16 minute read
Getting to Know: Parrot Productions and Fancy Feathers
By Kristen Eleveld
Back in the 1980s, Brenda Bean found her calling: working with birds – more specifically, parrots. She spent her days training birds for local pet stores, making a name for herself as someone who wasn’t just a fan of her feathered friends, but was an expert who could teach the parrots to do remarkable things.
While she took a break from working with birds to raise four children, Brenda never forgot how much she loved spending time with the parrots. In 2006, she opened her own business centered around one of her very favorite things: training and teaching parrots.
“There’s something about a bird standing on your hand that is just magical,” said Brenda. “Sometimes they want to snuggle with you or they might lay down in your lap like a puppy. It’s the most extraordinary experience.”
At her shop Fancy Feathers in Norcross, Brenda’s time is split between training her birds, showing off their talents at events or parties, and, most importantly, educating her customers.
“We sell pets, not just parrots, to educated customers,” said Brenda. “I always encourage my customers do a lot of research before buying a parrot.”
Part of Brenda’s emphasis on education for any potential bird owner is that parrots can live for decades. Some of them live for 75 years! It’s important to Brenda that anyone who is interested in buying a parrot understands that it’s a lifelong commitment. In fact, their bird might outlive them. Many people don’t realize that different types of parrots have a wide range of personalities and temperament, which is why Brenda is sure to ask her customers a lot of questions before helping them choose the right parrot for their home.
“It’s best to take your time before choosing a bird!” Brenda said. She gives this advice to all her customers. “It’s not an impulse buy. Do your research and educate yourself on what you’re getting into before you make a decision.”
Factors like the type of home you have, whether you have children, and how much noise you are willing to take are all part of the questions Brenda asks her clients to see which bird would best suit their needs, and vice versa.
Along with giving invaluable advice to her clients, Brenda spends a fair amount of time teaching her birds to do and say a variety of different things. One parrot, often seen at parties, has learned to sing “Happy Birthday” and will even wish you a Merry Christmas! Another uses its feet to wave goodbye to you, much like a small child might do. In fact, Brenda notes that these birds are probably about as intelligent as an average five-year-old child, which means they can learn quickly and even experience emotions.
If you want to see these birds in action for yourself, there’s good news. Brenda loves to bring her parrots to parties and events to show people what they can do. You can book her services and enjoy learning about her avian friends. Parrot Productions will bring twelve to seventeen exotic parrots to your function, show what they have learned, and allow you to hold and cuddle some of them. Brenda’s motto is “Cuddle, touch and learn,” so you are sure to have a memorable and educational experience.
While Brenda works hard, she does not tackle these amazing feats all on her own. Cleaning cages, feeding the babies and the adults, training and socializing the babies and the rescues are a massive undertaking by a special group of parrot lovers. Irene Stovall, Brenda’s right-hand person, is known by Brenda as the “Macaw Whisperer.” Irene is less than five feet tall, but handles the largest birds like a gentle giant, anticipating their moods and whims. Jack Bean, Brenda’s husband, has been a rock for Brenda, often stepping in to realistically limit her endeavors and sending her home to rest on her days off. He also assembles and delivers cages and large orders of food. Finally, Kristina Barron rounds out the team, providing the much-needed expertise on some of Continued on page 22
Your Best Smile Starts Here Doctors Stewart Helton & Beau Upshaw
Preventive Dentistry | Root Canals | Crowns | Fillings | Teeth Whitening | Veneers | Oral Surgery | Periodontal DiseaseYour Best Smile Starts Here
Doctors Stewart Helton & Beau Upshaw
3238 Krisam Creek Dr • Loganville
We want you to feel good about your visit. We place your concerns and needs above our own and focus everything on your well-being, happiness and comfort.{ 3238 Krisam Creek Dr. • Loganville
770-466-0474
www.CreeksideDentistry.net
Member: American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry ADA,GDA, Hinman Dental Society
Preventive Dentistry | Root Canals | Crowns | Fillings | Teeth Whitening | Veneers | Oral Surgery | Periodontal Disease
We use the latest techniques and state-of-the-art technology to deliver a full suite of general and cosmetic dentistry services with a patient and friendly touch.
