All About Women March-April 2019 by Mountain Times Publications

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April 22 is Earth Day and April is Earth Month. In what ways do you practice sustainability or ways to conserve? Heather Jordan I conserve by eating leftovers, second-hand store shopping (my secret addiction!), recycling as much as possible and being obsessive-compulsive about turning off lights throughout the house. Macon Atkinson If there is stuff around my house that’s recyclable, I’ll always recycle it, especially plastic and cardboard products. I use reusable bags when I grocery shop, and I’ve recently cut back on how much meat I eat weekly in an attempt to be more sustainable. Mackenzie Francisco Lately, I’ve tried to reduce waste by avoiding buying things wrapped in plastic at the grocery store to limit how much I have to throw away. My friends make fun of me sometimes because I drink out of old pickle jars. Eating pickles and reducing waste — it’s a win-win situation. Bonnie Church We try to use all the food we purchase. When waste is inevitable, we compost. We separate trash and recycle plastics, glass, metal and paper. All takes time, but each of us doing our small part makes a big difference. Heather Brandon I never leave home without my Envirosax reusable shopping bags. I have had my set for 12-plus years. The bags are fashionable, durable and machine washable!

Jessica Isaacs After my son started solid foods, we quickly noticed how many tiny plastic containers we were going through on a weekly basis. Since then, we have started making our own pureed baby foods at home from fresh ingredients using freezer-safe reusable glass jars for storage. It’s cost efficient, we’ve minimized waste and we know exactly what our son is eating — we love it! Sue Spirit I make permaculture beds. Stake a 4-by-8-foot rectangle or circle right on grass. Cover with three layers of newspaper. Water. Top with some manure. Water. Add chopped fruit and vegetable scraps, chopped leaves, clean sawdust, even pee. Water. Add manure. Water. Wait till spring. You’ll have a beautiful bed, ready to plant. Anna Oakes In the past year I have worked to reduce the amount of packaging I consume. I use reusable bags for groceries and for produce. I buy in bulk and make my own shampoo, deodorant and household cleaners. Planning our weekly meals provides leftovers for lunches and reduces the amount of fast food and store-bought meals I eat. 4 | March-April 2019

PUBLISHER Gene Fowler

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Mayer

EDITOR Anna Oakes editor@aawmag.com 828.278.3602

CONTRIBUTORS Macon Atkinson Steve Behr Heather Brandon Children’s Council of Watauga County Bonnie Church Marion Edwards Hollie Eudy Mackenzie Francisco Jessica Isaacs Lise Jenkins and Kit Flynn Heather Jordan Kayla Lasure Melanie Davis Marshall OASIS Inc. Sue Spirit

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Meleah Bryan Kristin Obiso

ADVERTISING 828.264.6397

COVER PHOTO by Shauna Caldwell

CONTENTS

features 14

Sustainability Program Manager Jennifer Maxwell

Women Making Their Mark on the High Country

Twin Sisters Brought Pee Wee Basketball to Western Watauga

food & drink 9 Prepare Delicious Meals with Frozen Foods

relationships 10

Fundraiser to Support Children’s Council

April is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Mom’s World: Aloha ke Akua

leisure 34 Your Guide to Summer Camps for Kids 40 Travel: India, A Life-Changing Miracle

homestead 44 The Absentee Gardeners: ‘Easy Gardening’ Is a Lie 46 Hillbetty Revival: Using Scraps to Reuse Scraps

health 47

Living Well: The Food We Do Not Eat

Beauty: pH and Beauty

in every issue 6 Editor’s Note 7

Women in the News

30 Young at Heart: The Obsolescence Trap 42 By the Book

14 17-26

49 All About Town

WOMEN MAKING THEIR MARK on the High Country

March-April 2019 | 5

editor’s

In early March we enjoyed a trip to West Asheville, where we enjoyed restaurants, breweries and a concert by The Dead Tongues at The Mothlight.

6 | March-April 2019

note Now in its third year, “Making Their Mark” has become one of my favorite recurring features in All About Women. I love that it helps us discover stories about women who — though they are doing remarkable things — might be flying a little under the radar, even in our close-knit community. Since the beginning, we’ve asked readers to help us find High Country women who are Champions, Givers, Pioneers and Mountaineers, and you’ve answered, though as editor, I’ve certainly included a few of my own selections as well. I’m excited to say that this year, for the first time since we’ve been doing this series, every single woman profiled was recommended to us by you, our readers! You’ll find that this issue is also heavy on going green. With April being Earth Month, our writers bring you advice and thoughts on conserving food, composting, consumption and obsolescence, reducing use of plastic and more — all in the name of sustainability, saving money and being good to Mother Earth. For parents, our guide to summer camps returns for a second year, providing a comprehensive listing of camps focusing on recreation and the outdoors, educational activities and the arts. Now’s the time to register, or you could end up on a waiting list. And finally, it’s spring! My April and May weekends are rapidly filling up with plans for concerts, backpacking, car camping, running and hiking, and that’s fine by me. There may be something to be said for leaving some time to be “spontaneous” — maybe. But there’s also something to be said for a little planning to carve out time for the things we love. That’s my philosophy, anyway!

aawmag.com

Women in the News High Country United Way Phasing in New Director

fter serving as the executive director for “I’m incredibly honored to be entrusted High Country United Way for roughly with this position,” Phillips said. “I feel confive years, Gary Childers plans to retire in fident that we can move forward together to April as a new person is selected for the impact greater change in the High Country.” position. As executive director, Phillips said the Marti Phillips was brought on as the largest portion of the position is to focus HCUW associate director in November with on fundraising and increasing revenue to plans of transitioning to the executive direcsupport HCUW’s partner agencies and their tor position in April. Childers said during initiatives. Since November, she said she’s this time he’s been teaching Phillips “the been helping with the agencies’ letter-writropes” of the job. ing campaigns, annual campaigns and Phillips said she and her husband moved assisted in the launch of a new initiative to to the High Country in fall 2016 and currentreach more potential donors and serve areas Marti Phillips was brought on as the High Country ly live in Ashe County. She has a bachelor’s HCUW hadn’t connected with before. She United Way associate director in November with degree in sociology from Belmont Universaid she’s also had the opportunity to meet plans of transitioning to the executive director sity and more than 10 years of experience several of the agencies business partners. position in April. working in the nonprofit sector. The last two “One of my focuses is increasing our years of her time has been spent as the RISE coordinator at Hosworkplace campaigns and strengthening our relationships with pitality House. Phillips is working part time at both the Hospitalicorporate partners,” Phillips said. ty House and HCUW as she transitions into the role. The HCUW is planned to make the official vote for Phillips’ position in April. - Kayla Lasure

Wade Named President/CEO of Jackson Sumner and Associates

he Jackson Sumner and Associates Board of Directors announced in January that Danielle Wade was elected as president and chief executive officer, with Wayne Sumner to move to chairman

Danielle Wade

of the board of directors. “This is a journey that my father began,” stated Wade. “With our amazing team and the incredible paths that have been forged, I have no doubt there are still new heights to achieve.” Currently, Wade is the chair of the NC Stamping Office, serves on the Education Foundation Board of the Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association, is the chair of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Program’s Advisory Board at Appalachian State University and serves on two Insurance Company Advisory Boards, as well as East Carolina University’s Risk Management and Insurance Program’s Advisory Board. She was president of the N.C. Surplus Lines Association from 2014-2016 and president of AAMGA’s UFO from 2015 to 2016. Wade was recognized by Insurance Business of America as one of the “Top Young Guns” for 2016.

love THINGS WE

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Women in the News Capt. Dee Dee Rominger Retires After 16 Years of Service

Dee Dee Rominger gives a speech at her retirement party at the Watauga County Sheriff ’s Office on Dec. 19. Photo by Kayla Lasure

he empathetic and compassionate nature a retiring Watauga County Sheriff ’s Office captain brought to the ﬁeld is what several community members say they will miss most. Jaska “Dee Dee” Rominger’s last day at WCSO was Dec. 31, 2018, after being at the agency for 16 years. For the last 12 years, Rominger has held the title of captain of investigations. She often worked with cases involving various forms of child abuse, where she said she was a “voice for those that can’t be heard.” “To see a child smile and say, ‘Thank you for believing in me,’ that’s what it’s all about,” Rominger said. “If in my career I only heard one child say that, it would’ve been well worth it.” Rominger grew up in Newland and graduated from Avery County High School. She attended Lees-McRae College on a basketball scholarship and obtained an associate’s degree. Afterwards, she obtained another associate’s degree from Caldwell Community College. Being in a family with law enforcement and court system inﬂuence, Rominger started working for North Carolina Crime Control and Public Safety in the community service work program. In

this role, Rominger would work in counties such as Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and Yancey, supervising those who had been convicted while they performed community service tasks. At 38 years old, Rominger decided to attend Basic Law Enforcement Training. After BLET, Rominger was employed with Appalachian State University Police for a year before moving over to the Watauga County Sheriff ’s Office, where she became a detective. As a detective, Rominger worked cases involving children, breaking and entering situations and would assist on major cases such as homicides. Rominger was promoted to captain of the WCSO investigations department, where she also became a supervisor of the narcotics unit as well as oversaw operations with the county’s school resource officer and domestic violence officers. In her role, Rominger has worked with local agencies like OASIS, Watauga Department of Social Services and the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Blue Ridge. - Kayla Lasure

MountainTrue Brings No Man’s Land Film Festival to Boone

ountainTrue and Center 45 are proud to bring No Man’s Land Film Festival – the premier all-women adventure film festival – to Western North Carolina for a second year. The festival features short films about women adventurers who will inspire you with their tenacity, their spunk and their femininity – all interwoven to showcase the full scope of woman-identified athletes and adventurers. MountainTrue, a Western North Carolina-based environmental conservation nonprofit, brings a screening to Center 45 in Boone on April 13. Organizers with MountainTrue hope that the No Man’s Land Film Festival will inspire more women to spend time in the outdoors

8 | March-April 2019

and, in turn, take up the cause of environmental conservation and protection. The Boone event includes a pre-screening panel discussion featuring local women adventurers who will share about their passions for outdoor pursuits and their commitment to protecting the rivers, mountains and forests where they do their thing. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; a panel starts at 6 p.m; and the ﬁlm begins at 7:15 p.m.. Films will be screened inside Center 45 and the event will also feature food trucks, a beer tent and family-friendly activities. The outside space will open at 4:30 p.m., so come early to grab a drink and some grub before the program starts. aawmag.com

Food & Drink

Prepare Delicious Meals with

Frozen Foods

Freezers are often unsung heroes of kitchens. Too often foods enter a freezer only to be forgotten before being exhumed from blocks of ice and discarded months later. But putting the freezer to better use can improve the way people eat and add to the ﬂavor of the foods they enjoy. Some people may turn up their noses at frozen foods, feeling that they lack the freshness of unfrozen foods. But that's not necessarily true. According to the food science department at the University of Florida, technology behind frozen food processing enables fast freezing times and prevents the formation of large ice crystals that can damage cells in fruits and vegetables. Food processors pick produce at the peak of ripeness and then the foods are quickly frozen, rendering them in a state of suspended animation. That means the food will not ripen further or rot like fresh food might if it's not consumed immediately. Fresh produce that is shipped is often picked ahead of time to account for long shipping times and time spent in the produce section of grocery stores. Enzymes break down sugars and other compounds, destroying color, texture and nutrients. Another advantage to frozen foods is the cost. Many items can be purchased for reasonable prices, often lower than fresh varieties, like frozen vegetables at around a dollar per bag/box. And because the frozen foods will remain fresh until they are used, shoppers don't risk waste from throwing out perishables unnecessarily. When using frozen foods in recipes, follow package directions on whether to thaw or cook directly from the freezer. Also, when saving extras or leftovers, be sure to properly seal them in an airtight container to preserve freshness. Look for special freezer-safe bags and containers. It's also possible for home cooks to create their own frozen food inventory from gardens and potted

Putting the freezer to better use can improve the way people eat and add to the flavor of the foods they enjoy.

