Volume 5 - Issue 7 September 2009
Sophie Wo ma n ’s M a ga z ine
In This Issue:
FLOWER GIRL
Preparing A
PREPA R ED?
Are You
NOT ENOUGH
When Love Is
STRONG LEADER
Two Traits of a
Free Take One
85
%
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Graystone Eye’s Team of Board Certified Physicians
Randal J. Williams, MD
Ann K. Joslyn, MD
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Brian C. Adair, MD
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The
Front Porch By Judy Smith
I had to confess something the other day. A couple of friends of mine were discussing knowing how to balance a checkbook when one of them said they never balanced their checkbook. We were aghast with that statement. Just unbelievable and you should have seen the shock on one of the girls face. “You never balance your checkbook?” she asked. “How can that be? How do you know what you have?” She was in utter shock and disbelief that a friend of ours, a smart and savvy business woman, didn’t balance her checkbook. She looked to me for support of this undeniable fault our friend possessed when she asked how could someone not balance their checkbook? Why did she have to ask me that? I stammered around trying my best to avoid answering this question but to no avail. “I don’t balance mine either.” That confession did not just come from my lips, did it? Our distraught friend was swaying from the shock of it all, taking in deep breaths so she wouldn’t hit the floor. She gained her composure enough to realize she had not just one, but two complete inept friends. The look of worry was so overwhelming, I knew I had to comfort her in some way, so that is when I told her “That is what on-line banking is for!” To me that is one of the greatest inventions of all times. Why should I spend hours and hours, writing down everything I do, then trying to check off the checks that have cleared , doing all the math, just to find out it still does not match up? It is just so easy to log in and see what you have to work with. Any dumb person can do that! Wait a minute. did I just call myself dumb? I hope my cousin who works for my bank does not read this. She might very well disown me. Wouldn’t you know it, when I got home that evening, what had come in the mail? You guessed it My monthly bank statement. I opened it up and for some reason it just didn’t look right, so I thought I would just see if I could balance it. Really, how hard can it be? Pen, calculator, statement, checkbook, all the things I needed laid out on the table before me. Three hours later, and I am ready to tally everything up. Here goes nothing. “No, No, No, I can’t be off that much! Where did I make my mistakes?” I wanted so much to tell my friends that I balanced my checking account, but here I was, just like in the past, completely overwhelmed. Let me ask you a question. Do you know how great on-line banking is? After hours of mind boggling math, intense pressure that I had put on myself, my body drenched in sweat. I relented. Now I was the one taking the deep breaths, trying to console myself, telling myself I am not the one at fault here. This is a completely dumb way of doing this and I am so smart to know a better way. After the inspiring self-talk, I treated myself to a frappuccino and retreated to the computer, to be completely finished in a matter of minutes. How rewarding that was, plus I found out I could go shopping the next day! It doesn’t get any better than that!
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Sep 09 Sophie Pg 1
Every single month I hear from you, the readers about how something in Sophie Woman’s Magazine impacted your life in some way or the other. That is exactly why we do this! Our contributing writers understand this as well and I think it causes them to put their hearts more and more in the articles. I am so proud of the people who summit articles for Sophie Woman’s Magazine. They share the same passion I do about encouraging and supporting other women in our area. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in, there are always challenges. The great news though, there are other’s who are willing to help you through it. Do you have a story you want to share? Maybe it’s a story of something you went through that brought you out on the other side of it, stronger and wiser than before. Or maybe, you have a story about someone that touched your life that you would like to share. You don’t have to be a great writer to submit an article for us to look at. You can look at my writings and find all kind of errors and know I have not had training in journalism. But you will find my heart.
Contents 1. The Front Porch 7. What Do You Expect? 8. Back To School..... Back To Church 10. Woman’s Secret Weapon 13. Bride of the Month 14. Are You Prepared? 15. When Love Is Not Enough 18. Girlfriends In God 20. Scrapbook Page 22. Unlikely Mentors.... 24. Fly Lady 27. Two Traits of a Stong Leader 28. Preparing a Flower Girl 30. Sister, Sisters....
That is what you will get from most of our contributing writers. Most of them are more professional than I am but all of them have a passion about what they are sharing. When someone asks me if they can submit an article, the first thing I tell them is show your heart in what you are writing about. I really don’t believe most of us women want to read the statistical jargon so many people want to use. We want to know how it applies to the lives it touches. We have some new contributors this month and as you read their articles, I hope you can find what they really want to share with you, the reader. You are so important to me and I always want you to know there is always hope. So even if you are on top of the world right now, there is still a message somewhere in the pages of Sophie Woman’s Magazine and I thank you for reading. I am so proud of you! Judy Smith
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.
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 2
THE HISTORY OF
LABOR DAY Labor Day is a national legal holiday that is over 100 years old. Over the years, it has evolved from a purely labor union celebration into a general “last fling of summer� festival. It grew out of a celebration and parade in honor of the working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City celebrating the working class. The parade was held on the first Monday in September. The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day. In the late 1880’s, labor organizations began to lobby various state legislatures for recognition of Labor Day as an official state holiday. The first states to declare it a state holiday in, 1887, were Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Then in 1894, Congress passed a law recognizing Labor Day as an official national holiday. Today, Labor Day is observed not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, and in other industrialized nations. While it is a general holiday in the United States, its roots in the working class remain clearer in European countries. It has come to be recognized in the U.S. not only as a celebration of the working class, but even more so as the unofficial end of the summer season. In the northern half of the U.S. at least, the summer vacation season begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day. Many colleges and some secondary and elementary schools begin classes immediately after Labor Day. State parks, swimming pools, and campgrounds are all quite busy on Labor Day, as vacationers take one last advantage of the waning hot season. September is the month that marks the beginning of autumn. And, because of that, the average daytime maximum temperatures take a plunge during the month in most of the U.S.
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 3
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C
atawba Valley Medical Center Recognizes
August CARE Employee
Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) recently recognized Minda Hollifield, Environmental Services Technician I in Environmental Services, as the August CARE employee. Following are remarks offered by fellow employees in nominating Ms. Hollifield: “Minda has always been cheerful and helpful. She does an excellent job! Minda is such a lovely person.” Catawba Valley Medical Center’s CARE employee, nominated monthly by employees and guests, embodies Courtesy, Attitude, Respect and Enthusiasm for commitment to maintaining a positive guest relations atmosphere while demonstrating a sincere compassion and concern for patients and fellow staff members.
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Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-forprofit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, twice recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was named as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers as well as twice awarded as a “Distinguished Hospital for An Outstanding InPatient Experience” by J.D. Power and Associates.
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Keep’Em Busy Activity Page
4x4 Kidoku Puzzles by KrazyDad, Book 1
Kidoku #1
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Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 2-by-2 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 4. If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guessing!
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ?
