West Georgia Woman Magazine May 2016

Woman Complimentary

May 2016

West Georgia TM

Stroke Know The Warning Signs

July Cosper Nicholas Enriching Minds And Bodies In West Georgia

Sydney Dailey Going For The

G o al

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This publication is dedicated in loving memory of

Tristan Alexander Brooks

May 15, 1993 - September 1 7, 2015

Happy Birthday

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Clinical Management of Obesity Lindsey B. Roenigk M.D. Board Certifications in Pulmonary Medicine Critical Care Medicine Internal Medicine

Shawna Berg NP-C Member Obesity Medicine Association and Obesity Action Coalition

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What’s inside...

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21 33 34

Calm In The Storm

The Greatest Gift When To Say "Buy" To Rent Stroke: Are You At Risk?

Dealing With Adult ADHD

In Every Issue:

24 36 40 44 6

She’s Got Game Daily Fare Local Happenings Celebrate Her Success

To Help Your Children 42 How Feel Safe In A Scary World

Of The Bride 53 Mother (Or Groom) Say Goodbye To That Boring Dress

You Leave Your Pets And 58 Can The Guilt At Home?

60 50 51 56

Kidz Korner

Womentality Ever After Resources for Women

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May Madness

The month of May is always a very busy time for my family. The end of the school year is ahead with less than a month to go, we celebrate Mother’s Day and it seems most of my family have birthdays in May and early June. My father’s birthday is May 2nd, my mother’s is June 4th and my fiancé Dan’s is June 3rd. Both of my children were born in May: Zachary, May 17th and Sydney, May 15th. My nephew Tristan, who passed away last year, would have been 23 this month. Sydney was born on his 7th birthday.

I’ve been dreading the month of May since he passed away. I knew the 15th would come, but I’m not prepared for this. Almost every year when the kids were younger, we would have these huge birthday blitz weekends in the month of May so each child would be able to have the experience of their own individual birthday parties. As they grew older, the family would usually get together only on one day at a restaurant to celebrate the unique individuals they have become. This year, we will be missing one very special birthday boy, our sweet Tristan. This is particularly difficult for me because while I will be celebrating the day my beautiful Sydney came into the world, I will also be mourning the loss of Tristan, knowing he will not be here with us to celebrate the joy of his birth, and Sydney will not have her birthday buddy here to share their special day together as they have for the last 15 years. The tears flow and my throat tightens even as I write this. I don’t believe anyone ever “gets over” the tragic loss of a loved one so dear to their heart. It’s as raw and painful as the first day. Please think about our family on May 15th and wish Tristan a “Happy Birthday.” I have included a photo of Tristan below from our family’s last birthday celebration in May 2015.

In This Issue I am pleased that July Cosper Nicholas is on our cover this month. July works with special needs children during the day, and helps women recovering from breast cancer and those with chronic pain through therapeutic yoga in the evenings. She has truly made a difference in the lives of many! Please take the time to read about July on page 10. We also have included small business owner Jwyanda Norman in “Celebrate Her Success” on page 44. Jwyanda has such an interesting and inspiring success story. You won’t want to miss reading about her!

Because this month is such a sad time for me, I needed to include some happiness for myself while working on this issue. I indulged a little and included two stories about my children to celebrate the gift of their lives and the wonderful human beings they are. To leave my children out of the magazine because they are my children would be akin to a coach making one of her best players sit on the bench just because that player is her child. They both have fabulous stories and are very deserving to be included in West Georgia Woman magazine.

As always, we appreciate you letting our advertisers know that you read about them in West Georgia Woman magazine. Without our valuable advertisers, we would not be able to bring you these amazing stories about the women of West Georgia! Please do business with our advertisers and let them know you read about them in West Georgia Woman!

I hope all of you have a wonderful Mother’s Day full of joy and happiness.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Publisher

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Publisher Angela Dailey with her children, Zachary and Sydney.

Tristan at his last birthday celebration, May 2015. He was 22 years old.

Finding our voice. Knowing our value. Making a difference.

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West Georgia Woman is a voice for and about the women who live and work in West Georgia.

Our mission is to engage, inspire, and cultivate a cohesive community for all women in West Georgia by sharing our hopes, our dreams and our lives.

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Woman

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West Georgia Woman is a monthly publication of Angel Media, LLC. All contents of this issue are copyright 2016. West Georgia Woman magazine, its logo and “Finding our voice. Knowing our value. Making a difference.” are trademarks of Angel Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

West Georgia

TM

Volume 1 • Issue 7 May 2016

Publisher/Editor

Angela Dailey angela@westgeorgiawoman.com

Copy Editor Editorial Contributor

Shala Hainer shala@westgeorgiawoman.com

Photographer for Cover and Pages 2,3 & 8 Rachel Dobson

Editorial Contributors

Sara Anderson, L.P.C., Charlene Brooks, Julie Culpepper and Cheryl A. Francis, L.P.C.