Haley Reid Glasser Continued from page 9
Haley eventually graduated in 2012 from South Gwinnett High School. And while Mr. Mac may have left a lasting impression, he wasn’t alone. Haley particularly wanted to give a shout out to all her teachers. “Thank you to all the Gwinnett County Public School teachers who touched my life during my many years of school. I wouldn’t be where I am without your dedication to teaching and learning!”
As a student, Haley was involved across several areas of student life: varsity cheerleading, Comets in Action, Beta Club, National Honor Society, and Gwinnett Medical Explorers. Outside of school, she was involved with the Gwinnett County Swim League, participating in summer-league swimming for eighteen years with both Eastmont Cove Swim Team and Snellville Supersonics. “We spent many summers swimming at Briscoe Park pool and Rhodes Jordan Park,” she remembers. “I also grew up attending and volunteering at Vacation Bible School at Snellville United Methodist Church.” But as a varsity cheerleader, there was only one place to find Haley on those fall Friday nights – cheering the South Gwinnett High School Comets and hyping up the crowd. And while she now calls Jacksonville, Florida home, Haley has much love for her hometown. “The community spirit”, she explains. “I love that even though Snellville is developing and changing, it still maintains that cozy/homey hometown charm. Both my family and my husband’s family still live in Gwinnett County, so it will always be extra special to us.”
Once Haley left Snellville, her journey took her to Oxford College of Emory University before moving on to Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, where she would eventually focus on pediatrics. “I worked in pediatric primary care for three years,” she says, “but made the transition to pediatric specialty care in January 2021. I currently work as a Nurse Practitioner with Nemours Children’s Health in their Continence Clinic. This clinic is really unique because it is nurse run and managed.”
Haley’s specialty allows her to have a different focus to develop lasting relationships with her families. “The Continence Clinic is a really cool ‘mash up’ of gastroenterology and urology,” she adds. “We help children with bladder and bowel issues. We see many children with spina bifida or other spinal defects, autism, and other chronic diseases that can affect continence. I love this job because I’m able to use a variety of my clinical skills, like interpreting ultrasounds, x-rays, and other specialty tests. I also perform in-office procedures. I work in the office and online using telehealth, so I have a great work-life balance. It’s a really rewarding job, and I love being able to develop lifelong relationships with my patients and families.”
In her new town, Haley is just as active as she was in Snellville. “I love exploring my new city!” she says. “I love museums, trying global cuisine, crafting and DIY projects.” And in true Haley fashion, she adds, “I’m also in the process of learning ASL!” And her plans don’t end there. “I’d love to teach nursing at the masters and/or doctoral level, so I hope to one day be a faculty member at my alma-mater or another nursing school. I plan to go back to grad school for my Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in maternal-child health.” And to top it all off, she adds, “I also really want to write my own children’s book in the future.”
Well, from all of us here at Our Town Gwinnett Magazine, you’ve made us so proud, Haley, and we look forward to seeing all your wonderful plans come to fruition. We’re cheering you on just as you cheered on others all these years. Congratulations and Good Luck!
Mental Help is on the Way Continued from page 10
of the hat and thanks is due to House Speaker David Ralston as well as the bill’s many supporters and co-sponsors. Thus, after many decades of darkness, some light and Mental Help is on the way.
Bill Crane is the owner of CSI Crane. More information at www. CSICrane.com March 2022 Our Town Gwinnett
DO YOU WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR ORGANIZATION OR AIR YOUR TV SHOW?
WATC is a non-profit television station serving Metro Atlanta and beyond with family, christian, and educational programming for over 25 years!
Available on all platforms:
Including cable, satellite, digital antena, Roku, live streaming and through our app in the App Store, Google Play and more!
