All About Women September-October 2018 by Mountain Times Publications

Southern Charm in the High Country

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Fall — what’s not to love? No, really — what autumnal trend or event do you find is overdone, overrated, or you’re just plain over it? Heather Brandon “I saw pumpkin spice stuff in the grocery last week (still August) and about lost my mind.”

Bonnie Church “Confession time: I am not a fan of Halloween. Parading spooks and witches are just not my thing. I’m a good sport about it all, but always glad when it is over.” Sue Spirit “Football! The end of daylight savings time. Football. Long pants and jackets. Football. The first hard frost. Football. Snow. Football. The turkey obsession (I’m vegetarian). Football. Sweet potato casseroles. Football. Ice. Football. Weekend world news pre-empted by — you guessed it — FOOTBALL. Phooey. Football. Strange word: Football.”

Hollie Eudy “I love the colors, smells and crisp air of fall, but I grieve the loss of daylight.”

Anna Oakes “Faux autumn leaf décor? No thank you — it’s just not for me. Candy corn? Ick, eww, gross! And I dread the creeping of winter and its colder, shorter days, with more clothes to layer and even more time needed to get my slow self out the door in the morning.”

Mackenzie Francisco “I could definitely do without haunted corn mazes in the fall.”

Kayla Lasure “I’m over the idea of haunted houses being “fun.” I don’t understand the logic or appeal of paying for someone to scare me. Nonetheless, there’s always that one friend that tries to convince you to go into a haunted house.” 4 | September-October 2018

PUBLISHER Gene Fowler

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Mayer

EDITOR Anna Oakes editor@aawmag.com 828.278.3602

CONTRIBUTORS Heather Brandon Children’s Council of Watauga County Bonnie Church Reagan Dellinger Marion Edwards Hollie Eudy Mackenzie Francisco High Country Area Agency on Aging Heather Jordan Kayla Lasure Melanie Davis Marshall Laney Ruckstuhl Sue Spirit

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Meleah Bryan Kristin Obiso

ADVERTISING 828.264.6397

COVER PHOTO by Joanna Arnold Photography www.joannaarnold.com This shot was taken during the 2018 Cowbelle Classic held in August.

CONTENTS

features 9

Being Breast Cancer Aware

Fitness Trainer Shauna Godwin

Feminine Revolutions: Cycling Community Grows

Valerie Midgett & Neighborhood Yoga

22 50 Years of Women’s Athletics at App

health 26 Fall Prevention for Older Adults 28

Living Well: Sleepy After Meals? Try This.

Photo by Joanna Arnold Photography

30 Beauty: Skin Health for Winter Months

relationships 34 Mom’s World: The Conversation 36 Children’s Council: Circle of Parents and the Benefits of Self Care

homestead

40 Hillbetty Revival: Immunity Landscaping

style/leisure 42 Travel: Isle Royale

food & drink 44 The Many Health Benefits of Honey

in every issue 6

Editor’s Note

Women in the News

Young at Heart: It Started with a Mango

46 By the Book

All About Town

September-October 2018 | 5

editor’s

note

After catching my breath, I pause for a selfie after running the Blue Ridge Conservancy (formerly the Stick Boy Mayview Madness) 5K in Blowing Rock in September 2017. This year’s 5K will be held Sept. 22.

This month’s issue of All About Women is focused on health and fitness — topics of great interest to me personally. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we felt it was important to remind our readers of the prevalence of this disease — one in eight women will be diagnosed in her lifetime — and the critical importance of early detection. This one especially hits home for me, because as of this summer, my mother has had two sisters — my aunts — to be diagnosed with breast cancer. My aunt Dorothy, who was much older than my mother, succumbed to the disease many years ago in her 40s; I did not know her. My aunt Hope, diagnosed just in the past few months, is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, I’m planning to deck myself out in pink and run the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation’s second annual High Country 5K Walk/Run for Breast Cancer on Oct. 27, and I’ll have Hope and Dorothy on my mind. Which brings us to fitness. Right now my fitness goals include running each week, trying to increase my mileage and trying to work in strength workouts and cross-training as well. I’ve penciled in a few 5Ks on my calendar. Maybe one day I’ll work up to a half-marathon, and I haven’t ruled out a marathon, either. But for 2018, my primary fitness goal has been to establish a regular workout routine, and stick to it. It’s taken me over half the year, but I’m getting there. I’m keeping a running log and working in long runs, speed workouts, strength training, stretching and plyometrics each week. It’s not just the “runner’s high” that feels good — I think it’s also the feeling of exerting some control over my day, my week, my lifestyle. There’s so much in our lives that we can’t control, but striving to be healthier is one thing we can. Here’s to your health,

6 | September-October 2018

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Women in the News Jones to Retire from Blue Ridge Energy

lue Ridge Energy recently announced that current Watauga District Manager Susan Jones will retire in January 2019. Jones has served as Watauga district manager since 2003 and received her manager certiﬁcation from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Previously, she worked for First Union/Wachovia for 16 years, where she left as ﬁnancial center manager. Jones has been extensively involved in community activities, including serving as chair of the board for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, which co-named the BakerJones Woman of the Year award after her. She has also served on numerous other boards as part of her Blue Ridge Energy service: Watauga Education Foundation, Watauga Opportunities, Catawba Valley Area Girl Scout Council, Kiwanis of Boone, Foscoe Ruritan and RISE of the High Country, of which she is a co-founder. Jones, a graduate of Gardner-Webb University, is also active in the High Country United Way Funding Initiative, Valle Crucis PTO and Boone Methodist Church. She and her husband, Frank, reside in Foscoe and have two grown daughters and two grandchildren.

The newly-promoted Watauga district manager of Blue Ridge Energy Jason Lingle, right, with the current BRE Watauga district manager Susan Jones, who is retiring in January 2019.

Blue Ridge Energy has announced that Jason Lingle of Boone has been promoted to Watauga district manager, working in conjunction with Jones until her retirement.

Campbell Named Chair of Curriculum, Instruction Department

Beth Campbell. Photo by Chase S. Reynolds

lizabeth “Beth” Campbell has been named chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education. Her appointment began in July. About her goals for the department, Campbell said, “My primary goal is to continue to do our very best for our students. Beyond that, my plan for this year is to get to know people, programs and processes as best I can — and here I mean students, faculty, staff and administrators in our college, across the university and in our region’s schools — so that we can build collaborative possibilities as they arise.” Campbell comes to Appalachian from Marshall University, where she served as associate professor of elementary and secondary education in the College of Education and Professional Development. She also served as the school’s program director of elementary and secondary education, program coordinator for the Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction, coordinator for the English as a second language master’s program and certiﬁcate, and as an instructor in the graduate humanities program. She has worked as a cultural resources consultant in North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia, an assistant professor of English at West Virginia State University and an adjunct instructor at Marshall University, University of Charleston, High Point University and Ball State University. “I wanted to come to Appalachian for two reasons,” Campbell said. “Because our teacher education programs are known throughout the state and region for the quality of our graduates, and because I share the university’s commitment to sustainability, in all of the very broadest senses of that word.”

September-October 2018 | 7

Women in the News Boone Nonprofit Aids Education of Girls in India

Girls sit together to receive an education in India. Photo submitted

rowing up with a mother who wasn’t allowed to attend school, Christine Dave understands the importance of receiving an education. Dave and her family are originally from Trinidad and Tobago, and they came to the U.S. when Dave was young. She has been living in Boone for the last 30 years and obtained her bachelor’s and master’s at Appalachian State University. She said her mother’s stepfather wouldn’t allow her to go to school, and she was made to stay at home to tend to household chores and take care of her step-siblings. “Growing up here in the U.S. as a young child, I was the one that would write letters back home to her family or would read to her anything that needed to be read,” Dave said. “It reminded me of the importance of young girls getting an education and what the opportunity brings for them.” Dave is the founder and chairperson of the nonproﬁt EDGE — Education for Girls Empowerment. EDGE aims to support

the dreams and education of rural village girls in Odisha, India. Along with Dave are six other women who serve as the organization’s board. Dave went to revisit the area last November through March and spent six weeks with the girls. The students are currently meeting for a day school from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. six days a week. They use a donor property about the size of one room on the property of the boys residential school — Navaprabhat Kanya Gurukul. Most often the girls meet outside and sit on mats in a circle for instruction. When she went to visit, Dave said there were about 41 girls — ages 10-17 — receiving education in the area. EDGE aims to help the Bargarh district, with surrounding villages near Nuapali, Odisha, India. She said these girls live in a challenging, rural area where they often ride bikes 30-40 minutes to and from school. The long-term goal for Dave is to provide funds to build and run a residential school for girls — with approximately $800,000 needed to do so. She said donations can also be made to EDGE to support a new uniform for a girl each year, which equates to about $10. Donations would also be appreciated to support the salary for the 12 or so teachers, which is about $200 a month. EDGE will have a cultural evening and fundraiser event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at Neighborhood Yoga. Dave said the event will be an Indian cultural evening with Indian music, classic dance performances and Indian snacks. To attend the Sept. 29 event, guests are asked to donate $10 in advance by Sept. 22 or $15 at the door the day of the event. All proceeds are tax deductible and go toward the Navaprabhat school. For more information on EDGE, visit www.educationforgirlsempowerment.org. - Kayla Lasure

Marxen joins Jackson Sumner & Associates

ackson Sumner & Associates is excited to have Mandy Marxen join its team as the content and communications coordinator, a new position designed to implement the company’s larger marketing strategy. Marxen comes to JSA with 25 years of experience as the VP of marketing of Gardener Glass Products Inc., located in North Wilkesboro. Danielle Wade, chief operating officer of JSA, stated, “Mandy’s versatility as a visual designer, copywriter and digital marketer makes her the ideal marketing professional of today.” In her role, Marxen will administer innovative communications across a wide range of digital and print platforms that share JSA’s 37 years of experience as the leading E&S Broker in the Southeast. Wade explained that Marxen’s position was a natural outcropping of the company’s recalibration of its marketing strategy to better position JSA in the current digital adaptation of the insurance industry. JSA Director of Business Development Trish Oxford noted, “The internet has changed the landscape of how people shop for insurance. B2B companies must position themselves as experts in their line of business, which requires extensive online resources to provide to its customers.” Mandy Marxen

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aawmag.com

Feature

Being Female: The Biggest Risk Factor High Country Offers Resources for Breast Cancer Detection, Treatment & Support According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer in her lifetime. It is estimated that there will be over 266,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and over 63,000 cases of non-invasive breast cancer in the U.S. in 2018. Although there are identiﬁable risk factors that make certain groups more susceptible to this diagnosis, the number one remains: if you are female, you are at risk.

