Moxie Winter-Spring 2015

moxie! winter/spring 2015

Wisdom COMPLIMENTARY

health. fitness. life.

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contents

winter/spring 2015 The Greatest Of These Is Love Emma Lou Bizer blazes a trail for women.........................................24

on the cover model Emma Lou Bizer photo by Beth Bizer

Taking care of women throughout their lifespan Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery Robotic Surgery • Pelvic Floor Reconstruction • Laparoscopy Hysteroscopy • Endometrial Ablation • Urinary/Fecal Incontinence Infertility • Essure (Non-surgical permanent sterilization)

High Risk and General Obstetrics Well-Woman Care Teresa Irwin

MD, FACOG BOARD CERTIFIED IN FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

Beth Delaney Reid MD, FACOG Barrett Blaue MD, FACOG Kari Fay MD, FACOG Lauren Hermann DO Deborah Hall RN, MSN, WHCNP-BC Accepting New Patients 512.396.7575 New Braunfels • 1583 Common Street • Ste. 100 San Marcos • 1305 Wonder World Drive • Ste. 209 w w w.caringcenter for women.com

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Health

Nutrition

Life

Healthy You! Aspirin - to take or not to take?............... 8

Food Revolution Getting back to the farm.........................14

Your Best Energy A Game Plan for 2015...............................10

Healthy Recipe Green Tea Salmon......................................18

Post Holiday Blues Winter decorating after the festive holiday season.............................................35

Fitness

Food For Thought How to eat for smarts...............................21

Fit Five Five workout basics you MUST do!......13

Style Moxie Makeover A wish come true!.......................................28 Tricks of the Trade Makeup tips for your evolving skin......32

The Happiest People Achieving intentional wisdom..............38

Moxie Message The New Normal.........................................42

from the editor

My mother was always right!

And it annoyed the heck out of me!

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rowing up, there were times when I was certain she was completely wrong about some things. But no…she was always right.

It wasn’t until I was much older that I could appreciate that fact. Now that I’m grown with children of my own, I hope they think I’m always right. At least, about the big things in life.

This issue of Moxie! celebrates the wisdom that comes with age. The wisdom that comes with intention. And, the wisdom that comes from caring for yourself.

I’m excited for you to meet Emma Lou Bizer. Emma Lou has spent most of her life trailblazing a path for women and their children. She has been an important and influential woman in my family’s life. Read her story on page 24.

Ripp Hardaway, Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, believes that each of us possesses some knowledge or expertise that we need to share. In his article on page 38, he encourages us to also intentionally seek wisdom.

Caring for your body through good nutrition and proper exercise can help sharpen your mind and ward off age related conditions. Meredith Patterson focuses on “brain nutrition” in her article on page 21. And try our recipe created by Chef Jay McCarthy at 188 South restaurant. It’s smart food that tastes great!

Be savvy. Be wise. Be MOXIE!

moxie!

Writers: Sheri Boyd, MD, Margaret Polser, Jill Sharp, Charlie Agar, Meredith Patterson, Kristy Hurst, Alicia Canon, Abby Vasek, Ripp Hardaway

Moxie Magazine P.O. Box 310191 New Braunfels, TX 78131-0191

Editor in Chief: Georgia Williams

Photographers: Beth Bizer, Charlie Agar, Pauline Stevens

georgia@moxiemagazine.com

Design Director: Pete Williams

Copy Editor: Kelly Williams Advertising: Caryn Benson - caryn@moxiemagazine.com 512.627.1020

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HEALTHYyou!

To take or not to take... what is the answer regarding aspirin?

By Sheri Boyd, MD, FACC

Aspirin has been used for medicinal purposes since the time of Hippocrates. A compound extracted from the bark of trees was noted to aid in fever and pain. The compound called salicylic acid was used for many years, but it was noted to cause stomach upset.

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t was not until the 1890’s that a German chemist named Felix Hoffman found a way to “cover up” part of the salicylic acid molecule with another chemical component called an acetyl group. This new compound, acetylsalicylic acid, was easier on the stomach; we know acetylsalicylic acid by its common name - aspirin.

Aspirin’s benefit in treating patients with heart or blood vessel disease is a result of blocked production of chemicals called prostaglandins. Some types of prostaglandins cause platelets (small particles in the blood) to stick together, resulting in a blood clot. In a blood vessel with cholesterol buildup, platelets are more likely to stick together and cut off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the downstream tissue; in the brain this would be a stroke, and in the heart this is called a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

For patients who have a heart attack, significantly narrowed heart artery, or stroke from a blocked artery, aspirin reduces the risk of another heart attack, stroke and importantly reduces the risk of death. Bleeding, primarily from the gastrointestinal track and rarely in the brain, can happen when taking aspirin. In general, for those with a heart attack or stroke, aspirin’s benefit is significantly greater than the risk. For each patient, however, the benefit of aspirin must be weighed against the risk and evaluated by a physician.

The decision to take aspirin for someone who has not been diagnosed with heart or blood vessel blockage is more complicated. Preventing a heart attack or stroke from happening in someone who has never had one is called primary prevention. We know that heart and blood vessel diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States, so why is aspirin for primary prevention not straightforward? The answer is based on risk. The risk for heart attack and stroke increases with age, diabetes, high cholesterol and other risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and family history. We also know that some people are at increased risk for bleeding with aspirin. These risks include a history of bleeding from the stomach or gastrointestinal tract, taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid medications, blood thinners like warfarin, and being over age 65 years. The risks for each individual must be weighed against the benefits and an individual risk-benefit decision arrived at with both patient and doctor.

