IN
SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS
WINTER 2015
WRAP UP
the holidays Gather appetizers, drinks, dĂŠcor and friends for a gift-wrapping party
Life & Style : Xxxxxxxx 2015 1
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Winter 2015 Publisher ................................ John Pfeifer Editor ...................................... Cara Recine Art Direction ................... Rhonda M. May Design................................. Mary Garrison Contributors......................... Karen Binder Shawn Connelly Chanda Green Marilyn Halstead Jordan Maddox Cara Recine Les Winkeler Photography ........................ Byron Hetzler Richard Sitler
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CONTENTS
WINTER 2015
WRAP UP THE HOLIDAYS Gather appetizers, drinks décor and friends for a gift-wrapping party
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living Holiday memories, traditions tie our special times together
10 social seen 15 questions 32 48 scenic beauty cheers to beer 66 leisure 84
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Check out who you know in one of our most popular features We asked her, and SIU’s Michelle Suarez gave her candid answers Southern Illinois really is a winter wonderland, and photos prove it Warm up to the season’s brews from home and across the country Cold-weather kayaking relieves the season’s stress in a beautiful setting
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getaways Namibia: Facing fears in the land of a thousand landscapes
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artists Jennifer Johansson invites exploration of ‘fantastic’ places
cover photo
Photographer Byron Hetzler and Art Director Rhonda May styled this part of Nancy Cook’s Makanda home for our parties feature and the cover shoot. Grand River Spirits’ Karen Binder helped us bring it all together and provided the new bourbon from the distillery.
IN
SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS
WINTER 2015
UP theWRAP holidays Gather appetizers, drinks, décor and friends for a gift-wrapping party
Life & Style : Xxxxxxxx 2015
this issue
entertainment apps style backyard
38 65 70 72
good eats gear how to parting shot
80 83 86 88
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Many hands make light work of holiday responsibilities I am fortunate to have a sister who is an excellent hostess, particularly for the holidays. Editors, reporters, photographers and editorial assistants are often required to work at Thanksgiving or Christmas, which makes preparing for a Christmas gathering difficult to manage. Stephanie has always stepped up to make sure family and friends have a fabulous holiday. I’m also a last-minute shopper, which I actually enjoy. But, many times, I have found myself — on Christmas Eve — sitting on the floor surrounded by gifts, paper, tape, ribbons and name tags, hoping I can get it all under-the-tree perfect while hanging on to my holiday spirit. I wonder how many of us are in the same situation. Our cover story suggests another approach to that task. Nancy Cook of Makanda graciously accepted our suggestion of helping her host a pre-holiday wrapping party. Turns out, it’s a terrific idea. It can be much more enjoyable if you’re sharing the tasks with friends. It isn’t that difficult, and, because you invite your best friends, there’s no need to stress about making an impression with
perfection. Gather the materials you need, provide a little liquid holiday cheer and finger foods, and, enjoy several hours with people you like. Also in this issue, we offer several stories directly connected to this chilly season. I was surprised to learn that kayakers in Southern Illinois find that being on the water in the dead of winter a very good thing. And, we had a terrible time trying to choose photos for publication from all those shown to us by Les Winkeler. Check them out in Scenic Beauty; the region truly is a winter wonderland. If you need an escape from all things frozen, I recommend our Getaways feature. Sarah Halasz Graham, a reporter for The Southern Illinoisan, recently traveled to Namibia, Africa, with her husband, Teddy. It’s a fascinating and well-written story about roughing it, loving it and “facing fears in the land of a thousand landscapes.” She also shot the photographs, which will take your breath away. Back at home, the staff of Life & Style in Southern Illinois would like to wish you fulfilling holidays and time well spent with those you love. Cara Recine, Editor LIFE & STYLE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Life & Style : Winter 2015
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APPRECIATION PARTY Every fall, oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Fred Gustave hosts a party for regional dentists and their staffs. This year, balloon rides were added to the Oct. 8 event at Walker’s Bluff in Carterville. 2 5
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PHOTOS BY RICHARD SITLER
1. Carolyn Ihle of Murphysboro, Amanda Wilson Burke of Du Quoin, Cassie Ruzich of West Frankfort, Suzy Bartolotti of Christopher 2. Keely McDonald of Pinckneyville, Kathy Dollins and Heather Bornecke of Carterville, Heather Turner of Marion 3. Julie Yates of Carterville, Karen Rhine and Shannon Bigler of Herrin
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4. Nola McCall of Paducah, Michael Johnson of Pittsburg, Kaitlyn Cox of West Frankfort, Melissa Orr of Zeigler 5. Trish Parmley, Michelle Powell and Teresa Cutler, all of Murphysboro 6. Linda Modglin of Carterville, Kimberly Dotson of Cambria 7. Tavia Vasicek of Anna, Dr. Dan Rangitsch of Carterville
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8. Lori Vick of Marion, Elizabeth Munch of Murphysboro, Anne Swafford of Marion
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9. Natalie Hancock, Amy Stacey and Paula Schlensker, all of Carbondale 10. Dr. Wayne Hawkins of Pinckneyville, Dr. Geoff Partlow of Carbondale, Anna Mae Hawkins, Dana Carney and Amy Kellerman, all of Pinckneyville 11. Stacey Westerman of Campbell Hill, Stephanie Chapman of Murphysboro, Paula and Dr. Robert Platt of Chester, Sandy Walls of Evansville, Melissa Cushman of Chester 12. Tara Cavender of Harrisburg, Bethany Dunn of Goreville, Jennifer Richards of Herrin
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13. Stacey McKinney of Carterville, Natalie Richardson of Anna, Tenley Dailey of Marion, Jennifer Meyer of Carterville 14. Dr. Fred and Rhonda Gustave of Lake of Egypt 15. Anisha Bradley of Marion, Lara Filarski of West Frankfort, Heather Hagan of Benton, Bethany Perry of Herrin, Jessica Routh of Eldorado, Brooke Burroughs of Elkville, Dr. Amy Wyatt of Murphysboro
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16. Dr. Ron Rankin and Holly Tate of Mount Vernon
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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17. Lexi Williams of Carbondale, Stacy Albright of Marion, Alexa Lee of West Frankfort, Nikki Boatright of Harrisburg, Christy Norman of Marion 18. Gabby Lopez of Anna, Jessi Davis of Golconda 19. Dr. Jodi Braid of Herrin, Gordon Swetland of Du Quoin, Amy Bigham of Marion 20. Dr. Joe Hudgins of Carbondale, Dr. Lindsay Ingle and Dan Ingle of Murphysboro 21. Dr. Fred and Rhonda Gustave of Lake of Egypt, Dr. Bill and Jan Todd of Marion
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22. Krystal Black of Murphysboro, Ashlee Woll of Du Quoin 23. Janalynn York of Mount Vernon, Taylor Marsh of Norris City 24. Ashley Parker of Marion, Jenny Wyatt of Murphysboro 25. Emily Morris and Kelsey Oxford, both of Marion 26. Michael Patterson, Kelley Gustave and Maria Odior, all of Carbondale 27. Heather Goff of West Frankfort, Dusty Chamness of Marion, Sherry Jenkins of Carterville, Connie Mueller of Carterville, Tara Tasky of Christopher, Molly Pierson of Vergennes
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28. Felicia and Dr. Ralph Kimbrough of Carterville 29. Dr. Joe Hudgens, Dr. Dan and Stacey Massie, Neicy and Dr. Dennis Fredrickson, all of Carbondale 30. Diana Riley and Kristi Waller, both of Mount Vernon 31. Lori Vick Marion, Dr. Chris Hughes of Herrin, Elizabeth Munch of Murphysboro, Anne Swafford of Marion
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32. Taylor Poore of Carterville, Lindsey Qualls of DeSoto, Emily Fischer of Murphysboro 33. Guests line up for a balloon ride over Walker’s Bluff in Carterville
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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VENICE: A CONCERT FOR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Thanks to Carbondale Community Arts, Rustle Hill Winery and other sponsors, the Southern California band Venice returned to Southern Illinois for a concert benefiting six regional arts and charitable organizations. The concert took place at Rustle Hill in Cobden on Sunday, Sept. 27. Art, food and beverage vendors were on the grounds, and Carbondale band The Venturis opened.
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1. Wally and Carole King of Anna
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2. Mary Bess Williams of Murphysboro with her mother, Alice Holderfield of Carbondale
Life & Style : Winter 2015
10. Jake Harris of Murphysboro, Angela Ledbetter of Jonesboro
3. Jenna Giglo of Carbondale, Kayla Hand of Anna
11. Michael and Monique Baltz of Carbondale
4. Marilyn and Russell Spencer of Champaign
12. Peter Gregory of Carbondale, Venice band member Kipp Lennon of Los Angeles, Jan Payne of Carbondale
5. Cris Tortolano (merchandise manager for the band) of Los Angeles, Theresa Hooper of Chicago
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Erwin of Herrin, Carol Schwartz of Carbondale
13. Marsha and Victor Turner of Carterville
6. Zoe Crawford and daughter, Debra Craig of Thompsonville
14. Mike and Lynni Foster of Vienna
7. Linda and Paul Suits with Helen Coracy, all of Carbondale
15. Venice band member Mark Lennon of Los Angeles
8. Tony Smith of Jonesboro and Teri Hammond of Mill Creek
16. Stephanie and Brian Smith of Marion
9. Rhonda Gaugh of Cambria, Lori Hurt of DeSoto, Debbie
17. Lindy Loyd and Mary Patterson, both of Carbondale
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18. Phyllis Dutton of Marion, Pat Weber of Murphysboro 19. Ann Coward of Carbondale, Tasha Morgan of Anna
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20. Brent and Terri Batteau of Elkville 21. Jan and Ed Buerger of Lake of Egypt 22. Josh Rogers and Maggie O’Neill, of Marion 23. Don and Tracy Connealy of Council Bluffs, Iowa 24. Jane Ann Cruse and son, Rob Cruse, of Marion 25. Chris and Ronda Gaertner of Carbondale 26. Tricia Cannedy of Pinckneyville, Alicia Todd of Murphysboro, Lelia Dreyer of De Soto, Jessica Piper of De Soto, Sarah Norman of Murphysboro, Jessica Murray of Murphysboro 27. Kathy West and Royce Jackson, both of Du Quoin 28. Jan Bowman-Marsh of Marion, Barbara Cypin of Marion, Cheryl and Tom Conch of Carterville 29. Josh and Erin Dunderdale of Energy 30. Tami Boaz and Dafna Lemish, both of Carbondale 31. Andrea and John S. Rendleman of Carbondale 32. Danielle Meyer of Woodlawn, Sarah Doty of Carbondale 33. Tim Stuart of Carbondale, David Coracy of Carbondale, Steve Wells of Springfield 34. Jane and Noble Redmon of Carterville
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SOUTHERN ILLINOIS WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE
The 29th Southern Illinois Women’s Health Conference took place Saturday, Sept. 19 at John A. Logan College in Carterville. The all-day event is dedicated to helping women focus on their health and well-being with special lectures, breakout sessions, health screenings and exhibits. 2
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PHOTOS PROVIDED
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1. Susan Sena, Cathy Neuman and Barbara Kigin, all of Marion, and Paula Anderson, Pittsburg
4. Milliece Dunkel and Kara Dunkel of Makanda, Millie Baumgartner of Goreville
2. Elizabeth Schill of Carbondale, Brooke Rix of Creal Springs
5. Ella Phillips Lacey of Carbondale
3. Jo Sanders of Marion (President of Women for Health and Wellness, Inc. Board of Directors) and Mike Dreith of Murphysboro, receiving a sponsor gift for John A. Logan College.
