Sophie Woman's Magazine Nov 2009

Contents Message From The Heart......................................................Pg 3 Treasure Investigator.............................................................Pg 6 Mandy’s Misadventures........................................................Pg 7 Larger Than Life....................................................................Pg 9 Fly Lady...............................................................................Pg 10 Truth & Beauty....................................................................Pg 12 Trust Is Wonderful...............................................................Pg 13 Girlfriends In God...............................................................Pg 15 Book Talk............................................................................Pg 16 Ask The Coach....................................................................Pg 17 A Woman & Her Hairdresser...............................................Pg 18 The Front Porch...................................................................Pg 21 Welcome Them Warm.........................................................Pg 30 Dinner Diva........................................................................Pg 33

Sophie Woman’s Magazine, LLC. 3354 16th Ave SE, Box 1 Conover NC, 28613

Editor: Richard Smith, Judy Smith Sales: Judy Smith, Sherry Sigmon, Debbie Benge Distribution: Richard Smith Graphic Design: Scott Hansley

Final Advertising Deadline For The Next Issue:

November 18

How to place an ad: Call our office at (828) 466-0122 and leave a message.

One of our sales representatives will return your call as soon as possible. You may also fax material to (828) 466-0124. We reserve the right to refuse to run any ad we deem to be controversial or in bad taste.

Thanks To Our Distributors Hwy. 127 Jagged Edge Salon Windy City Grill Cafe Gouda Davinci’s 29th Ave Golden China Frankie & Johnnies Spring Arbor Sandy Ridge Rd. Captain’s Galley Sub Station II Springs Rd. Oriental Express Liberty Hair & Nails Curves China Moon Sakura Japanese Primetime Video

Food Lion Galaxy Shell’s BBQ Tate Blvd.

A Woman’s View Baby In Me Graystone Eye Hickory Family Phar.

Frye Care Catawba Women’s Ctr. Piedmont Cardiology Carolina Orthopaedic Grayston Ear, Nose & Throat Hildebran Korner Cafe Hildebran Medical Clinic Turning Heads Salon

Connelly Springs Tex’s Fish Camp Icard Granny’s Kitchen Valdese Valdese Hospital Styles Shimmer & Shine Giovanni’s Pizza Myra’s Mr. Roberts Hair Affair Drexel Spicers Restaurant Drexel Medical Practice Morganton Cloud 9 Salon Great China Buck’s Pizza TCBY

China Buffet Pizza Hut Nara Express Harbor Inn Seafood Uptown Western Sizzlin Abeles Family El Paso Mexican Sagebrush Steakhouse Nice Nails Smart Cuts Los Arcoris Mexican Nails “R” Us Dragon Garden Tastee Freeze Fitness Authority New China Seafood Inlet Hair Infinity & Tanning

For a complete listing please go to www.sophiewomansmagazine.com

Please visit these and all our participating businesses.

Sophie - The Woman’s Magazine LLC is published monthly. The articles published in Sophie do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. All articles are intended for informational purposes only, and none should serve as a substitute for doctor’s advice and orders. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content and validity of information published within their ads and are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. Deceptive or misleading advertising is not knowingly accepted by the publisher. Advertising is accepted with the understanding that all liability for copyright violations is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. All material submitted for publication is considered to be the sole property of the advertiser.

Page 4• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Get the Better of

Black Friday In an image reminiscent of marathoners lining up at the start of the race, each year stores across the country play host to scores of shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Many of those shoppers arrive long before a store even opens, finding themselves elbow-to-elbow with similar deal seekers.

Known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving appears to be bulletproof. Even last year, when the much-maligned national economy had already started to struggle mightily, shoppers spent more than $10 billion on Black Friday. This year could prove difficult to forecast, as the economy has recovered somewhat, though many families continue to struggle through layoffs.

Adding to that difficulty are the differing points of view with respect to Black Friday. For every success story of a plasma TV purchased for 50 percent off, there seem to be a dozen or so more stories about the individual who waits outside a store in the cold, only to find a popular item is sold out by the time he or she gets indoors. In other words, predicting the success of Black Friday for retailers is just as difficult as predicting the success of Black Friday for individuals: sometimes both get what they want, sometimes neither does.

But as 2008 can attest, shoppers are still going to hit the stores this Black Friday, and they’re probably going to do so in droves. For those braving the mayhem that often characterizes Black Friday, consider the following survival tips. * Do your research. Perhaps no items are more steeply marked down in price come Black Friday than big ticket electronics, most notably plasma, LCD or DLP televisions. Unfortunately, not all such appliances are equal. Getting a good price is not necessarily the same thing as getting a good deal. This is where research needs to play a role. Research big ticket items, including televisions. Retailer Web sites often have customer ratings sections where customers can rate specific appliances. If ratings are consistently poor or commenters routinely cite problems, then steer clear of those items, no matter how low the price might be. * Get up early. Some deals are exactly what they seem. While it can be difficult to get out of bed in the middle of the night to go holiday shopping, it will be easy to go back to sleep when arriving home with exactly what you wanted and knowing you got the best deal possible.

Many stores open at 4 or 5 a.m. on Black Friday. While waking up that early seems like a tall order, particularly after eating so much turkey the day before, there’s no law against napping on Black Friday, and if you get what you came for, you could be back in bed in a couple of hours. * Don’t stress out. Black Friday isn’t easy for anyone (just ask the nation’s retail employees). Chances are, even the most veteran Black Friday shopper is going to feel stressed out at one point or another. If the stress becomes too much, simply go home. This year figures to have lots of good deals throughout the holiday season, as retailers plan on families spending less thanks to the economy. That means the deals on Black Friday, while they might be the best of the season, probably won’t be significantly better than something you might find a few weeks later. * Buy a newspaper on Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Day paper is packed with coupons offering Black Friday discounts. Peruse the paper for such coupons while watching football on Thanksgiving and you’re likely to be glad you did.

Have You Seen Our Photos At Shutterbuggerz.com?

shutterbuggerz

The

Treasure Investigator

Question #1 Question from Nan I have seven issues of Flapper Magazines that were my Dads. The first issue is May 1922 and runs through November 1922.

They are in excellent shape with no tears or rips to the pages just some minor stains to the outside. I am attaching photos for you to see. Please let me know what you think.

Answer Nan, your magazines are one of many publications targeting young adults in the 20’s. It would have been the first time this age group was targeted to rebel against the norm (getting married and have a family) and go and have fun. The magazines are a great read but at auction most magazines from the 20’s are bought for the big colorful ads. I think the ones your Dad had were more of a newsletter format and lack the big advertisers. The set at auction would probably sell for $20 - $30.

Question # 2 Question from Kate I bought a pair of these framed pictures at a yard sale. They are 25” x 22” and in a bright gold frame. Are they real?

Question #3 Question from Mary Sue Do you know how old this clock is and where it is from? It is about 12” high, and 14” wide. It looks like it has china on the face of it. I have the key. Also, what is the correct way to get the clock going? It goes for a couple minutes and stops.

Answer Your clock is probably French and from the turn of the last century.

The face of the clock is most likely porcelain. This clock looks like it has a couple cracks on the porcelain but otherwise in great shape. The proper way to start a pediment clock is to wind each side the same amount of times and gently drop an end to get it to swing. Never over wind or move the pediment by hand. Also it is vital the clock is on a level surface. If it is not level, it will stop running.

Inquires of general interest will be answered in this column as space permits. Estimate of what items will sell for are based on current auction prices and do not reflect an appraisal. Please send questions with a jpeg format image file that is clear, no larger than 550 pixels. Be sure to measure the item, note condition and any marks, and tell me as much as you can about what you know about the items past.

Please send to: ckfaganauction@gmail.com Please title: Treasure Investigator Cathy Fagan, Personal Property Appraiser and NC Auctioneer #8908

Answer You have a Victorian framed print. These prints were very popular from 1890’s to the 1920’s. The print colors are usually very bright with lots of aqua, pink and yellow. It looks like the frame has been repainted a bright gold. The original color of the frame should be a very dull, dirty looking bronze color. They sell at auction for $75 to $150 each depending on the condition of the print and frame.

CK FAGAN AUCTION & APPRAISAL

*ESTATE AUCTIONS & APPRAISALS*BENEFIT AUCTIONS*PERSONAL PROPERTY AUCTIONS & APPRAISALS*BUSINESS LIQUIDATIONS*MOVING AUCTIONS*

ON SITE AUCTION SPECIALIST WHEN YOU WANT IT SOLD NOW! North Carolina NAAL#8908

WWW.CKFAGAN.COM USPAP CERTIFIED PERSONAL PROPERY APPRAISER

(828)-446-7139 Page 6• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

PENNSYLVANIA PAAL#AU005589

(215) 943-2298

Mandy’s

Misa

s e r u t n e v d

by Mandy Thomas

Fall Follies

It seems like ever since having children, the list of restaurants we can actually go to is dwindling fast. One incident in particular assures me that we are probably no longer welcome at the local Olive Garden.

Last fall my in-laws came to visit us, and since my father-inlaw had never been to Olive Garden, we decided it was high time he was introduced. We figured, nice night out, delicious dinner, why not? Stupid question.

We were settled in to our table, had our menus and were looking over the specials. Meanwhile, the waitress provided Savannah with a kids menu that was cleverly shaped like a coloring book and small selection of crayons wrapped in cellophane. I take extra notice of the menu and crayons because Savannah was just getting the hang of the coloring thing. She was still far from staying inside the lines, but she could color dogs appropriately brown, and the grass correctly green. Or yellow, but whatever.

We had just placed our food orders when I noticed little specks around Savannah’s lips and lodged in her teeth. “Savannah?” I asked tentatively, “Honey, why are your lips green?”

She looked at the floor and wouldn’t answer me. Chris, my husband, took a more direct approach. “Did you eat the crayon?” he asked. Savannah nodded guiltily.

And then, my dear, sweet husband had a wonderful idea for convincing Savannah not to eat crayons. “Oh well,” he said, looking exaggeratedly disappointed, “Now it’s stuck in your stomach.”

Savannah’s eyes popped open so wide I’m surprised they didn’t pop right out of her head. A few minutes passed and she was quiet, I guess mulling over the news of the crayon inside her. And then, the panic hit her.

She started wailing uncontrollably, and whenever I would ask her what was wrong, she would shout “It’s in me! It won’t come out!”

I tried to explain to her that it would come out eventually, but she would have none of it. People were starting to stare at this point, and I was ready to kick Chris. So, I suggested we go to the bathroom. Putting it delicately, it was a successful trip to the rest room, and I tried to convince her that she had gotten the crayon out. Savannah would hear none of it.

