All About Women April 2015 by Mountain Times Publications

Women’s Apparel & Accessories Across from the Chetola Resort 537 North Main Street • Blowing Rock, NC 828.295.4200

Exclusive styling that takes you from work to evening & into the weekend

is digital! LIKE US ON

FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/AAWNC

BOOKMARK OUR NEW

WEBSITE WWW.AAWMAG.COM

for updated stories, digital editions of our magazine and more!

LEGITIMATE SAVINGS UP TO 75% OFF RETAIL!

• MARKET SAMPLES

• LIVING ROOM

• CLOSEOUTS

• FACTORY CLOSEOUTS

• SOFAS & CHAIRS IN LEATHER AND FABRIC

• DISCONTINUED

• OVERSTOCKS • BEDROOM • DINING ROOM • LIVING ROOM • ACCENTS ...AND MORE

4900 Hickory Blvd Granite Falls, NC 28630 Mon – Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 1pm-5pm (828) 496-2262

• DINING ROOM • BEDROOM • MARKET SAMPLES • DISCONTINUED • SCRATCH & DENT ...AND MORE 4916 Hickory Blvd Granite Falls, NC 28630 Tues – Sat 9am-6pm (828) 313-0795

• SHOWROOM SAMPLES • SOFAS, CHAIRS, LOVESEATS • BEDROOMS • DINING ROOMS • LIVING ROOMS ...AND MORE

4930 Hickory Blvd Ste #101 Granite Falls, NC 28630 Tues – Sat 9am-6pm (828) 313-1290

Happy Easter

publisher Gene Fowler

executive editor Tom Mayer

editor Sherrie Norris sherrie@aawmag.com 828.264.3612, ext. 251

writers Emily Apple Steve Behr Heather Brandon Jesse Campbell Sharon Carlton Bonnie Church Marion Edwards Ericka Giovanetti Hollie Greene Heather Jordan Mary McKinney Sue Spirit

production & design Meleah Bryan Marianne Koch Kristin Powers

advertising Rick Tobin 828.773.0406

cover photo by Sherrie Norris

Photo by Leda Winebarger, Thru Ledaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lens

contents women in the news women’s fund debbie edwards young at heart fashion cheryl patteson beauty OASIS high country courtesies liz hayes living well triple p parenting program children’s council mom’s world jasmine shosanna by the book burma marriage and family corner women of F.A.R.M. café you go girl

liz hayes

7 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 28 30 31 32 34 36 38 40 42 45

debbie edwards

cheryl patteson

jasmine shosanna

women of F.A.R.M. café

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

editor’s note

Spring is such an amazing time when everything comes back to life again. Most of us ﬁnd ourselves energized and ready to hit the trails, the lawns and garden spots in celebration of the new season bearing warmth, sunshine and opportunity. We are all familiar with the saying about the April showers producing May ﬂowers. It holds true not only in the realm of nature, but in our personal lives, as well. It’s a fact that a little rain must fall to help things — and people — grow and mature and blossom. There are times in life in which we feel completely water-logged and wonder if the sun will ever shine again through the dark clouds. Very little can be said or done at that particular time to convince us otherwise, but every storm does pass, allowing us to see things in a new light. Yes, there may be a trail of destruction behind us, and our pathway might appear muddy and difficult to tread, littered with debris and brokenness, but we survived. Think about that. We made it through. If it were not for those storms of life, many of us women would not know the strength and beauty that we enjoy in our lives today. I am thankful for the winds of change that have blown through my world. More times than not, I was shaken to the core, rattled beyond what I thought I could endure —and yes, left with pain and scars. But I survived. And so can you. So, as we experience our April showers, let’s try to keep our eyes on the prize. Beauty and blooms are just ahead. Stronger through the storm,

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

WOMENINTHENEWS Boone women attend national forum to help reduce substance abuse among area youth Hollie Storie Wilcox and Gretchen Summerville, representing Watauga Substance Abuse Prevention, attended the 25th Annual National Leadership Forum of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in Washington, D.C., in February. Staff members of the Boone-based Western Youth Network, Wilcox and Summerville were among more than 2,500 substance abuse prevention specialists and advocates from across the country attending the four - day event, which was held at the Gaylord National Hotel Feb. 2-5. Hollie, who serves as WSAP director, is also WYN’s Director of Prevention Services. She is leading this effort with the help of the Drug Free Communities grant, which is now in its third year of a

ﬁve-year funding cycle. Gretchen, also serving on WSAP, is the prevention coordinator at WYN. Both women are passionate, they say, about reducing youth substance abuse. “We are so thrilled to have spent several days with other similar organizations from across the country, learning and honing our prevention skills so our community can be a better place — one that doesn’t suffer from the harms of drug and alcohol abuse,” Hollie says. “We returned with new energy and strategies that we hope will help tackle drug use in the High Country.” For more information visit: www.wsap. org or contact Hollie Storie Wilcox at (828) 264-5174. - Sherrie Norris

Gretchen Summerville, left, and Hollie Storie Wilcox, right, earlier this month at the office of Rep. Virginia Foxx, while attending the 25th Annual National Leadership Forum of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in Washington, D.C. Photo submitted

DAR names the late Mary T. Martin Sloop as Outstanding Woman in American History Also, in founding the The The life of the late Mary T. Crossnore School in 1913, Sloop’s Martin Sloop, founder of The foresight and legacy have, Crossnore School, was recognized through the last century, helped at the Mar. 11 meeting of the provide education and a safe Daniel Boone Chapter of the DAR haven for thousands of children in Boone, at which time she was and adolescents, the majority of named “Outstanding Woman in which came from unstable homeAmerican History.” life situations. Sloop was lauded for her Brett Loftis, current CEO of successful attempts to improve The Crossnore School, was prethe way of life of the mountain sented with a framed award and people, despite constant advermedal from the local chapter of sity, especially from the men who the DAR to display at the school, didn’t want a woman telling them which, for decades, has enjoyed a what to do. close connection to the National From soliciting clothing from Local and state representatives of the DAR are pictured with Brett Loftis, CEO of Society of the Daughters of the associates in the piedmont that The Crossnore School, during the organization’s Mar. 11 meeting in Boone to American Revolution. resulted in a money-making honor the life of the school’s founder, Mary T. Martin Sloop. Left to right: Loftis, On behalf of the school, Loftis venture for community education, Bonnie Steelman, historian of the Daniel Boone Chapter of the DAR, Lois Marto helping revitalize interest and low, DAR’s State Chairwoman of American History, and Mary Moretz, Regent of also accepted a monetary gift and baskets of items that had been economic opportunities through the Daniel Boone Chapter of the DAR. Photo by Sherrie Norris prepared by the members for the weaving trade, to helping build lows, before establishing the hospital. the children at Crossnore. He received a a church, a modern hospital and foundIn 1951, Sloop was named America’s personal gift, a copy of the book, “Trails of ing The Crossnore School, Sloop’s efforts Mother of the Year; her autobiography, Daniel Boone,” written by Randell Jones. were vast. “Miracle in the Hills,” ﬁrst printed in 1953, At the same time, she assisted her reﬂected her sheer determination to make - Sherrie Norris pioneering doctor husband, Eustace a difference in the lives of individuals and Sloop, many times riding on horseback to families in the Appalachian Mountains. homes in some of the area’s deepest holAAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Facilitating Warmth Alleviating Hunger

Families should hot have to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table. That’s the belief of The Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, which is pleased to help families embrace both warmth and full tables with its Heat and Hunger Initiative. Through a generous anonymous donation, the WFBR recently allocated $300,000 to local agencies in Ashe, Avery and Watauga Counties to lessen hunger and assist with heating costs. On receiving the donation for this initiative, Kay McCloskey, WFBR board chairwoman, said “This gift was an incredible demonstration by the donors of their compassion and caring. The trust that was placed in our Fund was a huge honor. We feel truly blessed to be in a community where the possibility for these kinds of life-changing events can happen.” The donation was entrusted to the Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge through the efforts of Cathy Williamson, a close friend of the donors. Cathy shares that the Women’s Fund was in an ideal posi-

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

‘

This gift was an incredible demonstration by the donors of their compassion and caring. The trust that was placed in our Fund was a huge honor. We feel truly blessed to be in a community where the possibility for these kinds of life-changing events can happen.

tion to manage the process and purpose of this donation. “The donors were impressed with our attention to vetting the recipients, something the donors had neither the time nor the resources to do,” she says. “The donors were completely confident that we would be good stewards of their gift.” Cathy helped assemble a task force of people from within and outside the WFBR to inform local agencies about the funds. This Heat and Hunger Initiative Task Force asked nonprofit representatives to create two grant requests, with the first addressing immediate needs. For the second round of grants, the task force asked agencies for proposals to use the funds as an investment in future programs, to create collaborations with other agencies, and to find matching funds to help develop new donors and supporters for their own programs. Karen Sabo, executive director of the Women’s Fund, says, “During the second round of grants, agencies were very creative with their proposals, and we were thrilled to be able to use these funds as

’

-Kay mccloskey

‘seed money’ for enabling the agencies to expand their programs and extend their reach. And because we required agencies to get matching funds, this fantastic gift has actually resulted in $500,000 suddenly infused into our local counties for heat and hunger issues.” The agencies that received grants through the WFBR Heat and Hunger Initiative include the Hunger and Health Coalition, Western Watauga Food Network, the Hospitality House, Feeding Avery Families, The Farm Café, Ashe County Sharing Center and WeCan.

One of the funded projects is the ‘Edible Schoolyard’ proposed by the Health and Hunger Coalition. This project will provide a space for the community to participate in organic and sustainable growing practices. The produce grown in the schoolyard will be available at no cost to those in need. In a collaboration between the HHC and the F.A.R.M. Café, some produce from the Edible Schoolyard will be donated to the restaurant for their new “Pop Up Cafes,” which will provide pre-cooked meals for Watauga County residents who live far from the F.A.R.M Café’s downtown Boone location. “We are so pleased to be the conduit for distributing this gift,” says Debbie Stevens, treasurer of the WFBR. “We hope others in the community might also recognize us as a trustworthy fund for helping them reach their philanthropic goals.” For more information on the Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, contact Executive Director Karen Sabo at 828-264-4002, email info@womensfundoftheblueridge. org, or go to www.womensfundoftheblueridge.org. AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Debbie Edwards (front row, center), loves being surrounded by her family. Photos submitted.

Debbie Edwards A Woman in A Man’s World

Winning local, regional and state awards in both middle and high school for public speaking came as a surprise to Debbie Edwards. She says she had no idea people would listen to what she had to say. She was equally surprised by the ease she felt in front of an audience. “I just stood up and said what I’d planned to say,” she says, “and it must have sounded OK.” Through those early public speaking experiences, various spiritual mentors and a heart compelled to follow God’s call, the life of Debbie Edward life is a testament of discernment courage, and her ability to minister as “a woman in a man’s world.” Growing up in Roan Mountain, Tenn., Debbie attended Cloudland High School. After graduation, she worked in Atlanta as a nanny while pursuing a certiﬁcate in dental assistance school. Once certiﬁed, she moved back to eastern Tennessee and began working for local dentist, Phil Perdue, in Banner Elk. Unbeknownst to Debbie, it would be this initial work environment that would

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

dramatically enhance and prescribe her future. Witnessing the changes in Dr. Perdue’s life, based on his faith in Christ, Debbie says, “I wanted that. I wanted to experience Christ in my life in that way.” Through conversations, Bible study, and prayer, Debbie, along with Dr. Perdue’s staff, learned to pray for patients — old and young alike — who were afraid of the procedures they were to undergo, basic check-ups as well as complicated surgeries. Through these prayers and the concern of those she worked with, Debbie began to approach others with a renewed sense of compassion and empathy. During this time, through mutual friends, Debbie met her future husband, Terry Edwards. Following his graduation from Appalachian State University, they married in 1973 and settled in Crossnore near his family’s home. Four years later, they welcomed the birth of their ﬁrst daughter, Leah, and in 1980 they celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Lorah. Of the 42 years Debbie has spent with