By Nicole Greer, Professional PATH Certified Coach
Back to school…back to schedules… back to basics… September invites us back to reality in a disciplined pursuit of our goals. Having personally just enrolled my son in high school for the 20092010 school year, together we have mapped out a curriculum, outlined his standards of performance and laid some ground rules. In essence, set expectations. He is encouraged or ‘in courage’ to begin a new school year. What would it be like if adults had the courage to never stop being schooled? People just might meet their potential. Learning is a life long journey. Along the path, we find expectations are a responsibility we can’t shirk, a hope we can’t shatter, and opportunities that must be exercised. What do you expect in the next nine months? Can you clearly articulate your expectations? Expectations are beliefs centered on the future. In your mind, you formulate an outcome before you even begin to move toward the goal. It may or may not seem realistic at first glance. But despite that fact, we must set expectations. Let’s get started. Just like the much anticipated or dreaded first day of school, approach today with courage. Courage is the manifestation of the life force of a person. In its purest form, courage summons an individual to stand up, step out and start over. “Courage,” said, Winston Churchill “is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others.” Without courage, there is no action, no life, and no fullness. Life demands more than “knowing” what to do. You summon the will and energy to operate with integrity. Integrity is a dedication to being all you are intended to be despite your fears. Exercise integrity to your self and others in spite of the situation life has doled out today. Eleanor Roosevelt said; “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face.” It takes courage to live life as given without complaint or criticism. It takes twice as much courage to decide to lead a life divided no more. To do what needs to be done. To defy doubt. All it takes to be the change we want to see is to ask the right question at the right time. Begin with this simple question. To achieve my expectations for the next nine months what must I say ‘yes’ to? Your life is begging for a yes. What might happen if you decided to live the lifestyle of yes? Yes to life. Yes to myself. Yes to my talents. Yes to my strengths. Yes to my family. Yes to my colleagues. Yes to the needs of the world. It is easy to say no. To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows. It is easy to say no, even if saying no means death. All you have to do is sit still and wait. Wait to go on living; wait to die. That’s the coward’s part. For every ‘no’ there is a yes. A choice that moves you forward. Ten years ago, my son decided to say yes to an expectation. His dear friend, CC sauntered into my living room looking over each nook and cranny of our home, paying close attention to detail. I could see flickers of curiosity dance across his face. Full of expectation, CC loved new territory. The energy emanating from CC was tangible. He couldn’t wait to get started. Although he had no idea what the day held, he had great expectations for this play date. My son bounded down the stairs to greet CC. He, too, was thrilled at the possibilities the day held. Eager to get started, my son proposed, “Wanna go outside and play?” With his signature ‘cool’ CC said, “Let’s check it out.” I gave both of them the standard “Mom” safety message. In a flash, they were gone. What took place in the next hour, exemplifies the power of expectations. They were 6 years old. They played on the same basketball team, sat in the same classroom, and shared the same dream. They wanted to be like
Mike Jordan, Superstar basketball player Michael Jordan. Becoming a superstar was simply a yes to practice, a yes to commitment, and a yes to the possibility. Clearly they expected greatness! Together they dreamed, conversed, and developed plans to transform themselves into a superstar. CC came into my son’s world full of expectations. He knew my son. He had experience with him. They had a history. CC observed his buddy was athletic, bold, and confident. He liked that. My son’s attributes resonated with CC. As my son laced up his shoes on the stoop in the garage, he pointed to the basketball and said, “Ready?” With one bound, CC scooped up the ball but found his expectations shattered as he stared at the wheels of the bicycle right behind the ball. The bike was nice enough. It was silver, sleek, and sporty. But, CC couldn’t believe what he saw! “You still got training wheels on that thing?” Taken completely off guard, my son stammered…. “Ahhh welllll… yes.” Let me tell you about those training wheels… mmmm… drama. Lot’s of drama and energy had been spent on those training wheels. Put them on…take them off…I’m scared…put them on …no take them off…I’m ready to try. It was a vicious cycle. Neither one of us saw it coming but my son was about to be pried off dead center. Without hesitation CC declared, “We can’t have that. You’ve got to learn to ride this thing without training wheels.” Then the questions commenced, “Where is a wrench? How long have you had these things on here? When’s the last time you tried to ride without them? Can your mom help us get these things off?” and then the big one… “Are you scared?” I was preparing dinner, when the door flew open. With his hands on his shoulders and a grim look on his face my son stood before me with dogged determination. “Mom, take off the training wheels.” ‘Ahhhhggg’… I thought. I started to object but he cut me off. “Really, Mom just come outside and take the
training wheels off.” So, I did. The second the wheels were off; CC grabbed the handlebars, jolted the kickstand into the upright position, and commanded control of the bike. Sitting on the curb looking on, I could see my son struggling. He was confronted with his fear. CC shouted riding instructions as he zoomed around the cul-de-sac. Finally, he stood up, stepped out into the cul-desac and started over. “Give me ‘my bike.” My son instructed CC with his signature boldness and courage. With a glimmer in his eye, CC abruptly skid the tires to a halt directly in front of him and said quietly, “Okay, man. Relax. Here you go. Have at it.” It was at that very moment that my son said, “Yes”. Yes to bike riding. Yes to himself. And Yes to expectations. Many people dream of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing first. Changing yourself takes courage. Set expectations for the next nine months. Challenge your fears with action. You’ll raise your selfesteem and expand your thinking. Vibrant people fill their lives with expectations. I invite you to stand up, step out, and start over. I expect, a “Yes”. Nicole Greer, PPCC is a professional life and business coach. She received her PATH coaching certification through the PATH Coach program. At its deepest level, working with a coach frees you to indentify your birthright gifts, discern your deepest passions, and fulfill your highest purpose. A coach can pry you off dead center. 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 is on a mission to impact, energize, and influence people to lead a Vibrant Life by engaging the possibilities. As a life and business coach and workshop leader, 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
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 7
B Means
ack to S chool
By Ann Aichinger
Back to Church
It is hard to believe that summer has come to a close and school is back in session. For many of us, that means our routines return to our “school year schedules.” Football practices and games, soccer jamborees and games, band competitions, festivals, and all the other things that want some of our time are back in place. But this is also a great time to get back into your faith community. This is a great time find that place to belong on a regular basis, that can ground you and your family in purpose, meaning and faith. Maybe you have gotten out of the habit over the summer of being in worship because of vacations, or time at the lake or trips to the mountains. Maybe it seems to be less important. But this is an opportunity to get back involved in your home church, or maybe it is time to check out a new church or faith community. Being involved in a faith community can help with living daily life, setting family priorities as well as seeking answers to questions. Maybe you have just moved into this community, and we welcome you here. It is a great place to live. As you begin to find your way around, you are invited to visit churches and communities of faith in our area. We are varied, and offer all kinds of opportunities for you and your family to worship, to serve, to work in our communities. Back to school time can be a time for families to find their way back to church. Programs are beginning, new sermon series are planned, and it is a great way to connect at the beginning of things. So consider making a choice about getting back into a faith community. It can really make all the difference in your life.
14th Annual
CROPTOBERFEST October 10th 8am till 6pm
Join Pam Starnes in her workshop, while creating memories for you & your loved ones, but also creating life changing moments & incredible memories for seriously ill children. Registration fee is $70 and you must RSVP by Oct. 1 with full payment. Full details are on Pam’s website at mycmsite.com/ sites/pamstarnes Proceeds from this event will go to
Make A Wish Foundation and Creative Memories are partnering together to raise both money & awareness.
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 8
No one is better at preserving and celebrating those moments of carefree joy than Creative Memories.