Eventually, I got her back to the table, and quiet. But it would only last a few minutes before she would remember the crayon and melt down all over again. Many trips to the bathroom later, she was still sobbing and people were staring, so my mother-in-law and I took her out to the car where we waited until the men ate their dinners.

I think Chris has learned a valuable lesson from all of this, but I will still miss Olive Garden.

Amanda Rogers Jamie Cloer Tammy Nash

HHair, OUSE O F S TYLE Nail, and Skin Salon 828-304-4400

1054 3rd Ave Dr. NW Hickory NC 28601

Gourmet Gifts & Kitchen Necessities

Wine, Champagne, Party Supplies & Bridal Registry • Turkey Baster • Large Variety of Wines & • Turkey Platters Hostess Gifts • Turkey Lifters • April Cornell • Silicone Food Tie • Soups Wraps • Apple Cranberry Chutney • Roasting Pans • Seasonal Jams & Jelly • Gravy Separator • Bamboo Organic Cutting • Handi Choppers Boards • Gravy Boats • Ham Rack • Gravy Ladle • Fall Cookie Cutters • Cooking Twine • Fall Chocolates • Silicone Basting Brush • Gravy Wisk • Holiday Cheer Coffee • Whole Baking Spices • Cheese Cloth • Meat Thermometer • Giant Baster • Roasting Racks • Pie Pans 309 Sanford Dr. • Morganton • Parchment Paper 438-8400 • Silicone Mats (Beside Mac’s TV) • Electric Knife • Steamers

Lori Payne Tammy Harrington Darlene Hayes

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 7

Welcome To A New You

All services performed by Lisa Caporossi, M.D. and Shannon Hawkins, RN, Laser Specialist

•November Special•

Buy 1 Laser Hair Removal Area, Get The 2nd Area 1/2 OFF

Menu of Services

◊ Permanent Hair Reduction

Coolglide® or ProWave™ depending on hair type and location

◊ Erase Sun Damage & Age Spots Medical Grade Chemical Peels, Limelight™ or Pearl™

◊ Reduce Fine Lines & Wrinkles

Laser Genesis, Pearl™, Microdermabrasion Botox® or Medical Grade Chemical Peels, Dermal Fillers

◊ Acne Treatment

Laser Genesis, Pearl™,Medical Grade Chemical Peels

◊ Facial and Leg Vein Treatment Coolglide® and/or Sclerotherapy

◊ Scar Treatment

Laser Genesis or Pearl™

◊ Rosacea

Limelight™ or Coolglide®

◊ Prescribed Solutions® Skincare Cleanser, Serum and Moisturizers mixed specifically for you

◊ Latisse®

Visit our web site for Monthly Specials www.generationsaesthetics.com

Phone: (828)485-2762 Fax (828)485-2257 212 29th Ave. NE Hickory, NC 28601

In-Home Family Fun Ideas Fit for the Holidays The holiday season ... it’s simultaneously the most wonderful and most stressful time of the year. In the midst of all of the shopping, gift-wrapping and cooking, families have a great opportunity to spend time together during this time of year. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc., reunite during the holidays, providing the perfect opportunity to catch up and nurture family togetherness.

As many families are looking to save money this holiday season, in-home family fun will no doubt be counted on to keep everyone entertained and happy. Whether you’re hosting family this season or heading off to Grandma and Grandpa’s, the following ideas can provide entertainment for the whole family. * Become your favorite heroes. Today’s parents no doubt recall the first time they saw “Star Wars” as a kid. One of the most popular series of films ever made, “Star Wars” returned to the silver screen in the 21st century, and now generations of families can become their favorite galactic heroes thanks to Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes from LucasArts. Whereas movies were once a holiday tradition for many families, nowadays families are becoming their favorite movie and television heroes thanks to video games based on their favorite films and shows.

Republic Heroes lets players fight as their favorite Jedi and clone troopers from the preeminent animated television series -- from familiar faces like Anakin Skywalker to new heroes like Clone Captain Rex. Moms and Dads will no doubt recognize characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi as they and their children slice and dice their way through Separatist droids, using their lightsabers and their agility to perform amazing leaps and navigate levels loaded with interactivity. Compatible with all major gaming systems, Republic Heroes is rated “T” for Teen (Fantasy Violence). * Embrace the classics. For years families have playfully competed with one another at the gaming table.

Classic games like Taboo, Pictionary and Monopoly are all great group games for all ages. Easy to play and as engaging as ever, most board games can still be found at popular retailers like Target and Wal-Mart.

LEGO(R) is another classic toy that can be embraced by generations of families, be it Grandpa who helped Dad when Dad was a kid, or today’s generation of kids who know LEGOs from games such as LEGO(R) Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues. Combining the fun and creative construction of LEGO bricks with the wits, daring and non-stop action of one of cinema’s most beloved adventure heroes, The Adventure Continues allows gamers and LEGO afficionados to combine their passions and experience the most authentic LEGO experience yet by designing and building their own levels brick by brick, and by fusing their levels with the ones in the game to create a custom experience. * Host a holiday singalong from the comforts of home. Families looking to have fun together this holiday season can embrace the tradition of caroling with a new tech-savvy twist. Rather than trolling the neighborhood in the cold and singing for neighbors, families can host their own singalong right in their own living room.

Thanks to karaoke-themed games, families can now have their very own “American Idol” competition as Mom, Dad, and even Grandma and Grandpa compete with the kids to release their inner rock star and put their singing talents (or lack thereof) on display.

Larger Than Life:

We’re “Too Big For Our Britches”

Larger Than Life is an article series designed for anything bigger, better, more outrageous, more creative, more flavorful and just simply a bigger chunk of what makes life worth living. _______________________________________________________

P

lus sized, plump, stout, the more Victorian term – portly, and my personal favorite – zaftig, ask any average American woman* all the labels that she is bombarded with in any form of popular media – including television, print and internet-based information outlets – all of this in regard to being a ‘woman of size’ and some of these words will eventually float to the surface. In our 21st century world, the typical American woman is, by definition, resoundingly Plus-Sized.

No matter the body image or size, self confidence is the best accessory one can wear. As everyone’s mother, grandmother, dance teacher and elementary school teacher nagged, it is achingly true that good posture really does make one look better in one’s clothes. All of that being said, it can be a bit of an expedition when going on the shopping safari when seeking the elusive ‘hot look’ of the moment when one is plus sized. The trick is to embrace your curves and quite literally make the trend your own.

Instead of buying a matchy/matchy outfit off the mannequin in the department, specialty store or boutique, look at the trend as pieces of a pie. Take your best assets and play them up. You know what you adore and what gets a lukewarm response from you. USE that instinct when shopping for your wardrobe. Do not purchase it if you don’t completely adore the piece. It is no bargain if it doesn’t make you want to dance or feel beautiful and powerful! In that same light, if it’s sitting in your closet and you silently hate it or never wear it, donate it or sell it. Period. Do it now.

Fashion is only one piece of the pie when discussing how plus sized women shop. I don’t know one woman (of any size) that hasn’t experienced the horrors of a major dressing room meltdown.

As with any other major life-purchase, you should, at all costs, avoid shopping when hungry, tired, sick, angry or in the company of a ‘negative Nelly’. Even if she only lives in your head, leave her at home or totally drown her out with some snazzy earbuds connected to an iPod or other mp3 player loaded with your favorite music or podcast. Shopping failure is not an option if you have Chaka Khan or some Dolly Parton music blowing the doors off that dressing room!

Remember – any shopping trip is only as good as your mindset and level of openness to new ideas and styles. Even if your only purchase is a new pair of seasonal socks that will be hidden beneath fall/winter boots, if they don’t feed your sense of fun/style and add to your life, they should stay in the store!

The most important accessory we can wear is selfconfidence. Without that and a good dose of self-esteem, even the most expensive designer garment is wasted. Self-empowerment is sexy!

by Lily Black

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average U.S. woman is 5’ 4” tall and weighs 152 pounds. This corresponds to a Body Mass Index of 26.3 kilograms/meters², which is slightly less than the average man’s.

The average American woman is tall enough for an astronaut (minimum height, 4’ 10.5) but falls short of the average Miss America winner (5’ 6.5) and is about the same height as the shortest president (James Madison, 5’ 4).

By the way, the average U.S. male stands 5’ 9.1 tall and weighs 180 pounds, with a Body Mass Index of 26.5 kg/m².

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 9

Eggs All In ONE Basket

by The FlyLady, Marla Cilley

I

want you to think for just a minute about what you would do if you lost all your phone numbers in your phone; then add with that your schedule for the next year! This is what happened to many people last week who thought their information was safely stored on some server out there in the world someplace. I don’t know about you but I feel myself getting sick to my stomach right about now!

I know that it is not the end of the world but it sure would feel like it if I lost my datebook, phone numbers and contacts information. Do you have a routine for “ROUTINELY” backing up all your information in your phone or in your computer?

A few years ago I was a keynote speaker on the same agenda with Dr. Steven Covey. He called me to his dressing room and asked me, “What exactly do you do?”

I told him that one of the things I do is teach people how to use a calendar and once they graduate from me that they could understand his calendar system.

Calendars are funny things! If you don’t look at them they will not tell you what you need to do. Now don’t start making excuses that you have a great digital calendar. I have one of those too but my main calendar is the old fashion paper one that hangs on the wall in my bathroom. In fact we have two paper ones and two digital ones for my schedule.

Let me tell you why I have my calendar in my bathroom. It is the first thing I do every morning. I start my day there. The first thing I do each morning is the first thing everyone does when they first get up; go potty. After I take care of business I step onto my scale. That is when I post my weight to my calendar. Do you see what I have done? I have piggy backed a habit that we already have with a habit I was trying to establish. I did this five years ago when Leanne and I were writing our book, Body Clutter.

I used to use only a digital calendar called a Digital Diary, but being a Sidetracked person; I would forget to put batteries in it. Then I upgraded to a Palm Pilot and then a Palm Treo phone. That worked well for me because all my information was on my computer too.

That way if I lost it, it got stolen or it broke; I had my important information backed up! Well that worked fine till I booked myself for an early morning LIVE radio interview and missed it because I had checked my calendar. (continued on next page)

Page 10• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Every Girl Deserves Free Jewelry!

This is when I started using my bathroom calendar for everything!

On interview days I would write in RED so that it would get my attention. When I would book an event I would immediately post it to my bathroom calendar and then email Michele and Nikki to put it on their calendars. Nikki uses a digital one that is on a server someplace and Michele uses a paper one that goes in her purse. Then I post it on my Palm Treo calendar on my computer.

We have a routine that twice a week we sync our calendars. On Monday when we have our weekly telephone conference with the crew and on Friday to remind me what we are up to next week.

Robert has even gotten into our calendar sync since he missed a doctor’s appointment that was on only his calendar. Now it is on mine and Michele’s calendar.