herbs, and by breaking down "club-sized" meat and poultry packs into portioned servings to use throughout the week. These items may have a slightly shorter freezer shelf life than professionally frozen foods because home cooks cannot achieve a ﬂash-freeze like commercial manufacturers. When storing meat, the United States Dietary Association recommends that you store different types of meats in the freezer for no longer than these durations:

• Ground meat: 3 to 4 months • Pork chops: 4 to 6 months • Fish: 6 months • Beef, veal, and lamb steaks: 6 to 12 months • Poultry: 9 months Frozen foods can be healthy and convenient. Don't let their packaged nature fool you; frozen foods are healthy and delicious. March-April 2019 | 9

Relationships

From left, Toma Fuller, Jesse Miller and Gary Moss enjoy the festivities at a past Party with a Purpose fundraiser. Photo submitted

Party With A Purpose Fundraiser Supports Children’s Council Programs by

The Children’s Council announces its ﬁfth annual signature fundraising event, Party with a Purpose. It will take place this year at The Local on Sunday, May 19, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. It will be an evening of scrumptious heavy hors d’oeuvres, music, games and a silent and live auction. Your ticket includes admission, a special menu prepared by The Local and a drink ticket. Tickets are now on sale at www.thechildrenscouncil.org and sell out every year. Founded in 1977, the Children's 10 | March-April 2019

Council is a grassroots organization that believes every child deserves the opportunity to develop to his or her fullest potential in a community that supports, nurtures and empowers children and families. The mission of the Children’s Council of Watauga County is to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system and the wider community. The organization has 19 different programs for young children, their families and their early childhood teachers. While

many of these programs are grant-funded or state-funded, others are innovative and heavily rely on private donations and are desperately needed to ﬁll gaps in our community. Three of these programs, crafted to help build these strong foundations, are Nurtured Beginnings, D.U.A.L. School and Pathways to Accreditation. Nurtured Beginnings is a home visiting program for new parents that began in 2016 to ﬁll a gap in our community. New parents were leaving the hospital with little help or information during this very vulnerable transition in aawmag.com

life. Moms were not being routinely asked about their mental health in the weeks and months postpartum. The Children’s Council saw this gap and decided to pilot a home visiting program. With the help of private funds and community donations, they began seeing this dream come to fruition. The program provides up to three free, in-home visits to parents of newborns up to 12 weeks old in Watauga County. The idea is simple: By bringing families and community supports together, we can give babies the best environment for growth. They nurture this growth by offering support in these new parents’ homes by providing information, resources, a listening ear and a helping hand during the first three months after birth. The program is currently at capacity, serving about 50 parents a year. The only thing standing in the way of them reaching the remaining 300 new and growing families in Watauga County is funding. Watauga County’s first Diverse Unified Appropriate Learning School, or D.U.A.L. School, as it is known, also began in 2016 and is held at The Children's Council. This classroom primarily serves

4-year-olds and is made up of ﬁve children who speak English and ﬁve children who speak Spanish. This high-quality, innovative childcare center has the children actively engaged in a developmentally appropriate curriculum that is based on the children's interests and supports growth in both English and Spanish. It is a half-day program, and tuition is based on a sliding scale. In addition, some scholarships are offered as needed. Private funds subsidize this program and keep the center running. The Children’s Council’s most recent program is cutting edge and leading the way for other communities in the nation. The Pathways to Accreditation program began just last year and provides necessary support for childcare centers in our county. The program offers free trainings for all teachers and staff members working in a facility or in-home setting. It also provides free mentoring and coaching, free textbook rentals, free resources, substitute reimbursement, supplies and materials and a professional learning community. The centers are eligible for monetary incentives as well, provided they meet certain requirements. Part of

the agreement is that the teachers either have met an early childhood education requirement or are working towards one. Research shows a direct correlation between high-quality early learning and children’s positive long-term outcomes in life, including increased education, healthier lifestyles and more successful careers. The agency is working towards a dual private and state funding stream to raise the quality of every center in Watauga County. Once quality is improved, they can start tackling affordability of care for parents. Private funds will be crucial to make these improvements happen. Extensive research has shown that 95 percent of the human brain develops in the first five years of our lives. It seems like a no-brainer that we should be investing in initiatives that are focused on this time of life. The Children’s Council would love to see more community engagement and financial commitment, so they are able to continue to fund these innovative programs that make such a difference for our children. For more information or to get involved, visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org.

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Relationships

OASIS Inc.

What They Do and Why April Is Important Since 1978 OASIS Inc. (Opposing Abuse with Service, Information and Shelter) has been the community resource for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. OASIS is dedicated to ending violence in Watauga and Avery Counties. To do this, OASIS provides free and confidential services to all people affected by intimate partner or sexual violence regardless of sexuality, race or gender identity. Services include a confidential emergency shelter for individuals and families who are fleeing intimate partner violence, transitional and permanent supportive housing, a 24-hour crisis line in English and Spanish, support groups, legal and medical advocacy and referrals to other community agencies. In addition to these services, OASIS works to bring education and awareness of domestic and sexual violence to the High Country through outreach events and educating 12 | March-April 2019

local middle and high school students, Appalachian State and Lees-McRae college students and community groups. All of this contributes to OASIS’ goal of creating a community of mutual respect and equality. April has been nationally recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month since 2001. SAAM exists to raise awareness about sexual assault and use education as a preventive tool. This April, OASIS will have several events planned to raise awareness about sexual violence, educate the community on prevention and to end the stigma for survivors. OASIS uses awareness months, like SAAM and Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, to empower survivors and create a safe and open dialogue surrounding gender violence. Additionally, awareness campaigns like SAAM can help create a future in which sexual violence is eradicated.

If you would like to get involved in SAAM or help raise awareness, consider sporting a teal awareness ribbon, participating in social media campaigns or inviting an OASIS staff person to speak at your community event or gathering. You can also make sure you attend the events we will be hosting in April to educate the community and empower survivors. Additionally, the 16th annual fundraising event for OASIS, Midnight at the OASIS, will be taking place on Friday, May 17. Each year friends of OASIS join for an evening of dancing, food and celebration of survivors at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock. To learn more about Midnight at the OASIS or SAAM, call the OASIS ofﬁce at 828-264-1532, or email outreach@ oasisinc.org. aawmag.com

Relationships

MOM’S WORLD

Aloha ke Akua The loose translation of “aloha ke akua” in Hawaiian means “breath of life” and “the love of God.” My introduction to this phrase was because a Facebook friend posted a 10-minute-long video set to a song of the same name, after seeing the band “Nahko and Medicine for the People” in concert. The cinematography of this video is breathtaking to say the least, with a montage of images from far-away and exotic places with stunning footage of animals, beautiful women, sea and sky. When I first clicked the link and saw how long it was, I thought to myself that I'd watch the first couple of minutes out of curiosity. I was completely drawn in and can honestly say I've watched it multiple times. It is calming, beautiful, evocative and grounding. Nahko apparently wrote this song in 2011, reportedly in reflection upon the prophecy of 21 December 2012. This day was to be the end-date of the 5,126-day-long cycle and predicted end of the world in the Meso-American long count calendar used by the Mayan and other indigenous peoples of Central America. Nahko sings: We know what we are for/And how we became so informed/ Bodies of info, performing such miracles/I am a miracle, made up of particles/And in this existence/I'll stay persistent/And I'll make a difference/And I will have lived it. While abstract, this artist speaks to the coexistence of humans, nature, the environment and a reverence that should guide our life therein. The interconnec-

tion of humanity and the natural world that surrounds us is quickly lost when our lives become overrun with electronics, a throw-away culture and a society that often values materialism more than it does the environment. It seems that technological and scientiﬁc progress can unintentionally push us to disconnect from this earth and our spiritual purpose, if we are not tuned in and conscientious to keep both in the foreground. Taking apart this song's words, I think that each of us every day is striving to determine and acknowledge what “we are for.” Sometimes, the internal, self-reﬂecting answer to this existential question gets bogged down in the mundane. Is folding the laundry what we are for? Or doing the dishes? Or wiping the snot from our child's nose? Is it the paperwork or the minutiae we must deal with to do our work? We are bodies consumed by information, producing information, as the next lyric relates. I think our ability to process and contribute information in science, language, conversation and communication is part of the marvel of humans on this planet. It also sometimes can be our ultimate distraction, because if we are always seeking the tower of words and information, we may miss the space in between or the “breath of life,” as the song repetitively recants with “aloha ke akua.” This breath is our pause button in this worldly existence; it is by taking this breath, that we identify if we are making a difference with the works with which wee

occupy our time. I am someone who truly believes that once basic needs are met, people can find satisfaction in their life, no matter what their occupation, if they look for joy and bring sincere respect in their interactions with other people and our natural world. Some people work in nature or do outdoor work. Some people work inside so they can play in the natural world. Either way, finding some way of connecting with humanity and mother nature is, in my opinion, critical in finding a sense of our meaning in this life. So, when spring has sprung, when the Earth takes its big breath after winter, and when we celebrate Earth Day again, push your own pause button: power off your phone or computer and consider how you can make your difference today and every day. Walk outside and stand in the woods, climb to the top of a mountain, or swim in the ocean. Live, love, and be the particle as part of the whole. Aloha ke akua.

heather jordan, CNM, MSN Comments or questions? 828.737.7711, ext. 253 landh@localnet.com

Feature

Leading the Scene To Keep It Green Jennifer Maxwell Plays Part in University Sustainability Efforts

Photo by Ashley Warren of Natural Craft Photography for “The Way Watauga Works,” an oral history project and exhibition at BRAHM in 2018.

What started out as a class project for one Appalachian State University grad later turned into a career devoted to moving the university toward sustainability. Jennifer Maxwell serves as the sustainability program manager for the Office of Sustainability at Appalachian — an office she helped to create. She explained that the office serves as a hub for sustainability needs and consultations for campus departments — such as academics, athletics, housing or food services. The office focuses on encouraging people to think about how actions affect the environment, society and economy. “It’s important because it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of our land and take care of people,” Jennifer 14 | March-April 2019

says. “We all play a role in trying to create change.” Jennifer started her journey at the university as a transfer student in 1998 who was interested in sustainable design. She and two other students collaborated on a project to create a pilot campus composting program by obtaining a permit and managing the space. The students had created a proposal for university Food Services and the campus Physical Plant to start composting organic materials such as coffee grounds and vegetable scraps. It was this project that Jennifer says opened her eyes and doors of opportunity. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology with a

concentration in appropriate technology. Jennifer went on to work as a program coordinator for a nonproﬁt — Carolina Recycling Association — and then worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill doing outreach education in its waste reduction and recycling office. Jennifer returned to Appalachian in fall 2006 as the resource conservation manager in the university physical plant. The compost program Jennifer helped to build fell back under her management, and decisions were made to expand the program to be able to process more composting on campus. The university partnered with Advanced Composting Technologies to design and build a facility. Composting consists of taking oraawmag.com

ganic matter — such as food scraps and Jennifer works as Walton’s director being sourced. This includes not using material made from fiber — and allowing supervisor in the Office of Sustainability. materials like polyurethane, but rather microbes to break down the material Walton says Jennifer brings an excepbuying plates that can be composted or in a controlled environment. Once that tional amount of “institutional knowlbottles that can be recycled. material has composted and cured, the edge” to the university, and added that “When I talk about zero waste, I’m material is used for campus landscaping Jennifer is often the catalyst for making talking much more about let’s not make or in the university garden or farm spacsure things get done. waste in the first place,” Jennifer says. es, she says. “... which is really impressive consider“Then we think about what we source and While the direct management of ing her jam packed calendar every week,” if we have to throw it away, let’s make sure the composting operation is under the Walton said. we can recycle it or compost it.” Physical Plant, Two efforts Jennifer and the office the Office of provides that Sustainability assist in zero work closely waste are its with the plant campus food to oversee the pantry and program. She “free store,” mentioned that Jennifer says. starting this The food year, compostpantry helps ing is offered to combat at all of the student food residence halls insecurity, and and the effort the free store has started offers items expanding such as donatinto some of ed clothes or the academic school supplies buildings. to encourage Composting the reduction Jennifer Maxwell, Jim Dees, Karen Ewen and Chris Erickson help to plant trees. opportunities in consumpare also availtion and able in some reusing items tailgating locarather than tions for sports purchasing events. new ones. Jennifer Jennifer then helped to obtained a open the Office master’s deof Sustaingree in higher ability around education Jennifer Maxwell helps Lori Gonzalez cut a ribbon for the As a university student, Jennifer Maxwell helps to create the 2008-09, later through the compost facility on Appalachian State University’s compost program at Appalachian State University with transitioning track of univercampus alongside Ronnie Howard. help from Emily McCoy Monette and Lori Wright. into her role sity leadership, at the office in a degree that 2011. She is one of eight full-time staff and One aspect of Jennifer’s position has aided her in what she says is one of is currently joined by one part-time staff includes consulting with campus deher favorite parts of her job — student member, four graduate students and 24 partments. Since Appalachian made a outreach. She says the office was able to student interns. commitment to zero waste, this means increase student leadership opportunities Jennifer wears many hats at the office the Office of Sustainability assists departsuch as the sustainability ambassador and oversees multiple ongoing projects. ments in making purchasing decisions, team and its eco-reps program. As the office has expanded its roles, so finding ways to reduce consumption and “I love being able to work with has Jennifer. increase recycling. students, connect with them and pro“It seems like she's involved in almost Jennifer — who chairs the Zero Waste vide these opportunities for them to go every aspect of sustainability at App,” Leadership Team— gave the example of beyond the classroom and get involved in says the office’s Outreach Coordinator consulting with people in athletic concesContinued on next page Rebecca Walton. sions to be sure sustainable products are March-April 2019 | 15