Teaching Young Children About Nutrition By Nicki Heskin
Most conventional conversation about young children and nutrition focuses on how to get them to eat particular foods. I see a lot of discussion about how to "sneak" vegetables into foods, or how to bargain nutritious foods into a child's diet. But while actually getting various vitamins and minerals in a child's diet is important, almost more important is teaching children habits which will lead to their making nutritious decisions on their own. One might wonder if that is too much to ask. Well, I would answer that by saying that it is absolutely reasonable for children to start to understand the fundamentals of healthy vs. unhealthy foods. It is unreasonable to expect that they use that information to always make the "right" choice (although I would say the same of most adults!). So what is appropriate to tell a young child about nutrition? Grow Food Makes Your Body Strong Rather than focus on complex nutritional issues like carbs, proteins and fats, which are too complicated for kids, we focus on what we call "grow foods" with our older daughter. We let her know what sorts of foods are grow foods in her meals, and that grow food makes her body strong to fight against the "yicks" which can make her sick. We focus on helping her to know that whole foods are her best bet – fruits and vegetables that look the pictures in her books. Healthy meats and whole grains are her important sources of energy. But she can't identify the difference between healthy varieties, like whole wheat bread, and not healthy varieties, like white bread, just yet. We do our best to make sure that she sees the healthy version as "normal." Sugar and Sweets Feed the Yicks We know that sugar has lots of appeal for kids, and we don't expect her to dislike or shun treats. But we try to teach her moderation – the more that she's independent and away at friend's houses or afterschool activities, the more she is faced with unhealthy
snacks. We think it's more reasonable to ask her to stop at a reasonable amount than to "just say no." We teach her that sugar and treats make the yicks strong, and that yicks are always around, but whether our bodies are strong enough to fight them off or keep them under control, or whether they "win" and make is sick is in large part to due to whether our bodies or the yicks are stronger. So if she wants to choose to eat a few cookies, she needs to think about whether she has eaten enough grow food to keep the freshly-fed yicks under control. A Variety of Foods is Important Even though yogurt is a grow food, and apples are a grow food, even our two-year old is starting to understand that she can't live on yogurt alone (although she begs her hardest!). We try to have lots of healthy food choices around – especially snacks, and ask her to make another choice. Along with the yogurt and apple slices, freeze dried peas are a popular choice. Crackers with homemade hummus goes over well with our kids, and whole grain pretzels, brown rice cakes, seedless mandarin oranges, string cheese, carrot sticks, banana chips and bananas are all great options. I travel with a standard bag full of snacks everywhere I go. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's probably ok if the kids "ruin their dinner" filling up on peas! While it's not exactly scientific, we let them know that there's only so much a grow food that "works" at a time, and then they need to move onto another one.
Y I
ou Are 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.
In my experience, it's not important that kids understand about the macro and micronutrients at work in their foods, but rather have a general understanding about how to approach healthy and unhealthy eating. (To be honest, that's probably true to adults too – check out Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food" for his assessment of the difference between healthy eating and the cult of nutritionism.) We use the concepts of grow food and yicks with our daughters as a visual depiction of the effects of certain foods on our their little bodies. When my 6-year-old asks for a treat, I ask her whether she's had enough grow food today to keep the yicks weak. Sometimes she'll think it over and decide that she's only had enough grow food for *one* cookie. I can't imagine her yet deciding to pass up the cookie, but if she's learning to make balanced food choices, I'll take it…<
Our Mission
“To Provide An Environment Where Business Women Empower and Support Each Other’s Growth, Success, and Visions!” Be Our Friend on Facebook Sep 09 Sophie Pg 9
Chiropractic Care For PMS, A Woman’s Secret Weapon!
M
ost people don’t immediately put the two together. In fact most men, children and small animals don’t even want to be in the same area code with a woman suffering from Pre-menstrual syndrome. However understanding what is really happening to your body is the first step to controlling mood swings, bloating, cravings and pain associated with PMS. There are more than 150 symptoms associated with PMS. These symptoms range from craving sweets or carbs to giving someone a black eye. The question is why? The truth is that no one really knows what causes PMS symptoms. There are many theories including hormones, blood supply, ligament tightness and genetics. So even if the exact cause is still unknown , we do know there are certain things that seem to make PMS symptoms more
severe. These are called causative factors. Now I am not talking about a lazy husband or obnoxious children. I am talking about hormones, diet and lifestyle choices. The biggest hormone that wreaks havoc on a woman’s body during menses is estrogen. Too much estrogen in your system has been linked to all kinds of symptoms such as mood swings, feeling overwhelmed and depression (especially in those taking birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapies.) It can cause breast tenderness, water retention (bloating) and irritability. I suppose most of us would be irritable having some of these symptoms. Another causative factor is what chiropractors call a vertebral subluxation. A vertebral subluxation is a stress response. Muscles go into spasm. Spinal bones lock up.
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And adjacent nerves are choked or chafed. This interferes with the control and garbles communications between the brain and parts of your body. Every cell, every tissue and every organ receives its input as to how to function from the brain and spinal cord. With this in mind, one should understand that the uterus and other pelvic organs receive their nerve supply from the thoracolumbar junction of the spine. By manipulating the spinal cord the brain receives better input of the bodies functions and can react properly. The spine, especially in the lower back, can impair nerves that direct and monitor the reproductive and hormonal systems. Many women suffer from three types of effects that can result when your spinal bones get misaligned and you nervous system is compromised.
• • •
Over activity – such as heavy bleeding or severe cramping. Under activity – including missed periods or infertility. Distorted activity – cells that normally line the uterus, implant elsewhere causing bleeding, pain and reduced fertility.
Any one of these symptoms could be caused by a subluxation. Women with undetected vertebral subluxations can suffer from a wide variety of female health problems including pelvic pain, incontinence, sexual dysfunctions and even infertility. I can’t tell you how many stories I hear from women who have struggled to have children until they start seeing a chiropractor and suddenly… boom, they have a reality show on TLC with 42 kids and she‘s pregnant again. Previous research has suggested the potential benefit of chiropractic care, and a recent study provides further evidence of this association. Post treatment women have reported less bloating, fewer headaches, fewer cravings, and less cramping to name a few. (1) There are real studies done on real women who suffer from PMS. Simply search for chiropractic and PMS on the internet and multiple studies concerning the
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Jan Mixon, BSN, RN Bill Mixon, R. PH, MS., C.D.E., CGP
topic can be accessed. The information is out there for you to make a smart, informed decision and you should talk to your chiropractor about what they may be able to do for you. So lets talk about diet. The dreaded “D” word. I am not saying to go on a diet, I am saying be smart about the food choices you make in the weeks before your period symptoms begin. Creating a PMS friendly diet is about eliminating foods that increase prostaglandins. Plain and simple you should know that prostaglandins stimulate estrogen. Foods to avoid include sugar, dairy products, wheat, red meat, alcohol and fried foods. Basically anything Paula Dean would cook, stay away from. Foods to increase in one’s diet include fish, green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oil and nuts. Think low-fat, high-fiber diet. I realize that doesn’t sound like the best tasting thing on the menu, but vegetarian women, eat more fiber, and excrete 2-3 times more estrogen and have ½ as much free estrogen in their blood than non-vegetarian women. Other studies reveal that when women lowered their fat intake 15%, and increased their fiber consumption, there was a 1/3 reduction in blood estrogen levels. You can help your body get rid of excess estrogen by barely changing your diet. These are minor changes that could have a positive impact on how you feel during menses and keep you out of a lawsuit for stabbing someone with a pencil. A low-fat diet alone has been shown to relieve some PMS symptoms. On the flip side, a highsugar diet, and the consumption of large amounts of caffinated beverages or alcohol have been identified as factors that contribute to PMS. Let me go ahead and address exercise while we are talking about depressing things like diet. Exercise has also been shown to have a favorable modifying influence on PMS frequency and severity. In addition to lowering free-estrogen blood levels, exercise also raises brain endorphin levels, improving mood and reducing anxiety as well as relieving pent up aggression towards your in-laws. Next lets talk about supplementation. For those of you (like myself), who have problems eating a healthy diet. I for one, can’t keep away from Bojangle’s and its tasty goodness. There are supplements you can make to your diet that may help relieve PMS symp-
toms. First of all is the ever delicious Soy. Although not the most exciting or tasty of foods, Soy may actually help tone down the effects of estrogen on the body. Soy helps stimulate the liver in estrogen detoxification and slows down estrogen production. Soy also has beneficial effects with menopausal symptoms, bone density and modulating female reproductive health. The next supplement is a little substance called Black Cohosh. I realize that the name sounds like a polish appetizer, but it is actually a great supplement for women with PMS. Black cohosh helps block the effects of excess estrogen and has been shown to provide pain relief in PMS sufferers. There have been more than a dozen double-blind studies supporting Vitamin B6 in its treatment of PMS. Vitamin E has also been shown to help regulate circulatory hormones associated with PMS. Calcium and Magnesium may also provide some relief of symptoms for certain women. Now I realize this sounds like a bunch of supplements to be taking but most of this stuff can be found in a good high quality multi-vitamin. Please keep in mind that not all multivitamins are created equal. Take the extra time to find a good one that fits your bodies individual needs.