There are lifestyle choices that can aid in reducing the risk of having breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, these include: maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, maintaining adequate sleep, limiting alcoholic intake, avoiding chemicals that can cause cancer, limiting exposure to radiation and breastfeeding, if possible. However, following these guidelines does not ensure immunity from breast cancer. Early detection through self-breast exams and mammograms are deﬁnitive

ways to stay ahead of this disease. “I advocate for annual mammograms beginning at age 40,” said Dr. AnneCorinne Beaver, a member of Watauga Surgical Group and a Hidden Scar trained surgeon, says. Mammograms do save lives. Modern mammography reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer by 40 percent.” Dr. Beaver’s promotion of mammograms comes from her training and, Continued on next page September-October 2018 | 9

Appalachian Regional Healthcare System welcomes back Dr. Anne-Corinne Beaver after her temporary medical leave. Dr. Beaver has the unique perspective of being a breast surgeon and now a breast cancer survivor. Photos courtesy Appalachian Regional Healthcare System

recently, from personal experience. “I have a unique position of being a breast surgeon and now a breast cancer survivor. I want to use my passion for prevention and treatment of breast cancer with this new experience to help patients and our community,” she says. “I want my experience and perseverance to be comforting, encouraging and inspiring to others.” Recently returning to work, Dr. Beaver will bring a new perspective and purpose and an even more pressing insistence on women’s commitment to self-exams and regular mammograms. Although there is a higher risk factor for women over the age of 50, breast cancer does occur in women of child-bearing age. Penny Ward, an Avery High School English teacher, discovered a lump in her breast while pregnant with her third child. “Because I was pregnant, there was little they could do,” Penny says. “After I gave birth, another lump came up right beside the ﬁrst one. The MRI came back inconclusive.” Thirty-seven at the time and too young for a mammogram, Penny explains that her pregnancy was the only reason her cancer was detected. “My surgeon 10 | September-October 2018

was persistent and he sent me to do a mammogram. That is where I found out I had two kinds of cancer,” she recounts. “If I hadn’t been pregnant, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be here right now.” Penny’s surgeon refers to her third child as the “angel baby.” Once diagnosed, there are several options for patients depending on the type of cancer and the stage it has reached at the time of discovery. Surgery to remove the mass may be followed by chemotherapy or radiation. Systemic therapy, hormone (anti-estrogen) therapy or targeted therapy may also be part of a patient’s treatment plan. Dr. Beaver explains, “Targeted chemotherapy is a drug that kills the cancer cells and leaves healthy cells alone. The advance of science and the effective treatment with these medications are wonderful. I am on these medications every three weeks for a year, and they have remarkably improved my prognosis.” There are several local resources that work to mitigate the fear, loneliness and self-consciousness some might experience while battling breast cancer. The

Seby B. Jones Cancer Center in Boone, which Dr. Beaver refers to as “the Spa,” greets patients with kindness and professionalism, offering blankets, live music from volunteers, snacks, therapy dogs and a beautiful space to receive treatment. In addition, Watauga Surgical Group’s surgeons are certified in Hidden Scar breast cancer surgery, which allows “the removal of cancerous tissue through a single incision made in a hidden area, preserving the natural shape of the breast while reducing any visible scarring.” Further, Martha Daniels, mammography technician at Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville, discusses the process for patients within the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. “When a patient has an abnormal mammogram, we have a breast navigator at Cannon and at The Wilma Redmond Breast Center of ARHS, Gloria Payne. We fast-track these patients to get them to the next step, whether it be imaging or surgical consult. Seby Jones Cancer Center has a nurse navigator, Paul Young, who helps patients once they are in the treatment process.” Each of these facilities work to establish the best, most efficient and effective care possible for cancer patients in the High Country. Martha notes that The Wilma Redmond Fund (established in memory of Wilma Redmond) and the American Cancer Society can help financially, providing rides, lodging and personal items for patients with no resources or limited resources. There are additional community resources available for patients as well as their families. In 2017, Irene Sawyer, an eight-year breast cancer survivor, founded the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation with a goal “to support breast cancer patients, survivors and their families in the High Country of North Carolina.” Through fundraisers and donations, the HCBCF finds ways to “personalize their scholarship,” meaning “we speak to the patient and find out the priority needs of aawmag.com

that particular patient and family.” HCBCF has provided college scholarships, gift cards for clothes, groceries or other needs, as well as art therapy. Two mothers expressed their desire to have as much fun with their families as possible, and HCBCF provided season passes to Tweetsie. Another woman expressed her concern in leaving the responsibility of cooking every night to her husband, and HCBCF created a “food train” in which local restaurants delivered meals nightly to the woman’s home. HCBCF aims to serve the population of Avery, Ashe and Watauga counties. “One hundred percent of funds raised go to local needs,” says Tom Brown, a founding member of the HCBCF. “We want to help those in need at home.” Both Dr. Beaver and Penny Ward’s prognosis is very good. Dr. Beaver will continue targeted chemotherapy until January 2019 and endocrine pill therapy for 10 years. Penny has been cancer free for seven years. She will continue to have complete blood work done every six months for the rest of her life. Dr. Beaver’s advice to those who are diagnosed with cancer is to “seek a qualiﬁed team of physicians, focus on your own treatment plan and take care of yourself.” She also shares, “Hold tight to your faith and be thankful. Having a positive attitude is very important for health, and being grateful leads to a brighter outlook.” Likewise, Penny offers, “Listen to the professionals. Make sure you are happy with your team of doctors; they are the ones who hold your life in their hands. Also, prayer and a strong circle of friends who stay positive is what will help you get through this.” The High Country offers multispecialty teams of physicians who are up to date on the most effective medicines, therapies and treatment plans, local organizations who meet patients’ immediate needs and communities who will embrace patients with love, support and prayers. The High Country understands the risks inherent in breast cancer and continues to bet on its patients.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors • Age 50+ • Genetic Mutations • Early Menstrual Period • Late or No Pregnancy • Late Menopause (After 55) • Not Physically Active • Obese • Dense Breasts • Family History of Breast Cancer

Source: Centers for Disease Control

High Country 5K Walk/Run for Breast Cancer The second annual High Country Walk/Run for Breast Cancer is the flagship event for the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 27, at 9 a.m. in downtown Blowing Rock. The walk/run will be a 5K fun event, with turnoffs for a 1K, 2K and 3K walk. Start and finish are at the American Legion Building. The American Legion is at 333 Wallingford Road, Blowing Rock, NC 28605. The money raised is awarded as scholarships to women and men fighting breast cancer in the High Country. The scholarships can be used for various activities in support of the survivor and his/her family — all in an effort to show the patient that the community is fighting the fight with them. All money raised remains in the High Country to help individuals and families in our local community. For more information, visit highcountrybreastcancerfoundation.org.

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

Irene Sawyer founded the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation in 2017 to ensure money raised from fundraisers — like the inaugural Walk/Run for Breast Cancer — supports patients and their families in the local community. Photos by Lonnie Webster September-October 2018 | 11

Photo by Elias Photography

Educate, Encourage, Thrive & Repeat

12 | September-October 2018

Feature

Personal Trainer Shauna Godwin Advocates for a Healthier Life Inside the walls of Anytime Fitness, it’s evident that personal trainer Shauna Godwin is in her element. Clad in purple tank top and black yoga pants, Shauna inspects her client’s push-up form while making conversation as if the two are old friends catching up over dinner. She asks her client about her kids’ first day of school with genuine interest, and provides words of encouragement when that last rep seems to be taking its toll. In one 45-minute session, Shauna has led her client through a full body workout while cultivating a personal friendship. “I want to make my clients independent,” she says.“My job is about helping others understand their bodies and execute exercises, but a lot of it too is establishing relationships. I get close to my clients, and that’s always nice because it helps us establish a good sense of trust with one another.” Using her own approach of mindbody connection with an emphasis on the core, Shauna says she strives to educate her clients on the functions of the human body so that they can feel confident and healthy. “The question ‘am I thin?’ isn’t important,” Shauna says. “The only important question we need to ask ourselves is ‘am I healthy?’ People talk about ‘the average woman,’ but there isn’t an average. I don’t believe in any of that because that’s another label.” Labels, as Shauna later reveals, hindered her lifestyle for many years. Shauna exhibits the actions of someone who lives a healthy lifestyle. She’s strong and confident, and she knows the correct form for every workout she leads. She competes in bodybuilding competitions and is vegan, but Shauna admits that, just like all of us, she’s still human. aawmag.com

Godwin observes client Jessica Espada-Poplin’s form during an abdominal workout. Photo by Mackenzie Francisco