Angela Brooks Dailey, Publisher of West Georgia Woman, has lived in West Georgia most of her life and has a deep love and appreciation for the area. She received her B.B.A in management from The University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia and is also a Civil and Domestic Relations mediator and arbitrator registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She lives in Carrollton, Georgia and has two wonderful children, Zachary and Sydney Dailey. She is engaged to Dan Keever, also a Carrollton resident. Angela enjoys reading, spending time with her children and extended family and loves to watch her daughter play soccer.

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Calm In The

Photos by Rachel Dobson

Storm Yoga Helps Those Fighting Chronic Illness Find Strength Inside And Out

By Shala Hainer 11

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or some medical issues, it feels like there’s no relief in sight. Those with chronic pain or undergoing breast cancer treatment, for example, might feel tired and have trouble getting around, and many struggle with a lack of energy or motivation.

But July Nicholas believes you can live your life to its fullest, even when you’re battling health issues. Through her company Renew Yoga, she teaches yoga classes to people with serious medical issues to help them find a better balance between their minds, bodies and spirits.

“Yoga helps decrease stress, improve sleep, improve digestion, improve flexibility and improve or maintain strength,” July says. “It also helps the body rid itself of toxins that may be impacting your physical health.”

She structures each class specifically to what the participants want or need. “One participant may want to just focus on gentle stretches and relaxation, while another participant may want to improve strength to help keep up her stamina while undergoing chemo,” she explains. “But one common thread is that all participants want and need a way to decrease their stress levels no matter what issues they are faced with daily.”

July doesn’t tout yoga as a cure for serious medical conditions, but science backs up her claims that yoga can help improve quality of life. One major benefit is yoga helps reduce anxiety, says

the Mayo Clinic. The concentration needed to maintain the yoga poses and the breathing techniques the exercise teaches helps alleviate stress and increase a sense of well-being. The different poses and intensity levels mean almost anyone can perform yoga and benefit from the strength and flexibility training it inherently provides.

“Like stated before, yoga is not a cure for cancer or illness, but the benefits when used in conjunction with treatment help in so many ways,” July says.

July, an orthopedic impairment teacher for Carroll County Schools, spends her days working with children who have physical disabilities. She helps ensure they have access to the school environment as well as the curriculum.

“I work a lot with students and assistive technology as well,” she says. “Since I cover the entire county and go to wherever my students are, I spend a lot of time on the go. This job is very rewarding watching my students grow and achieve many successes during their school career.”

In the evenings, however, she puts on her fitness instructor hat. “I became a fitness instructor in 1994,” she relates. “You name it, I have taught it, from spin, to step to kickboxing to bootcamp type classes and even senior fitness.”

She used to run often, and she has completed four half-marathons. “In 1998, I took my first yoga class and realized that you can be kind to your body and still get a good workout,” she says. “I also noticed that my outlook on life was changing the more I practiced yoga, which is one of the many benefits.”

Personal Journey to Yoga

July in yoga pose, "Lotus in tree with a forward fold."

July, the youngest of three children who has lived in Haralson County since she was 9, understands how life-changing a serious medical condition can be, and she knows from her personal experience how yoga can help you heal inside and out.

In 2009, July noticed some unusual aches and pains, particularly in her hands. She lives with rheumatoid arthritis so is used to some general aches and pains, but these seemed different. Her rheumatologist ordered some tests, and upon seeing her results, he immediately referred her to a neurosurgeon and told her to go the next day.

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It turns out she was born with a rare congenital abnormality called Basilar Invagination. This combined with her rheumatoid arthritis caused the top of her C2 vertebra to migrate upward. “This was compressing my brain stem 65 percent,” she says.

“This was not discovered until I was 40 years old. I was told I needed surgery immediately to correct this problem because I was at risk of severing my spinal cord. When the doctors tell you after surgery that they don’t know how you were even walking around or functioning (much less teaching yoga) and that you were ‘living on borrowed time,’ you tend to take that as a wakeup call to make the most out of your life.”

Like many people suddenly blindsided with a life-threatening diagnosis, July at first had trouble processing the information her doctor was giving her. She understood she had a narrowing of her spinal cord, but she didn’t quite know what that meant. She got a second opinion from a different neurosurgeon who agreed with the original doctor.

When interviewing the two doctors, she discovered the first one had completed only one similar surgery, while the second one had done three similar surgeries. “He told me that most people don’t know they had this issue, and they die before they even know there’s a problem,” July says. “He told me I was one of the lucky ones.”

The surgery July required was serious. It involved fusing her C1 through C4 vertebrae with titanium rods and putting a titanium plate at the base of her skull. The doctors told her that her exercise options

following the surgery would be limited, saying she might not be able to practice yoga again, much less teach it.

“I was very discouraged,” she admits. “During the long recovery, I became very depressed, but I began to realize that even though I may not ever do any more headstands or other poses that would compress my spine or hurt me, that I could still practice yoga, I just needed to modify.”

Many mainstream yoga classes focus on the physical postures, but yoga can be much more than that. Yoga helps people achieve a mind/body connection that allows healing and growth.

“I began slowly walking and doing just a few yoga stretches, and to be honest, even though I had been practicing for many years, I was afraid to try certain poses,” she says. “When a medical diagnosis or illness stops you in your tracks, there’s a sense of fear that covers you that you may not have ever felt before.”