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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6. Crystal LaBotte or Herrin, Mickey McLain of Creal Springs 7. Marlene Webb of Ewing, Mary Ellen Aiken of Benton 8. Georgia Fagerland of Coulterville, Jane Chapman of Coulterville
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9. Keynote speaker and happiness coach Nira Berry of Rockville, Maryland 10. Barb Abell of Carbondale (conference co-chair), Lisa Mann of Marion (executive director, Women for Health and Wellness) and Pam Appleton of Benton (conference co-chair) 11. Carol Dreith of Murphysboro, Frances Cobb of Johnston City, Clarissa Felima of Carbondale 12. Megan Mares of Johnston City (recipient of the Ann L. Knewitz scholarship) with Ann L. Knewitz of Carbondale 13. Cathy Wood of Carbondale with Cathy Neuman of Marion (recipient of the Cathy Wood Gracious Giver Award) 14. Ruth Ann Carter of Benton (winner of the Rosemary Berkel Crisp Award) and Cyndi Crisp Dickens of Paducah 15. Dale McGee of Marion (instructor for breakout session Grilling for Girls)
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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THE STAGE COMPANY SPONSORS GALA On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28 and 29, supporters of The Stage Company gathered cocktails, appetizers and a special production based on the works of Shakespeare. Each year, the theater troupe hosts the gala as a way to thank its supporters for the season. 3
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PHOTOS BY GREGORY KUPIEC
1. Rita Pierce of Herrin, who played one of the witches in “Macbeth.” 2. Jacquie Betz of Carbondale, also a “Macbeth”witch 3. Cast members Joshua McLernon and Catherine Field of Carbondale 4. Joan Skiver-Levy of West Frankfort 5. Jeff Tighe of Goreville, Mike Morgan of Carbondale, Mike Hanes of Carbondale 6. Joyce Hesketh of Carbondale 7. Craig and Jan Hinde of Carbondale, Terry and Mary Beth Hileman of Anna
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8. Darcy Kriegsman of Carbondale, Kim Curlee of Cobden, Tricia Burns of De Soto; Curlee wrote, directed and acted in the show. 9. Fred and Jan Endres of Nashville, Ellen and Richard Bradley of Carbondale, Trish and Harvey Welch of Carbondale 10. Blanche Sloan of Carbondale 11. Dan and Shelley Hill of Carbondale, Jacquie Betz of Carbondale, Eric Billingsley of Goreville 12. Jim Ferraro of Carbondale, Kim Kurlee of Cobden
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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DU QUOIN STATE FAIR KICK-OFF PARTY Each year, the Rednour family hosts the Du Quoin State Fair Kick-off on the first Friday of the fair. This year’s event was Aug. 28 after the Twilight Parade. The party draws dignitaries, elected officials, friends and family from all over the region. One highlight of the evening was when Calen Campanella, John Rednour Jr.’s grandson, asked Katie Murphy to be his bride; she said yes. 3
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PHOTOS BY BYRON HETZLER
1. Suzanne and Patrick Buchen, Wanda Rednour of Du Quoin 2. Robert Kupferer, Drs. Valerie and Tom Kupferer of Murphysboro, Illinois State Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston 3. Samantha and Joel Sambursky and Judge Phil Gilbert, all of Carbondale 4. John Wood of Annapolis, Maryland; Bill Hoback of Pinckneyville; Illinois State Rep. Jerry F. Costello II of Smithton; SIU President Randy Dunn; Franklin County Treasurer John Gulley
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7. Ken and Ramona Plumlee of Tamaroa
of De Soto, Jill VanZandt of Du Quoin
8. Bill Hoback of Pinckneyville, Brad Cole of Carbondale, Mayor Mike Henry, Terri Henry and Randy Dunn, all of Carbondale,
12. Jay Macaluso of Chicago, Stacey and Jared March of Springfield
9. Judge Phil Gilbert of Carbondale, Pam and Illinois Senate President John Cullerton of Chicago
5. Miss Illinois County Fair Sadie Gassmann
10. Georgia Cowger of Carrier Mills, Jayson Clark of Eldorado, Saline County State’s Attorney Mike Henshaw, David and Leslie Phelps of Eldorado, Michelle Gribble of Harrisburg, Bob Oglesby of Galatia
6. Jim Masters of Anna, John Rednour Jr. of Du Quoin
11. Shelby Leake of Du Quoin, Jill Leake of Du Quoin, Lacy Longreder of Salem, Celeste Bullar
Life & Style : Winter 2015
13. Illinois Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger of Lincolnshire, Judge James Campanella of Du Quoin 14. Clem Quillman of Percy, Royce Jackson of Du Quoin, Linda Quillman of Percy 15. John and Comptroller Leslie Munger of Lincolnshire, Sam Stratemeyer of Metropolis 16. Karl Maple of Elkville, Betty and Ken Buzbee of Carbondale, Brandi Bradley of Marion 17. Rhonda Degonia of Granite City, Joseph King and Kathy King, both of Benton
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SIH SLICE OF LIFE RECEPTION AND GOLF FUNDRAISER The 22nd annual SIH Slice of Life Reception and Golf Fundraiser on Aug. 25 raised more than $66,000 for the the SIH Cancer Institute. The annual event features a reception at the Carterville Community Center the evening before the scramble at Crab Orchard Golf Course in Carterville. This year’s reception featured former St. Louis Cardinals legends Whitey Herzog, Ken Dayley and Danny Cox and sports agent/analyst Lou Tevlin. 2
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PHOTOS BY DEVIN MILLER
1. J&L Robinson Team: Leo Robinson of Carterville, Heath Crow of De Soto, Gateway PGA Pro Justin Auping, Jeff Speith of Carterville, Jerry Robinson of Carbondale, Ed Robinson of Carbondale 2. Steve Heckel of Carterville, Steve Falat of Murphysboro 3. Diane Daugherty of Carbondale 4. The Banterra Team: Steve Burroughs of Murphysboro, Harold Bardo of Carbondale, Jeff Speith of Carterville, Rex Budde of Herrin and Stan Diggs of Carterville, Gateway PGA Pro Larry Emery 5. Frank Snider of Energy, Paula Frisch of Carbondale, Tanna Morgan of Murphysboro 6. Sports agent and analyst Lou Tevlin of St. Louis 7. Mel and Ellen Bower of Carbondale 8. Ken Dayley, Charles Helleny of Herrin, Tanna Morgan of Murphysboro, Bill Courtney of Carrier
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Mills, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Danny Cox, Whitey Herzog (seated)
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9. (Back row) Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ken Dayley, Bart and Angela Millstead of Makanda, Danny Cox; (front row) Carsten Millstead of Makanda, former St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog and Crosby Millstead of Makanda 10. Whitey Herzog with Ginger Murray of Carbondale 11. Rosslind Rice and Dan Finke, both of Carterville 12. Tanna Morgan of Murphysboro, Paula Frisch of Carbondale, Karen Parrish of Carterville 13. Dane Spalt of Cobden and Ralph Graham of Marion 14. Sarah Haas of Carterville 15. Deegan Boeckman of Carterville 16. Tracy Herron and Brian Flath, both of Carterville 17. Whitey Herzog with Mike Murphy of Herrin
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2015 SALUKIS BLACK OUT CANCER Saluki Athletics and Southern Illinois Healthcare once again teamed up to fight cancer. On Sept. 26, the SIU Saluki football team wore commemorative black jerseys during Family Weekend at the Salukis Black Out Cancer game. In the weeks leading up to game day, fans participate in online bidding for the namesake jerseys in honor of a friend or family member impacted by the disease. It’s the fourth year proceeds from the jersey bidding will benefit the new SIH Cancer Institute, which opened earlier this year. The Salukis were the first college football team in the nation to develop and implement the Black Out Cancer game.
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PHOTOS BY DEVIN MILLER
1. Buck Hales of Carbondale, Saluki DJ Cameron
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2. Salukis’ Reid Selby, Bob Scillufo of Herrin
6. Rose Casolari of West Frankfort, Saluki Torian Lewis, Loretta Golden of Murphysboro
10. Saluki Mark Ianotti and Charles Helleny of Herrin
3. Chris McMillin of Carterville, Saluki Whitney Simon
7. Kay Carr of Murphysboro, Saluki John Gardner, Kenneth Carr of Murphysboro
11. Debbie Munge of Pekin, Saluki Tori Millender and Mike Munge of Pekin
4. Tommy Bell of Carbondale, Rex Budde of Herrin, Bart Millstead of Makanda
8. Saluki Charles Harris and Peter Holzpfel of Palm City, Florida
12. Kendra Ballard of Herrin, Saluki Billy Reed, Dina Rector of Carterville
5. Stephany and Deyton Bailey of Dongola
9. Saluki Matt McIntosh
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CCA AT 304 Carbondale Community Arts celebrated the move to its new home at 304 W. Walnut St. in Carbondale on Saturday, Oct. 17, with a public reception. Inaugural exhibits featured the work of Cathy Sanjabi and Bonnie Moreno, founding members of the non-profit arts and educational organization. 2
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PHOTOS BY CARA RECINE
1. Kathy Renfro, Nancy Stemper and Randy Osborn, all of Carbondale 2. Lisa and Kevin Smith of Minneapolis 3. Catherine Field and Jessica Bradshaw, both of Carbondale 4. Leah Maciell of Carbondale, Jennifer Rollinson of Murphysboro, Nick Stewart and Rachel Cristaudo of Carbondale 5. Connie and Mike Shanahan of Carbondale 6. Howard Saver of Makanda, Mary Campbell of Carbondale 7. Pat Rayfield of Carbondale, Marianne Lather of Carbondale, Pat Arey of Carterville 8. Bonnie Heidinger, Ben Shepherd, Roy Heidinger and
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Anne-Marie Shepherd, all of Carbondale 9. Rod and Bonnie Sievers of Carterville 10. Fred Isberner, John and Carolyn Hooker, all of Carbondale 11. Dolores Koster and Vivian Ugent, both of Carbondale 12. Mike and Deb Faris of Marion 13. Jo Nast of Carbondale, Debra Tayes of Alto Pass 14. Bob Hageman of Cobden, Treva O’Neill of Anna 15. Dr. Edmundo Sandoval and Dr. Parviz Sanjabi, both of Carbondale 16. Laurie Blakley and John Thompson, both of Makanda 17. Bob Barnfield and Steve Belletire, both of Marion
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18. Najjar Abdul-Musawwir of Carbondale, Deb Faris of Marion, Josh Shearer of Cobden
21. Mary Avery of Makanda, Gail White of Carbondale
24. Jan Thomas and Cameron Smith of Murphysboro
19. Gayle Klam and Linda White, both of Carbondale
22. Donna Cody and Barbara Kimmel, both of Carbondale
25. Pam Luttimers, Ben Shepherd and Kay Pick Zivkovich, all of Carbondale
20. Lisa Janssen, Karen Linduska and Carson Cates, all of Carbondale
23. Bill and Ethan Sieber and Jennifer Hargrave, all of Carbondale
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618-457-2326 www.f-w-s.net Life & Style : Winter 2015
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15 QUESTIONS
Getting to know
MICHELLE SUAREZ As executive director of SIU Alumni Association and associate vice chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations, Michelle Suarez knows something about being a graduate of the university. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1985 and a master’s in education in 2004. Michelle joined the association in June 2003 as director of member services. Before that, she worked 17 years in facility management at SIU Arena, specializing in marketing, sponsorship and event coordination. For 10 of those 17 years, she was also publicist and promotion director at Shryock Auditorium. Michelle and her husband, Gary Robinson, a 1979 graduate of Southern, have two children, Elaina and Drew. MARCEL PROUST was a French writer who believed that people must know and understand themselves before they can know or understand others. He developed a list of subjective questions he felt would help reveal to people their true selves. We fashioned our questions after his.
1. What is your current state of mind? Positive 2. What is your favorite avocation/ hobby? I admire those who teach and aspire to be an effective mentor. 3. Which living person do you most admire? Pope Francis 4. What is your most treasured possession? I have two: A family heirloom given to me by my mother-inlaw and my SIU class ring. 5. Who has been the greatest influence on you? My mother — she was a strong woman and a great role model 6. When and where are you happiest? Always happiest with family and friends — anywhere 7. What is your most obvious characteristic? Full of energy 8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Greater patience 9. What is the trait you most dislike in others? Bigotry
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PHOTO BY BYRON HETZLER
10. What do you value most in your friends? Their kindness and patience 11. What is your greatest extravagance? Pedicures! 12. What is your favorite journey? This one 13. Which words or phrases do you most over-use? “Playing devil’s advocate …”
14. If you were to die and come back as an animal, what would you like it to be? A dog living with Diane Daugherty 15. What is your motto or words you live by? Treat others as you hope to be treated.