A Boone native and a longtime dancer, Shauna says she grew up knowing the importance of fitness, but the constant pressure to fit into the long, thin and graceful dancer stereotype kept her from thriving in her own skin. “I’ve always had the tall part of being a dancer, but I’ve always been athletic and I never really understood how to utilize that. In my mind I thought I had to be thin.” Negative self-thought cast a shadow on her physical and mental health, causing Shauna to struggle with eating disorders. It wasn’t until she was handed the key to what she refers to as “the Pandora’s Box” that changed her mindset and her lifestyle. While living and working in New York City, a man approached Shauna holding a copy of John Robbins’ “The Food Revolution” and told her to read the book because it would change her life. “I’m not sure why he approached me or why I really listened, but I did,” Shauna says. “I went out and bought the book and I just couldn’t put it down. I wanted more and more.” “The Food Revolution” sparked Shauna’s interest in nutrition, which would later develop into a full-on fire for healthy living. Shauna traded the twinkling lights of New York City for the rolling mountains of her hometown of Boone. While pursuing degrees in theater and dance performance at Appalachian

State University, Shauna began to study and practice Pilates — the exercise method that helped build her approach as a trainer. According to Shauna, Pilates not only showed her the importance of core strength, but also the importance of mind-body connection. “When you really focus your mind on a certain muscle, you’re sending signals to that muscle to work harder and more efficiently, and in turn, you see quicker results,” Shauna says. “Most of my clients don’t realize that’s what they’re doing, but they are. Instilling that connection in them is what I’ve found to be the most beneﬁcial.” Jessica Espada-Poplin, who has been training with Shauna for two years, says that Shauna’s extensive body knowledge has helped her work out in a way that “makes sense.” “I’ve felt a huge improvement in my energy levels and muscles, but it’s also nice to have the strength and conﬁdence that comes with that,” Espada-Poplin says. Shauna’s unique approach to exercise and living a healthy lifestyle has prompted change among her clients, but Shauna points out that “just like the old saying ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day,’ you can’t change your life overnight.” So what exactly is the secret to making that change? Shauna’s advice is simple — establishing consistency. Whether that consistency is going to the gym, or just taking 20 minutes to walk outside, Shauna says that establishing a pattern

and practicing basic self-care is the difference between surviving and thriving. “In order to thrive, you have to treat your body the best you can and do your best with what you have,” Shauna says. “That doesn’t always mean you have to spend a lot of money on food or go to trainers — that’s all great, but at the end of the day there are so many ways to be healthy.” Her fitness journey has been full of twists and turns, but a lot has changed for Shauna since she read “The Food Revolution.” Shauna now serves as an active member of the Boone community. When she’s not training at Anytime Fitness, Shauna choreographs musicals for Watauga High School and the “Horn in the West” outdoor drama. She’s been a vegan for the past 10 years and participates in bodybuilding competitions, all while sticking to her “healthy, not thin” mentality. With water bottles in hand and towels slung over their shoulders, Shauna and her client share a high-five as her client exits the glass doors of Anytime Fitness, and Shauna heads to her next session. Educate, encourage, thrive and repeat — that’s just another day at the office for Shauna Godwin. Mackenzie Francisco Mackenzie is a journalism student at Appalachian State. She’s a big fan of the mountains, sunflowers and small towns. September-October 2018 | 13

Feature

A Community of Cyclists Continues to Grow in the High Country

e n i n i m Fe s n o i t u l o v e R Photo by Kayla Lasure

14 | September-October 2018

For Melissa Weddell, mountain biking is about the sensory experience — the feel of her feet peddling the bike with dirt beneath her, the sight and smell of nature around her and the sound of the bike wheels traveling over the terrain. Melissa enjoys the feeling of getting dirty and sweaty and feeling free on her bike like she did when she was a kid who grew up on a farm. Melissa now enjoys competing in road cycling races, mountain biking and serves as the first woman president for the Boone Area Cyclists — a nonprofit made of cyclists who empowers the bike community through advocacy, partnership and stewardship. Joining Melissa in her passion for cycling is a swarm of women in the High Country with the same adoration for the sport. When looking back to the mid to late 1990s to now, Melissa says women in cycling has exploded into this massive community. Whether it’s road cycling, mountain biking or cyclocross racing, the High Country has seen an emergence of women on bikes. In her fourth year of competitive cycling, Nina Mastandrea got her start in the sport after being a long distance runner throughout her life and into college. A few injuries later, Nina decided to pursue a new outlet. She started working at a running store in her hometown that was coincidentally next door to a cycling shop. Nina bought her first road bike, then later bought a cyclocross bike. Cyclocross is close to being a hybrid between mountain biking and road cycling, Nina explains. Road cycling takes place on paved roads and employs a lot of endurance and strength. Mountain biking is usually in rugged terrain and tests a person’s ability g a situation. of balance and abilityy to think through

Nina appreciates the technical riding aspect of cyclocross. Cyclocross riders are usually traveling over flat ground on gravel, dirt, mud and sand. Courses often have features, such as barriers (small hurdles), fly overs (a bridge type obstacle) or possibly stairs. Recalling her first cyclocross race at a Countdown to the Throw Down race in Boone, Nina said it was rainy and muddy. She got to a spot on the course where there was a 20-foot grass hill she had to climb. “You have to dismount your bike, put it over your shoulder and run up this hill,” Nina says. “I kept falling forward and I started laughing. It was such a good time and everybody’s there on the hill telling you to ‘Get up, get up. Come on you can do it.’ It was such a good time that I had to come back for more.” While cyclocross season typically only runs from September to December or January, Nina trains year-round. After the end of a cyclocross season she said she’ll take about a month off from training and then hit the ground running. She starts off training with slow, longer rides to build endurance. As the year progresses and summer comes along, she said she starts decreasing how many hours she’s on a bike, but starts increasing the intensity. “You’ve built up great fitness, and you can peddle a bicycle for a really long time, but can you peddle a bicycle for a really long time and really hard?” she says. Nina now serves as the North Carolina chapter president of the Girls Racing in the South team. With a year under it’s belt, GRITS is a community of women in the Southeast who love to ride their bikes and want to share that with other women. Nina is one of seven women in the group — the others are based out of At Atlanta, Ga. She said the group hopes to branch out to more locatio tions in the region.

Photo to by Matt Jones nes

Photo submitted Lauren subm by Laure n Hutchins H

Photo Ph oto submitte submitted by Melissa Weddell

Continued on next page

September-October 2018 | 15

Photo submitted by Lauren Hutchins

16 | September-October 2018

Photo by Kayla Lasure

Starting Sept. 1 of this year, GRITS is now offering grants forr ce category ﬁve (beginning) riders to help fund items such as a race entry fee or a one-day license through USA Cycling. The group aims to bring these opportunities to other women in the South who may not have the resources to do so. “It’s up to us women that are already in it to take responsibility and be good advocates for the sport and empower other women,” Nina says. “We really want to culminate this community of diversity and the idea that everybody belongs on a bike.” Words such as empowerment, support, community, encouragement and determination are often used by women cyclists in the area when talking about the camaraderie of groups designated for women riders in the High Country. Lauren Hutchins serves as the ambassador for the Bell Joy Ride chapter in Boone. Lauren is one of 11 ambassadors across the U.S. and Canada who have the goal of ﬁnding ways to encourage more women to join the sport. Bell Joy Ride hosts monthly mountain biking events — where participants are split into beginner, immediate and advanced groups — to introduce and teach the sport to women in a safe and encouraging environment. “The cool thing for me is that for every ride we’ve had one new rider who has never been on a mountain bike,” Lauren says. “It goes to show that there are more women out there that are interested.” Lauren says that organizations have realized that a key component of getting women involved is having women lead these type of programs and initiatives. This is sometimes a result of women feeling intimidated when riding with men or co-ed groups. She says typically when riding with women, competition isn’t

the goal but rather having fun and empowering each other. Bell Joy Ride provides a laidback atmosphere where women are there to support one another. “The beautiful thing about riding with women is nobody cares if there’s a section of trail that you want to walk if you’re scared — if you think it’s too steep and want to walk your bike,” Lauren says. “Nobody is going to judge you. Nobody is going to make fun of you. If you want to go back and try it, we’ll wait. If you don’t, then OK; you can tackle it another day.” With mountain biking, Lauren says riders have to break the habit of negative self talk. She said she’s watched women transform in these group rides into learning that it’s acceptable not to be perfect at these skills. “The one thing I always try to tell women — I don’t want to hear the words ‘I’m sorry’ on the trail,” Lauren said. “Don’t apologize for going too slow, don’t apologize for going too fast, don’t apologize for falling. For whatever reason as women we apologize all the time for stuff. I’ve tried to enforce that rule as much as I can.” Eleven other women help Lauren coordinate these group rides, typically with approximately 40 or more women. She says it’s uplifting to see women making connections with each other during these rides and exchanging contact information to go on rides together. Having this network of women to call upon for riding partners or to help with events is a beneﬁt of the area that Roni Ellis enjoys. Roni says she got into cycling 11 years ago after taking a aawmag.com

suggestion from a friend — Ole Gade — during a spin exercise class. Roni had concerns of riding a bike on a highway, and Gade went on to show Roni some low-traffic places to ride. In 2008, Roni and Gade wrote a book called “Biking the Country Roads of Watauga,” which details a map of where people are able to ride in the area. In the same year, the friends created the Watauga Leisure Biking Club to provide group rides for the casual bike rider. Over the years Roni said she would hear women in the group say ‘I don’t want to ride with myself. I can’t ride with my husband. I’m intimated to ride with guy groups.’ In fall 2015, Roni was joined by five other women who received approval from the Boone Area Cyclists to host an all-women bicycle ride. The women planned the first Cowbelle Classic all-women’s ride in August 2016. Roni says before the committee posted the rides, they capped the ride off at 50 riders — hoping at least 25 would show up. Registration filled up, so the organizers boosted the amount to 100 riders. Shockingly, the registration filled again with people on a waiting list. She said the event in the second year allowed 150 riders with 175 in the third — each year also at capacity. She said she’s elated at the ride’s success and the positive feedback it has received. Roni says that women have communicated to her that the classic is the only organized ride they will participate in, as there’s no pressure to perform a certain way since the event is not a race. Organizers don’t keep a running tab of who finishes when and no one is declared a winner. Cyclists are able to keep their own time

on a monitor or timer if they prefer. “Women are competitive, but most women I know are just competitive with themselves,” Roni says. When it does come to competition, Melissa said most often in racing the rivalry amongst each other is friendly. She said she enjoys the strategy that comes with racing. All of these women encouraged new riders to find what parts of cycling fits them. Melissa says that women should reach out to the BAC to see what opportunities they could explore. Nina suggested borrowing a bike from someone to test it out or go into a local bicycle shop — such as Magic Cycles or Boone Bike — to ask about recommendations on bikes. Lauren encouraged new or even seasoned riders to join a Bell Joy Ride to test out mountain biking and feel the sense of community. Roni urged new riders to ask around to find the best roads to ride on or to find other group rides. “Letting another woman introduce you is probably my best advice,” Melissa says. “Connect with a few women, find what you want to do and try some stuff. There are really great women in our community with a lot of experience that would be happy to go out and see what works.” 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.