But she kept moving forward. Six months after the surgery, July was teaching yoga again, and a month later, she completed her third half-marathon – walking this time instead of running.

“My life will always be different, and some activities will always need to be modified for me,” she says. “That’s what I want everyone to learn in Renew is that you may not be able to get down onto the floor, or you may not can touch your toes, but most all poses can be modified. I teach yoga with participants in chairs as well.”

During her recovery, she realized not everyone can push themselves to exhaustion working out. She began researching specialty yoga and teaching, and she wanted to expand the classes she taught to help people with chronic illness.

July notes that working with children with special needs helped her understand yoga is beneficial at any age. She has taught children’s yoga classes and offered two successful summer camps.

Her personal battle with a serious medical issue was only part of the push to offer therapeutic yoga.

“We have all been affected in some way or another by cancer,” she explains. “I have had friends and family to pass away from cancer, but I’ve also had friends and family survive after a cancer diagnosis.

This combined with the chronic illness I personally deal with every day and see in those around me helped shape my future and fuel my desire to spread the message and healing benefits of yoga.

And, although yoga cannot cure cancer nor chronic illness, it can help alleviate the side effects of chemo July works with breast cancer and mastectomy survivor Theresa Stapler during a Renew Yoga session. Sue Tarshis (back) works out by helping to rid the body of toxins, it can help with one of July's modified plans. decrease pain or help keep the pain manageable.”

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work on that. (Haha!)”

July created a nonprofit to help her with her mission of sharing healing yoga with people battling chronic illness. “The main reason I wanted to establish the nonprofit was because I didn’t want the participants to have to pay money for the classes,” she says. “If you are going through cancer treatment or dealing with July and her free weekly yoga class that helps individuals going through or recovering a chronic illness, I didn’t want that to be from cancer treatment and those dealing with chronic pain or illness. an extra burden.”

She would like to raise enough money to get a She says the best candidates for the therapeutic space of her own to hold the Renew Yoga classes. yoga classes are those who have cancer or a chronic Currently, Club Fitness donates the space once a illness that has a negative impact on their daily week. lives and limits participation in activities they once Looking toward the future, July wants to open enjoyed. the classes to family members or caregivers that “For instance, it might be right for you if you help care for those with cancer or chronic illness. were an avid runner prior to your cancer diagnosis “Those caregivers play a very important role in the but now that you are going through treatment, you participant’s lives, but also may be struggling with cannot run anymore,” she relates. “One of your emotional distress and exhaustion from caring for goals may be to have an outlet for your stress since their family/friends. Yoga is just as beneficial for you are unable to run and you want to maintain a them as well,” she explains. level of physical activity during your treatment.”

Present and Future July teaches a weekly class on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. at Club Fitness on Maple Street in Carrollton. “I have gone to several homes and worked with individuals one on one,” she says.

“Since I work full time and have limited availability, I decided to offer the weekly classes, but I can still work with individuals privately until they are physically ready to join the classes.”

She’s met with some challenges trying to help people understand not just how yoga benefits them, but also how her class is different from a traditional yoga class.

“I think sometimes people do not understand what yoga is or how powerful the benefits can be,” she relates. “I think that since yoga is fairly new to the mainstream, there’s still a lot of misconception and misunderstanding. I remember back in 1998 working to start the first yoga class at what was then Gold’s Gym, now Club Fitness. The reaction was either people laughing saying, ‘I don’t want to twist myself into a pretzel’ or ‘Oh, that’s some crazy religion.’ The definition of yoga is ‘union’ or ‘to join’ mind/body/spirit. Yoga is not a religion. The classes I offer through Renew are geared specifically to what each participant needs, such as strength, flexibility or relaxation. But if they want to learn to twist themselves into a pretzel, then we can definitely

Caring For Herself Both of July’s jobs – working with special needs children and the therapeutic yoga – can be emotionally taxing, but she finds the work rewarding.

“I truly enjoy seeing people leave class happy or in a better mood than when they arrived,” she says.

“They still may be in pain or struggling with issues, but there’s also a sense of relief and accomplishment after class, especially when they continue to come and make each week count.

She says she doesn’t see disabilities in the people she works with. “I feel like I treat the children at school just like I would any other child, only with accommodations to meet their needs. I hope others

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see that in me as well. With that said, I try not to treat my participants in Renew any differently than I would my mainstream yoga students, only with these participants, they may need a little more time to stay in a pose or more relaxation time. My goal in Renew is improve their physical and mental well being so I will push someone to achieve that, just not in the ways I would other yoga students.”

She believes finding time for herself is just as important as helping others. “I have had points during this journey where I have felt drained and wanted to just give up,” she admits. “Part of the nonprofit is fundraising. That’s a difficult area to push through, especially if people in the community don’t understand what my mission is with Renew Yoga. But when I hear from the participants how much of a difference this program is making in their lives, I just step back for a minute and regroup.”

She enjoys several hobbies to make time for herself, including walking her dogs out in the country, cross-stitching, making the stuffed owls that go with her book (see sidebar article), crafting, and, of course, yoga.