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PARTIES
WRAP UP THE
HOLIDAYS Gather appetizers, drinks, dĂŠcor and friends for a gift-wrapping party
BY KAREN SISULAK BINDER Santa’s list seems to grow longer each year, which means there are more and more gifts to wrap. Nancy Cook discovered a way to make it more fun by hosting a preholiday, gift-wrapping gathering with her closest friends in her beautiful Makanda home. Before guests arrived, a giftwrapping station was ready to be set up on her dining room table. Nostalgic family holiday decorations and some new favorites from The Apple Tree in Carbondale were tucked into high perches in the dining and living rooms. Her stone
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kitchen counters were stacked with bright red Christmas dinnerware and trays, colorful winter bowls and other seasonal serving dishes, all resting on a happy holiday burlap runner. The candles she had burning filled the home with a delicate sent of vanilla and cinnamon. The smell of spicy mulled wine warming on the stove drifted throughout the house. Completing the package for the evening were the guests: Melodi Sheffer of Marion and Rhonda Kelley, Peggy Juergens, Kathy Booziotis and Angie Hinson, all of Carbondale. They were dressed for the
holidays and came with arms full of gifts to be wrapped. Shortly after arriving, guests were served the mulled wine, and each of them settled into work spaces around the dining room table. Wine
PHOTOS BY BYRON HETZLER
Gathered around the table for a toast are Melodi Sheffer of Marion; Rhonda Kelley, Peggy Juergens, Kathy Booziotis, Angie Hinson, all of Carbondale; and hostess Nancy Cook of Makanda.
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PARTIES
Getting ready Here are a few tips for your wrapping party; all of these can be done well before the party date. 1. Set a date in early to mid-December, giving guests plenty of notice 2. Gather items needed for wrapping. Not everything has to be new; most of us have stockpiles of wrapping paper, ribbons, garland, etc. Here are some ideas: ■ Think of alternatives to ribbon, like yarn, sparkly garlands or colored twine ■ Put together a box or pretty bowl of holiday-themed odds and ends, which can be added to your bow. If you don’t have any of these on hand, go to your local dollar store and look for inexpensive items such as mini ornaments, snowflakes, stickers or silvery jingle bells ■ Don’t be afraid to recycle pretty holiday gift bags 3. Get a holiday playlist together to provide an extra-festive touch to the party 4. Provide gift tags, colored pens, ribbons, bows and trims, scissors and tape 5. Ask your guests to bring one roll of wrapping paper, or several rolls they might have left from last year — and their gifts to be wrapped 6. As the party nears, collect your giftwrapping supplies and place them onto a big table. As your guests arrive, add their paper and ribbons, if they’ve brought them — P&Geveryday.com, Life & Style in Southern Illinois
The Underground Bar & Grill in Carbondale provided the apple-glazed pork chops, which were prepared and presented by chef Allan Cook.
ABOVE: (Clockwise from left) Rhonda, Peggy, Kathy, Nancy and Angie are busier than Santa’s elves at Nancy’s home in Makanda. LEFT: Gourmet pretzel sticks with dipping cheese and fried raviolis stuffed with spinach, portabella and cheese were on chef Allan’s menu for appetizers.
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This piece of décor was provided by The Apple Tree gift shop in Carbondale.
A variety of wrapping paper is, naturally, required for any wrapping party. Scissors, tape and ribbons are a must, too.
served this way is easy to prepare and helps ease the chill of the season. As they began wrapping, conversation picked up, and appetizers were served. For appetizers, think of the easy and fun of finger foods. You can prepare your own, or give your favorite restaurant a call to see what it offers in the way of prepared foods. The food for this party was provided by The Underground in Carbondale and prepared by chef Allan Cook. He had created most of the apps ahead of time, which you can do if you’re doing the cooking. The chef prepared homemade pretzel rolls with molten dipping cheese, and toasted ravioli stuffed with fresh spinach, cheese and portabella mushrooms, served with marinara sauce. All were easily warmed in the
oven and the microwave just before serving. For heartier fare, he had also prepared smoked pork chops marinated in white wine and garnished with steamed asparagus spears. All the food was spread across a kitchen counter, where guests could serve themselves as often as they liked. In between bites and sips, the women worked steadily, wrapping their gifts and sharing tips and stories. It wasn’t long before those stacks of boxes turned into beautifully wrapped presents to fill Santa’s sack. Now was the perfect time for dessert — a Bourbon Milkshake, a simple but oh-so-tasty concoction. This kind of party is a great way to meet with close friends during a hectic season. Maybe it’s time to start a new tradition at your house.
Nancy used some of her own decorations to set the holiday mood.
HOLIDAY LIBATIONS BOURBON DESSERT SHAKES 3-4 snack-size candy bars, like Snickers 1 scoop high-quality vanilla ice cream 3-4 ounces high-quality bourbon; we used a new bourbon by Grand River Spirits in Carbondale called True Kinship Young Bourbon Whipped cream, chocolate curls, cocoa, glistening sugar In a blender, grind the snack-size candy bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream until broken up. Add bourbon and blend well. Fill with more ice cream, enough for four servings, and blend into shake-like consistency. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate curls, cocoa, glistening sugar or
whatever you prefer. Top off with a red, green or clear shake straw. SPICED MULLED WINE 1 750-milliliter bottle of dry red wine ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves Orange slices Cinnamon sticks Place all ingredients in a pan and stir until it is very near boiling. Don’t bring to a boil; boiling diminishes the alcohol. Serve in coffee glasses or mugs. Garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick.
Nancy’s kitchen was artfully decorated with small pieces that were holiday inspired. Life & Style : Winter 2015
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ENTERTAINMENT Members of Blend are Aaron Chamness, Adrian Fox, Nik Berry and Johnathan Estes.
d n e l b Local a cappella group blends nostalgic tunes with oh-so-smooth harmonies and plenty of talent
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BY CHANDA GREEN
Take some of the most memorable songs in American music history — the innocent and incredibly popular country and western ballads and pop tunes of the ‘50s and ‘60s — and present them in one of the most creatively constructed kinds of musical
performances — a cappella. Mix in the enthusiasm of youth, no small amount of talent and hard work and stir in some wellplaced humor, and you’ll get a taste of what you’ll experience with Blend. Blend is a local a cappella group that began as a student project at John A. Logan College more than 10 years ago under the
For more information on Blend, including the group’s scheduled shows and CDs, visit blendacappella.com or call 618-713-0641.
SONGS ON BLEND’S CHRISTMAS CD: ■
■ Frosty
■ Doo
Little Saint Nick Wop Christmas ■ Rockin’ Christmas Medley ■ Pretty Paper ■ Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer ■ Let It Snow
■ Santa
The Snowman Bring My Baby Back To Me ■ Please Come Home For Christmas ■ Silent Night ■ O’ Holy Night
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d
direction of longtime music instructor Karen Sala. The group has shuffled its membership during that time, but the premise hasn’t changed. A cappella is one of the oldest forms of musical performances and, these days, one of the most popular with many high school, college and professional groups, a burgeoning fan base, a growing library of recordings and an explosion of highenergy shows, festivals, competitions, television shows and movies. Johnathan Estes of Marion is the front man and leader of Blend, the only original member still standing and the driving force behind the group. He and baritone Adrian Fox of Metropolis are the beatboxers, the two who create musical sounds including those of a drum, turntable, electronic effects, horns and electric guitar. Aaron UPCOMING Chamness of Cypress and Blend will perform Nik Berry of ‘A Doo Wop Metropolis, bass, Christmas’ at complete the 7 p.m. Saturday, group and the Nov. 28 at Sesser unique sound Opera House. and musicianship (Tickets at 618of Blend. 201-8468) Catch All four have the group again taken the leap, at 7 p.m. Saturday, quit their “day Dec. 19 at Herrin jobs” and are Civic Center. pursuing music as (618-988-1234) their profession. Working with agent G.L. Berg of Minneapolis, they’re on the road for most of the year, either recording with Steve Hornbeck at 326 Productions in Anna, on tour as backup singers for country music star Ronnie McDowell or performing on their own in more than a dozen states from Florida to Minnesota, with as many local gigs as they can manage and only a few days off before they’re on the road again. They all share a love of performing, taking a room full of strangers to a place where everyday concerns melt away. “I love the traveling, meeting new people and other entertainers and learning from them,” Nik said. “I love meeting the people we entertain and knowing that for our 60- or 90-minute show, that our performance can make them forget the stress of everyday life,” Johnathan said. “That’s what being an entertainer is all about, I believe.” “I like the sound we make when the four of us are making music,” Aaron said. “We really are a family.” “I just really love the music,” Adrian added.
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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LIVING
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Christmas ON THE HOMEFRONT
Holiday traditions are touchstones that tie special times together BY CHANDA GREEN Irving Berlin was dreaming of a white Christmas, “Just like the ones I used to know” when he wrote the most popular Christmas song of all time. He wrote it for Bing Crosby and the movie “Holiday Inn” in 1942. But those simple eight lines — “Where the treetops glisten and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow” — have inspired the nostalgic dreams of millions over the decades, from the soldiers in World War II to the troops in Vietnam and the Middle East and all those family members waiting for loved ones to come home. Most of us have fond memories of Christmases past, memories made dreamlike by the passage of time. We remember family gatherings, delicious dishes, beautiful decorations and special times with those we love, exchanging gifts and stories and just enjoying each other’s company in a festive atmosphere. We hang on to those holiday memories through our own unique set of traditions, touchstones that tie those special times together, year after year, and
make each Christmas more authentic and memorable. In an attempt to explore the changing nature of Christmas traditions, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey, asking its adult participants how they remember celebrating the holiday as children, compared to the way they celebrate it now. A whopping 86 percent said they plan to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, and the same percentage say they plan to give gifts. About nine in 10 adults (91 percent) said these activities were part of their holiday traditions when they were children. According to the survey, eight out of every 10 Americans (79 percent) plan to put up a Christmas tree this year, compared with 92 percent who said they typically put up a Christmas tree when they were children. Other holiday traditions didn’t fare as well, however. While 81 percent of those surveyed said their families typically sent holiday cards during their childhoods, only 65 percent said they planned to do so this year. And only 16 percent said they would go caroling (compared with 36 percent who said
Who does what Percent who typically did each activity as a child, and percent who plan to this year
Attend a gathering with extended family or friends on Christmas Eve or Day Buy gifts for friends or family
Put up a Christmas tree
Send Christmas or holiday cards Give homemade gifts, such as baked goods or crafts Attend religious services on Christmas Eve or Day Pretend Santa Claus will visit home on Christmas Eve or Day Go caroling
Childhood
Adult
91 89 92 81 66 69 72 36
86 86 79 65 58 54 31 16
– Source: Pew Research Center, Dec. 3-8, 2013 Q84, Q85, Q86, Q87.
they caroled during their childhood). Among those adults surveyed who have a child who believes in Santa Claus, 69 percent said they plan to pretend that Santa visits their house on Christmas Eve this year. And while about seven in 10 Americans said they typically attended Christmas
Eve or Christmas Day religious services when they were children, only 54 percent said they planned to continue this tradition. So, what kind of Christmas are you dreaming of? What are your holiday traditions and how have they changed? We asked a few Southern Illinoisans you might recognize.
Life & Style : Winter 2015
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LIVING
PHOTO BY BYRON HETZLER
‘As a kid, I hid behind he couch so I could see Santa leave our gifts,’ says Marion Mayor Bob Butler. ‘Of course, I fell asleep and missed him.’ Butler celebrates Christmas with his wife, Louetta; their daughter, Beth Ann; his brother and his wife, Bill and Dorothy; and their extended family at his brother’s home in Marion.
BOB BUTLER, longtime mayor of Marion, says Christmas traditions change because people change. “As a kid, we would always go to Grandma’s house for Christmas. Now, we go to my brother’s house, but we still celebrate with all of the family who gathers there. As a kid, I hid behind the couch so I
R.E. AND DEBBIE BRIDGES, owners of Italian Village, have blended their family traditions and updated them to fit the changing times. R.E remembers his family going out into the fields and cutting their own Christmas tree and making a lot of the gifts that they exchanged. Debbie remembers getting to pick out $20 worth of gifts from the big Sears and JC Penney catalogs. Both remember going to Grandma’s house every year for the family celebration. “We still have a tree; it’s artificial now, but really, just as beautiful,” Debbie said. “And I still love to decorate, using many things that have been handed down through the generations.” They both agree that children these days get too much and have too much, that Christmas is way too commercial and that it’s much more difficult to get the whole family together at one place, at one time, for one meal. “R.E. used to fix a gourmet meal every Christmas,” Debbie said. “But as our children grew up and created their own families, it became harder to gather 42
Life & Style : Winter 2015
could see Santa leave our gifts. Of course, I fell asleep and missed him, but I was happy with all of my presents. Now, it really is more enjoyable to give gifts.” One year, when his brother’s children were still young enough to believe in Santa, Bob dressed up as the jolly, old elf and drove to his brother’s house, afraid
the whole way that some policeman would see him and think that Santa Claus had stolen the mayor’s car. “Our family traditions have changed over the years, but what has remained the same, what is the most important Christmas tradition, is gathering together with family and spending time together.”
