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CONTENTS
Showcase Magazine
OCTOBER 2021
THE FALL ISSUE Showcase Magazine
@showcaseDVA
showcasemagazineva @ info@showcasemagazine.com
FEATURES The “so(u)l flow”
Haunted Southside?
9
14
Sisters’ Act 12
ALSO INSIDE Editor’s Letter
When the Leaves Come Falling Down 6
From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife Easy Meringue Witch Finger Cookies 20
Paws for a Cause Sweet Pea 17
Games
Crossword & Wordsearch 18
FEATURES
The “So(u)l Flow”
PG.
9
Sisters’ Act PG. 4 SHOWCASE Magazine |
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Confessions of a 30 Something Spooky Season 21
KNEE PA I N ?
Sports Injuries Cartilage Restoration Ligament Reconstruction Outpatient Joint Replacement Partial & Total Knee Replacements
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STEVE LUCEY, M.D. www.showcasemagazine.com
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EDITOR’S LETTER
When the Leaves Come Falling Down This may be an unpopular opinion, but I’m glad summer is over. I’m not as opposed to the heat as much as I am the humidity. It makes me feel like Admiral in Animal Crossing. He’s a cranky duck that always tells me not to touch his stuff when I’m visiting. That’s me during the summer. Now, fall is a different story. It’s my favorite season. There is comfort in the transition from summer to fall. In Salem’s Lot, Stephen King wrote this about fall. “It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”
OCTOBER 2021
CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net FINANCE MANAGER Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com ADVERTISING Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335
Speaking of Stephen King, October is the beginning of “spooky season.” I was a Halloween baby, so that’s another reason, fall is my favorite. This month, Davin Wilson adds to the season with a look at some places that make this “haunted southside.” Lee continues with the scares in his column.
Kenny Thornton Jr | Account Executive kenny@showcasemagazine.com
Last October, we focused on a few influential women in the area. This year, we’re doing it again. Sam Jackson caught up with sisters Carolyn Lumpkin and Cathy Fowler, who are local business owners with a drive to meet the community’s needs.
753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com
Also, we welcome Anna Brooks back to Showcase. She sat down with Shay Ayala to talk about SolFlower and to enlighten readers on the responsibilities of a being a doula. This month, settle down with old friends and share stories while listening to “Autumn in New York” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong to get into the season. And, let’s take a moment to welcome fall with a few words of poet Humbert Wolfe. “Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with the leaves. We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!”
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Angie Barrett | Anna Brooks | Paulette Dean Sam Jackson | Lee Vogler | Davin Wilson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jameel Austin | Angie Barrett Sam Jackson | Lee Vogler COVER Photo of Shay Ayala by Jameel Austin
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FEATURE THE “SO(U)L FLOW”
The “so(u)l flow” BY ANNA BROOKS PHOTOS BY JAMEEL AUSTIN
S
howcase Magazine sat down with Shay Ayala, founder of Solflower LLC located in Danville, VA, and her partner, Jameel Rashad Austin, at local coffee and wine bar, Crema and Vine—this location significant—as it’s where the two first began their relationship and where Ayala was inspired to redirect the mission of her organization, Solflower. Accompanying them was their 18-month-old son, Phoenix, who they claim turned the world “right side up,” born in March 2020, when the pandemic turned the rest of the world upside down. Ayala founded “Solflower” in May 2018. The name, a compilation of the Spanish word “sol,” meaning “sun,” and “flower,” is reminiscent of “sunflower.” Ayala recalls the sunflowers, sometimes 12 feet tall, her grandmother cultivated in their front yard; this was a large influence in naming her organization “Solflower.” “Sol” also plays on the word “soul,” as Ayala encourages her clients to let their “so(u)l flow.” Originally, Ayala imagined Solflower as a clothing boutique; however, she was inspired during an open mic night to continue with the LLC to provide the community with her expertise and passions, including doula services and training, breastfeeding support and advocacy, and natal chart preparation and tarot card reading upon request. “It hit me during the open mic, as I experienced the poetry and the sense of community, that I wanted to move forward with Solflower as something other than a clothing boutique—it’s a means to empower women. Solflower is [in essence] me.” Solflower moved forward, clothing souls rather than bodies. Solflower’s mantra is Alexander Den Heijer’s quote, “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” With empowerment at the front-line of Solflower, Ayala claims the latter quote as the organization’s mission statement.