Photo by Kayla Lasure

Photo by Joanna Arnold Photography

Photo submitted by Melissa Weddell

Photo by Joanna Arnold Photography September-October 2018 | 17

Feature

Photo by Anna Maynard

Photo by Kyra Platt

Valerie Midgett & Neighborhood Yoga How a Backyard Studio Brought the Practice to the Greater Boone Community 18 | September-October 2018

When Valerie Midgett moved to Boone 30 years ago, it was to pursue a career in dance. But a decade later, she found her body was beginning to grow tired, and she began to prioritize another kind of movement. “From my dance, my body was somewhat being abused, although I loved that creative expression,” Valerie says. “With yoga, I found a really healing practice for my body — and my mind as well.” At the time, there wasn’t a yoga studio in Boone where Valerie could practice. “People were doing (yoga) in their homes and things like that,” she recalls. “It was a real interest of mine to create a community — that’s how Neighborhood Yoga ﬁrst came about.” aawmag.com

She searched the area, but couldn’t find an existing space that felt right. So she and her husband built one from the ground up in 2005, in their own backyard: “It was literally in the neighborhood.” Neighborhood Yoga remained in that space for 10 years, until Valerie decided she had outgrown it, and that it was time to move downtown. So three years ago, Neighborhood moved into the Farmer’s Hardware building on King Street. “I’m always interested in finding spaces that can be reinvented in another way,” Valerie says. “The upper floor wasn’t being used much. I love the historic aspects of it, and we tried to keep as many of those, like the wood floors and brick walls, while also making it conducive to yoga.” Valerie herself is a teacher at the studio, primarily in Vinyasa style yoga, which means flow. It’s about using your breath to connect your postures as you move, she explains. “The breath is very important, and the flow is very intuitive to me because I come from a dance background,” she says. “I’m also really interested in bringing intention into the physical practice of yoga. Yoga is about having a peaceful body, a peaceful mind and a peaceful life.” In addition to teaching classes of her own, Valerie helps train others to be yoga teachers. So far, she estimates that Neighborhood has trained close to 200 people since its founding. Some of them stayed at Neighborhood, while others have gone on to teach at other places in town, or taken the practice out into the greater community, “where it might not be otherwise,” she says. As a part of the program, teachers-in-training also do service in the community. Some of that service might involve teaching yoga to underserved communities, but other times, it means volunteering to fill whatever need the community has. Valerie says Neighborhood has been involved with OASIS, Western Youth Network, Crossnore School and area homeless shelters, just to name a few. “All of my teachers bring intention into their classes, where we can connect what we learn on the mats and bring it into the world. What really separates our studio is that we really have a clear intention, in that we’re looking at yoga not just as a physical practice, but we’re looking at it in its fullest sense: a spiritual, devotional practice.” Valerie also takes groups on yoga retreats to tropical places like Mexico and Costa Rica — to learn the practice, connect with their bodies and minds, and reset. She’s also been to India several times on what she refers to as “pilgrimages” — trips to greet yoga at its source, practice with masters and remember the cultural background that inspires it. “It’s something that kind of draws me back again and again,” Valerie says. “I find that sometimes,

Valerie is pictured at the Taj Mahal. Photo submitted

Yoga is about having a peaceful body, a peaceful mind and a peaceful life. - Valerie Midgett

Continued on next page September-October 2018 | 19

Photo by Jo Orr

Photo submitted

From left, Valerie is pictured on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India; in Haridwar, India; and teaching in her studio.

20 | September-October 2018

Photo by Todd Bush

traveling to the other side of the world is a way that also taps in deeper to knowing myself. It really feels like a sense of coming home. Part of that is being able to kind of study and practice in the motherland.” And that sense of coming home is exactly what Valerie wants to bring to everyone. She says yoga really is for everybody — and that if a person doesn’t have a desired outcome the ﬁrst time they try yoga, they should try again. “If you try yoga once and you feel like it wasn’t for you, try another class. There’s yoga out there for everybody. It’s connecting with the right teacher and the right kind.” “I not just witnessed — but I’m hoping, helped build — this community in Boone. And part of my interest is I feel like my role there is to really create a space where people come together with a similar intention, where people want to improve the quality of their lives and improve the community.” Especially in an era where people are obsessed with speed and constantly on the go, Valerie believes that yoga is a way to slow down. “Sometimes people beneﬁt more if they step back from that and use their yoga practice as a way to connect with their body

and their mind in a deeper way. Yoga can offer that in a way that maybe other physical practices don’t necessarily address, because yoga makes us do the deeper work and that’s sometimes the most difficult — but it’s also the most important work.”

Laney Ruckstuhl Laney Ruckstuhl is a former Watauga Democrat reporter who left the mountains for the big city to attend Boston University. She is currently a metro correspondent for the Boston Globe.

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Feature

A Black and Gold Milestone App State Marks Half-Century of Women’s Athletics

Left: 1985 Womens Tennis - Photo featured in 1986 Rhododendron. Courtesy of Special Collections, Appalachian State University Above: 1986 Field Hockey Team Action Photo - Photo featured in 1987 Rhododendron. Courtesy of Special Collections, Appalachian State University

This year, Appalachian State University is celebrating 50 years of women’s varsity sports. Appalachian student newspapers from the time show that the university had impressive and competitive female club and intramural teams for quite a few years before the women’s ﬁeld hockey team in 1968 became the ﬁrst-ever women’s intercollegiate sport in Black and Gold history. It wasn’t until 1972 that the federal civil rights law Title IX required that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports at educational institutions. Appalachian State was ahead of the game and began 22 | September-October 2018

offering women’s sports before many colleges in North Carolina. Jan Watson, the 1968 women’s ﬁeld hockey coach, said that when she started teaching at the university in 1967, the physical education program was a combined co-ed program, something that was very rare. “The majority of programs in the United States had a men’s physical education program, and a separate one for women. Their classes were not together and their opportunities for learning weren’t the same,” says Jan. “The university really pushed equal opportunity, especially the athletic department and physical education

program,” Jan adds. “The athletic department sent out a survey to the university asking if they wanted intercollegiate women’s sports. The responses were absolutely incredible. There was no way the department could say no.” Appalachian’s intramural and club field hockey team was one of the best female organizations on the campus at the time, so they decided to start a varsity field hockey team first. The university gave Jan $1,200 to buy uniforms and supplies for the team, and she made it last. The players on the team didn’t have any kind of financial help or scholarships. “They didn’t care,” Jan says. “They aawmag.com

were just so happy to finally have the each of them deserved the scholarship. chance to play a real, organized sport. So, I split the money equally among Every time they stepped on the field, they them,” says Jan. “Three of them used the played like they had everything to lose scholarship to help pay for tuition, but and gave it their all.” in a recent conversation with one of the Regardless of what was going on in seniors that year, I found out she used the other states and at other colleges, women’s sports and the field hockey team at Appalachian enjoyed enthusiasm from the university as well as the community. In 1969, just one year after the beginning of the women’s field hockey team, the Watauga Democrat newspaper published an article titled, “ASU Athletic Teams Have Grown To Be Source Of Campus Pride.” In the article, the field hockey team was noted for its success Above: The 1996 Appalachian Basketball team celebrates and hard work. together. Photo Submitted “People from Right: Sydney Farthing, class of 2020, Appalachian State Univerthe community sity Women’s Volleyball defensive specialist. Photo Submitted came to cheer on the girls at the games, support and money to buy herself encourage them. We weren’t worried a winter coat because that we would get backlash for starting she could never afford something that was so uncommon at the one before.” time because we knew that Boone and Later joining ApAppalachian State was the most acceptpalachian women’s ing place to do so,” Jan says. sports were tennis, By comparison, Wake Forest Universibasketball and volleyty, Duke and Elon University’s first female ball, and then a little varsity teams came a few years later, in down the road, cross 1971. The University of North Carolina at country, track and Chapel Hill didn’t have a women’s varsity field, softball and golf. sport until after Title IX. NC State was Jan served as the teneven later, forming its first female internis coach for several collegiate program in 1974. years before giving it In 1977, Appalachian began to offer up to focus solely on the field hockey team scholarships. They field hockey. gave Jan $400 to disperse to the players The dedication that goes into however she wanted. women’s athletics at Appalachian State “I had four seniors at the time, and has not changed. The women’s teams