Terry, she says, “Terry is my most important mentor. I couldn’t do any of the things I do without him.” Likewise, she could not be more proud of her daughters’ accomplishments; Leah is a pastry chef at Plant, an Asheville restaurant; Lorah is the homeschool teacher and mother of Jillian and Judah, Debbie’s much loved grandchildren. After 30 years with Dr. Perdue, Debbie worked for two years for dentist, “Bouger” Aldridge. In 2002, she began her journey at Cornerstone Christian Bookstore in Boone, where she ﬁnds great joy talking with the customers and helping them select the books that will minister to their hearts. She has a way of meeting people where they are. “If you talk to people long enough, they will open up,” she says. “They need compassion. They need someone to hear them.” Debbie thrives in the work environment at Cornerstone. Listening to Christian music, leading daily devotions,

and praying for her colleagues and their customers creates a world in which Debbie can experience and discern God’s work in her life and in the lives of others, she says. Similarly, Debbie experiences the freedom of worshipping God at Plumtree Presbyterian, which she and her family have attended since 1978. Her participation in women’s retreats, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School and special events including the Easter cantata that draws crowds from miles around, have established her foundation of work in home missions. “My church family is my family,” she says. “We’re connected. We do life together.” Asked to describe the ways her church has evolved, Debbie explains, “Although the basic truths are the same, the style of worship has changed in that it is freer in every way. The focus of teaching is centered on what the unmerited, undeserved grace of God’s love is and does. In this way, we are learning to allow God to minister to the whole person — spiritually, emotionally, and physically.” This Biblical principle of meeting people where they are and helping them allow God to heal layers of wounds is a concept that Debbie and Terry have taken beyond the walls of their church. During the 1980s, Terry’s work as a Gideon led him to the former Avery Correctional Center. Upon his discovery that there was no chaplain assigned to the facility, Terry came home and told Debbie, “We have to do something.” As a result, the couple joined the High Country Prison Ministry, which provides Bible studies and a volunteer community chaplain to minister to inmates. Through a variety of fundraisers, including yard sales and golf tournaments and the sponsorship of various churches throughout Avery, Mitchell, and Watauga counties, High Country Prison Ministry now provides the only chaplain for inmates in the Avery/Mitchell Correctional Center. As their ministry continued and strengthened, Debbie was asked by a chaplain to speak in his place on a Sunday he had to be away from the prison. Her initial response, she recalls, was, “Me? Me? What in the world would I have to say?” However, through careful prayer and consideration, Debbie accepted the invitation. “I felt called to tell them about the love of God,” she says. “They have to know that Jesus loves them.” In discerning God’s call and following

His voice, Debbie continues to preach at the prison the first and third Sunday of every month. “My outlook on the men is that nothing is impossible with God no matter how vile the crime,” she says. “The men know that I love them and they trust that love.” Asserting her voice in a man’s world has not been an easy road. Yet, Debbie remains undaunted in her commitment — even in the face of criticism about her role as a female preacher. “Jesus was moved by compassion,” she says. “The reason I do it is because I feel the exact same way. You don’t have to commit a crime to believe that God’s love is unattainable.” Meeting “wounded, lost, hurting men” at their most vulnerable, Debbie says, is her “favorite place to minister.” She describes the preparation for her sermons as divinely inspired. Through her prayer and devotional time, something will stand out and continue to come back to Debbie’s mind. She will know this is what God wants her to share, she says. Debbie’s favorite verse in the Bible, is II Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him;” it’s one she shares regularly. “This is the best exchange that has ever taken place,” she says. “This verse describes how we can find right standing with God.” When asked if she has ever felt intimidated preparing to share God’s word in a room full of men, Debbie replies, “It’s not anything about me, It’s about Him. I am God’s vessel. I stand up and His words come out.” In 2012, Debbie and Terry were recognized as Volunteers of the Year for the State of North Carolina for Prison Ministry. Upon receiving this honor, Debbie shared Her belief in Joseph Prince’s idea of ministry, “It’s not about behavior modification or rehabilitation — it’s about heart transformation.” This philosophy is the essence of any sincere reformation, Debbie says. “When we let God fill us up, His love splashes out. Understanding His love for us makes us want to be obedient.” Debbie’s idea of a perfect day includes a cup of coffee, devotions and a schedule filled with divine appointments. “Watching God put people in front of me that I can encourage in some way — living in a place of hearing Him speak is an exciting way to live,” she says. Further-

more, she describes a good day as “when the things He’s told me to do outweigh the things I’ve missed.” History carries the stories of men and women who have stood up for their beliefs, Debbie says. “These are the people who have reshaped the prejudices and injustices in our world.” She ﬁrmly believes that it takes a supernatural courage and an overwhelming love to rise up, to respond to a need and to act in one’s belief of a cause. Standing in front of an audience as a young girl, uncovering layers of compassion and empathy through her work — both as a dental assistant and at Cornerstone — and learning that God’s love ministers to heal the whole person, continues to give Debbie the strength to stand and the courage to speak. Her willingness to embrace her role, as a woman in a man’s world, she says, continues to allow God’s love to transform and set free. Hollie Greene Hollie Greene is an English teacher who loves stories, words and the mountains of North Carolina.

REIKI MASTER

Charla Rae Armitage

Pain & Stress Management •Speed healing •Decrease pain •Promote relaxation •Decrease the eﬀects of stress Among other beneﬁts

(336) 877-4988 spinn@skybest.com Located in Frency’s Gallery of Fine Art Downtown West Jeﬀerson Corner of 2nd St. & Jeﬀerson Ave. AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

youngatheart

Spring

Cleaning ‘My favorite thing about spring is spring cleaning,’ said no one ever.

hy is spring associated with cleaning? I, for one, clean year-round. Is there some spring-cleaning secret that keeps things spotless for the remainder of the year? Are magical cleaning elves in any way involved? My mother would claim that she used to have two magical cleaning elves — my sister and me. She trained us (brainwashed, might be more accurate) to know how to clean a house, thoughtfully letting us practice again and again until perfect. My sister and I did dishes together

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

from the time we were tall enough to reach the sink, perfecting the order in which to stack items in the drainer, thus minimizing what we had to dry. We learned that proper dusting included not only furniture, but also baseboards, ceilings, blinds and displayed items; these had to be dusted and then picked up and dusted underneath. Vacuuming included both carpets and couch cushions. And, do not get me started on bathrooms; who knew that hours of scrubbing tile grout with a toothbrush would have such a profound inﬂuence on my future self?

Lest you imagine that my childhood was a bleak existence, where I slaved away from dusk to dawn earning only a crust of moldy bread and stale water for my efforts, I can assure you that it was not. There was plenty of fun and plenty of playtime. But, there was an understanding that chores needed to be ﬁnished ﬁrst. Years later — and having my own home to care for — I appreciate the training, now recognizing that my mother’s goal was to teach my sister and me to be successful adults. Just because I learned to clean, however, does not mean that I

enjoy it. My husband, Roger, would raise a questioning eyebrow at the previous statement, believing that I like to clean a little too much. He has experienced first-hand a few of my cleaning frenzies when I have a chunk of time without an engaging book and/or a backlog of “Masterpiece Theatre” episodes with which to distract myself. Luckily, I have a good partner in him, and we accomplish our chores quickly and efficiently. Some of these are not so bad — “swiffering” the floors is mindless and can be performed while dancing to Duran Duran; others, like sanitizing kitchen surfaces, I do to prevent unpleasant and avoidable food-borne illness. While I do believe that cleaning is necessary, I will attest to the fact that my least favorite chore — dusting, that would be dusting — gets done a bit less regularly. I like a clean house; Roger likes an uncluttered house. Together we have learned to maximize tidiness, while minimizing the amount of time we spend scrubbing and polishing. Our house is small, so there is less to clean. It is also free of carpet and the dreaded tile. We have also avoided “stuff.” Our only vacation souvenirs are magnets from the places we have visited. Neither of us have collections (books and shoes do not count!). And, we only display items that we love enough to dust. This philosophy extends to my closet; I regularly purge anything that is stained, torn or worn, as well as anything that no longer brings me joy. Our home is clean, not pristine, but rather lived in and cared for by two adults with no children or pets. I am well aware of the difference that makes. I feel slightly abashed when visiting our neighbors, who have two children and three cats, because an invitation into their home is often followed by a request not to judge them based on the state of their housekeeping. “Am I a judgy person?” I contemplate. If the vigor with which my father-inlaw “swiffers” the floors before Roger and I come to visit is any indication, then yes, perhaps I am a wee bit judgy. Let me take this opportunity to apologize to any friends or family who have felt judged. It is not my intention to

Locally Owned & Operated Since 2003 by People You Know & Trust

e When A Trusted Nam Helping Hand. You Need That

828.963.8233 • APPHOMECARE.COM

be critical, and if I ever pull out a pair of white gloves, please either show me to the door or hand me a duster and invite me to get to work. Did I mention that I hate dusting? Where are those magical cleaning elves when you need them?

For the most important moment of your life

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.

Next to Lowes Foods Wilkesboro 336-667-2257 www.brandjewelrync.com AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

g n i w S

your o t n i y a w

5 1 0 2 g n i Spr As we say goodbye to winter, the fashion world is unveiling its trends for warm, lovely spring. Spring is here and with it, nods to the 1970s sporty touches that don’t require a gym membership, shoulder-baring silhouettes, new uses for tiered skirts and gingham prints that are so not your grandmother’s.

The ’70s mood

Denim luxe

We’ve sensed them slowly working toward taking over the fashion trends this season, but it’s beginning now that the ’70s inﬂuences are expected to bloom in all of their nostalgic-infused beauty. Although subtle, the hippie motifs meet the more modern accents in perfect harmony.

Denim becomes a thing of pure luxury this spring, when aside from its rising versatility, the fabric gains quite the unique spectrum of interpretations. Embellished, washed out, molded into ladylike silhouettes or playing out its comfortable core, there’s no doubt that denim goes high-fashion for spring. Sure, skinnies will always be trendy, but give ﬂares and boyfriend jeans another try.

Romantic bohemian We’re no strangers to the charms exuded by the modern bohemian, yet as we anticipate what spring 2015 has in store, we are pretty sure the bohemian sentiments are reimagined to carry an ultra-romantic aura. Expect an avalanche of ﬂowy, dreamy, irresistible silhouettes.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Androgynous tailoring As if to set some balance to plethora of silhouettes awash with femininity, trending now, the androgynous tailoring

arises strong and sleek-looking. Never have the masculine inﬂuences appeared so incredibly sophisticated and polished as they’re about to present themselves for spring.

Asymmetrical hems Sex-appeal is taking on a whole new shape during this emerging season in the guise of the unapologetically sensual asymmetrical hems. In either of their

super-hot, casual-cool or rather ﬂirty renditions, the asymmetrical hems are ready to spell out the sexy for spring.

go of their emblematic high shine. Coming in many precious tones and with various ﬁnishes, the metallics appear to be stronger than ever.

Gingham patterns Seeing how every season needs its own individual hallmark, the gingham pattern acts as the perfect one for this spring. Dipped in the softest pastel tones, the tiny checks do a brilliant job in dressing down feather-weight fabrics that scream of summer nonchalance.

Heavenly lace If it’s spring, it’s got to be lace. Do expect to be fully blown away by it in 2015, as the heavenly renderings that took on the runways look like nothing you have seen before. White, sublime and playing the uniqueness card, lace for spring puts a new twist on femininity.

High shine metallics Spring 2015 sees the metallic silhouettes go from sporty to slouchy and to perfectly tailored — without ever letting

Colors for the season?

back the bright. Some of the looks you’ve loved before will have fresh spins and others will be completely new. Don’t’ be surprised later in the year to see a return to suede, ruffles, fringing — and yes, pants with a ﬂare.

Classic blue, custard, marsala, strawberry ice, toasted almond and tangerine are just some the colors you might come across in the upcoming trips to the mall. The “sunny” hue is taking over the runways this year: Pops of bright yellow on ﬂoral dresses will be a fun addition to your closet. Bright accessories that you normally do not even consider can add to your springy sense of style — like lipstick. Look past just the purplish hue for lipstick: plum shades work on eyelids and cheeks just as well. When a red pucker looks a little too vampy for school, a matte formula tones it all down and gives your look a little edge. Last year‘s major blows — long bobs, dark lipstick, and ‘90s grunge, are now a thing of the past. It is now time to bring

Emily apple Emily Apple is an Appalachian State graduate with a degree in fashion design and merchandising.

Picture yourself in FUN Fashions from Libby’s!