PHOTO BY BYRON HETZLER
Debbie and R.E. Bridges, owners of Italian Village in Carbondale, both remember trips to Grandma’s house every year for the holiday celebrations. INSET: Christmas with the Bridges family, circa 1920s.
together for one meal. Today we make a few special dishes, but what has become more important than the food is the family.” “Yes, we still go to Grandma’s for the
family get-together,” R.E. said. “We look forward to it, and that gathering of the family is still very special for everyone who goes.”
Dressed as Santa Claus, Milton McDaniel greets children during Santa in the Park at Evergreen Park in Carbondale in 2012. PHOTO BY THE SOUTHERN
MILTON AND CORENE MCDANIEL, a Carbondale City Council member, has been married nearly 50 years, so they have seen many traditions come and go in their extended family. “When the kids were young, we always left a whole cake and a glass of milk out for Santa,” Milton said. “There had to be one piece of cake missing when the kids got up, and at least half of that glass of milk gone, so they knew that Santa had his snack. We still honor that tradition for our grandchildren.” For “too many years to count,” Milton has played the starring role as Santa in the Rotary Club Share the Spirit Program and later, in the Santa in the Park Program in Carbondale, in many local churches and for the disabled, unwed and single mothers and foreign students at SIU. One of the McDaniel grandchildren, Noel (an appropriate name for this story, Corene points out), age 3, has seen Milton dress up so many times as Santa that she calls him Ho Ho Ho. Both Milton and Corene grew up poor,
with lots of siblings. Milton had eight brothers and two sisters; Corene had seven sisters and two brothers. “But we always had something for Christmas, even if it was my brother’s hand-me-down blue jeans with patches,” Milton said. Both of them remember sharing gifts with their siblings. Corene and her sisters shared a bicycle one Christmas. Milton and his brother shared a Radio Flyer wagon. “We were just so grateful back then for anything extra we could get,” they both said. “Now it’s difficult to deal with long Christmas gift lists filled with expensive electronics.” So, year before last, Milton and Corene decided to do something more memorable for their kids and grandkids. “We bought each of them one small present for Christmas and then took them all on a trip to Washington, D.C.,” Corene said. “That was a good trip and a good choice. I’m sure they all have some good memories from that trip.”
PHOTO BY RICHARD SITLER
Milton and Corene McDaniel, shown at the African American Museum in Carbondale, have been married 48 years and share many holiday family memories and traditions.
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LIVING
TONY AND ALISA GUALDONI, owners of Louie’s P&R Deli in Herrin, have Christmas traditions with a decidedly Italian flavor. “Every year for years, we made stuffed pig’s foot or Zampete,” Tony said. “It’s pork and pork skins, Grappa brandy and Marsala wine, grated cheese and spices. We even put paprika on the toenails. It’s a specialty item that was very popular with the older Italians who bought them at Christmas.” In 1971, Louie’s P&R sold close to 100 of them. Tony knows because he has all of his father’s old “special order” notebooks. “We don’t make them now. They’re very time-consuming, and there’s just not much call for them anymore.” But back in the day, Louie’s P&R shipped them all over the country. Tony’s family would get together on Sunday to put the Zampete together. “Family” included Tony and his dad and brother, a couple of people who worked at the deli, and “some old-time Italian guys, who would sample it and offer advice as to whether or not it needed more of this or that.” Some of those “old-time Italian guys” included Louie Quaglia, Frank Detomasie, Richard, Pisoni, Emil Gualdoni (Tony’s uncle), and Joe Nebuloni (whose wife, Rosie, worked with Tony’s dad). They would take turns cranking the machine that stuffed the pig’s skin.
PHOTO BY BYRON HETZLER
Tony Gualdoni, owner of Louie’s P&R in Herrin, remembers preparing the holiday Italian ‘zampete,’ a pig’s foot stuffed with pork, brandy and wine, grated cheese and spices. Tony, his father Louie and brother Chris (top photo, taken in 1991) were featured in the Dec. 24, 1997, issue of The Southern Illinoisan.
Dad officially retired in 2000 when he was 70. He lives in a local assisted-living facility now, but the family — including Louie — still gathers at Thanksgiving for a dinner at the deli, and at Christmastime, usually the week before the holiday. “We always have Mom’s Italian cookies and Torrone, hard nougat candy that they
sell at the deli, and Panettone, a kind of bread-like fruitcake,” Tony said. But the biggest part of the Gualdonis’ lives was and is the deli. “My wife, Alisa, and I own it, but most of my family is in here in one capacity or another, at one time or another: my brother, Chris, his wife and their family; my mother- and father-in law, my brotherand sister-in law, at least a dozen of us. And that’s why the family celebrates Christmas at home a week before,” Tony said. “So we have plenty of time to celebrate Christmas with our family of customers at the deli. It’s the best and busiest time of the year.”
“Christmas waves a magic wand over his world, and, behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” NORMAN VINCENT PEALE, AUTHOR 44
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BARBARA DALLAS AND HER FATHERIN-LAW, LOUIS “TOPPY” DALLAS OF MURPHYSBORO. “It takes a family to make a Christmas work, and it takes the girls of the family, usually, to keep it going,” Toppy said. Barbara Dallas’ father-in-law, Louis “Toppy” Dallas, who is in his 90s, is truly a man about town, friends with everyone, active and engaged, and dancing at least three nights a week until recently, when he sustained an injury to his foot that did not heal properly because of complications of diabetes. So, for a while now and for a time to come, he is housebound. But don’t count him out just yet. After all, he can’t disappoint his posse of lady friends, who visit him regularly, literally, by the van load. Barbara’s son, Jim, who runs casinos on two 6-star cruise ships, lives with Toppy, across the street from Barbara and her husband, Bruce. Toppy’s memories of his childhood Christmases are not entirely festive. His mother and father divorced when he was 8 years old and the family fractured. His mother remarried when he was 14, but by then, the family was estranged. “If we had Christmas dinner, it was at Grandma’s house, and there weren’t many gifts back then. The family really broke up and money was scarce,” he said. “They tell me that my grandpa asked me what I wanted for Christmas when I was 4 years old, and I said, ‘sweet potatoes.’ That’s because Grandpa grew them and baked them up hot and sweet in an old stove in the basement.” Barbara’s parents always told her that if she was bad, she would get a lump of coal for Christmas. Toppy said that coal was a great thing to get when he was a kid. “We lived on the corner of Gartside and 22nd Street, about where the old steam-engine coal trains would stop after navigating the great uphill grade between Hurst-Bush and Murphysboro. When they stopped, us kids would climb on top of the coal cars and push the big lumps off. That’s what we would use to get a good fire going at home.” “Any toys we had back then, we made,” he said. “We turned old skates into skateboards or scooters. We made sleds out of scoop shovels. But one year, when I was 10, I got a special present, a Red Ryder BB gun, just like the one from that movie (‘A Christmas Story’). “It was wrapped and lying on my bed on Christmas morning,” he said. But when he tried to use it, he found out it was defective. So, he took it back to the store, Western Auto, but they were out. So were JC Penney and Montgomery Wards. He finally found one at Ross’ Drug Store. “Sid Appleton sold it to me, the last one
PHOTO PROVIDED
Louis ‘Toppy’ Dallas and his daughter-in-law, Barbara Dallas, visit in Toppy’s Murphysboro home. Barbara’s parents always told her that if she was bad, she would get a lump of coal for Christmas. Toppy said that coal was a great thing to get when he was a kid.
Barbara Bock Dallas (left) at age 9 with (from left) her brother Tom, cousin Steve Bock and aunt Marilyn Bock Crawford.
on the shelf, for $11,” Toppy said. “That was a lot of money back then. I kept that BB gun for about 30 years.” Toppy spent many of his Christmases on a ship, serving in the Navy through two wars, World War II and the Korean War. He comes from a family full of “Navy people,” including his brother and his two step-brothers. “I remember one Christmas getting my birthday cake, a chocolate one, just in time to soak it in coffee and share it with my buddies at Christmas while we were on Okinawa.” In 1951, Toppy spent a rare Christmas at home, but it was his return to his ship and his Navy family that he remembers most about that holiday season. “I was aboard the Iowa then as carpenter’s mate,” he said. “I remember working on a large wooden star for the
ship, right before I left for home. It was mounted on the mast of the Iowa while I was home for Christmas. As I was driving back to the ship, about 60 miles away, I could see that star, on the top of the mast, lit up for Christmas.” In 1952, he retired from the Navy and started driving an ice cream truck, making deliveries to grocery stores. Later, he drove a delivery truck for Lays potato chips, then managed his own Hostess distributorship and a Grandpa John’s store for 20 years. Finally, he worked at St. Joseph’s hospital in Murphysboro in maintenance before retiring in 1999. In all that time, Toppy was collecting friends, who know him for his good and gentle nature and his bright smile. Toppy married his second wife in 1976; she passed away in 2003. His first wife passed away in 1970. She had two children. “One of those children was my husband, Bruce,” Barbara said. These days, Toppy is spending more time with friends and family. And at Christmas, they will have two celebrations: a big one in a big hall near Ava on Christmas Day with all of the Dallas family they can gather together, and a more intimate gathering when Barbara’s son, Jim, comes home from his job on the cruise ships in January. In between, Toppy will be celebrating and enjoying the company of the hordes of admirers who show up regularly on his doorstep. “Come on by and say hello,” Barbara said, as Toppy flashed his trademark smile. Christmas traditions come and go, but what remains — what is at the heart of the holidays — is the gathering of family, however you define that word. May your Christmas be merry and bright! Life & Style : Winter 2015
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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SCENIC BEAUTY
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
WINTER
Wonderlands STORY AND PHOTOS BY LES WINKELER
ABOVE: Burden Falls in Shawnee National Forest is beautiful any time of year, but winter adds its unique touch to this Southern Illinois treasure. OPPOSITE PAGE: A late season snowstorm gives Carlyle’s General Dean Suspension Bridge a frosty makeover.
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SCENIC BEAUTY
ABOVE: This unusual formation was created by the dripping and trickling water at the base of an icy Burden Falls. RIGHT: Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor ice can keep this squirrel from raiding a bird feeder in Harrisburg.
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Southern Illinois and winter wonderland are rarely used in the same sentence. The region is more frequently considered a summer playground, from catching slab crappie and fat catfish, to water skiing at Rend Lake, to watching the Southern Illinois Miners on a steamy July night. But, winter is a reality in Southern Illinois. And, each winter month seems to lend its own personality to the region. The dry dustings of snow common in late November and December create delicate layers of white on downed trees and thickets. The cold snap that seems to grip the region each January results in icy etchings on canyon walls in Giant City and Ferne Clyffe and temporary stalactites at Burden Falls. The extended cold of late January and February can freeze even the largest bodies of water. Finally, the wet, heavy snows common in March and even early April drape the pines and early spring flowers. The winter scenes are frequently fleeting, but no less beautiful because of their temporary nature.
ABOVE: A ring-billed gull navigates the icy surface of the Dam West parking lot at Carlyle Lake. RIGHT: A sheen of ice, snow or frost can add luster to even the most mundane scene. This phragmites was photographed at Sahara Woods State Fish and Wildlife Area.
Fishing was tough for this white pelican when Crab Orchard Lake froze. Some ice fishermen tossed him a bluegill, but the long beak and frozen lake still presented logistical issues.
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GETAWAYS
Teddy Graham traverses Dune 45. The finegrain sand of Sossusvlei’s dunes makes for ideal barefoot trekking.
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NAMIBIA Facing fears in the land of a thousand landscapes
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH HALASZ GRAHAM ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TEDDY GRAHAM
A
round a hairpin turn on the remote Remhoogte mountain pass in western Namibia, we met our match. A few stood. Some reclined in the shade of a tree. A herd of cattle — cows and bulls — blocked our path. This was not how I envisioned my first African wildlife encounter.
