Nov/Dec 2018 Volume 13, Issue 6
magazine
THE LAST ISSUE 1
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magazine TIFFANY BYRAM
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Tiffany Byram Vicki Caskey Sara McDaniel Chalaine Scott Melanie Massey Groves, Brian Russell & Summer Powell of MOCO
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7 Farewell from the Editor Tiffany Byram
8 Endings Bring Beginnings Chalaine Scott
9 A Million Thanks Vicki Caskey
10 Christmas at the Cottage Sara McDaniel
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7 Questions to Extend Gratitude Melanie Massey Groves, Brian Russell & Summer Powell of MOCO Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be copied or reproduced without permission. The Minute Magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials. The editorial content of The Minute is prepared in accordance with the highest standards of journalistic accuracy. Readers are cautioned, however, not to use any information from the magazine as a substitute for expert opinion, technical information or advice. The Minute cannot be responsible for negligent acts, errors and omissions. The opinions expressed in The Minute are those of our writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher has the right to accept or reject any advertising and / or editorial submitted.
Tiffany Byram Vicki Caskey Winnie Griggs Penny Jones Sara McDaniel Jason McReynolds MOCO Rachel Pardue Chalaine Scott Melissa Caldwell Teutsch Rosemary Thomas Darla Upton The Minute Magazine is distributed throughout Caddo, Bossier, Claiborne, Bienville, Ouachita, Webster, & Lincoln Parishes in Louisiana. They are FREE for you to enjoy. Take some to your friends, relatives or anyone else who needs a refreshing, enlightening “minute.�
magazine
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headlines & hemlines written by Rachel Pardue The Last One
O
ur lives are just a collection of stories. This part of mine began when I was just 16 years old. I had dreams of being a writer and eventually an editor. After job shadowing a columnist of The Minute Magazine, she was kind enough to give a young aspiring writer the opportunity to be a guest columnist. I must have discarded hundreds of drafts in the weeks approaching my first deadline. I felt a deep responsibility to say something of value with the 800 words that I had to be heard with. Much to my astonishment, The Minute Magazine gave me my own column and offered me the honor of writing about the stories of two cancer survivors for the yearly ”Wiggin Out” Issue. After learning many intimate details of their struggles with illness and how it affected every area of their lives, I wrote their stories to the very best of my 16-year-old ability. At the time, I had never known someone with cancer. In retrospect, I realize I probably painted their struggle in too glamorous of a light. That’s the story we like to tell after all, the brave survivor whose family was their rock and whose faith never wavered. While I’m sure that’s true for some, after later losing a college classmate and uncle to the same disease, I can say that was not my experience with watching someone I love go through that. When I began the college admissions process, I started wrestling with the idea of moving thousands of miles from home to a place where I did not know a soul. Suddenly, I felt I had more to say. My near perfect world was interrupted by a million terrifying thoughts. I felt like I was abandoning
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my family and my friends, and I wondered what it would feel like to be truly alone. I struggled to come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t become the person I wanted to be by staying in the place I loved. One of the articles I’m most proud of captured my decision to leave home for college in Boston. I titled it The Year of Lasts. I cried when I wrote it and my mother cried when she read it. What amazed me the most, was how many kids and parents in the same position reached out to tell me my article made them cry too. I remember being terrified and even a little embarrassed to publish an article that expressed the bitter nostalgia I felt, but it turned out, a lot of other people that seemed ecstatic to start a new life at a new school were feeling the exact same way. That’s the power of a truly raw and honest story. It has the ability to connect people at the core of our humanity by uniting us through our struggles. Even though I have retired my dreams of becoming a writer and have moved on to building a technology startup, I still begin every business pitch by telling a story. I became an entrepreneur because I believe that I can help solve people’s problems. For me, it’s that simple. Forget market size, pricing, and competition, if people are struggling with a problem and you have a solution, I believe you have a
business. When I get on stage and look out at the audience of hardened investors and jaded tech-enthusiasts, my only goal is to do justice when telling the story of my users’ struggle. When preparing to tell my user’s story, I often think back to my very first assignment as a Minute Magazine Columnist. On one particularly cold Boston winter day in my first year of college, I learned that the man whose cancer-survivor story I had shared with all of you had passed away. The cancer came back unexpectedly, and that was it. I had never met this man in person, but we spoke on the phone and through email for days as he told me his story with a raw honestly that was unlike anything I had ever heard before. He told me some things that were so deeply personal I thought ‘oh I can never publish that’. Now that his story has come to end, I ask myself, did I do it justice? After practically growing up within the pages of this magazine, all I can hope is that I spoke with courage and honesty. We never know when our stories will end. Please share yours vulnerably, painfully, and with candor. The world deserves to hear every part of it. --------------------------------------------------
Rachel Pardue is a graduate of Cedar Creek School in Ruston, Louisiana. She is an aspiring entrepreneur who is studying business at Babson College outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Babson is ranked as the #1 School for Entrepreneurship in the nation, and Rachel is attending as a Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholar.