Do you have your calendar backed up? Do you have a printed out list or even a hand written list of your phone numbers and addresses?

Are all your eggs in one basket? Mine aren’t, but I had to learn the hard way!

• Host a fun Sterling Silver Jewelry Party with friends and earn up to 30% in FREE Jewelry!

• Earn an additional $25 in FREE jewelry for every guest booking!!

• Start your own business earning a great income and looking great in FREE jewelry!!!

Wendy W. Perry Independent Representative Fine Sterling Silver Jewelry (828)514-5163 wendywperry@yahoo.com

Call or email today to find out more about this STERLING Opportunity.

For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out her website and join her free life coaching at www.FlyLady.net , listen to her channel www. blogtalkradio.com/flylady show or read her books, Sink Reflections published

by Bantam and her New York Times Best Selling book, Body Clutter published

by Fireside. Copyright 2009 Marla Cilley Used by permission in this publication.

IRS Audit? Can’t Pay Taxes Owed? NC Audit?

Need HELP?

FREE Initial Consultation

Let us review your circumstances and recommend YOUR best solution to resolve your problems by Local Representative.

CALL NOW (828) 324-4047 Viewmont Professional Building • Suite 101 1015 2nd Street NE (Hwy. 127) • Hickory, NC 28601 Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 11

Truth & Beauty

by Teresa Pope

Q.

I often hear people say that they get regular microdermabrasion treatments. What is microdermabrasion? and how does it work?

A. Microdermabrasion is literally the sand blasting or sanding of the

Bio-Chemical Peel $32.00 Purchase 5 or More - Only $25 each Ultimate Facial (Incl. Bio-Peel) $75.00 Brow Shaping $10.00 (Precisely Measured For Your Face And Eye Shape)

$5.00 Off Massage (Ann) $10.00 Off Luxury Pedicure 10-40% Off Salon Products www.whypaysalonretail.com Page 12• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

322-6541 - Tate Blvd

•November Specials•

A Caring Touch

Get Ready To Look Your Holiday Best

skin. It is accomplished through several different methods. You and your esthetician must decide which method is right for you and your skin type. First, there is the crystal method of microdermabrasion. In this method crystals are forceful blown onto the skin surface. This process causes a rather severe stinging sensation, while others feel it is much more intense, than a sting. Once the treatment is over the face will feel as if you have a slight sunburn.

The second method is sanding. Your technician will use a hand held device with a specialized tip (usually made from crushed diamonds) which spins extremely fast. Your esthetician will then place it to your face and will sand the surface of the skin. This method also has a moderate to intense burning sensation.

Next there is the chemical method, which uses a variety of acids to peel the skin. The type of acids depends on the brand that your esthetician uses. Many use a combination of enzymes, lactic, salicylic, beta and alpha hydroxy acids. This method causes only a slight stinging sensation and some feel nothing at all. I prefer this method because the chances of contraindications are low.

With the crystal type there is a chance of getting crystals into the eyes, or bursting capillaries under the skin which will cause a permanent redness to the face. With the sanding diamond tip method, if your technician should go too deep you will have permanent scaring. There are virtually no contraindications with a chemical peel that will have permanent complications.

Any of these methods, in skilled hands will produce visible results. Skin will feel softer, smoother and have a health glow. It will appear more youthful with a slightly firmer appearance. Clarity will improve and skin will have a bright radiance. Long term results are; skin will be stronger and look younger due to the increase cell turnover , pigmented age spots will lighten, pores will be less congested and appear smaller. Fine lines will diminish, over all skin tone will improve. Your skin will also appear firmer due to the increased collagen production.

Basically, microdermabrasion removes dead skin cells triggering the skins self-healing ability by disrupting the skins natural barrier.

This disruption sets off a complex process within the epidermis, as it works to repair itself, sending a message to the dermis to produce collagen, and to send up lipids and new skin cells.

When you first began to receive microdermabrasion treatments you should ideally get 1 per week for 6 weeks after which , one every 4-6 weeks will be sufficient.

Cost may vary among skincare professionals, but typically the crystal and diamond wand type or $60-$95 per session and the chemical is much less, usually $30-$75 per treatment. Another reason I prefer this method above the others.

Trust is Wonderful

Change Sometimes Hurts

S

everal years ago I visited the Dominican Republic and stayed at a lovely, all-inclusive resort where there was a beautiful pool, all the food we could devour and all the drinks we could drink.

Our towels were provided at pool-side. The lounge chairs were comfortable. The sun was bright and the sound of the ocean was peaceful as we grew tanner.

But I knew I couldn’t return home and have my friends ask “how was the Dominican Republic” if I hadn’t seen and experienced it.

Not the beautiful beaches and the beautiful people and the wonderful food and the flowing fountain of drinks. I wanted to SEE the Dominican Republic and the mix with the people who actually lived there, so I could report home that I had EXPERIENCED IT! And EXPERIENCE IT I DID! My sister and I got on a “city bus”, traveled down a narrow “highway” to an intersection where we were to transfer to another bus going into the small tourist town. We didn’t even know how to pay for the trip much less transfer to another bus. My little bit of Spanish helped, but not enough to get us out of the mess that it looked like we had gotten ourselves into! After boarding the bus a handsome young man who was sitting across the aisle asked us if we needed help paying for the bus ride. We were really grateful to meet someone who would help us because we already knew we were in over our tourist-heads!

Welfre introduced himself to us, told us who and how to pay and offered to transfer with us and go with as we shopped. Ellen and I were grateful for a native who spoke decent English and was especially kind to us and appeared to be trustworthy. He took us to some nice shops where we could buy some Dominican-carved wooden trays and bowls. We told him we wanted an “unusual” place to eat, so he found a cab and took us to a wonderful outdoor eatery where we picked out our own fish and sat eating it on the beach after it was grilled.

I was intrigued with the beautiful wood-carved accessories and told Welfre I’d love to have some for my store at home. Then Welfre put us on a bus to go back to our comfortable resort with the promise of meeting me the next day for our REAL shopping, not paying the “tourist prices.”

The next morning we met and he took me into his hometown of Higuey with its pot-holes, its noise, its confusing pedestrian crossings…all different, but so intriguing to me. There we rummaged through several large and well-supplied warehouses, met the workers and owners who were so kind to me, drove through his streets, mixed with the people and eventually found our way to a tiny warehouse, lit only by two bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. I was in heaven! There in front of me were all the treasures I wanted to bring home to sell. I bought and bought, put them in a newlypurchased suitcase I had gotten at a local “department store”. Then I had to pay! I pulled out my credit card; the owner looked at me strangely and let me know that they didn’t take plastic. Now I’m embarrassed!

Welfre, my friend of less than 30 hours offered to loan the money

to me! We hurried to his tiny 300 sq. ft. apartment, and hidden in a drawer he pulled out the one-hundred dollars I needed and handed it to me! No questions asked. I was overwhelmed by his generosity and his trust. We both knew he would get his money back as soon as I returned home. As we left he proudly introduced me to his Pastor and several friends since his church was immediately next to his apartment.

Back to the bare-bulb store where I paid (in cash), took the suitcase and box, and Welfre put me in a taxi with a hug and a kiss and I returned to my luxurious accommodations, tired and so very happy to have met so many nice people. Since then Welfre and I have continued to correspond. He married and now has two children.

Then a sudden change I learned about through his most recent e-mail . I shuttered and my tears came. I received an email from him last week in his “broken English” saying, “My dear Julia: I went to the doctor and they say I have a Lymphoma type B pray for me. Best regards, Welfre.”

I don’t like change now. I want the status quo. I want him to be healthy and to live a long life and continue giving his love and trust to others whom he meets. But that’s not always what life does for us.

This fine young man who has so much to live for might not live to see his children grown. He may never know the talents his children develop. He may never have the chance to serve others in the way he served me, with kindness and generosity and trust. His life has changed forever. And just knowing him, my life has changed forever.

Julia Rush -julia rush- Fine Crafts

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 13

Page 14• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

A Promise from the Pit Mary Southerland Today’s Truth James 1:1-2 (NIV) “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”

Friend To Friend From the age of ten, our son, Jered, played football with one goal in mind - to be a starting player on a college football team. When he graduated from high school, and was recruited by a wonderful college that offered him an academic and athletic scholarship, we were ecstatic! Go God! Jered was red-shirted as a freshman and during his sophomore year, became the starting fullback. It was so exciting to see our son’s childhood dream become a reality. Although his team had a less than stellar season that year, Jered loved playing and had a great year as he developed physically, learned the complicated play system and took on that “veteran” mindset.

The following summer, Jered was unusually excited about the approaching football season. The college hired several coaches who seemed to have a new plan in mind for the upcoming year. All summer long, Jered faithfully ran, lifted weights, watched his diet and called teammates with the encouragement, “This is our year!” Even the brutal regimen of pre-season practice was taken in stride ... until the last play ... of the last practice. I will never forget that phone call from our son. “I hurt my knee in practice today. I have to have surgery which means I am out for the whole season.” I listened in disbelieving silence that quickly escalated its way to fury. Surely, I had heard him wrong. This couldn’t be happening because God wouldn’t let it happen - would He? Not to Jered. He had worked so hard. He had been so faithful. Why Jered? Why this? Why now? It’s one thing for me to “face trials of many kinds” but it is a totally different matter altogether for my son to face them.

Jered is every mother’s dream - sweet natured, gentle, hard working - a rare young man of integrity who loves and serves God. How could this “pit experience” possibly be the best plan for his life? God clearly answered that question as we sat in the stands, week after week, watching Jered pace the sidelines on crutches while cheering his team on. He didn’t miss a single rehab session, team practice or team meeting. I never heard him complain or question. Coaches, doctors, trainers, teammates and parents witnessed a living illustration of the truth that the “testing of your faith develops perseverance”.

Jered’s faith was indeed tested and he passed with flying colors! Jered returned the next year as starting fullback and his team finished the season as the undefeated conference champions. I love it when a plan really does come together!

Are you sitting at the bottom of a pit? Do you feel as if God has not only deserted you but “set you up” for a season of pain and failure? Is your heart filled with anger? Are you discouraged? Celebrate, my friend! God is fully aware of your circumstances and will use it all for your good and His glory!

Let’s Pray Father, forgive me for my complaining and questioning spirit in this pit. Help me to see Your hand at work in every trial and celebrate all You are doing in my life through that difficult circumstance. I choose joy! I choose to believe You and trust You in the darkness as well as in the light. Thank You for the gift of testing and the reward of perseverance.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn Think back to a “pit” experience and remember your initial response. Evaluate that response in light of the truth that since trials develop perseverance, we can face each one with joy.

During that difficult time, did you question God? In what way(s)?

Be specific.

Looking back, would you say that the trial strengthened your faith in God or lessened it? Explain your answer.