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GETAWAYS
GOOGLE MAPS
Around a hairpin turn on the remote Remhoogte mountain pass in western Namibia, we met our match. A few stood. Some reclined in the shade of a tree. A herd of cattle — cows and bulls — blocked our path. This was not how I envisioned my first African wildlife encounter. The apparent leader, a white-and-tan bull with two pointy horns atop his broad head, stared at us in our 4x4 truck. We approached slowly, and he lowered his head and pawed the ground. Wisps of dust rose from the gravel road. City girl that I am, I recognized the challenge. My stomach turned over, and my heartbeat raced. Visions of a charging bull, a ruined rental car and a night spent deserted in the Namibian desert flooded my brain. We hadn’t seen another car out here in an hour. Surely our grand African adventure wouldn’t be over before it began. My husband, Teddy, and I thought about pulling out the emergency satellite phone and placing a pricey call to the rental company for advice. Should we honk at him? Drive up slowly and ask, ever-so-politely, that he vacate the thoroughfare? We imagined the owner snickering. “Silly Americans,” he’d surely say. We put the phone away. No, this was our challenge. This bull was the bridge-toll troll of our Namibian experience, and we weren’t going to let him stand in our way.
NAMIBIA: OF DUNES AND WILDLIFE
At any given moment in Etosha National Park, species upon species gather at watering holes to quench their thirst. Etosha’s semi-arid landscape is home to nearly 150 mammal species.
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I’ve always been a somewhat nervous traveler. I toss and turn on trans-ocean flights, jumping at the slightest bump or speed change. On a mountain road in northern Mexico, my family watched with a mixture of concern and confusion as I hyperventilated into a paper bag, worried
During the dry season, nearly 150 mammal species, including endangered black rhinos and blackfaced impalas (right), crowd the park’s watering holes. They’re the perfect place to view animal politics, as species jockey for prime drinking space.
LEFT: A mother blackfaced impala and her offspring linger near a gravel road on Etosha National Park’s eastern side. Etosha is one of the best places in the world to view this endangered species.
our driver would make too wide a turn and tumble off the cliff beside us. Still, adventure’s call is louder than fear’s, and so I keep exploring. In Namibia, a sparsely populated southwestern African nation about the size of Texas, my nerves would be put to test once again. We’d decided on Namibia on the advice of family members who had traveled there before. My uncle had done some nongovernmental organization work there. The people, he said, were kind and welcoming, and the terrain was incomparable. My sister took an excursion there while studying abroad in Namibia’s southern neighbor, South Africa. She brought back photos of eons-old dead trees rising from a cracked white saltpan, of bright orange sand dunes and vast canyons. These, we would discover, were just a few of the dozens of otherworldly landscapes Namibia has to offer.
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Several of the dozens of elephants that stopped by Okaukuejo watering hole on our first night in Etosha National Park. The park’s many watering holes are excellent places to observe animal politics at play.
955 Villa Ct. Carbondale, IL 618-351-7955 www.prairieliving-slf.com Fall MI2015 Life & Style : Winter 2015
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GETAWAYS One of Deadvlei’s oft-photographed Acacia trees sits frozen in time. This vast saltpan cove is one of the most popular tourist spots in the Sossusvlei region, but still manages to feel desolate.
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One of Namibia’s largest antelopes, the kudu is known for its spiral horns and white-striped back.
We also knew Namibia offered one of Africa’s best wildlife sanctuaries. Etosha National Park sits on a stretch of semiarid land about 400 kilometers north of the capitol city, Windhoek (pronounced VIND-hook). During the dry season, nearly 150 mammal species, including endangered black rhinos and black-faced impalas, crowd the park’s watering holes. They’re the perfect place to view animal politics, as species jockey for prime drinking space. We’d spent months planning a so-called “self-drive safari” that began in Windhoek and proceeded in a wavy circle around Namibia’s northwestern quadrant. We worked with a company, Wild Dog Safaris, to fine-tune our itinerary and book our car and hotel reservations. From there, we were on our own. We wanted to see the country on our terms — not from the seat of a crowded tour bus. Still, we embarked with lingering trepidation. This was the first trip for both of us to sub-Saharan Africa. We’d heard the roads in Namibia were decent, but neither of us had ever driven a 4x4 truck before, let alone on gravel roads. We’d never camped under African stars or come within feet of wild animals that we’d only ever seen behind glass at the zoo. The prospect was both exhilarating and
Animal tracks, now dried and hardened, bisect the flat saltpan floor of Deadvlei. The popular tourist spot within the Namib Desert maintains an eerie, otherworldly beauty.
terrifying. That first day, facing down our Namibian bull, we confronted our fears.
SOSSUSVLEI: OF DUNES AND DEAD TREES
It turns out, the way to get a bull out of the road is to do nothing at all. We tried honking, but that only angered our bridge troll. We tried inching forward
slowly. That didn’t work either. So, we sat. And we sat. And 10 minutes later, the horned bovine — and his crew — moved off. As we drove past, my stomach turned again. Still, I couldn’t help but smile. Well played, sir. A few hours later, just as the sun was setting over the red hills in the distance, we arrived at our first destination. Sossusvlei is a mostly barren salt and clay pan located in a protected area within the Namib Desert. Characterized by towering reddish-orange sand dunes and the flat earth beneath, it’s Namibia’s most popular tourist destination — and the place I felt most excited to see. That night, we checked into a campsite and slept in the pop-up tent perched atop our truck. Luxury villas line the hills outside Namib-Naukluft National Park, but we wanted to rough it that night. We bundled up for the chilly desert evening and snuggled in. Every few hours, the pitter patter of animal paws or the rustling wind jarred me awake. It was hard to forget the wild world outside our canvas door flap. There’s no wrong time of day to see Sossusvlei. In late morning, the climbing sun deepens the salmon-colored dunes, while casting long black shadows on their Life & Style : Winter 2015
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GETAWAYS
Desert meets ocean at Sandwich Harbour, just south of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund on the western coast of Namibia. The only way to access this spot, deep within Namib-Naukluft National Park on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, is to drive up and down the dunes of the Namib Desert in a 4x4 vehicle.
western slopes. At sunset, the sky turns nearly as red as the land. We opted to leave early. We rose before sunrise, packed our things into the truck and headed through the park gate at the tiny outcrop of buildings known as Sesriem. Most of Namibia’s roads are gravel, but thanks to booming tourism at Sossusvlei, government officials invested in a paved road to carry passengers into the park. It was one of the few paved roads we drove on during the two-week trip. Despite the increase in tourism, we saw few cars on the 60-kilometer trek. The road, a black ribbon stretching to the distant horizon, punctuated the pan’s light cream-colored cast. On all sides, towering dunes rose from the flat earth in the distance. Soft blue, pink and yellow hues announced the sun’s arrival. The morning air was silent. Every few miles, a lone oryx, or two or three, scampered across the road. This large antelope, Namibia’s national animal, features color-blocked white, black and brown fur, ovular ears and two tall, straight horns. This was the first of many sightings. That morning, we reveled in Sossusvlei’s otherworldly beauty. We hiked 550 feet to the top of Dune 45. Perched on its 5-million-year-old sand, we saw expansive views of the surrounding desert. The star of the show, though, was Dead Vlei. In an expansive cove surrounded on all sides by dunes, dozens of dead Acacia trees rise from the cracked white 58
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A black rhinoceros enjoys a drink at one of Etosha National Park’s watering holes. The Namibian wildlife preserve is one of the best places in the world to view this endangered species.
saltpan below. Thought to be some 600 to 700 years old, the trees are remnants of a time when water fed the desert more frequently. At some point, access from a nearby river was cut off. The resulting climate was so dry that the trees died and dried where they stood. Still they stand, ghostly black. Behind them, towering red-orange dunes and a clear blue sky. All together, the view felt spiritual, somehow.
SWAKOPMUND: WHERE THE DESERT MEETS THE OCEAN
Our driver called it “Space Mountaining.” Aside from the bright Namibian sun overhead, he wasn’t too far off. Five hours after leaving Sossusvlei, we arrived in Swakopmund, Namibia’s fourth largest city, just south of the infamous Skeleton Coast, on waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Swakopmund is known for its beautiful
The author’s husband, Teddy Graham, sets up the car-top tent at Sesriem Camp Site, near Sossusvlei. Car camping is one of the cheapest – and most authentic – ways to experience Namibia. Life & Style : Winter 2015
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GETAWAYS
As the sun sets, a herd of plains zebras quench their thirst at a watering hole in Namibia’s Etosha National Park.
ABOVE: The author looks out over the porch of Grootberg Lodge in the region once known as Damaraland. The hotel offered stunning views, interesting excursions and some of the best food tasted on the trip. LEFT: A Himba woman displays her culture’s signature burnt-orange hair and skin, achieved by applying a mixture of butter, herbs and ochre. The salve, applied daily, also serves as a sunblock and insect repellent. 60 Life & Style : Winter 2015
German architecture (Namibia was a German colony during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and still retains some German culinary and cultural ties), for its beach resorts and, above all, for adventure tourism. Fancy sky-diving or dune surfing? Feel like taking a pleasure flight to spot shipwrecks on the Skeleton Coast? Swakopmund and nearby Walvis Bay cater to thrill-seekers. We sought our adventure on the dunes south of town. Our guide, a born-and-raised Namibian with Afrikaans heritage, had served as Charlize Theron’s driver for a while when the actress was on-set in Namibia filming “Mad Max: Fury Road.” He was a talker. And a master of the 4x4. The plan was to drive south to take in Sandwich Harbour, a deserted cove where the dunes of the northern Namib Desert bumped up against the ocean. The only problem? There are no roads to get there. Instead, four tourists and one driver piled into a 4x4, left the gravel and forged their way through the desert, dune by dune. We could have taken the coastal path, he explained. But it was so much easier, and more exhilarating, to go dune hopping. So that’s what we did. Up and down, up and down, at a speed that seemed careless but somehow made me feel carefree. As we climbed and fell, my heart and stomach tagging along for the ride, my inhibitions left me. I remembered the first time I’d experienced Space Mountain — the thrill of the unknown, the adrenaline. I threw anxiety to the wind and enjoyed every second. And our reward was so sweet. At Sandwich Harbour, yellow dunes and blue ocean span in opposite directions as far as the eye can see.
ETOSHA: SELF-STYLED SAFARI
From hundreds of yards away, that set of illuminated eyes didn’t look much like a lion. We soon found out our guide had been spot on. It was our first evening at Etosha National Park, and we’d signed up for a night safari. Bundled in blankets to protect us from the cold Namibian night, we set out with our guide and a few more eager wildlife spotters. It was pitch dark and eerily quiet. Our guide shone a red light into the surrounding park. Its glare caught the eyes of sleepy springbok, zebras and giraffes, hunkering down for the dangers of a night in the wild. If we had pulled up to the watering hole on our own, our untrained eyes would have missed it. There, in the distance, the light caught two eyes. Our guide grabbed his binoculars and stared.
A Himba girl, dressed in traditional attire. A day trip to this farflung pastoral village offered a glimpse at Namibia’s cultural heritage.
“Yes, that’s a male lion,” he said. “He probably fell asleep, and the females left him to hunt.” We stared into the night. It was an exciting find, but our feline friend was too far away for us to get a real glimpse. Then, in the glare of the spotlight, we caught some movement. The cat started moving toward us. He stopped at the watering hole and drank, then continued moving our way. Before long, we could make out his figure. And before we knew it, he was standing right in front of us. It was almost as though he was putting on a show. Etosha is a true African treasure. Though our tour that evening certainly had paid off, it’s neither required — nor often necessary — to invest in guided safaris at Namibia’s most popular wildlife refuge. It’s easy enough to see animals from the comfort of your own vehicle. Why? Because they’re everywhere. Earlier that evening, during an hour spent watching, open-jawed, at Okaukuejo
A four-hour hunt for the elusive desert elephant bears fruit. We spotted the herd in a dry riverbed in the region once known as Damaraland. Only about 275 of the animals remain in the region.
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GETAWAYS
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Spray from nearby Victoria Falls drenches the author’s husband, Teddy, as he crosses a bridge on a sightseeing trek on the falls’ Zambian side. Known as ‘The Smoke that Thunders,’ Vic Falls is the largest waterfall in the world.