Jennifer Maxwell joins Sustainability Ambassador Team members Gaia Lawing, Samantha Smyth, Darya Silchenko, Nathan Teeters, LuAnna Nesbitt, Rebecca Walton and Thanh Schado.

things they’re passionate about,” Jennifer says. She says those in higher education have the opportunity to educate students and lead by example so that the students will then go out into the world, create change and find solutions to different problems. “One of my favorite things is to have students come back to me and say ‘Thank you so much for taking the time to be part of my life and mentor me,’” Jennifer says. The sustainability ambassador team assists in green events, outreach and communication as well as the zero waste efforts at the football stadium. Jennifer says these students are placed at zero waste zones in the stadium to help people sort their waste and ensure items go in the correct bins. They also assist in cleaning up the stadium after games and collect items for compost or recycling. Jennifer also manages programs where faculty, staff and students can obtain green certifications. The Office of Sustainability tries to engage faculty and staff by allowing them to receive a Green Workplace Certification in areas such as energy and water conservation, 16 | March-April 2019

purchasing, zero waste, transportation or engagement. Students are able to obtain a similar achievement – a Green Appal Certiﬁcation for residence halls. Adding to the list of responsibilities, Jennifer serves as the secretary for the national organization College and University Recycling Coalition. With CURC, she has traveled to California, Oregon, Arizona, South Carolina and around the state to give presentations on sustainability. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys time with her husband and three kids. She said she loves live music, hiking, gardening and having family time. “The way she balances being a great mom and a great team member, mentor, and friend is so admirable,” Walton said, “and all while making it look easy although we all know it's not.” Jim Dees, the office’s data and assessment specialist, says he had known Jennifer for seven to nine years and described her as being a knowledgeable, experienced and dependable asset to the office. In addition to these attributes, he adds that she’s a nurturing person who cares deeply about the people she works alongside.

Walton echoed these sentiments and said Jennifer is one of the nicest, most genuine people she has ever met. “I thought I was a nice person and then I met Jen, and wow talk about humbling,” Walton said. “She's busy from the moment she gets into the office to the moment she goes to pick up her kids, but she still takes the time to welcome new faces to the office and ask them if they need anything.” Looking back at the years she’s worked in this ﬁeld, Jennifer said the most rewarding part has been to “love what I do and feel like I’m making a difference.” “I’ve seen a tremendous amount of change and growth around the commitment to sustainability. It’s amazing,” Jennifer says. “We spend a lot of our lives trying to ﬁgure out what our purpose is. It’s awesome to see that my work is meaningful and that it has made a difference.”

Kayla Lasure Is a Kentucky born reporter currently living in Boone. She enjoys traveling, watching “Grey’s Anatomy” and spending time with her two cats, Owen and Mushu.

aawmag.com

Women Making Their Mark on the High Country

For the third consecutive year, All About Women features 10 women who are making their mark on the High Country through their achievements, service projects, innovations and acts of kindness.

March-April 2019 | 17

Women Making Their Mark:

Champions

BY MACKENZIE FRANCISCO

Catherine Wilkinson is the service unit leader for two counties, the cookie cupboard manager for five, a recipient of the Girl Scout Honor Pin, and, according to her fellow Girl Scout leaders, a champion for all. Photo by Mackenzie Francisco

Catherine Wilkinson

18 | March-April 2019

f you’ve been involved with Girl Scouts in the High Country sometime within the past 25 years, you probably know the name Catherine Wilkinson. Catherine is the service unit leader for two counties, the cookie cupboard manager for ﬁve, a recipient of the Girl Scout Honor Pin, and, according to her fellow Girl Scout leaders, a champion for all. Take a look inside of Catherine’s garage and you’ll see enough boxes of Caramel DeLites, Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties to make your stomach rumble, but to Catherine, those boxes are no dessert temptation — they’re orders. While most would see delicious treats, she sees a system that she’s strategically developed to keep cookie pickups running as smoothly as possible, and she sees the opportunity for young girls to develop professional and leadership skills through cookie sales. “It’s not that girls can’t do sports and other things, but this gives them the opportunities to do a variety of things. It’s not just selling cookies or crafts,” Catherine says. Catherine became involved with Girl Scouts in the High Country through her daughter, Ana, but she’s continued to serve far beyond her daughter’s Girl Scout career. Now retired from her position at Appalachian State, Catherine devotes her time to the organization. “Every time I come to her house, she’s working on Girl Scouts — well that, or watching ‘Castle,’” Ana laughs. “For a position that doesn’t have to be done wholeheartedly, she gives 10,000 percent.” Amber Mellon and JoAnne Jenkins, who have worked closely with Catherine through Girl Scouts for years, describe her as having “the patience of a saint” and being an organizational guru. Although the ladies acknowledge the fact that Catherine’s binders and spreadsheets are impressive, they also praise her willingness to not only be an advocate for the girls, but also for the volunteers. “I’ve never known Catherine to not be there and ready any time I’ve called for help,” JoAnne says. “I wouldn’t still be doing this if it weren’t for her. She bleeds green.” As for Catherine’s future with Girl Scouts — she says she doesn’t have any plans to put away her pins any time soon. Catherine says the joy she sees in the girls’ faces while they’re learning new things keeps her coming back each year. “She just has a true heart,” Amber says. “It’s all about the girls. It’s about making them the women that they can be and by accomplishing that goal, she supports us so Catherine Wilkinson is pictured as a Girl much.” Scout in the late 1950s. Photo submitted aawmag.com

Women who have achieved remarkable success or who are survivors of incredible challenges. This category is also for women who are champions for others, both as mentors and advocates.

Calista Giles

alista Giles describes the day that she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer as “surreal.” She recalls feeling detached from her body — like an outsider looking in as doctors told her that she had a 4-centimeter tumor in her breast. Her mother, Pam Palmer, calls that day one of the worst of her life, tearing up as she begins to tell her daughter’s story. Pam says Calista, whom she calls Callie, considered her cancer “a bump in the road.” “The grace and the dignity and the courage Callie had when she went through this … I’ve never seen anything like it,” Pam says. “I hate to admit it, but I feel like she had to comfort me more at times than I had to comfort her.” Just days after receiving the news, Calista took to Facebook to begin sharing her story, and to urge her friends and relatives to get their mammograms. “I’m not sure if she saved someone’s life, but she could have,” Pam says. Diagnosed in November 2017, Calista endured months of chemotherapy. She had to take a leave of absence from her job as a fourth-grade teacher at Green Valley Elementary — something that Calista says was extremely difficult. She cut her cascading locks of brown hair into a short bob before it all fell out for good. She sat her three children, Eli, Faith and Corinne down with her husband to tell them the news. She spent months ﬁlled with ex-

Calista’s mother, Pam, says, ‘I hate to admit it, but I feel like she had to comfort me more at times than I had to comfort her.’

Calista Giles openly shared her breast cancer treatment process on social media and urged other women to get their mammograms. Photos submitted

haustion as the chemo did its job and underwent a mastectomy, but she did it all with the understanding that the cancer was a part of God’s plan, and she would get through it. Calista says she found comfort in having a treatment plan in place. “The word cancer is such a scary word and when someone says you have cancer all of those worst-case scenarios come to mind,” Calista says. “I had to say that I can’t think of those worstcase scenarios. I have to focus on what’s going on with me.” Although Calista’s journey with breast cancer was one ﬁlled with adversity, she didn’t go through it alone. Aside from family aid, Pam says the outpouring of love from the community was astounding. Calista’s school family at Green Valley provided the Giles family with meals, gift cards and unconditional support. Pam’s work family at Watauga Medics and her church family at South Fork Baptist Church hosted fundraisers, sent endless cards and endless prayers. Calista is now healthy and back to work at Green Valley. She’s in the stands at her kids’ sporting events, and she’s still advocating for other women to get their annual checkups. “Of course I’ll always worry that she’s doing too much,” Pam says. “But when I do, she says to me, ‘Mom, I lived through this. I’m a cancer survivor. Not everyone can say that.’” March-April 2019 | 19

Women Making Their Mark:

Givers

BY JESSICA ISAACS

Sheri Church

“

t takes a special heart to raise a child, and a special calling to raise someone else’s. Luckily, for the many children she’s supported over the years, local foster parent Sheri Church has answered the call with open arms. “My godmother was a foster parent for teen girls for many years. I was impressed by the inﬂuence she had on those girls and the respect they had for her,” says Sheri. “When she passed away, there were three of her girls there at her bedside. I was so touched by the love they had for her and I felt that this was something I would like to pursue.” Sheri and her husband ﬁrst became licensed foster parents in 1995 after working with the Department of Social Services in Watauga County. Since then, they’ve opened their home to almost a hundred children. “I like to say that I’ve raised 100. We’ve fostered 98 and I have two of my own,” she says. “Our motivation comes from the needs we know are out there. We have been blessed with a good life and, when there are so many children that need a safe place to stay, we feel the need to help.” Sheri says the most rewarding aspect of being a foster parent comes from knowing she can make a difference. “A child comes into our home afraid of his or her own shadow, so frightened, beaten down and insecure from the blows life has given them,” says Sheri. “They leave our home 20 | March-April 2019

Sheri reads with her grandchildren, Paige and Hunter.

much stronger and with the tools to help survive whatever life throws at them. To see their smiles and hear their laughter is all the reward we need.” Sheri’s story continues to inspire people around her and reminds us all that a great way to make a difference in the world is to start with the lives of the little ones who hold the future. “Fostering is not for everyone. It’s hard, heartbreaking work, but I love every minute of it. People frequently say, ‘How do you keep from getting attached?’” Church says. “I answer, ‘I would not do this if I could not get attached.’ What these children need most is to know they are loved, and unconditionally. If that is something you think you can provide someone else’s child, then definitely pursue fostering. If you think you want to foster to provide a playmate for your own child, I always say to walk the other way. “I definitely feel that this is a calling for me. It is not for everyone … but if it is for you, it is the most fulfilling and rewarding thing you will ever do.”

here is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” These words from author Mandy Hale help us understand the calling on the life of Blowing Rock resident Mary Jo Grubbs, who has been on a personal mission for more than a decade to uplift, encourage and empower other women in the High Country. When the native New Englander traded corporate city life for small town North Carolina, she quickly became involved in the Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, a nonproﬁt organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and families in the area. “I’m not sure who actually gets credit for the quote, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’ but Mary Jo lives this. She shares everything she has with others in the community — her time, her talents and her resources,”

Mary Jo Grubbs aawmag.com

Through their service as volunteers and benefactors, these women set the example of how to give back and pay it forward.