If you have known heart disease or have had a stroke, know that aspirin prevents subsequent heart attacks, stroke and death. Talk to your doctor if you are not taking aspirin. If you do not have known heart or blood vessel blockage and do not have symptoms of heart or blood vessel disease, the decision about taking aspirin is one you should have with your doctor. Find your answer about taking aspirin in a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Dr. Sheri Boyd is a leader in educating women about heart disease and promoting lifestyle changes for heart disease patients. She is a cardiologist with New Braunfels Cardiology.

ISTOCKPHOTO/EUROBANKS

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Game Plan 2015 Energy is the most valuable resource we have—personal energy that fuels what we want to do and who we want to be day to day.

your best energy

by jill sharp & margaret polser

The reality is that there are daily demands that threaten to deplete energy if we are not purposeful and intentional about both managing and replenishing it at regular intervals. And while there are several important components of energy management, including sleep, good nutrition, and healthy relationships to name a few, the research is substantive and evidence-based around the vital role that exercise and movement play. So as we begin the new year, a time traditionally associated with setting goals, optimism, and renewed energy, we would like to suggest some strategies that might be helpful for making that health supporting, energy boosting exercise happen, no matter how busy we are.

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Mornings can be challenging, but for many of us it is the best time to knock our exercise out before the demands and uncertainty of the day take over.

Establishing a routine that requires waking up fifteen to thirty minutes earlier and starting the day by strengthening our bodies translates into increased productivity, significantly increasing the return on our thirty minute investment of time.

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If the calendar is full of morning meetings or there are plans to reconnect with a friend, choose a walk outside rather than a seat in the conference room or a chair at the coffee shop. Studies show that our creativity is heightened by physical activity.

How about a midday break? Go for a walk during lunch to rejuvenate mentally and physically. It will also set the tone for a nutrient dense meal and give metabolism a boost.

Not willing to miss a favorite TV show or game? Skip the high calorie snacks and the seat on the couch, and make a list of body strengthening exercises to perform for the duration of each commercial break.

If the evening is filled with athletic practices for children or grandchildren, use the surrounding area and first half of the practice for a thirty minute workout and the last half to watch the practice. It is the perfect opportunity to model a lifelong commitment to health and the role that exercise plays in daily life.

Best bang for the buck time-wise? High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is hard to beat. Choose a move or activity of high intensity for 20 seconds and follow it with a 40-second recovery time. 10-15 rounds of this, paired with a five minute warmup and cool down, provides a workout that burns plenty of calories and keeps the metabolism humming post workout.

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While a gym or fitness facility can be a great tool for establishing a regular exercise program, it is not essential.

Pick up a few inexpensive, easy to store fitness tools to keep at home. Exercise bands, weighted exercise balls, dumbbells, and a yoga mat or beach towel are all helpful to have around. Use that smartphone, search body resistance exercises, and get after it.

Often after a busy week of work and family, the weekend is viewed as downtime. And while taking time to be still, rest, and regroup is an important part of a balanced approach to managing our energy, the weekend is usually a time that has more flexibility. Now is the time to work on endurance or give the time to that longer more comprehensive workout. Think of it as a vital stress reducer and an opportunity to set the tone for the week ahead. Better yet, if possible, combine it with family time and everyone will reap the benefits.

Think outside the traditional exercise box and enjoy the aerobic benefit of dancing, active play with the kids, challenging yard work, and cleaning the house. All of these activities and many others like this get your heart rate up, utilize all your major muscle groups, and can help you strengthen your your overall fitness.

Who doesn’t want to feel better, have more energy, and perhaps even live longer? What about if we added on protection from developing heart disease and stroke,

type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, risk of falling, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and weight gain?

With a bit of creativity and intention, we can have the health, energy, and balanced approach to living that exercise supports no matter how full our lives are.

Who doesn’t want to feel better, have more energy, and perhaps even live longer?

We love to hear about your progress and the ways that you create your best energy! Tweet us @margaretpolser and @jillmsharp - or reach out to us on Facebook through Moxie!

Jill Sharp is a certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer with over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry. She is also an experienced corporate trainer and performance coach, specializing in the development and delivery of personal and professional performance improvement programs. (jillmsharp@aol.com) Margaret Polser has a master’s degree in education and is a certified personal trainer. She is also a trained and certified Wellness Coach, specializing in physical fitness, nutrition, and stress management. (margaretburns@satx.rr.com)

FITfive

By Jill Sharp

➊

CHALLENGE YOUR LIMITS Growth, in any facet of our lives, requires stress to make it happen. In the case of exercise, if you want to increase your fitness and strength, you have to be willing to push yourself! Assuming your physician has cleared you for a higher level of exercise intensity, embrace this “discomfort” and enjoy the results that inevitably follow.

➋

LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHT This is an effective way to challenge yourself if you want to see improvements in strength. Aim for a level of intensity that only enables you to complete one to three sets of 8-15 repetitions. On the final repetition, you should feel like you are unable to do another one without your form and technique breaking down.

Challenge your major groups in this way 2-3 times weekly, on non-consecutive days, and don’t let more than three days go by between resistance sessions.