Pinpoint one truth gained from your “pit” experience. Make a list of specific ways you can apply that truth to your daily walk.

In regard to this “pit” experience, answer the questions, “Why me?

Why now? Why this?”

Read and memorize Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

More From The Girlfriends I hate pits! I know God uses them for my good and that the struggle through each one strengthens my faith. But that does not mean my feelings match my faith. In fact, feelings have nothing to do with faith but we often confuse the two. Faith is a deliberate choice, an agreement between you and God about His truth. Your feelings may or may not match that choice. It doesn’t matter. God understands that our frail humanity includes fickle feelings that can rarely be trusted.

Instead, trust God. Trust His Word!

Girlfriends in God P.O. Box725 Matthews, NC 28106 info@girlfriendsingod.com www.girlfriendsingod.com

Free Delivery On All Orders Over $20

We Deliver to a large area including Morganton, Hickory, Mt. View, Newton-Conover, Lincolnton, Cherryville & everywhere in between.

Purchase An Arrangement In A Special Keepsake Vase!

❁Flowers ❁Plants ❁Balloons ❁Anniversaries ❁Sympathy ❁Get Well ❁Birthday

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 15

November 2009

Book Talk

Story Times Support Long-Held Library Tradition

If you grew up in Catawba County, you may remember coming to the library to listen to stories. Maybe you heard fairy tales and other classic stories such as Good Night Moon or Green Eggs and Ham. Perhaps your parents signed you up for a library card so you could check out your own books. You can pass that important learning experience on to children.

Most of county library locations offer story times absolutely free to families each week. That valuable service supports the library’s mission to inspire the joy of reading, cultural appreciation, life-long learning and creative thinking. If you haven’t yet brought your child or grandchild to story time or you haven’t done so in a while, now’s the time to begin.

The schedule is as follows: MAIDEN—9:30 a.m. Wednesdays (toddlers), 10 a.m.

Wednesdays (preschool) NEWTON —10 a.m. Thursdays. Family stories at 6:30 p.m.

Mondays. (Kids may wear pajamas.)

SHERRILLS FORD & SOUTHWEST—10 a.m. Wednesdays ST. STEPHENS—10 a.m. Thursdays CONOVER will offer one story time this month—at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4.

To enhance the library experience for youngsters, some locations offer music times or may incorporate a craft or art activity within the story time structure.

Sherrills Ford also offers music time each Thursday at 10 a.m. St. Stephens offers a monthly Music Makers time with songs and simple instruments. Music Makers will be held on Nov. 19 at both 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Lynne Bolick Reed at 4658292 weekdays.

NC Live Enhanced For Students, Teachers

Students and teachers are in luck this fall, thanks to recent enhancements of the NC Live data base.

NC Live, a free service of Catawba County Library System, enables any library cardholder to browse the reference website for reliable resources for up-to-date information. The newest offerings are TOPIC Search and Science Reference Center.

TOPIC Search is a current events database that allows researchers to explore social, political and economic issues, scientific discoveries and other popular topics that involve controversial opinions and viewpoints. Students will want to check this website for current events assignments and other school projects.

Students taking biology, chemistry, health or environmental sciences will value the new Science Reference Center on NC Live. The database allows easy access to many full-text science encyclopedias, books, journals and other sources. The Reference Center will also be helpful to teachers with articles

Page 16• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

correlated to both state and national curricula.

NC Live can be accessed at www.nclive.org The website simplifies the search by directing you to reliable sources that may be hard to find or otherwise available to paid subscribers.

Thanks to support by the General Assembly, NC Live’s many resources are available free to North Carolina residents. The required password is available by calling 465-8663.

The Keys to Selling Are the Questions You Ask

Is there a secret formula that someone can follow to have super selling success? Unfortunately there isn’t one magical way to get to a closing. However, the keys to success in selling are predictable.

First you have to focus on the customer and not your products or service. You do this by asking why they need what you have to offer.

Notice, I didn’t say we try to explain to them why they need our products or services, rather they explain to us why they need them. This is accomplished by taking the time to understand the customer’s needs.

I don’t teach or believe that selling involves conviencing someone to buy our products. A sales person is a professional problem solver.

The potential customer has a need or desire that they want resolved and our job is to help them. By discovering what they want we can provide information on how our services can fulfill that need. This is a far cry from the idea of sales people being the typical used car sales person.

Once you have discovered the customer’s needs, there are some questions that can help move the buyer to a buying decision. All buyers have a fear of purchasing and the higher the transaction amount involved, the higher the anxiety. We are afraid we will make the wrong choice or it may not work for us. If it is a technical piece of equipment, there is the fear of not being able to use it. A professional sales person understands these fears and is able to ask the right questions to address their concerns and eliminate their fears.

Ask questions throughout your presentation to make sure your customer understands what you have been saying. “Are you with me so far? Do you have any questions about what I have shown you so far?” These questions make sure you are on the same page with the potential customer. Different people have different levels of expertise, don’t assume anything. Give them time to say more than just yes. Many times their first response will be yes just so they will not look bad. Follow-up with, “Tell how you think this could help you?”

Anytime you show a benefit of your product or service ask, “Do you see how that will help you with the problem you stated earlier?” or “Would this benefit you with the situation you explained?” By getting the customer to say yes, you are helping them move down the decision making process.

Once you have dealt with the questions and shown the benefits and features of your products and services, it is time to close the deal.

There are many techniques that you can read about on closing. My suggestions are to repeat the concerns of the client and show how your products and services resolve their problems, ask if they have any other questions or concerns that haven’t been discussed and then if not, ask for the sale. I will say something like, “Since this is clearly the best solution for you, let’s do the paper work and get you started in a coaching program.” Use a similar close for your product or service.

I wish you the best of selling this week. Feel free to call or email me with any questions.

Coach Jody Williams Action Business Coaching jodywilliams@actioncoach.com 828-466-2279

10th Annual Book Drive The First Presbyterian Church Middle School Class in Newton is running a book drive starting in September and running till December 10th. Every year the book drive has been for different youth organizations and elementary schools. This year, it’ll be for Thornton Elementary School in Newton.

They are looking for new or gently used books for preschool to grade 6. There’ll be boxes to drop off books at the First Presbyterian Churches in Hickory and Newton, Hobby Town USA on Route 70, the public library in Newton, and the fall Hickorycon sponsored by Time Tunnel Comics. That’ll be this September and they have participated for three years.

For any further information contact Dennis DeBalso at 828-368-2886 or at ddebalso@hotmail.com.

Celebrate YourMake Health We’ll Always Timethis For Spring!

You! Let your Medicap Pharmacy® store be your source for the most current information on menopause, osteoporosis, hormone replacement, calcium and natural supplements, as well as many other women’s issues.

At your local Medicap Pharmacy® store, you’ll receive expert advice on the vitamins and supplements that are best for women! Stop in Today!

Two Convenient Locations!

Ron Harwell, R.Ph. 317 - 1st St East Conover 464-4491

Melinda Long Travis, R.Ph. 401 West A St. Newton 466-1500 Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 17

I

t began with Juliano.

The place was Scarsdale, the sprucy village 28 minutes north of Manhattan, known in 1973 for academic prowess, Northeastern understatement, and Yorkshire terriers in every purse. Actually, it was White Plains, the completely un-magnificent county seat, but somehow Neiman Marcus had snagged the better address. We did not shop at Neiman's, naturally, being New Yorkers. Bloomie's was our game.

The big brown bag. The exuberant makeup ladies. The zip.

But for this man, we would go anywhere and, apparently, pay anything. I was indoctrinated at 13. My mother had a shoulder-length blunt cut, angled down in front, parted on the side. She blew it straight like a broom each morning with a yellow hair dryer.

"I will take you to Juliano," she said one day, like an attendant to the pope. I cannot remember an occasion. Maybe it was the teen thing. Mom had her own set of mandatory milestones, with accompanying rules and fashion accessories. Ninth grade, '50s dance, baby blue mohair sweater, bobby socks. Mortification garb. Thirteen was The Haircut, I guess.

He met us at the desk, just inside the in-store entrance to the salon, at the deep end of the evening collection. He wore clingy shirts, I

Page 18• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

A Woman & Her Hairdresser

By Pamela Gwyn Kripke D Magazine NOV 2008

remember, and traveled through space in a hover. His own hair was wavy, but formed and rigid, in a Tom Jones sort of way. He slid up to us like a fox-trotter who knows he has won the trophy, chin lifted, smug. It was a moment, and he was the guy.

Juliano-well, more accurately, Ju-li-AH-no-took command of my head from that day forward until I was 25, seeing it through countless rites of passage with panache, ensuring it was a secure and polished crown that held its own even if I did not. Stood up for the freshman mixer? Easier to endure when the swoop swoops just so. Chemistry summer school? Show me a carbon bond that could break a girl in a neat French braid and lab goggles. Always long, always straight, my style was simple, and all in the cut. Very Ali MacGraw. Very $50, which, back in the day, was quite the number.

Through college, it was made clear that no one from Providence, Rhode Island, would wield scissors anywhere near my cranium. I was not even to consider the possibility of any hair-related procedure taking place not in Scarsdale and not by Ju-li-AH-no. "Farmers!" my mother would warn. So, each vacation, I made my way down Amtrak's northeast corridor, scraggly and unkempt, having metamorphosed in the preceding months from Lilly Pulitzer herself into her hippie cousin from New Hampshire.

It went like this through graduate school. But when I was to leave for Biloxi ("Where?" Biloxi. "What?" Biloxi.) to be an on-camera reporter, propelling myself into journalistic fame and fortune, our collective brain latched onto only one thought: I could not fly home when the ends were split. But I could not look like a flower child on TV, either. Fancy Hair Girls are Fancy Hair Girls, and this was the time to prove the theory. In a restored cottage an oyster's throw from the Gulf, tucked behind flowering vines of bougainvillea, I discovered Randy. He had the conceit, and the faux marble. Parfait.

"Just follow the line," I told him, which he followed quite well for one year and more, until I made my way back north to New York. Oy. Time is marked by significant events. During my absence, Mom's friend Barbara had spotted a young child on a Manhattan block with a haircut worth noticing. It was a haircut worth tackling the first-grader for, actually, as Barbara really wanted the name of the little girl's stylist.

Barbara was a good sharer, unlike some other Fancy Hair Girls, and so, from this chance ambush on the West Side, Frankie entered our lives. Despite how we loved Ju-li-AH-no, revered and entrusted Ju-li-AH-no, it was 1985, and we felt we needed progress. We needed a maverick. We needed Frankie.