Picture yourself having FUN shopping at Libby’s! Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. 205B Long St. Saturday Shamrock Square 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | APRIL 15 Closed on 2015 Sunday Jefferson, NC 28640 AAWMAG.COM

(336) 846-9551

www.libbyslook.com

Cheryl Patteson

Unleashing the passion Teaching has become a passion for Cheryl Patteson, which is understandable, she says, because she works with a very special population – adults with developmental disabilities. “My students have opened my eyes and touched my heart in countless ways,” she says. “They have taught me the true meaning of not judging a book by its cover, and how to delve between the lines and appreciate the story and gifts within.” Over and over again, Cheryl says, she has been “humbled to the core” by the faith, perseverance, talents — often latent — and character strength displayed by many of her students, in spite of the overwhelming obstacles and social biases that they battle on a daily basis. Cheryl has worked with this population in various capacities for the past 20 years, from habilitation specialist and house manager, to job coach, independent life specialist and CAP worker. However, her favorite — and most memorable position — she says, is that which she currently holds as instructor for the Compass Class at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. Of her 10 years at CCC&TI, she has held this position for the last three years. A bittersweet reality, she says, is that this will be her ﬁnal year in that role as she plans to retire soon “and start a new chapter in my life.”

Through the back door Cheryl entered the special education ﬁeld through the back door, she says, “in the sense that I never planned or directly trained for any of these positions — which were relatively new when I started out.” She graduated with a degree in psychology with plans to pursue her doctorate degree in psychiatry. “Fortunately, life had different plans for me,” she says, “and for the next eight years, I enjoyed being a stay at home mom — another educational and humbling, but oh, so valuable an experience that has taught me endless patience and many life lessons.” Raising two children has also helped her learn to respect and admire those

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Cheryl Patteson, who says the joy of teaching is in discovery, has spent much of her life sharing her sense of discovery with others. Photo submitted

parents who have to tackle the additional challenges involved in raising children with special needs, she says. “When I enrolled my daughter in a Montessori School, I became enamored by the well thought-out and time-tested educational methodology of Maria Montessori,” Cheryl says. “And so subsequently I pursued training and accreditation as a Montessori instructor for 3-6 year- olds. I worked in this capacity for 10 years in the Richmond, Va., area.” She spent a total of 20 years in Richmond, she says, “attending college at VCU, and then raising my family before packing up my bags and returning to my true roots in the mountains of North Carolina.”

Cheryl was born in Ashe County where she spent her ﬁrst year of life. “When my father returned from the Korean War, he moved us to northern Virginia, where I grew up,” she says. “However, I always dreamt of one day returning to live in these beautiful mountains.” Her hopes were rekindled, she says, every time she visited her grandparents’ dairy farm in Ashe County. “It was soon after my grandparents’ death that I decided to make this dream a reality,” she shares. She describes her relocation as literally feeling as if she were starting her life all over again. “Fortunately, I quickly found a job as a

habilitation specialist, a job working with a very different population than for what I was trained — and in what was a fairly new and unchartered vocation,” she says. “Understanding the learning process, writing up lesson plans, and creating a learning environment, replete with homemade materials I could do, (as a result of my Montessori training), but nonetheless, I still had much to learn regarding paperwork and being an effective team member, while dealing with behavioral problems and staff issues.” Fortunately, Cheryl was raised with a strong work ethic, which she describes as her “saving grace.” Without it, she would never have survived the many trials she has endured, she says, “Nor would I be able to look back and rejoice at every step of the way that has led me to realize and appreciate life’s true treasures.” For Cheryl, the joy of teaching is in discovery, she says, “And I have spent a better part of a lifetime being able to share this sense of discovery with others.” She remembers as an undergraduate student taking a class on the psychology of education. “New research was coming out that demonstrated that the key to successful teaching is not based on knowledge about a subject, or even skill in teaching it — but was best correlated with the instructor’s passion for learning more about a topic,” Cheryl says. “That is so true,” she adds. “I had no knowledge about many of the things I have set out to teach, but I would get so excited about learning more about it myself, that the excitement would spill over into the classroom, igniting the interests of my students, and spreading like wildfire.” There have been times, Cheryl says, when she and her students have become obsessed with a topic that turned into a major project that paved the way for other growing interests. Case in point, she says, was with raising Monarch butterflies. “Our commitment to this endangered butterfly occurred about seven years ago, when I put a monarch butterfly wall plaque up in my classroom,” she says. “I had a very special (male) student go up, admire it, and send me on what would become a life-changing quest. He asked me to find the caterpillar that transforms into that beautiful butterfly.” At that point, Cheryl says, she knew nothing about Monarchs, but due to her student’s persistence, “that I absolutely needed to find that caterpillar and his

unwavering faith that I would succeed in this quest,” she embarked on an unbelievable journey. “It has led me to be able to ﬁnd, raise and release hundreds of these magical creatures with help from my students,” she says. “Believe me — no one tires of this annual late summer and fall project.” As result of this commitment, CCC&TI also sponsored her, last summer, to take a fun, but very educational, workshop about the Monarch, their threatened status, their value as pollinators, and steps that each of us can take to reverse the environmental damage that is leading to their rapid decline in numbers, she describes. “As a result of this workshop, my class and I found, and raised 100 — a record number of Monarchs — this past summer and were able to successfully release 80 in time for their annual migration to Mexico,” she says. “In nature, they have a 10 percent survival rate, so an 80 percent survival rate was quite good. We also collected 400 pods of milkweed that were distributed between monarch rescue and monarch watch.” She explains, “The loss of milkweed due to agricultural practices — as well as people removing milkweed from their groomed yards — is one of the leading threats to the monarch.” Cheryl and her class also plan on continuing to build a butterﬂy garden at the Watauga Campus of CCCTI, as well as continue to educate others about the plight of the monarch. “CCC&TI has been very supportive of these plans,” she says. Among many other projects in which her class has engaged, “related to conservation,” she says, includes Save the Frog Day, which addresses the worldwide threat to amphibians, and others, such as the impact that brown–nose syndrome is having on bats and how it impacts us, recycling, composting, gardening, the importance of protecting our pollinators, winter bird counts and feeding, to name a few. “One day a week, I set aside a block of time to cover these environmental issues,” Cheryl says. “My students, as a whole, are avid nature lovers who want to make a positive impact on preserving our natural resources.” In her class, Cheryl also focuses a lot of time on healthy living topics such as nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, hygiene and safety. “Much of what we do involves handson learning, such as healthy snack preparation, walking, yoga, aerobic and strength training exercise, as well as workbooks,

and exploring related websites. Independent life skills is also a class favorite, which covers a wide range of topics, from money skills, budgeting and computer skills, to learning about and then riding on local public transportation and visiting community resources or events. “One afternoon a week is set aside for more creative exploration,” she says, “for I have a multi-talented group. Some enjoy writing poetry, prose and even song writing. Others like singing, dancing, playing instruments, drawing and crafts.” For Cheryl, part of her teaching success is all about “going with the flow,” she says. “It’s important to be attuned to the interests and goals of my students and creating individual learning objectives based on same,” she says. “Another aspect of this is developing a keen intuition — which lets you know when to forge forward and when to back off.” Another important aspect, she has discovered, is letting the student guide through their talents and learning style, whether that be auditory, visual or hands on, and being sensitive to their life experience/cultural background and through acknowledgement of each of their contributions to the class as a whole. “I always see my students as individuals with abilities and untapped, limitless potential,” Cheryl says. “I feel that it is my responsibility, as a teacher, to discover ways of further releasing untapped reservoirs of potential to help them achieve greater independence and a higher quality of life.” It is her hope, Cheryl says, in this coming year, to prepare her students for her departure as their instructor — “by finding someone who will be as equally committed to paving the steppingstones by which they can achieve greater independence, happiness, and quality in their lives.” Cheryl also hopes that this person will continue to support many of the projects the class as a whole is committed to — especially the butterfly garden, which can also be utilized as a meditation spot “and a great gathering space for all the students of CCC&TI”, she says. Referring to a quote by Helen Keller, Cheryl says, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. My hope for my students, then, is for them to be able to live an adventure — as great as my own.” sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

BEAUTY

Beauty comes from the

heart 18

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

ey beautiful! Yes, I’m

talking to you. As a writer of a beauty column, I deal primarily with cosmetics, creams, lotions and potions and anything applied to the face to enhance and further beautify. There is the old cliché that says, “Beauty is only skin deep,” but I disagree, because I know that true beauty comes from the heart. I have known people who were horribly disﬁgured, but who were beautiful because of what emanated from the inside.

How many of us have met a strikingly beautiful face with an ugly heart? There is another side to the skin-deep theory and that is “Ugly goes clean to the bone,” but that is a topic for another time. There is so much pressure placed on us to look like the images we see on TV, magazines and ﬁlm, but we cannot allow the beauty industry to deﬁne our beauty. This especially is prevalent among our young girls who strive to achieve the unattainable airbrushed looks they see in magazines We need to remember that beneath all the applications of foundation, lipstick, mascara and eye shadow, lays your virgin face. I am very impressed with Tyra Banks, a former runway model, who has published a coffee table book revealing herself, au natural, which is quite different than the Tyra wearing a full face of makeup. She related that she cannot look like the pictures the magazines portray.

‘

There is the old cliché that says, ‘Beauty is only skin deep,’ but I disagree, because I know that true beauty comes from the heart. I have known people who were horribly disfigured, but who were beautiful because of what emanated from the inside.

’

-marion edwards

Can you see yourself for who you really are — God’s beautiful, one-of-a-kind creation? Human nature, of course, usually focuses on negative aspects and always sees the glass as half empty, when it is really half full. Take a good look at your face and see your features: eyes, nose, lips and cheeks. Do not focus on negativity. Almost two years ago, I lost my mother, and now — more and more — when I Iook into my mirror, I notice so much of me that looks like her: I absolutely love my lips because they look just like hers. For me, it is Gods little gift to me and I am so appreciative. Learn to love you as you are. Love the unembellished morning face you see in the mirror. When you accept that your natural features are already appealing, you can feel comfortable with or without cosmetics and learn to look like yourself, only better.

What about cosmetic procedures? If you have learned to love and accept yourself, then any additional enhancement fillers (nips and tucks) will always be because you want to, not because you feel you have to. Self-confidence and self-esteem are by-products of loving yourself. Loving yourself is prerequisite to loving others. Stay beautiful! Marion Edwards Marion Edwards is a Licensed Esthetician, Professional Makeup Artist and Certified Trainer for Motives Cosmetics. She can be contacted at (828) 262-5954.

Today’s focus is on you loving your beautiful self. Knowing that you are wonderfully and fearfully made attests to your uniqueness — in all the world there has never been nor will there ever be another you.

When you awake in the morning and look at the face in the mirror, what do you see?

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Springing forth with OASIS

Spring is an especially busy time of year for OASIS, as April is nationally recognized as “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” and May brings the agency’s annual “Midnight at the OASIS” gala event.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

During April, OASIS will be distributing teal ribbons around the community, encouraging people to wear a ribbon in order to help raise awareness about sexual assault and the frequency with which these crimes occur. OASIS is encouraging local businesses and organizations to show their support for victims and survivors of assault by participating in building awareness throughout the month. Last year, OASIS served more than 48 survivors of sexual assault; 80 percent of those survivors were students at Appalachian State University students. Awareness ribbons create conversation about a topic that for far too long has been shrouded with secrecy and shame:

National statistics indicate that one out of every ﬁve women will be victimized by sexual violence in her lifetime, with women between the ages of 12-24 at particular risk. Men are at risk, too. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates one out of 33 men may experience sexual violence.