➌

CRANK UP YOUR CARDIO Of your cardio workouts in a week, make 1-2 of them challenging enough that you struggle to speak in full sentences. This intensity measure is referred to as the talktest, and can help you assess how hard you are working. At the upper end of what is appropriately challenging for most people, you should only be able to get 2-3 words out at a time without taking a breath. If you can’t speak, back off the intensity. If you can recite War and Peace, you likely need to turn it up!

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ALLOW FOR RECOVERY Where stress is the stimulus for growth, the actual growth only occurs in recovery.

This stress/recovery pattern will look different for different people, so you have to listen to your body. If a muscle is telling you it’s sore, give it another day or two of recovery before you ask it for more. If you are exhausted and don’t have energy to give your workout, it may be that you have pushed too hard for too many days, and recovery is needed. Find the stress/ recovery rhythm that leads to continued improvements in strength, endurance, and overall energy.

MOVE. A. LOT. Daily movement can help you maximize your energy throughout the day and can significantly up the calorie burn. Example: a sedentary person may only burn an additional 300 calories a day at that level of activity, but an active individual, like someone who is a busy nurse or works in construction, could easily burn an additional 2500-plus calories in their day!

Science also shows us that the benefits of movement can also lead to a longer, healthy life. Our bodies were meant to move, so get moving!

Editor’s Note - Jill Sharp will be leading special sessions on energy and health this February. For information, see page 41 of this issue.

MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 13

FOOD Revolution Written by Charlie Agar Photos by Charlie Agar

Terms like “organic” and “locally grown” might conjure the smell of patchouli and images of bearded hipsters and women in peasant dresses, but a revolution is happening in food and it isn’t just for a fringe few.

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ith small farmers selling directly to consumers at an increasing number of farmers markets all across Texas and the US, shoppers have more choices, and even large grocery chains feature organic and local items.

It all comes down to the end user, and Moxie! recently caught up with Chris and Samantha Jordan perusing the Johnson’s Backyard Garden stand at the New Braunfels Farmers Market.

“We buy here because it’s local. And of course because it doesn’t have pesticides,” said Samantha, who gently propped a hand beneath her months-old “baby bump.”

“I like to do everything how it used to be back in the day,” Jordan said, adding that she prefers to buy produce that will “actually rot” instead of the wax-coated items that have a long shelf life and fewer nutrients.

The Jordans tend their own backyard garden, but supplement their pantry at the farmers market, where they also benefit from recipes and advice from the Johnson’s Backyard Garden staff. [ CONTINUED-NEXT PAGE ] MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 15

[ CONTINUED FROM PREV. PAGE ] “It’s not about being a food snob,” said Catherine Truesdell of New Braunfels, “but about eating healthy, clean food.”

Truesdell has been eating organic, locally grown foods since the mid 1980s and, like the Jordans, for her it’s less about being cool or trendy than simply returning to the way our grandparents ate.

“We’re very, very serious about food in my family,” said Truesdell, who owns and runs the gluten-free Red Oak Bakery in New Braunfels with her daughter Ruby. She shops at the New Braunfels Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Wheatsville in Austin, or Rita’s Organic Food Market in New Braunfels.

Organic and locally grown foods tend to be more expensive, but Truesdell said, “That is where you should be spending most of your money anyway. It’s your health insurance.”

ers, with organic product lines, easy-to-understand labeling, and new programs for HEB shoppers. They’ve even hired an in-store dietician who is available for tours and consultations.

“We need to be the destination for health and wellness,” said Mikala Guillaume, RD, LD, a dietician serving HEB stores in the Texas Hill Country. And it all starts with what Guillaume calls “education at the shelf.”

Guillaume aims to empower consumers to make better decisions. And it’s not just, as the common misconception goes, all about shopping on the periphery of the store instead of center

Taking a step in the organic direction So maybe it’s a New Year’s resolution or you’re looking to take a new direction. How do you start eating better? According to experts, a few simple changes can make a big difference.

That is the very mission for Whitney Stevens-Merritt, MS, RD, LD, CPT, a dietician and holistic health coach based in New Braunfels. She offers biometric screenings, runs corporate wellness programs, does online coaching, and holds workshops on better eating practices.

“We’re very, very serious about food in my family.”

“I meet you where you’re at,” Merritt said of her diverse clients, who she says reduce risks of such common problems as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis with simple, incremental changes.

The first thing is just “increasing vegetables” or reducing how often you eat out in restaurants, Merritt said. She councils many to replace some of their meat intake with beans, lentils, and whole grains. Merritt said that, despite beef industry PR, human protein requirements are “pretty low,” and in fact the average American diet is too high in protein, which can cause problems.

And while many people view healthy eating as a process of “doing without” and limiting themselves, Merritt coaches clients on food prep and opens a door to new cuisine, experiences, and wellness.

It’s a trend big companies are picking up on As a leading Texas employer with more than 85,000 on staff, the grocery store chain HEB has long seen the benefits of corporate wellness and incentives for employees, including cooking programs, free employee health consultations, and efforts at culture change at the company.

And increasingly HEB is bringing better options to consum16 MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015

aisles, but in choosing the right products that are right for each person and their individual needs, she said.

Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., Guillaume leads a free tour of the New Braunfels store and teaches customers about the shelf tags, which list USDA standards for fiber or heart healthy attributes.

Knowing what you’re buying is the first step toward confident, common sense healthy choices, she said.

And while many families are busy and caught up with activities and commitments, taking time to plan is not only good for your physical health but for the family budget, Guillaume said.