The lyrics to that old Peter Seeger song float in and out of my head as I sit down to write this letter to you. It’s time to write the words I’ve been refusing to say. This is the last issue of The Minute Magazine. For many months now the inevitability of closing this chapter of my life has been tugging at my heart and growing louder. Print publications are finding it more difficult than ever to stay afloat, and our little magazine is no exception. As small businesses struggle against the digital age of “buy online and drop off at your front door,” we’ve struggled too. It’s hard to justify spending money on a small publication when you need all those pennies in the bank. This season is difficult. But the Minute family is so thankful to have been a part of our reader’s lives for the last 20 years.
A blank page. That’s where it all starts. Every issue begins with a thought and blossoms into so much more. I am constantly in awe of how the empty pages of this magazine flow and build up into a crafted work of art. The wide brushstrokes of our columnists and feature writers have always shaped themselves into a masterpiece. It is such a joy to watch each issue come together. And the issues miraculously always manage to come together. To our columnists and photographers past and present: I can never repay the debt owed to each and every one of you. You are the heartbeat of the Minute. Your stories breathed life into hundreds and hundreds of blank pages. Today, major publications have a slew of professional writers, a team of ad sales, multiple designers, and talented photographers. The Minute is a little different. Vicki Caskey and I wear all of those hats. I’m an editor, publisher, designer, sometimes writer, jack of all trades. Vicki is the entire sales team, big time dreamer, communications director, and the bright smiling face of the magazine you see around town. That’s it — just the two of us. From feature photography and cover models to sharing family recipes, we are so thankful for our friends and clients who helped these issues come alive by donating their time, talents, and generosity. This magazine has seen many ups and downs. But for every build up there is a time to break down. This time will be difficult and tear-filled for some of us, myself included, but we feel it is the right thing to do.
Life is hard sometimes. It can be exhausting. But through that exhaustion, we seek out vibrant sparks of life. That has been our goal. To lighten a darkening world. We’ve read stories of inspiration that take our breath away. From dozens of individuals fighting cancer to stories of breaking addiction and learning to fly, this magazine has made inspiring and uplifting our readers its mission. And through that process, we’ve grown and changed and shared more than we thought possible. The legacy of caring and compassion began over 20 years ago when the founder of this magazine Jenny Reynolds set aflame her vision for the Minute. Ten years later, she passed that flame to my sister, Jacquelyn Tripp, and I. And six years ago I moved into the position of sole owner. Life is hard, and each of us has dealt with our fair share of difficult times and loss. The loss of my first child revealed more about life than I can express. The spark of Asher’s life changed me drastically as if a veil was lifted and deep, wholehearted compassion was visible to me for the first time. But through the hardest grief and loss, there is gain. My days are now filled with raising three beautiful little boys who teach me to be thankful and grateful. It’s exhausting, but again, those vibrant sparks are so easily visible when looking into my children’s eyes. My job now will be to keep that light shining through them.
The Minute Magazine has planted the seeds of love and compassion. Hopefully, some of those stories have rooted in your heart and inspired you in some way, great or small. But the ultimate goal of this publication is to reap change. To have you as a reader pick up the torch and pass it on. As our time together comes to a close, I want to issue this challenge: CARRY ON OUR MISSION. Do good in the world. Encourage, inspire and enlighten each other. Tell the stories, don’t bottle them up inside. Lift up one another. Be a better you, one small step at a time. Show love in everything you do. Be a light in the darkness. Make today a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.
Vicki and I have always sought to lighten the load of our readers, to fill these pages with honest looks at small-town life in North Louisiana. Whether through laughter or tears, each and every issue showed the best of humanity. In some ways, this magazine was our ministry. The light of Christ always managed to shine through in the pages of the Minute, and it has been such a pleasure to see how God has used our little publication for His Glory. We are both sad to see it end but are so grateful we were a part.
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The cab driver weaved in and out of the heavy 5 o’clock traffic, speaking in another language into the Bluetooth on his ear. The bright lights of the Manhattan skyline faded in his rearview mirror. For so long, that skyline meant so much to me. As a little girl, I dreamed of the day I’d be a big-time writer in the Big Apple. I’ll never forget the day the call came in. “Chalaine, we’d like to offer you the position, time to find a place to live in New York.” I turned around in the back of that smelly cab and watched my beloved city get smaller and smaller. A balled-up napkin frayed in my hands as I dabbed my eyes, tears soaking into the stiff paper. I was leaving behind everything I’d ever worked for, my dream life in my dream city. I took the job in New York to jump start my advertising career, but my ultimate dream always was to be a writer. And despite what the movies
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might depict, it’s rather difficult to move to Manhattan and work your way up to a successful writing career. It takes a whole lot of practice and a good bit of proof to prove you’ve got what it takes to make a living off a pen. What that meant for me was leaving one of the world’s largest advertising agencies with my beautiful office view to accept a Jr. Copywriter position at an 8-person agency in the bottommost part of southern Georgia. That seemed like a world away, especially going from the lively streets of America’s largest city to a little island barely on its map. Leaving the city after 2 years wasn’t really in the plans, Georgia was never on my “list”, and giving up a job I loved was never in my options. But sometimes, God sends us to unexpected places. He puts us in “I’ll never live there” towns. He makes us leave things we love and give up stuff we don’t want to. He puts hard people in our paths and sends “I never wanted this” scenarios right smack into our lives.