“Another outlet in the spring and summer is gardening,” she says. “Spending time with my husband and family is important, too. I would not July Nicholas created a charming children’s book to teach them about yoga. It’s called “Ella’s Tree Pose,” and it’s about an owl named Ella who wants to learn yoga. There are several poses in yoga named after animals, but none are named after owls. In the book, this discourages Ella, until a wise old tree teaches her about her abilities. The tree tells her that if she really wants to learn to practice yoga, she can – so Ella’s first pose is the tree pose.

The book is a story about self confidence, encouragement and acceptance. July personally makes a stuffed owl to accompany each book, and you can choose from several colors for your owl.

Visit www.facebook.com/EllaEdwinOwl to see some options. “Hopefully this teaches children don’t let anyone discourage them from their dreams, and if there’s something they really want to do, it doesn’t matter what they look like or where they are from – they can do it,” July says.

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be able to do everything that I do without their support. Sometimes I believe they think I’m just a big dreamer with all that I want to accomplish, but I learned six years ago that not another day is promised and to follow your dreams and heart.”

To July, every class she teaches justifies all the hard work she’s put into creating Renew Yoga.

“I am so proud of each participant that comes to class,” she says. “One instance that I remember greatly is that after finishing savasana (the relaxation portion at the end of class), one of the participants was almost about to cry. I had no idea what was wrong. When I asked she said, ‘I just want to thank you. That’s the first deep breath that I’ve taken in nine months since I was first diagnosed with cancer.

It felt so wonderful to be able to take a deep breath.’ I wanted to cry with her. Every class confirms to me that I’m following where God is leading.”

WGW For more information on Renew Yoga, visit the website at www.renewyogaforcancer.com, visit the Facebook Page: Renew Yoga, Inc. Non-Profit. or call 404.309.9550. If you would like to make a donation to the non-profit organization, please visit their Go Fund Me web page: Yoga for Cancer/Chronic Illness

by July Cosper Nicholas.

The Greatest

F T GI

By Angela Dailey

T

he young girl looked at her swollen belly sadly in the mirror. Almost a year earlier at the age of 19 she had decided, quite naively, that she wanted to have a baby, someone she could love and who would love her as well. She and her 21-year-old boyfriend had planned on marrying, and she had discussed with him the possibility of having a child of their own. Of course he was willing, he had told her. He loved her. She remembered how elated she was when she found out her dream had become a reality.

She couldn’t wait to share the wonderful news with him.

After hearing the joyful news, the young man took her to get two more pregnancy tests, “just to be sure,” he had said. Once they were positive of the results, he became very distant with her. When she asked him what was wrong, he told her having a baby was a very big responsibility and a Zachary as a toddler.

life-changing decision – a decision not to be taken lightly.

She was confused and heartbroken, she told him.

They had discussed all of this for several months and he had been quite willing to take on that responsibility during the “trying” stage. He had even feigned disappointment for months when it hadn’t happened immediately. Wasn’t it too late to be re-thinking this life changing decision, she asked? The decision had already been made by both of them.

Within a matter of days, the young man had abandoned her and disappeared from her life.

He left no information on how to contact him. No address. No phone number. Just a tiny baby growing in her womb.

At the time, the girl could not understand how this had happened to her. Well, she knew how she had gotten in the predicament, but she didn’t understand why things had

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Photos by Rachel Dobson.

ended this way. This wonderful event that she had long awaited with great anticipation had finally arrived! Yet she had been abandoned by the young man she thought had loved her.

She was devastated as she began to realize the consequences of her decision. Nineteen years old, alone and pregnant. This was nothing like she had envisioned earlier in her dreams of having a baby.

She dropped out of college and went home to her parents, who thankfully took her in without hesitation. Where would she have gone had they not accepted her situation? The thought frightened her and kept her awake many nights. For the next several months, she struggled with her sadness. She felt so alone and without hope. She frantically wrestled with her anger with the young man and her anger with herself. Some people who knew her in the small town attempted to shame and judge her.

“How could she have done this to herself?” they whispered, shaking their heads with condescending superiority.

She often thought about the little baby growing in her belly. One night, she had this beautiful and vivid dream that her baby was a boy with beautiful blue eyes. She felt so strongly in her heart and soul that the baby would be a boy that she chose only a boy’s name: Zachary – a name of Hebrew origin meaning “Remembered by God.” If her

Zachary with his trumpet in his senior photos.

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baby’s father wouldn’t remember him, surely his Heavenly Father would. William would be his middle name, named after her brother.

Zachary William. That was the perfect name for her son. She poured her heart out in letters to the little unborn child. She told him how much she loved him and how sorry she was that he wouldn’t have a father to be there for him. She told the little boy she couldn’t wait to meet him. She told him she would never leave or forsake him – of that,

he could be sure.

Those letters written in her adolescent scrawl with the little handdrawn hearts in the margins promised the little baby that he would never feel unloved. She would be there for him forever.

Her son was born on a glorious spring day in mid-May. With his silken blond hair and lovely blue eyes, he was so beautiful he took her breath away. Meeting her son for the first time was a spectacular moment she would never forget.

The young girl kissed him softly on his precious little face and whispered to him, “Mommy’s here, my sweet Zachary. Always and forever.”