The view of Victoria Falls from the author’s helicopter tour. Despite its $150/person price tag, the flight offers second-to-none views of the largest waterfall in the world. INSET: The author donned a headset and faced her fears during the helicopter flight. The rush of climbing through the air and the beauty of the scene below quickly erased any anxiety.
watering hole, we watched as two separate herds of elephants marched in line to quench their thirst. At the same time, scattered oryx and herds of plains zebra waded in knee-deep water. On the horizon, we watched as timid giraffes assembled behind the distant tree line. One by one, they made their way closer, eyes scanning the horizon for predators. Their long legs force them to squat awkwardly to drink, making them especially vulnerable prey. The next night, we watched a family of endangered black rhinos stop by for a drink. Midday visits are great for catching the park’s many species of antelope — curlyhorned kudus, long-faced hartebeest, endangered black-faced impalas and the ubiquitous springbok. Though they’re elusive, leopards, cheetahs and lions also populate Etosha’s landscape. By the end of our visit, the sight of another zebra or springbok herd felt like old news. What never got old was the park’s ever-changing landscape. In the center of Etosha, near Okaukuejo Camp, where we spent our first two nights, the land is rocky,
with sparse, semi-arid vegetation. As we moved east, that all changed. Yellow savannah grasses and woodland vegetation dominated. One of Etosha’s most startling features is the vast mineral pan that spans its northeastern rim. Standing on its edge, looking out, the flat, cracked white earth extends to the horizon. If you’re lucky, you can spot an elephant or an antelope making its way across.
DETOUR TO VICTORIA FALLS: NATURAL WONDER NOT TO BE MISSED
No trip to southern Africa is complete without a stopover at Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in the world. Every second, nearly 40,000 cubic feet of water free-fall into the depths below. It sits at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, about a two-hour flight east from Windhoek. Locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya: The Smoke that Thunders, and it was easy to see why. From the patio of our hotel on the banks of the Zambezi River, we could see the spray and hear the falls a few miles away. Victoria Falls is another adventuretourism wonderland, featuring white-water
rafting, bungee jumping and helicopter flights over the falls. Despite my fear of flying, we opted for a helicopter flight. I knew it would provide optimal views of the falls and the green and brown countryside surrounding them. Walking to the chopper, I could feel my heart beat in my chest. Anxiety coursed through me. But the view was overwhelming. Amid the thunder and spray, rainbows colored the falls. After tumbling 350 feet, the Zambezi’s waters flowed, for what looked like miles, through a twisting, turning gorge. The bridge that separates Zimbabwe from its northern neighbor, Zambia, spanned the gorge. For miles in all directions, the African landscape spread out before us, dotted with roads and villages. As the chopper circled, the lateafternoon sun casting golden light on the land below, I again felt that sense of euphoria only travel can inspire. SARAH GRAHAM is a reporter for The Southern Illinoisan. Contact her at sarah. graham@thesouthern.com or 618-351-5076. She visited Namibia in June. Life & Style : Winter 2015
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Connie will not be defeated. Constant leg pain due to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) aimed to keep her from walking. Even the everyday trip to the grocery store was a challenge. A mere four minutes on her legs was all she could handle. Connie had battled cancer three times and won...now this. She was not going to take this sitting down. PAD is a blood-flow issue to the legs or peripherals. If left untreated, it can lead to amputation. People with diabetes or heart disease are especially at risk. Connie found help at Prairie Vascular Services. A complex yet minimally invasive procedure allowed specialists to increase blood-flow to her legs. Once the procedure was over Connie asked, “Can I play basketball with my grandkids now?” Indeed she can! In fact, she’s ready for a little one-on-one.
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1. HOWSTUFFWORKS
app.” Short and fun exercises teach reading, writing, listening and speaking. Even if you don’t plan to travel soon or have need of another language, research suggests that becoming bilingual — or even trying — boosts cognitive power and might delay brain decline in old age. Free; iOS and Android
3. TED
The app has been completely rebuilt for iIO8 and Android. It has a new look and new content, which provides hours of information to make you smarter. There are plenty of new articles, videos, podcasts, quizzes and more. Get daily alerts on popular content and newly published shows. You’ll also have access to Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class and Stuff Mom Never Told You. Free; iPhone and Android
By accessing an entire video library of TED Talks, you can use what little free time you have to get inspired by some of the world’s most interesting leaders, thinkers and innovators. On the TED app, you can build custom playlists, explore talks and lectures curated by topic, and download videos to watch offline when you’ve got time and energy to do it. Topics include education, religion, business, technology, medicine, business and music. Free; iOS and Android
2. DUOLINGO
4. OWL
Learn one of 13 languages with this app, which was Google Play Editor’s Choice and “Best of the Best” in 2014. The Wall Street Journal calls this app “far and away the best language-learning
Here’s an interesting fact: Did you know that a few years ago, Justin Timberlake attended Comic Con dressed in an Ernie costume and claimed it was the first time in 10 years that he was able
to walk freely in public? Or, did you know that the Dutch East India Company was the most valuable company in world history, being worth $7.4 trillion in today’s money? Owl delivers one fact each day, all of which are hand-picked from Reddit. Schedule when you want to receive your dose of interesting facts and choose whether you want to be notified by it or not. Use it to improve your intelligence or simply to impress your friends or co-workers.
5. NYTIMES CROSSWORDS
We’ve all heard it: One of the best ways to stimulate your brain and improve your intelligence is to work crossword puzzles, and, if you can do the New York Times Crossword, you’ll have big-time intelligence cred. This app allows you to solve the same crossword puzzles that are published every day in the newspaper. The NYTimes Crosswords app comes with a one-week free trial of the official everyday puzzles from the venerated media company. After the trial period, you can buy a subscription to continue solving crossword puzzles and improving your brain function. Free; iOS Life & Style : Xxxxxxxx 2015 65
CHEERS TO BEER
warm up In cold weather,
to the season’s best craft beers
Malty, Oktoberfest-style beers bridge the gap perfectly between the light lager styles of summer and the darker, fruitier ales coming into season.
BY SHAWN CONNELLY
For the ultimate stout experience, seek out Goose Island Brewing Company’s Bourbon County Brand Stout — a strong, black-as-night imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels.
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‘Tis the season for some of the most anticipated beers of the craft beerlover’s year. Colder-weather months tend to cause us to give lighter, crisper lagers, wheat beers and shandies the cold shoulder while warming up to fuller-bodied, richer beers with bright flavors and vibrant colors to match the season. In fact, store shelves and coolers this time of year are replete with seasonal and special release beers that are as varied and unique as the decorations we hang on our trees. Oktoberfest, or Märzen, beers are one of the few lagers that stand out in a blizzard of ales during the fall and winter. Malty and ever so slightly sweet, Oktoberfest-style beers bridge the gap perfectly between the light lager styles of summer and the darker, fruitier ales coming into season. Because they maintain the lighter, crisper body of a lager, Oktoberfest beers are imminently drinkable, and relatively low in alcohol, but
offer just a touch more body, flavor and character than their lighter counterparts. Try St. Louis’ own Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Oachkatzlschwoaf for a world-class traditional Märzen-style lager. No discussion of beer after August is complete without the iconic pumpkin beers that seem to invade stores and taps earlier and earlier every season. Always spiced with traditional pumpkin pie spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove — and sometimes brewed with real pumpkin meat — these beers have become one of the most popular seasonal releases of all. Many breweries, in fact, cite pumpkin beer as their single best-selling release of the year. Most pumpkin beers are deep gold or copper-colored ales, but several breweries are taking pumpkin in new directions by adding spices to darker beers styles and combining the pie-like flavors and aromas with hints of bready, roasted malts to add a new layer of complexity and interest to an already popular beer-style category. Try Red Hook Brewery’s Out of Your Gourd Pumpkin Porter or Urban Chestnut’s Count Orlok Black Pumpkin Ale for two stellar examples. Porters and stouts always make a strong showing as temperatures drop. Dark in color and full of roasted aromas and flavors like chocolate and coffee, these hearty styles have a strong affinity for the cold weather months and offer a more substantial flavor profile to stave off winter’s chill. Some stouts are brewed with a higher-than-average alcohol content and even aged in oak barrels as a special release during the fall each year. These beers are often limited-release and in such demand that they sell out the same day they arrive in stores or warrant a waiting list months in advance! For a big, robust porter, look for Tallgrass Brewing Company’s Zombie Monkie in 16-ounce cans; or, for what many would consider the ultimate stout experience, seek out Goose Island Brewing Company’s Bourbon County Brand Stout — a strong, black-as-night imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels. Even IPAs (India Pale Ales) aren’t left out in the cold this time of year. Hops, the green cone-shaped female flowers of the hop plant that gives beer its bitterness as well as a considerable amount of aroma and flavor, can be spicy, floral, citrusy and even piney and can evoke the spirit of the holidays in a bottle with one sip. The quintessential example of this seasonal “Christmas in a bottle” is Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale, an American IPA brewed with three fresh-harvested hop varieties to give it its unique seasonal appeal. Locally, our small craft breweries, which are growing in number, are producing terrific examples of many of
Big Muddy Brewing’s Pumpkin Smasher is a seasonal favorite.
the afore-mentioned styles, including Big Muddy Brewing’s Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Smasher and Winter Ale, Scratch Brewing Company’s Pumpkin Seed Ale, St. Nicholas Brewing Company’s’ Headless Horseman Pumpkin Ale or Cadence Porter and Von Jakob Brewery’s Dark Bock. For big, resiny IPAs brewed locally, try Big Muddy’s Galaxy X2 or St. Nicholas’ Imperial IPA. Should you find yourself intimidated by the darker colors and festive flavors of many winter seasonal beers, you just might be surprised how approachable many of these beers are, particularly when paired with the right meal. Both Oktoberfest-style lagers and Pumpkin beer pair well with traditional holiday
meals that include roasted turkey or duck, stuffing and, of course, pies like apple, mincemeat and pecan. On the darker side, porters and stouts hold up to richer, more intensely flavored foods — from stilton cheeses or venison stew to chocolate indulgences like dense brownies or molten lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream. Whatever your flavor of the season might be, I hope there is a beer or two for you under the tree! SHAWN CONNELLY is the Craft Beer, Wine & Spirits division manager for Venegoni Distributing, a certified beer judge with the BJCP and a professional freelance beer writer. He can be reached at thebeerphilosophyer@ yahoo.com.
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Santa, Sant
a, P lease St
op H ere .
Photos with Santa available Nov. 21-Dec. 24 Enjoy FREE train rides with Santa on Nov. 21st from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. & Special Magic Shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. by Chris Egelston Carbondale, IL | 618-529-3681 | www.shopuniverstiymall.com 68
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lO Fil ur
Ch
rist m as
with
Joy an d Cheer! Life & Style : Winter 2015
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ENTREPRENEURS
Bella Sofia Threads
PHOTO BY CARA RECINE
Brittany Cook owns Bella Sofia Threads with her husband, Jacob. Brittany modeled the new business, near the old depot in Carbondale, after many of the high-end boutiques she shopped at in bigger metropolitan areas, where she and Jacob were stationed during his time in the U.S. Army.
Mom of four and entrepreneur creates unique children’s boutique in Carbondale BY CARA RECINE When Brittany Cook lived in more metropolitan areas, she loved shopping for her children at charming, independently owned boutiques that carried modern and unique goods. But, when she and her husband, Jacob, moved back to Carbondale after his time in the U.S. Army, she realized her only options were shopping at big-box stores that carried the same homogenous items, shopping online or traveling miles from home. Jacob, a 2007 graduate of West Point, took the family to Alaska, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Campbell in 70 Life & Style : Winter 2015
Clarksville, Tennessee, where, Brittany said, there were “tons of independently owned children’s boutiques and shops, especially in Nashville.” The pair, both 30, had planned on a military career, but decided to come home instead. They returned in the spring of 2014. When Brittany couldn’t find the same quality and selection for her children here, she decided to create the kind of store she had admired in other places. “I wanted to start this kind of business, and I wanted to make a contribution to this community,” Brittany said. “We love Carbondale.” The store, which opened Sept. 3, is called Bella Sofia Threads, named after her oldest daughters, Bella, 8, and Sofia, 6. The couple has two more children, Jacob Jr., 2, and Harper, 8 months. Brittany and Jacob are partners in family and in business. Brittany handles inventory, sales and creative direction; Jacob oversees the financial aspects. For the store location, Brittany sought a spot that “fit,” and she found a space near the old train depot in downtown
Carbondale. “It has a special atmosphere, and it was absolutely the right choice for us,” Brittany said. “I think downtown Carbondale is going to be something really special in the near future.” Bella Sofia carries many brands that are popular with young mothers, in particular, such as Tea Collection, Joah Love and aden + anais; inventory includes infant clothing and accessories, swaddling blankets, feeding utensils, bedding and blankets, toys and dolls, mobiles, lunch boxes, shoes, backpacks and more. Most of the clothing is for babies, toddlers and young children, but, depending on the brand, she also carries items for ‘tweens. Many of them are made from organic materials. The shop’s décor was created by Brittany, including a chalkboard wall she uses to instill seasonal inspiration. “I look for ways to be creative; if I can be creative, it makes me very happy,” she said. “I have always loved decorating my children’s rooms and dressing them in wonderful things, so this business is actually perfect for me.”