A lesson. A memory. A training. An “if-thatnever-happened, this-couldn’t-have-everhappened” realization. Three months out from that sad cab ride, a billboard I helped write lit the streets of Times Square. Sometimes, endings are the best thing to ever happen to us.
Looking back, the leaving New York actually had me going. That cologne-reeking cab drove me to an even better place than I could have imagined. Not to the middle of no-where Georgia, but to a career as a Copywriter writing ads and TV commercials featured all over the country. It took saying yes and leaving my comfort zone agreeing to work as a faith-based junior writer to eventually land me into a job I love. God only kept me there for 6 months before sending me on my way, to a new state up north and into a new dream job I never imagined I’d land…writing for my favorite restaurant, Chick-fil-A.
And they’re a staple of life. And if there’s anything that this life will ever teach us, it’s that time is the best gift we’ll ever get. How we spend it, share it, handle it, and live it makes all the difference in how our lives will be. And the one thing for sure is that with time always comes endings. Darkening skies that mark the closure of a day, winters to close a year, slower steps on your pup, labored breaths on your grandma – signs that an end is coming. But with obituaries come birth announcements, divorce papers come marriage licenses, layoffs come job offers, and cold winters come warm springs. If you look at endings as new beginnings, they’re easier to handle and way more exciting. So dare in this new year for what you need, or maybe what you don’t. Chase the new. Crave it and strive for it. Look for it and welcome it. Push yourself to find it. There will always be an end to the day, but a new one to follow. A new job, a new book, a new adventure or opportunity, a new person or place or recipe. Embrace the endings, and turn them into new beginnings. You need them and deserve them.
To all of the advertisers, readers,
supporters, friends, and family who have supported me over the past nine years I say, thank you. Thank you to the photographers and writers who have dropped everything on the spur of the moment to help me even when I couldn't pay you. There are simply not enough words to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for everyone who has been a part of this journey. Please know, none of your efforts were unnoticed or taken for granted. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in, trusting and cheering me on as I poured my heart into my portion of The Minute. You made it easy. It was a privilege to serve, help grow and promote your businesses and events. Along the way, I have made lifelong friends and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve the people and communities of North Louisiana. I want to also thank Tiffany Byram for believing in Wiggin'Out when no one else did. For seeing my vision to serve those fighting cancer. Your support over the past eight years helped grow Wiggin'Out into the huge success it is today. I will never forget all you have done for Wiggin'Out. Here's to new opportunities in 2019.
Love & Blessings to all,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------A copywriter, novelist, and columnist, Chalaine lives by her pen. She is always traveling and never settling, making memories wherever she roams. Living off her dog's cuddles, her brother's humor, and sweet iced tea, she is just a girl in love with the simplicities. Mostly though, she is just a mess in stilettos, living off God's grace and living to serve Him, welcoming inspiration from wherever it comes and pursuing her dreams with whatever it takes. Follow her @Chaleezy
Vicki is a Louisiana native enjoying small town life in Arcadia with her husband Wayne. She is the mother of one grown daughter, Ruby. Her free time is spent with family and friends, baking, reading, traveling when she can and playing with her dogs. She loves Jesus and is quick to tell you, without him she would be nothing.
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How
is it possible I am already spending my second Christmas in the cottage?! It’s been four years since I first laid my eyes on this beautiful, broken down structure overtaken by gigantic Red Tip Photinias. And here I am celebrating my second Christmas of calling Minden, Louisiana, my home! Last Christmas was an absolute whirlwind with the Minden Historic Residential District Christmas Tour of Homes, work, travel and simply trying to get settled. This Christmas will be VERY different—much slower and more relaxed! I am looking forward to relishing the season in our quaint, little southern town surrounded by family and friends.
statement piece and I love that it was created on a dime with extremely thought out and purposeful, natural décor.
I LOVE decorating my cottage for the holidays! In keeping with my simple living and decor philosophy, every piece of Christmas greenery I use is natural and real, beautiful, costeffective and extremely fragrant! I envision back to 1926 (the year the cottage was built), families traipsed through the woods, ax in tow, to select the perfect Christmas tree. And I’m sure the lady of the house would also have gathered cedar, pine, holly, and boxwood along the way to adorn her lovely home. So this is exactly how my cottage is decorated for Christmas!
My kitchen area is full of cedar and apples! Apples in the window sills. Apples dotting the runner on my dining room table. And a dough bowl full of apples on my kitchen island! All natural, boxwood wreaths grace the triplet windows above my kitchen sink.
In order to find the perfect greenery and trees for the rest of the cottage, I did traipse through the woods and cut an abundance of cedar, pine and boxwood. Every light fixture in the cottage is laced with cedar. Simple “Charlie Brown” trees are located in each bedroom—some have lights, some do not. All my trees rest in galvanized tubs or buckets because again, I pondered what families in the 1920s might have utilized to hold water for their trees and figure these were a logical option.