“When people see a problem, they want to change the people involved rather than the circumstance, but I believe sometimes it’s the situation that needs to be fixed and not the people—often, the system is what’s broken.” Ayala is still awestruck by the way her doula training found her. For many, a doula, pronounced “doo-luh,” is often confused with a midwife. A doula’s role during birth is not to deliver a child but to provide coaching for a mother and her partner pre, present, and post-birth. Ayala was always familiar with a number of doulas. Her favorite musician from the age of five, Erykah Badu, is a doula. “I would definitely say that I am a child of hers,” says Ayala, expressing her love for Badu’s “neo-soul” compositions. It wasn’t until Ayala realized, family-friend, I’man Boykin, owner of Sacred Beginnings, was a holistic doula that she felt confident to fulfill her calling to become a doula as well. “I had never known a doula personally. Realizing that I’man was a doula made becoming a doula more real for me,” states Ayala. The birthing process is sacred to Ayala. Growing up, she served as a support for her mother during the birth of all her siblings. “I supported my mother during all my siblings’ births without any training. I’m comfortable with birth. My mother has always told me I was a doula before formally becoming a doula.” Ayala works to preserve her child-like intuition in all of her practices, allowing herself to veer away from “the rules” of a practice. Following intuition and responding to her clients’ energies allows her to mold a subjective experience for individual clients. Ayala’s formal training concluded in May of this year. Since then, she has provided doula services through Solflower during a virtual birth. Recently, she connected with her first in-person client during a home visit. As a doula, Ayala intercedes as encourager and caretaker for the mother. This includes making sure the mother Continued to Page 10 www.showcasemagazine.com
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FEATURE THE “SO(U)L FLOW”
Continued from Page 9
is feeding her body, taking her pre-natal vitamins, and preparing her and her partner for birth. Ayala works to coach mothers and their partners in order to strengthen their relationship prior to birth. If a mother doesn’t have a partner, Ayala steps into that supportive role. Ayala is as present as a mother or couple needs her to be before and during a birth. Ayala will work with any mother in need of a doula, yet her work is driven by a need to end fatal births in mothers of color. “I don’t know if you know this,” Ayala shifts in her chair to accommodate her son, Phoenix, as she breastfeeds him, “but Black women are four times more likely to die during child-birth. I want to contribute to closing that gap.” Being a doula is not seasonal, but rather, it’s a role Ayala sees herself in for the rest of her life. Ayala hopes to make doula training and services more accessible in Danville through Solflower. Inquiries regarding doula services can be directed to info@thesolflower.com.
Ayala recently began working with the VDH as an outreach worker and breastfeeding peer counselor. “That’s my day-job,” Ayala affirms. However, this role carries over to Solflower, as Ayala hopes to help mothers in our community “get back to their roots” by rediscovering the sacredness of breastfeeding. “As women, breastfeeding is something we were designed to do. Yet so many new mother’s first response is to reach for formula as a source of nourishment for their baby,” states Ayala. As a breastfeeding peer counselor and doula, Ayala wants to present breastfeeding to her clients as an option that is accessible, affordable, and beneficial for both the mother and her child. Ayala hopes to normalize breastfeeding for women in our area and make it a mother’s instinct to allow her body to provide for her child. As part of her mission, Ayala has written a number of blogs which serve as a resource and support for mothers. “Writing how I feel and then seeing comments from other mothers, like ‘This makes me feel so seen,’ is very healing [for me].” It’s the interpretive nature of art-forms, like writing, that Ayala and Austin feel makes it the best means for communicating emotion or experience. Austin, Ayala’s partner, interjects, “I think that’s the beauty of art—right? You get to remove your filter and express yourself in a way that is, often, more receptive.” Ayala also provides natal charts and tarot card readings to clients who are interested. Natal charts tell us how the planets were aligned during a person’s birthday, providing insight into personality traits as they relate to astrology. Similarly, a tarot card reading may foreshadow upcoming events. Ayala believes that natal charts and tarot readings can be helpful in preparing for and understanding our futures. In speaking to skepticism surrounding astrology, Ayala states, “I don’t think we realize what we’re made of. The moon affects the ocean tides—we are made of about 60% water. [The moon and other planets] have to affect the ethereal parts of ourselves. Humans are fluid, and I like to explore that side of our experience.” Solflower is an intricate web—a weaving of practices— working to protect that which is sacred. Ayala encourages our community to “protect and honor what’s sacred and protect and honor women, at a time when they need it the most.”