today continue to prove that they deserve to play the sport they love, just as much as any other athlete at the university. Today, the university has the same number of women’s sports as men’s, and athletes receive support in academics and physical and mental health. Doug Gillin, athletic director at Appalachian State, says that App State has a full-time psychologist, a fulltime nutritionist and a strength and conditioning coach for all athletes. In addition, improvements to women’s sports facilities are among the priorities of the ongoing “A Mountaineer Impact” capital campaign. Gillin expressed in a recent interview that studentathletes often struggle living their busy lives day in and day out and that the Athletic Department does everything it can to support the athletes mentally, physically and ﬁnancially. “We made a commitment that was not just for today, but for the future of Appalachian.” This year, the 50th anniversary is Continued on next page September-October 2018 | 23

putting a lot of emphasis on the future of female athletics at the university. Brittney Whiteside, senior associate athletic director at Appalachian State, takes great pride in the female athletic program. “I have only been here for about three years now, but from what I have heard and seen, female athletics at App have really evolved over the past few decades and continues to do so. Every year, they excel in the classroom, on the field and in the community,” says Brittney. “We are blown away by who they all are and can’t wait to see who they become.” Athletes at the university are expected to fulfill their duty as a student first. “The Athletic Department’s main

goal isn’t to help our athletes succeed on the field, but instead, prep them for the world after college,” says Brittney. “Being a student-athlete is really something special — I know because I am a former athlete. It’s having all academic and athletic resources at your fingertips all while being surrounded by a great community and an abundant amount of support.” Brittney also explained how proud she is of the women’s field hockey team. Not only do they excel on the field, but they strive for greatness in the classroom and in the community, Brittney mentioned. All female athletes past and present will be honored at the university’s 50th anniversary of women’s sports celebration.

“This 50th anniversary is really something special because of what our female athletic department is today. It wasn’t until recently that all student-athletes, male and female, earned a varsity letter. Most of our “Hall of Famers” don’t even have a varsity jacket, and this celebration we get to ﬁnally honor them and show them how much they are loved and appreciated,” says Brittney.

Reagan Dellinger Reagan is a High Country native who attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The 50th Anniversary Celebration The Department of Athletics will recognize all women’s sports to celebrate this milestone with special events and reunions the weekend of Sept. 21. The celebration will start with an opening weekend dinner Friday, Sept. 21, in Appalachian’s Roess Dining Hall from 6 to 7 p.m. Special recognition for the Appalachian Trailblazers will be held at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Sept. 22, when Appalachian State football takes on Gardner-Webb inside The Rock, all alumnae from women’s sports will be recognized during the game. Capping off the exciting weekend will be a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for field hockey and their brand-new field hockey facility on Sunday, Sept. 23, against ACC foe Louisville at 11 a.m.

24 | September-October 2018

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Health

Fall Prevention for Older Adults BY THE HIGH COUNTRY AREA AGENCY ON AGING

High blood pressure, diabetes and cancer — these are illnesses that can affect many individuals as they grow older. These illnesses are common, they are talked about, and they are thoroughly researched. But, what about falls? Often, older adults are afraid or embarrassed to talk about or admit to having a fall. Falls are a silent affliction that can be more fatal than any other diseases. The prevention of falls is something that needs to be openly discussed with doctors and families. Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-fourth of Americans ages 65 and older falls each year. This results in more than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency departments annually, including over 800,000 hospitalizations and more than 27,000 deaths. However, falls with or without 26 | September-October 2018

injury can have a much deeper effect on a person’s quality of life. A rising number of older adults fear falling, and thus they limit their activities and social engagements, which can create depression, social isolation and increased feelings of helplessness.

Which brings us to a very important topic:

Why do older adults fall? There are many contributing factors that play a huge role in the likelihood of a fall.

Some of these risk factors include: • The loss of some coordination, ﬂexibility and balance — primarily through inactivity — makes it easier to fall. • Poor vision makes contrasting edges, tripping hazards and obstacles harder to see.

• Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can cause dizziness, dehydration or interactions with each other that can lead to a fall. • Foot problems that cause painful feet and wearing unsafe footwear can increase your chance of falling. • Lastly, home hazards can contribute to falls, such as broken or uneven steps, throw rugs or clutter that can be tripped over, poor lighting and no handrails along stairs or in the bathroom. So, what can be done to prevent older adults from falling? Fall prevention is a variety of actions to help reduce the number of accidental falls suffered by older people. Falls among people 65 and older are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans. Falling can threaten a senior’s safety and independence, and if a fall occurs, the aawmag.com

ﬁnancial hardship associated with an injury could be devastating. But the good news is, many falls can be prevented.

The National Council of Aging has provided these six steps to help prevent falls: 1. Find a good balance and exercise program. Exercises that improve balance and make the lower body stronger lower the chances of falling. An example of this kind of exercise is Tai Chi. 2. Talk to your health care provider. Ask for an assessment of your risk for falling. Share your history of recent falls. 3. Regularly review medications with your doctor or pharmacist. As individuals get older, the way medicines work in their bodies can change. Some medications, or combinations of medications can cause dizziness or sleepiness, which can increase the risk for falls. 4. Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses. 5. Keep your home safe. About half of all falls happen at home. Many of them can be avoided if your home is made safer. Some proper tips used to keep

your home safe include: remove clutter, remove small throw rugs, keep regularly used items in easy to reach cabinets, have grab bars installed in bathrooms, use non-slip mats in the bathtub and shower ﬂoors, improve lighting in your home and wear shoes both inside and outside the house. 6. Talk to your family members. Enlist their support in taking simple steps to stay safe. Even though falls may be the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans, falling is not an inevitable part of aging. Therefore, through practical lifestyle adjustments, evidencebased programs and community partnerships, the number of falls among seniors can be reduced substantially. Sept. 22 is Fall Prevention Awareness Day. Use this day, if not sooner, to evaluate your risk for falls and follow the safety precautions listed above. For more information about falls prevention resources, contact the High Country Area Agency on Aging at (828) 265-5434 or visit www.highcountryaging. org.

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Health

LIVING WELL

Sleepy After Meals? Try This. The arsenic hour — that is what we call that time of day when we can barely keep our eyes open. For some of us, that happens every time we eat. The good news is there are things you can do to keep from spacing out, or worse yet, nodding off during an important meeting. The three triggers for post-meal fatigue include orexin suppression, diminished blood ﬂow to the brain and your natural rhythms. FATIGUE TRIGGER: Orexin suppression Orexin is a small molecule that tells your brain to wake up. When orexin is suppressed you feel tired. The main orexin suppressants include: • Too much sugar: All carbs will end up breaking down into blood sugar, so if you eat too many sugary, starchy carbohydrates, you feel tired after a meal. 28 | September-October 2018

• Food sensitivities and allergies. Food sensitivities trigger inﬂammation. Inﬂammation suppresses orexin.

TRY THIS: • Reduce the processed, sugary foods in your diets (better yet, eliminate them altogether.) • Identify the foods you are sensitive to and don’t eat them. Common allergens

are dairy and gluten. • Eat an anti-inﬂammatory diet. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, that includes tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, almonds and walnuts; salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines; and strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges. • Supplement with curcumin. Inﬂammation due to food choices and allergens aawmag.com

stem the orexin ﬂow. Curcumin is a potent anti-inﬂammatory herb.

FATIGUE TRIGGER: Reduced blood ﬂow to the brain. When you eat, the blood vessels of the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract dilate. Blood rushes to your stomach to start processing the food. Since the blood is moving to your GI system, your brain has less blood and therefore less oxygen and nutrients. This can contribute to fatigue.

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TRY THIS: • After a meal, take 10 deep breaths. • Get up and stretch. • Drink adequate amounts of water a day: 8 glasses. Dehydration will slow blood ﬂow even more.

FATIGUE TRIGGER: Your Natural Rhythms You might notice that you feel more tired after lunch. This is because there’s a rhythm to wakefulness. After 10 a.m., adenosine, a product of metabolism, begins to build up. The more adenosine, the sleepier you will feel. The sleep urge peaks around 2 p.m. To wake up, adenosine must come down. Here are some ways you can bring it down.

TRY THIS: • Get a good night’s sleep. The effect of elevated adenosine will be worse if you are already tired. • Drink a cup of black coffee (Yes, it helps.) • Take a walk. • Take a 10-20-minute nap: Keep it short. If you sleep longer, you might end up feeling more tired than you did before. As post-meal fatigue is conquered, you will increase your enjoyment of life and be far more productive. Just be sure to check with your supervising health professional before making dietary and lifestyle changes.

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

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Health

BEAUTY

Skin Health for Winter Months The autumn leaves of red and gold are falling, the air is turning brisk and soon we’ll hear old winter’s song. We are all busy winterizing our homes, cars and whatever else we need to protect from the impeding ice, snow and cold. Likewise, It’s time to direct our attention to the amazing skin we’re living in, and that means it’s time to change it up and revamp skin care routines. Leading dermatologists suggest changing your routine with the seasons to boost your skin’s natural defenses. Your face and 30 | September-October 2018

the rest of you need special attention to deal with the harshness of the impending winter weather.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize The basic function of a moisturizer is to help treat your skin when it’s dry and prevent it from drying out again. Moisturizers do this by holding water in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin. But moisturizers have other functions as well. They can help protect your skin from the environment — applying moisturizer creates a barrier on your

skin that keeps oils from escaping and harmful outside elements from causing dryness or irritation. The cold and harshness of winter is like a vacuum that sucks moisture right out of the skin, leaving it dry, ﬂaky and itchy. Consider that you’re going from dry inside heat to outside cold frequently and then you can understand why moisture is an important component of winter skin care. You will probably need to upgrade your facial moisturizer to combat the coming frigid winter onslaught. Even if your skin is oily, you will still need a moisaawmag.com

turizer since oil and moisture are apples and oranges. You can be oily and still in need of moisture. Moisturizers can be light, medium or heavy, and your skin type and preference will help you decide what works best for you. Remember having a heavy hand in applying facial moisturizer can trap dead skin cells, and that brings us to another important part of winterizing: the need to exfoliate. Dry skin cells can build up and impair absorption of moisturizers. Caution — do not over-exfoliate, as that lends to further drying.

oil bought at any grocery store. It is a natural anti-inﬂammatory agent that increases cell membrane integrity, thus protecting you from high levels of toxins and bacteria in the air. Many of the body oils are expensive and contain fragrances and ingredients that can further dry you out. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and voila, you have an inexpensive moisturizer. I slather it on while still damp to lock in moisture (it’s important that your skin is still damp) then pat dry with a towel. Olive oil is also good if you can ﬁnd a way to not smell like a salad.