And, the outside of my cottage follows suit! Everything is crafted from greens found in nature. From my gas lanterns hang magnolia swags infused with apples, cedar, holly, and pine (and you might even catch a hint of cloves). Then, I made a gorgeous magnolia wreath to match, and it graces my bright While I didn’t traipse through the woods, I did visit Hollis yellow door. On the front steps, you’ll find parcels wrapped in Tree Farm and selected the perfect tree. (And what a delight brown paper nestled amongst small, fresh cedar trees. the farm is! Very quintessential and I highly recommend it!) As soon as I placed it in the cottage, I got right to work. I To wrap all of this up and tie it with a bow, I constantly burn started by stringing white lights all throughout the tree. candles and play Christmas music during the season. My Next, I crafted a beautiful rag garland by tearing strips of choice of candles (for any time during the year) are scents that white fabrics (garnered from sheets, bed skirts, clothing, smell like delicious desserts! So if you happen to step foot in tablecloths, curtains, towels and more all found at Goodwill, my cottage during late November and anytime in December, garage sales or other thrift stores). I tied the fabric onto rope rest assured you will be transported to a Charles Dickens’ like in an alternating fashion by both texture and shade of white. experience complete with all the sights, sounds and smells of Then, you might be surprised to hear; I don’t have Christmas the holidays! ornaments! My ornaments are dried hydrangeas I deadheaded from a friend’s garden! Lastly, I stuck a few sticks in the top And that, my friends, is Christmas at the cottage! Merry to spray outward, and that is my tree. Very simple. Very plain. Christmas to you and yours! But oh so beautiful! My mantel is definitely the focal point of my Christmas cottage. My mom used her amazing creative talent and created a massive magnolia and pine cone garland that drapes over the front. Striped black and white stockings (purchased at a massive discount at the Ellis Pottery summer tent sale) hang from the mantel drawing the eye into the space. Smaller Christmas trees and tiny Rosemary trees flank each end. They are separated by wooden candlesticks (marked with $105 price tags but purchased from a garage sale in Texas for only $5). For the center of my mantel, I used the website PicMonkey and created a chalkboard graphic that says “O come let us adore Him.” After sending the graphic to Office Depot for printing, I framed it in a frame someone gifted me! Then, I topped it with Plexiglas cut from our local glass shop. My mantel is a
Hi there! I’m Sara! Home renovation is my passion. This columm documents the renovation process of my 1926 Louisiana cottage. Some would have chosen to it tear down, seeing no hope or future for a home in such terrible condition. Not me! I see resilience and charm hidden beneath the rot, decay and neglect. Much like my home, I too have been devastated and broken down. This cottage will personify beauty from the ashes…my ashes. Join me as I reclaim and restore both my life and my home. You can connect with Sara at: SimplySara.com or SimplySouthernCottage.com.
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the journey written by Jason McReynolds
One Hit Wonder
I
’m a one hit wonder as a pastor. I’m not that great of a speaker. I prefer to be involved in the lives of my congregation rather than work on a 20 minute sermon. What makes more of a difference? Going to lunch and listening to what is going on in someone’s life or a Sunday morning message filled with motivational one-liners? Don’t get me wrong, I still spend hours on my messages and we still post one-liners on all our social media but I don’t count on them changing anyone’s life. But, back to the one hit wonder thing. I’ve come to realize that I’ve got a theme as a pastor. It’s a thread that runs in everything that I do in my interactions with other people. It’s super simple too. Explaining it like this makes me feel like a simpleton, but it is what it is. My one thing I tell people is to follow Jesus. I tell people in my sermons every Sunday, or when I meet with people for lunch or at events, or just when I’m talking to them on the phone. Follow Jesus. I tell my kids, my congregation, total strangers. Follow Jesus. It’s too simple really. But what else needs to be added to it? Those words encompass the entire Christian life. Follow Jesus. In fact, at New Orleans Community Church, we don’t refer to people who live for Jesus as christians. “Christian” has been usurped by our culture to mean anyone who believes in Jesus in your mind but you don’t necessarily listen to Him or do what the bible says. At NOCC we refer to true believers as followers of Christ. Follow Jesus. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet. I’ll still encourage you to follow Jesus. We have several people in our church who are investigating God. I encourage them
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to pray and ask Him to reveal Himself to them. No sermon of mine is going to be more convincing than an answer to their own prayers. We’ve seen people give their lives to Jesus simply because we encourage them to take their pain, hurts, anger, and frustration towards God to God. He always answers. We often find that people who follow Jesus even though they don’t believe in Him end up becoming followers of Jesus somewhere in the process of enacting God’s principles in their lives. Many can’t even look back at a specific point where they decided to follow Jesus. It just happened somewhere along the way and they followed in faith to baptism. It doesn’t matter if you are a follower of Christ. I still encourage you to follow Jesus. No, He doesn’t seem to lay out the entire plan for your life. That’s frustrating sometimes. But He always guides you to the next step. That always brings peace. Follow Jesus is never bad advice. It’s always needed advice. When things are going great for you, it’s because God has blessed you. But in order to stay humble and not let it go to your head, you need to follow Jesus. When things are falling apart around you, following Jesus can be tough. But it is always the best route out of your current situation. Jesus always leads you out in the best way. It may not be the fastest way. It may not be the easiest way. But it will be the best way for you. Do you remember all those bands that you grew up with that burst onto the
music scene with massive hit songs… and then you never heard from them again? Think “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba, “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men, or “Mickey” by Toni Basil. I want to be a different kind of one hit wonder. I don’t want to give some fantastic sermon or even be the greatest orator so that listeners can be inspired for a couple of hours on Sunday. What good is that? Seriously, off the top of your head, what was the message that your pastor gave three weeks ago? You don’t remember do you? Most of us don’t remember last Sunday’s sermon! Our lives are too busy to reflect. No, I want to be the opposite. I want to invest in people and encourage them to do the one thing that never fails. Follow Jesus. So how do you follow Jesus? That’s pretty simple too. You seek His direction for your life. Your direction isn’t as good as His anyway. You can fool yourself into believing it is but it isn’t. You get off the throne of your life and let Jesus sit there. Practically speaking, how do you make that happen? How do you have a relationship with God?!?! You spend time with Him. You read the bible and implement what it says in your life. Find a good bible that you can understand. God wrote down everything we need to know about Him and how to live in the bible. You can also pray. Spend a lot of time praying. The Holy Spirit will guide you and direct you as you do these two things. Being a follower of Christ isn’t hard. It’s simple and people just try to make it more complicated than it is. Just follow Jesus.