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FEATURE SISTERS’ ACT
Sisters’ Act BY SAM JACKSON PHOTO BY SAM JACKSON
S
isters Cathy Fowler and Carolyn Lumpkin talk frequently about a variety of subjects. But when they talk business, they literally talk business.
Fowler and Lumpkin both own different stores in Danville. Fowler is the owner of Nature’s Essentials Herbs & Natural Wellness, and Lumpkin’s store—and Lumpkin herself—is known as the Bra Lady. Siblings running businesses is nothing unusual, but the circumstances may be. Each found her calling after years spent in another field, and both got into their enterprises around the same time, even though the two shops are very different. Their inspiration, however, is the same. “You’ve got to want to help people,” Cathy said. That’s nothing new to Cathy. She worked at the cosmetics counter at the local Belk store for 20 years. The need for a change began after she spent years battling endometriosis, which led to having a large tumor removed, followed by treatment. Still, things didn’t improve. “For 10 years, I did everything I was told to do,” she said. “But I kept having more problems… and 10 years later, I had six more of those stupid things taken out.” Almost immediately after that, their mother, who had been in ill health, passed away. “She was on 25 prescriptions, and I was already on about 14,” Cathy said. Realizing her present course of action wasn’t working, she changed direction. “I just decided, ‘I’ve got to do something different,’” she said. So, she studied natural healthcare, through books and classes, until she moved to Danville and, with sister Cheryl Ashworth, began her their first herb store in 1999. Although it was rough going at first, as few if any were preaching the benefits of natural care, Cathy stuck with it. To this day, Cathy believes in holistic health and that what goes into the body manifests on the outside. “There’s always a root to every issue,” she said.
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After a few years, Carolyn got involved. Again, her desire was to fill a need. Cathy and Carolyn’s mother and aunts all suffered through breast cancer, and their grandmother died from it. Carolyn learned the need for specially made bras for women who have had mastectomy surgery. The need for bra sizes that weren’t found in the department store wasn’t new. Several members of their family could never find bras that fit, and their mother used to sew and repair their family’s bras herself. The plight of others in the same boat led Carolyn began a journey toward becoming “The Bra Lady.” Carolyn didn’t pursue a business until she was in her 50s. While many of her peers were looking to retire, the need to help others led her into her own shop—but not before she sought divine help. “I said, ‘I’ve been praying about this for years,’” she added, “and it just sort of fell into my lap.” Both sisters said they underestimated the need for their services when they started. “I just started out kind of part-time,” Carolyn said. She started the business out of a single room in Cathy’s shop, and then the two opened a new location together in Danville. Before long, each needed their own space. After advertising her service once, “every time I opened the door, it was full,” Carolyn said. “The door opened, and it’s never shut since.” In the course of serving the needs of their customers, the sisters learn a little more than they bargained for. That comes with the territory, they say, as people often talk about more personal topics than the ones that brought them into the store. “I’m not really a therapist,” Cathy said. Still, once you get intimately involved in improving a customer’s health, all doors open. “People tell me stuff they’ve never told anybody.” Likewise, it’s easy for Carolyn to get close to her customers because of the personal need she serves. That often leads
Carolyn Lumpkin and Cathy Fowler
to multiple members of a family coming in for fittings.
rewarding thing you will ever do in your life.”
“Husbands will come in to get their wives a bra for Christmas,” she said. Still, the sisters realize that their work is their calling.
Although the sisters have differing types of businesses, they still share customers with one another. Carolyn, having to frequently serve customers who have been through cancer treatment, can often give referrals.
“It’s your ministry,” Carolyn said. “You figure that out after a bit.”
“I tell them, ‘You need to rebuild your immune system, and I know somebody that can do it,’” she said.
But where does this desire to help others come from?
The sisters are on different roads and separated by about three miles. They both need more space than when they started, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t like a different setup.