“We’re not the food Nazis,” Guillaume said. “I just like to reconnect people to eating real food.”

Guillaume consults with clients in one-on-one sessions that include base-line testing of percent body fat and percent lean muscle, and also blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

Then she helps folks set goals.

“The number on the scale is not the end-all-be-all,” Guillaume said.

HEB also offers shopping tours, a series of classes for groups and individuals, cooking classes for both adults and kids, lunchand-learn events, and regular weight loss contests.

Charles Agar is a freelance writer and videographer in New Braunfels.

Contact him at info@charlesagar.com

651 N Business IH 35, Suite 240 New Braunfels, TX 78130 Toll Free: (877) 342-8626 | sales@ernestos.com

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Photo by Pauline Stevens

Green Tea Poached Salmon with Blueberry Balsamic Compote

We gave our list of “smart” foods to Chef Jay McCarthy, Corporate Chef at 188 South (New Braunfels) and he created a beautiful, tasty dish using nearly all of the ten food items. (See list on page 22) 6 oz. salmon, Atlantic, skin on 4 oz. farro 1 medium avocado 2 bay leaves, whole 2 tea bags, green or jasmine ¼ cup blueberries 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp. pecans, chopped Salt and pepper to taste Bring two cups of salted water to a boil. Return to a simmer and add tea bags and bay leaves, simmer 2 minutes.

Add salmon to tea water and poach for 3-4 minutes. Remove and reserve. Salmon can be kept warm to serve immediately or chilled to serve later.

Add farro, or other grain to salmon tea water, return to a simmer and cook grain until it blooms.

While farro is cooking, prepare the blueberry drizzle. In a small mixing bowl, add the blueberries and balsamic. Mash berries with the back of a spoon, leaving blueberries coarse. Let rest. When farro is soft to bite, remove and drain.

Dice half of the avocado and add to the cooked farro. Salt and pepper to taste.

To arrange plate, put farro mix in the center, top with poached salmon. Garnish with avocado slices. Drizzle with blueberry/ balsamic mixture. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 19

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Food for Thought

By Meredith Patterson, RN, BSN, CRRN Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1826

The act of eating is more than filling your stomach – it fills the mind as well. In fact, nutrition is one of the most important components underlying brain health. But who isn’t confused about diet? Here are some morsels (pun intended, sorry) to help keep your brain well-nourished.

Go Ahead, Call Me a Fathead You may be surprised to learn that over half of your brain is composed of lipids, aka fats. Lipids come in the form of fatty acids. The body cannot synthesize fatty acids so we must get them from our diets, incorporating the healthy type of fatty acids known as Omega 3 fatty acids. Dietary sources include tree nuts, flax seeds, and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. The best source is fish, especially cold-water fish like salmon, codfish, halibut and sardines.

Are you taking a daily fish oil supplement for heart health? Your brain may benefit too, especially if you’re not eating fish regularly. If you look at the label of the fish oil pills, you’ll notice that it will contain varying amounts of these primary fatty acids: Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Of the three, DHA is the superstar for the brain. In fact, most of the brain’s fat is DHA. So be careful to read the labels of supplements to be sure that each capsule has a generous dose of DHA. (We recommend 500-1000 mg per day.)

How Sweet it Isn’t Your brain is a hungry and greedy organ – it consumes about 20 percent of all the energy your body requires. So some glucose in the blood is necessary to feed the brain cells with sufficient power. [ CONTINUED-NEXT PAGE ]

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[ CONTINUED FROM PREV. PAGE ] But a little sweetness goes a long way, and most Americans unwittingly consume more than their share of sugar, especially in the form of simple carbohydrates. Sodas, juices, white bread, cookies, cake, crackers, colorfully-packaged cups of applesauce – most of the grab-and-go consumables – comprise this category. Worse, modern

...the risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases by 80 percent for obese individuals industrial sugar sources are unnaturally potent and quickly provide a whopping sugar high. The canned versions of something “natural” like beets or pineapple are stripped of their water, fiber, vitamins and minerals to produce a sweeter taste.

The problem of added sweeteners in such innocuous products as granola bars, salad dressing and flavored yogurt has

health officials worried. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that most adults consumed at least 10 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, and about 10 percent of us consume 25 percent of our diets in sugar calories.

Now here’s what’s particularly troubling when you combine high sugar consumption, the unfortunate sequela of Type 2 diabetes, and the brain. You probably know that chronic high insulin levels in the bloodstream can lead to diabetes but do you know that having diabetes doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease? In fact, one study, published in the September 2011 Journal of Neurology, followed 1000 adults over 15 years. Their conclusion: an increased risk for dementia of 74 percent for those diagnosed with diabetes. Yikes!

Our ever-expanding waistlines also pose more risk for dementia. The shocking statistics, according to a 2008 study by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, show that the risk of Alzheimer’s disease increases by 80 percent for obese individuals. For vascular dementia, risk for the obese is 73 percent. And, as most people know, the needle is not budging

Top Ten Brainy Bites Some foods are especially helpful in protecting the brain and can help slow the effects of aging.

Be sure to include the following foods in your diet and increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain!

Blueberries Wild salmon Nuts and seeds Avocados Whole grains Beans Olive oil Pomegranate juice Freshly brewed tea Dark chocolate

Centuries Past ANTIQUES & GIFTS

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much in the fight to reduce weight. The CDC estimates that over one-third of Americans (34.9 percent) are obese, giving the U.S. the dubious distinction of having the highest obesity rate in the world.