Jason McReynolds is the pastor of New Orleans Community Church. He and his wife, Liev, have two growing teenage boys and one shy and sweet tween girl. Jason enjoys hanging out with his family and friends, watching and/or playing any kind of sports, and taking his wife out on dates. To learn more about him, or NOCC, visit: www.neworleanscommunitychurch.com
houghtful questions have power. Great questions can help you to learn more, develop better ideas, connect with others, and improve your team's synergy. For example, one of the best ways to build a better relationship is to ask questions that show you care. As a leader of your family, you have to give up the right to be selfish in conversations in exchange for the responsibility to truly listen. As a leader on your team at work, the answers that you will hear to the questions below will provide you with more opportunities to serve others and to show your gratitude. Instead of participating in conversations that lead to frustration, negativity, and division, use these questions to promote gratitude, positivity, and unity:
MoCo is a training company with an emphasis on organizational training for leadership development, teamwork improvement, and strengths-based professional growth. MoCo includes Melanie Massey, Brian Russell, and Summer Powell, who are all certified leadership coaches with the John Maxwell Team. For more details about keynote speaking, creative workshops, teamwork seminars, and leadership training, contact us at brian@mocoleadership.com.
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strangers at my
coffeepot Brace Yourself, It's Crazy Out There
A
tticus needs braces. No surprise; both parents had them. It wasn’t even a surprise to hear how many handbags I wasn’t getting to pay for them. What surprised me, though, was my orthodontist’s office! What is this? When did the dentist become a cool hangout? I grew up hating dentists. I was predisposed to crooked teeth--and cavities. I’d brush and brush then be told I wasn’t brushing right. Years of fillings, crowns and bleeding gums topped with braces. Once out of braces, I vowed to find a good dentist. Luckily, I met a young, forward-thinking dentist who used gas, shots, movies, music, whatever it took to calm patients. Then, I moved and lost all those frills—back to painful procedures. I went less and brushed more. So much more, I brushed away my gumline. I even brushed away the painful skin-graphed gumline meant to fix it. Oh, things have changed! Now, offices with frills are commonplace. Since Atticus’ first appointment it’s been brightly colored waiting rooms, televisions, and characters. Preventative care even upgraded. Floss went from waxy string to flosser picks. Toothbrushes come in soft or sonic. Sealants keep Cavity Creeps away. My kid has never had a cavity, loves his dentist and was excited about braces. My initial peek into the ortho world had me hopeful he’d only need those invisible braces. You know, cheaper and less noticeable. It’s not for everyone, that’s what the brochures said. It should actually read that it’s not for anyone. I don’t know anyone who’s kid got that option, do you? It was looking like in 30 years, the only thing new in ortho was a brace no one was getting, and the old metal ones now have color added. Now
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written by Darla Upton
before the League of Orthodontists get upset, let me say I’m sure there’s been big strides made in the field. We just don’t know it because it’s not covered under insurance. I’d love some of the new stuff they have. Knock me out, maybe veneer me, or screw on or snap on new teeth, whatever ya got that I don’t know about, but Imma need a payment plan. I mean, dental is the holy grail of healthcare and ortho is the unicorn. Again, though, we were prepared! I mean braces are still metal and colors didn’t require a loan. What we weren’t prepared for was the ortho office. You expected the waiting room’s nice seats and expensive flooring, but it also had handheld video games at every chair. Kid friendly; I get it. The coffee/tea bar for parents was nice, too. But from reception to billing each department had two techs and lots of go-go gadget equipment. X-rays? Done and on screen in Consult Room. His mouth projected on a big screen. A simulation showing how perfect his teeth’ll be playing on another projector. The first few visits, we never went beyond the waiting area and consult room. He did X-rays on his own. Then, once, I went to X-ray and sat outside the room. The walls were covered with digital art tablets and flat screens. A kid ran by and through a door next to me. I stood, expecting it to be a Procedure Room. Nope. Just the Arcade! Like a real arcade. Tinted glass to make the graphics pop, and soundproofing so aliens get blasted full volume. See, ortho offices are fun now. For the kids!