That precious little boy grew up to be an amazing and very talented young man. He became an excellent musician, and he often brought tears to his mother’s eyes, a former musician herself, when he would play the Jazz rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World” for her on his trumpet. He also became a fabulous magician. He loved performing magic for others and bringing smiles to the faces of his audience. With his kind heart, friendly, easygoing demeanor and hilariously funny wit, he was, and still is, loved and admired by many people, but nothing could match the admiration for him that was felt and expressed for him by his mother.

When he was 20 years old, the same age she was when she gave birth to him, the young girl, not so young anymore, shared with her son the

Zach the magician.

positive impact that he had on her life. She thanked him for saving her life many years before. She told him had she continued along the same path she had been traveling, she may not be alive today if it weren’t for having him. She was so thankful that she and the world had been given such a wonderful human being. If she had to do it all over again, she wouldn’t change a single thing. It was a powerful and unforgettable moment they shared together that day – overflowing with love and thanksgiving, peace and joy.

You’re probably wondering what happened to that sad and hopeless 19-year-old girl. When she was 21, she met a young man who fell in love with her and the little boy. They were married a year later, and Zachary was adopted by her husband just two months shy of his 3rd birthday. Three years later, two days before the little boy’s 6th birthday, his beautiful little sister came into the world and the young mother, now 26, could hardly believe her good fortune that she had been entrusted with two of the greatest gifts she would ever be so honored to receive.

Her son’s biological father reached out to her

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Pregnancy Resource Center Serving Carroll, Haralson and Heard Counties Call: 770.832.0256 or 24-Hour Helpline: 800.712.4357 www.pregnancyrc.com PRC Medical A Pregnancy Resource Center Serving Douglasville, Carrollton, Villa Rica, Atlanta, Bremen, Smyrna, Lithia Springs, Winston, Mableton, Fairburn and Hiram, Ga. Call: 404.478.6551 or text: 678.941.9753 www.abortiondecision.com

Photo by Barbara Yarbrough

If you or someone you know is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, or because of other circumstances you find yourself alone and pregnant, I can tell you from personal experience that it won't always be easy for you, but the rewards of being a mother far outweigh the challenges.

Please think carefully about your baby and consider giving your child a chance at life. Even if you choose adoption for your baby, you are giving someone else an amazing gift. And if you decide to keep your baby, 1, 5, 10 and even 20 years from now, you will continue to be amazed at the beautiful and unique human being you bring into this world.

Remember that you are not alone. There are resources that offer free assistance in West Georgia to help you make an informed decision in a non-judgmental atmosphere. If you need assistance, please call:

Zach and Sydney at his graduation in 2012.

and working full time. Her goal was to graduate college before her son graduated high school. She wanted her children to see how important getting a college education was to her. She received her bachelor's degree at the age of 37, one year before Zachary graduated high school.

Several years later, she became the publisher and owner of a regional magazine that celebrates and recognizes the remarkable achievements of women – West Georgia Woman magazine.

Author’s note:

when Zachary was a young boy and asked her forgiveness, which she gladly gave him. She harbored no resentment toward the young man who left her and their unborn child all those years before.

For if not for him, she would never have received one of the greatest gifts in her life.

She and her husband divorced several years later, and she became a single mother again. She put herself through college while raising her children

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Zachary on Spring Break in April 2016.

Zachary will be 22 years old on May 17th. He works as a medical technician in a drug rehabilitation clinic helping others who are facing tremendously challenging circumstances. He asked to meet his biological father when he was 15 years old, and began to form a relationship with him that continues today, as well as continuing the good relationship he has with his adopted father he knows only as “Dad.” He doesn’t play the trumpet any more or practice magic, but he likes going out with his friends and enjoying life. He is also embarking on his own journey of becoming a business owner. His haunted attraction "Freaks of Fear" will open for business on October 1st at the VFW fairgrounds on Hwy 61 in Carrollton, Ga. Zachary is such a wonderful and courageous young man, and I am very proud of him and what he has accomplished. I received Zach's full approval before publishing his story. WGW

When To Say “Buy” To Rent Is Renting Or Buying A Better Option For You?

By Shala Hainer Owning a home is the quintessential American dream, but it’s not right for everyone at every stage of life. Young adults right out of college might not be ready – financially or emotionally – for the responsibility of a mortgage payment and home repair, for example, and a professional who moves every few years with his job could actually lose money when constantly buying and selling. If you’re planning to live somewhere less than five years, it might not make sense to buy.

But for most people, the decision isn’t always as clear cut. Renting and buying have their share of pros and cons. When you rent, you typically aren’t responsible to pay for maintenance on the property, although if you’re renting a house instead of an apartment, the lease might require you to mow the grass. When you own and the pipe under the sink starts leaking, be prepared to spend a few hundred dollars on a plumber – something you don’t have to do when you rent.

Many seniors choose to rent solely for the convenience factor, because they don’t want to worry about unexpected problems. Some choose to rent in senior living communities that offer amenities designed specifically for the aging population, such as specialized workout facilities or weekly home cleaning – a benefit that’s difficult to find in standard neighborhoods.

