Right at HOME Video e-Magazine March 2024 Issue

Spring Shopapalooza

Vintage Market Days Showcases 100+ Artisans, Unique Items

By Amy Morgan

Girls just want to have fun! Ladies, grab your gals and mark your calendars for Vintage Market Days.

The Spring Market is a three-day vintage-inspired shopping event April 5-7 featuring unique items curated from the best artisans, designers, and pickers from across the country. You’ll find everything you need to refresh your world this spring! Vintage Market Days’ Early Buying Event Friday runs from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., General Admission, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday.

Kathy Sims and her husband, Mark, have been bringing the vintage experience to northwest San Antonio since 2018. The San Antonio Rose Palace, better known as George Strait’s roping arena, is located just a few miles northwest of the Rim on Boerne Stage Road outside Leon Springs. Kathy hopes one of these years to see George strolling down their aisles, although no sightings so far, she reported.

While Kathy has yet to convince George to sing, the event does feature live music throughout the day played by local oldies band Acquiescence, so shoppers can groove to their favorites to keep their energy up as they shop until they drop. “I cannot listen to them without swaying,” Kathy enthused. “They play great music.”

More than 100 shops will spread throughout the 100,000 square feet of the Rose Palaces’ two arenas. Unlike other weekend markets, Vintage Market Days’ vendors build and outfit complete stores in their 20x20 foot booths. “Architectural salvage, woodcraft, vintage collectors’ items, interesting things they have picked along the way — they bring it all and will help you find the perfect thing for your home,” Kathy said. Other artisans will build custom furniture or outfit a mud room. Boutiques offer one-of-a-kind pieces and beautiful handmade jewelry.

Vintage Market Days Spring Market is a three-day vintage-inspired shopping event April 5-7 at the San Antonio Rose Palace featuring unique items curated from the best artisans, designers, and pickers from across the country.

“There’s a lot of great shopping you are not going to find anywhere else,” she said. Hot right now is the “forever” jewelry that friends purchase together to commemorate an event. Groups of women come from all over — some even have special t-shirts made to match. “This is their outing! We are truly an experience in a relaxed environment where you can shop with your girls and make memories. You will find distinctive things for your home, garden, and closet. Our 20-foot aisles are not cramped or crowded. Come out for the day and play and find those special things you never knew you needed!”

Kathy invited.

“The energy and the food are great,” she said. Speaking of eats, local trucks offer barbecue, walking tacos, brisket stuffed baked potatoes, donuts, funnel cakes, shaved ice, and of course, coffee, along with other gourmet items.

Smart shoppers purchase their tickets online to take advantage of several VIP perks, like early event access and automatic double registration for door prizes, raffle and giveaways. While goodies like candles, food, jewelry, and gift certificates are announced every hour, one lucky registrant will win a grand prize of certificates and merchandise worth $500 Friday and Saturday. Drawings are held at 1 p.m., and the winner must be physically present. The first 25 ticket holders in line each day also

receive a VMD Market Tote stuffed with coupons, gifts and Vintage Market Day Cash. So, word to the wise — come early and stay until at least 1 p.m.!

Kathy and her daughter, Shauna Wardlaw, first became acquainted with Vintage Market Days as vendors themselves. They ran a vintage home goods booth that revitalized and flipped furniture. Her favorite pieces were cabinet-sized radios that she’d reinvent as wine cabinets. “I’d paint them and bring them back to life,” Kathy said. “I love unloved furniture.” They attended events all over the country, but when her first granddaughter was born, Kathy felt “highly motivated to get off the road and stabilize in one place.” She purchased the San Antonio and the Central Texas Vintage Market Days franchises and began to make them her own. Her daughter owns the South Houston Market and partners with Kathy to bring “the fresh and young ideas,” she said.

Because Vintage Market Days is a small, family-owned business, they are able to give back to local non-profit Love Kendall County Kids and K-LOVE’s San Antonio affiliate. They donate a portion of the event proceeds to Love Kendall County Kids as well as provide them exposure to the Vintage Market Days’ 6000+ (and growing) customer base as they run the bag check program for donations. Love Kendall County Kids fills gaps for children like summer camp, meals and beds. Vintage Market Days also partners with Humanitix for online tickets. Humanitix donates 100% of their profits to supporting children in need — more than $4 million to date, Kathy reported.

“Our favorite thing about being a part of Vintage Market Days is that it is a conglomeration of small businesses that come together twice a year with the goal of bringing the season’s best to our customers,” she said. “Our vendors are Christian people running small family businesses following their creative passions and supporting their families through the products they sell.”