Kristel Rider

reaking the cycle of hunger and homelessness is never easy, but it can be nearly impossible for those who don’t have access to the resources they need to start every day on a healthy note. That’s why local good Samaritan Kristel Rider started The Hygiene Project, which helps people in the community make ends meet by providing hygiene, clothing and household products they would otherwise have to do without. Also known as “Kristel’s Kloset,” The Hygiene Project operates from within the Christian Outreach Center located below First Baptist Church in downtown Boone, although it receives no funding from the outreach program. “Kristel is an inspiring young woman who puts together personal hygiene kits for those who might not otherwise be able to afford simple products that we take for granted every day,” says Brandon Keith, who nominated her. “I do a full distribution at least once a month, where I’m open to anybody who comes to the Outreach Center. I will get them basically anything they ask for … shampoo, laundry detergent, toilet paper, whatever they need,” she said. “You’d be amazed how many people need toilet paper.” Occasionally, she opens up for folks in between the primary distribution dates when she sees a need. “Sometimes there are homeless people that come in and don’t have the ability to carry around four bottles of something, so I’ll give that to them then. I had a very close friendship with a homeless gentleman a year ago and learned a lot about the struggles that hold people back,” she explains. “A young man I served lost his job because he couldn’t maintain his hygiene. He was working and trying, but he lost his job because he couldn’t take a shower. That was an issue that made me want to continue doing this.” Born and raised in Watauga County, Kristel personally collects every dollar for Kristel’s Kloset from within the community and beyond

Photo by Jessica Isaacs

says Louise Moore, who nominated Grubbs to be featured this year. “She used her photography skills to gift mothers from the Children’s Council with professional grade photographs of them with their babies. She once gave away her airline miles to a local mother so that she and her children could ﬂy to New York to visit her son, who was receiving medical treatment there. “These are just a few of the stories I could share about Mary Jo … I could enumerate countless other ways this champion for less fortunate women and children has used her many gifts to make life better for them. Her giving heart is second to none!” Over the past 10 years, Mary Jo has worked closely with agencies funded by the Women’s Fund to establish programs including winter coat drives, food drives, Christmas parties for young mothers, celebrations for GED graduates and, one of her favorites, a community Mother’s Day event designed to pamper local moms and shower them with love. “We feel it is so important to validate who they are as women and mothers, realizing that many of them are soloing with the challenging task of being the head of the household,” she says. “If we can inspire them to believe in themselves, then the Mother’s Day event is a huge success.”

to purchase products and stock the shelves. “I have coworkers in Wilkes County who have never set foot in the Outreach Center who help with funding — one of my biggest contributors is a coworker. People from my church, my family … I have a cousin who lives in Germany that contributes,” says Kristel. “It’s just a really cool network. I just tell people what I’m doing and somehow it all works out.” Motivated by her Christian faith and a sense of responsibility to help those less fortunate, Rider pours her heart into making a difference for families and children who need the products she collects. “I listened to a program on the radio years ago talking about an agency that does mobile shower and shaving units for homeless people. For some reason, that always stuck in my head,” she says. “You never really take into consideration that homeless people may have no self-esteem because they can’t maintain hygiene. “I know that children who go to school with poor hygiene are getting picked on and bullied, and I don’t like that. Jesus tells us to look after the least of these — the hungry and the poor. No one can be their best self if they can’t tend to their personal needs.” Kristel’s thoughtful consideration of the needs of people in her community prove she has a heart of gold, and her dedicated work continues to impact many local lives month after month. March-April 2019 | 21

Women Making Their Mark:

Pioneers

BY HOLLIE EUDY

Photo by Anna Oakes

Pam Washer

22 | March-April 2019

room filled with used board games, various scraps of wool, fabric, carpet samples, book covers, VHS tapes, cashmere, denim and even an assortment of undergarments may remind readers of last year’s basement collection before spring cleaning, but for Pam Washer, it is a room filled with inspiration for future creations. Born in Shelby, Pam attended Appalachian State and received a business degree. Along with her husband, Doug, she fell in love with the High Country and has spent the last 35 years living in Blowing Rock. For most of her initial career, Pam worked in a flooring and carpet business. Finding new purposes for used items was a practice Pam initially learned from her father. “My dad recycled before it was a thing to do,” Pam explains. “He tried to find a use for everything.” Pam’s mother encouraged her to learn how to sew and tried to help her with a sewing project Pam was assigned in seventh grade. Pam remembers crying over that project and “hating sewing.” “I don’t like patterns,” Pam asserts. “I just make it up as I go along!” And, that’s how it started. In 2005, Jean Roberts, a close friend of Pam’s, asked her to make something to bring to her craft sale. Pam recalled a picture of a handbag made out of a wool sweater she had seen in a magazine. She decided to try her own version of that process for the sale. The final product was an immediate success! She sold 16 out of 18 bags at her first show. Hence, RagBags was born.

Since that time, Pam has crafted close to 3,000 handbags and purses using a 1958 sewing machine that was once her husband’s grandmother’s. Her bags are “one of a kind” and continue to evolve as she uses a variety of materials in their construction. “Pam makes amazing purses out of materials that most people would throw away,” says her friend, Tenna Davant. “Her talent and creativity are awesome.” In 2007 Pam approached the owners of Monkee’s women’s boutique in Blowing Rock with the idea of selling her handbags, and the store has featured her bags for 12 years. “I am thankful for Monkee’s every day,” Pam says. Through private shows, trunk shows and local and regional shows as well as her ongoing work with Monkee’s, Pam happily shares, “I have found my niche. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. It is a challenge every day. My product is always evolving as I find new ways to refurbish used materials.” Often, friends will share their used items with Pam. “Random stuff finds me on a weekly basis,” she explains. Recently, she used VHS tapes to create evening bags and because “cashmere finds me quite often,” she has used the unique material to make scarves. As for others who are considering taking off in a new direction, Pam advises, “Go for it. Just start. Stuff will find you when you are willing to try.”

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From entrepreneurs to innovators, these women are bringing new ideas, approaches and concepts to our community and to their organizations.

he seventh of nine children, Millicent Teague Kelly comes from a family who revered education. The child of one of Avery County’s ﬁrst superintendents of schools, Milly and her siblings each received post-secondary degrees during the early 20th century, a remarkable accomplishment. A 1942 graduate of Newland High School, Milly was persuaded by her brother to seek a secretarial degree at Mars Hill College. Milly explains that after one semester in the program she “couldn’t bear it,” and unbeknownst to her parents, promptly changed her major to nutrition. Milly continued her degree at the Women’s College of Greensboro (now UNC-Greensboro). In 1947 — the same year she was named Miss Avery County — Milly was selected to travel to Maryland to complete a 12-month program in Johns Hopkins School of Dietitics. This adventure took an “old mountain girl,” as Milly describes herself, on a train to the renowned hospital in Baltimore, Md. That ride has proven to be one of the most auspicious of Milly’s life. Following her completion of that program, Milly worked ﬁrst as a nurse and later transferred to the Nutrition Department. It was there that Milly was introduced to Dr. Samuel Livingston, who introduced Milly to the ketogenic diet, a revolutionary nutrition regimen that transformed the lives of those suffering from childhood epilepsy. Milly worked with countless patients to achieve a state known as ketosis, in which the ketone levels in the body elevate due to a high fat/low carbohydrate diet. This state

produces a neurological reaction that seems to soothe some part of the brain and very often relieves the seismic symptoms. Working mostly with young children, Milly and the staff at Hopkins achieved high levels of success with most of their patients. Milly estimates a 90 percent success rate with the patients cared for by Livingston and his staff. As Milly grew more experienced in administering the diet to her pediatric patients, newer medicines were being used and many other hospitals chose prescription drug treatment over the ketogenic diet. Hopkins, however, continued the practice of ketosis and continued to witness life-changing results in their patients. Milly retired in 1990, but continued to work for the hospital as a private consultant. Visiting a newly-admitted patient’s room, Milly witnessed an all-too-familiar scene. A father was leaning over his 20-month-old son’s bed with tears streaming down his face while he watched his toddler experience seizure after seizure, at times more than 100 seizures per day. “That father was desperate,” Milly recalls. “He was willing to do whatever it would take to save his son.” Milly suggested the ketogenic diet, of which the father had absolutely no prior knowledge. Charlie Abrahams responded immediately to the diet and was soon completely free of seizures. His father, Jim Abrahams, was “so incensed” that he had been offered countless medicinal therapies, but never heard mention of the diet, that

Photo submitted

Millicent Kelly

he funded several programs to increase awareness of the ketogenic diet and its phenomenal effects. Known for producing hit comedies such as Airplane! and Hotshots: Part Deux, Jim Abrahams started a foundation to promote the cure of epilepsy, funded the publication of a book Milly wrote with Dr. John Freeman, paid for seminars all over the U.S., and featured his personal experience with epilepsy on Dateline, with Milly by his side. Exposure from the Dateline feature brought further attention to the diet, which prompted Abrahams to produce a movie, First Do No Harm, starring Meryl Streep as the mother of a patient and Milly Kelly as herself. Milly continues to receive phone calls and cards from those she helped transition back to a normal life and has been honored numerous times during her career, including being named a Mars Hill Alumna of the Year in 2009.

March-April 2019 | 23

Candace Lang and gave Erin a wonderful foundation that helped shape the wonderful, smart, funny young lady she is today.” Candace began to forge a new path Paul Wellborn and Candace Lang sit on the steps of a tiny house constructed for her daughter. by Appalachian State students for the LIFE Village. Photo submitted “When preschools wouldn’t take Erin because of her needs, I started a playgroup in our home. orn in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., CanWhen she wanted to take dance classes, dace Lang remembers spending I worked with a dance instructor who many summers with her older developed a program for our kids. When sister, who majored in special education. she was ready for church school but Candace describes, “I loved volunteering couldn’t keep up, I started a special needs at her summer camps and in her classministry at our church.” When there was room. After observing a speech therapist no alternative, Candace made a way. having fun with the children, I knew As Erin continued to grow and that was the field I wanted to work in.” advance, Candace noticed a lack of Following her graduation from Nazareth programs for the teen and adult popuCollege of Rochester, Candace worked as lation, and her concerns only continued a speech therapist for eight years. to increase as she carefully considered After her marriage in 1998 to Rich Erin’s future. “I was concerned that at the Lang, Candace welcomed the birth of age of 21, the bus would stop coming for their first daughter, Erin, in 2000. Born Erin and most federally funded programs with cerebral palsy and later diagnosed would end, leaving my husband and I to with autism, Candace explains that in care for her financial, physical, mental, caring for Erin, “this is where my real emotional, housing and employment ‘hands-on’ education with the special needs.” needs population began.” In 2014, Candace met Jim Taylor “When my husband and I found out through his summer camp, KAMPN, Kids that our child had special needs, our with Autism Making Progress in Nature, dreams for her were shattered,” she says. for children and their families. Candace “But when we started picking up the shared her concerns about Erin’s future. pieces, we realized that we could build She also described her interest in develnew dreams.” oping a residential community where In 2002, the three-member family exceptional adults could live, learn and moved to Clayton, and soon after celegrow in a supported environment. brated the birth of their second daughter, In 2016 Candace and her family Samantha. Candace made the decision moved to Boone to begin turning that to leave her job and become a full-time dream into a reality. Changing the name mom to ensure Erin’s unique needs were of KAMPN to LIFE Village Inc. (Livmet. “Early intervention was a Godsend