in an aerobic-based exercise program two to three times per week for 20-45 minutes per session (on average), and to have the spine and pelvis checked by a doctor of chiropractic in cases where abdominal pain and cramping is a recurring PMS symptom. While chiropractic care isn’t necessarily a treatment for PMS, many women with spinal distortions often see an improvement in their reproductive health while under chiropractic care. Restoring a more normally functioning nervous system helps the body work the way it’s supposed to. If you, or someone you love, is put out of commission every month, encourage her to come in for a thorough chiropractic examination. If there’s nerve interference, there’s a good chance we can help. <<<<
Dr. William Davis and “Ruckus” Active People Chiropractic 325 1st Ave SW Downtown Hickory, NC 828-256-0222
References: (1)Walsh MJ, Polus BI. The frequency of positive common clinical findings in a sample of premenstrual syndrome sufferers. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, May 1999: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp216-220. (2)Limon L. Use of alternative medicine in women’s health. Am Pharmaceutical Assoc Annual Meeting. APHA 2000:1-5. (3)Cassidy A, et al. Biological effects of a diet of soy protein rich in isoflavones on the menstrual cycle of premenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;60:333-340.
In many cases, PMS can be managed naturally through dietary modification, exercise, nutritional supplementation and Chiropractic care. With respect to dietary and supplementation practices, the following practical recommendations simplify the daily course of action to be considered by PMS sufferers. I also want to take a minute to say that I am not telling you to take any of these supplements. I am merely providing you with the information that may help alleviate some of your symptoms. Do the research and decide what is best for yourself. •
•
• •
Eat less animal fat and eat more grain fiber and vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts). High-potency multivitamins and minerals - containing a B-50 complex, vitamin E, magnesium (200-300 mg), calcium (500 mg). Black cohosh - 80 mg, once or twice per day. (2) Soy extract - 500 mg per day and supplement diet with other soy-based foods: soy milk or cheese, veggie burgers, etc(3).
Finally, it appears to be beneficial to encourage PMS patients to participate
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Sophieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bride Of The Month Congratulations To Our August Winners
Ashley Hartsoe
Bridget Brewer
Both women will receive prize packages from AKRS Designs and Audrey Elledge Tupperware. 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
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 13
Just in Case......Are You Prepared? Those 3 little words your mother used to say to you over and over again.. Bring your raincoat...just in case it rains. Bring a quarter.....just in case you need to call home. Keep jumper cables in your trunk......just in case your battery dies. Things we do to be prepared for unforeseen situations. September has been deemed “National Preparedness Month” sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security. They have developed a website www. ready.gov to help individuals and business deal with emergencies and natural disasters. This is a great time for you to think about how prepared you are, and to take action to become better prepared. You may have heard me mention 3 steps to put into your daily life: plan, prepare, and prioritize. These hold true for emergencies also. Four years ago when I was living in the mountains, my neighbors and I were hit with flash flooding caused by hurricane Frances and Ivan. Our road was washed out and we had no power for a week. We ate well for a couple of days, grilling our frozen steaks before they went bad. Then we had to resort to canned foods which we had stashed away for such an emergency. Luckily we had grills and camp stoves to heat water for instant coffee! There was no school for a long time and the kids had to resort to creative activities like “mud
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 14
by Nancy Adams
sledding”, and board games. Who would have thought a hurricane could affect us in such an inland area?!
David Garrison is the Director of Emergency Services for our local American Red Cross. He says the main risks we may encounter in this area are: Structure fires, ice storms, tornadoes, and flash flooding. Their 3 step process in preparing for a disaster are: Get an emergency kit (or make one), have a plan, and be informed. Here are some items that the Red Cross suggests you put in your kit (more lists available at redcross.org): • • • • •
Water and nonperishable food for 3 days Extra cash, maps of the area, and family contact information Battery powered radio and extra batteries First aid kit and emergency blanket Flashlight and batteries.
As a Professional Organizer, I suggest you get a backpack or large plastic container for your Emergency Supply kit. Consider having a kit for your home and another in a backpack if you must leave your home. If you had to leave your home in a hurry, grabbing a backpack with pre-filled items will be much easier. Make sure you have copies of important documents in this kit including family and emergency contact information. Many people in hurricane Katrina had
trouble getting help because their vital papers were washed away. Have a plan for how you can best deal with the emergency or natural disaster. Make sure your family, including children and senior citizens, knows this plan. Have an out-of-town emergency contact person in case you can’t reach local relatives. Be informed of the disasters that can hit this area and what to do in case they happen. I am glad the Red Cross trains for numerous emergencies but during a disaster, they are busy. We can help ourselves by becoming better prepared. An ice storm may be months away, but get ready now and you won’t have to scramble to the store to buy things that are running off the shelves when it hits. Simple solution is to get organized this month by preparing for a disaster before it hits......just in case. For more information on Organizing Solutions Unlimited, call Nancy Adams at 828-256-8832 or visit www.organizingwithnancy.com
E V
LO When
is not
Enough
Deb and Mike were very much in love when they got married. They had been sweethearts since high school. At their wedding they even wrote their own vows and vowed to love each other forever. Five years later they were divorced. When questioned about the reasons for their divorce, they both responded, “We just fell out of love.” Most of us will quickly say that love is the primary reason for why we got married. Like Deb and Mike, every couple who gets married promises to love each other forever. Probably only a handful of people walk down the aisle expecting their marriage to last only a few years. We think love will keep us together forever. And yet, with the divorce rate approaching 50%, one has to wonder if love is enough to keep us married. Psychologist and relationship coach, Dr. Sara Stevenson, PhD, says that it is not. “Many couples enter in marriage with the notion that as long as we love each other, that’s enough. Too often they find that love is not enough.” Most marriages cannot withstand the unexpected financial, sexual and relationship stresses that come with a marriage. Relationship training, both before and during the marriage, will greatly improve the marriage’s chances to succeed, says Dr. Stevenson. The research supports her. For example, a study published in early 2009 by the American Psychological Association found a significant positive effect on a couple’s communication skills and relationship quality when they attended marriage education courses. Marriage and relationship education is effective and readily available to couples looking to strengthen and enhance their marriage. Dr. Stevenson says that it only make sense that a couple invests in their marriage by attending some type of marital education. We think that being happily married should come naturally but
it doesn’t. We have to be taught. The research definitely shows that couples who participate in classes often return to a happier more fulfilling life with their partner. Dr. Sara Stevenson and her husband, Donald Stevenson, an ordained minister and corporate tax attorney, have been conducting marriage enrichment workshops for couples and singles for almost 25 years. They have found that marriage education can help couples better understand principles of commitment, acceptance, and forgiveness, all of which are necessary to create and sustain healthy relationships. This fall they will be teaching Better Marriage Today™, a series of marriage enrichment courses at local area community colleges to help couples and singles understand how to create healthy relationships. The Stevenson’s are the authors of Get A Clue! Why Relationships Don’t Work (available on Amazon. com). For registration and other information, interested persons should call: 704-878-3220 (Mitchell Community College); 828-438-6104 (Western Piedmont Community College) or 828-327-7037 (CVCC).
