All About Women March-April 2018 by Mountain Times Publications

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How do you cure cabin fever? PUBLISHER Gene Fowler It’s snowing like crazy. Our cabin’s stuck at the bottom of a steep hill. What to do? Bring out a bag of potting soil and basil seeds carefully saved from 2017, and plant. Plop an asparagus quiche in the oven. Sit down for a cup of fresh mint tea. Mmmm! - Sue Spirit

Three ways: 1. Find a “beach read” and let “ocean, sand, sun” become my mantra; 2. Exercise; 3. Drink another cup of coffee! - Hollie Eudy

Books! It is hard to have cabin fever if you are traveling all over the world in the pages of books. I also invest in some solid thermal under layers and get outside anyway. Who doesn’t love building a snowman? - Melanie Davis Marshall

Whatever it takes, get outside, even if you have to put on 15 layers. The fresh air always helps me get through winter. - Kellen Short

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Mayer

EDITOR Anna Oakes editor@aawmag.com 828.278.3602

CONTRIBUTORS I get out and run anyway, if it is just cold or rainy but not icy. If I can’t get out, I work on the never-ending laundry or I bake! - Heather Jordan

Antsy? I put on some warm clothes and go out for a walk. I play in the snow with my grandkids. I meet a friend for a cup of coffee. There are many things to do on cold, gray days. Bake bread. Read a book. Take a nap. Savor now! - Bonnie Church

By getting out and taking my dog Rambo for a walk through downtown Boone. - Lee Sanderlin

Heather Brandon Children’s Council of Watauga County Bonnie Church Marion Edwards Hollie Eudy Heather Jordan Kayla Lasure Melanie Davis Marshall Lee Sanderlin Kellen Short Sue Spirit Aleah Warner

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Meleah Bryan Brandon Carini Kristin Obiso

ADVERTISING 828.264.6397

COVER PHOTO by Tysha Hallman

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CONTENTS

A Garden for Healing

Women Making Their Mark on the High Country

Photo by Darkroom Portraits

features

22 Through Macie’s Lens

relationships 8 10

Mom’s World: Science & Spirituality Week of the Young Child

homestead 30 Hillbetty Revival: Cast Iron Cooking

food & drink 11

Cooking with Lamb

leisure 32 Summer Camps for Kids 38

Travel: France

health 40 Living Well: Probiotics 41

Beauty: Masking

in every issue 6

Editor’s Note

Women in the News

Young at Heart

42 By the Book 44 All About Town

32 13-21

WOMEN MAKING THEIR MARK on the High Country

March-April 2018 | 5

editor’s

note

Women in the News Zionville Resident Wins Pillsbury Bake-Off Grand Prize

A selfie from a wind-blown visit to Grandfather Mountain last fall.

In those hours in August 2016 after we at the newspaper first learned a young woman had died in the horrendous fire that consumed the Valle Landing building, officials hadn’t yet identified her. But word moves rapidly in a small community, ferried swiftly by social media, and, like many, no doubt, I searched for a face to put with the name — Macie. What I found were the stunning works of a spectacularly imaginative artist, and though up until that time I had never heard of her, I instantly mourned the loss of this great talent. Her photographs — many with women as subjects — are striking, arresting in their beauty. Creativity poured through in spades, in her use of color, in the objects she placed in the frame, and in the ways she posed her models against a Blue Ridge backdrop (she clearly was gifted in giving direction). Every thoughtful detail produced evocative results. The abundant love for Macie, who would have turned 27 on March 6, is evident. I didn’t know Macie, but I sure wish I did. I wish her family well and thank them for sharing their memories and Macie’s photos with our readers. In this March-April issue of All About Women, we also highlight 10 women “making their mark” on the High Country — women who are Champions, Givers, Pioneers, and Mountaineers — for the second consecutive year. Planned once again to coincide with Women’s History Month, I love taking this opportunity to showcase the many women who are positively impacting our community. Here’s to dreams of spring and summer,

6 | March-April 2018

Pillsbury Bake-Off contestant Amy Nelson reacts as she is announced the winner, as seen on ‘The Kitchen,’ Season 16. Photo submitted

n February, Amy Nelson of Zionville was named the grand-prize winner of the 48th Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest, which drew thousands of entries, with her Bejeweled Cranberry-Orange Rolls recipe. As part of Pillsbury’s partnership with Food Network, Nelson learned that she was the grand-prize winner during an appearance on Food Network’s “The Kitchen” on Feb. 24. She will be featured in Food Network Magazine and receive a kitchen makeover from GE Appliances, as well as $50,000 in cash. As an evolution of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest, this year home cooks were asked to share how they use Pillsbury in a family favorite recipe along with the story behind their recipe. Judges considered both the recipe and the story behind it in their judging. In January, Pillsbury narrowed down the entries to four category winners and each winner received a trip to New York City to appear on “The Kitchen,” in addition to appearing in Food Network Magazine, receiving a suite of GE Appliances and $5,000 in cash. Nelson found inspiration for her winning recipe in memories of cooking with her mother. “I feel blessed beyond belief to be a Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest grandprize winner,” said Nelson. “I have so many memories about family and food, especially when it comes to my mama. She loved Pillsbury Orange Rolls, so when I saw those on the list of eligible products, I knew it was a recipe that was meant to be. I just added a ﬁlling inspired by a family favorite cranberry salad that Mama always made, and it was a perfect match!” Since its inception in 1949, the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest has been about inspiring home cooks everywhere to share their recipes and celebrating the stories behind them. aawmag.com

Women in the News

All About Women Wins Four NCPA Awards

ll About Women garnered four awards from the North Carolina Press Association’s 2017 editorial and advertising contests, which were awarded Feb. 22 at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. For the second year in a row, All About Women magazine placed in the Best Niche Publication category for its All About Weddings wedding guide — this year placing second in both the advertising and editorial contests. “I do wedding guides and shows yearly,” a judge wrote. “Beautiful magazine; wedding highlights are outstanding.” The advertising staff also claimed second and third place in the Best Retail Ad in a Niche Publication category: Meleah Bryan won second place for her “Things We Love” page in All About Women, and Bryan and marketing consultant Mark Mitchell were recognized for an ad for Molly Northern Interiors.

Tester Named Manager of United Community Bank Blowing Rock Branch

Lindsey Tester

nited Community Bank has named Lindsey Tester manager of the branch location in Blowing Rock. Tester has been with United Community Bank more than 11 years, serving in several roles and working with both retail and commercial customers. “Lindsey has been a dynamic member of our team for more than 11 years and we are fortunate to have her step into this key position,” said John Goins, regional president of United Community Bank – Western North Carolina. “Lindsey’s experience and dedication will ensure we continue the high level of customer service that we are known for in Blowing Rock and Watauga County. We look forward to Lindsey’s leadership within Community and the Bank.” Tester, a Watauga County native and graduate of Watauga High School, has more than 16 years of banking experience in Blowing Rock. Prior to United, she worked with First Citizens. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead our United team in Blowing Rock,” said Tester. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a dedicated and helpful team over the past several years. I look forward to continuing to serve our community in this new role.” Tester and her husband, Brian, live in Boone with their son and daughter and will welcome a third child in April 2018. Lindsey and her family attend First Baptist Church in Blowing Rock. March-April 2018 | 7

Relationships

MOM’S WORLD

Parenting Paths for Science and Spirituality The longer I have been a parent (nearly 20 years), the more I have come to realize that the parenting challenges don’t necessarily get harder, but certainly get more complicated. I would never downplay the difﬁculty of staying up multiple nights in a row with a toddler cutting teeth; however, working through the inevitable existential and spiritual questions that start arising in the teen years has prompted me to say to myself “Where is that darn parenting manual I thought my kids came with??!!” Despite my tendency to embrace those aspects of life that defy clear-cut explanation or that beckon interpretation, I have somehow birthed at least two 8 | March-April 2018

children who are so grounded in science, math, and all things logical that it has left me wondering how to bridge the apparent abyss between these two worlds. I remember my own spiritual path and how many questions arose when I was in my late teens to early 20s leading me to an exploration of different religious and spiritual readings to make sense of my world. I read books centered on Buddhism, Hinduism, non-denominational writings, Tao of Pooh, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and plenty of poetry from the Bohemian Austrian Rainer Maria Rilke, who once wrote, “The only journey is the one within.” I also read Kerouac and stream-of-consciousness writings

of Timothy Brautigan (“Trout Fishing in America” and “In Watermelon Sugar”) from the 1960s. My experience was one of expansion and distillation—I welcomed the depth of this aspect of being human and enjoyed taking bits and pieces from these many teachings like picking a bouquet of ﬂowers that ultimately deﬁned my spirituality and where and how I see myself in this world. Even now, when I feel lost with a situation, I go inside myself and draw strength from all of these writings and readings, as well as my experiences in conventional religion. Frequently, I think of a poem written by Kabir, a mystic poet from India, who lived from 1440-1518. It reads: aawmag.com

Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat. My shoulder is against yours. You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals; not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but vegetables. When you really look for me, you will see me instantly— you will find me in the tiniest house of time. Student, tell me, what is God? He is the breath inside the breath. -Kabir For me, the universality of existence and the idea that there is something “beyond” our daily toils and turmoils is comforting. I have had the pleasure of knowing people from all backgrounds, walks of life, and spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) and feel that it has given me a broader perspective than looking at one definition of faith as THE definition. So when I first tried to respond to statements from my kids as to what they do or do not believe, I had to come to the conclusion that their paths are their paths and what helped me sort it out may not be what helps them. In one heated discussion with my 14-year-old, I said, “So what is it that you don’t believe—that we should love our neighbors as ourselves? That all people deserve love, respect, and acceptance? That love prevails over all things?” Of course, he didn’t dispute any of these beliefs. However, I had to accept that there are many aspects of organized religion that can turn off the next generation, particularly those young adults and teens that see so much disparity in our world and hear on the news some of the negative realities in different religious communities, including child molestation or other sexual improprieties within the church, financial corruption, cult-like behaviors, or exclusion of people of diverse gender identities or sexual orientation. While I personally know of many good works being done by many churches and people of faith, I see how the above realities can seriously impact a young

person’s faith and belief system. Reconciling the ill and good is hard, even for adults. A song by the band Pennywise highlights the frustrations of this incongruity and criticizes in particular those faith leaders who may profit personally from charitable donations from followers, as well as articulates the exclusion the singer obviously feels for himself, the poor, and others outside of social convention. The lyrics state, “...holier than thou with your one-way morality, I think your shallow faith isn’t based in reality.” While such words may be hard to hear, they underscore the anger and feelings that churches are out of touch. Young people need to see that faith runs deep, mends wounds in our society, reaches out to all people, and in the best of worlds gives meaning and connectivity to the human experience. So, with this backdrop in mind, I am fumbling my way through the minefield of trying to help my children see faith and spirituality as something relevant and real to their daily lives. I told my one son that he has to go on his own journey, but that ultimately life can be hard and having some sort of spiritual belief system helps us to not just get through our lives but to find meaning in the difficulties and challenges of our lives. In addition, I am continuing to work on articulating how science and spirituality can be seen as not mutually exclusive. Max Planck, a well-known physicist, wrote that “[s]cience cannot solve the ultimate

mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and therefore part of the mystery that we are trying to solve.” As scientists discover the innate patterns of nature and our world and how those patterns interact and impact one another, the sacredness can be seen in the mathematical equations that reveal the beautiful laws that govern our existence and the universe. One might say that the science opens up a window into the intricacies of our world in which the inherent beauty and sanctity is grounded in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, as well as mathematics. The perfection of this logic does not take away from the mysteries, and the mysteries keep us as humans always seeking purpose and answers in understanding that which is unknown. As for my children and their paths, I’m encouraging them to read, think, feel, discuss, and not throw the baby out with the bath water. And as for me, I am giving them space to determine their own path, listening to them, and loving them on this journey. When we are on to the next challenge, I’ll try to make an entry in that parenting manual for those who haven’t yet traversed this road.