For years, I traipsed like a groupie crosstown, downtown, uptown, and back again, following Frankie Bruno from salon to salon, finding, with Frankie Bruno, the most compatible environment for his charismatic and talented $125 self, wrapped in the latest costumes (poet's blouses), boots (turquoise), long locks (prettier than mine) and short, all the while a regular sweetie pie from Queens with a mama who made lots of lasagna. (Continued on Page 20)

Sophie’s Bride Of The Month Congratulations To Our October Winners

Stephanie Hart

Danielle Whitehurst

Both women will receive prize packages from Dashing Diva’s Nail Spa and The Village Kitchen. Both winners will be entered in the Sophie Bride of the Year contest and eligible to win fabulous prizes from our 30 participating local vendors.

To enter, simply send a picture along with a short story about why you should be chosen to win. We will post the stories online and announce the winners each month on our website and in our magazine.

Send your submission to: bride@sophiewomansmagazine.com

THE

BISANAR COMPANY WILLIAM & JAMES 226 Union Square Hickory, NC 28601 (828) 322-5090 www.bisanar.com

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 19

(A Woman & Her Hairdresser Cont’d) He layered, chopped, and scrunched, and I let him, feeling au courant and hip atop my prepster roots. Frankie was drama. He was it. I quoted him in beauty articles. He saved the clippings. Frankie coiffed our family's weddings and stayed to dance, dashing in a skinny tie and tux. He drove an hour to our house when Dad was sick. Mom wasn't about to look shaggy, not then.

We were not happy, it is obvious to say, when he fell in love, departed Madison Avenue, and moved to Hickory. North Carolina, no less. We knew he was in love if he moved to Hickory, but we didn't really care. No one could do what Frankie could do. The future careened in that instant, a crashing of cockeyed bangs and frumpy shapes, edges that hung, lifeless, entire personas rendered indistinct and wan. Realizing the futility in searching for a replacement, I declared myself finished. Finished with fancy. Finished with Frankies.

Done. It was all I could do.

My hair grew out in protest. A tomahawk would have completed the look. After a year, I cut my own bangs with kitchen shears. Middle of the brow, fringey at the bottom. I had learned from the best. And then I did the unthinkable. In hat and sunglasses, taking furtive glances over both shoulders, I crossed a threshold I had never approached before. I traversed the line. I walked in to a walk-in. Right, left. Right, left. No one received me in reception. No one offered me tea. No one hugged me, complimented the change in lip color, or shuddered, for effect, at the catastrophe that had happened to my head since we last visited. "Quick, honey, let's get you washed."

No, it was all business, all efficiency. All snip. It was clear that I would no longer have a personal relationship with my hair guy.

I would no longer bring him muffins from the bakery or relay war stories from the front, whichever front it was that particular hour. I observed the technicians and picked one. "I'll have that one," I told the

Page 20• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

person at the desk. From the menu stuck onto the window, I selected the $12 option. "I will have a cut," I told the woman, holding up my thumb and forefinger. "This much."

Fortunately, my hairstyle, the same one I had in kindergarten, lends well to this sort of instruction. There are two horizontal lines-one at the bottom, one at the top-and two diagonals up the sides. It is simple geometry. A former carpenter did a superb job once. I still remember.

He said he was good with inches.

And, you know, he was. I began to love the simplicity of the grooming process. I sat in nearly 50 different chairs, in front of 50 different mirrors. I did not remember names, unless the people wrote them down on the Buy Nine, Get One Free card. You get these in cheap salons. I really appreciated not having to make an appointment eight weeks in advance or needing to put on heels to enter. I spent $72.50 per year for haircuts. Even at Frankie's reserved-for-specialgals anti-inflation rate from 1986, $72.50 would just about get me a shampoo. As a truly transformed Cheap Hair Girl, of course, I never got shampooed. I did that myself at home. No blow-drying either.

And, it goes without speaking, not much speaking with the stranger hard at work to my back. I could be in and out in 14 minutes.

Three different people cut my hair the last three times I walked-no, skipped -gleefully into a walk-in. Well, four, if you count me, but that was just a trim. Oh, and the fifth who had to fix it a little. The funny thing is, it didn't look half bad. It was not Sally Hershberger, but then again, I was not on the cover of Vogue.

But then I moved to Dallas. Salons tempt you here. They are sparkly and chic and, unlike their New York sisters, approachable.

Maybe, new on the block, I felt friendless and was looking for repartee. Maybe, far from home turf, I felt drawn to my inner core, like a Parisian whose accent thickens with every minute in Tuscaloosa. Anyway, for whatever reason, my early experience called out, and like a rescued castaway, I couldn't get enough. I reverted. Richard Hayler, Johnny Aveda, Jean-Philippe, and all their buddies. Pink robes, neck massages, beverages in stemware. It was marvelous. It was affirming. Where had I veered off course? This is where I should be. This is what hair should be.

I drank in the luxe of it all for a nice while, auditioning all sorts of Fancy Hair Guys, hoping to find one special guy, My Fancy Hair Guy. My Dallas Frankie.

His name was Mike. I knew in a second. We hugged. We laughed.

We were snide. I brought him wine. He whispered he was hopscotching salons. Shhh, don't tell. I hopped along, bringing friends, even Mom off the plane from LaGuardia. All was right with the world, and with my long layers, too.

Then the unthinkable. "I'm sorry, but Mike is no longer at the salon," the voice said into my ear. "He has moved to L.A." I hung up, abandoned and angry, after taking the plunge, after choosing intimacy after so many years of anonymous scissoring. I cannot go to L.A. for closure, or even a bang trim. I could not go to Charlotte. They leave me. All the good ones leave me. I realized, then, that I could not be responsible for their behavior. I would have to adjust mine.

After a period of Fancy Hair Guy mourning, I embarked on a more tempered approach to this aspect of my life. I have struck a middle ground, of sorts, with fluffy towels and mod helper people. But I do not engage my person with chat about his childhood in Indiana or boy life or mine, and that is just fine. My person is not my pal, and I will not bring him cupcakes. I will not wonder where he lives or where he will move one day, without warning me, because he will.

I will just go and get my hair cut, tell him, "Thank-you-so-much-Ilove-it," and leave, looking fabulous and feeling just the same. I will snatch a glance in a glass storefront as a gust shoots every fresh end straight overhead, ready for who know's what. But ready. •

Front Porch The

By Judy Smith By now you know that I am not a cook and don’t even pretend to be. One of my daughters sells Pampered Chef products and honestly, they can teach almost anyone to create some incredible looking dishes that taste just as good as they look. Even I have made some amazing things that most of my family was hesitate to sample for fear of the unidentified. With that said, it is sort of astonishing that I love Thanksgiving so much.

The most amazing part of that is...I cook! Yes, the traditional Thanksgiving Feast, including the turkey, dressing and pumpkin pies. And in the 30 plus years I have been doing that, not one person has died or had to go to the emergency room. I am not going to kid myself. There have been times when “the relatives” were just kind.

Or times that the drinks were gulped down hoping to dislodge the dry turkey. But for the most part, I don’t think I do too bad.

Sometimes, I think about changing it up but then I talk myself out of it. I remind myself that this is what the pilgrims did. Well, they did a lot more. Or did they? They had to hunt and kill their turkey but they did not have to search for the body parts like we do. My mother used to kill chickens and I can remember even after their head was chopped off that they still flopped around on the ground. Do turkeys do that and if so can they feel when they are getting their neck stuck up.....somewhere? I remind you; it is no small feat getting that thing out!

Jelled Cranberry sauce is another thing I wonder how they did. It is hard enough getting it out of the cans we have. I can cut both ends off and it still won’t come out.

What is with that? How did they keep theirs cool? If it gets too warm it turns to soup.

Maybe they had Cranberry soup for starters.

One thing I have learned over the years and that is the dinner is not complete without rolls. Did the Pillsbury Dough Boy have an ancestor dated back to the Pilgrims? How else would you have rolls? Just some of the questions I ponder during my slaving away at the stove. I meant to say, during my labor of love. That is why I do it. That is why I start the day before and continue during the night and all the next day to be ready for the family to devour the entire meal in 20 minutes or less. What a thrill it is to see them fill their tummies and retreat to the football games. What feeling of accomplishment to lovingly glance at the entire gang and see that look on their face. I don’t need the accolades of praise or the loving hugs and kisses of gratitude for the effort I put into preparing my yearly meal for my family. That look says it all!

Maybe I need to start looking for a restaurant that is serving Thanksgiving dinner this year. On second thought, they might not be acquainted with where to find the neck! Happy Thanksgiving Ya’ll.

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 21

Alice Bishopric, M.D.

Robert Goins, M.D.

Brandon Locklear, M.D.

Steve Merta, M.D.

Ryan Richardson, M.D.

Meredith Watson, M.D.

EXPECTING? WE DELIVER. For five generations, Frye Regional Medical Center has welcomed Hickory’s tiniest new residents. With prenatal education, family centered birthing services, neonatal intensive care, and home visits by OB nurses and lactation counselors, moms-to-be have trusted Frye to deliver the birthing experience they expected.

Choose a premier birthing experience.

Schedule your personal tour of the Women’s Pavilion at Frye by calling 828-315-3041.

For information or a physician referral, call 828-315-3391 or visit us online at www.fryemedctr.com.

Felicia T. Watson Speech Language Pathology Assistant Patient of Ryan Richardson, M.D. Mom-to-be

EXCEPTIONAL CARE, A CENTURY STRONG.

Page 22• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Maternity Services

Christmas in Downtown Hickory The holiday season in Hickory will officially begin on Friday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. when additional festive and illuminating Christmas decorations are officially turned on during the Hickory Christmas Lighting Celebration in Downtown Hickory.

Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright will turn on the “official light switch” on the Flag Court on Union Square that will light up the trees and poles throughout the Downtown Hickory area. The ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. and festivities on Union Square will continue until 8 p.m. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will be at the entire event greeting kids of all ages. Many of Downtown Hickory’s businesses will be open and all the restaurants welcome citizens to enjoy a delicious dinner in the heart of the city. Additional holiday events include the Hickory Jaycees Holiday Parade through Downtown Hickory on Saturday, December 5 at 4 p.m. For more information, go to www.hickoryjaycee. com or call (828) 322-2080. The Hickory Choral Society Christmas concerts will be held December 4, 5, and 6. For more information, go to www.hickorychoralsociety.com or call (828) 322-2210.

HDDA Presents A Hickory Holiday!

You’re invited to A Hickory Holiday on Thursday, December 10, 2009. Downtown Hickory with be glowing with holiday decorations and alive with the sounds of Holiday music. The festivities will take place on Union Square from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

Sing Christmas carols as you tour Downtown Hickory in a free tractor-pulled wagon. Free children’s activities will be taking place on the Square along with caroling from local groups. Of course, Santa Claus will listen to your holiday wish list. (Parents, please bring your cameras for photos of your kids with Santa.)

Many downtown shops will be open until 8:00 through the month of December for you Holiday shopping.