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September 12th - 13th, 2009 at the HICKORY METRO CONVENTION CENTER Saturday, 10 am - 6 pm ~ Sunday, 12 pm - 6 pm
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Deborah’s Gracious Gifts
God's Grand Finale
Sharon Jaynes "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14 NIV). Friend To Friend
I was sitting in a crowded restaurant with my family when she walked by in her full-length white satin dress delicately trimmed in lace and studded with tiny "jewels," crinoline that swished as she moved across the room, a rhinestone tiara upon her head, and pearl studded slippers on her feet. Golden ringlets framed her rosy cheeks and puckered lips glistened with a hint of gloss. She knew she was beautiful and glanced around at the admiring smiles of onlookers as she walked through the crowd. She was three-years-old. I'm not sure when the dream of being beautiful enters a little girl's mind, but I do know when the dream ends -- when the preacher says, "may she rest in peace." I remember as a little girl sneaking into my mother's closet and slipping my child-size feet into her size seven high heels. I'd also stand on my tiptoes on a chair, pull a hat off the top shelf, and plop it on my head like an oversized lamp shade. Her satin evening jacket with sleeves that hug eight inches below my finger tips gave a nice elegant touch to my outfit. A lady going to a party would never be caught without "putting on her face," so I crept into the bathroom, opened the forbidden drawer, and created a clownish work of art on the palette of my face. Red rouge circles on my cheeks,
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heaps of blue eye shadow on my munchkin lids, and smeared orange lipstick far exceeding the proper border were finished off with a dusting of facial powder with an oversized brush. From the time a little girl stretches on her tiptoes to get a peek in the mirror, she desires to be beautiful -- perhaps like her mommy. As the girl moves into the teen years, she experiments with makeup, delves into fashion, and attempts various hairstyles. Then it's on to makeover ideas in magazines and on talk shows. If one idea doesn't work -well, there's always next month. I believe the dream to be beautiful is not cultural, but at the very core of womanhood. John Eldredge, in his book Wild at Heart, describes three longings that lie at the heart of every man: a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, an adventure to live. He also ventures to say that women have three longings of the heart as well: to be fought for, to share in an adventure, and to have her beauty unveiled. "Not to conjure," Eldredge explains, "but to unveil. Most women feel the pressure to be beautiful from very young, but that is not what I speak of. There is also a deep desire to simply and truly be the beauty and be delighted in. Most little girls will remember playing dress up, or wedding day, or 'twirling skirts,' those flowing dresses that were perfect for spinning around in. She'll put her pretty dress on, come into the living room and twirl. What she longs for is to capture her daddy's delight." (John Eldredge, Wild at Heart (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001) p16-17) We should never be ashamed of our dream to be beautiful. It is a travesty of the feminist movement that has tried to strip women of their femininity and make them more male. It is as if those in the movement were saying that being a woman wasn't good enough and tried to make us into men. So they tried to make women tough, independent and rugged individuals who didn't need
anyone or anything. But those who were banking on the tenants of feminism were left spiritually and emotionally bankrupt.
ber that I am Your workmanship ... and that You make no mistakes. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
A woman was and is one of God's most magnificent creations. As a matter of fact, she was His grand finale. After He fashioned Eve, creation was complete and He took a rest!
Now
God has placed in our hearts a love for beauty and a desire to be beautiful -- as He defines it. In the New Testament, Paul writes, "For we are God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10). The Greek word for workmanship means a work of art. Listen to these words as David describes the Creator at work. For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you When I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. (Psalm 139:13-16) Like an artist who sees the finished work in his mind's eye, God saw your unformed substance and then began to fashion you from head to toe. He made no mistakes but planned each detail of your being. You do not need to compare yourself to other works of art, but thank the Artist for how He chose to create the masterpiece called ... you.
Let's
Pray Dear Lord, thank You for making each and every part of my being. For eyes that see, ears that hear, legs that move, fingers that feel, arms that hug, feet that run, a heart that beats, a brain that thinks, a tongue that tastes. Oh Lord, forgive me when I complain about Your workmanship and wish for something different. Help me to always remem-
It's
Your
Turn
Make a list of all the parts of your body that you are thankful for. This could take quite some time and perhaps you'll need to come back to your list several times before it is complete.
Get out an anatomy book or visit a web page that shows the various body systems (the circulatory system, the nervous system, the skeletal muscles, etc.) and read about the intricacies of the human body. If you have children, look at the various systems together and marvel at God's incredible creation. Look up the following verses and note what they say about your beauty. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Psalm 45:11 I Peter 3:3-5 Proverbs 11:22 (This verse describes a woman who is beautiful on the inside, but unattractive on the inside.) To comment on today's devotion, visit Sharon's blog at http://www. crosswalkmail.com/kwvvksvksm_lrdktfdsswf.html More From The Girlfriends All little girls have dreams, but for most of us, life doesn't turn out like we thought. But did you know that God has great dreams for you? Yes, He wants to fulfill your little girl dreams in His own way. And that's not all, He has greater plans for you than you ever imagined. Put your hand in His and dare to dream again! To learn more, see Sharon's book Dreams of a Woman: God's Plan for Fulfilling Your Dreams. Seeking God? Click here to find out more Girlfriends in God P.O. Box 725 Matthews, NC 28106 info@girlfriendsingod.com www.girlfriendsingod.com
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 19
John Allen with wife Asley & daughters Graduation from Boot Camp July 17, 2009
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Sep 09 Sophie Pg 20
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s!”
Proper Etiquette for Children
By Taisha Turner
Proper etiquette for children is very important. It allows them to develop good social skills and manners. Polite children tend to get ahead in life. They grow to be polite adults. It is the job of the adults in children’s lives to teach proper etiquette. Children need to learn when and where to use the phrases: Thank you, Please and You’re Welcome. Children who respect others get respect in return. It is not proper behavior to kick the front chair in a theater or on a plane; it is not proper to run and throw food in a restaurant. Children must learn proper etiquette. The earlier they learn the better. Children without proper etiquette at home do the same in school. The children who yell and talk back at their parents do the same to their teacher. They need proper etiquette to perform well in a group setting. Children who under perform in school tend to not graduate. The ones who do graduate tend to continue using their poor manners in the workplace. This can result in job dismissal. No matter the age of the children, it is never too late to teach proper etiquette. It is an important duty of parents and guardians to teach them. Do not fend your responsibilities onto others. The parents who do not teach their children proper etiquette are hindering them. Take time to teach children proper etiquette. Children must learn it
is improper to eat with their mouths open. Teach them to talk after swallowing their food. Teach that it is improper to eat food with their fingers. These things are good to know at home and away. Children love to help their parents. Show them how to correctly set a table. Give them plastic plates or the everyday dishes and silverware. Praise them when they accomplish the task. This builds their selfconfidence and teaches proper etiquette at the same time. A good book for parents to help with this important task is Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parents Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind Considerate Children. Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners is a picture book for parents and children. The latter book uses humor and bright pictures to capture children’s interest. No No Yes Yes is a good board book for infants and toddlers.<
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Sep 09 Sophie Pg 21
U N L I K E LY M E N T O R S by Kim Fletcher, Life Coach, Speaker, Author “The times in which we live cry out for role models of inspiration. With grace and character, courage and a deep faith in God, Judy provides HOPE!” Joni Eareckson Tada The sole purpose of a lighthouse is to stand and reflect light. In a similar fashion, we are called to be beacons of hope to a world in darkness. My friend Judy Siegle is a powerful beacon of hope! Judy has a rare type of beauty and sophistication wrapped in a personality that is full of joy. The sheer delight with which she approaches life is consistent and abundant. Her signature quality of joy was not born of easy circumstances. In 1979, the summer following her high school graduation, this gifted student and athlete was making plans for college. But the night of August 11 would bring her hopes and dreams to a screeching halt as a car full of intoxicated teenagers broad-sided the car Judy was driving. A night that began by celebrating a friend’s wedding ended in tragedy as Judy was diagnosed with a broken neck.
and you will have two great opportunities to meet her. First, she will serve as one of the key speakers for the annual Women’s Leadership Conference brought to our community by the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce on November 12th. Secondly, Life Compass International will be hosting a fall conference on November 13th and 14th entitled Awakening the LORD’s Generation! This conference will feature Judy as one of six dynamic speakers. In days of uncertainty, it is essential to surround yourself with role models who will challenge and inspire you to keep hope alive and to live out your destiny.