Pass on the Hot Showers Yes, it’s cold outside, and a nice hot steamy shower would feel so good. Don’t do it. Taking long hot showers in winter is not the way to go. Hot water causes blood vessels in the epidermis to dilate, resulting in loss of moisture. Your arms and legs have fewer oil glands, so they tend to be drier and scalier than other parts of your body. Years ago I learned a winter body moisturizing trick from an N.Y. dermatologist. I use an organic safflower seed

sunscreen year round, not just in summer. The UV rays don’t take the winter off and rain down on you all year long. • Hands: Use a good moisturizing hand crème and wear gloves to protect. • Dry, cracked feet: Exfoliate, apply shea butter, petroleum jelly, even Crisco — and put on a pair of socks before going to bed. • Stay well hydrated. Continue to drink that much-needed water. • Use a humidiﬁer at night. • Dress to protect as much skin as possible. Stay Warm and Beautiful!

Combat Tips • Use a moisturizing cleanser. • Don’t be afraid to get greasy at night. Let the good stuff soak in while your body replenishes. Wake up all soft and dewy. • Lip care: I see so many chapped lips, even in the heat of summer, so winter can be off the charts. A tip to go from chapped and dry to soft and supple: Buy a baby toothbrush, wet your lips with oil (safflower, olive, etc. and gently brush in circular motions. Stay protected: Use

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.

September-October 2018 | 31

SMILE.

It’s the simplest way to improve your health.

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Relationships

MOM’S WORLD

The Conversation Sometimes I feel like communicating with my kids is like my experience of throwing a bean bag during a corn hole toss — sometimes I get close, but it takes a lot to get it all the way in. When my kids were young, talking to them was necessarily concrete and straightforward. Please go put your truck away. Eat your dinner. Are you done going potty? It’s time for bed. Please stop hitting your brother. PLEASE stop hitting your brother. Why’s your brother crying? Any deep conversations were left to adult friends or family, and, frankly, I was usually too tired to have many deep conversations during those times. Parental speak to toddlers and young school-age children seems to center around eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, playing and cleaning up. As a mother, I remember craving adult conversation and interaction, and I notice this with women I see who have small children. These moms are starved for articulating more than short 34 | September-October 2018

simple commands or questions, even when they feel frazzled. I believe that this reality is why it is so critical to give moms of babies and small children opportunities to socialize with other women at the same phase in their lives. The Children Council’s Nurtured Beginnings program in Watauga County is a perfect example of how new moms are connected with other women and resources in the community. Having that contact with other mothers can be such a great outlet for a woman’s insecurities, joys and doubts. Sometimes I’ve seen women talk to their kids as if they are just another adult. While I don’t think women need to “baby talk” to their children, I do think that with any form of communication, you have to know your audience. Children do respond well to being treated as intelligent individuals, whose opinions and feelings matter. Just remember that their perspective is just that: their perspective, be it a 2

year old, 8 year old or 15 year old. In other words, treating your child like a grownup does not make them more grown up. They don’t want to hear you yell at the news or pontiﬁcate on the woes of the world. Your child likely just wants to know if you remembered to buy popsicles, that you understand the meaning of “Land Before Time” and the inherent coolness of Beyblades, and that you love them. Moving forward, as my kids have come into middle school, high school and well into college, I have started noticing the nuances of conversations more and the layers beneath the surface with my children in both what they say and what they don’t say, as well as how they choose to say it (or not). For instance, there is the selective hearing that miraculously blocks out “Time to get a shower” or “Please help clean the kitchen” to the spontaneous commentary on the NPR radio program that you didn’t think they were listening to. There are the somewhat aawmag.com

unintelligible “Hmm-a-hmmm” responses to a yes/no question, the pause and silence when you’ve picked up on your kid needing to talk but not quite knowing where to start, and the “I love you, Momma” quickly ﬂipping to an annoyed “leave me alone” that is ampliﬁed if they are 1) tired, 2) around friends and/or 3) showing signs of puberty. I have written before that the universe played an unfair trick when it made it the case that most women are going through peri-menopause when their kids are hitting the hormone-ridden teenage years. These interactions require lots of deep breathing and 1 to 10 counting to survive. I’ve learned that my own boys do best one on one, which means I have worked hard to make sure we get some of that time together — whether in the car on a long car ride, making a breakfast or lunch date, or talking about their next favorite band. Sometimes the words are clear and I know exactly what’s going on emotionally. Other times, I am reminded of the 1974 mystery thriller movie “The Conversation” with Gene Hackman and Harrison Ford, where a recorded conversation that initially seems innocent gets listened to

Children do respond well to being treated as intelligent individuals, whose opinions and feelings matter. repetitively and the meaning slowly surfaces as something completely different. I also have learned to understand my sons’ emotions by being open to their music and listening to the words within it. Overall, as I search for that eternal decoder in my communications with my kids, I try to be open and honest with each of them. I try to tell them what I am feeling, so they will hopefully get to a point where they will know how to articulate what is in their heads and hearts. Being able to speak to each other, listen and understand is at the cornerstone of every parent-child relationship, just as it is to every other relationship. In my opinion, it is the connecting through our words and feelings that gives this world meaning

and allows our relationships with our children to continue to grow over time. As Ani DiFranco writes in the song “Binary,” You gotta complete the circuit/ Alone there’s no knowing/Yeah energy is destructive unless it is ﬂowing/In the connection lies the spark/In the connection lies the art/You gotta be up in someone’s countenance/Conversing with their heart.

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

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Relationships

Circle of Parents and the Benefits of Self Care BY SHAWNA DUVALL, FACILITATOR FOR CIRCLE OF PARENTS GROUPS, CHILDREN’S COUNCIL OF WATAUGA COUNTY

Every Thursday evening, parents and caregivers from across the county come together for a focused time of feeding mind, body and soul. Stretched out on yoga mats carefully positioned across the ﬂoor, they release the stresses and cares of the day. Volunteer instructors from our community offer their time and skill in leading them through poses, helping them get the most out of their yoga practice. Knowing their little ones are being nurtured in a safe and caring child care environment, parents are free to just be. With each inhale, they are gaining new strength and perspective. With each 36 | September-October 2018

exhale, they are letting go and developing a healthy habit of self awareness and self care. This may sound like any other yoga class, but there is something that sets this group apart. After a ﬁnal Namaste, mats are rolled and stashed away and tables and chairs are set up in their place. A hot, free meal has been prepared for them, and these busy moms and dads ﬁll dinner plates. Then, gathering together around a shared meal, they turn their attention towards purposeful discussion centered around the joys and challenges experienced in the journey of parenting. The yoga serves as the perfect

prelude into a time of calm reﬂection and supportive social, group interaction. Providing a hot meal offers comfort and encouragement to parents who are tired and spread thin. And since the children are being supervised, fed and cared for in a separate space by our trained children’s program coordinator and team, moms are able to fully engage without distraction. This weekly gathering is based on The Circle of Parents model utilized in various states nationwide. Its mission is to strengthen families through mutual self-help parent support groups. In North Carolina alone, there are roughly 50 different active Circle of Parents groups. aawmag.com

The model is unique in its emphasis on parent leadership and group ownership. While a trained group facilitator is present, it is believed that the parents are the experts. The group exists for them and they help determine the topics of conversation, the ﬂow of the evening, and primarily they are the ones to lead the group time. On any given evening, this could manifest in a myriad of ways. Because these groups are always open to any parent or caregiver, the needs of the individuals and the group changes based on who walks in the door. For a single, working parent, Thursday evenings might be a time for social interaction and “adult” conversation. For the new mom, maybe this is a way for her to focus on herself and feed her body and soul with a little self-care. For many it’s a time to receive support and gain advice from other parents who are walking the same road or are even a mile or so ahead in the parenting journey. What doesn’t change is the commitment of the group to keep the time and space warm, safe and welcoming for all who come. As a tried and true research-based

model, Circle of Parents (along with other programs at the Children’s Council) aims to support families by enhancing social connections with others, helping them ﬁnd concrete support (resources) in times of need, growing them in their knowledge of parenting skills and overall child development, and offering them tools to help cope with everyday stress and build resiliency in preparation for tough times. No one should ever feel they are parenting alone. We are better together, and overall increased wellness is proven with knowing there is someone to link arms with at your side. There is power in community and there is strength in a village. With this in mind, every Circle of Parents group intentionally moves towards establishing this kind of support system — a proven support system that works to strengthen families and promote wellness. Like so many other community initiatives creatively working towards promoting lifestyles of wellness, there is a shared primary factor that makes this group and others so effective. And that is relationship. As we both gain (and place) trust in others and grow in compassion and care

in our relationships, we earn the right to both model and speak into others’ lives. And reciprocally, we grow and learn from those relationships ourselves. It’s in the context of these forming relationships we have seen how a combination of offering free yoga, a hot meal and supportive social connection can have a powerful effect on the overall wellbeing of these parents, and ultimately the families in our community. On Thursday evenings we take time and direct resources to feed the minds, bodies and souls of both parents and children. In the process, they learn the importance of regular self-care, reinforcing the crucial truth that they are not alone, and ﬁnding themselves refreshed and refocused for the great task of raising healthy children. Established in 1977, the Children’s Council of Watauga County, Inc. builds upon the strengths of children, families and educators by investing resources, information and training toward promoting the future health and success of our greatest community asset: our children.