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

March-April 2018 | 9

Relationships

The Week of the Young Child BY THE CHILDREN’S COUNCIL OF WATAUGA COUNTY Week of the Young Child Schedule

Check the Children’s Council Facebook page or call the office at 828-262-5424 for more details about festivities. Sunday, April 15: Dine Out for Kids Many restaurants in Watauga County will be donating a portion of their proceeds from the day to the Children’s Council. Choose a restaurant and head out to eat and celebrate while knowing your money is going to support the needs of the children in your community. Visit our Facebook page to learn more.

The Children’s Council is excited to be celebrating the Week of the Young Child April 15-21, 2018. This annual celebration is inspired by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and there will be lots of fun activities locally this year throughout the whole week. Everyone is invited to help celebrate as we bring attention to the needs of our young children, their families and their teachers and as we recognize the early educators who work to meet these needs. The Children’s Council works to support families and professionals in the early childhood ﬁeld. By offering family support groups, a robust quality support program, free diaper bank, home visits for new parents, Dolly Parton Imagination Library and many other programs, the Children’s Council provides numerous resources to our families and professionals. Young children enrolled in child care and their families depend on these early childhood professionals to provide the highest possible quality of care. These early years are the single most important time in a person’s life in terms of brain development, relationships and stability and have a lasting impact on a child’s development, shaping a child for a lifetime. The Children’s Council works with many of our early childhood professionals to ensure they are getting the support and professional development they need to provide the highest quality care. The Children’s Council of Watauga County is a local nonproﬁt that works to build a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system, and the wider community. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to develop to his or her fullest potential in a community that supports, nurtures, and empowers children and families. Contact us for more information at (828) 262-5424 or visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org. Our office is located at 225 Birch St. #3, Boone, NC 28607. 10 | March-April 2018

Monday, April 16: Movie Monday at the Library Join us at the Watauga County Public Library at 4 p.m. to see the movie “Coco.” Tuesday, April 17: Tamale Tuesday at the Greenway in Boone Bring the whole family out to get some exercise on the Greenway Tuesday afternoon and buy some tamales for dinner. Wednesday, April 18: Breakfast of Champions An annual event to celebrate our generous donors and volunteers that support the work of the Children’s Council. Invitation and RSVP required. Contact our office for more details. Thursday, April 19: Thankful Thursday This day we celebrate our early childhood educators and all of their hard work. Many local businesses will sponsor and provide items for our early childhood professionals to receive in a gift basket to help us care for the caregivers. Make sure to show your appreciate of these early childhood professionals in your own way too. Friday, April 20: Fun Friday at The Children’s Playhouse Get in free at the Children’s Playhouse with a pack of diapers to donate for Fun Friday. Bring donations to The Playhouse located at 400 Tracy Circle, Boone, NC 28607. Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Annual Children and Baby Fair Our annual Children and Baby Fair will take place at the National Guard Armory from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come out for this free event and enjoy interactive family-friendly activities as well as a chance to gain resources and information for families. There will be bounce houses, food trucks, live entertainment, games and members of the App State football team.

aawmag.com

Food & Drink

Lamb A Favorite Meal at Springtime Holiday Dinner Tables

Versatile and ﬂavorful, lamb is enjoyed across the globe and is especially popular come springtime holidays. Throughout the Middle East and parts of Eastern Europe, lamb has traditionally been enjoyed once the weather warms and the season of fertility renews. Christians, who refer to Jesus Christ as the "Lamb of God" pay homage to the Easter miracle and often dine on lamb as part of their celebrations. Depending on how they interpret Jewish law, Jews may or may not include lamb at their traditional Passover seder. Lamb is a tender and tasty meat that can be prepared in various ways. Lamb can be roasted, braised, stewed, broiled, and even grilled. To prepare lamb well, it is extremely important to follow safety guidelines concerning food cross-contamination. Undercooked and raw meats may contain E. coli bacteria; therefore, lamb should not come in contact with other foods that will be served uncooked. Many cuts of lamb are very tender so they will not require long marinating times to help break down the ﬁbers in the

meat. Lamb does not need a lot of prep time. In fact, a simple seasoning of herbs, garlic or a spice rub will provide substantial flavor. According to The Daily Meal, New Zealand or Australian lamb has a milder flavor than domestic lamb. Overseasoning can overwhelm the delicate flavor of the lamb in these cases. While preferences differ, many chefs attest that a bone-in cut of lamb will be more flavorful. However, boneless cuts are easier to carve. Similarly, cooks have

strong opinions on the doneness of lamb, with some preferring rare meat while others like theirs well-done. Lamb can be juicy and tender at a wide range of cooking temperatures, so home chefs can decide how they want to prepare their lamb. The average temperature for roasting lamb to medium doneness will fall between 135 to 145 F, with the USDA recommending at least 145 F as the desired temperature. Lamb roasts at a rate of 20 minutes per pound at a cooking temperature of 325 F. Use a thermometer to accurately measure the internal temperature of lamb. Remove the lamb when it is roughly ﬁve degrees below the desired temperature, as the meat will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven, skillet or grill. After cooking. let the lamb rest for around 10 minutes for thinner cuts and 20 minutes for roasts or leg of lamb to allow the juices to redistribute. Certain ﬂavors pair especially well with lamb, including citrus, mint, garlic, oregano, and curry. Lamb can be served beside potatoes, couscous, polenta, vegetables, and even pasta. March-April 2018 | 11

Feature

A Garden for Healing Blue Ridge Garden Club Project Serves Cancer Patients

Photo by Doris Ratchford

Photo submitted

Although many highway flower beds add beauty to drivers’ commutes, they are often passed by and forgotten in a flash. But the Blue Ridge Garden Club has dedicated many hours to a garden that’s guaranteed to be seen — and, hopefully, to bring joy and comfort to those who could use it. As patients at Boone’s Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center receive their chemotherapy infusions — a process that can take up to several hours — their chairs and beds face a large wall of picture windows. Up until a few years ago, growing just on the other side of the large panes were evergreen shrubs and bushes, and while they were kept trimmed and tidy by the medical center’s grounds workers, Janice LaCapra and the members of the Blue Ridge Garden Club felt they could do more to beautify the site and paint a tranquil but lively scene for the patients at the Cancer Center. Spurred on by Janice — who felt the club had the capacity to support more than the four civic gardens it was charged with maintaining at the time — in 2012 the club sponsored a planting of pink flowers and plants at the Cancer Center in honor of Pink Week for breast cancer. Janice suggested that the club officers approach the Cancer Center about opportunities to continue to help there. Sandi Cassidy, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System director for oncology services, suggested the area in front of the Cancer Center windows as a site that could be improved. Sandi says the 12 | March-April 2018

Photo by Doris Ratchford

club members expressed excitement and enthusiasm over a renewed partnership with the Cancer Center. After the hospital’s plant operations staff chopped down and removed bushes, the club planted flowers and installed flower boxes, birdhouses, and bird feeders (some bird feeders and a birdbath had been installed previously). One of Blue Ridge’s members, Doris Ratchford, is also a member of the Audubon Society, and she and several of her Audubon friends took over the responsibility of caring for the feeders and implementing a program to introduce hummingbirds to the garden. Three beautifully hand-painted bird houses were added as well as a cobalt blue water bath. The garden has become a haven for migrating birds as well as some mammals, including squirrels and even foxes. Duties in maintaining the garden have been divided amongst the committee members. Susan Miller cares for the large cobalt blue planters at the front doors of radiation and oncology. Judy Williamsen, Joanie Venza, Sandi Wells, Kathleen Cascini, Dianne Dougherty, Emmy Stallings, and Janice LaCapra take turns watering during the dry months. The club’s core committee decorates the garden for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. In addition, each member of the Blue Ridge Garden Club takes fresh cut flowers, orchids, or other plants to the reception areas during a two-week period of the

Photo by Doris Ratchford

calendar year. “It’s festive and it’s uplifting,” Sandi says. “Anything that is uplifting and full of nature is healing to someone who is sick.” The staff at the hospital has been extremely helpful, club members say, handling chores that the group cannot do, including removing bushes, repositioning heavy items and storing the planters for the winter. “Our incredible gratitude goes out to the Blue Ridge Garden Club and to the Audubon Society,” says Sandi. “This demonstrates how a department in the health care system can work together collaboratively with a community outreach program to great effect for the benefit of community members and those who are our patients.” The Blue Ridge Garden Club is almost 70 years old, having served the High Country since its inception in 1949. Janice — who was born and raised in the Panama Canal Zone — joined the Blue Ridge Garden Club in 2006 and served as president from 2009-2011. During her tenure, she was instrumental in recruiting women who were interested in working hard and finding new ways to contribute to their community. To find out more about the Blue Ridge Garden Club — or if you know a solution for groundhogs in the garden — find the club on Facebook at tinyurl.com/y85o2385 or by searching for Blue Ridge Garden Club Boone. aawmag.com

Women Making Their Mark on the High Country

For the second consecutive year, and coinciding with Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s History Month, 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 2018 | 13