Judy sat on the sidelines of life in her new wheelchair as she watched her friends head to college. Paralyzed muscles and broken dreams don’t add up to the ‘typical equation’ for abundant life. But then again, Judy is anything but typical! I could spend the rest of this article introducing you to Judy, the Olympic-level wheelchair athlete; or the Master’s educated Licensed Clinical Social Worker; the two-time author; or the professional motivational speaker. Instead, I would like to introduce you to some key lessons that I have learned from her life. 1. Unwelcome circumstances offer no excuse to not live with excellence. Judy boldly proclaims, “I realize that this wheelchair that seemed an outward sign of limitation does not bind me and has no power to limit what God is doing in my life. So, full of hope and expectation, I open my life up for God to work His wonders.” Judy knows that her disability has no power to limit God’s ability to work in and through her.
Judy Siegle 2.
Loss and disappointment shouldn’t destroy our life’s purpose. Corrie ten Boom once said, “We should make little of what has been lost and much of what has been given.” Judy has done just that. As she speaks and serves individuals affected by disability around the world, she has actually allowed her greatest challenges in life to become the platform she uses to influence others. On any given day, she can be found sharing her faith and motivating others. You will never find her on the sidelines. Instead, you will find her fully in the game of life sharing her signature message, ‘The game may change, but the game goes on.’
3.
Jesus alone determines our identity. We live in a culture that shapes a person’s worth based on externals… position, prestige, achievement, wealth, etc. That same culture can quickly discard as worthless someone who is weak, disfigured, homeless, poor or ‘the wrong color’. What sets Judy apart from this broken value system is her determination to see herself as Jesus sees her. This decision has allowed Jesus to bring wholeness, new dreams and great purpose to a woman living in a broken body.
I have been greatly impacted by this incredible woman. And I know you will be too! I want to invite you to get to know Judy and to adopt her “Living Without Limits” lifestyle. In November of this year, Judy will be coming to town, Sep 09 Sophie Pg 22
Kim Fletcher is the Director of Life Compass, an organization providing
Transformational Life Coaching and Speaking/Training to individuals and groups who are determined to live out their impact. To register for our fall
conference, visit online: lifecompassconference.eventbrite.com. To purchase a copy of Judy’s book “Living Without Limits” while supporting the work
of Life Compass, visit online: lifecompassinternational.org/resources.
I
t is no surprise that moms feel overwhelmed when they try to fit everything into their busy days. After all, few single people can manage to juggle work, home life, and fun successfully. On top of these responsibilities, moms add car pool duty, cupcake emergencies, and last minute science projects to their to do lists. So, how do moms manage to fit all of those tasks into their lives and still keep their sanity without resorting to cloning? First, you may want to consider making a list of tasks that need to be completed. Then, take a hard look at that list for anything that could be simplified or eliminated. For example, do your children really need home baked cupcakes for the school party? The bakery up the street will be happy to box up 24 cupcakes and have them ready for you to pick up the next morning, saving you at least a half hour. Next, look for tasks that really take a lot of your time, but could be done by someone else. If your children are too young to help walk the dog, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker to give your pooch his daily exercise. Errand services are also a great time saver. You can have your errand service shop for back to school supplies, pick up groceries, or get the dry cleaning. A maid service can come in once a week to do some heavy duty cleaning. Another task that takes a lot of time is cooking. However, you can stop cooking a meal from scratch every evening and still feed your family without hitting speed dial for your favorite pizza with bulk cooking. Pick a weekend and cook enough food for an entire month of meals. Freeze the food in dinner size portions and simply reheat a dinner each evening.
Time Saving Tips for All Moms By: Aurelia Williams
Of course moms who work from home have a flexibility that other moms don't have. If you become overwhelmed with all that you have to do, give yourself permission to take some time off to catch up. If you simply can't take time off, you may want to find a mother's helper to watch the children and do some basic household chores while you work. Finally, if it seems you are always spending your evenings helping your children complete big assignments that are due the next day, give each of your children a homework notebook. If they neglect to write assignments down, ask their teachers to initial the assignment book, so you will know that all assignments are listed. This will eliminate all of those last minute posters, science fair projects, and reports that moms seem to end up helping with until midnight the night before they are due.<<<<
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 23
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r e ng
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B
ook Your
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NOW
Hunt
by the FlyLady, Marla Cilley Do you feel like you never get finished with the laundry? Is there evidence of the laundry process all over your home? Are there soured towels in the washing machine because you forgot about them? Do you have a dryer full of wrinkled clothes because you were on the phone when the buzzer went off? If you actually folded them are they still on top of your dryer or piled in your laundry basket waiting to be put away? Laundry is just like dishes. If you eat on plates and drink water out of glasses; you will have dirty dishes. If you get up and get dressed and get ready for bed you will have dirty clothes. Dishes or clothes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t magically get clean, someone has to lift a hand to start the process. Starting the process is just the beginning of five step journey of climbing Mount Washmore! One day you wake up to no clean underwear. So you either have to go buy some new undies or do the laundry. By this time you have worn every clean item of clothing you have and Mount Washmore seems like Mount Everest. Where do you start? If your laundry has gotten out of hand there is a good chance that you do not have a routine for staying on top of it! I am going to teach you how to get it done and then give you a routine for keeping up with it. We are going on a laundry scavenger hunt. Put on some fun music! Go to your laundry room and check the washer and dryer for forgotten clothes. Start sorting those clothes into piles: Whites, delicates, colors, jeans, towels and sheets. Then check your laundry hot spots; the bathroom floor and hamper, treadmill handlebars and the bedroom chair. You know your favorite dumping ground for dirty clothes. Get the children involved too. Ask them to look under their beds and in their closets. Keep sorting the clothing into your piles.
Sep 09 Sophie Pg 24
Next gather up all your laundry baskets and put your laundry detergent, softener and stain pretreater in one basket. Then go to all your closets and gather up all the empty hangers and put them in another basket. You have lots of piles of clothes. Put single loads in garbage bags and take them to your car. You probably have ten or more loads. The next thing you are hunting for in this scavenger hunt is money. Go cushion diving or your change jar to gather up coins for the Laundromat. Now don’t fuss that you have a washing machine and a dryer. You have not been using them. It is time to get this done! Before you leave the house, clean out one drawer for each family member. Most of the clothes in your drawers you do not wear because if you did they would be in the dirty clothes bags. So put them in a give-away bag. This way when you get home from Laundromat you will have a place to put your clean clothes. As you are folding the clothes at the Laundromat don’t fold things that you don’t love or that does not fit. If it is too stained to give away then put it in the trash. Have a give-away bag handy as you are doing your folding. Don’t take anything home that is just going to become a stumbling block to your daily routine of doing the laundry. A load a day keeps you from having to scale Mount Washmore! Don’t wait till you are overwhelmed. For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out her website and join her free life coaching at HYPERLINK "http://www.flylady.net/" www.FlyLady.net , listen to her channel HYPERLINK "http://www. blogtalkradio.com/flylady" 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.
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
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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 Sep 09 Sophie Pg 26
Please visit these and all our participating businesses.