Partnering with ASU In addition to OASIS’s Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence program, now in its eighth year of funding, the agency is partnering with Appalachian State University to improve the quality of response to disclosures of sexual assault within the University. OASIS also provides prevention and education programming to Bethel

Elementary School, Watauga High School, and Caldwell Community College in Watauga County, and to Avery High School, Mayland Community College and Lees McRae College in Avery County. Marcie Ownbey, Outreach Coordinator for OASIS, recalls a special moment when she was providing outreach at a local high school health fair last year. Near the end of the day, a group of ninth-grade boys walked over, gathered information about OASIS and asked Marcie to sign their forms, indicating they had visited the OASIS table. After they walked away, one of the teen boys quietly came back to the table and said to Marcie, “I want to say thank you for everything you’re doing.” It was a day she says she will never forget. Speaking of a time to remember, the major fundraiser for OASIS, the 12th annual “Midnight at the OASIS” will take place Friday, May 1 at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock. Entertainment will be provided by the popular Ashevillebased band, Laditude. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the event will last until 11p.m. Tickets are $35 and available online or at the OASIS office. Call (828) 264-1532 for more information or visit, www.oasisinc.org, where you will also learn how you can become involved with the agency’s mission. OASIS, Inc., the agency providing services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Watauga and Avery Counties, was founded by a group of concerned community members in 1978. Support from the local community is still crucial for OASIS today as they remain busy year-round, providing shelter, support and advocacy for those who suffer from abuse, in addition to facilitating prevention and education programs throughout Watauga and Avery Counties. In the past year, OASIS provided services to 315 clients and 331 of their children. They received over 1,600 crisis and information calls to their 24- hour crisis line, and provided shelter for 36 victims and survivors and 21 of their children for a total of 2,107 bed nights, a 42 percent increase from the previous year.

Teresa Cornett is more than a certified fitter of mastectomy products with 29 years experience. She is a caring and sympathetic source of valuable information.

Boone Drug offers: • Breast Prosthesis • Mastectomy Bras (always the latest designs) • Prosthesis for Swimming & Jodee Swimwear • Cranial Prosthesis • Compression Arm Sleeves for Lymphedema

Boone Drug and Healthcare at Deerfield 345 Deerfield Road | 828-355-3343 teresacornett@boonedrug.com

Let Your Room Bloom

Spring is here! It’s time to get started on some new projects to freshen up your home. We have a full line of BERNINA machines and everything you will need.

1542-G HWY 421S, BOONE, NC • (828) 264-1049 • WWW.SEWORIGINAL.ORG

m adee too create AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

highcountrycourtesies

The Beginnings of Good Manners The Call to Good Manners Challenge Part One Good Manners don’t just happen. No matter how much we hope our loved ones and associates will learn gracious social skills by absorbing the good examples around them, the likelihood is that they are more strongly inﬂuenced

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

by our casual culture and media. “Formal” social skills are misunderstood — even shunned — in today’s “familiar” skills-based lifestyles. We are currently reaping the effects of cultural laxity toward respect and common courtesies that began several decades ago. That laxity snowballed

with the “me generation,” resulting in increasingly disrespectful younger generations locked in individual selfcentered universes. With most parents working outside the home, fewer involved extended family members living in close proximity to each other, and our over-loaded

schedules that allow for limited family time around the dinner table, we have created perfect storms for social skill negligence.

The Challenge Now is the time to turn the tide. I encourage you to accept the “Call to Good Manners Challenge,” and, as Mahatma Ghandi urged, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I challenge you to intentionally model and teach social skills within your sphere of influence. Whatever your chapter in life, your example can create a ripple effect. Your kind instruction can benefit those persons who lack knowledge of when, why and how they should use better social skills. Over the next few months this column will address age-specific basic etiquette skills needed to represent oneself well in school, sports and social settings. Starting with toddlers and progressing to adults in the workplace, we will explore basic age-appropriate social skills with explanations, instructions and reinforcement techniques. You are invited to share your ideas and experiences. Which manners do you find sorely lacking today? What grating behaviors do you encounter far too often? How do others respond to your kindness and courtesies? What effective teaching tips can you pass along to others? Please send your comments to me at the Email address at the bottom of this article.

Tips for Training Toddlers: Toddlers are gradually learning that the world is “not all about me,” and understanding their actions have consequences. They are ripe to learn foundational tools of respectful, kind interaction: looking people in the eyes, saying “please” and “thank you,” speaking polite greetings, sharing and using simple table manners. The most important aspects of teaching toddlers good manners are consistent role modeling of manners and a warm, caring relationship.

Looking others in the eyes Reﬂects a person is listening intently and is interested in what the other person is saying. Around the age of 3 years,

toddlers should understand the concept of eye contact. Although there are a few physical conditions and cultural standards inhibiting direct eye contact, most persons are capable of maintaining eye contact. When ﬁrst teaching eye contact, stay at eye level with toddlers. Point out how you are looking at their eyes when you both talk, and ask them to look you in the eyes. When toddlers need a reminder, ask them to “listen with their face” — to turn their faces toward you. For toddlers who do not easily grasp the concept, capture their attention with a puppet, then draw the puppet to your eye level, and eventually drop the puppet.

Saying please and thank you Expresses gratitude and appreciation. When children are a few months old, begin saying what you want them to say whenever you give them an item or ask them to do something (“Thank you, Mommy.” “Please, hand me your shoes.”). Before children have a broad vocabulary, using sign language to sign “please” or “thank you” teaches little ones a speedier way to communicate and stimulates the language centers of their brains.

Speaking polite greetings Provides easy interaction with family and acquaintances. Once again, repeating corresponding words as babies learn to wave “bye, bye” and “hi” in their ﬁrst year teaches appropriate greetings. Set expectations for children to greet people and role play before arriving where they are expected to greet adults.

Sharing Is a primary developmental tool for playing with others and succeeding in life. While most two year olds are still quite possessive, they can learn important life principles through play. Provide environments for sharing, such as a tea party where you ask toddlers to take some snack then to please share some snack with a family member. Create opportunities to share with games of “Let’s Share Mommy” (inviting two siblings to balance on knees or play with a hand), or “Give and Take” (hug and kiss a favorite stuffed animal, then allow your toddler to kiss it and return it to you). When

toddlers understand that “sharing” is a regular part of family life and that they will eventually get their toys back, sharing becomes less threatening. Do expect slow progress, because sharing is a complicated skill. Be respectful of their possessions and do not punish toddlers for not sharing. Demanding they share or punishing them for not sharing can provoke resentment rather than lead to a sense of generosity.

Table manners for toddlers Begins as soon as little ones sit in high chairs. Learning there are acceptable table behaviors and unacceptable behaviors is a ﬁrst step. Make meals a pleasant time of conversation, engaging your toddlers. As you help your toddlers wash their hands before the meal, set expectations for sitting, not throwing food or utensils, and eventually using utensils correctly. When efforts to correct unwanted behavior fail, consider removing your toddlers from the table while explaining they are not using good manners. Gradually increase the time toddlers sit at the table as their good behavior allows.

Rewards and Incentives: Praise, praise, praise! Toddlers are eager to please and hunger for your approval. Stickers and sticker charts are exciting visible praise. As toddlers mature, consider offering a goal jar from which toddlers can choose a treat as a reward. Make using manners fun with your excitement and enthusiastic approval. Mastery of the foundational toddler skills outlined here will positively impact toddlers’ relationships with family, friends and teachers. As children mature they can build upon these skills and conﬁdently represent themselves and their families well wherever they go. Good manners, like kindness, are always attractive. Take the challenge.

Sharon Carlton Sharon Carlton ©2014 Sharon Carlton writes and speaks on modern etiquette and life skill topics. She conducts High Country Courtesies Dining Etiquette and Customer Service Workshops. Contact her at sharoncarlton@charter.net

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Liz Hayes A story to tell, a song to sing Liz (Harmon) Hayes is a name easily recognized around the High Country. Some people know her as a multi-talented musician and vocalist, others as a highly skilled registered nurse and health care administrator. Two know her as a great mother and 10 know her as an incredible sister. Many know her as a woman of strength who has never allowed challenges to prevent her from reaching goals. Born the 10th of 11 children, Liz, named for her paternal grandmother, grew up in a hardworking family. Life on Watauga River Road, now the Auborn Trivette Road in her late father’s honor, never held a dull moment for anyone. A long day hoeing tobacco “in the bottom” near the river was made bearable by the beauty of nature, Liz says, and sweet music her family made together at night. “I have fond memories of smelling freshly-cut tobacco and watching grasshoppers,” she says. “As a child, I spent most of my time outdoors, playing until dark in the woods.”

Sweet sounds Liz never remembers a time when there was not music in their home — or when she didn’t fall asleep on the weekends to the sounds of her dad’s bluegrass band playing in the living room. “As children, we knew to spend time with dad, we had to learn to play an instrument or sing.” Her father was always buying instruments — guitars, banjoes and mandolins, to name a few, she

says, “And he always said whoever learns to play it can have it.” He bought instruction manuals, too, but they were used very little; most of their music was played by ear. In elementary school, Liz and her siblings played in the band; they did not always read music, which the teachers preferred, but when it came time for concerts, they were always picked to do the solo. Liz played saxophone early in life, but that was just the beginning. She was 11, she remembers, when her father brought home a piano on the back of the truck. “I ran out of the house saying, ‘It’s mine, it’s mine!’ I couldn’t wait for dad to get it off the truck.” It was an old upright piano that was getting ready to be thrown away from a house he was helping to tear down, she says, terribly out of tune and only part of the keys played. “Dad said he would have it ﬁxed,” Liz says, “but I had to promise I’d learn to play it; the repairs would take a whole paycheck.” When it was repaired and the keys labeled with the scale, Liz’s dad bought her a Floyd Cramer album. “He taught me to play the piano even though he couldn’t,” she says. “He called out the chord changes and would say, ‘Play it like Floyd, Lizzie.’” Her brother, Gary, told her there was no place for a piano in a bluegrass band. “I informed him that was OK, because I had no intention of playing in a bluegrass band. I would have my own band with no banjos.” And, she did. In the meantime, however, she remembers special family evenings spent playing music.

Photo by Sherrie Norris

“Whoever picked up an instrument could join in on the music,” she says. “I thought this was what all families did. I didn’t know that other kids didn’t have music in their home.” Liz also learned to play guitar and bass and sang in her family’s gospel group. As she grew older, Liz says she learned to appreciate all types of music. In her early 20s, she decided bluegrasss was cool again and played in a couple of bluegrass bands. Wild Mountain Rose was an all female group with Rachel Nelson and Becca Eggers Gryder; she played with the Bluefields before branching out in 1997 to form her own band, Common Threads. “This band was considered Americana,” she describes, “the category you get placed in when you do different styles and no one knows how to label you.” In 2000, she released her first album, “Distractions,” which included “everything from Appalachian Ballads to Paul McCartney covers,” she says, and five original cuts. It was produced in Nashville’s Emerald Studios. “I loved going to Nashville and I spent time there every chance I got,” she says. From 2001-2002, Liz was a regular at Woodlands BBQ on Thursday nights with Glenn Hubbard, and later, at Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music. Many have compared her unique voice to that of Dolly Parton, Allison Krause and Iris Dement. Ironically, she says, one of the reasons she “does music” is to overcome her fear of public speaking. But, anyone who knows Liz, knows that she has always faced her fears head on. “If someone told me that I couldn’t do something, then I was determined to do it,” she says.

Life as an education As a child, Liz says, she was a slow reader and worked for hours at home to memorize what she had to read aloud in school the next day. It shook her self-conﬁdence, she recalls. “I got angry at myself and didn’t understand why I couldn’t just read like the others. It wasn’t because I didn’t try. I’m

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

sure if that was today, I would be labeled with some (communication) disability.” As most who excel in the artistic world, Liz was considered a daydreamer. “My best classes in school were music, art, theatre and creative writing,” she says. Thanks to her mother’s encouragement, she never gave up. “Mama would say, ‘Get your mind to cultivating and stop that day dreaming,’ and she told the others: ‘Lizzie is my smart one, she can do anything she puts her mind to — she just has to put her mind to it.’ Her mother often told her children, “ You have to think you are special or nobody else will.” At age 10, Liz recalls, the inﬂuence of a compassionate elderly Sunday school teacher helped her overcome her struggle to read in front of others by teaching her to focus on just one sentence at a time. Liz did not excel in school until she was an adult learner in college, she says. “Even as a young adult, I would get paralyzed to speak or read in public, but I learned the only way to overcome a fear is to just keep doing it and it will go away.”

A mother’s influence Described as tenacious and strong willed by friends and family, Liz says she has never given up easily and will work relentlessly to accomplish a goal. Perhaps, she inherited those traits from her mother, a Cherokee Indian descendent who taught her children to keep their heads held high and be proud of who they were.