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IN OUR BACKYARDS
PHOTOS BY BYRON HETZLER
Chef Bill Connors checks on eggplant being grown in a hoop house at SIU’s Vermicomposting Center.
Winter veggie gardens 72
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Follow the lead of the region’s most prolific growers BY JORDAN MADDOX Fresh vegetables do not come to mind when thinking about winter. But, Southern Illinois’s year ’round sun exposure makes winter gardens not only possible, but remarkably uncomplicated to manage. One winter garden is on Southern Illinois University’s property. April Vigardt, a researcher and manager of the student sustainable
farm, has help with the winter farm from volunteer workers, student workers, graduate students, researchers and the school’s kitchens. “So the plants go in high tunnels, and we have two high tunnels. There’s one here on Pleasant Hill Road, and there’s also one over on Rowden Road,” Vigardt said. The high tunnels, also called hoop houses, at SIU Sustainable Farm consist of a frame and plastic covering. The
‘Broccoli and cabbage will go through a couple frosts, and they’re fine, but they can’t freeze. They do need some kind of protection over them.’ APRIL VIGARDT OF SIU’S STUDENT SUSTAINABLE FARM
covering keeps cold winds away, while letting the sun come in and nourish the many different crops. “We grow some winter carrots,” Vigardt said. “Basically, you start them in September or a couple weeks before, and then if they’re in a high tunnel structure … that’s enough protection that they don’t freeze or really go through a cold spell.” Some crops are less delicate. “Broccoli and cabbage will go through a couple frosts, and they’re fine, but they can’t freeze. They do need some kind of protection over them,” she said. Vigardt said greens are a big part of the winter crops. “We do a couple different baby kales, and we do something called Tokyo Bekana, which is an Asian green that grows super fast, and it’s very heat and cold tolerant, so it doesn’t seem to care what the weather is,” she said. “But we’ve been able to get a lot of yield from that and other Asian greens, too, that we can grow, that the SIU kitchens use in different stir-fries and stuff.” Chef Bill Connors, employed by the university for 20 years, said, “That’s where this whole thing started — four 4x8 beds, and then we got money to put this hoop house up, and this hoop house was donated by Murdale True Value.” The donated hoop house did not have a cover, but SIU Sustainable Farm purchased one with a grant from the green fund. The green fund was started in 2009 and comes from a student fee ($10 per semester) at the university. The fee is directed toward projects and research to create renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainability. But, student fees and giant hoop houses are not needed to have a small winter garden. “You can real easily build your own little hoop house like this on your raised beds,” Connors said. PVC pipes, clamps and plastic covers are all that is needed to make a low tunnel hoop house.
A scaled-down version of a hoop house is one way to grow produce in the colder months.
Vigardt said Southern Illinois’s sun is so strong, some winter days the plastic may need to be removed so the plants do not get too hot. “You’re going to need a little bit of something else at night time,” she said. “The plastic is good to keep it warm when the sun is out, but it has no insulating properties when the sun goes down.” If the garden is small enough, Vigardt said a sheet can be thrown over the top to keep the plants warm at night. Another winter farm in the Carbondale area is All Seasons Farm in Cobden, owned by Jill Rendleman. Rendleman’s high tunnel is unique in that it is moveable. When the high tunnel moves, it lets the wind rush by and the sun cleanse the soil. And when it is needed for protection, it is put back in place. Rendleman emphasized that not all
plants should be planted during winter. “There’s a difference between coldseason crops and warm-season crops,” she said. Warm-season crops are vegetables like eggplants and peppers, which originated south of the equator. Cold-season crops are mostly greens, originating north of the equator. Rendleman pointed out a lot of advantages about growing during the winter. “Southern Illinois is just at the perfect climate for a high tunnel because we have sunny days that aren’t very cold,” she said. Rendleman added that she prefers winter farming because there is no excessive heat and very few fungal and insect problems. Supplies for winter gardens can be found in stores like Lowe’s and Murdale True Value.
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ARTISTS
PHOTOS BY BYRON HETZLER
Jennifer Johansson works out of her Carbondale studio.
Jennifer Johansson
invites you to a fantastic place BY CHANDA GREEN Jennifer Johansson is an artist. She creates mixed-media wall art, along with prints and illustrations that she uses on greeting cards, buttons, calendars and throw pillows. Some of her favorite subjects are birds and unique chairs, which are featured on
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many of her pieces. She also loves drawing interesting patterns and is working on compiling those designs into a coloring book (for grown-ups). Humans are inherently creative. We write clever stories, sew lovely garments, create beautiful paintings, mold delicate glass and ceramic items and make beautiful music. Artists
inspire us, take us away from our mundane lives to a fantastic place halfway between their imagination and ours. Nevertheless, few of us pursue those creative activities. We have a lot of valid reasons. Circumstances force us to spend most of our time taking care of our responsibilities, earning
a living, caring for our families and homes, or simply struggling to keep ourselves healthy, safe and sane. But there are a few brave (and lucky) individuals, such as Jennifer, who take that leap of faith and launch themselves into a serious creative endeavor. Believe me, it’s scary. Your art may not be popular. You’re likely to endure criticism, and you will be forced to battle your own doubts and insecurities. Still, if you are compelled to create, then nothing else will do. “I have always been interested in art, but I really got serious about it in high school,” Jennifer said. “I had two really gifted art teachers that helped me build a strong set of foundational skills. But even though I loved art and was very successful, I just didn’t see myself becoming a professional artist. So, I went to college to study physical therapy.” After struggling through chemistry courses, Jennifer would escape to her studio, where she was truly happy. It didn’t take long for her to make the switch to art education. “For 15 years, I taught high school art and art history while making art on the side,” Jennifer said. “It was a good gig and I was good at teaching, but I knew there was more for me out there.” In the fall of 2011, Jennifer’s husband, Matthew (also an artist),
A sampling of holiday greeting cards by the artist.
landed a new job that necessitated a major move from Rockford to Southern Illinois. Jennifer was able to quit her teaching job and take that creative leap. These days, she splits her days, making art in her basement studio, spending time with her husband and stepson, Jack, and working at the local library as the teen and youth program coordinator. “Now, when I’m not working on my
art, I’m working on projects in our mid-century fixer-upper home,” which they bought in November 2012 and completely remodeled, “or working in our yard and vegetable garden,” she said. “Matt and I love living in Southern Illinois. We love cooking delicious
Johansson has also taken her art skills to pillows. Life & Style : Winter 2015 77
ARTISTS
Above, one of Johansson’s paintings. Below, a coloring book for grown-ups features line drawings by Johansson.
dishes using the abundance of local foods and visiting local wineries and breweries or just enjoying the vibrant local music scene.” Still, when you ask Jennifer about her art, her face literally lights up. “That’s where I find my joy,” she said. “Lately, I love playing with abstract designs. The rote movement of my hand on the paper is very meditative for me. And I love taking a design, a piece of my artwork, and turning it into something else, whether that’s a card, a pillow, a button, a calendar or a coloring book.” Her husband inspired her to start drawing birds. Her first one, a cardinal, has become her logo. And a friend’s “cool blue chair” inspired Jennifer to create a collage based around her drawing of that chair, which spawned a 78 Life & Style : Winter 2015
whole series of illustrations featuring unique chairs. But Jennifer said that she finds ideas for her designs Check out “everywhere.” Jennifer’s holiday “Maybe it’s a cards, calendars kimono hanging and coloring on a wall in books, and lots a Japanese of other holiday restaurant or gifts created a photo of a by local artists series of lanterns at the annual in Vietnam or Ornament Day the underside holiday sale on of a growth of Nov. 27 and 28 at mushrooms or Dayshift at 101 the patterns on W. Monroe St. the bark of a tree in Carbondale. or just patterns You can also find that come her at jennifer straight out of johansson.com. my imagination.” She knows that she is lucky to be able to create, to enjoy the artmaking process, but she still struggles, like most creative people do, with selfdoubt. “I want to make art. I love to make art. I’m lucky to be able to spend time creatively,” she said. “I want people to enjoy what I make, to buy it. I’ve had some success and some failure, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m proud of my work and of my website and blog, and I’m excited about my latest project, putting my designs together into a coloring book that will be done in time for the holidays.” Jennifer sees her artistic endeavors as a journey, steps toward capturing that joy so inherent in the act of creation.
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GOOD EATS
Busy Bees Angie Kuehl points out the queen bee as her brother, Colin Kuehl, holds a frame from a beehive.
BEEHIVE BASICS
Hives are good for more than honey BY MARILYN HALSTEAD Angie Kuehl of Murphysboro and her father, Larry Kuehl, and brother, Colin Kuehl, both of Alto Pass, are passionate about bees. Larry began keeping bees years ago to help with his wife’s allergy symptoms. He couldn’t find a beekeeper in Iowa where they lived, so he studied beehives and got one. Angie was more interested in spending time with her friends than learning about the beehive in their yard — until she grew up. “I didn’t learn about bees until I was an adult,” she said. The trio was busy checking beehives 80 Life & Style : Winter 2015
Honey can be different shades, depending on the honey source.
at the farm of Homer Jenkins near Angie’s farm on old Illinois 13 between Murphysboro and Carbondale. “We need to check the hives to see how much honey they are producing,” Angie said.
Each hive needs 30 to 50 pounds of honey to feed the bees through the winter. The bigger the bee population in the hive, the more honey the hive will need for the winter. A beehive is a wooden box filled with trays. Many hives are made of pine and must be painted. The Kuehls are also experimenting with cypress boxes. “Cypress is very weather resistant, and you don’t have to paint it. Of course, they are more expensive,” Angie said. The boxes are filled with vertical frames that hold honeycomb. The hive includes several boxes, a deep box that is the brood box and a shallow box that holds honey. “We put foundation in, and they build on that,” Colin said. The Kuehls use a strip of wax foundation to encourage the bees to build
their own honeycomb. Some beekeepers use an entire sheet as foundation. “We are trying to wean them off foundation to build natural honeycomb. We are using a more natural style of beekeeping,” Angie said. “When they make comb, they make it to their liking,” Larry said. “It’s probably smaller than commercial foundation. Everybody doesn’t do it this way.” Angie said it is similar to the difference between large-scale farming versus smaller scale. Bees are natural architects. They like their boxes plumb. “If the box is straight, they will build it (honeycomb) straight. If it is crooked, the honeycomb will be crooked,” Colin said. Bees gather pollen and the pollen is deposited into the comb, where it becomes honey. If the hive makes more honey that it needs as food, the honey is harvested and sold. In the brood box, the honeycomb holds eggs that will hatch into the next group of worker bees. Colin said each side of the deep frames can hold 3,500 to 3,800 eggs that will hatch into larvae and eventually become worker bees. Each hive will hatch 1,000 or more bees per day during the bees’ busy season. The frames are removed from the hive and the caps are cut off the honeycomb. The honey is allowed to drain out. After it is drained from the comb, the honey is filtered, the amount of moisture is measured and the honey is bottled.