TS
wo Traits of a trong Leader
WThere have been several books written about hat are some characteristics of leadership?
them and some include passion, intelligence, responsibility, drive, compassion, energy, enthusiasm, charisma, the ability to communicate, etc... I would like to focus on two that I believe are essential for strong leadership, vision and discipline. With vision leaders rally the team to move together toward a common goal. They energize the team’s efforts and keep them going during difficult times. The vision inspires and motivates, which are two of the most important responsibilities of leaders. Vision is what everyone on the team is looking for from their leaders. We are all searching for people to give us hope for a better tomorrow. By communicating their vision, leaders do that. Discipline is required for leaders to set standards and show the way. Weak leaders talk but don’t lead by example. They aren’t willing to get into the trenches. They don’t want to take the time to talk to their employees and ask for advice. Without the discipline to show the team that they are in this with the rest of the team, the leader quickly will lose creditability. Once that is lost, there is no recovering leadership even if they stay in the position. I believe that vision and discipline are both required for an individual to be a leader. If someone only has vision without the discipline, they are dreamers. They have big ideas with little results and tend to move from one venture to the next without ever accomplishing their potential. They give up when the work gets hard. Eventually, other people realize this and stop following them. They are bright stars that burnout in the night. If someone only has discipline without vision, then they are a dedicated employee but not a leader. They know what needs to be done and will carry out the assignments successfully. But, they don’t have the ability to lead the team to the next level of accomplishment and growth. They can “lead” an organization but the business will hit a plateau and never go above. These individuals will also never feel comfortable in the leadership role and will actively seek someone else to take the lead.
Do you have these two essential qualities to be a leader? What can you do to raise your level of leadership? Do you need accountability to help with discipline or someone to help you find your vision? If you find that you have a lack of discipline or your vision for what you want to create in your business is not clear, these situations can be helped. For finding your vision, I would recommend looking at why you started your business. What are some of the things you love about your business? If you could get up in the morning and do anything you wanted without worries or responsibilities, what would you do? Answering these questions can help you find your vision. If you lack discipline to do the things you know you should to grow your business, then you need accountability. This can often happen when times get tough because we feel there is nothing we can do to make things better. We feel things are out of our control. However, I have found that if we start to concentrate on what we can do and focus on doing our best there, things start to improve. Once this begins our energy to continue increases and discipline become easier. I would love the opportunity to assist with either finding your vision or being your accountability partner.
Coach Jody Williams Action Business Coach 828-466-2279
Tony L Moore Photography LLC
Wedding and Event Photography • • • • •
All packages include DVD Images posted online for family & friends Albums, prints, enlargements Engagement, bridal, trash the dress sessions Referrel program
Over 30yrs Experience 828.464.7717
www.tonylmoorephotography.com
photos@tonylmoorephotography.com
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Valley Corner Shopping Ctr. Hwy. 70, Hickory NC (located close to Toys R Us)
the Wedding
Fall and Winter Merchandise Arriving Daily Sizes
Girls: Junior 0-19 Boys: 26-38 Waist 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
Room With a View!
Make the most of your outdoor living space with a retractable awning! Call Clinton Annas, the retractable awning expert, for a free estimate, or visit us at www.evergreenawnings.com.
Longer Lasting Shade
828.381.2349
Sunbrella is a registered trademark of Glen Raven Mills Inc.
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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
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arolina N O P U O C .NET
A website for business coupons within your community. Resturants - Hair Salons Auto Service Centers - Retailers - Massages - Golf - Recreation - Rentals - And More +Plus.....Access to thousands of national brand name coupons. All you have to do
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Sep 09 Sophie Pg 29
Sisters, sisters….
there were never such devoted sisters!
Maybe you are lucky enough to have a sister! Better yet, to have a sister like I have! Ellen is two years older than me and I idolized her as we grew up together. She was my role-model, my icon, my heroine; she was everything I ever wanted to be. She was the most beautiful girl I knew. As we grew up we made snowmen together in the cold winters of northern Indiana. We were in Brownies and Girl Scouts together. I watched her, with envy, brushing her long strawberry-blonde hair, getting ready for one of her dates during high school. She would have four dates in one weekend and one Sunday afternoon when she came home from one date, the evening date was waiting! Oh, how I wanted to be Ellen! She was beautiful and made good grades. Dad called her “Queenie!” We fought, oh yes, we fought! She was always afraid I’d hurt her because I was larger; but she had fingernails that were sharp and she left her indelible imprint on me more than once as we tumbled around on one of our twin beds. We’d wash dishes together (because we were expected to). But somehow she would cleverly pick a fight with me and then, loudly, announce, “I can’t even be in the same room with you,” throw the dish towel down and stomp into the living room where Mother would tell her to “go on upstairs and let your sister finish the dishes.” I always wanted to run around with her and her friends, but she would call me her “baby sister” and in front of her friends tell me that they were going to do “grown up things” that I wasn’t yet allowed to do. Oh, how I wanted to be grown up so I could go with the “older girls.” The years passed and she left for college. That was the beginning of our new relationship. Gosh! How I missed her. Three more years in high school with her GONE. Alone in my bedroom. No one to talk with or even Sep 09 Sophie Pg 30
to fight with. My idol, my big sister, that girl I fought with was GONE. I started visiting her at her University. I spent many weekends with her in her grown-up sorority house with her grown-up friends. She became my friend! No longer did I feel like I needed to compete with her. Now I had a FRIEND. She even introduced me to some fraternity guys that I dated. Now I was like her! I even pledged her sorority and we lived together another year. I was proud to be her “sister” again. We performed a few times together and, of course sang “Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters!” Even as recently as a year ago we sang it for some friends and laughed and giggled through the whole thing because we had forgotten some of the words, did a miserable job, even forgot our harmonic parts. But our harmonic souls were still there. It didn’t matter that we made fools of ourselves. By now we are too old to care because we had such fun and it brought back such wonderful memories. I went to a party in her hometown and she introduced me as her sister. FINALLY, REVENGE! I corrected her by saying that I was her BABY SISTER! And I told her friends that they could call her “Ellen, the Elder!” I was finally her equal! To this day I still call her that when I want to make her laugh. Many years passed and our friendship grew deeper and deeper. We both married. We both had a son and a daughter. We both divorced. We both remarried. And through all of this we talked and shared our feelings, our fears, our joys, our likes and our dislikes. I told her things that I have never told anyone else because I trusted her. She was my sister. And I trusted her more than anyone in the world. And I still do. Then I lost my husband and she was there for me. She came from Missouri and stayed. For two weeks she loved me and cared for me. And when she left her phone calls and e-
mails never ceased. We became even closer. The trust we both had for each other was an integral part of our relationship. Our friendship has deepened over these past few years. We both cry at the thought of not having each other in our lives. We often say that we don’t know how we can go on without each other. Our history is so deep… right back to that snowman we built together. Nothing can ever take our memories away from us. Such beautiful memories of such a beautiful and wonderful sister. You should be so lucky! For Sophie Woman’s Magazine
Julia Rush Owner, -julia rush- Fine Crafts Downtown Hickory, NC
How to Pack a Healthy Lunch by Leanne Ely
Over the years, the school cafeteria has become a place of too many choices—from franchise fast food offerings to the usual stuff we grew up with—most kids don't know how to pick a healthy lunch or are not inclined to do so considering the many tempting offerings. The alternative is packing your child's lunchbox and it is probably one of the healthiest things parents can do for their school-aged children. Like anything else, lunch is a time to balance your child's meal.
Cheese on a String—or whatever other type of cheese, ready to go in the cheese section of the dairy case. All Dried Out—like just a handful of raisins for example. Get the itty-bitty boxes and encourage your child to put them on their cottage cheese. It's really good that way! Apple This Way—quarter the apple and sprinkle with cinnamon in a baggie. You won't have to hear about it turning brown and the flavor is just like apple pie. Put a little plastic container with some peanut butter for dipping in there too, and you've got some protein thrown in on the side, too.