My spiritual journey: At 3, Liz had a “near death experience,” she says, after being (accidentally) hit in the head with a rock, knocked unconscious and bleeding profusely. She remembers an encounter with angels and described them in great detail to her mother — similar to those in the Bible story book on the family’s coffee table. Only much later did she comprehend her mother’s demand to, “Tell them to go away,” which she did. “I didn’t understand why she was mad about the angels being there,” Liz says. “Years later, she still refused to discuss it, but said, ‘I almost lost you. That is the

closest I ever came to losing one of you.’” Her mother treated her at that time with an Indian “remedy” she had learned from her grandmother, to stop the bleeding, and forced her to drink a broth made with herbs. Today, Liz describes her spiritual journey as one of open-mindedness and acceptance. “I have never doubted that there is a God and a hereafter — and I don’t have a fear of dying,” Liz says. “I see everything in the world as connected. I love being outdoors and I enjoy nature. Some of my most inspiring moments are when I’m out alone hiking and I can feel His presence in nature.”

Recording family memories Liz’s family has often heard that they should write a book, that their stories of growing up in their large musical family were just too good not to be told. “Everyone for miles around knew about our large family and that most of us played music and sang in area churches,” she says. “My dad was somewhat eccentric and was known as the crazy bee-keeping man who carried a riﬂe around the property to scare off the boys in pursuit of his daughters. I think he was secretly proud of that reputation. People drove for miles in the summer just to buy some of dad’s honey.” A few years ago, Liz was inspired to start writing her memoirs, but she could not do it justice, she says, without hearing from each family member. So, she began collecting their stories, too. “From Across the River, ” named for the place she grew up, between the communities of Bethel and Timbered Ridge, is a work in progress,” she says. “So far, I have about four chapters, with much more to be told,” she adds. “When asked when I will be done with it, I tell them when the stories no longer come to me. That could take awhile.”

Career in healthcare Liz took occupational health classes in high school — and became a certiﬁed nursing assistant even before graduating. Among her greatest career inﬂuences, she says, was Grace Harmon, the paternal

grandmother of her daughters. “Grace was a nurse who worked in the recovery room at Watauga Hospital,” Liz says. “She was always very encouraging and I really looked up to her as a teenager.” The day after high school graduation, Liz began working in a nursing home. “I had never been around old people (my grandparents had died prior to my birth) and I had never seen so many sick people,” she says. “I soon learned to love working with the geriatric population and I felt a real connection with them.” Liz worked her way through nursing school, and in 1987, she became a registered nurse through Caldwell Community College — and the first person in her family to graduate from college. From 1989 to 1997, she worked in obstetrics and the operating room at Watauga Medical Center. In 2003, she completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Lees McRae College, at about the same time her mother died. Soon afterward, her father needed nursing home care due to a debilitating form of arthritis and a type of dementia. Visiting him reminded Liz of her love for geriatrics; at about the same time, in 2004, she became director of nursing in a long-term care facility. “My love and enthusiasm for the elderly, along with my desire to ensure they have the highest quality of life possible and a great, caring staff, helped the facility obtain a five-star rating for the last two of my four years there,” Liz says. Liz especially loved spending time on the dementia care unit. She was promoted to a corporate-level regional position, with frequent travels to five facilities, helping to improve care and assist with regulatory compliance. “I did this for four years,” she says, “before once again settling as director of patient care services for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. In October 2013, Liz received her administrator’s license and became the executive director of the Blowing Rock Rehab and Davant Extended Care Center. “I am very grateful to Richard Sparks and the App Regional Healthcare System for allowing me this opportunity,” she says. “It is an honor and a blessing to work with the geriatric residents — they

give back so much through sharing their knowledge and life’s experience. I would be arrogant to think I am giving to them, when I am getting so much in return.” It’s been “a most humbling experience,” she says, and one that she has loved. “I believe working with the geriatric populations is my calling,” she says. “No longer are nursing homes where people go to die, rather, they are where people with major illness go to live life to its fullest, in spite of their illness.”

‘

If someone told me that I couldn’t do something, then I was determined to do it.

’

- Liz Hayes

Moving on Liz has recently made a difficult decision to leave Boone — and one that she does not take lightly. She has accepted the role of health care administrator at Brightwater in Myrtle Beach, S.C., which includes two assisted living centers and a nursing home with a memory-care unit for residents with dementia. Being a nursing home administrator is a huge responsibility that she takes seriously, Liz says. “I have a deep respect for the residents and their families who trust us to care for them.” Liz says she always thought she would enjoy living at the beach, with its many outdoor opportunities. “I’m sure I will be coming back to visit and even plan to play a couple of gigs in the area this summer,” she says.

Greatest accomplishments “Raising my two beautiful daughters, (Melody and Carrie Harmon), mostly as a single mom, has been my greatest accomplishment,” Liz says. “I worked hard to ensure they had things that I didn’t have as a child, but it was important to me to separate being a mom from my high-pressure jobs.” The girls have kept her motivated, she admits. “I’m not sure if I would have been so driven, had it not been for wanting a better life for them. They have kept me going when I didn’t think I could.” When they were younger, the girls performed regularly with the Blowing

Rock Stage Company; Liz was the typical stage mom and worked behind the scenes to help out. “In 2005 I took them to audition for a play and was asked to stand in and read a part during audition,” she says. “I ended up in the play (with my girls) and with a leading role as mother in “The Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever.” Last fall, she played Bitsy in the Blue Ridge Community Theater’s “Red Velvet Cake War.” “It was great fun,” she says. “Some people thought that I ﬁt the role of the prissy neighbor too well.” Today, Carrie is 18 and attends East Carolina University; Melody is 21 and attending CCC&TI. “I am very proud of the young women they have become,” Liz says. “We are very close; a lot of our decisions were made together through open discussions and about how choices would affect them. I never let them take the easy way out, but I learned it’s best to be honest and have discussions.” What’s next for Liz? Having loved art as a child, she wants to learn to paint — and hopes to be painting beach scenes very soon. Liz has proved that there’s nothing she can’t overcome if she sets her mind to it — just like her mama said. “There’s a way to make things work — you just have ﬁgure out how to do it.” sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

LivingWell

Fear Not!

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Worry is a cancer to the soul. It is that obsessive vacillation between the regrets of yesterday and the dread of tomorrow. When life is good, it can’t be enjoyed, because the worrier is waiting for “the other shoe to drop.” It deadens the will to take risks for fear that something might go wrong. Just like cancer, if you don’t stop it, it will spread. Worry affects every inch of the body and life. Here’s the short list of problems uncontrolled anxiety can create: immune issues, digestive problems, teeth grinding, headaches, high blood pressure, anxiety and edginess, depression, insomnia, fatigue, memory and concentration issues, over-eating or under-eating and the increased use of recreational drugs. It also wreaks havoc on relationships. The irritability triggered by worry destroys the ability to be the friend, wife and mother we all long to be. It reduces productivity, which can result in the loss of a job or a promotion.

So what can you do?

Keep it in perspective There is an old saying, “I’ve seen a lot of trouble in my time, and most of it never happened.” Think about it. How many days have you wasted time worrying about things that never happened? Or if they did, the outcome was not nearly as horrible as anticipated. Post that saying on your bathroom mirror or your computer at work. It is a simple truth that will shed a humorous light on your “worry of the day”.

Do a reality check Fear has been defined by the acronym, “False Expectations Appearing Real.” Yes, there are legitimate fears, like being in the path of an oncoming truck or two feet from a snarling dog, but many fears are overblown. Case in point, the No.1 fear is the fear of flying. This is most definitely an overblown fear. In reality, the annual risk of being killed in a plane crash for the average American is about one in 11 million. Compare that to the annual risk of being killed in a car accident, which is about one in 5,000.

Calculate the cost of worry A professional woman quit her job and launched a home-based business so she could be home with her children. She was worried about what others would think about her life change. Her anxiety lifted when she heard someone say, “I worried about the opinion of others, until I tried to cash them at the bank.” The revelation that the fear of rejection might prevent her from providing for her family changed her focus. Instead of seeking the approval of others, she focused on building a successful business. Along the way, she discovered that her “true” friends were cheering her on.

Control the cortisol — stop worrying Worry triggers the release of a toxic byproduct called cortisol. Cortisol is useful for giving you the energy you need for a sudden crisis, but if you continually soak in it, it will break you down — mind, body and soul.

Following are 10 research-based practices that can help you stem the cortisol ﬂow.

1. Preempt worry by starting your day with prayer and meditation. 2. Music can soothe the beast of anxiety. Listen to soul-lifting tunes.

3. Drink black tea. It contains nutrients that bring down the stress hormones.

4. Get to bed before midnight and sleep at least eight hours. 5. Take breathing, stretching breaks throughout the day. 6. When you feel stressed, chew a piece of gum or squeeze a stress ball.

7. Say “No” to junk food. Sugar and fat create a cycle that only make things worse.

Lubricate your soul with good fats: fatty fish [salmon, trout and tuna], flaxseed and eggs. Supplement with a high quality B complex and fish oil to fill in the gaps.

10. Start a ‘brain dump’ journal. Write down every thought or worry you are having. If you don’t want others to see it, then rip it up and throw it away. It is not meant for public consumption. The act of writing helps you to get it out of your system so you can clear your mind and focus on others things. There are anxiety disorders that require medical attention. If you can’t seem to get a handle on your anxiety, you should seek out the services of a professional. There is no shame in that. Chronic worry erodes your health. Get the help you need.

Just like cancer, if you don’t stop it, it will spread. Worry affects every inch of the body and life.

8. Stay hydrated. Water helps protect the heart and brain from stress.

bonnie church

9. Eat brain-healthy foods: Enrich your

Certiﬁed Life and Wellness Coach Author, columist, motivational speaker and certiﬁed trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution

diet with B vitamins: guacamole, mixed nuts, asparagus, spinach, whole grains.

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Triple P POSITIVE PARENTING PROGRAM PART II We all know that being a parent is hard work. Children don’t come with instructions and parenting advice is often contradictory at best. The Children’s Council aims to serve as a “hub” for parents in our community to turn to for research supported information and support. We offer a variety of parenting classes, support groups, drop in and play groups, as well as an extensive resource corner for families. We are very excited to now offer one-on-one parenting support using the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program – model. This program matches you with a trained practitioner who can help you design a parenting plan that will work for your family. We offer this service at low-cost to families, and scholarships are available. Triple P Parenting Program is an evidenced based parenting program that focuses on positive discipline as alternatives to other harsh punishment. It was developed by Dr. Matt Saunders, an internationally recognized researcher from Australia and professor of child psychology and director of the Parenting and Family Support Center at The University of Queensland. This program works by giving parents the skills to raise conﬁdent, healthy children, and to build stronger family relationships and has worked for thousands of families worldwide. It helps to manage children’s misbehavior and prevent problems from occurring early on. During a session with a trained practitioner, you will explore causes of misbehavior and strategies for helping children thrive. We discuss the importance of praise and consistency with expectations. There is no one right way to be a parent or caregiver.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

We help parents identify their goals and dreams for their families, so they can raise conﬁdent, happy and successful children. We have a large menu of possible topics that we are trained to assist with, as well as serving as a sounding board for frustrated parents who are looking for more tools. Topics may include: bedtime problems, temper tantrums, disobedience, doing chores, going to the grocery stores and sharing toys, just to name a few. The Triple P Program focuses on building positive relationships with children. Children who grow up with positive parenting are more likely to feel good about themselves, and less likely to develop social, emotional or behavioral problems. The ﬁve key aspects to positive parenting that are interwoven throughout the program are: • Having a safe, interesting environment. • Having a positive learning environment. • Using assertive discipline. • Having realistic expectations. • Taking care of yourself as a parent. All children are different, but the program helps parents learn simple strategies that will work with each child.

Having realistic expectations can be key to having a more positive relationship with your children. This program is unique because it offers tools and strategies that you can use in your home to help children develop positive, cooperative behaviors. There are many factors that influence a child’s behavior, including his or her genetic make-up, health, family environment and the community in which he or she lives. Even two children in the same family can be very different. Parenting can be fun and rewarding. It can also be the hardest job on the planet. It can often be demanding, frustrating and exhausting. Many of us learn through trial and error and don’t have a background in parenting or child development before we begin. We come to find out that there are common frustrations that all parents face. Regardless of your situation, one thing we all have in common is our love for our children. We want to be good parents and we want our children to be healthy and happy. The Children’s Council has trained staff members who are ready to help, whether you need a parenting tip or a full-fledged parenting plan to help you breakthrough some negative patterns. For more information, call The Children’s Council of Watauga County at 54 4 (828)) 262-5424.

