks, seen the production of 11 movie adaptations, an upcoming stage adaptation and written for television. His books have sold more than 100 million copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages. His movies have earned worldwide in the neighborhood of $1 billion. Eclipsing also that first $1 million, Sparks, who still lives in New Bern, has donated tens of millions of dollars to charity, started a school and, a decade ago, seeded a foundation for disadvantaged children. His success, Sparks says, is because of the fans who early found his books and movies and stayed loyal to the love stories he offers year after year. The year 2020 will not be different in terms of that loyalty.
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Sparks’s new novel, “The Return” (Grand Central Publishing), is the author’s best love story to date, intricately plotted and paced, and with characters who are fully fleshed from the Eastern North Carolina town that is both the novel’s setting and the author’s adopted hometown, New Bern. The backstory of Trevor Benson, a military surgeon who loses his career from an explosion in Afghanistan and now suffers from PTSD, is one filled with secrets and trauma that many soldiers returning from war will identify. The stories of Natalie Masterson, a sheriff’s deputy, and Callie, a sullen teenager, contain deep secrets of their own. As their lives intersect in a small North Carolina town, Sparks weaves his own brand of regrets, sentimentality and a good dose of humor as Trevor copes with his past in a novel that often reads like a mystery, but at the end is a fully formed love story that will not disappoint his readers. Speaking about the new novel, and those readers, Sparks recently spent some time with Mountain Times. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length. Tom Mayer: Three popular North Carolina authors, yourself, Ron Rash and David Joy, each have a new book out this season, and although the regions vary, each is traditionally tied to North Carolina. What is it about North Carolina that the state — and in particular for you, New Bern — so often populates your love stories? Nicholas Sparks: The primary reason I keep using North Carolina for my stories is familiarity and the fact that it’s the state that I call home. It also happens to be a place that’s not written a lot about by other than those from North Carolina. There are lots of novels set around the world or in major cities, but very few that
use North Carolina as a setting. So there’s a freshness and originality to any story that uses North Carolina as a setting. Yet another reason is that geographically, it’s a beautiful state and a very varied state. The highest mountain on the East Coast is in North Carolina, and from there the state goes all the way to the coast. You have the unique features of the Outer Banks and places like that, so it tends to enhance the mood of the stories I’m attempting to write. TM: You are extremely well-traveled — the evidence of that is your book, “Three Weeks with My Brother” — and you have fans across the globe. Are you ever tempted to set a story in another part of the world? NS: Certain elements of the story, yes. At the same time, using a North Carolina setting in part is one of the things I tend to always do. While I won’t say I’ll never do it, I’ll say that at the present time I’d find it highly likely that future novels will be set in North Carolina — at least in part, as in a novel such as my last one, “Every Breath,” in which, of course, one of the characters was from Zimbabwe. In the novel that I’m working on now, that will come out at a future date, one of the characters lives primarily in New York City. The setting of North Carolina plays a large role in those stories. TM: Another area that plays a large role in your novels is the North Carolina city you live in, New Bern. From my own time living there, it’s apparent that you tend not to fictionalize New Bern in your stories. Especially in your new novel, “The Return,” you paint the city as an area I remember well: The businesses and scenery you depict are actual places. While many authors take large poetic license, you go more authentic. Any special reason for that?
NS: In this particular novel, I want to introduce people to my hometown. It was the perfect setting for a story of this type. Obviously, I live here for a reason: the geographic beauty, the small town culture here and everything associated with those two things. A small town in a beautiful area of the world. TM: That’s a good point. Visiting a place we haven’t been to in a long time, as is the case with Trevor coming back to his grandfather’s home in this story, can promote nostalgia. In fact, if I had to sum up “The Return” in one word, nostalgia would be it. Would you agree? Or do you have a better word? NS: No, nostalgia is certainly an underlying theme that I cover in many of my novels. It is certainly part of this story in a large way. New Bern was a place where Trevor spent his summers. He grew up in D.C., but he would come to New Bern in the summer and visit his grandfather and of course, it was an entirely different life than the one he lived on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., with two very successful, high-powered parents. There are a lot of people who think back to visiting their grandparents or their original hometown, and you can’t help but hearken back to: This is where I came from — I may be living a different life now, but there were a lot of great things about this place as small or quiet as it was. Those small, quiet places tend to linger in the memory in positive lights. TM: The characters in “The Return” — Trevor, Natalie, Callie and even those we never meet such as Carl — are wonderfully developed and each is presented with their own challenges. Would Continued on next page