SWEET SAMPLES
Angie collected several honey samples from members of Southern Illinois Beekeepers Association for a honey tasting. The first sample looked very dark, but that was only the honeycomb. It came from a house near Prairie
Farms Dairy in Carbondale. The Kuehls relocated a hive in the house. The honey had a light flavor, but no floral notes. Sample No. 2 was a summer honey from a beekeeper east of Marion. It was a light, sweet flavor with a slight floral note. Sample No. 3 was a fall honey from the same beekeeper. It had a more robust flavor. Sample No. 4 was a fall honey from Scott Martin of Murphysboro. It had a little floral taste. Angie’s honey was sample No. 5. It had a distinct floral flavor. Sample No. 6 was also produced by Angie. The honey was very clear and had a nice lightly floral flavor. “If folks in the region search for it, they can find a local beekeeper,” Kuehl said. Southern Illinois Beekeepers Association has more than 100 members. Kuehl said “local” can mean up to 50 miles, so, if you search for it, you can find a hyper-local honey. Angie started with one hive. The Kuehls have 39 hives this season. Angie said many of them are small. They expect to harvest about 360 pounds of honey this year, if the bees produce a little fall honey. The family’s goal is to have a good 50 to 60 hives, so they are well on their way, but it costs $300 to $500 to set up a hive. They also say everyone can help the bee population by using less insecticide on lawns. Angie knows many people fight dandelions, but those are the first flowers of the spring. They are also the first food for bees. So, let the dandelions and white clover dot your yard — for the bees.
HONEY CARAMELS Angie makes one sweet honey treat each year at Honey Caramels. Most of the time, her family eats honey in coffee and tea or on a spoon. 1 cup honey ¾ cup heavy cream 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons butter Combine honey and cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil on high heat. Stir occasionally while it cooks. Continue cooking until the mixture reaches soft ball stage. The easiest way to do this is with a candy thermometer, though you can test it with other methods. Remove pan from the heat and immediately stir in vanilla and butter.
Stir until butter is completely melted and combined. Pour into a generously buttered 8x8-inch dish or smaller if you want thick large caramels. Having your dish properly buttered is important for easy removal of the caramels once set. Place in the freezer to harden for 30 minutes. Cut into squares or scoop out with a spoon and enjoy! Keep leftovers in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. If you are going to take these caramels with you traveling, be sure to keep them cool! They will melt in high humidity and hot temperatures and will be hard to eat.
WHAT’S THE BUZZ? HONEY TERMS From the Backyard Beekeepers Association POLLINATION: Agriculture depends greatly on the honeybee for pollination. Honeybees account for 80 percent of all insect pollination. Without such pollination, we would see a significant decrease in the yield of fruits and vegetables. POLLEN: Bees collect 66 pounds of pollen per year, per hive. Pollen is the male germ cells produced by all flowering plants for fertilization and plant embryo formation. The honeybee uses pollen as a food. Pollen is one of the richest and purest natural foods, consisting of up to 35 percent protein, 10 percent sugars, carbohydrates, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins A (carotenes), B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinic acid), B5 (panothenic acid), C (ascorbic acid), H (biotin) and R (rutine). HONEY: Honey is used by the bees for food all year round. There are many types, colors and flavors of honey, depending upon its nectar source. The bees make honey from the nectar they collect from flowering trees and plants. Honey is an easily digestible, pure food. Honey is hydroscopic and has antibacterial qualities. Eating local honey can fend off allergies. BEESWAX: Secreted from glands, beeswax is used by the honeybee to build honeycomb. It is used by humans in drugs, cosmetics, artists’ materials, furniture polish and candles. PROPOLIS: Collected by honeybees from trees, the sticky resin is mixed with wax to make a sticky glue. The bees use this to seal cracks and repair their hive. It is used by humans as a health aid, and as the basis for fine wood varnishes. ROYAL JELLY: The powerful, milky substance that turns an ordinary bee into a queen bee. It is made of digested pollen and honey or nectar mixed with a chemical secreted from a gland in a nursing bee’s head. It commands premium prices rivaling imported caviar, and is used by some as a dietary supplement and fertility stimulant. It is loaded with all of the B vitamins. BEE VENOM: The “ouch” part of the honeybee. Although sharp pain and some swelling and itching are natural reactions to a honeybee sting, a small percentage of individuals are highly allergic to bee venom. “Bee venom therapy” is widely practiced overseas and by some in the United States to address health problems such as arthritis, neuralgia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even MS.
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GEAR
PET PICKS
Southern Illinois weather is, to say the least, unpredictable from day to day, but the cold is sure to come, and soon. Protect your pet with this winter gear. These items are available in stores and online; be sure to check out local pet stores in your town.
THERMO-MOD DREAM POD CAT BED
This small pod creates extra warmth for your small pet, cat or dog, on those cold winter nights. From KH Manufacturing, this design is unique. A large opening makes it easy to get in and out of, and the pillow is washable and soft. It zips together for simple assembly, comes in multiple colors, and has a rugged nylon exterior. The heated version includes a warmer. $69+
ICE-FREE HEATED WATERERS
These water bowls are great for outdoor pets because they stop water from solidifying, and they are available in an array of sizes. The stainless steel thermal bowl does not harbor bacteria, stain or absorb smells, and it is easy to clean and disinfect. The large bowl (3.75 quarts) uses only 25 watts to keep water from freezing, even at sub-zero temperatures (down to -20ºF). Includes a 5.5-foot steel-wrapped cord that plugs into any 120V outlet. $28.79+
PAW BOSS
Cleaning your canine companion’s dirty paws just got easier. The Paw Boss is a portable device that washes each foot in fresh water. A clean-water reservoir is filled with water and soap. A tilt of the device transfers water into a cleaning compartment. A paw is dipped into the cleaning solution through a hole in Paw Boss and then is rubbed against a cleaning pad. With another tilt of Paw Boss, the dirty water flows into a holding tank, and the process starts over with fresh water for paws No. 2, 3 and 4. $29.99 at www.pawboss.com
ZACK AND ZOEY EXPEDITION REFLECTIVE SNOWSUIT
Southern Illinois has beautiful terrain year ’round. Don’t let the snow stop you and your dog from enjoying the great hiking trails nearby. This suit provides warmth and dryness while helping you easily keep an eye on your buddy. $49.97+
RUFFWEAR BARK’N BOOTS
Animal’s paws are sensitive to the cold and hard snow salt, which can burn. Keep their feet warm in these snug boots, which have been redesigned to fit more comfortably — and to stay on Fido’s feet. Each boot was tested on all sorts of terrain, conditions, surfaces and by different breeds. $89.95+ Life & Style : Winter 2015
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OUT & ABOUT
KAYAKING A GREAT WAY TO RELIEVE THE STRESS OF A BUSY SEASON
If you decide to try winter kayaking, experts agree: A life jacket is the No. 1 safety requirement.
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‘When the leaves go off the trees, we can see much deeper into the forest and have a greater appreciation for the landscape.’ KATHY RENFRO, CARBONDALE
BY JORDAN MADDOX Pocketed with several lakes and surrounded by rivers, Southern Illinois is an excellent place for boating. Well known as a warm-weather sport, kayaking is picking up speed during the winter months as well. Carbondale Park District Executive Director Kathy Renfro spends her free time kayaking atop the many lakes in the area. “Really, the ease and the quiet of the kayaks has made me a longtime kayaker,” Renfro said. “These boats are easy to manage. You can handle them by yourself; it gives me a lot more freedom to go at every opportunity.” Renfro sometimes kayaks at night and in the early morning. She goes alone and with groups, sometimes playing her made-up game of kayak Frisbee with friends; and she keeps this routine year ’round. She has been winter kayaking in Southern Illinois for eight years. “Kayaking year ’round is definitely something that helps me with my mental health and my physical health. So, it is kind of an all-in-one activity for me,” Renfro said. Being around water helps relieve the day-to-day stress, she said, and it is a good opportunity to see the different wildlife in the area. “When the leaves go off the trees, we can see much deeper into the forest and have a greater appreciation for the landscape,” Renfro added. Chris Malik, the fishing and marine supervisor at Gander Mountain in Marion, also loves winter kayaking. “I’m a big kayak fisherman. It’s kind of my thing,” Malik said. “In the winter, you do see a lot of that boat traffic on some of our local lakes die off. So, you definitely get a chance to be out there alone with nature, in the quiet.” A lot of people start hunting during the winter and forget about the lakes, he said, but the area’s lakes don’t usually freeze; and, if they do, it’s late in the winter season. Malik said some of the necessities for winter kayaking include a good life vest. “Especially in winter kayaking, the water is cold. If you fall into that water without a life vest on, you’re most likely going to go into shock immediately, and you could potential drown,” he said. “So a life vest is the most important piece of gear you want.” Malik pointed out the importance of wearing clothes that dry quickly. A dry bag is a great way to ensure the safety of your electronics. He added that phones
Kathy Renfro (left) paddles on Carbondale Reservoir.
should be brought on the trip, especially in more remote areas, and a dry bag will keep the electronics away from water, even if they fall in the water. Mic Middleton from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources oversees the Kaskaskia River. He said
kayakers make use of the river most of the year, too. “I would say between December and February, probably not so much,” he said. “It might be a little more dangerous because of the colder water, and there’s potential for the river to actually freeze.” Middleton said his office is frequently asked about the best part of the river to kayak. He recommends an eight-mile paddle from Fayetteville to New Athens. “Kayakers enjoy that upper region a little bit more than some of the lower end of the channelized river,” he added. Finding a place to go is easy, and people are always ready to give advice. Rivers and lakes are abundant in the area, and kayaks can be cheaply rented from Southern Illinois University’s base camp program. And places nearby, like Touch of Nature Environmental Center, host free events to get people out and active on the water. Overall, kayaking in the winter is just as easy as the summer and could actually bring a little more peace during the hectic holiday schedule.
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HOW TO
Spread the holiday cheer
TIPS FOR TIPPING
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
How to make the season bright through small tokens of appreciation for services BY JORDAN MADDOX For generations, people have spread holiday cheer during the winter months by giving a little extra, and some Southern Illinois locals believe that tradition still rings true. Luci Pickens is a hairdresser at Great Clips in Carbondale. She has been in the profession for six years and has experienced an increase in her tips from her regular customers. “I guess just more people are giving and so, yeah, it’s a lot better,” Pickens said. “A normal tip from a regular customer is usually about $5. So, around Christmas, it’s usually about $10, if not maybe a little more. It just depends.” Rachael Bonner, founder and owner of Salon Euphoria in Carbondale, said she even gets presents from her clients during the winter months. “During the holiday season, not only are the tips bigger, but they bring us gifts and cookies and candy,” Bonner said. “You grow to love your clients. So, that’s just them saying ‘thank you so much for doing a great job all year long,’ so they kind of spoil us.” Bonner said she has a Christmas tree at home for all the ornaments she gets from clients each year. Neither Bonner nor Pickens said they have a special person they tip during the holiday season, but they both tip a little extra to their waiters. “Because I work for tips, so any time, like the pizza guy or the restaurant we’re at, I always try to tip very generously,” Bonner said. Pickens said it’s a busier time, which calls for a more generous tip. “If we’re out at a restaurant, I’ll leave a bigger tip during Christmas time, because I know they’re probably a lot busier and stuff. So, I feel like they kind of deserve it.” Mail delivery, a profession not dependent on tips, is included in the sharing holiday, too. Marilyn Verschueren has been a mail carrier for 28 years; the last nine have been on the same route in Carbondale. She said people on her route, usually older, do leave her gifts. “A lot of people at Christmas, like if they are baking cookies and stuff, they try to give me some, and candy and chocolates and stuff like that. They leave it out in the mailboxes,” Verschueren said. “You know, I don’t like to take anything, but people like to give stuff at Christmas.” But not everyone in Carbondale sees the extra holiday generosity. Lily Furlow works at Tonic Headquarters, a salon in Carbondale.
She said she has not noticed an increase in tips during the holiday season. However, Furlow is relatively new to the cosmetology industry with only two years experience. As for her extra holiday tipping, she tips well all year. “Being in this industry, I feel like I always try to tip pretty well,
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no matter what. But I wouldn’t say I tip more around the holidays.” For mail carriers like Verschueren, who have a salary, tips are not customary. However, leaving a little something extra, like a freshly baked cookie, shows appreciation for their dedication, especially during dismal weather.
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
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PARTING SHOT
p.s. PHOTO BY RICHARD SITLER
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Life & Style : Winter 2015
Frozen pine needles on a tree at Touch of Nature are the result of an ice storm that turned the SIU environmental center into a winter wonderland.
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