Also, consider the amenities and how much you are likely to use them. When you rent, you typically have free use of most or all of the amenities, such as a pool or tennis courts. When you buy, you

usually pay extra to use the amenities as part of your homeowner’s association fees.

About the Money Your rent money pays for a place for you to live, but it isn’t an investment. When you buy, part of the money you pay each month on your mortgage goes toward the home’s principal, which can lead to a lump of cash when you sell or the flexibility to get a home equity loan in the future. You can write off the interest you pay on your tax return, too, which often offers a pleasant bonus when you calculate your refund.

On the flip side, many people looking to buy a house for the first time don’t understand exactly where their mortgage payment goes. Only a small part of it is principal that builds equity, at least in the beginning. For most homebuyers, a big chunk goes to interest, which doesn’t earn you any equity in the home. Another portion goes to fund your escrow account, which is money the mortgage company holds in advance to pay your annual property taxes and home insurance bill. It might also pay for the homeowner’s association fees – if not, it’s your responsibility to save up for those payments.

For FHA, USDA and low-down-payment conventional loans, you must also pay for private mortgage insurance each month as part of your house payment. This can run from a relatively small amount, like $50, to $200 per month or more, depending on the amount of your loan. This isn’t

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insurance for you – it’s for the mortgage company.

It’s their insurance costs in case you default on the loan, and they pass those costs onto you as the homebuyer, since they are taking a chance on you.

An upside for buying is that you can make the place your own. If you want to paint one living room wall hot pink, you can feel free to express yourself – that’s not true with most rental agreements.

So Which is Best?

The answer to that question is that it depends.

Examine your lifestyle, finances and future plans carefully to determine whether renting or buying is best for you.

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• Credit Score. If you have a credit score below 580, it’s unlikely you can get a decent mortgage. That makes the decision easy: renting is best for you, at least right now.

The higher your credit score, the better your interest rate, typically, so many people choose to rent until they reach a credit score that gives them the best rates – usually 720 or higher.

• Job Security.

Some young people prefer to rent while they are establishing their careers because it makes them more mobile – they can transfer for their jobs easier from a rental than if they own a home. If you change jobs often, renting might be best for you, even if you’re not moving with your jobs.

Mortgage companies like to see

continuity in your career, which often means staying at the same job for two years or more.

If you’re changing jobs but staying in the same field, such as changing companies but keeping a job as an advertising executive at all of them, a mortgage company might overlook the consistent changes.

• Income. If you’re currently renting and barely getting by paying your rent payment, it’s probably not the time to buy. Even if you can get a house payment including the taxes and insurance escrow that is cheaper than your rent, there are other costs associated with owning a home. The utilities are often more expensive, and you must be ready to pay additional costs for repairs and maintenance without any warning.

When asking yourself if it’s best to rent or own, think about where you are now as well as where you plan to be in a few years. For many people, whether it’s best to rent or buy is a fluid thing, changing more than once over their lifetimes. WGW

Consider it ...

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Shala Hainer, Realtor Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers Office: 404.843.2500 Direct: 678.320.4529 www.metrobrokers.com

Better Homes and Gardens速 is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Better Homes and Gardens速 Real Estate Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers.

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SHE’S GOT

G A M E Going For The 24

Goal

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Local Bremen High School Athlete Scores Big On The Field And In Life

By Shala Hainer

T

he thrill of the game keeps her focused, but it’s her own internal discipline that drives her to excel not only at sports, but in school as well. Bremen High School sophomore Sydney Dailey, age 15, plays junior varsity and varsity basketball for her school as well as her true passion: soccer.

She started playing soccer at age 5, although she says she doesn’t remember much about those first few games. “I remember that everyone flocked to the ball and there was really no organization,” she laughs. She now plays on a travel soccer team as well as on her high school team.

She’s come a long way from her first game as a 5 year old. “She is the type of player you can build around and depend on during matches,” says her coach Jason Fields. "Last year, as a freshman, she started every match even though there were 10 seniors on the team. She scored 10 goals and had several assists from a right midfield position. She has an incredible work ethic and always gives her best at practice. I think she will be one of the standout players the next three years on my team and in the region.”

She somehow manages to find a balance between school and sports.

A typical night during basketball season might involve two hours of JV practice, then another two hours of

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varsity basketball practice then doing homework in the car on the way home. She heads home in time to eat dinner, then finish any remaining homework and go to sleep so she can head back to school the next day. A typical night during soccer season involves two hours of practice, five days a week with two games. Even with the challenge of shuffling her study schedule around her ball games and practices, Sydney maintains a 4.0 GPA at BHS. With her kind and generous spirit, Sydney makes room in her life for giving back to her community as well. In middle school, she grew out her hair so she could donate 9 inches of it to Locks of Love.

Every year, she volunteers for the Carrollton police camp as a teen counselor and during vacation Bible school as a crew leader. Sydney participates in the children's shoebox project every year and volunteered as a helper for the March of Dimes Walk for Babies in April. She has also volunteered as a helper for the Southwire Back to School project.