So, feel great as you update! Support local small businesses, kids in need, AND make memories with your besties.

Handy Helps

Emergency Aid for “Bloody” Injuries

By Amy Morgan

Spring sunshine and warmer weather inspire us to return to projects and use tools we might not have seen since last year. Injuries with power saws or drill bits can cause lacerations, puncture wounds, or even an amputation. There are a multitude of opportunities for accidents.

Lonnie Schwirtlich, M.D., an emergency physician with 42 years of experience, and founder of Physicians Premier free-standing emergency room, located west of Highway 281 on Highway 46, explained how to help an injured person before they get to professional care.

Breaks in the skin will bleed, sometimes abundantly, Dr. Schwirtlich said. The number one rule for any laceration: find a sterile dressing, or even a clean towel, sock or t-shirt, and hold pressure to reduce the bleeding.

Dr. Schwirtlich said duct tape over the dressing (and not on the skin) works well to pull and keep the wound edges together. There are some commercially available compounds to stop bleeding often included in a first aid kit that can be helpful but refrain from following home remedies. He’s seen patients arrive with coffee grounds or spider webs in their wounds — both of which contaminate the area and make treatment more difficult. If your laceration might require stitches, the procedure must be completed within 12 hours before the risk of infection precludes stitching, potentially increases scarring and delays the healing process.

If you have not had a tetanus booster in the past five years, you have 72 hours to update, either at the emergency room, the pharmacy, or through your own doctor’s office, he added.

Unless a laceration is actually a complete amputation, a tourniquet causes more problems than it helps. Cutting off circulation can cause the tissue to die and damage muscles and nerves, Dr. Schwirtlich said.

If you have amputated something put the body part in a moist cloth or cup of milk, keep it cool, and bring it with you to the emergency room as quickly as possible. Dr. Schwirtlich has seen many cases where extremities have been re-attached, and “they work really well.”

Head lacerations bleed an alarmingly large amount because of the number of blood vessels in the area. After pressure, apply ice to reduce swelling. Pain from an injury is actually caused by the swelling, not from the injury itself, Dr. Schwirtlich said. You can give Tylenol for pain relief, but never Aspirin, Motrin or Advil for a head injury, because those medications inhibit clotting and will exacerbate the blood flow. You can use a person’s hair to tie the skin together to close the wound, but do not use superglue — it’s not the same as liquid bandage — and can be absorbed into your blood stream.

Nosebleeds can occur spontaneously or due to accident. Use a vasoconstriction nose spray like Afrin or Neo-synephrine, he added. The ingredient that works to decongest the nose also causes blood vessels to constrict and will slow the bleeding. Once again, apply ice. If the nose seems deformed or the person is experiencing pain in the face after a blow, get checked immediately to rule out broken bones.

While home accidents involving blood can look scary, a calm attitude and a few timely first aid steps can contribute to a positive outcome until emergency help can be obtained.

Community Calendar

Presented by Frost

Activities at the Walker Ranch Senior Center – Monday - Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Hot meals served daily from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. for qualifying seniors and their spouses. Exercise, field trips, bingo, loteria, movies, arts and crafts, free health and wellness screenings vary daily. 835 W. Rhapsody 78216; 210-207-5280.

Stone Oak Rotary Club – Tuesdays, noon -1 p.m. Guest speakers weekly. Dona Tota, 923 Loop 1604 W. #115 78232; www.stoneoaksarotary.org.

Tejas Rodeo – Saturday, March through November, 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. Enjoy live rodeo action: bronco riding, team roping, barrel racing, mutton bustin’ and calf scramble. Live music at 9 p.m. Tejas Rodeo Company, 401 Obst Road 78163; www.tejasrodeo.com.

Donut Dash 5 and 10 K – Saturday, March 2, 7:30 a.m. An original classic with all the charm of a local run. Oodles of fresh donuts at the post-race celebration. Lion’s Field, Broadway at Avenue B 78209; runthealamo.com/donut-doughnut-dash.

Run the Alamo – Sunday, March 3, 6:45 a.m. The original, home grown, spring 1/2 and full marathons in San Antonio start with a multiple musket volley at the historic cradle of liberty, the Alamo, then wind past San Antonio’s cultural icons to an amazing postrace party. The Alamo, 400 S. Alamo 78205; runthealamo.com.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus,the Musical at the Magik Theatre – through Sunday, March 17, days and times vary. Live theater production based on Mo Willem’s bestselling book features an innovative mix of actors, puppets and feathers. The Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St. 78205; magiktheatre.org.