Women Making Their Mark

Champions 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. BY KELLEN SHORT

Wysteria White

Irene Sawyer

ith a name like Wysteria, how could you do anything except bloom where you’re planted? After moving to the High Country in fourth grade, Wysteria White encountered challenges that threatened to derail her future. By her teenage years, she was placed in group homes and foster care. She didn’t attend high school but earned her GED, and she was just 17 when she became a single mom. Born seven weeks early, her son, Darion, weighed only three and a half pounds and spent two weeks in an incubator, undergoing “every therapy you could imagine,” Wysteria says. Instead of becoming a statistic, Wysteria became a success story. “She’s just what I would call a shining star in our community,” says Lynne Mason, who was a mentor to Wysteria in those early days as a young mom. “I think she is just a great example of when people, even when they face adversity, can take a more challenging situation and turn it into something really good.” She applied for a house through Habitat for Humanity, putting in hundreds of hours of sweat equity to provide the cozy home where she still lives. She’s continued supporting the organization in the years since, volunteering on builds, counseling families and speaking publicly on its behalf. After relying on the Western Youth Network when her son was young, Wysteria became a youth mentor and board member for WYN. She was also a founding parent of Two Rivers Community School. 14 | March-April 2018

Today, colleagues say she’s ﬂourishing in her 15-year career with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, where she’s done everything from answering phones to leading public relations efforts. Laurette Leagon, former chamber vice president, says she is proud to have hired Wysteria and thrilled to see her taking on new responsibilities. “I had this gut feeling that she was wired for chamber work, that she had the personality,” Laurette says. Wysteria credits her son, now 19, with empowering her to do everything she could to succeed. “She has just a can-do attitude, a sweet spirit, and she’s blossoming now,” says Sheri Moretz of Mast General Store. “I have never encountered her when she did not have a smile on her face and was not willing to roll up her sleeves and do whatever was asked of her.”

ancer survivors have a term for the time following remission: bonus years. And Blowing Rock resident Irene Sawyer is making the most of hers. In 2010, a lump Irene thought was a mosquito bite turned out to be triple-negative breast cancer. She endured 18 months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, leaving her with heart and nerve damage that continues to this day. But Irene never experienced the nausea and vomiting that usually accompanies chemo, a fact she often marveled at with her nurses. “They would smile so sweetly and say, ‘Honey, you can thank the people who came before you and went through the trials, went aawmag.com

Photo by Lonnie Webster

Mary Smalling

through the chemo, had these botched surgeries so everyone could learn,’” Irene says. When her ordeal ended in 2013, Irene felt a nagging sense of responsibility to repay those who helped smooth her passage. She volunteered, participated in clinical trials and served on advisory boards, but nothing felt like “enough.” After moving to Blowing Rock from Columbus, Ohio, Irene searched online for a local breast cancer walk to continue her advocacy—and found nothing. Here was her opportunity. With a team of volunteers, Irene created the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation, organizing the inaugural High Country Walk/Run for Breast Cancer in October 2017. The event drew more than 350 participants and raised more than $28,500 to be distributed exclusively to local individuals with breast cancer. Irene covered all event expenses from her own pocket. ASU junior Kate Fersinger entered Irene’s orbit when her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, began assisting with the event. “She’s the type of person where she can brighten up someone’s life from just one interaction with her,” Kate says. Neighbor Cindy Kovalcin, foundation treasurer, agreed. “One thing she reminds her friends about constantly is she loves them,” Cindy says. “She knows how to embrace a friend and make them feel really a part of a relationship, a true, loving relationship.” As the foundation heads into year two, Irene dreams of expanding the organization to serve more people in more ways. Fellow cancer survivor and foundation Vice President Joanie Venza praised Irene’s fortitude. “It’s her mission to give back, and she will not be stopped,” Venza says.

magine a child conﬁned to the playground sidelines, unable to interact with classmates and enjoy the carefree act of playing due to a disability. Hardin Park Principal Mary Smalling didn’t have to imagine. The sight of handicapped students unable to access the school playground so moved her that she invested a decade in solving the problem. “Every child should be able to play. Period,” Mary says. Mary was an orchestrator of the community effort to make the playground accessible to all students, replacing the mulch with a ﬁrm surface and the equipment with easy-to-use pieces at lower heights. Assistant Principal Jim Godwin says Mary was tireless in her commitment to raise the nearly $225,000 the project required. “If we found a quarter in the hallway down here, it went into a jar, and it went into that fund,” he says. “She’s very dedicated to her job and to the kids, because she loves the kids and she wants what’s best for them.” When the playground opened in May 2017, at least one student was able to go down a slide for

the ﬁrst time in his life, said exceptional children teacher Erin Selle. She said the playground project is just one example of how Mary works to integrate children of all abilities into the school. “She wants everyone intermingled and being willing to see that there are not as many differences as we think between people,” Selle says. In her 30-year career as an educator and principal, Mary has encouraged teachers and students to meet people from other backgrounds to experience unfamiliar cultures and examine their own internal biases. She traveled to the Dominican Republic to construct a school and welcomed Pakistani teachers as part of an exchange program, among numerous other globally focused activities. Jane Shook, former PTO president, praised Mary’s diligence in advocating for children, including Jane’s own kids. “It’s very important, I think, for our children to see such dedication and such caring from school administrators,” Shook says, noting the tendency for students to think of principals as simply disciplinarians. “I think she does a really good job of saying, ‘I’m your principal, but I care.’”

March-April 2018 | 15

Women Making Their Mark

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

Photo by Thomas Sherrill

BY ALEAH WARNER

Betty Pitts

etty Pitts can talk to anyone, and knows everyone. A resident of Blowing Rock for the last 45 years, Betty is more than happy to share a cup of coffee, a good conversation, and her kitchen’s picturesque view of the Blue Ridge mountains with anyone who stops by. “I’ve just always wanted to help people,” Betty says. “It’s been my desire.” Her faith is the foundation of her life. She is a member of the First Baptist Church in Blowing Rock, 16 | March-April 2018

where she and her family would sing in the choir. On snowy Sundays when they couldn’t make it to church, Betsy Payne, one of Betty’s seven children, says the family would line up chairs in the living room to have their own service. It was through her faith that Betty became dedicated to service and to improving her community. Betty helped establish a chapel at the former Blowing Rock Hospital and sold bread at her husband’s service station to raise money for mission trips. Since 1994, she has written a weekly testimonial

column for The Blowing Rocket newspaper called the Quiet Corner, where she offers prayer for those seeking support. Betty insists her work was a group effort. “I had a large family that helped me help others,” she laughs. Betsy recalls when Betty served as a chairperson for the area’s March of Dimes, where they would go street by street collecting donations. If she came up short of her goal, Payne said her mother would send the children out to collect more. “We were all pulled in no matter what,” Payne says. Betty worked extensively with the hospital on its board of trustees and was brieﬂy Blowing Rock’s First Lady when her husband Hayden was mayor. Often referred to as the matriarch of Blowing Rock, it’s hard to ﬁnd a part of the community that Betty hasn’t touched. “She’s been very involved in everything in Blowing Rock—wherever there’s a need, she’s always been there,” Payne says.

Susan Jones

t would be difficult to ﬁnd a question that Susan Jones doesn’t have an answer for. At the very least, she knows in which direction to point you. Resources, she says, are her most important tool in helping others, and have been crucial to both her career and in her community service work. For the last 15 years she has served as the Watauga district manager for Blue Ridge Energy, helping with internal operations and community outreach. She also works extensively with the Boone and Blowing Rock chambers of commerce, and recently served as chairperson in Boone. It was Susan’s work with the chamber that inspired David Jackson to join on as the president and CEO of the Boone chamber of commerce. Jackson spoke of Susan’s leadership in particular, and her unmatched dedication to every project she takes on. “She sets an expectation for involvement and leadership in our community that ... we need to capture in a bottle and spread around,” Jackson says. A common theme in her service work is helping others get aawmag.com

Photo by Anna Oakes

back on their feet and help contribute within their community. “It’s what makes our community successful, because it makes people successful,” Susan says. With this thought in mind, Susan helped create RISE. Formerly Circles of the High Country, RISE stands for relationships in support of empowerment and provides a 12- to 15-week program that teaches members of the community skills like budgeting and interviewing to help them ﬁnd stable jobs and meet their expenses. “Businesses, and school, and most places are based on the rules of middle class,” Susan says. “It’s about helping people in poverty live in a middle class world.”

Kathryn Pope

here there is a need in the community, Kathryn Pope is there, often behind the scenes, working to find a solution. Arriving in Boone for school, Kathryn graduated from Appalachian State with a master’s degree in computer science. She started her own web design and management business, Overmountain Studios, and later opened Boone Portraits photography studio in the same building. Her background in web design is how she began her work with Quiet Givers, an organization that helps fill individual and community-wide needs through an anonymous platform. She progressed from social media and website manager to current president of the board. Quiet Givers began as a Facebook page started by Amber Bateman in 2010 and has grown into a network organization throughout Watauga, Ashe, and Avery counties. People submit their needs, and Quiet Givers either refers them to an organization that can help or posts the need anonymously on the organization’s website and Facebook pages for the community to fill. As the president of Quiet Givers, Kathryn spends anywhere between 10 and 20 hours a week making phone calls to help find solutions to problems. Quiet Givers receives a wide variety of needs from the community, whether it’s getting a bicycle for someone so they can get to

work, or ﬁnding donations to help a family pay its utility bill. “She’s driven in that she is constantly doing something for somebody, giving to somebody, giving up her time,” Quiet Givers board member Matthew Lucas says. Kathryn was driven to get involved in her community after miscarrying twins in 2015. The feeling of being unable to do anything for herself, she says, made her want to do something for someone else. “If you think you can’t help, you can. You have something,” Kathryn says. “You may not realize you have it, but you do, and it could be something so small that makes such a difference to another person.” Extending her reach further, Kathryn also works with Western Watauga Food Network, a spinoff of Quiet Givers that speciﬁcally helps address food needs in the outer parts of the county. Kathryn and her intern Cassie spend Thursdays providing a meal and two weeks worth of groceries for those in need. As board member and Kathryn’s former employee, Matthew describes her as tireless and determined. If Kathryn

For the last 20 years, Susan has dedicated her Thursdays to lunches with Kiwanis, a group of people who actively look for ways to improve the lives of children. They read and donate books to local daycares and offer tutoring and reading programs. “There’s people out in the community, they don’t know where to start to make things different,” Susan says. “To give them a starting place and steps to build on is huge.”