She is currently working with her church's youth director to come up with a fundraising plan to purchase desperately needed new playground equipment for the children at church. The playground was literally falling apart and was not safe for the children to play on, and it was torn down in April. She wanted to do mission work for children for her 16th birthday this year, and she chose the church playground as her project. Her kind heart extends to many areas, often leading her to buy

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food for stray animals and items such as shoes, toys and snacks for the local women’s shelter.

In addition to sports, school work and volunteering, Sydney was a member of Junior Beta Club in middle school and is now in the Beta Club in high school. She participated in Bremen High School's one-act play in the fall of 2015, and she played saxophone in the concert band last year. She has received the BHS Blue & White Award twice, being chosen by a teacher to be recognized for her achievements as a freshman in the spring of 2015 and as a sophomore in the fall of 2015. She was added to the BMS Pride Wall of Fame for Citizenship in 8th grade.

Her sports accolades are just as impressive. She lettered in varsity basketball and received the Coach’s Award in JV basketball this year which is voted on by her peers, and received the Most Improved Player award on the 2014-2015 JV basketball team as a

freshman.

She lettered in varsity soccer as a freshman and made All-Region 2nd Team – an honor voted on by all the high school coaches in the region. She was Rookie of the Year last year, when the BHS soccer team won the Regional Championships.

On this season’s BHS soccer team, Sydney was named as one of the team captains, and in the 2015 season, Sydney was the only freshman who started the game during senior night, and she has been a starter in every game as a freshman and sophomore.

She has also played on a travel soccer team with the Villa Rica Soccer Association team, which is now called Georgia Storm, since August of 2013.

Villa Rica Soccer Association Charlotte Invitational Champions.

In her limited downtime, she spends time with her family, including her father, Robby Dailey, her mother, West Georgia Woman Publisher Angela Dailey and her older brother, Zachary. She enjoys being outdoors, listening to music, loves watching Grey's Anatomy and The Walking Dead and playing with her two dogs, Dixie and Scotch.

Sydney says if she could meet one professional athlete, it would be Michelle Akers from the original women’s soccer team that won the Olympics in 1999. “She battled with chronic fatigue syndrome, and was still a starting player on the United States team,” Sydney says, admiring how Michelle overcame major adversity to earn her spot on the team. “She was the best player on her team, if you ask me.”

West Georgia Woman: Tell me what you love about soccer.

Sydney Dailey: I love the feeling when you score or make a great kick. It's addictive and there is nothing like it.

WGW: What positions do you play in soccer and basketball?

SD: My position in travel soccer is right wing. For the high school soccer team I am a right wing and a center midfielder. For varsity basketball my position is a wing but I am mostly a "right bench", she laughs. In JV basketball my position is point guard.

WGW: What keeps you motivated?

SD: Knowing that not everyone is lucky enough to have the same opportunities as I do. Some people don't have it in their budget to play sports, and I am so grateful that my family does and supports me.

WGW: What is your training regimen?

SD: During the school soccer season, I practice five days a week with two games. During travel season, I practice two days a week with a game usually every other weekend. Tournaments during travel soccer are games all weekend a few times during the season. During basketball season when I was in JV and varsity I practiced around four hours a day, five days a week. I also run at least a mile every day and I weight train every day year round.

WGW: How do you prepare the day of a game

Photos by Rachel Dobson

mentally and physically?

SD: I eat light, usually. Nothing too greasy or heavy, but enough good food to make me full. To be honest, I get really nervous before every game, but it's that fire that makes me want to play my hardest.

WGW: What do you like most about playing soccer?

SD: Giving a good corner kick, or a good cross.

WGW: What do you like least about playing soccer?

SD: Knowing that you missed the shot or lost the ball that could've won the game.

WGW: Who has had the most influence in your life at school?

SD: My friend Grace makes me better every day at practice, and so does my coach, Jason Fields. They push me to try my hardest and be the best that I can be.

WGW: Who has had the most influence in your personal life?

SD: My mom has had a huge influence on me. She goes after what she wants and doesn’t stop until she gets it.

WGW: Who do you look up to as a role model in your life?

SD: I look to many people as role models. I usually look up to people who stand up for what they believe in and work hard all of the time.

WGW: Tell me what goes through your mind when you're out there competing. What do you

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think about? How does playing make you feel physically and mentally?

SD: I honestly think about everything on the field. Before I even get the ball, I have a plan of what I am going to do with it.

If I take one second too long, it could be a turnover and a missed scoring opportunity.

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Top left: Sydney fights for the ball during a BHS game. Left center: Sydney receiving the Coach's Award in JV basketball. Bottom left: Sydney's friend Grace, Coach Jason Fields and Sydney.

When I play, I get an adrenaline rush and I forget about everything except the game.

WGW: Will you be attending college, where, and any scholarships?

SD: I will be attending college, but I have not really thought about where I will go, and of course, I want a scholarship!

WGW: What do you do to help and encourage other girls on the team who are younger than you?

SD: I try to let them know that I am there to talk about their positions, and if they have questions they can ask me.

I try to interact with all of them.

WGW: How do you balance soccer and your other activities along with your schoolwork?

SD: School always comes first no matter what. I always make sure that I have my homework done after practice.

WGW: Who is your biggest fan?

SD: My dad is very enthusiastic about my sports and does everything he can to help me. He has no idea how much I appreciate him.