NEISD Spring Break – March 11-15, 2024

St. Patrick’s Day Artisan Show – Friday, March 15 - Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m.- 11 p.m., Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Artisan show on the Riverwalk with 40 booths featuring handmade items. River Walk Extension, 602. E. Commerce St. 78205; www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/events/stpatricks-days-artisan-show.

St. Patrick’s Day River Parade and River Dyeing - Saturday, March 16, 1- 6 p.m. Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. River Parade and Festival celebrate the luck of the Irish and dyeing the river green at both the Museum Reach and downtown locations. San Antonio River Walk 78205; www.visitsanantonio.com/event/st-patricksriver-parade.

Fredericksburg Wanderlust Run

Saturday, March 16, 13.1, 10k, 5K, staggered start 8:01-9:01 a.m. The third of the Texas Hill Country Challenge Series. Start at the Marketplatz Square, 126 W. Main St. Fredericksburg 78624; www.scallywompus.com.

11th Annual Shamrock Shuffle 5K and Fun Run – Saturday, March 16, 8:30 a.m. Kick off your St. Patrick's Day celebration with a dog/family friendly run. Lady Bird Johnson Park, 10700 Nacogdoches Road 78217; www.iruntexas.net.

Military Transition Roundtable Breakfast

Monday, March 19, 7 - 11 a.m. Support local veterans with breakfast at La Peep, which will donate 10% of every purchase toward the nonprofit’s operations. La Peep, 19141 Stone Oak Parkway, #127 78258; www.militarytransitionroundtable.com

Culinaria’s Women & Whiskey at La Cantera Resort & Spa – Thursday, March 21, 6-9 p.m. Spring Awakening Highland Park, with tastings, bites, vendors and live entertainment. 16641 La Cantera Parkway 78256; www.culinariasa.org.

The Thorn – Thursday, March 21, Friday, March 22, 7 p.m. The Thorn combines dance, martial arts, aerobatics and a powerful performance to tell the story of God’s sacrificial love for mankind. Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle 78205; www.tobincenter.org.

Single Professionals Networking Meeting

Friday, March 22, 4-6 p.m. Join other 55+ widowed, divorced and single mature professionals for conversation, libations and food in a relaxed, social setting. Cover 3, 1806 NW 1604 W. 78248; www.spn-sa.org.

Easter – Sunday, March 31

Valero Texas Open – Monday, April 1 - Sunday, April 7. Venerated golf tournament will celebrate its 102nd anniversary in Texas. TPC, 23808 Resort Parkway 78261; www.valerotexasopen.com.

Third Annual Road Show presented by Reagan Stage Theater – Friday, April 5, Saturday, April 6, 7 p.m. Collection of plays written, directed and acted by Reagan students. Black Box Theatre, Ronald Reagan High School, 19000 Ronald Reagan 78258; www.reaganstage.org.

Send your upcoming events to StoneOakInfo@gmail.com.

Vintage Market Days – Friday, April 5, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, April 7, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Vintage-inspired spring market features unique items curated from the best artisans, designers and pickers from across the country, live music and food trucks. San Antonio Rose Palace, 25665 Boerne Stage Road 78255; www.vintagemarketdays.com/market/ greater-san-antonio.

Compassionate Coordinator

Concierge Medical Coordination Services Help Patients Navigate Health Care System

By Amy Morgan

Navigating the world of health care can be so confusing and difficult, especially if someone is diagnosed with a serious condition.

Add in a language or cultural barrier for one new to the San Antonio area, and a person might languish for weeks, even months, without securing a critical appointment with the right provider.

Help is available. Andres Ibarra is a medical doctor from Mexico who’s had extensive experience coordinating medical care in the United States for the past 23 years. Dr. Ibarra trained at the University of Monterrey, then completed his internship in San Antonio and became certified in medical information, coordination and logistics in New York. Dr. Ibarra works with Salveo Direct Care as Chief Coordination Officer to facilitate medical service logistics.

“We are the GPS for the very complicated health system,” Dr. Ibarra said. “We communicate with a vast network of specialty doctors who know and like what we do.”

Suppose a patient needs to see a cardiologist. Even a local appointment often is difficult to obtain in a timely manner. Because of his expertise, Dr. Ibarra will know the best specialist to recommend. He’ll reach out to the doctor directly and get his patient seen much sooner. He can even attend the appointment with the patient to interpret the medical terminology and advocate for best care. “I’ll ask the questions they wouldn’t think to ask,” he said.

He also helps if a patient has a complicated diagnosis that might benefit from an out-of-town opinion. He’ll gather the data and present it to the specialist — once again smoothing the way to gain access and more prompt, effective treatment.