**WATC TOO does not air currently on Xfinity or Direct TV**
Contact us:
www.WATC.tv (770) 300-9828 info@WATC.tv
Follow us:
facebook.com/watctvatlanta @watctvatlanta WATC TV 57 Atlanta
One day, something happened that solidified my passion. I have always used two computers, and this particular day had me only working on one computer with the other computer completely turned off. I heard the familiar sound of the second computer starting up and looked over to see that it had started and had loaded a web browser. It opened a site that I had never been to. It was a site put together by an engineer who set out to disprove the Bible, but became a follower of Jesus. This experience has given me the drive to read, study, and write.
“Be Still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10a) had become my life verse. From the beginning, the daily devotionals were written to be able to be read in just a few minutes. They were created to allow a brief escape from the otherwise hectic lives that we find ourselves living in today’s society. These devotionals have always asked pointed questions that basically try to make the reader respond with personal reflections on how they are living up to the concepts presented in the Scripture for that day. I do not know how many times that I have heard from people telling me that what I had sent out was exactly what they needed to read that day.
To make a long story short, my twenty-four years of doing this have not been without distractions and troubles. Many times, the passages and insight gleaned from my experiences have also fallen right into place. I have become a student of God’s Word. I read and cross reference many different translations. I have also put some of that experience into Biblically-based books. I have also reviewed and edited the devotional archive and have created three devotional journal books.
DAILY LIVING Ministries, Inc. provides daily opportunities to allow God’s Word to take priority in our lives. Based on this mission, the decision was made to focus on providing resources that can go with people on the very thing that all of us take with us everywhere and the very thing that we can’t seem to live without - OUR PHONES!
We are a society that seems to not be able to go anywhere without our smartphones. I recently had an epiphany and realized that everything that I have written and built is designed to be at our fingertips on these very devices. The website can be viewed on a phone. The devotionals can be viewed on a phone. The books are designed to be able to be read on a phone. If we can’t find the time to sit still with a Bible, most people can read on their phones. The resources created by DAILY LIVING Ministries, Inc. are designed to work in conjunction with the apps that are currently installed on your phones, and it is recommended that the reader cross reference Scriptures by downloading a Bible app. In this ever-increasing hectic world, we need to find any and every opportunity to sit in His presence. We need to find time to “Be Still.”
I seldom look at the analytics, but I had a reason to do just that not too long ago. Besides the daily emails, and the postings to social media, the new website has seen visitors from 128 countries and six continents in the last twelve months. Many of these countries would surprise you if I listed them. This country count doesn’t even include the visitors to the backup blog site! DAILY LIVING Ministries is reaching the world.
I, too, still find myself using my degree from Georgia Tech. Many days are less than ideal. Deadlines and commitments, pressure and stress still abound; but I will make a daily decision to sit in His presence. I make a daily decision to share what I have learned.
The Our Town Gwinnett staff thanks Dennis for sharing his passion with us.
More information at https://dailylivingministries.org/
Fratelli’s Continued from page 5 Fratelli’s. Actually, if you’re in the mood for seafood, burgers, pasta, desserts, appetizers, some vegan options, a gluten-free meal, or just about anything in between, you should still try Fratelli’s – they truly have it all.
More information at https://fratellispizza-ny.com/ child at every level of school right now – elementary, middle, and a rising high school freshman,” explains Jordan. It has given the couple a perspective on just exactly what students are feeling right now in the face of the pandemic as well as the insecurities that are a part of daily life in Gwinnett County. “Kids are missing so much without the face-to-face interactions. They can’t learn to read between the lines if they can’t even see the lines.”
Noting that there is a level of food and housing insecurity in the county they call home that is beyond comprehension keeps the Vickerys on point with prayer and service. “Young people are supposed to be our most valued treasure,” says Jordan. “But right now, efforts are sidelined. We have cold children without coats, hungry children lacking basic nutrition, and children sleeping in cars in this very county. It is wrong and we want to set an example of getting involved.”
Being involved as a couple means relying on a solid marriage. Both Jordan and Sunni have proven they can make it as singles, but found their way to each other through their faith. It is in the vow and covenant of being true to their marriage that they find the lessons they need in order to provide a good example for others. In fact, they have made it their mission.