can’t ﬁll a need through her resources at Quiet Givers or Western Watauga Food Network, he says, she will go out of her way to ﬁll it herself. “I’ve watched her give up her personal time, her home,” he says. “I’ve seen her at the last minute cook meals for over 100 people in her own home just because she didn’t want to say no to these people.” March-April 2018 | 17

Women Making Their Mark

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

Kathryn Hemphill

ith equal measures of wit and passion, Kathryn Hemphill, Avery County’s ﬁrst female lawyer, shares the principle that undergirds her 37-yearpractice: “If I want to do it—and I know it’s right—I’ll do it.” With this zealous sense of conviction as well as a pioneering spirit, Kathryn is an attorney whose reputation of honesty, integrity, and ferocity precedes her. As she describes, “I am willing to give my clients credit for what they have done, to validate their situation, to show them empathy, and, above all, to be brutally honest.” Armed with these attributes and keen instincts, Kathryn has proven time and again to truly be a counselor at law. The eldest of four, Kathryn grew up in Hickory, N.C., where her pioneering instincts became visible in high school. An avid tennis player, Kathryn was dismayed to learn in the mid1960s that Hickory High did not have a women’s tennis team. Her father encouraged her to try out for the boys’ team, and she did. “I was not taught to think in terms of gender. There was tennis, and I could play. I tried out for the boys’ team and made it.” In a similar fashion, with degrees from Sweetbriar in psychology and a master’s from Appalachian State in clinical psychology, Kathryn was “re-bit by the legal bug” and followed an instinct she had always had to pursue law. At a time when female law students were in the minority, Kathryn says that “women were not encouraged by society or educators to become attorneys.” Welcoming this challenge, Kathryn graduated with a law degree from Wake Forest University in 1981. Spending summers at her parents’ home in Grandfather Golf and Country Club, Kathryn’s knowledge of the High Country and her love for the mountains made her decision to move to Avery County to practice law non-negotiable. At that time, the only attorneys in the county were male. Undaunted, Kathryn recalls, “I had made up my mind. I wanted to practice law, and I wanted to be in Avery County.” 18 | March-April 2018

In April 1981, Kathryn opened her office “space,” a room she rented from Bill Cocke. For her ﬁrst year, her only clients were court-appointed cases representing females. Slowly, Kathryn found ways to inﬁltrate her territory. She visited several women’s groups and shared a “Women and the Law” presentation while getting to know the women in the area. She says, “I quickly recognized there aawmag.com

Carol Coulter

arol Coulter’s day begins at 5 a.m. with milking, feeding, and cleaning out stalls. These chores lead to her cheese kitchen, where weekly tasks determine her day’s work: cheese making day, packing day, or market day. Her labors transform into a dairy of chèvre or soft goat cheese, feta cheese, as well as gouda, and a full-time farm that yields a year-round garden replete with goats, chickens, cows, pigs and dogs to protect her herds. Carol and her husband, Lonnie, enjoy the bounty of working and sharing in a community that is redefining what it means to live local. Hailing from the north, Carol grew up in both the Bronx and the suburbs of New York City. Invited to spend time in the Adirondacks with her college roommate, Carol discovered her passion for the outdoors and her love of nature. First working as a science teacher who implemented outdoor education, Carol eventually made her way to North Carolina and began her tenure with Outward Bound. There she met her husband and was introduced to the High Country. “I fell in love with Western North Carolina and have never left.” In 1994, Carol and Lonnie purchased four acres of land in Ashe County. Their holistic approach to “garden, raise animals, and live simply” has grown to include Heritage Homestead Dairy and has established their farming philosophies as a solid hub and resource for WNC’s farming communities. Opening their farm and dairy for tours, Carol and her husband are committed to changing cultural awareness of where and how food is grown. In her community outreach efforts, Carol hopes “to keep farmers on their farms with ever healthier, safer, fresher approaches, to keep money in the community, and to build up the local economy.” Carol’s work extends beyond the boundaries of her 17-acre-farm. A founding member of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, Carol guides a five-member staff who are active in regional farmers markets, in financial planning, working with beginning farmers, and pacing in harvesting. As part of this work, Carol was instrumental in the establishment of the High Country Food Hub, which opened in 2017 and provides cold storage space for local producers.

Photo by Kayla Lasure

were strong women here, and I could learn from these women.” Gaining the conﬁdence and trust of women such as Linda McGee and Martha Guy, Kathryn was sent more and more cases, and her practice grew. “I knew I had to work longer and harder and be twice as prepared when I went into the courtroom,” she says. And, it worked. About those early years, Kathryn says, “Gay Franklin taught me how to practice law, and the judges and ‘old guard’ welcomed me and made me feel like a lawyer.” And as to all the heckling she faced from her contemporaries, Kathryn took on a “don’t get mad, get even” approach that continues to work to her advantage. Approached in 1983 by Linville Resorts President and General Manager John Blackburn to represent the company further established Kathryn’s growing practice. “I had observed Kathryn in her formative years,” John recalls. “I knew she would be the perfect choice in understanding the complexity of our company. Kathryn is the most detail-oriented and intelligent person I’ve had the honor to know. She is recognized among her peers as an insightful leader and someone who can see all sides of any issue. She is an invaluable friend, counselor, and mentor.” Similarly, her 31-year paralegal, Terri Johnson-Whittington, notes, “Kathryn has always been my hero. I have seen her at her best, at her most sick, and at times even her lowest. But ... she always comes back stronger and ready to help others. She always has the best interest of her client in mind, and she is not afraid to ﬁght for that to any end. She is just simply not afraid.” Kathryn’s 37-year-practice in Newland continues to thrive. When she is away from her office, she lives in Montezuma with her husband, Ron Jones, a woodturner, and their Boykin spaniel, Chestnut.

“I enjoy bringing women together and watching women become successful as farmers,” she says. “We will not stop working to shape regional food systems and moving forward. We want to create a clear understanding of what is local and how to gain access to it.” Carol’s friends and business partners esteem her professionalism and her commitment to a local approach to food and life. Julia McIntyre knew her from BRWIA gatherings and decided to take a business class with Carol. “As a fellow farmer, I appreciated her complete candor and her ability to connect with everyone,” Julia says. “Carol listens. She goes out of her way to help. She doesn’t stand on ceremony, and she’s not afraid to try new things—especially if it helps someone else. Carol has done wonderful things for agriculture and our food system in the area. I am happy to call Carol a friend.” Regarding her life’s work, Carol offers, “When I look out at the world, I always see opportunities to make our world a better place. I want to make use of the resources we have and make these opportunities happen.”

March-April 2018 | 19

Women Making Their Mark

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

Photo courtesy Town of Boone Cultural Resources Department

Deborah Jean Sheets

self-described follower of the “old ways,” Deborah Jean Sheets is the living embodiment of traditional Appalachian culture. Sheets, a former educator, lives with her husband Randy in Valle Crucis, in a house they built themselves. Randy and Deborah Jean grow most of their own food in their garden and make a lot of their home goods by hand, all in an attempt to preserve and honor the old way of living. “We are very connected to our home because when you do things yourself, it takes time,” Deborah Jean explains. Deborah Jean and Randy, along with their daughter Kelly Sheets Snider, make up the Sheets Family Band. The family band performs original music as well as reprising traditional, old-time songs. “She is a great performer; she’s one of the best harmony singers around. Hearing her on stage or at a party, it’s incredible,” says Mark Freed, town of Boone cultural resources coordinator. “She can ﬁnd ways to blend her voice with anyone.” 20 | March-April 2018

For Deborah Jean, her love of traditional music and Appalachian culture began shortly after graduating from Appalachian State. “Gradually through social settings I became familiar with this type of music I didn’t know existed,” she remembers. “I was 26 or so, and I was at a party and was sitting on a stool on the outskirts of this (music) jam that was going on, and before I knew it I was in the middle of the jam just sitting and listening, and it was an incredible experience, and I thought I wanted to do that, I want to participate.” Deborah Jean took a community college class shortly after that experience in the jam circle to learn the basic “banjo lick” and has continued reﬁning her craft ever since. “She’s a great songwriter; she doesn’t have a huge catalog of songs, but several of the songs she wrote are recorded,” says Mark. “She’s a really neat artist, and it comes to her in waves, and when it does come to her, it’s really special.” As an accomplished musician and performer, Deborah Jean works to pass on the traditional style of music to the next generation as an instructor with the Boone Junior Appalachian Musicians program at the Jones House. The tradition and keeping the kind of pure way of living like that is important to them; traditional music is dear to them,” Mark says. “They perform the music because they love the music, but also because they have this internal connection, and they’re very aware that they’re a link of a chain.” Deborah Jean looks at the JAM program as a way to show children what they’re missing out on. “I think it’s important to expose them to the heritage music and that’s what I always do,” she says. “We’re always looking for things to excite them.” As a music teacher, she uses her educational background to connect with students on a personal level. “She’s a fantastic teacher and is super patient; she works great with people,” Freed says. “She’s really connected with some of her students.”

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Kim Fuelling

ost people don’t associate rock climbing and painting, but for Kim Fuelling, that’s part of her everyday life. Kim, along with her husband Paul, moved to the High Country in 2000 after a visit to the area for the Hound Ears climbing competition. “We basically started bouldering together, and we were traveling in an old car around the country together to different climbing spots,” Paul says. “Our travels were coming to an end, but we heard about one more spot to get to, which was Boone, and we came and were like ‘why would we leave?’” Kim estimates that the couple had only $400 when they moved, describing herself as “obsessed” with climbing at the time. “I fell in love with the culture and the people here; everyone is friendly and warm,” she says. “The climbing is exceptional. There’s a lifetime of climbing here. The rock quality is excellent, and there’s always new areas to discover.” Since moving to the area, their climbing activity has slowed—with the couple getting out to climb “maybe once a week”—but their artistic careers have accelerated. In 2010, a decade after living in the area, the couple opened Mabel Studios as a way to showcase Kim’s painting and design skills and Paul’s ability as a craftsperson and woodworker. “Most of my work is done in oils on various types of wood panels that we build at Mabel Studios. Some are large scale on reclaimed wood with tons of character, and some are on a more traditional, smooth panel,” Kim says. “My work is inspired by the Appalachian landscape, vintage travel and park service posters, and some of our great American ﬁne artists like Agnes Martin and Richard Diebenkorn.” It was partly Kim’s painting that brought her and Paul together. “One of the reasons I was attracted to her was because I thought she was a

good painter and had an aesthetic that matched mine,” he recalls. “Now our work is so closely tied together, and we work on each others’ projects together and critique each other and try and push each other.” Kim is also a big part of the woodshop as well, helping design, sand, and finish pieces. The two churn out “oneof-a-kind work” that includes furniture pieces along with fine art. “Mainly her art is her life,” Paul says. “She is committed to it, and she’s definitely passionate about what she does and tries to do the absolute best work that she can produce.” The woodshop itself is located at the historic Cove Creek High School building in Sugar Grove, just a few miles down the road from Kim’s painting studio and gallery space, which also doubles as their home. Kim and Paul chose to combine their gallery, studio space, and home as a reflection of their “free” lifestyle. “One of the things about us is that we

don’t clock in and clock out; our work is our life,” Paul says. “Our activities are in the same vein. We strike when the iron is hot, and we designed our whole lives to have that freedom to be able to paint and to do things we enjoy.” And when guests come to stay? The couple remodeled a 1973 Airstream camper to serve as a guest space and have completed other custom camper projects that people can view on their website, mabelstudios.com, along with their other work.