He's helped patients diagnosed with cancer coordinate referrals to surgeons, radiation therapists and oncologists. Dr. Ibarra puts together a team, advocates for the patient, schedules appointments and speeds along the test results.

“We know our way around the medical system,” he said. Patients have peace of mind their care will not be delayed or denied due to lack of knowledge. “We become that middle person to make the visit less aggressive for the patient,” Dr. Ibarra said. “We try to comfort them and interact with a specialist who might not have the best bedside manner. We become like family.”

Salveo Direct Care partnered with Dr. Ibarra almost five years ago due to his expertise working with international patients and those needing help navigating tricky health care situations. He also coordinates the practice’s Outlive Health Experiences. Patients can consult with him and pay a direct fee for help with a specific problem, or they can retain him to serve as their comprehensive advocate.

The collaboration is just another example of how Salveo Direct Care’s physicians, Dr. Monica and Dr. Prisiliano Salas, prioritize the personal needs of their patients. The two are board certified in both Primary Care Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine to address patient health holistically. Lifestyle Medicine promotes choices to prevent, manage and even reverse chronic disease and increase healthy longevity by addressing six areas that are important to a whole person: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, positive social connectedness and eliminating toxic substances.

“My service provides peace of mind and assurance,” Dr. Ibarra said. “How much do you spend on a cup of designer coffee, curbside grocery shopping or Uber Eats? We pay for convenience for just about everything. How much more important is your health, and especially when you have a serious condition or situation where you don’t know where to turn.”

Super Sniffer

San Antonio K-9 Teams Kept America’s Big Game Safe

By Camp Bow Wow Staff

You may have noticed a big football game played last month. 77,000 + fans crowded into Allegiant Stadium, with more than 1.2 million watching at home. What you may not know is that scores of K-9 teams — humans and their specially trained pup partners — traveled to Las Vegas to work behind the scenes to keep the area safe. The Department of Homeland designates the Super Bowl as a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 (SEAR-1) — the same threat level as a papal visit or presidential inauguration.

Two very special K-9 teams from San Antonio joined the pack this year to make sure the big day went off without interruption. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer Jennifer “J.T.” Trambulo and her partner Sneezy, a 6-year-old yellow Labrador, and San Antonio Police Department K-9 officer Gabe Mercado and German Shepherd Rocky were chosen to represent our city.

Tonya Hope, San Antonio International Airport public relations manager, said that K-9 partners from the airport police department’s six-team unit have served on security detail for past Super Bowls, but J.T. was one of the first TSA agents from San Antonio selected for that honor. They joined at least 80 teams representing TSA, the Coast Guard, ATF, and Police Departments that included dogs of a variety of breeds.

“Our dogs go through extensive training and are highly regarded,” Tonya said. “They are the only teams in the San Antonio area chosen to go to the Super Bowl.”

Gabe, a San Antonio native and 2007 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School, comes from a law-enforcement family. His brother, Bobby, also serves in Karnes City with a black Labrador K-9 named Robbie.

Sneezy and Rocky were trained through the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland K-9 program, like many of the other dogs who perform valuable jobs for TSA, the Department of Defense and police. K-9 dogs have to be

willing to work and be non-aggressive with other dogs and people, J.T. said. When she first saw Sneezy three years ago, the two had an immediate bond. J.T. had worked with other K-9s in her 20-year Navy career, but Sneezy is the first who actually lives at her home with her family. Sneezy practices good life/work balance. When not sniffing passengers, planes and packages for explosives, Sneezy romps on the floor with J.T.’s two preschoolers.

J.T. and Sneezy spent most of their time in Las Vegas checking deliveries and equipment too large to fit through an X-Ray machine. Their most memorable moment was when U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas noticed Sneezy shivering on the cold tarmac at his official meeting and came over to pet her. J.T. was able to shake his hand personally and give him one of Sneezy’s ambassador coins.

It takes a special dog to be chosen to serve and protect at our country’s most sensitive checkpoints, and even more of an honor to be called to one of America’s biggest shows. Congratulations to J.T. and Sneezy, Gabe and Rocky for their service and good work.

Special thanks to San Antonio Express News writer Vincent T. Davis for his help contacting the K-9 team.

Talented Tutor

Organized Reagan Student an Inspirational Example

By Amy Morgan

Reagan High School senior Rease Bullock is the glue that holds things togetherwhether it’s keeping her close-knit family connected, planning her church’s youth retreat or organizing events for Reagan’s PALS program. This energizer bunny keeps all the plates spinning. But don’t let her social butterfly skills fool you - Rease also excels scholastically. Her top six percent class rank has earned her automatic acceptance to the University of Texas, where she hopes to earn a biology degree that will allow her to pursue a career in pediatric dermatology.