24 | March-April 2019

ing Innovations for the Exceptional), Candace partnered with Taylor to invite parents and professionals to become board members. “Candace has made meaningful connections with people that has brought awareness to our mission,” says LIFE Village board member Melissa Shore. “She has started all social media initiatives and developed our website. She has started our newsletter for donors and supporters. If someone knows about LIFE Village, it’s because Candace has done something to make them aware of it.” As of summer 2018, LIFE Village was the recipient of a tiny house built by students in Appalachian State’s Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment. Currently the university’s Integrative Design Experience lab is working to develop concepts for one- and four-bedroom smaller homes and duplexes in the community. “Finding land in Boone continues to be our greatest challenge due to the lack of available land and the cost of property in this area,” Lang says. “We would like to ﬁnd 10 acres in town or just on the outskirts where we can be on the AppalCART route to take our community members to work, to volunteer, to attend college classes and to socialize in the larger community of Boone.” Candace’s colleagues and friends, such as Marianne Ferlazzo, proudly emphasize the untapped passion and tenacity with which she approaches the LIFE Village vision. “It takes a lot of dedication and passion to tackle a new project,” Marianne says.” A pioneer forges a road with energy and optimism. LIFE Village will be the ﬁrst community of its kind in the High Country. I have no doubt Candace will make it happen!”

aawmag.com

Women Making Their Mark:

Mountaineers

Photo by Kelly Travis

BY MACON ATKINSON

Selena Lauterer

documentaries and PBS series,” she explains. With over 20 years of public broadcast experience, she was co-owner of Pogo Promotions, LLC from 2006-2012 and director of national promotion at Oregon Public Broadcasting for eight years. Her latest project was producing “Boonies,” a documentary highlighting local businesses in the High Country, which premiered on Feb. 28. “‘Boonies’ was really about highlighting these incredible people who have these businesses,” Selena says. “People who are thinking about starting a business, I think they should watch these and this will help them galvanize into the next step of ‘yes, I’m going to do it.’” After living in Oregon for 11 years, Selena and her husband, Kelly Davis, decided to move home to the mountains after he graduated with a doctorate in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They wanted to raise their children near her family, and Kelly wanted to work at Appalachian State. While working on the West Coast, Selena saw ﬁrsthand the judgments often made about people from the South, particularly Appalachia. Reﬂecting on her projects, both past and present, Selena says she wants her future work to emphasize shared values for audiences instead of dividing lines. “I want to show, even more, the humanity of people in the mountains. That we may have differences, but we are the same,” she says. “With the next project, maybe they agree or disagree with the person on the screen, but they see the humanity of that person. And maybe that will soften the edge of the division in this country.”

elena Lauterer, president of Artemis Independent and co-founder of Hogwild Films, has plenty of experience with misconceptions about her Appalachian roots. There was a time when she wanted to distance herself from them, even forget them. But due to her work and life in Boone, she’s now embracing them wholeheartedly. “There are severe misperceptions about people who live in the Appalachian Mountains and there have been for a couple hundred years,” Selena reﬂected. “How can we right that wrong? How can we tell a story that is of who we are?” Selena describes herself as a “mission-based storyteller” due to the variety of projects she’s involved in. “But my bread and butter is promoting

March-April 2019 | 25

Through various activities and efforts, these women are preserving the heritage, music or lifeways of the mountains, or they’re conquering mountains through adventure.

Shauna Caldwell

W Photo by Shauna Caldwell

hen people speak about Shauna Caldwell, they use words like “intentional,” “caring,” “wise” and “creative.” A High Country native born in Boone and raised in Banner Elk, Shauna is an artist, herbalist and graduate student in the Appalachian Studies program at Appalachian State University. Her Bachelor of Arts degrees in studio art and art education combine her two great passions: teaching and photography. Shauna says her artistic focus is honoring people and their relationships in the community, specifically women of Appalachia. Her photography project “In the Roots of Wise Women” was published in October, in which she paired portraits of women she admires with individual lumen prints of plants significant to them. Her goal was to allow women from her community to express themselves, both through the setting of the portrait and plant with which they most identified. “My research is bringing women together, because I feel like often the image that we have of the Appalachia is very masculine,” Shauna says. “Women and their folk ways were written off. They weren’t documented and if they were, it was just a side note. So my research is bringing women together to talk about what it means to be and become a woman in Appalachia, because it’s not just one person’s perspective.” Brooke Hofsess, an associate professor in the art education department at ASU and one of Shauna’s mentors, describes Shauna as a quiet storyteller — a woman who leads by example and lives with intention. “I have never met a young woman who is so full of wisdom and presence and creativity,” Brooke says. “And she follows through so beautifully on everything that she embarks on, which I really admire.” When she’s not working on projects or in classes, Shauna teaches workshops on everything from photography to herbalogy. She is a board member of the North Carolina Herb Association and has worked with the New River Conservancy to give workshops to women connected to specific portions of land on the New River. No matter what she is working on, Shauna wants to connect her work back to the community of Appalachia. “Living here is everything to me, basically. I grew up here,” Shauna muses. “It’s in my bones, in a way. So everything I make is about this place in one way or another.”

26 | March-April 2019

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Feature

Sisters Doin’ It for Themselves Twins Brought Pee Wee Basketball to Western Watauga

The Western Pee Wee Basketball League has been a part of Joyce Creed’s and Loyce Warren’s families for the past 25 years. Pictured are, from left, front row: Joyce Creed, Lindi Sherwood, Raylin Sherwood and Loyce Creed. Standing is Joyce’s daughter Kelli Sherwood. Photo by Steve Behr

Twin sisters Loyce Warren and Joyce Creed had a problem. They had children who wanted to play recreational basketball at Greenway Baptist Church, but that league was full. Instead of not doing anything, the duo decided to take matters into their own hands. They established the Western Watauga County Pee Wee Basketball League, an organization that still exists 25 years after it was established. The time was December 1993. The mission of the league is simple: To provide an opportunity for kids in the western part of Watauga County to play basketball. “Joyce and I both had children of the same age,” says Loyce. “We tried to get them signed up at Greenway league in Greenway Baptist Church, and they were not taking any more players. It devastated our children, so we went back home and 28 | March-April 2019

we said, ‘Why can’t we start something like that?’” So, the women went to work. Loyce says once the decision was made to start the league, they sent letters to the four western schools looking for players. The response from parents was strong. “There was more interest than what we could take care of, but we accommodated everybody,” Loyce says. The twins played basketball for Watauga High, but confessed that they are not necessarily addicts of the game. Their goal was not to turn out the next LeBron James or Michael Jordan. They just wanted kids to have a chance to play basketball and have a little bit of fun, especially in the western part of Watauga County. They needed a gym to play, so they contacted Ron Henries, the former

principal of old Cove Creek School, who volunteered his gym to the ladies. The league was open to kids who were in kindergarten to the fourth grade. It stopped with the fourth grade since the Watauga Parks and Recreation began its eligibility requirements at the fourth grade. At the start, the league mostly featured players from Cove Creek, Bethel, Mabel and Valle Crucis schools, but it is also open to all students in Watauga County. More than 100 kids signed up the ﬁrst year. The league was, and still is, open to boys and girls, and the teams are co-ed. Parents volunteered to coach the teams. They were separated by grades with kindergartners grouped with ﬁrst-graders, and second-graders paired with third and fourth-graders. The league now separates kindergartners by themselves, and then aawmag.com

“When I say officiating, what we tried to do was teach them the game of basketball,” Loyce says. “Walking, dribbling, defense, passing, we were at times picking the smaller From left, Joyce Creed, Gov. Jim Hunt, Loyce Warren and North Carolina First Lady Carolyn children Hunt pose for a photo as Joyce and Loyce are honored for their efforts to bring pee wee basketball to western Watauga County. Photo submitted up to even let them hit the pairs ﬁrst and second-graders and then rim. It was third and fourth-graders. fun for the families to get together on a Once the players were signed up, they Friday afternoon and let the teams play.” were divided into teams. Joyce says the Once the teams were formed, they attendance was more than just good. started playing in January 1994. The “It was packed,” Joyce said. “It brings schedule stretched through February and out the parents and the grandparents. It’s the teams were guaranteed a game every a great fun for all of them.” Friday night, a tradition that still stands. Loyce said the sisters tried to keep The baskets were lowered for the the teams as even as they could. If they younger players and a smaller basketball knew who the more talented players were, is used. They also played cross-court they tried to make sure they were spread instead of full-court to have two games evenly through the league. being played at the same time. The two sisters and Joyce’s then-husThe entrance fee for the league was band Eugene Creed would do all of the the cost of a t-shirt. The teams were officiating. And if the kids needed a little named after teams from the Atlantic extra help with the game, the Creeds and Coast Conference and the NBA. Loyce were happy to assist. The ladies received recognition on

Players playing in a Western Pee Wee Basketball League either defend or indicate that they are open for a pass. Photo by Steve Behr

the state level for their efforts. They were given the Governors Award from thenNorth Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt. “We got to meet Governor Hunt,” Joyce says. “I was working at Mabel School and the principal Mitchell Yates said this would be a good thing to send in. He wrote the article and sent it in and it won the award.” Earning the award was a surprise to Joyce. Both ladies are appreciative of the award, but that was not their ﬁnal goal. Making sure their children, and other children, could play some basketball was the goal. “We were very honored that there was an award,” Joyce says. “We didn’t go out starting out thinking anything like that. We wanted our kids to play basketball.” The league still thrives, even if Loyce and Joyce no longer are in charge. Evelyn Pierce runs the league now, and the league has no shortage of players, which includes Loyce’s son Justin Warren, who played and now coaches his daughter Addie Warren. “People who have taken the reins and went with it, I think they’ve had good participation every year,” Loyce says. “It’s still going strong,” Joyce says. “It’s been a great thing for us since our kids played and it’s been a great thing for the western end of the county.” Steve Behr Steve Behr is sports editor for the Watauga Democrat newspaper.

The Heat and the Thunder get ready to tip the ball off and start their game. Photo by Steve Behr March-April 2019 | 29

YOUNG AT HEART

The Obsolescence Trap

Do you have a drawer of old, outdated electronics and twisted obsolete chargers and cords? Have you noticed that women’s shoe styles change every season, forcing a wardrobe refresh to look current? Are you ever frustrated that it is difficult and expensive to replace the battery in your otherwise perfectly good mobile phone? I hate to break it to you, but you are a victim of the obsolescence trap!

There are two sides to the obsolescence trap — perceived and planned. 1. Perceived obsolescence: Consumers are manipulated into wanting the shiny and new. 2. Planned obsolescence: Manufacturers purposely design products to fail and/ or to be difficult to repair. I was ﬁrst introduced to this concept when I heard Annie Leonard, creator of the 2007 online documentary, “The Story 30 | March-April 2019

of Stuff,” deliver the keynote address at a 2014 sustainability conference. The film is a “fast-paced, fact-filled explanation of the consumerist economy.” Essentially, the film explores the notion that we have a problem with stuff. Hearing Leonard speak sparked my curiosity to learn more, but at the same time, I felt guilty about my stuff. But while I was intrigued, I did not follow through until 2018, when one of my graduate courses reintroduced me to “The Story of Stuff ” project and challenged me to dig a bit deeper.

Obsolescence: A Brief History I discovered that obsolescence — perceived and planned — arose as a marketing strategy following World War II. As the post-war economy struggled, there was a purposeful shift from thrift to consumption — one that was designed and implemented by advertising executives

and retail analysts of the day, namely Victor Lebow. In his article “Price Competition in 1955,” Lebow wrote, “We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded at an ever-increasing pace.” And, consume we do — as noted in “The Story of Stuff ” — at rates double those of 50 years ago. This planned obsolescence led to a nation focused on shopping and the rise of disposable products. Today, the media creates a cycle of dissatisfaction that drives consumers (us) to desire the shiny and new. Examples of perceived and planned obsolescence can be found in all product types — apparel, automobiles, appliances — but it is especially troublesome with regard to electronics.

Obsolescence and Electronics One of Leonard’s follow-ups to her original ﬁlm is “The Story of Electronics.” aawmag.com

It explores the interwoven planned and perceived obsolescence of electronics: manufacturers have designed our favorite gadgets to be easily breakable, expensive and difficult to repair, and hard to upgrade. Combined with ever-increasing processor speeds, storage capacity and operating system improvements, it is not surprising that we choose to replace our electronics so often.