The Hickory Downtown Development Association sponsors a Hickory Holiday. For more information on The Hickory Downtown Development Association, membership, businesses, events and downtown Hickory, please call 828 322 1121 or email info@downtownhickory.com.

Please visit the website, www.downtownhickory.com .

Valley Corner Shopping Ctr. Hwy. 70, Hickory NC (located close to Toys R Us)

Fall and Winter Merchandise Arriving Daily Sizes

Girls: Junior 0-19 Boys: 26-38 Waist

Festival of Trees Gala

November 14, 2009 6:30 PM $80/person Hickory Museum of Art Event sponsored by:

We pay cash for gently used brand name clothing & accessories for teens and young adults.

Some of the brands we accept:

abercrombie & fitch - aerie - aeropostale - affliction - american eagle - billabong - coach - charlotte russe - forever 21 - gap hollister - j. crew - kathy van zeeland - and more...

Mon - Sat 10-8 Sun 1-6 (P)828-267-7200

More Info: Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 23

Test Your Knowledge of

PresidentialTrivia Though Americans might not be heading to the polls this fall to vote for a new President, history buffs love showcasing their repertoire of presidential trivia, and election time is no exception.

But how much do you really know about our nation’s leaders?

Test your presidential smarts with this quiz. Maybe you’ll wow someone standing in line behind you at the voting booths.

Q: Which presidents were born British subjects?

A: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and William Harrison.

Q: What is the most common religious affiliation among presidents?

A: Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.

Q: Who were the tallest and shortest presidents?

A: The tallest president was Abraham Lincoln at 6 feet 4 inches.

The shortest president was James Madison at 5 feet 4 inches.

Q: Which presidents were assassinated in office?

A: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy.

AWAKENING the LORD’s Generation!

Conference Nov. 13,14, 2009 in Hickory, NC

Many Christians today are spiritually slumbering, while the world at large is crumbling. But there is a distant call on the horizon... the voice of God calling to His people to AWAKEN! Will you be among those who hear the call to ARISE? On November 13-14 you are invited to join us for the

“AWAKENING the LORD’s Generation! Conference” ...a gathering of the Believers of all ages for the purpose of seeking the Face of God and hearing from Him as His Spirit breathes new life into the dry, discouraged, disillusioned, or even dead places.

Come take your place among other members of the LORD’s Generation who are arising to new and greater life!

REGISTER TODAY AT: lifecompassconference.eventbrite.com (pre-registration is required) Please note that this site includes an event description and travel/ location details.

CALL OUR OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION: 828 327 6702 MEET OUR 6 DYNAMIC SPEAKERS AT: lifecompassinternational.org/speaking Kim Fletcher - Speaker, Author, Life Coach Page 24• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Q: Which presidents had assassination attempts on their lives?

A: Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.

Q: What presidents are portrayed on U.S. paper currency?

A: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley, Grover Cleveland, James Madison and Woodrow Wilson.

Q: What presidents are portrayed on U.S. coins?

A: Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Q: Which two vice presidents have resigned from office?

A: John Calhoun and Spiro Agnew.

Q: Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only president to have had three vice presidents serve under him. Who were they?

A: John N. Garner, Henry A. Wallace and Harry S. Truman.

Q: Which two vice presidents were charged with treason?

A: Aaron Burr and John Breckinridge.

Q: Which two vice presidents were accused of accepting bribes while in office?

A: Spiro Agnew and Schuyler Colfax.

Dr. Ronald Locke Receives Outstanding Performance Award Ronald Locke, M.D., of Hickory, N.C., recently received the Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award for 2008 from the American College of Surgeons/Commission on Cancer. Dr. Locke was one of 36 physicians nationwide and the only physician in North Carolina to receive the award.

Dr. Locke, who practices with Carolina Surgery and Cancer Center, was eligible for the award due to his role as Cancer Liaison Physician (CLP) for Catawba Valley Medical Center. The Cancer Liaison Physician program is a joint venture between the American Cancer Society and the American College of Surgeons/Commission on Cancer (ACoS/CoC) designed to impact and improve cancer outcomes on the community level.

Nationwide, more than 1,600 cancer liaison physicians have been appointed by their hospital cancer teams to spearhead Commission on Cancer initiatives in their cancer programs.

According to the Commission on Cancer, the national Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award was established to recognize individual physicians exhibiting excellence in the following areas: • Improving the quality of care at CoC-approved facilities • Significantly contributing to the approval status of the cancer pro- gram • Exceeding CLP expectations to strengthen the cancer program • Demonstrating cancer control leadership in the community • Serving as a champion and role model for other staff.

Dr. Locke was nominated by Debbie Poovey, CTR, Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Cancer Registry operations coordinator. According to Poovey, “Dr. Locke is a strong force in Catawba Valley Medical Center’s successful cancer program, and we are grateful to have him on our team. He has been a significant factor in the development and approval of the Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program at Catawba Valley Medical Center. Since 2000, when the program was conceived, Dr. Locke has supported and advised on any cancer program issues that have arisen.

“Dr. Locke participates in community screening programs and speaks at community educational conferences sponsored by Catawba Valley Medical Center,” Poovey continued. “He also works closely with our community outreach coordinator and our local chapter of the American Cancer Society. What he continues to accomplish for our patients, our staff, our medical center, and our community inspired me to nominate him for this award.”

“While I am very honored to receive this award, it would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment exemplified by the entire team at CVMC’s Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Dr. Locke. “Our efforts to continually advance and improve cancer outcomes are truly a collaborative effort. Personally, I appreciate the opportunity to serve as a Cancer Liaison Physician, because it allows

me to stay abreast of the latest knowledge in the field and bring that knowledge back to our community.”

“Dr. Ron Locke has long played a key role in the development and advancement of Catawba Valley Medical Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said J. Anthony Rose, Catawba Valley Medical Center CEO. “Ron has dedicated countless hours to providing direction and support for our cancer programs and committees. We commend him for this well-deserved honor and are proud that he is such an integral part of our team.”

In 1922, the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) came together to establish a cooperative venture focused on establishing standards for cancer clinics. The Commission on Cancer (CoC), now a part of the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, has had a longstanding relationship with the American Cancer Society, including the National Cancer Database, Cancer Liaison Program, and the Facility Information Profile System.

Current membership of the Cancer Liaison Program includes 64 State chairs, who are appointed by each ACoS local chapter. State Chairs serve as leaders for CoC programs and initiatives at the state or regional level. There are more than 1,600 cancer liaison physicians who serve in both CoC-approved and non-approved cancer programs. These individual cancer liaison physicians are appointed by their hospital cancer committees and are charged with spearheading CoC initiatives in their cancer program.

Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. Twice recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, CVMC was recently named as a “Distinguished Hospital for An Outstanding InPatient Experience”

by J.D. Power and Associates as well as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.

THE COMPOUNDING PHARMACY “Specialists in Custom Medications” DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS? • Emotional • Hot Flashes • Headaches We Can Help • Insomnia CALL NOW!!

• Depression • Anxiety • Cramps • Food Cravings • Mood Swings • Bloating Specialists in compounding one of a kind • Chronic Fatigue

BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES

can make a huge difference in your life!

FREE LECTURE

medications for human and veterinary use.

Call for more details:

828.324.4115

www.thecompoundingrx.com

Jan Mixon, BSN, RN Bill Mixon, R. PH, MS., C.D.E., CGP

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 25

“Should I Convert to a Roth-IRA?”

Sweeping U.S. Tax Law Changes for Roth-IRA beginning Jan1, 2010 favor doing a Roth-IRA Conversion in 2010 to get additional tax-free income that can stretch your retirement money further.

David Hudson is a Certified Estate Planner, and a Registered Financial Consultant. He is the President of Master’s Estate and Financial Services. He has served the Catawba Valley area for over twenty-four years.

Q. Isn’t there a limit on who, or the amount you can convert, to Tax-Free Income?

A. There are NO RESTRICTIONS on the amount you can convert in 2010.

Q. I have heard there is an extra-conversion tax you have to pay up front?

A. Contrary to what you’ve heard, it is NOT EXTRA. This money will be taxed someday. You can convert and pay the taxes due today or don’t convert and pay the taxes in the future.

Q. But I don’t have that extra money lying around right now...

A. Because of the special advantages for converting to 2010, you can skip payments for up to *2 1/2 years. And only pay 1/2 the amount in two payments.

Q. What happens if income tax rates go up?

A. If you think your personal tax rates are going to go up (and there may be good reason for that) it is best to convert now while taxes are at their lowest in years.

Q. But I still have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits. I really hate that.

A. Changing to a Roth-IRA can actually reduce or eliminate paying taxes on Social Security Benefits altogether!

Q. What about the required minimum distributions.

Do I still have to take those?

A. When you convert to a Roth-IRA you no longer have to take forced withdrawals. And can leave them to accumulate for interest that can be income tax-free.

Q. Fact is, I really don’t need additional income from those withdrawals.

A. Then you’re in luck. You can use the Roth-IRA to grow a large cash reserve (using the extra tax free interest or earnings) to pass on to your spouse, children and grandchildren 100% income TAX free for generations which will provide for their retirement. Or you can use the money yourself to pay for any unexpected catastrophic event such as nursing home costs, etc.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn why you should do a Roth-IRA Conversion sooner than later!

•Bethlehem Seafood & Steak (PJ’s)• 349 Rink Dam Rd - Taylorsville NC November 5th at 6pm •Golden Corral, Hickory at 6pm• 1053 Lenoir-Rhyne Blvd SE Hickory, NC November 10th & 12th Call For Reservations: 828-322-6554 Page 26• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Finances Made $imple

By David Hudson, CEP, RFC STOP! Don’t even try it! If you are going to write an article for a ladies magazine, write about fashion, romance, or beauty tips, but not finances! Most women don’t enjoy financial articles (does anyone)! There are people that read them, but aren’t they doing it because they have to? How could anyone enjoy reading about a subject as dry and complicated as money?

It has been said that great teachers love their subject so much that their students love it too.

I won’t pretend to be a great teacher, but I do love my subject. My subject in this set of articles, which I will call THE WEALTH OF WOMEN, is financial literacy.

There are two great tragedies in our country’s education system. One is that we teach so many subjects that have no value in daily life, while we leave a subject every child will deal with daily almost completely unaddressed. The other tragedy is, the people that need the most education are the ones that are most neglected. We live in a country where the divorce rate is 48%. The number of single mothers will far surpass single fathers. The median income for women in North Carolina is about $ 8,000 less than for men. The average woman will out live her husband by about 8 years, which means she will need income for 8 additional years. There are twice as many women in nursing homes as there are men.

Doesn’t it make sense that the people in our society needing to be the most financially literate would be women?