March-April 2018 | 21

Photo of Macie Pietrowicz by Tysha Hallman

L E N S

ro u

After Fire, Photos Paint Picture of a Creative Spirit Taken Too Soon

Continued on next page

Photos by Macie Pietrowicz

very photo has a story to tell, even after the person who captured it is no longer able to tell it. The late Macie Lane Dove Pietrowicz loved immersing herself into her photography. Her husband—Marky Pietrowicz—says she found value in her work by allowing others to interpret the meaning in her images. “She was the type of person who would like to take a picture, talk to people and see what they got from it,” Marky says. “She really loved meeting and connecting with people through it.” While Macie had plans of growing more in her photography, Marky says she wasn’t entirely interested in making a business out of it. Rather than have someone pay her to take photos, Macie wanted to go out and create a piece of art. “She didn’t really care about money at all. She just wanted to be happy with doing what she was doing,” he says. “She wanted to be doing galleries and have a meaning behind each and every photo.” Macie grew up in Lillington, North Carolina, and graduated from Western Harnett High School. It was while in high school, Marky says, that Macie took a few photography classes, and had since been developing her skills. “She would spend hours editing one photo to give it a certain type of look,” Marky recalls. “Every year she would build on what she needed. She was always watching YouTube tutorials to train herself.” Macie was comfortable walking up to strangers—while out to dinner or walking around the mall—and asking them if they would want to model for her. “She was the type of person who didn’t really care to go up to a random person and ask them if they want to meet up or do a photo shoot with her just because she thinks they’re beautiful,” Marky says. Tysha Hallman, a fellow photographer, says Macie inspired her and several other photographers in their work. She says she still likes to ﬂip through Macie’s photos and is amazed at the details. Continued on next page March-April 2018 | 23

“I assisted her on one of her concept shoots, and she was very particular and had her shots thought out down to the littlest detail,” Tysha says. “I admire her view of the world and expressing her emotions through her art with such complementing colors. Her editing style always reminded me of cinema stills.” Macie’s work has been spotlighted by Whim Online Magazine, PinkDane Images, United Photographic Artists Gallery and the Raleigh Photo Group.

Gone Too Soon

Photos by Macie Pietrowicz

Macie’s life ended at the age of 25 in a tragic fire on Aug. 12, 2016. A man later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree arson, as well as other charges after setting fire to the Valle Landing shops and apartment building in Valle Crucis where Macie and Marky lived. They hadn’t been living in the area even a year when the fire occurred. Marky recalled that it was a Friday morning around 5:30 a.m. when Macie woke him up, as flames were engulfing their apartment. He says as soon as he woke up, they were both in full panic mode. Flames had taken over the front windows, and the windows in the back required a special tool to be opened, which couldn’t be found. The couple decided to head down the hallway to exit the building downstairs. As a result of the smoke inhalation, Marky says they both lost consciousness. “The last thing I saw was Macie putting her hand to her mouth,” he says.

24 | March-April 2018

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The next thing Marky knew, he woke up and couldn’t see anything. He was unable to find his wife and had to try to find a way out. “My only option was to go through that window that we had avoided in the first place,” he remembers. “I hoped to be able to get outside and back around to where she was, but that didn’t happen.” Marky had to climb through the flame-engulfed window, crawl along the roof and jump off. He sustained third-degree burns as well as injuries from the jump. Macie didn’t survive.

Communal Heartbreak Gereta Dove, Macie’s mother, says losing her daughter breaks her heart so much that often times she can’t even bear it. “I cry and just pray to the Lord to hug my baby, kiss her and tell her mommy misses her and loves her,” Gereta says. “I just wish I would’ve called her every moment of every day.” The family was in a lot of shock and grief after the tragedy, Marky says, and the Valle Crucis community came together to help support him and the rest of Macie’s family. Macie worked part time at the Mast General Store Annex, and the people there became her second family. In Macie’s memory, Marky says the Mast General Store staff planted a tree and placed a bench in the area. Gereta says the employees and owners of the store still keep in contact with them. “The community then, and even still, are the most amazing, loving, compassionate people I have ever met in my whole entire life,” she says. “That community is nothing but love.” Marky wanted to give back to the community that has been so supportive of him through the tragedy, and last August, he hosted a Musical Chair-ity event in Macie’s name. The event raised $1,000 for OASIS, a Boone-based nonproﬁt Continued on next page March-April 2018 | 25

The Girl Behind the Camera

Photo by Macie Pietrowicz

Macie and Marky started dating when she was 16 and he was 17, while they were

Photo of Macie Pietrowicz by Tysha Hallman

organization that serves survivors of domestic and sexual violence. He hopes to continue to grow the event and to hold it closer to the anniversary of the ﬁre. Proceeds from the event are donated in Macie’s name “as if she was the one giving the money to them,” Marky notes. Macie’s family chose OASIS to receive the event proceeds, as the issue was something near and dear to Macie. While Gereta says that Macie never spoke of her experiences until just a few years ago, Macie herself was a victim of sexual violence. Macie was very passionate about advocating for victims and making sure women were treated respectfully. Macie posted on a blog about her experience with a female babysitter when she was around 9 years old, and the babysitter about 14; she wrote about how the babysitter’s abuse affected her in various parts of her life. It was through photography that she found the strength to talk about her experiences. “I have just recently started to bring my darkness to light,” Macie wrote. “As a conceptual photographer, I am starting to use photography as a platform for exploration and healing.”

both working at a haunted maze. Macie loved horror movies, and Halloween became an obsession for them both. The two married in 2011 and moved to Valle Crucis in 2015. Macie loved the mountains and always knew she wanted to live near them, Marky says. They soon fell in love with Valle Crucis. The couple loved spending time at Valle Crucis Park, where Marky says they would often throw a disc or walk along the Watauga River. Other than Halloween and photography, Marky says the best way to describe his wife is her love for cats. The two had

three cats—Quin, Samone and Doyle— that were lost in the ﬁre along with Macie. “She spoiled those babies rotten,” he says. “All three would just cuddle up to her. She was the kind of cat mom that would be on the ground, crawling around with them, hiding behind doors and popping out and scaring them. I had it made; I had the life with them.” Macie loved silver jewelry, bandanas, dresses with Vans tennis shoes, turquoise rings, dream catchers and having a cross hanging from her rear-view mirror, her mother describes. Gereta says her daughter was freespirited, quirky, and eccentric in a way that drew people to her. She said Macie’s former church youth pastor, Rachel Hill, described her as seeing life “through a very special lens.” Tysha remembers her fellow photographer as having a smile and laugh that were contagious to everyone around her. “You can ask anybody that knew her. She just radiated love,” Marky says. “It was a big thing about her, just how easily it was for someone to fall in love with who she was.”

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.

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love THINGS WE

ANTIQUE CEDAR COFFEE TABLE 18 storage drawers with hand forged, wrought iron hardware. $200. Habitat ReStore. (828)-268-9696. www.wataugahabitat.org/restore STOOL I adore these barley twist stools. They are actually made from antique chairs that have seen better days. Put a pair in front of a fire place to easily pull up for exra seating. Molly Northern Interiors. 828-386-6212 CLOCK Allen Design Clocks Buzz Bee. $59.95. Shoppes at Farmers Hardware. www.shoppesatfarmers.com SECRETARY DESK Solid wood office secretary desk. 17 drawers with rustic hardware. $350. Habitat ReStore. (828)-268-9696. www.wataugahabitat.org/restore CANDLES These candles make the sweetest gifts! Made right here in North Carolina, our neighborhood collection has over fifteen candles named for the communities all over the High Country! Come in and see if you neighborhood is one of them! Molly Northern Interiors. 828-386-6212 DRESS Simply Noelle Botanical Garden Dress. $64. Shoppes at Farmers Hardware. www.shoppesatfarmers.com

YOUNG AT HEART

Girls’ Club

The Girls’ Club poses for a picture at The Local during a post-work brainstorming session. Pictured clockwise from top left: Haley Childers, Audrey Gurkin, Meghan McCandless, Ellen Gwin Burnette and Heather Brandon. Photo by Ellen Gwin Burnette

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in this country, there are approximately 75 million women in the civilian labor force — around 47 percent of all U.S. workers. Furthermore, 70 percent of women with children under 18 are employed, most working full time. I had my ﬁrst job at age 15. Now, at 40, I have been employed in some capacity for 25 years. Over the years, I have worked with both women and men, reported to both as well. I have formed great friendships with some of my female colleagues and have had wonderful mentors in some of my female supervisors. Nevertheless, I have not always had easy relationships with female colleagues. I hate to admit it, 28 | March-April 2018

but I sometimes ﬁnd it easier to work with male colleagues because I can be honest (aka blunt) about what needs to be done and/or what I require from them. Luckily, in my current role as communications liaison for Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education, my counterparts — all women — and I are building a supportive and mutually beneﬁcial community. They include Haley Childers, communications director for Appalachian’s Walker College of Business; Meghan McCandless, communications director for the College of Fine and Applied Arts; Audrey Gurkin, communications specialist for the Beaver College of Health Sciences; and Ellen

Gwin Burnette, public relations and communications director for the College of Arts and Sciences. Our titles vary, but we each coordinate and manage everything related to communications for our respective colleges. In addition, we all report to female deans. Ellen says, “It’s a female powerhouse at Appalachian right now. All of our deans are women; all of us are women.” “It’s empowering,” Haley agrees. Recently, the ﬁve of us met to discuss how we empower each other as well as our experiences working with other women and our perceived expectations for working women. aawmag.com

Our good-natured, healthy competition raises the bar for everyone. We make each other better and by extension our colleges and the university. - Heather Brandon

Empowering Each Other We have established a club of sorts — a girls’ club — where we share ideas and best practices and talk through challenges. I feel fortunate that we both collaborate well and genuinely like each other. “It’s almost like we are mentoring each other,” said Meghan. All agreed that it is comforting to have colleagues who know what we do and understand the associated challenges. “We all do similar things,” Haley said, “and to know that I can try something that is working for one of you, or you can try something that is working for me is super beneﬁcial.” Because of the nature of our work, there is competition, but not in a negative way. Our good-natured, healthy competition raises the bar for everyone. We make each other better and by extension our colleges and the university. Reﬂecting on typical workplace competition, Ellen said, “There is nothing wrong with helping build each other up to do a good job versus that need to tear people down.”