September-October 2020 | 37
you talk about developing Trevor, who has PTSD, Natalie, who is haunted by her past and Callie, who appears to be a sullen teen rebel, but actually has much more depth than that? NS: Sure. To develop the character of Trevor Benson I spent a lot of time talking with military veterans who struggle with PTSD in some fashion. Some have more intense cases of PTSD. Some have more minor manifestations of PTSD, and the more I spoke with them, the more I began to understand that the consequences of PTSD are as unique as the individuals themselves. While there are some similarities, people react differently. Some have nightmares, some have flash tempers. Some struggle with addictions. Some will say, “I’m perfectly fine — except my hands shake all the time.” It was very sad, and the most important thing I learned from these discussions was that PTSD isn’t something the can be cured. It’s something that one has to manage throughout the course of their lives. To develop Trevor Benson, I wanted that aspect, and that aspect was not only associated with the explosion, the mortar round and destruction in Afghanistan, but it was also the fact that this mortar round not only blew him up, but it blew up everything he thought he was, his career. And who are we if we suddenly don’t know what we’re supposed to do? I really wanted to describe that process of learning to heal while acknowledging that this is a long-term chronic management issue. All of this became the backstory — and current story — of Trevor Benson, and I wanted to make him as real as possible. Among the techniques of dealing with PTSD is something called distraction. If one is feeling anxious or upset, you try to distract yourself. And so, Callie becomes a little bit of a distraction, and so does the mystery about his grandfather. By
38 | September-October 2020
thinking about Callie and his grandfather, his mind is on something new. Now, distraction is one of many, many skill sets one has to use. So, I wanted to describe that arc as well. As far as Callie, she’s a very mysterious character — and rightfully so once you learn her story. I wanted the reader to get to know her in the same way Trevor got to know her: little by little, nothing makes sense — who is this person? She is an intelligent and brave teenager. And, she has her own secrets, like Trevor, that have taken over her life. And, you bring that full circle with Natalie Masterson, who has her own situation she is dealing with, and one that is also affecting her life on a daily basis. To bring these characters together, and to illustrate that they’re all struggling in their own unique ways, one can — at the end of the novel — look back and ask, which one is honestly struggling the most? And, what would I do in such a situation? You realize that developing meaningful relationships and learning to trust are components of the healing process, and they all do this with one another. TM: Speaking about relationships, I loved the minor character Jerrold. Talk about your authentic old man sitting on the porch of the general store. Where did he come from?
story, you present a picture of the hive as a self-contained community. A metaphor for an idealized society, or did it just fit the story arc? NS: It’s a little bit of both. I received a wonderful text from a best friend who suffers from PTSD and he noted that had taken up beekeeping as a peaceful form of therapy. It’s interesting that the more you learn about bees, the more you want to have a hive in your own yard. It’s a wonderful thing for farms and crops and pollination, and at the same time they are largely perfect communities. In the entirety of the insect animal kingdom, when you’re dealing with a 100,000 units that have to work together all the time, it’s really quite extraordinary. And you add in, that without them, human life is impossible. And, little things, how Trevor’s grandfather would have a bee sting him in his knee to help his arthritis. I was in New Hampshire and I was walking my dog and there were these bee hives and there was the beekeeper and he had this beautiful property that he allowed me to walk my dog through. I got to talking with him, and I watched him use a bee to sting his knee. He said, “It takes my arthritis pain away.” Sure enough, years after that, it’s now in medical literature that that works.
NS: Oh, I’ve met such characters many times in North Carolina. Whether at the farmers market, or when I used to live out on Brices Creek Road, I met some people who, very much, served as the inspiration for the character of Jerrold. No question.
TM: That’s a wonderful story. And you’ve also done something wonderful with “The Return” that I found satisfying at the end: You wrote the novel with a truly bittersweet ending. Why is it that love stories seem to be truer if they end bittersweet or tragically rather than “happy?”