Finances doesn’t have to be dry, complicated or boring. I believe the first rule of finances is to weigh your decisions on the scale of common sense. I can’t tell you I completely understand it but most ladies have an extra instrument they can use in decision making. It’s called “women intuition“. Nine times out of ten when a couple has been scammed out of their retirement account the man was for the investment and the woman was against. If you asked her how she knew something was wrong the standard reply is “ I just felt it“.

With those thoughts in mind, and understanding you ladies have a bit of an edge in the decision making process, let me give you six questions to see if a particular decision is good for you. Question one - Can I understand it? If you can’t understand don’t, do it. Each of us needs a trusted advisor to break things down to simple terms so we can understand.

Question two - Does it make common sense? Again if it doesn’t, don’t do it. Question three -Will it make my life and the lives of those I love better? If the decision passes these three test it’s a positive.

With major decisions I add three questions. What’s the worst thing that can happen? What are the odds of the worst thing happening? And, is the reward worth the risk?

There they are, financial decisions broken down to common sense, just six simple questions. Yet for most decisions these questions should serve you well, though I’m not sure they apply in shoe stores.

David Hudson is the founder and President of Master’s Estate and Financial Services in Hickory, NC. He has served the Catawba Valley Area for over twenty-four years. In 2001, David completed all requirements and was awarded the designation of Certified Estate Planner by the National Institute of Certified Estate Planners. In 2005, he was awarded the designation of Registered Financial Consultant by the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants. David’s three greatest assets are his honesty, his empathy for people, and his varied experience. As a speaker he is both fun and informative to listen to.

Did You Know?

We speak small business.

One theory as to why Americans eat turkey every Thanksgiving dates back to the days of the famed Spanish Armada. That theory states that during the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth was enjoying roast goose during a harvest festival when she was informed the Spanish Armada, on its way to attack England, had sunk. That led the queen to order a second goose for a celebration.

This harvest tradition continued when the Pilgrims arrived in America. However, upon arriving in America, wild turkeys were far more abundant than geese, so the Pilgrims replaced goose with turkey as the main dish during their harvest celebration, a celebration that eventually became known as Thanksgiving.

SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 828.327.7000, ext. 4112 sbc.cvcc.edu



 

  Try the Hottest Fitness Classes FREE Membership includes FULL access to all three facilities, fitness classes, water aerobics, FREE child watch*, discounts on programs and childcare & more!. *family category YMCA Mission: To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

AND TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN CHANGING YOUR OUTLOOK. YOUR HEALTH. YOUR LIFE. VISIT THREE CLASSES VALID FOR ONE WEEK IN NOVEMBER Classes like Zumba, Water Aerobics, Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Hip Hop Hustle or Kickboxing- Must Bring Coupon.

Call 324-9622 for more info or GO TO www.ymcacv.org for class schedules.

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 27

Page 28• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Time

Giving the Gift of

During the Holiday Season What better way to celebrate the season of giving than by volunteering in your community? Today, when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, there is no shortage of opportunities to help others by giving of yourself during the holidays.

Deciding where to volunteer can be as simple as contacting one of the many charitable organizations or social services agencies in your community. Local senior centers and hospitals are often looking for volunteers or can direct you to any number of groups that may be in need of your support during the holidays. Virtually all churches and other religious institutions are affiliated with or operate programs to help people in need and welcome volunteers, regardless of their religious beliefs.

There are also many organizations whose mission is to match potential volunteers with charitable groups. One such charitable group, VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org), is a national service that connects volunteers with organizations and programs that need their help. The Holiday Project (www.holiday-project.org), another nationwide organization, arranges for volunteers to visit people confined to nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions during the holiday season. An Internet search (“holiday volunteering,” for example) can yield countless opportunities to serve, from local homeless shelters to international programs that operate year-round.

Remember that volunteering during the holidays doesn’t necessarily mean signing on with a traditional or organized program. Sometimes the biggest help can be in the form of a small act of kindness, such as offering to shovel snow from a neighbor’s walkway or inviting someone who would normally be alone to share in a holiday meal with you and your family. If schools and service clubs in your area hold holiday food and clothing drives, they may need help soliciting, collecting and distributing donations. And if you’re an animal lover, there are always opportunities to bring some holiday cheer to the four-legged members of your community. A little human companionship can bring great comfort to a neglected pet, and animal shelters typically welcome volunteers with open arms. Contact your local shelter or visit the ASPCA Web site at www.aspca.org for information about volunteer opportunities.

If you’re a parent, the most meaningful thing you can do for your family during the holiday season is to give your children the gift of giving. Volunteering as a family teaches children the importance and rewards of contributing to their community and helps to encourage a new generation of philanthropists. Many families, for example, share in a holiday ritual of volunteering together to serve meals at homeless shelters or meal centers. The VolunteerMatch Web site also offers information about volunteering as a family.

Expect Something Special Surgical Procedures

Breast Augmentation, Reduction and Lift Tummy Tucks Vaser™ Liposuction Face and Neck Lift Eyelid Surgery and Brow Lift Removal of Skin Lesions Laser Skin Resurfacing Laser Tattoo Removal Rhinoplasty

Aesthetic Procedures

Sclerotherapy ~ Botox ~ Dysport™ Restylane™ ~ Permanent Make-up Permanent Hair Removal ~ Perlane™ PowerPeel™ Microdermabrasion Biomedic™ Clinical Skin Care Radiesse™ ~Photorejuvenation Acne Clearance ~ Latisse™

50 13th Ave NE Suite 2B Hickory NC 28601 828-322-8380 1-800-665-1244 hickoryplasticsurgery.com

“Serving The Unifour Area Since 1984” Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 29

W

W

elcome Them

arm

By Nicole Greer, Professional Path Certified Coach

On a mission to energize, impact and influence people to lead a Vibrant Life through engaging the possibilities.

nvited Ladies, You are invited to join us for this exciting, energetic networking group.

Meeting every second and fourth Monday of each month. Meetings will start at 6pm at the Mosteller Mansion in Hickory on the Main Level.

W

e all want the same thing. We want to feel welcome. We want a warm welcome.The minute you encounter someone you either feel it or you don't. You feel a positive or a negative energy. The energy between two people who first meet is highly charged with energy.The person you are interacting with takes one look at you and they decide, measure, and judge your potential.

A first impression can be potentially positive or naively negative. The good news is you get to decide, measure, and use your good judgment to make a positive impact on your own first impression. But more importantly, you get to offer someone else the opportunity to show up in your warm welcome.

You get to choose how you show up for life. Your mother told you to stand up straight, smile, shake hands firmly, and use your manners. The business books tell you to have your '30 second' commercial deliverable, your nametag on the right lapel of your suit, and a business card in hand. This is all good advice if you want to give a good first impression. However, I invite you into a new perspective. Why don't you decide to receive a good impression from the next person you encounter?

I love to open my events with a first impressions exercise. This exercise invites the participants to identify their first impression of individuals displayed. Participants have never met these people, yet somehow from a picture, which we know can speak 1,000 words, they have no trouble giving me immediate feedback. Some feedback is positive and some naively negative.

Let's live vibrantly....alert, alive and awake to the possibilities in the people around us. Let's get started with our next encounter. My mentor, Ann Starrette, has a sage saying about people, "We never know." She is right. Each and every person we encounter is a unique individual with a rich history, an intricately woven personality, and a knowledge base unlike anyone else on the planet. Our reason for being is like no one else's. Doesn't that peak your curiosity? Don't you want to learn more? Isn't there a possibility that you could receive something from the person in front of you?

Open your heart, mind, and most importantly your ears to the people placed on your path, we can extend a warm welcome. A warm welcome is the space you hold for people when you approach them. This requires a change in habit. Humans are programmed to pick up on first impressions out of a need for survival. We need to loosen our primitive grip on how we hold people. Decide to hold a space for people with the intention of opening yourself to their potential instead of our natural inclination to quickly inform everyone we meet of our potential. At your next encounter, use these tips to loosen your grip.

• • •

Our Mission

“To Provide An Environment Where Business Women Empower and Support Each Other’s Growth, Success, and Visions!”

Be Our Friend on Facebook

Ask a lot of questions and be curious about the person in front of you.

Listen deeply to their words and comment only on what they have offered.

Invite them to explain their reason for being there in your warm welcome.

After your next encounter has been thoroughly heard, her words celebrated through your comments and felt your positive energy; you never know what great potential this person has to help you with your reason for being.

Nicole Greer, PPCC is a professional life and business coach. At its deepest level, working with a coach frees you to indentify your birthright gifts, discern your deepest passions, and fulfill your highest purpose. As Principal Coach for Vibrant Coaching and Workshop Leader for The Lydia Group, LLC, a collaboration of individuals focused on work, life and spiritual growth, Nicole views her role as a conduit to release all that you want to achieve. Join me on the PATH to move forward with authenticity, skill and confidence. www.thevibrantcoach.com/nicole@thevibrantcoach.com/www.thelydiagroup.com

Give the Gift of Health This Holiday

Gift Certificates Available in 3/6/12 Month Packages

No Joining Fee Low Monthly Rates No Contracts Specialty Classes Including: Zumba • Flirty Fitness TurboKick • Piloxing Body Bar Boxing • Yoga Pilates, and more!

Each year, shoppers are greeted by the sights of the holiday season at area stores, including strung garland, lights and masses of bright red poinsettia plants. However, it’s an appearance by the man in red that really signifies the arrival of Christmas. Department stores count on Santa Claus to attract customers to pose for pictures and shop the day away. History suggests the department store Santa made his debut in 1841, when J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress up in a “Kris Kringle” outfit and climb the chimney of his store. It wasn’t until forty years later that a Boston merchant repeated the idea, hiring a Scottish immigrant named Edgar, who happened to be tall and a little round around the middle and who boasted a white beard, a warm voice and a hearty laugh.

Cardiovascular Machines •Weighted Circuit Machines • Free Weights

828.465.4055 www.theperfectworkout.net

Located In Downtown Newton

Let’s talk about whether Essure is right for you.

Call our office today 828-264-5464.

Cecilia F. Grasinger, MD FACOG Matthew S. Peterson, MD FACOG Robert E. L. Shirley, MD FACOG Jill M. Wagner, MD FACOG Watauga Women’s Center 870 State Farm Rd., Suite 100 Boone, NC 28607 www.wwc.md

Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 31

Travel Tips To Ease Common

Holiday Stress Though the holiday season is welcomed by many as a chance to reconnect with family and friends, in a society wherein families are more geographically diverse than ever before, the amount of travel necessary for such reunions has taken some of the joy away from the holiday season. Long lines at airports, busy highways and mass transit delays are common during the holiday season, when it seems everyone has somewhere to go, and every way to get there is delayed.