Pinwheels and prevention Pinwheel gardens recognize efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect Last year alone, there were more than 374 reports of child abuse and neglect in Watauga County. During the month of April, the Children’s Council of Watauga County is joining thousands of communities throughout North Carolina and the nation in recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month and to make an effort to see those numbers decrease. The staff of the local children’s council will join community families and children in planting pinwheel gardens all over Watauga County as part of a national movement to change the way people think about prevention. The pinwheel is a symbol for child abuse and neglect prevention nationwide and represents community efforts to provide children with the safe, stable, nurturing relationships they need for healthy development. In addition to engaging individuals in community activities that support children and families, the campaign advocates for public policies that prioritize healthy child development so abuse and neglect never begin. Be on the lookout for pinwheel gardens popping up all across the county during the month of April and be on the lookout for signs of child abuse and neglect, which should be reported to your local sheriff ’s office and/or department of social services.

Early years are learning years Watauga County Celebrates National Week of the Young Child

The Children’s Council is asking Watauga County to come together for children during the Week of the Young Child, Apr. 12-18. As part of the national Week of the Young Child celebrated across the country, Watauga County is honoring young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives. “All young children need and deserve high-quality early learning experiences that will prepare them for life, and Watauga County has a great opportunity to do our part to help young children,” says Lee Marshall, coordinator for the Child Care Resource & Referral department at the Children’s Council. “Week of the Young Child is a time for Watauga County to recognize that early years are learning years for all young children.” Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and care, which help children get a great start and bring lasting beneﬁts to Watauga County. Week of the Young Child is a time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that bring early childhood education to young children. Watauga County has almost 200 early childhood professionals working together to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education, and to build public support for high-quality early childhood education programs. The council will be hosting a children’s art exhibit at the Boone Mall April 11-17. Parents are urged to come by the agency to check out resource kits, games and books for their child. Other activities are planned and available for parents, the calendar for which can be viewed at http://www.thechildrenscouncil.org/calendar-of-events.html. Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is an opportunity for early childhood programs across the

country, including child care and Head Start programs, preschools, and elementary schools, to hold activities to bring awareness to the needs of young children. Join us in celebrating young children and the professionals that work with Watauga County’s youngest community members. Celebrate the young children in your life and those who care for them. If you have questions on how you can help in the area of early childhood education, feel free to contact the Children’s Council at (828) 262-5424 or visit www. thechildrenscouncil.org.

About The Children's council The Children’s Council is a local nonproﬁt organization, serving as the Smart Start agency of Watauga County. Agency efforts focus on early childhood through offering a variety of prevention programs including the Triple P program, Incredible Years parenting program, diaper bank, Circles parenting drop in groups, Teen Parenting program, on-site GED class with child care, family and child care provider resource lending library, and more. Thanks in part to the annual Kappa Delta pancake dinner fundraiser, the Children’s Council takes the lead in our community to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect prevention. The Kappa Delta fundraiser last year brought in $12,022.22. The Children’s Council wants to positively affect every child in Watauga County. For more information, visit www.thechildrenscouncil.org or call (828) 262-5424.

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

mom’sworld

Buen Camino

Heather Jordan in Nepal, during her semester in India, after walking to a Buddhist temple where a friend from Davidson was staying.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

As my oldest son enters his final trimester of his junior year in high school, I’ve spent some time thinking about wishes and dreams I have for his future. I want him to reach his aspirations, to get into the colleges he hopes for and to make life-long friends, but I also want him to get to know and love himself as the unique, bright, funny and creative soul that he is. I recently watched the movie “The Way,” with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. In the movie, a father (played by Sheen) hikes the Camino de Santiago from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port near Biarritz in France to Santiago de Compestela in northwest Spain, a trip that his son had started on his own prior to the father’s arrival. “Buen Camino” means “good way” or “good path,” and it is said many times along the journey. The walk itself is one that people in Europe have walked for centuries, initially starting as a network of ancient pilgrim routes to the tomb of St. James. Watching the dad and many others walk this long journey of nearly 500 miles (800 km) caused me to reflect on the life-changing power of such a monumental and arduous task. As goal-directed as our society has become, I believe it is imperative to take a step back (or a step forward) and have a chance in our life to make this type of journey. Maybe it would not be 500 miles. Perhaps it occurs in a day, or a week, or a month, or a season. Maybe it is far away in another country. Maybe it is in our own backyard. The people hiking the Camino in the film all have different motivations for being there: Some are fighting addictions, leaving behind past hurtful relationships, processing unimaginable tragedies, hoping for a cure, or even claiming that it is for health reasons that they walk. No matter what the stated reasons, putting one foot in front of another is truly more about the inner spiritual growth and recognition of yourself on your journey than it is about reaching the final

geographic destination. We all have demons, skeletons in our closets and emotional baggage, as well as dreams, gifts and wisdom. So much of life is spent in the great push forward that sometimes we lose ourselves in the calculated choices, calibrated decisions, and constraints of the clock and calendar. When I think about some of my own most signiﬁcant events of my life, I recall my semester in India as a college student. I was 21 years old when I went. I had reached a point in the Spring semester of my junior year that I was burned out and felt like I was spinning my wheels. I was doing well in school, but felt like I was going nowhere. Internally, I was searching for purpose and inspiration. Many people I knew had taken advantage of spending their junior year abroad. I had not pursued it and felt it was likely too late. Then one afternoon, I ran into a friend outside our college union at Davidson. I don’t remember how our conversation started — only that, at some point, she said to me, “You should really consider going to India for the semester abroad.” This statement turned into her walking me up to the office of Job Thomas, the professor who was heading up the trip, and introducing myself to him. I told him that my research for my thesis was on midwives and homebirth, but that I wished to add a cross-cultural aspect to my research and look at midwives and traditional birth attendants in different cultures. He immediately turned to me and said, “You need to go on this trip. The deadline has passed for applications, but I want you to complete an application and continue your research.” I was stunned and excited and immediately contacted my parents and blurted out, “I want to go to India.” Thankfully, the cost was not prohibitive due to agreements the school had with Madras Christian College, and my parents agreed. It was probably one of the most important things I have ever done. There were many “aha!” moments, as I got to know myself better, as well as the wonderful 14 other students and teachers who accompanied us. I’ve never been an extreme thrill-seek-

er in the sense of skydiving or bungee jumping or other such sports, but I have always loved an adventure, meeting new people and seeing new places. It did not bother me to board the plane, ﬂy half-way across the world, get on a tiny local plane, ride buses for hours and wind up in a remote village where the food and accommodations were primitive. The sights and sounds were just as beautiful and inspiring as they were disturbing and repulsive. Seeing extreme poverty up-close and personal enabled me to realize my blessings and my responsibilities. The landscape was phenomenal. I rode on the back of a motorcycle with an interpreter to remote areas of Andhra Pradesh, with mountains that evoked awe and gave me internal perspective. I walked alone to a Buddhist temple in Nepal along a dirt path to try to meet up with a friend from Davidson, with my only Nepali vocabulary consisting of how to ask directions to the temple. Despite the fact that we still had studies, papers and testing, I saw what it was to live in the moment and let go. I will never forget the experience. As I look at my son — inquisitive, testing limits, absorbing the hippocracy and intellectual challenges of the world in which we live — I wish for him the opportunity to take some type of journey, as I did and so many others do. I hope that he gets the chance to be in the presence of nature and feel awe-struck, breathless and like time has stopped — that there couldn’t possibly be anything more important at that moment than to be grateful that he is able to be in that moment. I pray that he learns the value of interacting with all types of people from all walks of life and that, in learning about their journey, it helps him on your own. I dream that he approaches a slightly cracked door and busts it wide open to see what is on the other side, making the impossible possible. I wish him “Buen Camino.”

Providing skin care, scarves, wigs, jewelry and more! Caring and Board Cer ﬁed Fi ers to help with your post breast surgery needs.

Barbara with COOLMAX pockets. Ten colors to select from.

The most comfortable, natural and so est ﬁt that exists in a breast form. Hug test approved!

Bras and Breast Forms by Trulife Feel beau ful...Naturally. Insurance ﬁling for: Medicare, United Healthcare, BCBS and Most Insurance Companies.

Alexandra Seamless So cup New Amethyst color BOUTIQUE OPENING SOON! 41 Boone Trail North Wilkesboro, NC 28659 336-818-1552 844-749-2877

BOUTIQUE

UPSCALE RESALE LOCALLY OWNED BY

JAN WINKLER AND ELENA ROMAGNI

STORE HOURS: Tues – Fri 11am-5:30pm • Sat 10am-4pm

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

Wed 11am-5pm (no appt needed) Tues-Fri (by appt only) Now Taking Spring Items

215 BOONE HEIGHTS DRIVE, SUITE 300 BOONE, NC 28607 828.355.9944 • WWW.REDEUX.CO AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

with

Jasmine Shoshanna As Jasmine Shoshanna and I settled into cups of tea at her house on a chilly Boone day, I not only quickly felt like I knew her, but I realized we are kindred spirits when she told me about her “propensity” for undertaking challenging projects. “Sometimes, I decide to take on these projects like deciding to ﬁx the [built-in] heater in my bathroom that’s broken,” Jasmine says. “Now, not only is my heater not working, but all of the electricity on that side of the house isn’t working. But, one way or another it’s going to get ﬁxed.” Like many residents of Boone, Jasmine came here as a student at Appalachian State University and stayed after falling in love with the area. After earning her master’s degree in counseling, the self-described nature girl worked as a counselor until realizing she missed working outside. “I missed nature because I had always worked in nature,” she says. “My grandparents were sustainable farmers and my mom was a big gardener and that eventu-

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

ally was what I got back to.”

It was the lure of working in nature that planted the seeds of Jasmine’s Gardens almost 10 years ago. “Starting a business happened really slowly,” she says. “I had my own garden when a friend of a friend really liked it, as well as my energy, and asked me to garden for her. Something in me just said, ‘Yeah, this feels right.’ Have you ever had the experience where doors just keep opening?” she asks. Up to that point, she adds, the opposite had been happening. “Gardening was the ﬁrst thing where one door after another kept opening,” she says. Inspired by opportunity, Jasmine hired two men to help her increase the services she could offer her clients, but it was the act of “embracing working with other women,” she says, that has created a personal, as well as professional gain. “One of the turning points in my

business came when I realized that my female crew was so much stronger than my male crew,” she says. “We’re often early and prepared, for example, and I’ve learned that often talent isn’t as important as communication, being on time, being prepared, and doing your homework, and that is what I see as strengths of women, in general.” It’s certainly not news that women and men work and approach things differently, she says, but when women do jobs that are traditionally male — the differences in our approaches are glaring. As women, we tend to be apologetic for “our” ways, but Jasmine really gets excited about the way women work. “I’ve learned that there’s a different way that I do things — and it’s not the male way,” Jasmine says. “I mean, just because men did it a certain way and they said this is the way you have to do it, doesn’t mean that’s the way we have to do it.” Learning by trial and error — and by discovering what works for you — works,

Jasminie Shoshanna is a woman who is not afraid of doing life “the woman’s way.” Photo by Yozette “Yogi” Collins

‘

There are different ways you do things as a female, and I guess I’m not afraid of failure. I just think that’s part of creativity and that failure is a really big opportunity. -jasmine shoshanna

Jasmine says. “There are different ways you do things as a female, and I guess I’m not afraid of failure. I just think that’s part of creativity and that failure is a really big opportunity.” That approach to life not only explains Jasmine’s ability to laugh about her bathroom heater adventure, but also ignites in her the frustration that many women feel when we are given (or give

ourselves) ‘short shrift’ about our abilities. Why do we do that? Most likely it’s fear, Jasmine says, adding, “When we learn to ﬁnd the people who give us our credit due — and when we are not afraid to fail — we become more conﬁdent in doing it our way. Sometimes we’re a little slower and sometimes I’m more detailed, but the job always gets done really well,” she

’

concludes. Jasmine is the owner of Jasmine’s Gardens. For more information visit www. Jasminesgardens.com.