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YOUNG AT HEART

It Started with a People who love to eat are always the best people. - Julia Child Over the years and for this magazine, I have written about food multiple times. I have shared food memories and my foodosophy, stories about restaurants discovered on my travels, remembrances about my 20-plus years working in the food services industry and more. So much so, that I was not sure I had anything left to say on the topic of food. That was until I took a class on digital photography and imaging this summer for my master’s program. For my ﬁnal project, I was able to create a photographic journal on a topic that was personally meaningful — I selected to examine food and why it matters to me — in essence, my food journey. The central question I asked was, “Do you eat to live or live to eat?” For a couple of weeks, I took pictures of ingredients that became meals, recording every step of food prep to plating.

And, pictures of eating — at home and at restaurants. I was able to pause and consider: • what I eat and why; • my food history; • why I make time to prep and cook; • and, why I seek out interesting, local foods when traveling. I also talked with family and friends about their eating habits — notably, my friend and colleague, Rebekah, who eats the same lunch every day because she

Mango does not want decision fatigue. Every day! In fact, if she could take a pill to satisfy her dietary needs, she would. A pill? I cannot imagine less satisfying! Because, for me, food is about much more than satisfying dietary needs. I concluded that I live to eat — and that the experience of eating is a journey. Upon reflection, I realized that my food journey started with a mango. When I was a child, mangoes were not available in stores year round – mangoes were an exotic fruit that my grandmother’s sister brought up once each year from Florida. To my young taste buds, the sweet, juicy, orange flesh was perfection! Mangoes remain one of my favorite foods, and while I can purchase them whenever I want, I tend to buy them only in summer as I still associate the fruit with that season. Over the years, I have been fortunate to sample lots of foods and types of cuisines — at Hunan Chinese Restaurant where I worked for 14 years and discovered the Asian flavors that I consider “home cooking,” at the fine dining restau-

Five of My Favorite Foods 1. Sođ Shell Crab 2. Broccoli 3. Mango 4. Dark Chocolate 5. Blue Cheese

Five of My Least Favorite Foods

Heather grills the ingredients she prepped to create a Summer Napoleon. 38 | September-October 2018

1. Bananas 2. Mushrooms 3. Sea Cucumber 4. Organs 5. Winter Melon aawmag.com

This Week’s Menu SUNDAY: Pan Fried Gnocchi with Shrimp, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Sautéed Spinach MONDAY: Red Curry with Tofu and Vegetables TUESDAY: Chicken, Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas WEDNESDAY: Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Beet and Butternut Spiral Noodles with Meat Sauce THURSDAY: Grilled Vegetables and Andouille Sausage with Couscous FRIDAY: Stir-fry Rice Cake with Beef and Bok Choy SATURDAY: Mediterranean Grilled Tuna Quinoa Bowls with Apricots, Artichokes and Braised Kale I tend to think of Asian food and flavors as home cooking. Photos by Heather Brandon

rant where I worked during college and first learned about seasonality and flavor profiles, and at restaurants near and far. Today, my journey continues in my kitchen. Every time I cook, I create. I turn a collection of ingredients into a meal. And, I cook… a lot. I maintain a database of recipes — 200 and counting — and with these, I plan a weekly menu. I recently showed my recipe list to Rebekah. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she read over the menu items, organized by cuisine, amazed by

the sheer volume of dishes that I cook. Working on my food journal project reminded me why I am still food journeying — reminded me that I still have ingredients to taste and cuisines to sample, and savor! It reminded me of my guiding principles of eating: • Food should be fun! • Open your taste buds! • Regular food is all about perspective! • Pricey does not necessarily mean better! • Great food can be simple and should

be approachable! • Eat local and seasonal whenever possible! • You don’t have to like it, but you do have to try it! My food journey may have started with a mango, but I cannot wait to taste where it goes. 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.

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Homestead

HILLBETTY REVIVAL

Immunity Landscaping

Echinacea (a.k.a. Coneflower) boosts immunity and helps fight colds. Photo by Melanie Davis Marshall

One my favorite flowers to keep around the walkway of my house is the coneflower, a relative of the daisy. Beautiful blossoms, can grow three feet tall, and they make the honeybees and the butterflies flock to my property. Coneflowers are perennial and require very little maintenance. Weeds can choke them out, but a little weeding aside, they make my beautiful landscaping look like I am working much harder than I actually do. I enjoy dual purpose landscaping; edible being my favorite secondary purpose. This flower packs quite a punch as not only edible, but coneflower is also known as echinacea, a natural booster for the immune system. The tea is probably the easiest tea to make because you don’t even need to dry the flowers. Simply pick a few, throw stems, leaves, blossom and all into a pot of boiling water, turn it off, cover, simmer for about 10 minutes, and you have tea. The best harvest is right after the first 40 | September-October 2018

blooms appear in full. While the full plant can be used all the way to the root, I prefer blooms, stems, leaves, cut just above the first leaves appearing on the flower from the ground up. My recommendation is a few drops of orange essence oil and honey added for sweetness, but you could really play with the recipe to find the right flavor combo, or add in oregano for extra boosting antioxidant and inflammation reduction. If you do opt to dry the flowers for winter sipping, you can dry the entire plant, blossoms, leaves, stems and roots, but make sure to wash thoroughly and examine closely for any insects calling the underside of the blossom home. Hanging to dry will require a paper bag over the blossom to catch falling petals. Once dry, the plant can be chopped up and stored in a mason jar for the winter. Feeling particularly hillbetty? You can make your own tea bags out of cheesecloth to hold your chopped, dried flowers. The standard wire mesh tea ball does not

quite hold enough for a good Echinacea tea. (See the recipe in the sidebar for dried or fresh ﬂower use.) Cut a rectangle four inches in length and two inches wide, fold in half, stitch up the sides, fold down the top like a hem to hold the drawstring, and you are ready to go for any size and mixture of tea you can scrounge out of the lawn. Empty, rinse and repeat.

Echinacea (Coneflower) Tea Recipe for every 8 oz cup of tea: ½ cup of fresh blooms, leaves, stems or ¼ cup dried 1-2 teaspoons of honey A sizable pinch of dried oregano

Melanie Davis Marshall Melanie is a born-again Hillbetty attempting to revive her Appalachian roots. She lives in Creston with her two dogs and 21 chickens. aawmag.com

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Style/Leisure

TRAVEL

Isle Royale: A Dream Finally Come True

Twenty-two years ago, in late autumn, I went on a solo backpacking trip to South Manitou, an island in Lake Michigan that is barely even on the map. Pack on my back, hot chocolate in hand, trying to appear casual, as if I did that sort of thing every day, I boarded the Mishi Mokwa, a 40-passenger boat. Onboard I joined a circle of travelers dreaming about their ultimate journey to a remote island in Lake Superior, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, called Isle Royale. It had been my ultimate journey for a long time. “Isle Royale is the wildest place, the last wilderness,” declared a woman carrying diving gear, planning to explore one of South Manitou’s offshore shipwrecks. “You’re camping with wolves and moose. No cars, only a network of trails,” a rosy-cheeked, white-haired woman chimed in. Pretty exciting.” Pretty exciting being in the presence 42 | September-October 2018

of so many Isle Royale wannabees. I had thought I was the only one. Later I read about two-week writing residencies being offered in the national parks. Isle Royale had one. I found out that the park rangers provided the writer with an isolated cabin that required a two-mile paddle by canoe to reach. The writer’s assignment, besides writing about the island, was to lead a wilderness journaling class for visitors to the island. My canoeing skills were basic at best, but I thought I could manage to write a pretty good essay and some poems, and lead the suggested class with enthusiasm. With high hopes I sent my application off. I didn’t get the Isle Royale residency, but I did win a weeklong writing residency at Norcroft, a remote retreat right on Lake Superior, where I spent my days in a tiny cabin that practically dipped its toes in the lake. Thus began my love af-

fair with Lake Superior, further fueling my burning desire to get to Isle Royale. In a weekend writing workshop back in the High Country, Katerina, our leader, assigned us all a short story. “No way!” I vowed. I had never written any ﬁction, and had no desire to do so. But suddenly, unbidden, an idea jumped into my head. I would write about four women on an Elderhostel boat trip to Isle Royale. Thus my ﬁrst-ever short story, “The Superior Wolf Club,” was born and published in All About Women. Was it a sign of things to come? Later I discovered that Nevada Barr, a well-known mystery writer, whose novels are set in national parks, had written two novels about Isle Royale. “A Superior Death” and “Winter Study” both feature popular parks ranger and mystery-solver Anna Pigeon. Year after year the “shining big sea waters” of “Gitchee Gumi,” immortalized aawmag.com

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, danced in my head. Wolves, moose, loons, beavers and snowshoe hares continued to fill my daydreams. Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) has an enticing five-day program on Isle Royale that includes a lot of hiking. It would have been perfect, but my back problems would not allow it. This summer, at last, four of us set out for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, better known as the U.P., on our journey to Isle Royale. Slogans along the way seemed to appear just for us: “WELCOME TO PURE MICHIGAN,” “LIVE UNCOMMON,” “LOST BUT HAPPY (on a junk bus),” and ‘45th PARALLEL: HALFWAY BETWEEN THE EQUATOR AND THE NORTH POLE.” We made it to “The Bridge,” the five-mile-long span connecting lower Michigan to the U.P. Fueled by touristy fudge, taffy and a not-to-be-missed Lake Superior whitefish dinner at Scalawag’s, we breezed across the bridge and became guest “Yoopers.” The next day’s lunch was the requisite U.P. meal of a pasty, a huge baked hand pie stuffed with potatoes, rutabagas, onions and spices, eaten at a picnic table on the Superior shore. Later on, “Eskimo Kisses” ice cream seemed a just-right dessert. Finally the big day came. We coasted into Copper Harbor at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula and approached our boat, the Isle Royale Queen IV. “Day trippers in this line! Overnighters, canoes, kayaks, backpacks, suitcases and fishing gear over here!” the ship steward shouted out. We four had decided to be day trippers, making the three-anda-half-hour journey each way, because a room in the only island lodge cost $350. Packed in like sardines in a single room, on a boat designed to hold 100 passengers, we trippers could barely see the lake, let alone where we were headed. Not for me! I slipped outside and stood at the rail of the bow, chatting with two women. “We were here in 1980 with our canoes, and paddled halfway around the island,” Carole explained. “We’re too old for that now,” Dixie added. The wild, ragged shoreline of Isle Royale swam into view, with its array of low log buildings, tiny offshore islands and phalanxes of fir and hemlock.