“It was our mom,” Cathy said. “Our mom would feed the country.” The family lived on a small farm run by their father, who was legally blind after contracting a parasite during World War II. Still, the family grew, made or traded for just about anything it needed—and they shared with others in the community. “You have to just want to help people,” Cathy said. “I don’t know. It’s just how we grew up.” Such devotion to others starts in the home, they said. “You’re going to help your family first,” Cathy said. “And then I just started wanting to help everybody.” Carolyn said, seeing the relief and joy on the faces of her customers is the best gift. “It just makes you keep going,” she said. “To watch people feel better,” Cathy said, “it’s the most
“We still wish we could be in a building together,” Carolyn said. They would need extra room. Their niece, Dr. Maggie Ashworth, owns Balanced Health Chiropractic. Another niece works with Carolyn at The Bra Lady Boutique. After over two decades of filling needs and serving customers who fall into very specific categories, the sisters wouldn’t change a thing. The road may have been difficult, but Cathy said the payoffs more than outweigh the trials that come along the way. It’s all about how you impact the lives of your customers. “It’s so rewarding when people come up to you and hug you,” Cathy said. “it just makes your heart fall to your toes.” www.showcasemagazine.com
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FEATURE HAUNTED SOUTHSIDE?
Haunted Southside? BY DAVIN WILSON
W
e’ve all heard (and been scared by) urban legends such as a maniac with a hook for a hand, a headless phantom that walks the railroad tracks with a lantern looking for his head or a witch who’s put a curse on the town. In most cases, those stories are just stories, but as it turns out, some might be true when it comes to our hometown of Danville. In 2015, Channel 6 News in Richmond published an article that ranked our hometown as the third-most haunted city in the country — which makes sense given the city’s deep agricultural, industrial, and social histories. There’s the tale of a witch that supposedly pulls you down a flat road to your death, stories of phantom cigar smoke in the old museum, and the legend of a tomb haunted by the ghost of a murdered mother and her children. No matter the tale, if you’re into things that go bump in the night, Danville is the place for you. Let’s look at some of our local haunts. Sutherlin Mansion: Built in 1859 for prominent citizen, Major William T. Sutherlin, the house became the temporary residence of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who issued his last official proclamation as president of the Confederacy. Because of Davis’ stay in the mansion during the last week of the Confederacy, the city has become known as the “Last Capital of the Confederacy,” and apparently some spirits still hang around. The figure of a man peering out the windows during the day is one of the biggest purported haunts. Along with the ghostly appearance of the man, people have smelled cigar smoke in the dining room even though nobody is smoking. The sound of a little girl moaning through the other side of the wall can also be heard, while visitors have also seen reflections in the mirror. Strange orbs have been seen floating on the security cameras and some have even claimed to have seen the apparition of Major Sutherlin himself. Gravity Hill: Turn off U.S. 58 and you’ll find Oak Hill Road off of Berry Hill Road. While the intersection appears to be ordinary, it’s really quite bizarre. Stop your car at the stop sign and put it in neutral — no foot on brakes or accelerator — and it will be slowly pulled up hill, thus the name Gravity Hill. The legend goes a witch moved onto Oak Hill Road to mess with some of the community’s overzealous religious folks. The witch, naturally unwilling to let bygones be bygones, is said to haunt the road and pull drives back to her house for their certain deaths. Author Ryan Doan made the trek to Virginia to test the road where he found the legend was quite true. He recalled not only the car moving backwards but looking down at one point and seeing the milage on his odometer read 666.1 — weird not only because of the number’s significance, but because the witch’s house is 0.1 miles up Oak Hill.