Isn’t that stupid? Orthos need to forget those kids! They’re getting braces! They don’t need Centipede or Galactica. It’s ridiculous! Let me lay this out, we get to pay for braces, tote ‘em back and forth to appointments and they get perfect teeth while enjoying waitingroom games, arcades, and movies. I get coffee/tea? No! He has his phone and braces. I have no money and roots showing. That arcade should be massage rooms with men named Hans and Roberto waiting to rub shoulders. Wanna know what else these punks get? For every good checkup or appointment kept they get rewards points. It’s like cash to spend! Uh! Give that kid a toothbrush and trial-size toothpaste! Parents need those arcades turned into quiet nap rooms. Give me a nap, and I promise I won’t smack him in that beautiful mouth! Parent Point Cards could earn points because we made it to another appointment even though he was rolling his eyes before we left home! Ooohh, the point card could pay for ortho work! Y’all I could be looking at a new gum line by the time that boy gets outta braces! Can y’all imagine? Afternoon naps! Dental work! Back rubs! I’m so happy for us I could cry! Let’s make this happen. Talk to your doctors. Make them understand we need this! Otherwise I’m cutting some power cords.
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Darla lives in Jefferson, Texas, where she raises her son, Atticus Gregory, with her significant other, Hugh Lewis II. She lived a decade in NC and a short time in Houston. Eventually she returned to her hometown of Texarkana, where she met Hugh while working at the Texarkana Gazette. When they met, Hugh was also the owner of the McKay House Bed & Breakfast. After 10 years in the B&B business they quit. Now, they live in a historic downtown building with a yorkie, a great dane puppy, two cats and a tween son. And vodka and a typewriter. darlam8472@yahoo.com
penny
for your thoughts written by Penny Jones
Never Hopeless
A Visit to Evergreen Plantation
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s I sit down to write this publication's short story, I have swirling in my mind not stories of the past, but one of the present. It is a story of sacrifice and thankfulness. So as we approach the holidays, may this article remind you that even when all seems hopeless, we are not without hope for God is very near. He usually makes his presence known through others. The sky is heavy with the scent of rain. It is as if God decided to shake his mantle, and drops of wet glory fall to the earth below. We have just ended our tour of the grand plantation home known as Evergreen found in Edgard, Louisiana. Now we make our way down the oak-covered avenue to the slave quarters. As we near, thunder is heard in the distance, and the silver tapestry of moss swings in the wind. The entire tour group rushes to see the slave cabins. We are intrigued by the fact they still stand after years of hurricanes pounding upon them.
giving of time you don't have to spare. It may be the giving up of sleep as you hold a restless child. It could be serving, when you really want to be served. I do not know what sacrifice looks like for you, but the day I visited Evergreen I was being served. A dear friend took off work to share time with me, in one of my most difficult seasons in life. She served me several days by just being a friend. Those days I laughed. I also cried more than I care to remember. The thing that sticks out the most wasn't the grief I was facing, but that a friend stood with me in my trial. Sacrifice is never easy, but worthwhile. As we approach the busy holiday season, remember it's not about the receiving of gifts, but the giving. Usually, the most sacrificial gift doesn't come in a box but from a serving heart. May you serve well, and be encouraged for our Heavenly Father sees your sacrifice.
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10 *Dacie- This article is for you! Thank you for sacrificing your time when I was in need. Your friendship is beyond words. May God bless you! *Many thanks to the staff of Evergreen for their helpful information as I did research. More information on Evergreen Plantation can be found here: Evergreeplantation.org Penny Jones was born and raised in Louisiana, and finds joy in the history of this unique state. She holds a degree in English from the University of Kansas CityMissouri.
Hastening to walk into a cabin before the storm is released, I find myself in a tiny room that housed a slave family. This family may be nameless to me, but they are not any less important. It was their sweat, tears, labor, and toils that allowed the plantation to function. In a time when people were looked at as chattel, God did not forget their value. I stand in amazement that in one of the most difficult lives imaginable, these people pressed on, determined to make a difference. It is a difference that has affected generations, for we study their sacrifice and learn from it even to this day. Sacrifice does not come easy, it comes at a cost. This cost could simply be the
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a novel approach written by Winnie Griggs Battling Shiny New Idea Syndrome
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ne of the most frequent questions non-writers ask authors (including me) is where do you get your ideas from? My writer friends and I have discussed this and we all find it a strange question, because ideas are everywhere - In song lyrics, in a news article, in an unexpected nugget found in research, in movies, in overheard snippets of conversation, even in our dreams. So it seems strange that not everyone can see what we do and begin to play the ‘what if’ game. Then, conversely, there are those folks who approach us with extreme confidence and tell us they have a fabulous idea for a story, a guaranteed blockbuster, and they’ll share it with us if we agree to give them a cut of the take after we write and sell it. What these individuals don’t seem to understand is that the magic is not in the idea, but in the execution of the idea. Even a high concept, highly marketable premise (Jurassic Park anyone?) falls flat if it is not executed effectively. Which is why one of the biggest roadblocks writers face when trying to finish a book is SNIS or Shiny New Idea Syndrome. This is how the novel writing process normally works (at least for me.) PHASE I I start with an idea that excites me. The opportunities for rich emotion, fun situations, unexpected plot twists and compelling character arcs unfold in my mind with tantalizing possibilities. And that excitement carries me through the
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first 20-30% of my book. PHASE II I’ve reached (or am closely approaching) the middle 50% of the book and much of the shininess has disappeared or gotten tarnished. This is where the hard work happens, where I have to dig deep and figure out how to make this tangle of a story work. And of course, this is when SNIS hits the hardest. Because starting stories is the easy part – it’s the follow through and finishing up that’s difficult. It’s while you are slap dab in the middle of your WIP (work in progress), procrastinating working through your plot issues, that you are suddenly hit with an idea for a brand new story, one that has fabulous potential and that seems so much better than this no-longer-shiny story you’re in the middle of. The sheer brilliance (shininess) of it takes your breath away and makes you eager to abandon your WIP and pursue something that appears ‘better’. The SNI is a siren temptress, just waiting to lure you away from your WIP. And, without a doubt, being able to play with a nice, sparkly SNI sounds like so much more fun than slogging through your current project, grappling with the hard work of untangling and sorting out the problems of our WIP.