What the Heck Should I Eat? Now that we’ve established sugar as our foe and (some) fats as friends to the brain, let’s be more specific about what comprises a brain-healthy daily diet. What, exactly, should we be putting on our plates?

It’s not difficult to eat for optimal brain health but it may take some planning. The idea is to fill your plate with real food as much as possible; that means passing up the pop-top beverages and plastic-packaged convenience items in favor of fresh vegetables and fruits. Lean proteins, such as fish, chicken and whole eggs, should be on your grocery list along with some dairy if tolerated (watching the labels for sugar content). For snacks, bags of raw nuts are perfect – especially the tree nuts like almonds, pecans and walnuts.

A brain-healthy diet can be patterned after two popular diets – Mediterranean and Paleo. Of the two, the Mediterranean

diet has been the subject of more brain-diet studies, but the principles of the two diets fit the criteria below: (1) Low in saturated fats (with the exception of coconut oil) and trans fats. (2) High in mono and poly-unsaturated fats.

(3) Low in simple carbohydrates and sugars. (4) High in fresh fruits and vegetables.

(5) Moderate amounts of whole grains, nuts and seeds. (6) Alcohol in moderation.

The planning part involves shopping for fresh produce (farmers markets are great) and finding substitutes for carbo-

In Gruene Lake Village

hydrates. That might mean having a few hard-boiled eggs on hand, bags of raw almonds and sliced apples for snacks. It means choosing water or unsweetened tea instead of soda and fizzy sweet drinks.

But it’s not so hard to do once you change a few habits. If we are what we eat, we may as well eat smart food.

(Excerpt is from the forthcoming book The Brainstorm Guide to Mind Fitness).

Visit Meredith’s website and blog at

www.brainstormmindfitness.com

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We encourage family healthcare and invite you to visit our practice. You will find our rural rustic setting, mixed with country medicine charm and friendly staff, will make you feel right at home.

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Emma Lou Bizer

The Greatest of These is Love

By Kristy Hurst

Photo by Beth Bizer

Emma Lou Bizer spends her days quietly, enjoying the company of her husband of 69 years, Ray, in their tidy apartment at New Braunfels’ Eden Hill retirement community. Her days are filled with a comfortable routine of reading, cross-stitch, crosswords, puzzles, cooking and conversation.

When you meet this bright-eyed, soft-spoken lady, you would never guess that she is 93 years old – or that this tiny, smiling woman has led such a big, purposeful life.

Born in Missouri in 1921, Emma Lou was proud to be one of the few young women in her Missouri high school’s graduating class who went on to college during the Depression. Emma Lou’s dream was to become a minister like her father – but in those days, women could not be ordained. Instead, she decided to serve others through social work under the auspices of her church. On scholarship, she attended a small religious college in Missouri, then transferred to the University of Kansas to major in sociology and psychology.

At just 5 feet tall, Emma Lou’s size contributed to a lot of good times during those years.

Because she was small enough to be tossed in the air, she became a cheerleader and a popular boogie-woogie dance partner. “Everyone liked to dance with me because they would pick their partners up and swing us around, and I was so little,” she says. “The football and basketball jocks were all so big, and they gave me the nickname ‘Itty Bitty.’ They liked to take me to a carnival in town or the movies because they would get me in for half price.”

After KU graduation, Emma Lou sought work in settlement houses and missions, where she was asked to pursue further training in theology and Christian education. So she enrolled at Eden Seminary in Missouri, and there she met Ray, who was studying for a career as a pastor. Because she was the only woman at the seminary, Emma Lou was not allowed to live on campus.

“That’s when I first ran into negative attitudes toward women,” she says.

“It was a big surprise.” [ CONTINUED-NEXT PAGE ]

[ CONTINUED FROM PREV. PAGE ] But it was far from the last time she blazed a trail as the only woman in a field of men. After seminary school, during World War II, she went to work as the only female employee at a fellowship center in the slums of St. Louis. There, she created the area’s first clubs for girls and a program for rural mothers who had come to the city seeking work in armaments plants, many of whom had limited education and were living in tiny, rat-infested apartments.

“That was really an interesting time for me because it was the first time I really understood the cultural problems we have in our country,” she says. “I was proud that they trusted me to do that job.”

The civil rights movement was just taking root, and the fellowship center sat on the dividing line between white and black neighborhoods, where race riots were common and some did not approve of the center’s integration of black and white children. It was a tense time, but Emma Lou was never afraid – not even during her daily two-block walk to the streetcar for the ride home to her rooming house in the suburbs.

“People in the community loved us,”

she says. “People asked if I was scared to walk in the evenings, but I wasn’t afraid. I had friends all around me, and better not anybody bother me.”

As a working woman at a time when the controversial Equal Rights Amendment was a hot topic, Emma Lou made it a mission to help other women find their place in a changing society.

“I was really a woman’s libber, though I didn’t say it then” “I was really a woman’s libber, though I didn’t say it then,” she says. “In the churches, we had task forces to help women understand what women’s rights meant for us. Some women were just so pushy about

it, and that did more harm than good. We were working with task forces to make this a positive thing, to help women work into the workforce and community life, taking jobs and being elected to things in a positive kind of way.”