Somewhere, unseen, on the 45-mile-long island, were 30 campsites, miles of hiking trails and a lighthouse. I imagined a moose standing onshore. Indeed, this was a place of refuge for weary travelers, a wooded haven of silent retreat. Excited, we stepped ashore. Should I kneel and kiss the ground? We had three precious hours on Isle Royale. In the gift shop I bought an Isle Royale T-shirt, a patch for my backpack and a handsome moose bumper sticker. We had a delicious lunch of quesadillas at the lodge. We took a short hike, noting plants not often found in the lower 48, such as devil’s club, thimbleberry and old man’s beard lichen. No moose — only two snowshoe hares dressed in their summer brown. We signed up for a waterside chat with a ranger, to learn about the island’s history. Regretfully, we heard that the evening program would be about loons. We learned that 1,500 moose roam the island, but only two wolves. At one time there were 60 wolves. The number was gradually reduced by disease, accidents and inbreeding. Plans are being made to repopulate the wolf contingent soon, transporting them by boat, helicopter or

plane. Our return trip to Copper Harbor was choppy. We were glad to be wearing anti-sea-sickness wrist bands. On this trip I scored the boat’s only outdoor seat, in the stern. I was mesmerized by the wake, which looked like the “Great Wave off Kanagawa,” a tsunami woodblock print by Japanese artist Hokusai. All too soon we were back on shore, glowing with the magnetic magic of Isle Royale. From now on, Isle Royale will still occupy a special place in my heart. sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com

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Food & Drink

The Many Health Benefits of Honey

in New Zealand, honey is antibacterial. Honey will not foster growth of these microorganisms because it contains small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. Because of these properties, some people say that honey can help disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis, or other conditions where fungi and bacteria grow unchecked. • Soothes sore throat: Taking a tablespoon of honey to relieve itchy, dry throats and coughs can be effective. In a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, it was determined that honey could be just as effective at stemming cough as the popular medicine dextromethorphan. • Helps reduce inflammation: Honey is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, honey can help treat diabetes, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and other diseases traced back to widespread inflammation, according to Greek researcher Natalia Vallianou of the Evangelismos Hospital in Athens. • Regulates blood sugar: The combination of fructose and glucose in honey may help the body regulate its blood sugar levels, which could be beneficial to those with diabetes. Certain types of honey also may have a lower hypoglycemic index, which means they don’t cause a dramatic shift in blood sugar, according to the food and health resource Real Food for Life. • Has probiotic properties: Some varieties of honey contain large amounts of the friendly bacteria that the body needs to maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Honey is nature’s sweet nectar. While honey certainly can add flavor to various recipes or be enjoyed straight out of the jar, it has many other surprising benefits as well. Used since ancient times as both a food and for medicinal purposes, honey can make for a versatile addition to anyone’s diet. • Substitute for refined sugar: Refined sugar offers little to no nutritional value and is full of empty calories. Heathline says that honey has bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants as well as trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. The antioxidants in honey, which include 44 | September-October 2018

phenols and ﬂavonoids, may help prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

• Promotes healing: There is evidence that clinical use of honey on burns and wounds can be beneﬁcial. Data published in the Scientiﬁc World Journal said that honey can be used to dress wounds and that it produces similar results to other topical treatments in promoting healing. Honey is a natural wonder that can be equally useful in the kitchen and in the medicine cabinet.

• Has antibacterial and antifungal properties: According to the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato aawmag.com

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Varina

Charles Frazier

Varina’s wit and humor will remind readers of the myriad ways we hold on and let go and the sacrifices inherent in moving forward.

46 | September-October 2018

The story of the fallen South or the story of Jefferson Davis or the story of his second wife, Varina, or the story of the biracial child Varina briefly fosters — Charles Frazier’s new novel is everyone’s story of hope, loss, regret and a longing for some measure of redemptive salvation. Told through a series of conversations between Varina Howell Davis and James Blake, the 6-year-old boy Varina remembers as Jimmie Limber, “Varina” follows the fallen Confederate president’s wife through her attempt to flee the country with their few remaining belongings and their children. Intermingled in James and Varina’s present-day 1906 conversations are also the haunting tales of Varina as a young girl whose quick wit and intellect catch the eye of the grieving widower, Jefferson Davis. Initially hesitant to recall the war, Varina insists: “Please. I’m long since exhausted with that insane war and don’t need to redream a nightmare … My only advice is to be where you are now — don’t look back. Otherwise, good luck and good day, sir.” James’ memory of Joe — Varina’s 5-year-old son who falls from the porch to his death — and of trying to wake him stirs something in Varina that lets loose her memory as well as her tongue and leads to more and more Sunday conversations. Together, James and Varina form an unexpected alliance, considering all that has passed. Once Varina is convinced James is the boy she raised alongside her children, the one she gave away when it was too dangerous for him to stay with her, she admits: “When I was younger, I might have dreamed your arrival beforehand like I did that place where we were all captured. Every feature of south Georgia landscape exact — the road, a swale down to a creek, pine trees, fallow fields. Even the placement of the tents on either side of the road. But the gift or curse left me soon after the war. I still have vivid dreams, but now they never correspond with reality.” In bursts that stop and start, ebb and flow, readers follow Varina through the long tunnel of her memory catching glimpses of glamor, guilt, shame and heart-wrenching regret. Rich in detail and a diction ripe with nuance, Varina’s recollections are at once wholly believable and thoroughly discredited. “Unreliable memory is all we have. You ask, and I’ll try to answer the best I can remember, and then you patch my 40-year-old memories onto your photographic flashes and blue book.” Hidden between the pages of Varina’s recollections are James’ own memories and difficult questions: “On the way back to Albany, James hunches over his notebook. Trying to remember exact aawmag.com

phrases, particular observations. Compounding her unreliable memory with his own. Very fast, he scribbles a conversation — rehearsing for next week: —Was I born enslaved? —I can’t because I don’t know. And why should it matter? That world’s dead and gone. —No, it’s not. The answer won’t change how I feel about myself, but it matters. It’s a fact about my life I need to know. —That’s not your real question. Just voice it. —All right, then. Did you ever own me? Readers will be inexplicably drawn to Varina’s voice and story as they will be equally repelled by her often opiate-

induced decisions and behaviors. Her wit and humor will remind readers of the myriad ways we hold on and let go and the sacriﬁces inherent in moving forward. And always, ever present in every scene, memory and story are Varina’s desire, James’ desire and our own to make amends, to make it right, to make our lives count.

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

About the Author Charles Frazier is the author of “Cold Mountain,” an international bestseller that won the National Book Award and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film by Anthony Minghella. Frazier is also the author of the bestselling novels “Thirteen Moons” and “Nightwoods.”

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Top Right: Alice Craft of Moondance Catering shows off one of the spreads that private parties had all over the Chetola Resort grounds for Symphony by the Lake on Friday, July 27.

Above Left: Courtney Carroll and Joanie Venza of the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation at Symphony by the Lake at Chetola Resort on Friday, July 27.

Above Right: Josette Glover shows off her style at Symphony by the Lake at Chetola Resort on Friday, July 27. Photos by Thomas Sherrill

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Top Left: Kristin Haase and Carol Klein at the 2018 Denim Ball at Chetola Resort on Friday, Aug. 3.

Top Right: Roey Mendel shows off her fashion at the 2018 Denim Ball at Chetola Resort on Friday, Aug. 3.

Middle Left: Tina Turner’s ‘Proud Mary’ is performed by Gwen Dhing, Jenny Miller, Debbie Glover and Shellie Karaus at Groovy Nights in Blowing Rock in August. Photos by Thomas Sherrill

Bottom Left: From left, KaraBeth Worley, Carley Leonard, Baylee Ferguson and Madelyn Kahn enjoy the festivities at High Country Beer Fest in Boone on Aug. 25. Photo by Anna Oakes

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Top Right: DAR Daniel Boone chapter member Jessica Smith portrayed Betsy Ross, the woman credited with creating the American flag, at the first annual Tea and Toddies.

Middle Left: Daughters of the American Revolution Daniel Boone chapter hosted Tea and Toddies featuring historical re-enactors.

Bottom Right: Tea and Toddies organizers Brenda Councill (left) and Alice Roess (right) with Sons of the American Revolution member and re-enactor Lauren Osborne (center). The first Daughters of the American Revolution Daniel Boone chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tea and Toddies event at the Blowing Rock Country Club honored the 18th-century tradition of tea time with historical re-enactors and historically-referenced tea and drinks. Photos by Sydney Wolford

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Amy Michael, Cove Creek Elementary social worker and breast cancer survivor.

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