Especially when the SNI will lure you into believing that of course it is the best idea ever and is more likely to lead you to publication / best sellerdom / a movie deal / whatever-your-current-dream-is, than what you are currently working on. If you give in to this impulse, however, you run the risk of going through the same cycle all over again. I have a writer friend who suffers from this syndrome to an alarming degree. She is highly creative, her ideas are so fresh and original, her take on them so intriguing, that it sometimes takes my breath away. But it never fails that, by the time she gets to the middle of her story, she gets an idea for something ‘better’ and the old project is abandoned for the new one. The result is that in all the time I’ve known her, she has yet to finish even one full length work. Which means she is missing out on the sense of confidence and accomplishment that can only come from actually finishing a book. My advice is to fight the urge and follow through. There are several ways to battle SNIS. If you are interested in learning about them, as well as when it might be okay to allow yourself to drop your WIP to pursue an SNI, feel free to contact me at Winnie@winniegriggs. com for questions on this or any other aspect of novel writing. And please do look me up on Facebook as well.
Winnie Griggs grew up in south Louisiana in an undeveloped area her friends thought of as the back of beyond. She and her siblings spent many an hour exploring the overgrown land around her home, cutting jungle trails, building forts and frontier camps, and looking for pirate ships on the nearby bayou. Once she ‘grew up’ she began capturing those wonderful adventures in the pages of her notebooks. Now a multi-published, award winning author, Winnie feels blessed to be able to share her stories with readers through her published books. You can learn more about Winnie at www.winniegriggs.com or connect with her at www.facebook.com/WinnieGriggs.Author
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notes from
norway
written by Melissa Caldwell Teutsch Rain, Rain, Go Away
R “
ain, rain, go away, come again another day.” Hardly a day goes by here in Norway, that that little song doesn’t go through my head. You see, it rains A LOT here in Bergen. Approximately 240 days out of the year to be exact. While we were forewarned about the weather and prepared physically for the rain, no amount of waterproof clothing could prepare us emotionally for the dreary days, cloudy skies, and constant downpours. For most of you (and for me before we moved to Norway), a rainy day is just a little inconvenient. You might throw on a rain jacket or some rain boots and grab an umbrella, but for the most part, it doesn’t slow you down. For us, since we don’t have a car in Norway, we have to suit up in a rain jacket, rain pants, rain boots, and waterproof backpack covers every time we leave the house unless there is a day that is forecast to have absolutely no rain, which is rare and when it does appear on the forecast, it’s seen as untrustworthy. In Norway, they have a saying: “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær!” which translates to “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” In the months leading up to our arrival in Norway, we were told this SO much that it became annoying, but it’s become so true. After getting caught in some downpours when we first arrived here, we quickly realized the key is to always be prepared/dressed for rain because the weather forecasts can’t be trusted. For example, on the day I’m writing this, the forecast for this morning said cloudy with rain storms this afternoon. Not trusting that it wouldn’t rain on us, we suited up in our rain gear for the 15-minute walk to school, and sure enough, almost as soon as we stepped out of our apartment building, it started raining, and we even got caught in a downpour of tiny pieces of hail (that’s pretty common here) on the way as well. Because the kids were dressed properly in waterproof outer layers, they were warm and dry in their regular clothes once we arrived at school.