Yozette ‘Yogi’ Collins Mom, television producer/writer, and obsessive internet researcher. Though her name suggests otherwise, she is not (yet) an actual yogi.

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Leigh Ann Henion: ‘Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World’ Leigh Ann Henion’s first memoir, “Phenomenal,” eloquently captures her adventures in chasing natural phenomena, poignantly describes the joys of motherhood and courageously exposes the questions many women face when beginning a family. “I love and marvel over my son as if he were my own heart pushed into the world,” she says. “Yet, I cannot help but mourn the loss of something I can’t quite place. Motherhood affects everything, but does it have to change everything about who I am and what I choose to pursue?” Following the birth of her son, Archer, Leigh Ann welcomed these newly surfacing questions, rather than stifling them. Her longing to rediscover the wonders of the world alongside Archer began to supersede societal precepts of motherhood and parenting. She writes, “I’ve been living in a black hole, feeling guilty that my curiosity — my need to venture afield — isn’t going to go away. I need to take a leap of faith. For my sanity. For my marriage. For my son.” With this mindset, Leigh Ann determines, “I am going to pilgrimage to some of the world’s most dazzling phenomena. I don’t know how I’ll make it happen, but I am going to do it.” Thus begins her journey of experiencing and chronicling seven of the world’s natural wonders. Through beautifully evocative prose,

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Leigh Ann shares the awe of her adventures as she experiences butterfly migration, active volcanoes, the sky filling with electrifying bolts of lightning — as well as several other places of majestic intrigue. Of the bioluminescence she and her husband, Matt, discover in Puerto Rico, she describes: “Others join in with their paddles — their own magic wands — and we become a flotilla of Roman candles set ablaze. We watch as nebulous rings of living light ripple out, beyond our line of sight, adrift in an expanding universe.” Although set on her course of adventuring, these moments did not come easily. In an All About Women interview, Leigh Ann explains that the logistics of balancing her life at home and her life on assignment “seemed insurmountably difficult — most of my trips were planned months in advance; scheduling around a total solar eclipse and seasonal migrations meant I was following nature’s cues rather than fitting trips into my personal schedule. But, if it hadn’t been such a challenge, it probably wouldn’t have been so gratifying.” Throughout the memoir, Leigh Ann interweaves her recount of natural wonders with stories about Archer, her husband, and her own spiritual awakening. She portrays, with a parallel sense of awe, the joy of watching Archer explore the world, moments that allow her and

her husband conversations beyond the “daily grind,” and experiences that welcome spiritual reﬂection. Of their journey to Venezuela, Leigh Ann shares Matt’s description of the Catatumbo Lightning, “The lightning is what you’ll never get back. Watching these storms is like spending the night in life and death. A strike of lightning is a moment in time. We get thousands of moments, but the lightning reminds us that they’re all temporary.” In regard to the spiritual element embedded within the memoir, Leigh Ann says, “Journeying to experience phenomena was, at root, a spiritual pilgrimage. I experience nature’s seasons and webs of connectivity as sacred. While I was seeking out natural-world wonders, I was also being introduced to nature-based spiritual traditions that gave me new ways of thinking and expressing that.”

A complex, well-researched work, Leigh Ann’s memoir questions our growing propensity to experience the world in a secondhand way. Our reliance on the research of others, the Internet and technology continue to “unplug” us from our own senses and to devalue the pleasure and necessity of ﬁrst-hand observations and interpretations. “Though we live in the information age, I’ve come to believe that it’s how we deal with mystery — as cultures, institutions and individuals — that ultimately dictates how we live out our lives. We are animals with the capacity for abstract thought; we continually grope for ways to make the mystery real. Phenomenal. Directly observable through our senses.” Leigh Ann’s descriptions of the moments of connectivity and resonance within our world are handled with a

delicacy and intimacy that is intoxicating. Her sincerity, her joy and her wonder are gifts to her readers. “My eyes well with tears, born of something beyond my conscious mind,” she shares. “I release the pen I’ve been holding and press its barrel against a notebook. There is nothing to add. I unabashedly bask in the magniﬁed glory of all my sensory gifts. I laugh. I cry. I am a madwoman in love with the universe.” With graceful exuberance, Leigh Ann Henion’s memoir “Phenomenal” will inspire readers to venture beyond complacency and rediscover life with wonder.

Hollie Greene Hollie Greene is an English teacher who loves stories, words and the mountains of North Carolina.

About the Author

Leigh Ann Henion (right) and her reindeer sledge guide, Johanna Huuva, take a break on the Torne River near Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. Photo submitted

A writer and photographer, Leigh Ann Henion’s work has been published in Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian, Oxford American, and various other publications, including The Mountain Times. She is a regular contributor to Our State, receiving the 2011 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Story. Leigh Ann was the recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award, and her work has been featured in The Best American Travel Writing compilation. In 2013, she received an Artist’s Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. Her ﬁrst memoir, “Phenomenal” (Penguin Press 2015) was released in March. She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and son. For more information about readings and books, visit her website www. leighannhenion.com. AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

Traveler, beware Burma adventure results in a scare

Marcia on the Irawaddy River in Burma. Photos by Sue Spirit

Hopefully, you read about our adventures in the March issue of All About Women magazine: A dream come true — seven days sailing on a teakwood boat on the Irawaddy River in Burma, a country only recently opened to travelers after the reign of a nearly 50-year repressive military dictatorship. A sunset horse and buggy ride among the ancient pagodas of Bagan, dinner with a Burmese family, a walk through the gold-encrusted Shwegadon Pagoda —and more.

Our ﬂight to Burma was unbearably long 13 hours from Chicago to Tokyo, then almost immediately, another six-hour ﬂight to Bangkok, Thailand, plus two more hours to Yangon, Burma. “Would you have done this trip, knowing what you know now,” I asked Marcia, my housemate and traveling buddy, a few weeks after our return. “Yes, absolutely,” she replies. Well, you can’t keep a good woman down. The “what you know now” piece of the story is that three weeks after our return from our two-week Burma adventure trip, Marcia was having increasing difficulty breathing. A CAT scan showed a huge saddle

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

blood clot, or pulmonary embolism, straddling the lobes of her lungs, and many smaller lung clots. An ultrasound revealed three clots in her right leg. A phone call from her family doctor said, “Get to the emergency room immediately. You have a life-threatening condition.” Marcia was in the hospital for ﬁve days, being treated with heparin IVs, and went home to eight days of Lovanox shots. She is also on coumadin, a blood thinner, for an undetermined length of time. Her doctor told her later that she had come very close to “not making it.” We later learned that out of 4,500 persons ﬂying, one will develop deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot in the leg,

within eight weeks of traveling. The risk is even higher with flights of eight-10 hours or more, and with a number of flights taken within a short time period. A great risk is that a leg clot may break off and travel to the lung. This happens to 400,000 people a year. One in 10 of those affected will die suddenly before they even realize they have any symptoms. Persons at higher risk for a deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism while on long flights are those older than 60, those with congestive heart failure, limited mobility, a family history of blood clots or varicose veins. Others at risk are smokers, women taking contraceptives, pregnant women, and persons who have cancer,

Marcia on the teakwood boat RV Paukan in Burma.

who are obese, or who have had recent surgery. Marcia, at age 80, had only one of the risk factors, but that was enough. Symptoms of a leg clot, or DVT, are swelling of the leg or foot, redness, warmth and sometimes pain or tenderness. Marcia had none of these. Blood clot in the lung, or PE, affects 200,000 people a year who take long flights. Over one-third will die of their clot. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat, chest pain or discomfort, anxiety, lightheadedness and coughing up blood. Anyone with these symptoms should get a CAT scan of their lungs and/or get to the emergency room immediately. It never occurred to Marcia or me that her breathing trouble might mean a blood clot. We had traveled on long flights, but never any as long as the Burma ones. We always take precautions to avoid clots: wearing compression stockings and loose-fitting clothes, drinking lots of fluid, avoiding alcohol, doing leg exercises, and getting up to walk around the plane. Try as we might, we probably didn’t do enough walking and exercising of our legs. One excellent piece of advice is to ask ahead for an aisle seat so it’s easy to get up and walk.

Very few airlines we have traveled on have suggested or modeled leg and foot exercises. In fact, their whole routine works against passenger health. On a long ﬂight you follow the drill: listen to airplane safety instructions, eat lunch or dinner and prepare to go to sleep when the lights are dimmed. Not a word is said about exercising. When she was in the hospital, Marcia’s doctors told her she’d probably be on coumadin the rest of her life. Later, her family doctor had better news: that she’d be on the blood thinner for at least six months. Then, knowing what an adventurous traveler she is, he added, “When you go on another plane trip, we’ll give you a

temporary blood thinner, one of the newer ones, just for the duration of the trip.” Marcia’s eyes sparkled: she had been thinking that probably this life-threatening experience would be the end of her travels. Marcia is breathing more easily these days, and we, her family and friends, are extremely thankful to have her around. She hopes that the relating of her experience will help future long-distance air travelers to avoid life-threatening blood clots. Bon voyage! sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com

PREVIOUSLY SUNFEST TANNING

UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP Bronzing & high pressure bulbs

Stand up dome

Spray tan by appointment

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Mon-Sat 10-8 Sun 12-6 2575 HWY 105 | INGLES SHOPPING CENTER | 828.386.1219 AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

marriageandFamilyCorner

Breathe^ and^ Do^ Your^ Work^ When consulted about reducing and managing stress and anxiety, I usually provide variations of the theme “Breathe and do your work.“ Relaxation breathing promotes physiological, emotional and cognitive readiness to do the “work.” Figurative breathing, by taking time for self-care, also advances overall readiness. It is important to note that the stress response is automatic, while the relaxation response is a result of intentional action. Reducing and managing anxiety through intentional action is usually more effective than medication, particularly in the long term. Intentional breath and work facilitates the relaxation response. General readiness to reduce and manage stress and difficult emotions allows this work, which happens when breathing is practiced, and by continually and purposefully renewing a commitment to goals, values and decisions. In addition to the literal practice of breathing, “breathing” means regularly taking time for reﬂection, maintaining a regular sleep schedule and good nutrition and practices — such as meditation, yoga and prayer. Practicing speciﬁc relaxation breathing is a simple, but powerful, way to boost readiness, such as through the use of diaphragmatic breathing and repetitive prayer.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

All of these practices increase our body’s ability to handle stress and anxiety and to prevent escalation of anxiety disorder symptoms. Adequate exercise is one of the best ways to manage stress and anxiety. Research shows that as little as ﬁve minutes of movement positively impacts mood and anxiety. “The exercise effect” yields longerterm improvement from at least 20 minutes per day of exercise. Decisions that directly impact physical or emotional safety are critical to readiness to reduce and manage stress and anxiety. For example, if you live in fear of someone — or worry about your health — it is vital to make decisions and take actions to change those circumstances. Emotional safety depends upon your ability and willingness to maintain healthy boundaries with your time and in interactions with other people. General readiness is reduced or eliminated by behaviors that actually increase the body’s anxiety responses, such as use of nicotine, consuming too much caffeine, using marijuana or many other illegal substances, abusing prescriptions, or drinking more than a moderate amount of alcohol. If any of these habits are difficult for you to stop or reduce, seek help from a qualiﬁed psychotherapist. Breathing and working during a crisis are also critical. People frequently make the mistake of thinking they will breathe after a crisis has passed. However, even when a crisis is managed without breathing, overall readiness to effectively reduce and manage stress is decreased, or overall anxiety increases. A panic or anxiety attack is one form of crisis. These attacks usually build intensively and frequency when inadequately managed. Remember that exercise quickly reduces the physiological stress response and increases the relaxation response, and relaxation breathing does this almost immediately. Anxiety and worry are normal emotions. Overall health and wellbeing are promoted by considering the full range of normal emotions, including both the comfortable and uncomfortable. Emotions provide information that

is important for our ability to respond to our circumstances and needs. Anxiety might alert you to a need to protect your physical or emotional safety and that of your loved ones. It might also alert you to a need to make changes to your behavior, choices and circumstances. In addition to these alerts, anxiety often contributes to the energy that is necessary for the action required for these protections and changes. However, for people who experience anxiety disorders, this information may prove overwhelming and stunt productive energy. Self awareness skills enhance ability for the work of effectively learning from and managing the full range of anxiety, from normal to anxiety disorders. While anxiety is normal, anxiety disorders can profoundly disrupt overall health and wellbeing. According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the USA, affecting about 18 percent of the population. Although anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only about one-third of people impacted seek treatment. Furthermore, symptoms of anxiety disorders often mimic those of physical illnesses. The distinction between mental health and physical health is largely arbitrary. That is, mental health and physical health are pieces of overall health and are intertwined. Therefore, both must be properly managed for true overall health. When this work is hard for you and anxiety diminishes your wellbeing and happiness, seek support from a psychotherapist who can help plan and achieve

your goals by identifying useful changes that will decrease stress and anxiety. A therapist can also guide you in learning about and practicing relaxationbreathing techniques. Even with signiﬁcant or severe anxiety, these efforts can be very effective in the work for peace. So, breathe and do your work — including the work of asking for help when it becomes necessary.