She’s specific about that specialty because she remembers when she suffered from acne in her middle school years and empathizes with others who might share that situation. “The struggle really resonates with me. I had to put it in God’s hands,” she said, crediting her faith and friends as getting her through the trial.

Rease remains close with those childhood friends, recently supporting a former middle school teammate, Joana, as she scored her 1000th point on Reagan’s varsity basketball court earlier this year.

In addition to leading Concordia Lutheran Church’s youth program, including mentoring her younger sister, Layne, at the youth retreat, Rease also tutors through the church’s after school program and works in the nursery on Sunday with the littlest babies. Even though she describes herself as stronger in English and is even known by her friends as “the most likely to write a bestselling novel,” Rease more often ends up tutoring math. She uses her creativity to explain word problems in a context the younger students will understand. “My patience has grown because I’ve had to practice it,” she said.

Rease credits her statistics teacher, Mr. Spencer, for helping her believe she could be a math person. She was encouraged by his practice of

keeping a basket stocked with Mott’s gummy bears in the classroom for his students. Once, when she let him know the treats were almost depleted, he delighted her by making a special trip to Costco after school to restock. “It meant a lot to me to have that support— especially junior year when things are so hectic and crazy,” she said.

Rease describes her mother as her “best friend forever” and enjoys volunteering at the Magdalena House for abused women and children where her mother works. Rease recruited fellow PALS to sponsor a hygiene-item drive and encouraged her peers to staff a booth at the ministry’s annual Trunk or Treat event for the children.

Rease played soccer her first two years at Reagan but pulled back to get involved with PALS because she wanted to give back to others who might not have had the happy home life with which she’s been blessed. She describes how it warms her heart when she realizes the difference she might be making in the younger kids’ lives. “One of my girls was very sweet,” she said, but it was the little boy who didn’t say much, but was so relieved to see her, that melted her heart.

This caring student will leave a big footprint to follow when she heads to Austin in the fall.

Kids Count

Early Intervention Enhances Orthodontic Effectiveness

By Amy Morgan

What comes to mind when you think about orthodontics? A middle schooler with a mouth full of braces? Orthodontics has evolved and now encompasses so much more. One fact that’s not new but certainly not well known, children ideally should see an orthodontist for the first time at the age of seven or eight, according to both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).

This does not mean the orthodontist will fit the child with braces at that age, said Michael Roberts, D.D.S., who brings 33 years of experience to 7to7 Dental & Orthodontics. The professional will follow the patient through the years so they can identify problems as the teeth and bones grow and before they become major issues.

“We’ll watch as the child develops so we can select optimal times for intervention instead of making a decision on a quick snapshot,” Dr. Roberts said. 90 % of the time all the teeth are present and erupting in the proper orientation, with the bones of the skeleton developing correctly. But an evaluation can pick up when the upper and lower jaws don’t fit well together, leaving an open bite or underbite, or when there is already obvious crowding or misplacement of teeth.

“We want to intercept any skeletal disharmonies or abnormalities that would prevent a healthy smile before the pubertal growth spurt happens between ages 14-16. Once the growth window closes, we’re left with more dramatic treatments or extractions.

“It’s easier and a better course of treatment to do things at the proper time rather than wait until the choices are limited,” Dr. Roberts said.

Dr. Roberts joined 7to7 Dental’s practice located at the corner of Stone Oak Parkway and Evans Road

five years ago after retiring from the U.S. Army. At one point, Colonel Roberts was in charge of all Army dentistry west of the Mississippi. Now he leads 7to7 Dental’s four orthodontists who are all Board Certified and proven to be competent and qualified in their specialty, he said.

If he notices a child he is following has some severely displaced or malposed teeth presenting a physical or social problem, Dr. Roberts can recommend a special treatment protocol called Invisalign First designed for kids with mixed dentition (adult and baby teeth combined.) The Invisalign will reposition even baby teeth for a safer and more aesthetically pleasing appearance.

He experiences few compliance issues among kids who wear Invisalign. “They like wearing them – they think they are cool,” he said. “The attachments on the teeth remind you when the appliance is not in the mouth. You take them out to eat and brush – that’s it!”

Dr. Roberts has taken extended Invisalign training and even now is participating in an advanced Fellowship Course. 7to7 Dental itself is a Diamond Level Invisalign Provider – the highest attainable.

Should the family decide to pursue orthodontia, 7to7 Dental has great relationships with financing companies to ensure maximum affordability. Call to schedule your free consultation today! 210-495-2000.