For families or individuals readying themselves for another holiday Factoring the potential for flight delays into holiday travel plans is one way holitrip, the following tips should help make this travel season less stressday travelers can ready themselves for the stress of the season. ful. * Be early. Nearly everyone is pressed for time around the holiday * Plan for the worst. Travelers can do themselves a favor by expecting season. Increased days off from work unfortunately do not lead to the worst when traveling. This includes heavily trafficked highways, less work to be done, as deadlines still need to be met and tasks must airline delays and even lost luggage. To prepare for lost luggage, still be performed. In addition to that time constraint, the busy social pack all valuables (i.e., medications, credit cards, etc.) in carry-on schedule many people have during the holidays only further decreases luggage. In addition, include reading material in carry-on luggage to what free time might be left. help comabt boredom if a flight is delayed. And pack along portable That said, being early when traveling is a great way to reduce video games or even a portable DVD player for kids in case of long holiday travel stress. If flying, arrive at the airport no laer than 90 layovers or delays. minutes before departure. Security at airports is especially strinWhen driving, be sure to pack food and beverages. If stuck in the gent during the holiday season. And more and more people fly to almost inevitable holiday gridlock, extra food and beverages can help see friends and families during the season, too. Both of those things maintain energy and avoid hunger when there seems to be no rest area emphasize the need to get to the airport as early as possible, no matter in sight. Also, drivers should always begin a trip with a full tank of how pressed for time an individual may be. gas. Running out of gas is never good, but can set a bad tone for a trip When driving to a holiday destination, set the alarm clock early and when it happens at the onset. beat the crowds to the highways. Traffic is heavy and accidents are * Return home a day early. Whenever possible, it can be especially common during the holiday season. However, driving in the early beneficial to return home, via flight or vehicle, a day early. For morning hours can significantly reduce travel time, as there are fewer instance, after the Thanksgiving holiday many people must return to cars on the road and possibly less accidents, leading to less rubber work the following Monday. That often results in overcrowded roads necking and less closed lanes. and highways on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. Avoid that * Don’t ignore regulations or new rules. Ignoring regulations or newly stress by choosing to start the voyage home on Saturday. If driving, adopted rules will only lead to unnecessary stress and nothing else. go halfway and take all the time necessary. For those who find holiday For example, in lieu of the poor economy, many airlines now charge travel especially stressful, having that extra day at home to relax and passengers for checked and possibly even carry-on luggage. Travelunwind can make all the difference. ers should be aware of this when booking their flight, or at least the night before when getting ready to travel. By ignoring regulations and rules, travelers are only setting themselves up for an argument at their check-in gate. It’s a stressful argument a traveler won’t win.

CARPE DIEM COUNSELING PRACTICE Offering Counseling and Psychotherapy For Individuals, Couples and Families

Focusing On Women’s Issues Margaret Doerle, MA, LPC

Working with you… on what’s important.

805 West Fleming Drive • Morganton, NC

828-437-1533

Page 32• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

Changing Seasons

By Leanne Ely CNC

Being the foodie that I am, I have this tendency to gauge the seasons by what I’m cooking. And each year as the season changes, I’m ready for the change. Like right now…as much as I love grilling outside, I’m ready to come inside and cook. I’m ready for cooler weather, the luxury of a fireplace ablaze and something thick and rich cooking in my crockpot for supper later. Do you do that too?

For those of us who are reveling in the almost fall weather—or wishing we were, here’s a recipe for one of my very favorite crockpot recipes from the just released second edition of Saving Dinner (Ballantine) that will smell delicious cooking all day long and will gratify tummy and soul to the lucky recipients of this delightful meal.

Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Serves 6 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce (your favorite, jarred variety) 1 jar roasted peppers, diced 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 clove garlic, pressed 1 cup water 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 12 ounces spaghetti Salt and pepper, to taste In a crockpot, layer onion, garlic, carrot and celery on the bottom.

Add the chicken on top, roasted peppers, beans, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender and cooked.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking, prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and serve chicken on top.

Per Serving: 473 Calories; 6g Fat; 39g Protein; 65g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 408mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain (Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 3 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat. SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with a big spinach salad and a little grated Romano cheese over the top of the pasta and chicken if you like.

For more help putting dinner on your table check out Leanne’s website www.SavingDinner.com or her Saving Dinner Book series (Ballantine) and her New York Times Best Selling book Body Clutter (Fireside). Copyright 2009 Leanne Ely. Used by permission in this publication

Leanne Ely “The Dinner Diva”

DOS AMIGOS “Authentic Mexican Cuisine” Take Out Orders Available

Drink Specials

Mon. - Wed.

Monday - Thursday Monday-Wednesday Lunch LUNCH

Buy One Combination Dinner And 2 Soft Drinks Get 2nd Combination Dinner Of Lesser Or Equal Value Up To $7.25

Monday - Thursday Monday-Wednesday Dinner DINNER

Buy One Get One 50% OFF

Buy One Get One 1/2 OFF

Buy One Dinner And 2 Soft Drinks Get 2nd Dinner Of Lesser Or Equal Value Up To $7.25

We will not accept more than one coupon We will not accept more than one coupon per party per visit. Present coupon before per party per visit. Present coupon before ordering. Not Not valid valid with with any any other other off offers. ordering. ers.

Expires 11/30/09 Expires 4/30/09 7 /31

We will not accept more than one coupon We will not accept more than one coupon per visit.Present Presentcoupon couponbefore before per party party per per visit. ordering. Not Not valid valid with with any any other other off offers. ordering. ers.

Expires 11/30/09 Expires 7/31/09

1/2 OFF

Equal or Lesser Value

FREE

Equal or Lesser Value

All ABC Permits Open 7 Days A Week!

Mon.-Thurs 11am-10pm Fri.- 11am-10:30pm Sat.- 11:30am- 10:30pm Sun.-11:30am- 9:30pm

1222 Conover Blvd. W Conover, NC 28613 828-466-1920

Come & See Our Newest Location on Conover Blvd.

Private Rooms Available For Large Parties

755 4th Street SW Hickory, NC 28602 828-323-1915

www.dosamigosmexicanrestaurant.net Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 33

Kitchens & More Tour

Just imagine beautiful homes decorated for the holidays, mouthwatering aromas drifting from the kitchen, and familiar tunes filling the air!!

T

he Service League of Hickory invites you to its fourth annual Kitchens & More Tour this November. Seven kitchens and dining rooms will be open Saturday, November 21 between 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 22 between 1 - 5 p.m.

Seven exclusive kitchens and dining rooms will be on the tour, along with chef demonstrations, music and more at each home. The homes will be open during the hours of the tour so tour goers can start at any home and spend as much time as they want at each kitchen and dining room, then move on to another house at their leisure.

Midway Carpet

Distributors, Inc.

Since 1972 •Professional Installation •All Work Guaranteed •Free Estimates •Financing Available

Check r Out Ou t a e r G Prices!

Complete Line Of: Carpet • Wood Flooring • Ceramic Tile Area Rugs • Wallpaper • Vinyl Floor Coverings Laminate Flooring

828-465-1033

1525 NW Blvd. • Hwy 321 By-Pass Newton www.midwaycarpetdist.com Page 34• Nov 2009 • Sophie Woman’s Magazine

The seven kitchens and dining rooms are: Jerry and Peggy Helling Oakwood Historic District, Hickory Steven and Karie Siciliano Governor’s Harbour, Hickory Dave and Maggie Gervais Rock Barn, Conover Pat Rice Rock Barn, Conover Larry and Cindy Williams The Pines II, Hickory Reggie and Lisa Sigmon Moore’s Ferry, Hickory The Peacock Inn Bed and Breakfast Newton, NC During the hours of the Kitchens & More Tour, fresh homemade desserts, cakes, pies, cookies, homemade frozen soups, Service League’s famous Beef Vegetable, or Vegetarian Lentil, and gifts will be sold at the Service League House which is located at 506 3rd Avenue, NW, Hickory.

Kitchens & More tickets are $22 in advance and $25 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased in Hickory at the Service League Thrift Shop, Service League House, Jenny’s Gifts and Accessories, Harris Teeter, Lisa’s Hallmark, Bumblebee Interiors, LLC, Catawba Science Center, The Hickory Tree, and in Conover at Rock Barn Golf and Spa- Real Estate Office.

Proceeds from the Kitchens & More Tour will go to local charities to help assist and provide crucial programs and enrich the lives of those in need in our community.

For more information about the Kitchens and More Tour, which includes a list of the demonstrations that will be in the homes, go to www.serviceleaguehickory.org or call (828) 324–0201.

The Service League of Hickory is celebrating its 72nd anniversary this year. The Service League of Hickory is a non-profit organization made up of women in the community who continue the philosophy the League was founded on which are the principles of charity, public service and education in the community.

828-326-9811

A -1 Tile

Is Customer Satisfaction”

620 4th St. SW Hickory, NC

Mon-Thu 8-5 Fri 8-3 Sat 9-12

Your Full Service Design Center

“Our Number One Goal

*Ceramic & Porcelain Tile (Imported, Domestic & Hand Painted) *Marble~Granite~Limestone~Slate~Travertine *Kitchens~Bathrooms~Indoor/Outdoor Ares *Pools~Patios~Fireplaces *Design Assistance & FREE DELIVERY *Setting Materials and Tools *Custom Window Blinds *Cleaning & Maintenance Products *Samples for Take-Home Review *Tools & Supplies for Do-It-Yourselfer’s *Call for FREE Consultation & Estimates

Awnings Are Cool!

Awnings add a certain flair to outdoor living spaces... and they also protect you from the sun’s harmful rays. Sunbrella® fabrics are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation for their sun protection qualities. Call, or visit us at www.evergreenawnings.com.

Longer Lasting Shade

828.381.2349

Yo u r G i f t D e s t i n a t i o n 2111 Catawba Valley Blvd SE Hickory NC 28602 828-328-5599 Personal Care, Vera Bradley, Home Decor, Baby, Gourmet Food, & Many More Unique Gifts Sophie Woman’s Magazine • Nov 2009 • Page 35

After giving him the good news, Call us for your first obstetric appointment.

At A Woman’s View, we believe your baby’s health care should begin nine months before birth.

Our OB-GYN Physicians and Mid-Wife are dedicated to providing you and your baby the best of care in a nurturing environment. As women, we’ve been there and understand your concerns and share in your joy.

Now Offering Obstetric Services at Catawba Valley Medical Center.

8-1 & 2-6 Located in Westover Park Hours: M-F

915 Tate Blvd SE, Suite 170 • Hickory www.awomansview.com

Laura Faruque, MD

Claire Harraghy, MD

Alyson Miletich, MD

Valerie Taylor, CNM MSN

WV A

oman’s

iew

healthcare for women by women

Accepting New Obstetric Patients

828-345-0800