Mission Marriage was not so much founded as a business as it was a manifestation of being surrounded by love. “I wanted to surprise my sister at her wedding by performing the ceremony, so I went online and became ordained,” says Jordan. “She was surprised, as was our whole family, but very touched that I would do that for her.” After that initial wedding, Jordan’s family, friends, and friends-of-friends began to ask him to perform their weddings. At some point, Jordan and Sunni became so involved in Mission Marriage that they made it Sunni’s full-time “job.”
Sunni describes her story as a beautiful journey. She is a goal-setter and a dreamer who sets everything “sky-high.” With an entrepreneurial spirit, Sunni set about combining her dreams with her goals to bring brides and grooms together with the wedding they always envisioned. “I love, Love, LOVE helping others,” explains Sunni. “I also love entertaining and planning parties. This is just a natural extension of everything that makes me happy.”
As with any mission, it takes a solid and devoted team to make it work. Whether he is guiding veterans, caring for his family, or working with Sunni to make marriage dreams a reality, Jordan Vickery keeps one thing at the forefront of his mind: “If it matters to you, then it matters to me.”
Taking note of all that is potentially “wrong” or “bad” in this life and then stepping away from it allows Jordan to identify all that is good. “Learning to cope and navigate through the trials and hardships is KEY to this little experiment called life,” he says.
For a dose of what is right and positive in this world, follow Mission Marriage and Jordan Vickery on Facebook and Instagram.
Parrot Productions Continued from page 20 the smaller birds in the store. Standing in for Brenda on her days off, Kristina has worked for Fancy Feathers since before the Beans took over the store from Ivan Nelson in 2016. Brenda, Jack, and their limited crew were honored to take over Ivan’s legacy and are building Fancy Feathers and Parrot Productions into a unique adventure in business.
At the end of the day, Brenda’s main goal is to give these parrots a high quality of life and teach others in the community about just how incredible and unique her birds are. But you don’t have to take her word for it. Just visit her shop in Norcross to see the parrots in action for yourself. If you’re lucky, Brenda might even ask one to give you a kiss.
More information at parrotproshows.com or fancyfeathersstore. com
Headaches are common, not normal.
Migraine and headache are leading causes of outpatient and Emergency Department visits and remain an important public health problem affecting roughly 1 out of every 7 Americans annually.
We can help! Call us for an appointment today.
1982 Main St. E Ste D, Snellville | 770.979.5125
Don’t rely on luck. Take charge of your financial future today!
Call Green Financial at 770.931.1414 for a complimentary consultation - even if you only need a 2nd opinion.
Qualifiedtohelpwithallofyourfinancialneeds:
• Investment Advice • Financial and retirement planning • Intergenerational planning • Maximizing your existing 401k/403b/457b • Harvesting Plan for retirement assets • Estate Planning/Trust Planning • Long Term Care, Disability & Life Insurance • IRA/Roth contributions • Timing of Social Security • Medicare • And more!
GG R E E N FINANCIAL
Contact Green Financial at 770.931.1414 or via www.RogerSGreen.com for a complimentary retirement plan health check.
Barron’s Top 1000/1200 Advisors
2009-2016 & 2019-2020
30+ years of helping people with their money. RogerSGreen.com
Investment Advisor Representative offering securities & advisory services through Cetera Advisors LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker/Dealer, member FINRA, SIPC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Awards are not to be considered a guarantee of future results, nor as an endorsement by any client. Best of Gwinnett & Best of the Best winners are chosen via voting and editors’ input, & opinions are vetted with the use of other available information. Pinnacle award rankings are based on growth, revenue, community service, & other criteria. Barron’s: based on total assets (AUM), revenue, & other factors. Since 1997, office located at 3700 Crestwood Pkwy, Ste 140, Duluth, GA 30096. PAGE 24 Become an Advertising Partner: Info@OurTown Gwinnett.com or 678-825-2049