Emma Lou married Ray in 1945, when she was 24. When they moved so he could take a job as pastor of a small church in southern Illinois, she launched a program there to train church school teachers in Christian education. These happy years were spent writing curricula and hosting workshops for women educators around the country. With the birth of her first child in 1947, Emma Lou became one of few working mothers of her era, with Ray helping to raise their three boys as they moved to Iowa, Ohio, and eventually back to Missouri, where Ray had been asked to run an outdoor ministry with camps and retreats.

Soon, she was back to work with the seminary, launching a groundbreaking laboratory program to help churches create nursery schools for children whose mothers were going to work because of the war.

Her program design became the model to train seminary students and local church-

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es in creating their own church nursery schools. The lab nursery school she created celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.

Eventually, Ray’s career called them to the small town of Union, Missouri.

There, Emma Lou volunteered for a program for educationally delayed children, returning to college for another year to learn about working with special needs children in order to secure a permanent job with the program.

By the time Ray was ready to retire, he got a job offer he couldn’t refuse: building up the Slumber Falls camp and retreat in a small town called New Braunfels, Texas.

“Here I was again,” she remembers.

“Because I had enjoyed working with special education, I volunteered with the local Mental Health and Mental Retardation program for adults, and after a little bit, they asked me to start a new program in New Braunfels for preschool children who were physically or mentally handicapped.

And that’s how I started what is now ECI Homespun Early Childhood Intervention.

[Moxie! editor] Georgia’s little girl, Kelly, was one of my very first students about 30 years ago.”

After decades spent creating innovative ways to improve the lives of women and children, Emma Lou now has time to enjoy her hobbies, as well as Ray’s company. Her three sons have given her four grandchildren, and she mourns the loss of her son John, who died of ALS in 2004.

Her other two sons grew up to be a cabinet maker and an ordained minister, as she dreamed of being as a young girl.

In her 93 years, Emma Lou has gained plenty of wisdom to pass along to younger

women: “Take the time to develop hobbies.

Accept what happens as you grow older.

Discover what you can do, and stop worrying about what you can’t do. Develop a personal faith, in God and in yourself.

And learn how to choose people in your life who you can trust and put your faith in. I would never have been able to do all of this without my father guiding me as a man, and the support and encouragement of my husband. He still keeps pushing me to do things now. I have been blessed with a very busy and happy family life, as a wife, mother and grandmother.”

Throughout her life, Emma Lou has been guided by the Bible verse, “And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

“I think that’s exactly the kind of spirit that God gave me to do what I was able to do,” she says. “Faith in God, myself and other people; hope for change to be positive; and to do everything with love. And love was something I got through all of this, from many, many, many people.”

Kristy Hurst is a freelance writer. She lives in New Braunfels with her husband and two children.

PHOTO BY DAN BOOKS

MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 27

moxie

makeover We received a call from Sharon Wild, Executive Director of Rio Terra Senior Living in New Braunfels. She had an idea for us. One of her residents had entered a Holiday Wish contest that the Corporate Office was conducting. Fern Wendt’s request was a complete makeover! Sharon hoped we could help make this wish come true. We simply could not resist!

Fern Wendt Holiday Wish “At the top of my bucket list is a complete makeover. I have seen it done on T.V. and the recipient’s style really changed. I’m wondering what someone could do with an 84 year-old retired school teacher who has had the same hairdo for 60+ years. I would like a stylist to decide what would look best for me at this stage of my retired life. I know they are miracle workers!!

After the makeover (with new outfit and all) I’d love to take a couple of my Rio Terra friends out in a limo for dinner and a show at the theater in San Antonio.

Just live the night up like celebrities looking gorgeous and showing off the NEW me!”

Michelle McAskill at CosMedical Esthetics While Fern is busy trying on outfits in the At William Edge Salon, Imedge Designgives Fern a microdermabrasion treatment. dressing room, Sharon Wild looks for more er, Charise Kirby, colors Fern’s hair in warm The results are a smoother, brighter, glowing options at Element 29 in Gruene. blondes and shades of caramel. complexion!

Shaina Myers reshapes Fern’s style taking weight off the back and trimming in closer to the scalp on the sides above her ears. Blow drying with a round brush softens the curls.

Alicia Canon uses concealer and a tinted moisturizer to give Fern’s complexion a healthy glow.

Filling in the eyebrows and applying blush high on the cheekbones frames Fern’s beautiful eyes. The final touch - a fun lipstick color applied in a “bow” shape. Fern just loved her new look, and especially those lips!

MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 29

Happy New You, Fern Wendt! Your new look is a beautiful version of you and we hope you love it!

Photo by Pauline Stevens

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TRICKS OF THE TRADE As skin evoloves through the ages, there are makeup tricks that can enhance our best features.

Alicia Canon, makeup artist with William Edge Salon (New Braunfels) shares her top ten tips!

1. Great Skin = Great Makeup Your skin comes first…always!!! Forget about hair and makeup tips - a good skin care routine will create the illusion of youthfulness. You should cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin every day, and exfoliate weekly. Your Number One beauty consideration should be your skin. The better your skin, the less makeup you’ll need. In fact, keep your skin well-hydrated and exfoliated and you may be able to get away with little more than under-eye concealer, mascara and lip balm every day.

2. Keep Your Foundation Current How many years have you been using your current foundation? Your skin constantly changes, yearly and seasonally. For example, in winter months, you may need a creamy formula. In summer months, you may find a tinted moisturizer will do.