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We couldn’t have one of our favorite sights here in Norway without the rain, though. The rainbows that appear practically daily are amazing, especially set to the backdrop of the beautiful mountains that surround Bergen, dotted with quaint cottages, and during this time of year, vibrant hues of fall foliage. After we were here about a month, the emotional toll of the dreary weather was weighing heavily on me. I was feeling a little homesick, and the weather definitely wasn’t helping. So I started praying that I could find more joy in my new circumstances. I remember that week; I was walking home from taking the kids to school. It had stopped raining, and the skies were clearing up a little bit, and as I approached our apartment building, a gorgeous bright rainbow appeared in the sky, and the end of it was sitting right on top of our
apartment building. I wasn’t able to get a picture of it, but it made me smile and brought me joy. I felt like it was a sign from God just for me that day. For all the rainy days, though, we’ve found that we appreciate the clear days so much more now. And the clear days here are practically perfect with blue skies and picturesque views. Even my kids have started showing a newfound appreciation for something as small as a day without rain and a blue sky. So as we approach what locals say is the “rainy season” (you mean we aren’t there yet?), you’ll find us in head to toe waterproof rain gear, walking the streets, eyes to the skies, in search of rainbows to lift our homesick spirits and remind us that these rainy days won’t last forever.
Melissa Caldwell Teutsch was raised in Springhill, La., and holds a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Her husband, Matthew-an English professor and Bossier Parish native--is a 2018-2019 Fulbright Scholar. Together with their two kids, Juliette (12) and John Hayden (6), they're spending a year living abroad in Bergen, Norway. Melissa blogs about their journey at notesfromnorway.com.
a fresh perspective from rosemary's kitchen
written by Rosemary Thomas Attitude is Everything & Change is Inevitable
T
hese 2 phrases ring as true as any. Their individual value is undeniable, but taken as a pair… Well, the combined wisdom is downright astounding, and something I strive to embrace. I am trying to ride the waves of change like Stephanie Gilmore – one of the most amazing surfers in the world. She is fierce. Sometimes the waves will hold you under and beat the ever-loving daylights out of you. I guess the secret is to just bob up like a cork as soon as you can and get your bearings, stay afloat, and get ready for the next wave – cause another one is certainly headed your way. Change is coming. You can be scared of it, mad at it, or try to outrun it. You can ignore it till it smacks you upside the head, or you can try to hold it back. I am here to tell you that none of those attempts will work – at least not for very long. Change happens. People get sicker and they get better… jobs are lost and found… families are healed and fractured or all of the above. Circumstances change. Feelings change. Minds change. Issues change. Nature changes. Mind the words of the masterful Bob Dylan --- “The Times… They Are A-Changin”…(You better start swimmin’ / Or you’ll sink like a stone). OK – so this is where the Attitude is Everything comes into play for real. This is where we humans have trouble and lack the wisdom of some other species. Animals seem to accept change and roll with it. What else are they gonna do? For the most part, they get back up on the next wave and try to maintain their balance. They don’t seem to spend a whole lot of time waving their fist at the change. We humans spend so much time arguing with the wave, that not only are we held under longer, we get smacked by the next wave… and the next, because we didn’t accept it and ride it out to begin with.
We hope our rituals will make change easier to handle. Sometimes they might. We pray that we will come to understand why something had to happen. We may not ever really understand it. We want to blame something or someone for the change we are experiencing. There may be no one to blame or there may be enough blame to spread around to everyone involved. But in the end, does it really matter? The thing happened, the change is happening, and the situation is just what it is. We may try to revert back to a previous time – before things changed. All of that takes a whole lot of energy and leaves little time for living in the here and now. The whole Attitude is Everything thing is great – but sometimes it is just about impossible to put that mantra into action. The Little Changes will wear you down quick. The everyday “what now?” stuff. Sometimes all you can do is breathe. That’s it. Just breathe in and out and take one more step. And try to laugh. Not easy to do when you want to rip
someone’s head off or just curl up into a ball. Try to see the humor in it… turn it into a funny story sooner rather than later. The Big Changes? The losing of loved ones, the disintegration of once cherished relationships, the hard times of lost jobs or crumbled dreams… the Hard Changes. That’s when you call on any flotation device you have. Your faith, your friends, your family, your routine… and you just hang on. You hang on and you tread water. This is where the Attitude is Everything is really put to the test. Look for and express gratitude and pull up some grim yet optimistic determination. Paddle towards the surf board as soon as you can. Keep trying to get back up on it cause it’s your only hope. Remember that change really, truly is inevitable. Make plans, but don’t take too much stock in them. Stay flexible. Look to the horizon. Channel some Stephanie Gilbert.
Rosemary Thomas is an avid cook and gardener who enjoys the challenge of owning Rosemary's Kitchen in Ruston and working with her daughter. To find out what's cooking in her kitchen today, visit her facebook page at www.facebook.com/simplefreshgood/ or www. rosemarys-kitchen.com
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Start Banking Your Way On Line Avenue
Gibsland Bank & Trust is proud to announce the upcoming opening of our 9th location located at 3400 Line Avenue in Shreveport. GBT offers the modern technology and financial services found at larger banks, but with the added benefit of exceptional customer service and personalized attention you'll only find at a locally owned community bank. If you are ready for a change, looking to buy a home or interested in investing options, we invite you to open an account with us and allow us the opportunity to develop a plan that works best for you and your family including some of these options:
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We look forward to meeting our neighbors and helping them grow and prosper. The community has already been so welcoming and friendly.
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LOCATIONS LINE AVENUE OPENING SOON!
SHREVEPORT (318) 688-7005
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Tripp Todd Business Development Officer
Courtney Campbell Line Avenue Branch Manager Loan Portfolio Manager
www.gibslandbank.com