Working with Other Women Why do we sometimes ﬁnd ourselves in conﬂict with female colleagues? “Is the issue that women in the workplace are all in different places?” Ellen asked. “Some are just having children, some have children who are older, some have chosen not to have children. So, there’s this misunderstanding of what is going on with each other—we’re not in the same place, so it [getting ahead at work] becomes competitive.” This is where relationship building and empathy is crucial. However, do not confuse these with liking. “Everybody doesn’t have to like you,” Audrey said, sharing that a former manager had given her this advice. “It was great advice.” It is unrealistic to think that all women

will get along all the time, but what we should expect of ourselves and from female colleagues is understanding, professionalism and workplace collaboration. “Females bullying each other needs to go away for things to be easier,” insisted Ellen. I have to agree, because in this era of mansplaining pushback and #metoo stories, I do wonder if women would have been and would be better served by advocating for each other. What I found most interesting about Ellen’s above statement is the children factor — and it does seem to be a factor, whether we have them or not. “Do you think men feel this way?” I asked. “No!” they responded unanimously.

Perceived Expectations for Working Women Haley and Audrey both have schoolage children. Meghan has a toddler and a baby. Ellen and I do not have children. “As I get older,” Ellen shared, “I am constantly in admiration of how my mother did it all. When she did work, she still had dinner on the table, packed my lunch, and helped me with homework.” Looking back, I would say that my mother was very honest about limitations — she worked full time, so I had to choose which activities I most wanted to do. Today’s working parents, especially mothers, seem to run themselves ragged supporting their kids’ activities. If my mother did not feel obligated to do it all, was it a conscious choice? Did she differentiate between “I can’t” vs “I won’t” do it all? “As a female,” Ellen asked, “how do I accept that I want it all, but I don’t know how to do it all?” Maybe all we can do is our best. It is a very adult thing to admit our limitations — to realize that even if you want to do it all, you cannot. At the least, you cannot do it all well, but you can try. You can try

and at some point, you will fail spectacularly, and it will be okay. “I would say that I have it all, well that I do it all, but none of it is 100 percent. It’s impossible,” said Haley. “I feel accomplished in at least trying to do it all and well-rounded, but it’s exhausting every day.” The unfortunate thing is that women seemingly do have to choose. Men rarely have to make these choices. The girls noted that there is a workplace culture that expects working mothers to tend to children — to be out when they are sick, to take them to daycare or school or appointments — whereas fathers are more often exempted from these responsibilities because they are expected to be at work. This can lead to extreme pressure for working mothers, and as noted earlier, workplace conflict with women who are not in the same place. As a woman who chose not to have children, I have to agree. I have a lack of patience for women who are always out of work with their kids. This is mainly because, as a woman without children I feel that I am expected to pick up the slack — to come in early, stay late and work weekends. The girls agreed that this is also not fair. “Life’s not fair,” we have all heard our mothers say. I have no expectation of fairness. My hope is that women will begin to have these conversations without animosity. That we can all find girls with whom to build mutually beneficial relationships — that we can foster understanding and empathy, that we can support each other, knowing that all are welcome in the girls’ club.

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 2018 | 29

Homestead

HILLBETTY REVIVAL

Cast Iron Cooking

The secret to good cast iron cooking is use. Making a grilled cheese? Use the cast iron. Frying eggs? Use the cast iron. Biscuits, oven roast, ﬁsh fry, roasted veggies? Cast iron. The best way to maintain the skillet is to use it every day for any meal. Mine rarely goes in the cabinet—maybe if company is coming over and I want the I-don’t-really-live-here level of cleanliness. My large, deep cast iron skillet is my kitchen go-to. I bake bread in the same skillet I pan-sear steaks or even bake a potato. The only hold-out is the lazy nights of canned soups, but that is more about the size of a sauce pot and ability to leave the dishes until the next day. When I talk to folks about cast iron, the biggest complaint is how high maintenance they can be or difficult to clean. 30 | March-April 2018

Admittedly I clean and re-season mine more than my grandmother even considered, but I haven’t quite nailed the perfect seasoning to make it easier to clean. Still working on that part. When I fry eggs or cook a batch of cabbage, the skillet is pretty easily cleaned up. Warm water and a dish rag will get the gooey bits out if cleaned when still warm. Pat dry with another towel and leave it on the stove top for the next meal. You read that right—no soap. This is not a pan you can leave on the stove and “get to later.” It does require pretty immediate attention to maintain a solid season and avoid rust. Now nothing beats sausage gravy in a cast iron skillet, but warm water and a dish rag just won’t get that off after breakfast. You can still skip the soap by giving

the skillet a salt scour without damaging your seasoning. Pour salt into the skillet and give it a solid scrub with the dish rag and rinse with warm water. To re-season, rub it down again with vegetable oil and pop in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour, ideally upside down on the top rack with a cookie sheet under it to catch the drips. I re-season mine about once a month, depending on how many salt scrubs and/or when the oily sheen starts to fade. I made a few mistakes along the way with my cast iron. Mine has rusted more than once by not drying properly or skipping the re-season ritual for too long. It can be reclaimed. I have done a full soap and scrub with steel wool to get the rust off followed by season, let cool, season again, let cool, season again until you aawmag.com

My Favorite Sunday Dinner

A single-skillet meal with easy clean-up that makes you look like you worked really hard on dinner. 2 lb roast 1 lb of small potatoes Handful of pearl onions Baby carrots to fill the gaps Toss the veggies in the oil of your choice (olive, vegetable, canola), and rub the roast with a mix of black pepper and garlic. Bake at 375 degrees in the iron skillet until roast reaches desired level of done; check with a meat thermometer in the center.

Photo by Melanie Davis Marshall

have the oily sheen back. If you have a skillet that looks completely gone, rust top to bottom and handle, it can still be salvaged, though it will be a tougher, overnight job. Take the skillet outside for ventilation, and while wearing gloves, spray with oven cleaner to the point of full coverage and dripping. Wrap up in a garbage bag and leave it there overnight. Still sporting your gloves the next day, unwrap and scour thoroughly with steel wool, rinse well and check the skillet for rust. This may be a two- or three-night soak process depend-

ing on the level of rust. If you found it in your barn, go for a long-weekend of spray, wrap, scour, repeat. If all else fails, ďŹ nd someone with a sandblaster to take it down to iron. The seasoning of the iron skillet after the treatment above will take several coats to get it back to an everyday use skillet. 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.

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March-April 2018 | 31

Leisure

Summer Camps for Kids

March and April may seem too early to be thinking about summer activities, but not summer camps! Registration has already begun for many camps, and they fill up fast. Here youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

RECREATIONAL/OUTDOOR-ORIENTED RECREATIONAL/ OUTDOOR-ORIENTED

Photo courtesy Mountain Adventure Day Camp

Appalachian State Athletic Camps

Mountain Adventure Day Camp

Dates and ages vary

Weekdays June 11 to Aug. 17, 4- to 13-year-olds, grouped by age

Appalachian offers multiple athletic camps in sports such as baseball, basketball, ﬁeld hockey, soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, and wrestling. More info: https://conferences-camps.appstate.edu/ youth-camps.

Holston Presbytery Camp June 10-Aug. 10, 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.

Mountain Adventure Summer Day Camp believes that students should experience summer programming to emphasize the appreciation for the outdoors and the local environment. This 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. The camp has 90 slots and 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 Grade school through high school Lutherock is located on the south slope of Sugar Mountain near Boone, North Carolina on 750 acres. 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 11-15, June 18-22, June 25-29, 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, Continued on next page March-April 2018 | 33

non-traditional and Camp UREC style), ﬁtness (animal yoga, learning how our 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 Olympicsized pool and lunch in Central Dining Hall. Camp runs Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More info: www.campurec.appstate. edu or call 828-262-2100.

Equestrian Horsemanship Camp June 18-22, June 25-29, more dates TBA, ages 6-13 Rising Star Equestrian Center in Boone offers weeklong riding camps are for groups of up to 10 students with two instructors and camp assistants. Students will need to bring their own lunch. Each student has his or her own horse for the week. Students will learn the fundamentals of horsemanship, safety and riding skills. Grooming, tacking, arena work, trail riding, bathing, and a horse show on Friday are all part of the curriculum. More info: call 828-963-4223.

Climbing Adventure Camp June 18-22, July 9-13, July 16-20, July 30-Aug. 3, ages 8-16 Rock Dimensions’ climbing adventure camp provides ﬁve days of land-based

34 | March-April 2018

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.

Blowing Rock Parks and Rec Summer Day Camp June 18 to August 5, 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. Camp hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Children swim, hike, play sports, ﬁsh and go on ﬁeld trips. More info: www.townofblowingrock.com or call 828-295-5222.

Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center Earth Camp June 24-July 10, ages 12-17; July 16-24, ages 11-13; July 29-Aug. 3, ages 8-12 The Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center presents Earth Camp, a program of traditional mountain skills and woodland adventure. The camps offer experiential education in the lessons of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, including traditional earth skills, campcraft, woodslore, woodworking, archery, backpacking, low-impact camping and river canoeing. To register, print an application from the website and mail it by March 30 to Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center, 664 Buckskin Hollow, Deep Gap, NC 28618. More info: www.buffalocove.com or call 828-964-1473.

Climbing Camp Weeks of July 2, 9, 16, 30, Aug. 6, ages 8-14 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 2, 9, 16, 30 and Aug. 6. More info: https:// squareup.com/store/center-45 or call 828386-1550.

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Camp Ginger Cascades Weeklong camps June 17 through July 28, girls ages 5-17 Located in the beautiful foothills of 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.