3. Plump Up Your Lips Sometimes as you get older, your lips tend to get thinner. To plump your lips up, nothing works better than lip gloss. Start by adding some color by using a lip liner or lipstick. Choose a shade or two darker than your natural lip color and then add a lip-gloss on top…the secret instant lip plumper.

4. Dark Lipsticks Can Be Harsh You should stay away from super dark lipstick, which tends to age most women (that is unless you have dark skin and plump lips). Rosy reds and pinks are better bets. The most flattering lip tones will be one or two shades darker than your natural lip color. To find the best colors for you, apply lipstick or gloss to one lip. If that color is just a shade or two deeper than your bare lip, then you’ve found a shade for you.

32 MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015

5. Enhancing Your Focal Point Your eyes are the focal point of your face.

Eyes can capture attention and detract focus from any fine lines. Make your eyes pop by enhancing your eye color with complementary shades. For brown or hazel eyes, shadows in golds, browns and blues are gorgeous. Blue eyes look great with blue-gray, copper, gold and brown shadows. Dark eyes look fantastic with deep rich tones.

6. Enhance and Diminish with Contouring Contouring is a hot new trend that is great for mature women. Contouring is the use of bronzers and blush to create definition to the face.

The goal in contouring is to create shadows to enhance your best parts (great for cheekbones and jawbone) and diminish features like a weak or double chin, a big nose or thin lips.

7. Too Much is Too Much When it comes to makeup, less is more as you age. You want to have a lighter touch when using foundations, concealers, eyeliners and lipsticks. The use of tinted moisturizers and lighter shadows and lip colors will make a big difference.

8. A Touch of Blush Too many women use blush incorrectly or not at all. A touch of blush on the apples of your cheeks can brighten your overall complexion. The trick to applying blush correctly is to blend it so well that it’s not obvious you’re wearing any!

9. You Must Blend Any makeup you apply to your face needs to be blended well. Really great makeup doesn’t have an obvious starting and stopping point. Make sure your foundation doesn’t have a line at your chin. Blush should just be a hint of color, lip liner should not bleed into your skin and your brows should look natural.

10. Replace Powders with Creams As you age, skin tends to be dryer. If you have dry skin, your best bets are creamy foundations or tinted moisturizer. Also consider switching from natural bristle brushes (which are great for powder) to a synthetic brush to apply creamy formulas.

MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 33

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The Post-Holiday Decorating Blues

By Abby Vasek

Is your home feeling a little naked after the holidays? I experience mixed emotions about this after the Christmas tree and holiday wreaths have come down. On one hand it feels refreshing to have our clean and spacious environment restored, while on the other hand it often feels sad and barren in contrast to the rich holiday décor. How do we remedy these post-holiday blues?

In recent years I have embraced the gradual changing of the seasons in a gradual evolution of my interior elements. It is a perspective change that keeps me more connected to my home and to the seasons.

This means that I don’t pack everything away after Christmas but rather cull together the remaining winter items that are not overtly holiday specific and repurpose other items from around our home to cultivate a “winter look” that will last until Valentine’s. If you struggle with the stark contrast of post-holiday home décor (or the lack thereof) then you may like reading these helpful tips and begin enjoying a festive home year round!

Bring in the greenery with evergreens and lime green potato vines mixed with paperwhite floral plants. This will liven up any surface and provide the filler that you are missing after the garland and holiday collections are packed away.

If you want to keep using your garland for a hint of green, pull out all the Christmas specific items and repurpose it by adding pine cones and white magnolia blooms. Or, for a more contemporary look, use silver branches and mercury glass.

Opt for an earthy or all white wreath for above the mantle or on the front door.

Shop around the house. Find all your decorative white plates and trays to use as a backdrop on the mantle, mix them into your new arrangements or hang them on the wall behind the sofa.

Clear glass terrariums or hurricane jars are wonderful because you can change out the contents from Christmas ornaments to walnuts and cranberries, or

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all white and silver balls. Try mercury glass balls mixed with textured grapevine balls.

Anything you gather together for a collection that accentuates your winter color palette is game; so have some fun with it!

Rearrange the furniture for a fresh feeling. I swap out our glass coffee table for a set of two cushy ottomans with white slip covers (that usually sit off to the side in the den). Sometimes these small adjustments can make a big difference and offer a sense of change and increased coziness without costing a dime.

Bring in the layers! I like to change out our sheets to flannel in the winter and add old quilts or an extra duvet to the end of our beds. I add comfy throw blankets to the sofa and reading chairs, and exchange my red accent pillows for white cable knit and lamb fur pillows.

Add texture and warmth with natural fibers. You can tuck baskets on shelves or under benches, place woven trivets or netting on tables, put sticks in vases, use burlap or linen fabric as a table runner, or bring in an inexpensive natural fiber rug.

Layering rugs is a lot of fun too!

Pay attention to lighting. Directional lighting such as floor lamps, bedside table and entry table lamps add so much warmth during these darker months. I like to create well-lit cozy corners that beg for me to curl up and relax.

Change the scent of your home. If you were using a winter spice scent during the holidays, change it to a fresh fir scent. Or, try a mint or citrus scent that calls for the coming spring, but still coordinates with your bowl full of cranberry and oranges on the table.

More tips and pictures can be found on my Pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/ abbyvasek/winter-decor-after-christmas/

Abby Vasek is an interior designer and accredited home stager. Visit her website: www.abbyvasek.com

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36 MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015

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MOXIE! WINTER/SPRING 2015 37

❝Never test the depth of the water with both feet.❞ I don’t know that I have ever spent time with someone who genuinely expressed an interest in remaining ignorant or unwise. Wisdom is one of those things we all want, but like many things that are hard to achieve, we may not intentionally plan to achieve that desire.