For comments on this article or suggestions for future articles, contact:

MARY MCKINNEY, MA, LMFT McKinney & Associates Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc. 828-268-0155 For urgent matters and ﬁrst-time callers: 828-773-5463 www.mckinneymft.com

LOOK as good as you FEEL! • Wrinkles Face and Eyelids • Sun Damage and Skin Care Bulges at the Jowl and under the Chin

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

From left: The ladies of F.A.R.M. CafĂŠ, Amanda Merritt, Angie Pate, Renee Boughman and Susan Owen, pose outside of the downtown hotspot. Photo by Erika Giovanetti

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Growing goodness The women of F.A.R.M. Café bring fresh produce to the table for the whole community, no matter their means At F.A.R.M. Café, the mission is to “feed all regardless of means” with real, good food. For the women of F.A.R.M. Café, this means more than just feeding the hungry. “We have a lot of people who come in regularly, and this is how they supplement their budget with a fresh, healthy meal,” says executive chef Renee Boughman. As the name suggests, F.A.R.M. Café sets out to feed the High Country community with farm fresh, locally sourced food. The café even has its own garden, the Garden Spot, run by local organic grower, Susan Owen. F.A.R.M. Café operates on a pay-whatyou-can basis, allowing people who have more to make a larger donation, while those who can’t afford it may eat for free or work for their meals.

Source local to support local “We use different farms locally when in season,” Renee says. “We get as much of our produce as we can from the Garden Spot, then we try to go to New River Organic Growers. We also try to directly connect with some farmers, and our goal this year is to spread that out a little more.” Renee says that at F.A.R.M. Café, they try to buy as much organic food as possible, but more importantly, they aim to locally source their food. “It feeds back into the local economy,

and it helps to create community,” says F.A.R.M. Café bookkeeper Angie Pate. “We’re all pitching in together, helping each other survive and make a living. I think that’s the main thing about buying locally, it keeps the funds local, and cultivates that relationship between you and the farmer.” The women in F.A.R.M. Café say that the beneﬁts of buying local produce go beyond keeping dollars in the local economy. “You can really taste the difference,” Angie says. “In the summertime, in the height of the season when we’re getting produce locally, it has probably been harvested within 24 hours, so it’s still alive. A fresh, local, organic carrot just tastes so much different from what you get at a big box store.” Sourcing produce locally can have an immeasurable positive impact on the earth, as well. “It cuts down the carbon footprint, too,” Susan says. “Buying cabbage in Watauga county, organic or not, or buying it out of California or Mexico, just makes a smaller carbon footprint.” Renee says that she enjoys when her farmers come in to eat and are surprised and pleased with how she prepared their produce. “It’s a great feeling to know that you’re cooking something that they just harvested and brought to you,” Susan says. “They handled it with love, so you want to handle it with love and be good to it, and try to make something out of it that people care about.” Because F.A.R.M. Café locally sources

its food, the menu changes seasonally, and even daily, depending on what produce is available. “It changes up the menu some, but for us, that’s the beauty of F.A.R.M. Café, that the menu changes daily, so we can adapt,” Renee says. “It just depends on what comes in, but we can make it work because we have an adaptive menu.” Finally, project coordinator Amanda Merritt says that sourcing produce locally works as an educational tool, teaching youth the importance of supporting local farmers and eating healthy. “We’ll have kids come in, and the parents will tell us that this is the only place where their kids will eat their vegetables,” Amanda says. “We’re also not only creating community relationships, but teaching about nutrition and making kids want to eat healthier.”

The F.A.R.M.’s garden The Garden Spot, which is located behind the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, is an organic, educational garden that supplies the café with all types of produce, from garlic to kale to eggplant. Susan, a master gardener, starts out her garden crops by seeding the vegetables at the greenhouse on her farm. “Almost every plant that goes into the garden,

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

I start in the greenhouses at my farm ahead of time,” Susan says. “When it’s time to plant out, we’re not really planting seeds, we’re planting plants, and so we can really jump-start the garden.” It isn’t until mid-March that Susan begins planting these seeds indoors, waning them into the outdoors a little at a time to get them used to the harsher conditions. Susan grows a number of crops at the garden, including garlic, kale, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, paw paws and eggplant. She also grows herbs as well as ﬂowers, to attract pollinators to the garden. “If the ﬂowers of a plant don’t get pollinated, then the plant doesn’t make the fruit or the vegetable, so you have to have pollinators to have food,” Susan says.

Food insecurity in the High Country The seeds planted for F.A.R.M. Café grew out of a desire to address the issue of food insecurity in our area. “If you’re food insecure, you could not know where your next meal is coming from,” Amanda says. “Nationally, one in six kids under the age of 18 are food insecure, and it’s one in four for adults. Almost 30 percent of our population in Watauga County is food insecure.” Thanks to a recent donation, the women of F.A.R.M. Café plan to bring their services out to other places in the county for people who can’t necessarily make it downtown for lunch. “What we want to do is bring locally sourced and nutritious food to those people and give them an avenue to access it,” Amanda says. Many F.A.R.M. Café patrons are surprised to see that the people who eat at the restaurant don’t “look” food insecure. According to Amanda, F.A.R.M. Café helps to break the stereotype of what hungry people look like. “That’s the great thing about what we’re doing, we’re breaking down those stereotype,” she says. “People think of hungry people as dirty, with holey clothes and what most people would call a bum sitting on the corner, and we have people that come in that look like regular business people.” Amanda stresses that hunger doesn’t have to look a certain way, and that F.A.R.M. Café is dedicated to helping needy people, no matter what the situation. For more information on F.A.R.M. Café, visit www. farmcafe.org.

Erika Giovanetti Erika Giovanetti is an ASU graduate and a reporter for the Mountain Times, Watauga Democrat and All About Women Magazine who enjoys reading, hiking, and traveling to new places.

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM

Gardening tips with Susan Owen Don’t plant your seeds too early. “People invariably start their seeds too early, and our last frost date up here is really May 20,” Susan says. “People will put stuff in the ground way earlier than that and it either gets frosted, frozen or hailed on, so they’ll lose what they just put in. Don’t start your seeds too early.”

If you start seeding your plants indoors, make sure you’re prepared. “Right now, people get so excited with spring fever that they start seeds indoors, and that is hard to do unless you have a really good sunny window,” Susan says. “It’s better if you have a little bit of extra light. When you have those little seedlings, you have to harden them off a little bit at a time outside and then bring them back in. You can’t just take a little seeding and take it out of its nice, quiet environment and stick it in the wind, rain and sun, or it’ll die.”

Start a compost pile. The microbial mixture will help your seeds to flourish. “If you’re just starting out, start a compost pile,” Susan advises. “It doesn’t have to be big and you don’t have to turn it. You can put anything in that is a food waste from your kitchen, except for dairy or meat. Coffee grounds are perfect; it kind of depends on your compost pile. You can add almost anything that you can think of including sticks, leaves, hay, newspaper and dryer lint. You layer it up correctly and it’s golden.”

Plant flowers to attract pollinators. “There are many, many pollinators besides honeybees, including mason bees, which are actually better pollinators,” Susan says. “Many other insects are pollinators, as well, such as butterﬂies, wasps, even some beetles and ﬂies.”

Volunteer at the Garden Spot. “I am hoping to do some on-site workshops at the Garden Spot and hopefully at the greenhouses,” Susan says. “We have volunteer days during which anybody can come out and learn.”

YouGoGirl

Mackenzie Nelsen Watauga High senior awarded prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship Mackenzie Nelsen better get used to packing her bags for the next four years. The places she will go during that time will only be available to a handful of college students in the entire nation. Mackenzie, currently a senior at Watauga High School, was awarded the Morehead-Cain Scholarship by the University of North Carolina on March 6. The award includes a scholarship that covers tuition, room and board, books, a laptop computer and four summer experiences known as the Morehead-Cain Enrichment Program. The scholarship is one of the most prestigious in the nation. Only 3 percent of students who apply for it are actually awarded the scholarship. “We are tremendously proud of Mackenzie Nelsen for winning the MoreheadCain scholarship to attend UNC Chapel Hill,” says Watauga County Schools Superintendent Scott Elliott. “We are even more proud of her record of excellence as an accomplished young woman in academics, in music and in athletics. She reﬂects the highest standards of our school system and exempliﬁes the qualities we hope to see in our students. We congratulate her on this latest honor and wish her the very best as she begins this next phase of her life.” Mackenzie found out about being awarded the scholarship during girls’ soccer practice. She is the Pioneers’ goalkeeper and was getting ready for the upcoming season. She stopped to log on to a friend’s phone computer to see the status of her application. That was when she found out she was accepted. “It wouldn’t come up on my phone, so we were going to dinner and brought it up on a friend’s phone,” she says. And were they surprised? “We freaked out,” Mackenzie says. “It’s pretty life changing.” Only a handful of applicants get as far as Mackenzie did. The criteria for applicants to be selected, according to the

Mackenzie Nelsen, goal keeper for Watauga High’s girl soccer team, learned on her way to practice in March that she is now the recipient of the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship by the University of North Carolina. Photo by Steve Behr

scholarship’s website, include moral force of character, leadership, physical vigor and scholarship. The website also says that “due consideration is given to nominees with physical limitations.” “I think it’s just right up my alley,” Mackenzie says. “Those are four things that are important to me.” All applicants must be a competitive applicant to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on track to graduate high school in the spring and be unmarried and without children. Students can either be nominated by their high schools or apply directly. Mackenzie’s resume is impressive. She is at the top of her class, plays for the girls’ soccer team and also plays the double bass in the school’s orchestra. She interned at the Appalachian State University chemistry department and also is the president of the National Honor Society at Watauga High. Watauga High School nominated Mackenzie in October. She went through a series of interviews starting in December that culminated with two 20-minute interviews with three different people the ﬁnal weekend of February. The applicants have to go through a series of applications and writing essays dealing with their views on leadership and service to others.

“They mostly asked me about my application and different things I’ve done,” Mackenzie says. “They asked how I plan to make an impact and how I would react in different situations and what I’m passionate about and what my perfect day would be. Just things that I care about and am passionate about.” Mackenzie is passionate about environmental science, which she plans to have as a major. She is not sure exactly how she will use this major, but the Morehead-Cain Scholarship will give her opportunities to experience firsthand what interests her in environmental science. “It can take any direction,” she says of her major. “I definitely want to do something with science. I enjoy working in the field and studying it.” “I’ve considered being a professor and doing research at a university,” she adds. “The Morehead can put me up to possibilities where I could do research with different companies or on my own.” Mackenzie says the first summer enrichment program will be focused on outdoor leadership. “I get to do an Outward Bound or NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) trip,” she says. “Second summer is public service summer, where you go to different countries and do different volunteer work.” Mackenzie says the summer enrichment programs were a big part of the final interviews. “When we did the interviews over the weekend, we talked about that a lot,” she says. “I talked to different people who went to Peru and had a teaching experience, or to China and worked to help start a cooperative or something like that.” Mackenzie will get her chance to do things like that during the next four years. Jesse Campbell contributed to this story. Steve Behr Sports editor, Watauga Democrat sports@mountaintimes.com

AAWMAG.COM | APRIL 2015

‘

If you want the rainbow, you’ve got to put up with a little rain.

’

Photo by Leda Winebarger, Thru Leda’s Lens

- Dolly Parton

APRIL 2015 | AAWMAG.COM