So, how did we get here? During my lifetime, I have witnessed major changes to the electronics market. Phones went from rotary to dial pad, from portable to mobile, and finally, to smart. Televisions have grown in width and thinned in depth. CD players replaced cassette players, and in turn, were replaced by iPods. Computers keep getting faster and smaller. Most everyone I know owns a tablet or e-reader of some sort. In short, I have witnessed the rise of gadgets. I purchased my first iPod, a 4GB model that held a small selection of my music library, for around $300. It was obsolete in less than a year. Nine years ago, I received a 16GB iPod Nano as a gift (its price was around $80), which I still use and have not yet filled. My television is 10+ years old, and my e-reader is eight years old. The only gadget I have upgraded in the past two years is my mobile phone, and only because the battery was no longer holding a charge. Am I immune to perceived obsolescence? When considering electronic gadgets, the answer is a strong maybe (when it comes to shoes and clothing, not so much). Laziness also plays a role — I have limited time or interest in learning how to use the latest “it” gadget unless it makes my life better or easier. Moreover, I am never quite sure what to do with said gadget when it becomes obsolete.

Electronic Consumption vs. Sustainability That is the dark side of electronics consumption – where do our gadgets go to die? This “collateral damage — 25 million tons of e-waste and counting” is one com-

ponent of what Leonard calls the “externalized costs” of our gadgets, along with extraction, production and distribution. If we take a hard look at how our electronics are made and disposed of, we discover exploitation of natural resources, toxicity of manufacturing, social justice issues affecting workers and communities, and hazardous dumping and heavy metal recycling practices. However, it is not all bad news. Journalists, photographers, etc. are actively working to create eco-minded consumers by shining a light on the hazards associated with electronics manufacturing and e-waste. Journalists, like Jeffrey Gettleman, whose 2016 article “The Price of Precious” for National Geographic, explored the conﬂict mineral crisis in Africa as well as its impact on the electronics market, have the power to reach large audiences and effect change. Photographers, like Andrew McConnell, whose series “Rubbish Dump 2.0” of e-waste and its effects on communities in the third world, have the power to show consumers the realities that many of us would rather not see. In addition, change is happening! The number of responsible electronics recyclers, or e-stewards, is growing, and manufacturers face increasing pressure to take back their obsolete products.

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What can you do? Vote with your dollar! Be aware that consumer dissatisfaction is a driving force of perceived obsolescence, and consider how eco-dissatisfaction can drive consumers (us) to demand eco-friendly and sustainable electronics. Purchase from sustainable companies, hold on to your electronics longer, demand access to replacement parts, and when it is time to upgrade, recycle with responsible disposal companies. 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.

March-April 2019 | 31

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Leisure

Your Guide to Summer Camps for Kids Registration has already begun for many of this summer’s camps for kids in the High Country, and they ﬁll up fast. Here you’ll ﬁnd a listing of area recreational, educational and arts camps for toddlers to teens. Many camps in all three categories include both outdoor and indoor activities.

34 | March-April 2019

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RECREATIONAL/OUTDOOR-ORIENTED RECREATIONAL/ OUTDOOR-ORIENTED

mp Photo courtesy Ca

Photo courtesy Camp Buc keye

Buckeye

Appalachian State Athletic Camps Dates and ages vary Appalachian offers multiple athletic camps in sports such as baseball, basketball, cross country, exercise and recreation, ﬁeld hockey, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading and wrestling. More info: https://conferences-camps.appstate.edu/ youth-camps.

Deer Valley Athletic Club Nine weeks of camps Deer Valley Athletic Club on Bamboo Road in Boone offers nine weeks of summer camps for members and non-members. Camps will include sports instruction and life skills taught by certiﬁed and experienced instructors. More info: www. deervalleyracquetclub.com, grace@dvac. club or call 828-262-3337.

Holston Presbytery Camp June 10-Aug. 16, resident camps rising 2nd- through 11th-graders, day camps rising 1st- through 6th-graders Holston Presbytery Camp is located on Wildcat Lake, just one mile up Hickory Nut Gap Road from Highway 184 near Banner Elk. Holston offers a variety of day and residential camps. The camp provides opportunities for canoeing, rock climbing, backpacking, camping, campﬁres, outdoor cooking, Bible studies, evening worship, arts and crafts, kayaking, zip line, ﬁshing, orienteering and

more. More info: www.holstoncamp.org or call 844-465-7866.

Camp Buckeye Weekdays June 17 to Aug. 2, ages 5-12 Beech Mountain’s Camp Buckeye is a day camp for kids 5 to 12. Make lifelong friendships and memories while gaining knowledge of the outdoor world on Beech Mountain. Play different sports, explore trails and creeks, visit new places, get wet and wild on the slip-n slide and learn there is nothing like having summer fun on Beech Mountain. More info: BeechRecreation.RecDesk.com or call 828-387-3003.

Mountain Adventures Day Camp Weekdays June 17 to Aug. 16, preschoolers through rising sixth-graders, grouped by age Mountain Adventure Summer Day Camp will be geared towards outdoor enrichment, health and wellness, promoting social interactions between peers, academic enrichment and providing development assistance to each student; depending on their specific needs. Camp counselors will plan daily activities for their specific groups which will include field trips, swimming, guest speakers and other enrichment activities. Mountain Adventures operates out of Cove Creek Elementary School and will serve breakfast and lunch through the Watauga County Schools summer

feeding program. The camp also provides healthy snacks throughout the day to campers. Camp hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Students are accepted on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-serve basis. Enrollment packets can be picked up at any Watauga County elementary school or at the WAMY Community Action Inc. office, at 225 Birch Street Suite 2 in Boone. More info: emily@wamycommunityaction.org or call 828-264-2421.

Camp Lutherock Weekly camps June 9-Aug. 3, Grades 2-12 Lutherock is located on the south slope of Sugar Mountain near Boone, North Carolina on 750 acres. Multiple camp options are available. Outdoor activities, Bible study and worship are a part of each day’s schedule. More info: http://lutherock.novusway.org or call 828733-5868.

Camp UREC June 10-14, June 17-21, June 24-28, rising 2nd- through 9th-graders Camp UREC offers an opportunity to explore App State’s campus in a day camp setting. Our goal is to be physically and mentally active throughout the entire day! Activities include sports (traditional, non-traditional and Camp UREC style), ﬁtness (animal yoga, learning how our Continued on next page March-April 2019 | 35

Photos courtesy Camp UREC

body works and some basic nutrition), outdoors (hikes in University Woods, funyaks in the pool and mountaineering on campus) and traditional camp activities (arts, crafts, songs and skits). Activities are age-appropriate and include climbing on the climbing wall, swimming in the Olympic-sized pool and lunch in Central Dining Hall. Camps run Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More info: www.campurec.appstate.edu or call 828-262-2100.

Climbing Adventure Camp June 17-21, July 9-13, July 8-12, July 15-19, July 29-Aug. 2, ages 8-16 Rock Dimensions’ climbing adventure camps provide ﬁve days of land-based outdoor activities that includes rock climbing, rappelling, caving, ropes/challenge course and climbing tower. The climbing days are suitable for beginning climbers and those who have some basic experience in a gym or outdoors. Camp goes from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. More info: http://www.rockdimensions. com/climbing-adventure-camp or call (828) 265-3544.

Many camps were ﬁlling up as of midMarch. More info: https://blowingrockparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program or call 828-295-5222.

Western North Carolina, just outside Lenoir, Camp Ginger Cascades is one of three outdoor program properties operated by Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont. During the summer months, Ginger Cascades offers overnight resident and day camp programs for girls. Girls do not have to be a Girl Scout to attend programs. More info: camplikeagirl.org.

Summer Adventure Camp Climbing Camp

Ages 5-13

Weeks of July 1, 8, 15, 29, ages 8-14

The Watauga County Parks and Recreation Summer Adventure Camp is a seven-week day camp program for children ages 5-13 (children must have completed kindergarten). The camp is centrally located at Watauga High School. Camp is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This structured camp provides themed weeks with activities, ﬁeld trips, arts and games related to the week’s theme. Registration began March 1 and continues until all spaces have been ﬁlled. More info: call 828-264-9511.

Boone indoor climbing gym Center 45 offers a Summer Climbing Camp Series at Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the weeks of July 1, 8, 15 and 29. More info: https://squareup.com/ store/center-45 or call 828-386-1550.

Camp Ginger Cascades Weeklong camps June 16 through Aug. 3, girls ages 5-17 Located in the beautiful foothills of

Blowing Rock Parks and Rec Summer Day Camp Weekly camps June 17 to Aug. 9, rising kindergarteners through 6th graders The Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation Summer Day Camp believes that day camp programming should emphasize learning to appreciate the outdoors and our environment, and that campers should be out in and a part of the environment as much as possible. Children swim, hike, play sports, ﬁsh and go on ﬁeld trips. 36 | March-April 2019

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Western Youth Network Summer Day Camp Rising 6th- through 9th-graders WYN’s ﬁve-week summer day camp encourages participants to challenge themselves through adventure-based activities in a supportive and supervised environment. While interacting with students from all across the county, WYN summer program participants strengthen leadership skills and social skills. WYN Summer Camp keeps students active, provides them with healthy food, and encourages them to step outside of their comfort zone. The program runs for ﬁve weeks Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More info: www.westernyouthnetwork.org/wordpress/about/summer-program or call 828-264-5174.

as harvesting, processing and marketing farm products. Campers will learn creative problem-solving skills, the fundamentals of a sustainable food system, and practical life applications of science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on experience. Campers will serve community members by growing surplus food for the Hospitality House and F.A.R.M. Cafe. More info: https://mountain-pathways.org/summer-sessions-2 or mountainpathways@gmail.com.

Arts kitchen. At Baking Magic, learn the science behind the magic of baking and pastries. Students will prepare and enjoy such items as cupcakes, puff-pastry desserts, tarts and ﬁnish the week off with their own “specialty” cake. More info: 828297-3811.

Fit Academy Weekly sessions June 17 to Aug. 9, ages 5-12

Camp Cats & Canines June 17-20, July 22-25, ages 6-12 The Camp Cats & Canines program is a summer camp featuring animal medical care, dog safety, therapy dogs, pet care, crafts, interaction with shelter animals and a shelter tour. Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Watauga Humane Society shelter facility in Boone. Number of participants: 20. More info: http://tinyurl. com/yxwbohsy or call 828-264-7865.

EDUCATIONAL

At Fit Academy, campers will experience daily group exercise, games, nutrition education, cooking lessons and extraordinary fun. Fit Academy promotes healthier lifestyles for all children. The camp is open to Wellness Center members and non-members and will operate in one-week sessions from June 17 through August 9. Parents can choose to register their child for the entire eight weeks of camp, or pick and choose weeks for the summer. More info: Drop by the Wellness Center, contact the Wellness Center online at wellness.apprhs.org/ contact or call Heather Casey at (828) 266-1066.

Pizza! Pizza!

Appalachian State Academic Camps Dates and ages vary

Baking Magic

June 24-28, ages 9 and up

June 17-21, July 15-19, ages 9 and up

Kids in the Kitchen camps are offered on the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Watauga Campus in Boone from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer in the Culinary Arts kitchen. Learn to make a different pizza every day including calzones, gourmet and dessert pizzas. Topping the week off will be a dough-tossing contest. More info: 828-297-3811.

Continued on next page

Appalachian offers multiple academic camps in subjects such as anatomy and physiology, coding, robotics and engineering. More info: https://conferences-camps.appstate.edu/youth-camps.