Fun in the Sun Camp Ages 5-13 Fun in the Sun is a recreational-based summer day camp presented by Watauga County Parks and Recreation for children ages 5-13 (children must have completed kindergarten). The seven-week camp is centrally located at Hardin Park School.

Camp is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Activities include swimming, games, ﬁeld trips, and crafts. Registration begins the ﬁrst Monday in April. More info: call 828-264-9511.

Summer Adventure Camp Ages 5-13 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. In addition to activities around campus and the weekly ﬁeld trip, campers also go to Watauga County’s tot lot and swim complex once each week. Registration began March 1 and contin-

ues until all spaces have been ﬁlled. More info: call 828-264-9511.

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.

EDUCATIONAL

Photo courtesy Mountain Adventure Day Camp

Appalachian State Academic Camps Dates and ages vary Appalachian offers multiple academic camps in subjects such as anatomy and physiology, forensic science, robotics, and engineering. More info: https://conferences-camps.appstate.edu/youth-camps.

Mountain Pathways Farm Camp June 4-8, June 18-22, July 9-13, July 23-27, ages 8-12 The Mission of Farm Camp is to pro-

Photo courtesy Mountain Adventure Day Camp

vide an intensive, weeklong sustainable farming and gardening experience that focuses on basic gardening skills as well 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: www. mountainpathways.org/programs/summer or mountainpathways@gmail.com.

Camp Cats & Canines June 25-28, rising 3rd- to 6th-graders 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: 12-15. More info: https://wataugahumane.org/other-stuff or call 828-264-7865.

Continued on next page March-April 2018 | 35

Baking Magic June 25-29 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 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: 828-297-3811.

Pizza Adventure Week July 9-12, 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 9 to 12, 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, pick blueberries, visit animals at farms and more! We will start and end each day at the Agricultural Conference Center in Boone. Register at N.C. Cooperative Extension, 971 West King St. More info: Margie_ mansure@ncsu.edu or Kirsten_dillman@ ncsu.edu or call 828-264-3061.

Cooking 101: Teenage Style July 9-13, ages 13-17 Kids in the Kitchen camps are offered

36 | March-April 2018

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. 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.

Pizza! Pizza! July 16-20, 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.

Chocolates and Candies July 23-27, 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. Sweets! Sweets! Sweets! Students will learn how chocolates, fruits and assorted

candies come together to create awesome treats. More info: 828-297-3811.

Pizza! Pizza! July 30-Aug. 3, 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.

Avery 4-H Summer Wow Program June to August, ages 5 to 13 Avery County 4-H Youth Development’s Summer WOW camp offers comprehensive and structured activities that are focused on the 4-Hs: Head to clearer thinking, Hearts to greater loyalty, Hands to larger service and Health to better living for club, community, country and world. 4-H Summer WOW offers a wide variety of hands-on activities and ﬁeld trips. More info: http://avery.ces.ncsu.edu or call 828-733-8270.

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ARTS

Photo courtesy Blowing Rock Art & History Museum

Stop Motion Animation for Kids June 12-14, ages 11 and up From 10 a.m. to noon each day at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, children will learn basic beginner stopmotion animation techniques with instructor Julie DelRosso. The children will be given a narrative to animate through the use of stop-motion animation. They will gain a hands-on knowledge of what is involved in the creation of stop-motion shorts and an understanding of the pre-production, production and post-production processes. All materials included. More info: www.BlowingRockMuseum.org or call 828-295-9099.

Creative and Performing Arts Camp June 23-29 high school, June 25-29 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 crafts, storytelling, music, dance, theater, creative writing and more. 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 828-8983372.

Fun and Fanciful Artist Books for Kids July 7, ages 8-12 Have you ever wanted to hide a secret in a book? If so, share the fun during this workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on July 7 at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, and learn how to create a secret room artist book. You will also learn how to make a spiral book, and when the basic books are constructed, you can let your imagination ﬂy away by drawing, collaging or writing on the pages of your handmade treasures. We’ll use a variety of colored and decorated papers as well as some Asian papers, which are included in the workshop fee. More info: www.BlowingRockMuseum.org or call 828-295-9099.

Next Generation Kids: Broadway in the Mountains July 16-20, Kindergarten through high school, grouped by age Sheryl and David Chernault’s Next Generation Kids presents Broadway in the Mountains, a ﬁve-day camp teaching songs and dances from Broadway productions, including “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Grease,” “Hairspray,” “Anything Goes” and “Wicked.” Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Studio K in Boone with a 6 p.m. performance in the Blowing Rock School auditorium on July 20. More info: www.nextgenkids.com/summerboone.php or call 407-312-3710.

Extreme Dance Camp Ages 6-14 Extreme Dance Camp is a one-week camp during the summer for girls and boys. The camp focuses on clogging, hiphop, 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

March-April 2018 | 37

Leisure

TRAVEL

Love Has Many Faces Am I in a dream? I’m ﬂoating down the Rhone River in France, from Burgundy to Provence, on our tiny boat, the M.S. Provence. Dozens of swans swim by; there is a crepes Suzette demonstration by our chef; three new cheese tastings await us every evening; we sample mouthwatering macaroons; and best of all, we glide past watercolor-quality scenery of vineyards, the Alps, sunsets, and French country cottages. But such pleasant, charming pastimes only provide the backdrop for the main event: our trip leader Jean Philippe. I’m always looking for exciting women and men to inspire me for two of my main interests: adventure travel and helping to change the world. Enter J.P., our goofy, energizer-bunny guide. On day one, on our tour of Paris, J.P. buys Eiffel Tower key chains from a young Syrian refugee man, and gives us each one. “I try to do a little bit each day to keep somebody going,” he comments.

38 | March-April 2018

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I try to do a little bit each day to keep somebody going. - Jean Philippe

“That was neat, the key chains,” I say, as J.P. and I drink cappuccinos in the sunroom of our boat. As we muse about the sad situation of so many refugees, I find out that he houses 16 Syrian refugees at his home near Nimes in the south of France. He has made several shipping containers into small cottages, has entered the children in school, and has found jobs for the adults. There is even a baby boy who has gotten separated from his mother. J.P. is trying to find her through a DNA search. And that isn’t all. J.P. volunteers with Doctors Without Borders in third world countries such as Haiti, South Sudan, and Somalia, going for two-week stints. Who knew that there were non-medical tasks with Doctors Without Borders? “My job,” says J.P., “is to hold the babies.” J.P.’s third volunteer job is teaching scuba diving in Thailand to physicallyhandicapped children and adults. From the beginning to the end of our trip, Jean Philippe has his fingers in every pie. Wherever we go, he seems to know everyone. Not only that, everyone is his best friend. In Vienne, location for the movie “Chocolat,” we go ashore for a homehosted visit. “I especially arranged this family for you,” J.P. whispers to me as six of us are dropped off at Jonathan’s house and greeted by his three young children with polite, rehearsed English phrases. For two hours we inhabit the lively lives of a lovely young couple who seat us in kiddie furniture and proudly serve us a fallen chocolate cake. Chocolat, indeed! In Lyon, the historic silk-weaving center that dates to the 16th century, J.P. escorts us to St. Georges workshop, one of the oldest. As we examine the exquisite silk scarves for sale and admire the ancient looms, J.P. introduces the owner/ weaver as the once-baby whose diapers he used to change.

One afternoon J.P. invites onboard Jacques, a young baker from his hometown. The first year this young man tried his hand at baking he won the regional grand prize for his baguettes. The second year, same story, this time a cake. Third, fourth, and fifth years: he won again and again and again. For us he demonstrates an olive tapenade pastry to die for. It turns out that J.P. is also a master herb gardener. Are we surprised? In an onboard talk he gives us tips on growing and using herbs. Who knew that the stems have more flavor than the leaves, and can be used as skewers for kabobs? Or that you NEVER add fresh basil to spaghetti sauce while it’s cooking, but instead at the last minute? Perhaps the most amazing visit we make with J.P. is to a bull farm in the Camargue region of southern France. The farm’s owners are, of course, old friends of his. We meet, pet, and feed the farm’s magnificent white horses, whose job it is to corral the 500 scary-looking bulls. The bulls are used in bullfighting, but not the usual sort. No killing. The bullfighter’s task is to approach the bull and yank a small red ribbon off his horns. We watch a thrilling video of bullfighters flying over the bull ring fence, with the bulls in hot pursuit. Jean-Philippe speaks nine languages: Eight of them are English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Thai, and Bavarian. He has a PhD in Russian from the Sorbonne. His ninth language is the universal language of love, friendship, and sharing.

sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com March-April 2018 | 39

Health

LIVING WELL

The Battle of the Bugs You are teeming with bugs? No kidding. You have more bugs in your body than you have human cells. There are both good bugs (a.k.a. probiotics) and bad bugs (a.k.a. bacteria, fungi and viruses). It is important to make sure the good outnumber the bad. The challenge is this: There are many enemies to the good bugs, including antibiotics, chlorinated water, medications, vaccinations, and processed foods. If the bad bugs get a foothold, you can get very sick. The good news is your good bugs can be replenished through eating probiotic-rich food. Those foods include yogurt, kefir [a yogurt-like drink], cottage cheese, sauerkraut, pickled gherkins and Kim chi [a Korean version of sauerkraut]. Here are some of the benefits provided by a thriving colony of probiotics: STABLE MOODS: Have you ever experienced a “gut instinct” or “butterflies in your stomach?” There is a reason for that. Your gut contains millions of highly reactive neurons. These neurons sense and communicate with your brain when there is a “threat” to your wellbeing. Probiotics are the “phone” that lets your gut talk to your brain. When you are stressed, probiotics communicate calming signals. If the probiotics are deficient, both your mood and gut suffer (e.g., stress triggers irritable bowel syndrome). STRONG IMMUNITY: Good bugs promote the growth of the mucus membranes that line the intestine. This lining helps to keep pathogens from seeping out of your intestine and into your body (a.k.a. leaky gut syndrome). Probiotics also resist the proliferation of bacteria like salmonella and E. coli (i.e. urinary tract infection) and candida (i.e. yeast infections). CHOLESTEROL BALANCE: Studies indicate that probiotics support that conversion of cholesterol into bile acids. If the 40 | March-April 2018

conversion does not take place, that cholesterol can land in your arteries. ENERGY: Research has shown us that probiotics can be an effective in treating chronic fatigue by supporting the signals that spark energy on a cellular level. HORMONAL BALANCE: As much as 60 percent of the estrogen circulating in the blood is picked up by the liver and “deactivated” before being dumped into the gallbladder. Good bugs help reactivate the estrogen, so it can be reabsorbed into the body. When the bacterial ﬂora is out of balance, the estrogen is neither reactivated nor reabsorbed. Instead, it is lost in the stool. Low estrogen levels have been linked to osteoporosis, PMS, water retention, menstrual cramps and migraine headaches. WEIGHT MANAGEMENT: Farmers use antibiotics to fatten cattle, pigs, and chickens. With the use of these medications, animals gain weight more quickly, on less food. Probiotics seem to do the opposite. A Japanese company gave 87 overweight individuals 100 grams of fermented milk twice a day. After 12 weeks, those individuals lost an average of 4.6 percent belly fat. Researchers think that the probiotics somehow decrease the amount of fat absorbed from the intestines. A pickle a day — it just might be as beneﬁcial as an apple in keeping the doctor away.