Having a decent protein/carbo ratio in your child's lunchbox, will help him or her finish the day with energy to spare. And while sandwiches are okay, the Ultimate Tortilla Roll-ups (see recipe) is perfect lunchbox fare. Not only are they easy to make and pack well, kids truly love them. There are hundreds of variations on this theme, too—you don't have to just stick with any one recipe. Tortillas make great transportation for almost any filling—experiment a little bit and try different things—even your basic PB & J takes on new meaning when wrapped in a tortilla. Don't skimp on the fruit. Bananas are great for lunchboxes—convenient, a great source of potassium and come in their own carrying cases. Pack it on the very top though, and wrap it in a couple of napkins for protection-nothing worse than a bruised and mushy banana. But what about a beverage? Where's the juice, soda or milk? According to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) drinking too much juice (yes, even 100% fruit juice) can contribute to the problems of cavities, childhood obesity, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, such as excessive gas and bloating. Get your child into the good habit of drinking water. Try freezing a small bottle of water instead of the usual juice and flavored drinks. Most children don't drink enough water and packing that frozen bottle is a smart move. By the time lunch rolls around, the bottle has served two purposes: hydrating your child and keeping his lunch cold. Besides, those goofy blue ice thingies always seem to leak their blue stuff everywhere. Packing a healthy lunch isn't a big deal and something you can easily train your child to do. As a matter of fact, children who learn to pack a healthy lunch are the kids who learn to make responsible nutritional decisions as they grow up—good habits that will serve them for a lifetime. Allowing your children free range in a school cafeteria can be hazardous to their health, unless they can make good choices. That is, if there are even any good choices available. And now some ideas: Great & Easy Packables Curds and No Whey—no kidding! Try drizzling a little honey over the top of that cottage cheese and some cinnamon. Kids think it's great. Cue the Carrots—the produce department keeps making it easier for busy moms. Those little carrots are indispensable for packing it right and the price is reasonable, too.
Take Out Orders Available
Drink Specials
Mon. - Wed.
Monday-Wednesday LUNCH
Buy One Get One 1/2 OFF
Equal or Lesser Value
We will not accept more than one coupon per party per visit. Present coupon before ordering. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 4/30/09 9/30/
All ABC Permits
Monday-Wednesday DINNER
Buy One Get One 50% OFF
Equal or Lesser Value
We will not accept more than one coupon per party per visit. Present coupon before ordering. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 9/30/09
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
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BookTalk CATAWBA COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
September 2009
September means ‘Smartest Card’ Catawba County Library is promoting literacy through the Smartest Card campaign this month. The Smartest Card, of course, is your library card that allows you to check out books and audio/visual materials, but also lets you access a wealth of information without leaving your home or office. Cardholders may place holds on materials through the website www. catawbacountync. gov/library. You can download books directly from the site for use on an MP3 player or personal computer. You can also access special research tools such as NCLive. Your library’s
subscription allows free access to a host of data bases such as Learning Express Library, HeritageQuest, and most recently, Consumer Health Complete, TOPICsearch and the Science Reference Center. Be sure to set up a PIN number. This will allow you to place a hold on library materials. You card number (plus PIN) allows you to check your library account from home to see what you’ve checked out, what fees may have been applied and the status of your hold requests. This service also allows you to renew materials from home
Variety of how-to’s offered this month If you want to learn more about computing, parenting or tracing your heritage, you’ve come to the right place. Catawba County Library System will offer free instruction on these topics and more in September. Offerings include how to use Word, job searching, Beginning Internet, Excel and using a Blackberry device. Details are on page 2. If you’re caring for an older parent, you may want to be part of the discussion at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 at St. Stephens. Registration is not necessary. Genealogy buffs will enjoy two free workshops at Southwest Branch. Librarian Kim Wetmore will show you how to start your family research at 3 p.m. Sept. 20.
Federal census records will be the topic at 3 p.m. Sept. 27. Call 294-2343 for further information. Families with preschoolers will want to sit in on free story times held weekly at various branches. Family story time is held 6:30 p.m. Mondays in Newton. A free parenting workshop, You & Me Baby, begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Newton to help new mothers become better parents. School-aged children will enjoy a book swap at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 at St. Stephens Branch Library. Curious George is coming at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, to Main Library. Children will usher in autumn there with a leaf rubbing craft at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.
Battle of the Books list available
The North Carolina Battle of the Books list has been released. Students in grades 5-8 will test their knowledge as they prepare for the contest by reading from a preselected book list from the N.C. School Library Media Association. The list offers good choices for kids whether they’re competitors or not. The titles are highly regarded
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children’s literature representing a cross-section of subjects and genre. For a complete list, check any branch of the Catawba County Library System.
an C u n Yo a h T At! k c Sti A E
N U F ore
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828~328~BARK
952 Second St. NE Hickory NC
Tales from the MOM Side.. Not-so-controlled chaos
Tonight was my first night alone with the girls, since Mom is back home and Chris was at work, and what a night we had! It all started out so innocently, we had breakfast for dinner, Savannah took a shower and changed into her pajamas and then all three of us hopped in Savannah's bed with popcorn to watch Shrek 2. And then, things took a very strange turn. Addison woke up crying because she was hungry, no big deal, I got her hooked up to the bottle and then Savannah started screaming hysterically, which sent the baby into hysterics. And amid all of the screaming, Savannah was pointing frantically to her face and squealing incoherently and shoving her face into mine. So then I, smart woman that I am, start yelling "WHAT? WHAT?" (because this always works in getting an answer) until finally I realize Savannah is clawing at her nose, screaming "POPCORN IS IN MY NOSE! IT'S IN MY NOSE!" Sure enough, there was a kernel wedged in her nostril that she couldn't get out, so I head off to get my tweezers (again, I am a very smart woman, heading toward a three year old's face with tweezers....not a proud moment) with the frenzied wailing still going on behind me. But by the time I got back, Savannah said, "It goes back, it went back," evidently meaning that she sniffed it.....after finally getting everyone calmed down, I realize that somewhere in all of this, I've spilled my drink on the bed, so I put the baby in her bouncy seat and begin changing the sheets, only to turn around and see Savannah trying to quiet Addison by placing a pillow on top of her face. Somehow, we're all still here, Savannah is tucked into bed, the baby is contentedly sleeping, and a popcorn kernel has hopefully found its way into Savannah's digestive track. Oh well, better luck next time, right?
We’ve Been There. . . Women’s Health
• Pregnancy
• Surgery
• Childbirth
• Pelvic Pain
• Menopause • Abnormal Bleeding Vickie Lovin, MD
Denise Bilhorn, MD
Teri Herman, RN-C GONP
Alicia Walsh, MD
Lisa Largent, RN-C WHNP, ANP
Obstetrics & Gynecology Now Offering obstetric services at Catawba Valley Medical Center.
Laura Faruque, MD
Alyson Miletich, MD
Claire Harraghy, MD
Valerie Taylor, CNM MSN
Primary Care for Women
Anne Gonzalez, MD Janese Trivette, FNP Jennifer Ferrara, ANP
. . .We Understand At A Woman’s View, we know that our having “been there” helps our understanding of your problems. Sometimes, there’s nothing that can substitute for experience, whether it’s pregnancy childbirth, miscarriage, abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, surgery or menopause. No matter what your healthcare issue, we personally understand your situation.
A Woman’s View is now accepting new Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Primary Care Patients.
WV A
oman’s
iew
healthcare for women by women
(828) 345-0800
Westover Park 915 Tate Blvd SE, Suite 170 Hickory, NC 28602 Hours: M - F 8 - 1 & 2 - 6 www.awomansview.com