Mountain Pathways Farm Camp June 3-7, June 17-21, July 8-12, July 22-26, ages 6-12 The Mission of Farm Camp is to provide an intensive, weeklong sustainable farming and gardening experience that focuses on basic gardening skills as well

Photos courtesy Watauga Humane Society March-April 2019 | 37

Pizza Adventure Week July 15-18, ages 6-10 Watauga Cooperative Extension will offer a Pizza Adventure Week: Local Foods for Local Kids day camp this summer. It will run Monday through Thursday, July 15 to 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Explore local sources of food as you collect ingredients for pizza. Make pizza from scratch and enjoy other food fun. See a cheese factory, milk a cow, visit other farms and more! Each day starts and ends at the Agricultural Conference Center in Boone. Register at N.C. Coop-

erative Extension, 971 West King St. More info: Margie_mansure@ncsu.edu or Kirsten_dillman@ ncsu.edu or call 828-264-3061.

Cooking 101 for Teens July 8-12, July 29-Aug. 2, ages 13-18 Kids in the Kitchen camps are offered on the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Watauga Campus in Boone from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday

ARTS

ain Photos courtesy Mount 38 | March-April 2019

through Friday throughout the summer in the Culinary Arts kitchen. For the teen who loves to cook or wants to learn more. Students in this course will create different types of bread, discuss and practice some basic cooking techniques, and make sauces and homemade pasta. More info: 828-297-3811.

Mountain Thread Company Two- and three-day camps June 11 through Aug. 15

Thread Company

The Mountain Thread Company in Blowing Rock offers two- and three-day camps for kids throughout the summer on learning to sew, doll-making, quilts, apparel, dĂŠcor and bags and organizers. Camps vary by age and experience level. Participants in each class receive group and individual instruction, access to varieties of materials and supplies for their projects and use of the class set of sewing machines provided by The Mountain Thread Company. Projects are different in each week of camp, even if the weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme is the same. More info: http://www. themountainthreadcompany.com/summer-camps or call 828-372-7024. aawmag.com

Creative and Performing Arts Camp June 22-28 high school, June 24-28 pre-K through 8th grade The annual Creative and Performing Arts Camp at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk is a day camp that takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, with music, dance, theater and other art forms. This year’s camp includes a ﬁeld trip to the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., and a performance showcase at the end of the week that all family and friends are invited to come enjoy. More info: www.lmc. edu/CAPA or call 828-898-3372.

Walker Family Band Camp June 30-July 7, all ages The Walker Family Band camp will be held on June 30 to July 7 at the Blowing Rock Conference Center. The camp welcomes families and musicians of all ages interested in traditional Celtic, old-time, jazz improvisation and more, with classes for ﬁddle, cello, bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, penny whistle, ukulele, dance, pottery and children’s activities are available throughout the week of camp. The Walker Family Band Summer Music Camp fosters holistic approaches towards personal growth, group dynamics, mu-

sic making and loving relationships. More info: https://brccenter.org/walker-family-band/ or email thewalkerfamilyband@ gmail.com.

Next Generation Kids: The Greatest Show Camp Aug. 5-9, Kindergarten through high school, grouped by age

Come join us for The Greatest Show camp this summer, featuring songs from the hit movie “The Greatest Showman,” and songs and dances from both Broadway’s P.T. Barnum and George M. Cohen. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Studio K in Boone with a performance in the Blowing Rock School auditorium. More info: www.nextgenkids.com/summerboone. php or call 407-312-3710.

Extreme Dance Camp Ages 6-14 Extreme Dance Camp is a oneweek camp during the summer for girls and boys. The camp focuses on clogging, hip-hop and cheerleading. The camp meets at Watauga High School from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The campers perform a special end-of-camp program. More info: call 828-264-9511.

Anna Oakes Editor, All About Women

Photos courtesy Walker Family Band Camp March-April 2019 | 39

Leisure

TRAVEL

INDIA

A Life-Changing Miracle “We need volunteers!” declared Shahla Ettefagh, founder and director of Mother Miracle School for the poorest, smartest children, in Rishikesh, India. “We invite anyone with an open heart and a desire to serve to join us in this beautiful city.” Might such words of invitation entice someone to drop everything and fall in with such a worthy cause? Can anyone imagine how it could turn out to be the experience of a lifetime? My heart leaped at the thought of volunteering. Especially needed were medical professionals. I was not a doctor or nurse, but a writer. My credentials, if I had any, were being the sponsor of Kalpana, a 14-year-old girl at the school, whom I very much wanted to meet. Some mysterious notion tugged at me, whispering, “This could be a life-changing experience, although perhaps a terrifying one.” I roped Marcia, Diane and Rob, all medical types, into planning a boot camp to conduct physical exams for all 400 students. And we were off! Life-changing, indeed, in so many ways. On our ﬁrst day in Rishikesh I met a tiny, sweet-faced monkey with sparkling eyes stealing a cauliﬂower from her mother. I, who had always disliked monkeys, fell in love. Regaled every day with two meals of mouthwatering Indian food, I, who had thought once a month was about right for paneer and naan and the like, practically 40 | March-April 2019

swooned. Flavors to die for! Idli, poori, tandoori vegetables, thali, papad! I may never touch the USA variety again. And then there was my distrust — make it fear — of motor scooters. I found myself speeding through the teeming streets of Rishikesh on the back of Deepak’s bike, holding on for dear life, zooming beside the turquoise Ganges and the foothills of the Himalayas. We were on our way to evening pujas, prayers, at which thousands of Hindus gathered to chant, clap and drum. “Whee! Motorbiking must be what heaven is like,” I mused. “Why have I waited 80 years?” And meeting Kalpana at last! I, who had never thought I would be a mother or a grandmother, bonded with my girl, sweet and shy, who danced and sang at the Children’s Day celebration like a Bollywood star. Later she demurred that, instead of the sensible winter jacket I was planning to buy her, she would rather have a lehenga, a sophisticated, long, sari-like dress that transformed her instantly from age 14 to age 21. Should I put my parental foot down? No, she got the lehenga. But now I have a girl. Sitting in Kalpana’s Sanskrit class — all Greek to me — I was glad I had made a fascinating list of English words that derive from Sanskrit, such as nirvana, cashmere, cheetah, guru and karma. Was it really 60 years ago that I studied linguistics in college, discovering that

Sue meets a monkey and its baby, goes for a ride on Deepak’s motorbike and meets Kalpana. Photos submitted

ancient Sanskrit forms the basis of so many languages? The study of linguistics has evolved signiﬁcantly since then. Isn’t it time for me to study it again? Another life-altering experience-to-be. How could I ever have imagined the magic of Mother Miracle School, with its sweet, tiny voices piping, “Good morning, ma’am!” How could I not now sign on for a lifetime of helping the school establish a citywide recycling program, dreaming up an inexpensive breakfast cookie for 400 kids, supplying red plastic chairs for a new coding classroom, and who knows what else? Whatever they want, whatever they need, I’ll be on board. But most amazing, I realize I have exercised discernment that delivered me to the right spot in the world at exactly the right time for such magic to take place. It was and is the real thing, and it could happen again. When the nudges are there, I will know. Mother Miracle School and Rishikesh: a new life for me that includes monkeys, Indian food to die for, motor bikes, being a mother to Kalpana, linguistics, red chairs, discernment and breakfast cookies. How wonderful is that?

sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com aawmag.com

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Mothers and Strangers: Essays on Motherhood from the New South Edited by Samia Serageldin and Lee Smith

The women in these pages have loved in a way that transcends all that time works to wrestle away.

42 | March-April 2019

Who is the woman who was first to hold us, first to know us, first to care for us before we were even born? What secrets did she write in her middle school and high school journals? What dreams were the hopes that shaped her heart? Which books kept her up all night, loss of sleep a mere afterthought? Who did she love? For what did she long? Who is she — this woman — before our first knowledge of her as nurse, caregiver and provider defines her to us? Who was she before us, before she became our mother? A collection of 28 essays edited by Samia Serageldin and Lee Smith, “Mothers and Strangers,” grapples with many such questions as these in an effort to unravel the mystery of the most illusive of women: our mothers. Serageldin questions in the collections’ introduction, “What do we not know about these most intimate of strangers, the women who raised us? What do we see when we look at them not through the familiar lens of filial relationships but as individuals in their own right and products of their time and place?” Divided into sections such as “Angels,” “Strangers” and “Secrets and Lives,” these pieces feature a variety of well-known Southern writers whose goal, in part, is the work of salvaging the vestiges of their mother’s existences while blindly digging through memories and stories to unearth some measure of their ephemeral essences. In the foreword, Lee Smith describes her own mother: “I had a mama, the sweetest mama in the world: smart, funny, self-sacrificing and self-effacing to a fault, yet often troubled … Now I get it. Now I’d be proud to be half the lady, and half the mother, that my own mother was.” The wistfulness found in her tone reverberates throughout other writers’ stories as they begin to “get” something necessary about their own mothers. Each mother featured is, of course, very different, very much “her own” in a way her writer “child” may only have just begun to understand. Yet, each of the women readers will meet in these pages seems capable of epic feats with superhuman qualities and strengths — abilities that shape and sustain lives and livelihoods: unconditional love, unending self-sacrifice, immeasurable loyalty and fierce protectiveness. The women in these pages have loved in a way that transcends all that time works to wrestle away. As Serageldin describes later in the introduction: “The past is a foreign country, it has been said. In the process of exploring this treacherous territory, our contributors discovered much about their mothers, but perhaps even more about themselves. What sort of child were they? To what extent did they shape their mothers’ lives, rather than the other way around? Does their newly gained perspective help them reconcile themselves to their past?” Smith reiterates and extends this idea in asking: “So did I become ‘my mother’s daughter?’…The fact is, my whole life changed forever when I had

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Hollie Eudy is an English teacher who loves stories, words and the Appalachian Mountains.

Samia Serageldin is a novelist, writer and editor. She is editor and founder of South Writ Large: Stories, Arts and Ideas from the Global South. Serageldin received her M.S. degree in politics in London University and immigrated to the United States with her family in the early 1980s. She has called Chapel Hill home for the past 30 years. For more information, visit www.samiaseragerldin.com.

Photo by Diana Matthews

Hollie Eudy

About the Editors Photo by Barbara Tyroler

(my) boys. For when you have a baby, you are also born again. Children change us, they switch our focus from the inside to the outside, they bring us to the world … all over again. You never know what you can do until you have a child.” Known, yet unknown — entwined, yet separate — the dichotomy of mothers and their children carries untapped mystery, yet bottomless reserves of understanding and love. Mothers are what we first know and who we first love. Their presence leaves an indelible mark on our lives as we indelibly mark theirs. Readers will remember and discover throughout this collection. They will recall stories told and retold in their family’s legacy and possibly trip over ones that have deliberately been left unmentioned. Readers will marvel at the beauty of their hearts first and forever cry: “Mama.” “Mothers and Strangers” will be available in April 2019.

Lee Smith is the author of 17 works of ﬁction and has received many awards including the North Carolina Award for Literature and an Academy Award in Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. For more information, visit www.leesmith.com.

March-April 2019 | 43

Homestead

The

Absentee

Gardeners

‘Easy Gardening’ Is a Lie 44 | March-April 2019

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Articles proclaiming “Easy Steps to a Beautiful Garden” are lying to you. Gardeners encourage others to take up the trowel by telling them gardening is easy. We’re lying, gardening is actually hard work. Truly gifted gardeners make it look easy. Not me. I make gardening look hard. I console myself noting my garden is very visible so of course everyone sees my endeavors. Early morning I head out to collect the paper and inevitably encounter a weed that needs pulling. Before I realize it, I’m in full gardener mode inappropriately dressed in my robe and pajamas. Neighbors out for their morning walk can’t help but notice the spectacle. Lesson One: Gardening looks easier if you look effortless. Muddy hands just look out of place when you're wearing jammies. People get the wrong idea. Lesson Two: Have a plan. My grandparents grew flowers in their front yard —colorful beds embraced their small house. Soft pastels in spring, full-throated color for summer and rich jewel tones in the fall. It was only after they passed away and my grandfather’s garden logs came into my possession that I began to understand how much planning went into their beautiful display. They made gardening look easy because they were executing their plans. Plan first, dig second. The Olympic phenomenon applies to gardening. You know, when talented athletes make their sport look easy, inspiring others to take a try, only to be frustrated when they discover the giant slalom is actually hard, and scary. The casual observer doesn’t see the hours of practice necessary to master the basics. The basics of gardening starts with good soil. Lesson Three: Focus on building good garden soil and everything else will be so much easier. Soil isn’t as exciting as blooming flowers but the adage is true; no roots, no shoots. Now that I’ve entered the “gardener of a certain age” era of life I’m forced into making more sensible choices. Tasks that were once easy (digging holes for trees, moving yards of compost, hauling loads of rocks) I now tackle by the littles. Which brings me to: Lesson Four: Be sensible. We can get seriously injured or sidelined by gardening mishaps, so tackle gardening chores realistically. Injuries don’t make gardening look easy, only more daunting and dangerous. My gardening lessons are easy to know but hard to master, at least for me. So I’m consigned to make gardening look hard. Perhaps that’s why my neighbors rush by as I stand in muddy jammies, fingers bleeding, exclaiming the virtues of a plant they must try this season. My carefully chosen bulbs are eaten by voles, beloved plants mysteriously die, and the images in my head never fully materialize. No matter, it's the pursuit of perfection I enjoy. That's the most important lesson of all — chase your dreams.