bonnie church Certiﬁed Life and Wellness Coach Author/columnist, motivational speaker Certiﬁed Trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution

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Health

BEAUTY

The Benefits

of Masking

You may have noticed that masking is currently trending. Korean sheet masks are very popular and receiving a lot of press. Walk into any store and there are racks of all types of masks — some so yummy sounding you might think you could eat it, such as strawberry puff, sweet tea and lemon, pomegranate, everything from avocados to bananas. I have always believed in masking and have used it as part of my regime. We might remember our mothers smearing what we considered goop on their faces. Everything from all natural to sophisticated ingredients like hyaluronic acid, amino acid, peptides, exotic plant extracts, retinols, etc. are very much in vogue today. So exactly what are the beneﬁts of masking? First thing, imagine the audacity of taking 15-20 minutes to pamper and care about yourself. The very act of putting on a mask, getting comfortable, putting your feet up and your head back spells r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n. Other beneﬁts of masks are removing excess oils, pulling out impurities and debris, hydrating the skin, improving the appearance of pores,

increasing circulation, diminishing ﬁne lines and ﬁrming of skin. Masks come in some of the following forms: • Clay, which has natural substances and draws out impurities and brings debris to the surface. It produces a tightening effect and is best for normal to oily skin types. It can absorb without stripping. • Peel-offs do not absorb oil like clay. They too produce tightening and draw blood circulation to the surface. Great for dry and mature skin and gives a temporary tightening when removed. • Cream masks are very effective for normal to dry skin. They contain emollient that softens, moisturizes and rejuvenates the skin. • Thermal masks work by gradually heating up the skin. The heat pulls blood to the surface, warms the tissue and allows the pores to breath. It leaves the skin feeling refreshed. • Natural masks utilize fruits, plants, oatmeal, egg whites, herbal ingredients, etc. and work well for normal to dry skin types. • Sheet masks are wonderful because

they are infused with the product and you simply place on clean skin and let it do its penetration work. The best thing this type of mask delivers is moisture. Select a mask that addresses your particular skin needs. Always follow product instructions. You can do the application with your ﬁngers, but a soft brush (artist brush) works best, as it gives better coverage. Always avoid delicate skin around the eyes and lips. Remove product by rinsing or with a wet towel and always use a pH toner to restore your skin to its normal acid balance. From that point you can apply your serums, creams, moisturizers, etc. If you are not including this in your routine, I highly suggest you begin, and you will see results. Whatever your skin type, rest assured there is a mask for you. Stay 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. March-April 2018 | 41

The Last Ballad By Wiley Cash

The story that emerges from the pages of Wiley Cash’s third novel, “The Last Ballad,” is one of validation and victory. It is the real-life story of a woman whose existence in the early 20th century did not surpass 29 years. It is the story of a tragedy that many worked hard to suppress and, ultimately, deny. It is the story of a woman unwanted by “society,” a strike leader necessary to her cause and a mother whose death orphans her beloved children. Told through a series of myriad voices, Cash examines the angles and paradigms that shape, anchor, and harness the first of the millworkers’ worlds. Prior to this book, the story of Ella May Wiggins was suspiciously unknown. When introduced to the world in which Ella May lives this is not as surprising. Earning $9 a week working 6-day, 12-hour night shifts, Ella May is a means to an end, rather than the single mother of four. In an opening scene, Ella May is called to her supervisor’s office for missing work: “Why are you missing work?” Mr. Goldberg asked. “I got a sick little girl at home. She gets bad at night, and I had to stay home,” she said. “I asked Dobbins to put me on day shift, but he won’t do it. Maybe I should’ve asked you.” “I don’t know, Mrs. May. People often don’t tell the truth when they lay out of work. Sick means gambling. Sick means lazy. I don’t know what a sick little girl means. What if all my employees had sick children, Mrs. May? What about me? What if I had a sick child at home and decided that I couldn’t come to work? Who’d run this mill?” “Nobody.” “That’s correct: nobody. And you know who runs your spinners when you decide to lay out on a shift? Nobody… but I can assure you Mrs. Wiggins: it’ll be much easier to find someone to operate your spinners than it will be to find someone to run this mill. I expect you’ll keep that in mind next time you find yourself with the desire to stay home.” Similar sentiments are relayed too often and when Ella May learns about the union strikes coming out of Gastonia, N.C., she finds herself traveling a dangerous path with strangers who share her harbored resentment toward their

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Make the right move. supervisors and those unwilling to recognize the inhumane treatment millworkers faced. Ella May’s natural abilities as a songwriter and singer push her to the forefront of these strikes. She becomes the voice of the union with the searing accuracy of her lyrics: “We leave our homes in the morning, We kiss our children goodbye, While we slave for the bosses, Our children scream and cry. It is for our little children, That seem to us so dear, But for us nor them, dear workers, The bosses do not care. But understand, dear workers, Our union they do fear. Let’s stand together, workers, And have a union here.”

for many of the decades that followed. It is the truth that Wiley Cash has captured through this work of ﬁction. Readers will be inspired to discover the way Ella May’s truth eventually resurfaces and brings her story and her sacriﬁce to life.

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

About the Author

Make our community your retirement choice. • Choice of 6 floor plans

Likewise, Ella May’s sincerity and dedication to her fight for better treatment for employees, gives rise to these poignant words: “When you’re holy, when you’re filled up with the spirit, you want people to know you’ve earned it, and you want to tell about it. Speaking at these rallies is something like that for me. Being poor, losing my baby, fighting for what I’m fighting for: it’s the same thing as getting up in front of that church and telling those people how the Lord’s moved in your life. You’ve earned that story. I’ve earned mine. I’ve earned this being sad, this loss, this being angry. I want to tell it to people so they’ll know what it means to earn it. Plenty of the women who’ve heard me, probably a good bit of the men too, have lived the same kind of life I’ve lived. They need to know they’re not alone.” The power of Ella May’s story and voice are unacceptable to those she speaks out against. Their attempt to silence Ella May was successful in 1929 and

• 24 hr personnel/emergency services • Convenient location close to hospitals, restaurants, shopping, and ASU • scheduled transportation to appointments, shopping, and events • Regular social activities • Much, much more A native of North Carolina, Wiley Cash is the award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of A Land More Kind Than Home and the acclaimed This Dark Road to Mercy. He is the writer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and teaching creative writing in the Mountainview Low-Residency MFA program. He lives in Wilmington, N.C., with his wife and two daughters.

For more information, call us at 828-264-1006, or email appalachian@choice-health.net

163 Shadowline Drive | Boone, NC 828-264-1006 | 800-333-3432 March-April 2018 | 43

ALL ABOUT TOWN

WinterFest Wet and foggy weather greeted all who came to the 20th anniversary of Blowing Rock WinterFest Jan. 25-28. The weekend featured WinterFeast, ice sculptures, a Beer Garden, events for kids at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, the Rotary Chili Cookoff, Polar Plunge, WinterPaws, and much more. Photos by Anna Oakes and Thomas Sherrill

Above Left: Joan Hearn, Queen of the Polar Plunge, sits on her throne prior to the jumpers arriving on Jan. 27 at Chetola Lake.

Above Right: Beth Zagst of Ugga Mugga Bakery serves chili for a team to benefit the Hunger and Health Coalition.

Right: Nine-year-old Allie Bertrand of Boone, along with her dog George, who won Best in Show at the WinterPaws dog show on Sunday, Jan. 28.

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Daniel Boone Chapter NSDAR Award Presentation The Daniel Boone Chapter of the NSDAR hosted a ceremony on Feb. 25 to commend Eric W. Plaag as the national recipient of the NSDAR Historic Preservation Medal, the highest honor granted by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. This award is given to those whose volunteer service, promotion and dedication to historic preservation has made a distinguished contribution on a national, regional or state level, according to the NSDAR. Plaag, of Boone, is credited with volunteering thousands of hours of his time towards historic preservation. Photos by Kayla Lasure

Above: A crowd gathers to witness Eric Plaag receive the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Historic Preservation Medal.

Left: Mary Moretz (left), chair of the Daniel Boone Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and DAR Regent Jill Privott (right) present Eric Plaag with the NSDAR Historic Preservation Medal.

March-April 2018 | 45

ALL ABOUT TOWN

Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Awards Longtime Blowing Rock resident Betty Pitts was awarded the prestigious Jerry Burns Ambassadorial Award presented by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 13. The awards luncheon, at the Chestnut Grille at the Green Park Inn, honored those in Blowing Rock who have gone above and beyond in their service to the area. Other awards included: Lifetime Achievement Award, Hannaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oriental Rugs and Gifts; Best Commercial Renovation, Speckled Trout Restaurant and Bottle Shop; Best Customer Service, Foggy Rock and Sunny Rock; New Construction, Foley Center at Chestnut Ridge; Outstanding Business Service, Billy Chick of Edward Jones; Service to the Community: Sheri Furman, Bless Your Heart; Volunteer of the Year, Melissa Pickett; and Business of the Year, Bistro Roca. Photos by Thomas Sherrill

Above Left: Sheri Furman, owner of Bless Your Heart, received the Service to the Community Award at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Awards luncheon on Feb. 13 at the Chestnut Grille at the Green Park Inn.

Above Right: Yvonne Myers of Foggy Rock and Sunny Rock, right, receives the Best Customer Service Award from Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce President Charles Hardin, left, at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Awards luncheon on Feb. 13 at the Chestnut Grille at the Green Park Inn.

Right: Emily Brinker and Foster Ramsey of The Speckled Trout accept the award for Best Commercial Renovation in 2017 at the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 13 at the Chestnut Grille at the Green Park Inn. 46 | March-April 2018

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