O

ne of the ancient definitions of wisdom refers to the skill of craftsmen, sailors, singers, mourners, administrators and counselors. These people had worked many years and as a result achieved knowledge, experience and efficiency in their areas of expertise. They were called skillful and were often called upon to share their wisdom.

One of the great gifts of those who possess wisdom is their willingness to share their knowledge, experience and efficiency gained by years of practice. In many cultures there is a great awareness of the need to seek that personal connection that allows this to take place seamlessly or organically. Today we hire coaches, teachers, tutors and the like, and too often our wisdom is limited to those who can afford it. I am not all that certain that this is working. I am

ISTOCKPHOTO/LAWRENCESAWYER

quite sure that it is costing us as a society when wisdom is not passed from one generation to another.

On the reverse side, how many of us don’t necessarily declare, I want to remain unwise, but go year after year without seeking to develop a relationship with a wise person in our career, vocation or hobby? We suffer at the hand of our own ignorance, we learn at a slower pace through our own ineptitude, and then we too lose that natural inclination to seek to pass on our wisdom just as it was not passed to us.

One of the great steps in wisdom is to acknowledge our ignorance and then choose to do something about it. I am in the fortunate position to be working with an older friend, Mike, who served over 40 years in the same career as me, a priest. I meet with him once a month and at each meeting we bring topics of discussion. He is tasked with asking me lots questions about what I am doing and why I am choosing the course that I am taking. It is a great process where the “teacher and the student create the taught.” I learn something through this wisdom sharing process each and every time.

The greatest part about our meetings is that it does not cost me a dime. Mike does it because he loves the opportunity to share what he has been given and gained over the years.

The process of seeking another’s wisdom means that I have to be vulnerable to being disciplined (taught), humbled and corrected.

Perhaps this is why some do not seek wisdom; as this is not a highly sought after approach for learning and yet as we avoid it, it comes along anyway in our mistakes and missteps. It reminds me of a saying someone once emailed me, “Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” Perhaps that resulted in this other saying: “There are two theories to arguing

The Happiest People...

By Ripp Hardaway

with women. Neither one works.�

I recently spent a morning with an organization called New Braunfels Works. Bob King, who is the leader of this initiative, is working with young men and women who need to learn the skills to interview for work and the skills needed to keep a job for the long term. It seems like common sense to me, but as I met with the great men and women who participated, I realized that my family had passed this wisdom on to me in a very natural way for my benefit. I got to be a part of a group that conducted mock interviews to help them prepare to succeed in real interviews. It was this experience that helped me see that those around us need the wisdom we possess, even when we are not aware of all that we have gained in this life.

Perhaps the greatest piece of wisdom I have ever learned is when a friend pointed out to me that the happiest people she knew were the ones who were focused on other people. They volunteered or worked in a way that they knew they were genuinely helping people in our world. And the unhappiest people were focused mainly on themselves, their lives and their issues.

Sharing wisdom is a great gift for both parties. And each of us possesses some knowledge or expertise that we need to share.

Even if it is something as simple as using only one foot to test the depth of the water.

Ripp Hardaway is a wise husband, father

and priest in New Braunfels.

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The New Normal

By Georgia Williams

Eight months ago I had life all figured out.

I had a great routine going! Each morning I woke up at 7am and moved from my bed to the living room couch, just in time to watch the beginning of the Today show. I filled myself with all the top stories of the morning and caught up with what Hollywood was up to as I slowly woke up. If I had time, I’d go for a quick walk or lift a few weights and stretch. Then, I’d shower, dress, put on makeup, dry and style my hair and be ready for my 9 o’clock meeting.

M

y work days were scattered, but I was in charge of my schedule and somehow managed to get everything done. I prided myself on being able to juggle all the irons I had in the fire each day, and rewarded myself with a glass of wine, or two, each evening as I watched the nightly news, cooked, and enjoyed dinner with my husband.

I would have liked to lose about 15 pounds, but excused my wimpy exercise efforts as just part of being 57 years old.

My hair was really long, and even though it took a ridiculous amount of time to style it each morning, I thought it made me look young and hip. And my husband really likes long hair!

Life was good! It wasn’t perfect, but this was my normal life and I was happy.

Then, one day, cancer came knocking on my door and changed my normal.

After six months of doctor appointments, surgeries and chemotherapy, I have a new normal. An extraordinary normal!

Each morning starts peacefully. I still get up early and move to the couch, but instead of the morning news, I turn on soft music, read a devotional, write an intention for my day, and do three yoga Sun Salutations.

Thanks to cancer, I no longer have to worry about those 15 pounds! But I do have to rebuild my strength and stamina. I’ve learned that exercise has to be challenging if it’s going to be effective. I challenge myself every morning, and I’m reaping the benefits.

I’ve saved countless hours not having to style my long hair, and as my new hair grows back I’m excited to try fun, funky, and very hip short hairstyles!

Out of necessity, my work life has become much more focused. I have complete clarity about what my life’s work is supposed to be.

My nightly wine has been replaced by bubble baths, green tea and a good book. This is my reward for a job well done and a life well lived.

This new normal of mine is spectacular! I have never felt so energetic, excited, and sure about my life.

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