TM: Another spotlight in “The Return,” and what functions almost as a separate character, is beekeeping. As beekeeping prominently figures in the
NS: The reality of love goes like this: All love stories, by definition, must end in tragedy. All of them. The more you love, the more it’s over. The more it hurts when
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it’s gone. And if it doesn’t hurt when it’s gone, then the love probably wasn’t as real as you thought it was. And that’s not only applicable to romantic relationships, but to parental relationships, siblings, friends or even your pets, for goodness sake. But, there comes a time when that relationship is going to end. Every human being has experienced those moments, and on a subconscious level we understand that love is temporary. Its ending is inevitable because we’re not immortal. TM: Before we get to that ending, let’s talk about the beginning. “The Return” publishes at the end of September — a bit unusual since your books tend to publish the first week of October. But what’s really unusual — due to the global pandemic — will be your book tour. You famously interact closely with your fans. But, I assume that although some events will be in person (nicholassparks.com/events/) you won’t be signing books for hours and hours, and that some events will be completely virtual? NS: We made the intent to have appearances because it is important to me to do what I can to help small bookstores and business, and engage with my readers while, of course, making the No. 1 priority everyone’s safety. At the present time, the intent is to go out and meet readers. We’re working with individual bookstores for ways to make this as safe as possible. TM: Speaking of signing for hours and hours, would you reflect on 25 years of writing and selling love stories since writing and selling “The Notebook” in 1995? NS: It’s been a thrilling experience. It’s been a frustrating and nerve-wracking experience. I’ve been very blessed in
I caught an early wave with “The Notemy career. I’m very lucky that my novels book” and “Message in a Bottle” and “A found an audience and I’ve never lost Walk to Remember.” sight of my appreciation for readers. That being said, at the present time, At the same time, what also hasn’t Hollywood changed is my is an indusdesire to sit try that has down with every been severely novel and make affected by the it the best I’ve pandemic. As of ever written. I today, nothing is tried to do that filming because with “The Notemuch of the book,” and every industry is on novel since then. hold. I’m hopeIt is amazing ful that there how time has will be more flown. I’ve been films in the next blessed, and couple of years. acknowledge We have to wait that I’ve worked and see, like in with a number so many other of extraordinary industries, as people who have well. been able to make my success TM: Before possible. I let you go, I will also say I’d like you to that writing is as Nicholas Sparks. Photo by James Quantz Photography comment on challenging now something I as it was with my know is very important to you. Do you very first novel. As much as I’ve learned, have a final minute to talk about The it feels to me like I have so much to learn. Nicholas Sparks Foundation (nsparksfoundation.org)? TM: Some lessons you’ve learned very well. The movies based on several NS: Sure. We do a lot of primarily of your novels have earned worldwide scholarships for disadvantaged and atabout $1 billion. Many authors struggle risk groups and it’s been doing extraordiwith their novel-to-movie adaptions. nary well during the past 10 years since Why are yours so successful? And, it’s been founded. I like to think, and I’m of course, I have to ask, what’s in the hopeful, that people who have contributworks? ed know that every dollar has gone specifically to kids who benefit the most. NS: They are successful because It’s something I’m very proud to have the movies found an audience, and I’m started and be part of. fortunate that they found that audience relatively early. The fact that an audience likes one, leads to the second and the third and fourth, and I’m fortunate that
September-October 2020 | 39
Food & Drink
Whether they eat spinach thanks to the influence of a beloved cartoon character or after reading about the leafy green vegetable’s many health benefits, people who include spinach in their diets can reap a host of rewards. Image by rawpixel.com
The Health Benefits of
Spinach
Doctors may not recommend their patients take dietary advice from cartoons, but people looking to eat healthy could do worse than to follow the example set by Popeye. The beloved, nearly century-old, musclebound cartoon sailor often credited his incredible strength to spinach, a nutrient-rich green vegetable that can benefit the body in myriad ways. 40 | September-October 2020
A 2010 study from researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok found that children increased their vegetable consumption after watching Popeye cartoons. And while adults can certainly follow suit and watch more Popeye if they need motivation to eat right, many may only need to learn just how spinach affects their body to start including more of it in their diets.
• Spinach is good for your bones. The National Osteoporosis Foundation notes that green foods, including kale, spinach and brussel sprouts, are great sources of vitamin K and calcium, each of which promotes healthy bones. Spinach alone won’t be enough to prevent broken bones or osteoporosis, but when coupled with exercise and an overall healthy diet, spinach can be a key component to aawmag.com
keeping bones healthy and reducing risk for fractures. • Spinach can help fight off viruses. The world received a crash course in immunology in 2020, when the global COVID-19 pandemic changed life as the world knew it, seemingly in the blink of an eye. As measures to prevent the spread of the virus took hold, individuals looked for ways to bolster their immune systems. Leafy green vegetables, including spinach, are loaded with vitamins and nutrients that strengthen the body’s immune response. For example, vitamin A is fat-soluble vitamin that’s vital for immune system function, and spinach is loaded with it. In fact, a single cup of cooked spinach provides men and women with more than the recommended daily amounts of vitamin A as advised by the Institute of Medicine. • Spinach promotes a healthy heart. Spinach is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, B vitamins, and fiber, making it a heart-healthy food worthy of addition to anyone’s diet. Spinach is especially
rich in folate, which research has shown promotes the growth of healthy red blood cells necessary for a healthy heart. • Spinach can benefit your eyes. Spinach is high in the antioxidant lutein, which has been linked to eye health. Lutein naturally absorbs UV blue light,
which is the most harmful wavelength of sunlight. But it’s important that people recognize that uncooked spinach tends to be the most effective way to consume it and still benefit from lutein, the effects of which may be minimized when the spinach is cooked.
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PLAN A SAFE HALLOWEEN NOW FOR YOUR YOUNGSTERS, AND ADULTS TOO!
• Costume contest with your friends and families on Zoom • Get active on social media with all your friends • Try hiding candy bars in your back yard (sort of like Easter Egg hunt) • Do a backyard bonfire and tell spooky stories. Orange and purple lights make a great bonfire without fear of accidents. • Bake goodies or toast marshmallows inside and serve by the colored lights bonfire
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