Lise Jenkins & Kit Flynn Absent from their gardens, Kit and Lise enjoy roaming our region exploring the intersection of horticulture and suburban living. More on Instagram @AbsenteeGardener or email: info@absentee-gardener.com.

For Starters, Try These Favorites Here are some of our favorite plants for you to consider trying

Allium ‘Millenium’ — this fabulous

member of the onion family blooms far longer than other alliums. Of equal importance, this allium doesn’t flop like so many of the two- to three-feet-high alliums do. Deer will leave it alone, and its purple flowers go with pracধcally any color scheme. This is a fabulous edging plant.

Hostas ‘Sum and Substance’ and ‘Halcyon’ have been around

forever and always add lovely elements to the shady garden. I parধcularly appreciate ‘Halcyon’s’ shade of blue that stands out.

Begonia grandis is hardy down to Zone 5 and is, as far as I’m concerned, one of the best plant fillers there is. It seeds throughout the garden but it always seems to know where it will be an asset and doesn’t crowd its neighboring plants out. Rosa ‘Beverly’ — this hybrid tea is truly disease resistant, has beauধful blooms, and is hardy down to Zone 5. This one is here to stay.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Lava Lamp Flare,’ is proving to be a great

new introducধon. At two to three feet, this is a truly compact hydrangea that can tuck into small spaces. Hardy down to Zone 3 it has performed well at 4,000 feet for the past three seasons. March-April 2019 | 45

Homestead

HILLBETTY REVIVAL

Using Scraps to Reuse Scraps PHOTOS BY MELANIE DAVIS MARSHALL

Compost is an easy method to reduce the weekly trash run while enriching garden soil for plants and trees on the farm. Up to this point, I had employed my Grandma’s method of chucking my garden and kitchen scraps “over the hill” for the chickens to peck through. While that does reduce the weight of my trash run, it tends to kill the possibilities for reusing those scraps later down the timeline. There are a lot of compost bins on the market, but I was feeling a little thrifty this month. Homesteaders are known for the creative uses of scraps around a farm. What looks like a square yard of scrap chicken wire to one is a treasure to be stored in the barn for later on a homestead. Hillbetty Heaven got a new installation “over the hill” in preparation for spring using three pallets, three scraps of chicken wire and leftover fence staples. The best part in all of this was assembly time. I had a compost bin in under an 46 | March-April 2019

hour right in the spot where I used to chuck the contents of my scrap bucket. I am opting for an open design, three sided, but easily could be closed in with two additional pallets and a couple hinges on the top lid. The design is very simple. Standing the pallets up on edge, they create an easy box, held in place by three screws on each side into the pallet creating the back edge. The interior is lined with chicken wire to hold in the contents as it ﬁlls up. I had three pieces of chicken wire in the barn. I used zip ties to piece together to make it easier to line the box shape. This is not secured to the ground, so it can be moved later down the road in the event I change up the farm layout. Time to ﬁll this bin with everything the chickens don’t want. A compost rule of color is two browns to one green. Browns are leaves, shredded newspaper or food-soiled napkins. Greens are fruit and veg scraps and grass clippings. Browns are carbon heavy; greens are

nitrogen heavy. Meat and dairy should be avoided as the heat produced in compost may not be high enough to kill any pathogens, not to mention the skunks those tasty tidbits will attract. As the pile grows, turn the scraps once every three to four weeks in winter, once a week in the summer to help the rot. Adding in soil will help by supplementing natural microorganisms furthering progression toward usable compost. I am hopeful my open-faced design will help me cheat a little and the chickens will get in there and turn scraps for me. As long as the temperature produced by the rot is high enough and the mixture doesn’t dry out, it should be about three months for my scraps to be prime garden fodder. Happy composting! Melanie Davis Marshall Melanie is a born-again Hillbetty attempting to revive her Appalachian roots. She lives in Creston with her two dogs and 21 chickens. aawmag.com

Health

LIVING WELL

The Food We Do Not Eat

America is dumping 365 million pounds of uneaten food into landﬁlls every day. What a waste of resources! When you dump a hamburger it’s like wasting a 90-minute shower. That is the amount of water it takes to produce one burger. It’s not only wasteful to dump your food, it’s an environmental hazard. As wasted food rots, it produces methane gas (a contributor to global warming). When you waste your food, you are trashing the earth. Want to do your part to stop the nation’s food-squandering? It begins in your kitchen. Here are some tips.

•

Don’t ﬁll your plate (or your kids’ plate) with more food than is likely to be eaten.

•

Don’t toss good food. Food that has passed its expiration date can still be safe to eat. The main reason for illness from food is not spoilage, but pathogens like salmonella and E. coli that contaminate food at the farm or processing plants. (Caveat: Do avoid moldy foods, green potatoes or rancid oils.)

•

Use your crisper to separate veggies and fruit. Many fruits, including apples, peaches, plums, pears and cantaloupes produce ethylene, a chemical that speeds up the ripening process. When in the same drawer as veggies they cause them to prematurely yellow, become limp, or

even sprout.

•

Don’t refrigerate potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, pumpkins, winter squashes and onions. They should be stored at room temperature.

• Preserve your food. Pickled, dried, canned, fermented and frozen food last longer. If you can’t eat all your preserved food, donate it to a family in need. One in ﬁve children go to bed hungry due to food insecurity.

A cleaner world begins with you. Do your part and encourage others to do the same. It’s the right thing to do. bonnie church Certiﬁed Life and Wellness Coach Author/columnist, motivational speaker Certiﬁed Trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution

•

Eat the ugly stuff. Tons of perfectly good food is going to waste. Why? Because it has blemishes.

•

Don’t throw away peels, skin and yokes. When you remove the skins of fruit, veggies and chicken, you are throwing away minerals and vitamins. Regarding eggs yokes: Evidence shows that most people, even those with high cholesterol, can enjoy whole eggs, risk free.

•

Fortify your smoothies with healthy greens. Blending stems, beet greens and carrot tops into your smoothies will add vitamins and minerals.

•

Use coffee grounds to fertilize your plants. They are rich in the nutrients that plants crave.

•

Make homemade broth and soup stock with your meat bones and spent veggies.

•

Repurpose your food. Today’s meatloaf can make a great ﬁlling for tomorrow’s taco. March-April 2019 | 47

Health

BEAUTY

pH and Beauty In looking through all the magazine and online trending articles on cosmetics, beauty and skin care, I realized that I needed to also address good health, which is beauty from the inside out. No matter where you are on the age spectrum, you can start today toward a healthier more beautiful you. From the moment we are born, the aging process begins. We don’t really recognize it as aging though — it’s more like growing and developing until we hit the 30- to 40-something range. Then it’s game on—because after age 40 the aging process seems to accelerate and the effects of passing time become more obvious as we gaze in the mirror. I well remember looking in the mirror one morning at my then ﬂawless 42-yearold face and seeing a little line just below my brow bone. I thought it was from sleeping with my face in my pillow and kept waiting for it to smooth out; it never did, and more came to join it. That was my wakeup call that this good thing I had was not going to last and I had to make self care a priority. Yes, you may be 25, drop-dead gorgeous with ﬂawless skin in spite of the fact that you eat junk all day, party all night and wash your face with hand soap. The reality is that youth is on your side right now, and you possess a vast reserve of resources in your body that help you to rebound quickly.

Inside I am not a nutritional expert, but I do remember a few basic fundamentals from my college nutrition courses. I remember 48 | March-April 2019

that although it’s good for the outside to be acidic, it is not good for the inside. It seems that a lot of bad things thrive in an acidic environment, and they would love to set up housekeeping in your body. On a basic internal body level, it is important to strive for alkalinity in your body. We all know that pH is important for skin health and it is extremely important internally. Your body functions optimally at a pH of 7.4, which is slightly alkaline. After 40, the body’s pH buffering begins to decrease and so your body slowly becomes more acidic. This buildup of acid does not fair well with the skin and leads to enhanced aging as well as problems with organs because of the buildup. The body will rob minerals from the tissues as it tries to neutralize this overload. The tissues in turn rob minerals from the bones, hence osteoporosis.

To Help Increase Alkalinity: 1. Avoid acid-producing foods (sugar, processed and refined food, carbonated drinks); moderate coffee and alcohol consumption. 2. Eat high fiber alkalizing foods (such as a Mediterranean diet), which improves skin enzyme function. 3. Eat dark green leafy vegetables, oats, wild rice, quinoa, apples, pears, blackberries, cantaloupes and grapes, foods rich in omega 3s, salmon, halibut, flaxseed. 4. Drink water.

Outside Aging and the inevitable decline in

collagen and elastin causes the skin to lose its ﬁrmness and suppleness. Healthy skin must maintain a pH at about 5.4 for optimal barrier function. Skin thins and the moisture barrier can be compromised, therefore every product used (cleanser, etc.) should be soothing and give support to the skin barrier.

Steps to Help: 1. Step up your skin care regimen, because the natural aging process has its challenges. There is a decline in production of collagen, elastin, slowdown in cell turnover. 2. Protect the moisture barrier to keep essential nutrients in and bacteria and pollutants out. 3. Get adequate sleep so skin can renew and repair. 4. Stress less — stress is a major ager as it raises cortisol levels, which affect blood sugar and skin aging. 5. If you smoke, STOP. Smoking cuts oxygen ﬂow to the skin and causes wrinkles. 6. Bottom line — be good to your body and take intentional care of it today because you will need it tomorrow. Always you are beautiful!

Marion Edwards Marion Edwards is a Licensed Esthetician, Professional Makeup Artist and Certiﬁed Trainer for Motives Cosmetics. She can be contacted at 828.773.1500. aawmag.com

ALL ABOUT TOWN

Top Left: From left, Gale Champion, Key Jones, Diane Overcash and Judy Gregg peruse the WinterFashion show display during WinterFest in Blowing Rock. Photo by Sydney Wolford

Bottom Left: Rachel O’Regan and her pooch, Penelope, enter into the ‘Best Dog/Owner Look Alike’ category at the WinterPaws Dog Show. Photo by Kayla Lasure

Bottom Right: Kimberly Snyder Tetzlaff of Holly Grove Threads at the WinterCraft event at the 2019 Blowing Rock WinterFest. Photo by Thomas Sherrill

March-April 2019 | 49

ALL ABOUT TOWN Top Left: Katherine Danner, a retired school teacher, is crowned queen of the Boone Senior Center Valentine’s Day party on Feb. 14. Photo by Kayla Lasure

Top Right: Cindy Huffman, right, and Bruce Huffman, left, walk with dog Bailey in the Boone St. Patrick’s Day Parade in celebration of Cindy’s 65th birthday. Photo by Anna Oakes

Bottom: The High Country Breast Cancer Foundation is one of the parade entries to take home a prize at the Boone St. Patrick’s Day parade. Photo by Anna Oakes

50 | March-April 2019

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