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Got chills yet? No, let’s continue. Satan’s Bridge: Not far from Gravity Hill is a little two-lane county bridge covered with graffiti on both sides. Its official name is Berry Hill Bridge, but Danville and Pittsylvania County residents — along with paranormal researchers and supposed occultists — know the bridge as Satan’s Bridge. It has been said that the bridge was once a meeting place for a satanic group. The group supposedly sacrificed animals and hung them on the bridge, while also etching pentagrams — many of which are still present — into the side of the structure. There have even been reports of hooded figures being seen in the woods nearby. There’s also the story of a woman, who, around the Great Depression, was walking on the railroad tracks near the bridge when she was struck by a Norfolk Southern Train. A few days later, a group of teens stumbled across her headless body and called the authorities. The woman has supposedly been walking the tracks with a lantern, looking for her head. Legend of the Tomb: There’s a church that sits off Laniers Road in the county. On that church’s property, there sits a tomb that was built to memorialize a murdered family. According to the urban legend, there was a house nearby the church in which a family lived. One day, the husband locked his family inside, including the dog, and burned the house down, killing everybody. The wife’s mother had the tomb built as a memorial for her slain daughter and grandchildren. It’s said that if you go to the tomb and sit on it around midnight, you’ll hear dogs barking first, then the kids screaming, then you’d smell the smoke. If you stay long enough, it’s said the man will come and kill you as well. Bell-Pace-Boatright House: This is one of the city’s oldest houses and was constructed as the events that led to the end of the Civil War were occurring. Maybe because of its age, maybe because of its rich history, the house is known to be supernaturally active. Jonathan and Ginger Holbrook and their children had several sightings in the house, including a Civil War soldier who has, on multiple occasions, been seen entering the basement of the house from the outside. Other sightings include a servant who walks through a wall where this isn’t a door, even though there used to be. Ginger has also seen a young girl in Civil War-era clothing and has heard the voice of a “proper sounding woman” in the living room. The house’s original owner, Mr. Boatright, has also been seen sitting in a rocking chair or in a swing on the second-story porch. The story is, if you ask him to stop rocking or swinging, he will oblige. Lastly, some have also seen the face of a little girl looking out of the attic dormer.
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PAWS FOR A CAUSE
Paws for a Cause This is the time of year when I tell you I hate Halloween. I hate the way we receive calls about lost black cats before Halloween. I hate the gruesome costumes, and I hate knowing what I know about the “holiday.” About five years ago, I attended a local workshop about cult rituals. Some pictures and slides still haunt me, and when I wake up in the middle of the night with them on my mind, prayer is the only thing that erases them. I have also investigated the ritual torture of animals.
WRITTEN BY PAULETTE DEAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY
It may sound like a cute idea to take your dog with you for trick-or-treating, but a dog can become frightened or confused by the noise and costumes. A dog bite or lost dog will end the fun.
Halloween can be a scary time for pets. They are very routine-oriented, and can be upset by the parties and trick-or-treaters. They can also become frightened by the costumes. We recommend pet owners take the following precautions: Keep your pets inside, away from all Halloween activities. They can feel threatened by the sight of the costumes, and frequently opened doors provide an opportunity for escape. Make sure all pets wear collars with identification tags just in case. Do not give in to the temptation to let your pets have candy. Candy can be harmful to them, and chocolate is toxic to dogs, cats, and ferrets.
If you use candles in jack-o’-lanterns, make sure your pet stays away. Accidents can happen, and the candles can quickly burn or set fire to a pet’s fur. Playful pets can become entangled in hanging decorations like streamers, and other decorations can be a choking hazard.
Every outside animal is at risk for being hurt by pranksters or cruel people, but black cats are especially at risk during this time of year. If you have a black cat, the safest place for him for a couple of weeks before Halloween is right by your side. Halloween can still be a fun time for children, but extra precautions are needed to protect all of your pets during this time.
MEET JENNA This little two-year-old girl is a shih tzu mix. She came to us from a bad situation and needs a quiet, loving home.
DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY
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EXTRA GAMES
Games
Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1 Cotton ball 5 False god graven image 9 Lager 13 Yarn 14 One of Columbus’ ships 15 Impressionist painter 16 Rampage 17 Has toed 18 Type of wood 19 Guilty 21 52 weeks 23 School group 24 Unrefined metal 25 What pepper makes you do 29 Censor 30 Musical symbol 32 Drag 33 Promised 36 Bring down 37 Whichever 38 .16 of an inch 39 Tinseled cloth 40 Brand of cotton tipped stick
41 Liable 42 Book by Homer 43 Pursuit 44 Ball holder 45 Performing group 46 Couple 47 Respect 49 __ Lanka 50 Accountant 53 Doctor’s picture 55 Containing water 57 Island nation 60 Region 62 Adrenocorticotropic hormone 63 Radical 64 Feared 65 Lug 66 Space ship builders 67 Lairs 68 States DOWN 1 Tie down 2 Middle 3 Hawaiian ‘hello’ 4 Second letter of the greek alphabet
5 Advanced medical student 6 Light emitting __ 7 Single 8 Dame 9 Blade 10 Spanish “one” 11 Cozy room 12 Eye infection 15 Less nice 20 Groan 22 Painter Richard 26 Thrill 27 Arizona Indian tribe 28 Nile’s home 29 Brassiere 30 Gypsy 31 Payable 33 Oodles 34 Scrubs off 35 Group of eight 36 Set down 39 South American animal 40 Status __ 42 Portugal’s peninsula 43 __ pro quo
46 Nymphs 48 Surplus 49 Shininess 50 Powdered chocolate
51 Filler 52 Cinder 54 Three feet 56 Rodents
57 Attila the __ 58 Wing 59 __ A Small World... 61 Regret
Word Search ANNUALLY
EXAM
KNOWLEDGE
POWER
AWARENESS
FAMILY
MAMMOGRAM
STRENGTH
COURAGE
HOPE
PINK RIBBON
SUPPORT
CURE
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SURVIVOR
Answers on Page 22
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FEATURE BIG BEAR’S WIFE
From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife Easy Meringue Witch Finger Cookies WRITTEN BY ANGIE BARRETT OF BIGBEARSWIFE.COM PHOTO BY ANGIE BARRETT
These easy Meringue Witch Finger Cookies are crispy, creepy, and perfect for Halloween. These witch finger cookies are made with a meringue cookie recipe, colored green for of a bit of a classic witch look and decorated with an almond as the creepy witch nail! YIELD: ABOUT 36 COOKIES
INGREDIENTS • 4 room temperature egg whites • 1/8 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1 cup white sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • green food coloring • 36 almonds You’ll also need: • Piping bag or sandwich bag • baking sheet • parchment paper or silicone baking mat INSTRUCTIONS 1. In the bowl on a stand mixer, or a large bowl in order to use an electric hand mixer, combine egg whites, salt and cream of tartar. 2. Whip high for about a minute until foamy. 3. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time to egg white mixture. Whip on high for about 10 seconds between each tablespoon. 4. Once all sugar has been added, whip on high until meringue is thick and shiny. 5. Add extract and coloring and mix until combined. 6. Preheat oven to 225F. 7. Fill the piping bag with mixture and pipe 3-inch witch fingers onto the prepared baking sheet. These cookies don’t spread so they can be piped close to each other. 8. Add an almond to the end of each cookie for the witch fingernail. 9. Once oven is preheated, place cookies into oven and bake for 1 hour. 10.Turn oven off and let cookies cool inside of the oven for 2 hours. 11.Remove and enjoy. Store cookies in an airtight container. Cookies left out at room temperature and not sealed will get soft and mushy.
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CONFESSIONS OF A 30 SOMETHING
Confessions of a 30 Something Spooky Season BY LEE VOGLER PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER
Laurie Strode: “It was the Bogeyman.” Dr. Sam Loomis: “As a matter of fact it was.” I love a good scary movie. Heck, I even enjoy a lot of the bad ones. With this being October and Halloween right around the corner, what better way to start this month’s column than with a quote from John Carpenter’s classic 1978 film? As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved this time of year. The chill in the air that begins to set in. The changing of the leaves. And most of all, the scares! I’ve been to so many haunted houses and hayrides over the years I’ve lost count. A lot of great memories were made with family and friends at these spooky attractions. Once I met Kane Hodder (pictured here), who played Jason in the four of the Friday the 13th films. Despite his imposing physique, he was actually a very nice guy. I found that to be the case when Kingston and I met Tyler Mane (also pictured) a couple of years ago. Mane played Michael Myers in the two Rob Zombie Halloween movies. There’s just something about getting scared that appeals to us, as human beings. It has been in our culture for
centuries, dating back to ghost stories being told around campfires. We scream, and then often we laugh afterwards at how we were duped into getting frightened over something so silly. It is all part of the fun. If you’re in the mood for a good scare this month, consider checking out the latest Jamie Lee Curtisstarring Halloween flick, Halloween Kills. It was filmed in Wilmington, NC, despite being set in Illinois. Blair and I visited several of the filming locations a couple months ago, so it will be neat to see how it plays out on the big screen. So enjoy this spooky season. And if you hear something go bump in the night, be careful. It might just be the bogeyman...
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Word Search
Crossword Puzzle
Continued from Page 18
Games Solutions