He taught me the game I love, and for that I am eternally grateful to him.

WGW: Tell me about your support network at home. What do they do for you to help you succeed?

SD: They're really great, they always take me and pick me up from practice. They also come to my games as often as they can. I think they really enjoy watching me play, and I enjoy it when they come watch!

My mom and dad always encourage me to stay level-headed.

WGW: If you could give a freshman just starting advice, what would you tell her?

SD: Work hard all the time. Always go against people that are better Bremen High School Spring than you; to be the best, 2015 All Region Champions, All train with the best. Don't Region Second Team, Rookie of the Year and receiving her take the easy way out.

Varsity Letter in soccer.

"I honestly think about everything on the field.

Before I even get the ball, I have a plan of what I am going to do with it. If I take one second too long, it could be a turnover and a missed scoring opportunity.

When I play, I get an adrenaline rush and I forget about everything except the game."

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WGW: What do you think makes you successful as a soccer player?

SD: I am a very analytical player. I think about everything before I do it. I think this helps the team because I am ready to send the best ball I can to them to make a scoring opportunity.

WGW: Do you see yourself playing soccer the rest of your life?

SD: Not everyone gets to play the sport they love forever. Soccer is a very physical and physically grueling sport, so I will probably not play it competitively for the rest of my life. I will always be a soccer player in my heart, and I will never forget the tremendous impact it has had on my life.

WGW: If you could do one thing differently regarding your experience with soccer, what would you do?

SD: I would have worked so much harder in the off season because even getting touches on the ball can make you 10 times better.

WGW: What do you want to do for a career after high school?

SD: I am interested in many things but I have my eye on criminal profiling or possibly speech therapy.

WGW

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STROKE Are You At Risk?

M

ost of us could probably do a little better at taking care of ourselves, but often it's hard to find the time or energy to make serious changes in our lives. WebMD suggests that making only a few of the following lifestyle changes can reap huge benefits and decrease your chance of having a stroke or a heart attack.

• Stop Smoking.

Everyone knows that it's bad for you, but it's probably one of the hardest habits for anyone to break.

Numerous studies show that quitting smoking now can drastically reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack, so get out there and kick those butts.

• Eat Some Chocolate. Studies show that eating chocolate more than one time a week can lower your risk of stroke by 30 percent and risk of heart disease by almost 40 percent.

Dark chocolate, or 70 percent cacao is the

best for you, according to WebMD. Watch those portion sizes though. You don't want to gain weight from eating too much chocolate.

• Don't Skip Your Heart Medications. Many people don't take their medicine the way it is prescribed. Make sure you take the proper dosage at the right time every day. If you have problems remembering, they cost too much or there are too many side effects, your doctor should be able to work with you to help you manage.

• Get A Little Exercise Daily. Try to get at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping exercise five days a week, such as swimming or walking.

• Set A Reasonable Weight Loss Goal. Even if you are obese or overweight, you don't have to become as skinny as a supermodel to

reduce your risk for a stroke or heart attack.

WebMd suggests losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight will lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Pay Attention To Your Body. Watch out for symptoms such as pain in your back or jaw, vomiting or nausea, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, unusual heart rhythm or flulike symptoms. Don't ignore these symptoms and hope they'll go away on their own. See your doctor if these symptoms persist. WGW

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Dealing With Adult

ADHD

By Cheryl A. Francis

“I just can’t seem to stay focused! I would start one project, not finish it, and before I know it, I have moved on to something else … I just can’t seem to complete anything!” If you have said these statements about yourself before, you may want to stop and think about what may be going on.

In our society, busy seems to be a norm.

An incomplete project, and a missed appointment is expected. However, if this has been a pattern since childhood you may want to consider that something else may be going on, adult ADHD. ADHD is the abbreviation used for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. It is a childhood disorder, but many adults are affected.

We may not call it ADHD because we have managed to compensate and develop ways to function with it. But have we really?

Think about your childhood.

Were you the girl who constantly daydreamed? Were you the one who sat in class, heard the teacher talking, but many times, had your own vision of what was going to happen next? Were you the girl who had to

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ask to have questions repeated even though you were looking at the teacher, only to hear your peers snicker? It may be that you had symptoms of ADHD and no one, including you, paid attention to them.

ADHD is a brain disorder, and although early manifestation is in childhood, usually more pronounced around third grade, it can continue through adulthood.

Some symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention. You may have difficulty controlling your behavior and be overactive.

Symptoms of ADHD impact one’s perception of self, can contribute to an inability to develop meaningful and successful relationships, and creates difficulty in completing basic tasks. ADHD in general is separated into two categories; Attention Deficit Disorder-Inattentive type (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder-Hyperactive, Impulsive type (ADHD). An individual may be diagnosed with one or the other, or a combination of both. Symptoms of ADHD delay and impact executive functioning such as planning, thinking and paying attention.

There is no conclusive evidence about what causes

ADHD. Some researchers believe that ADHD is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Some believe that ADHD is inherited, or might seem to run in certain families. Other researchers suggest that environmental factors or trauma to the body or brain may contribute to ADHD. Research doesn't support the theory that refined sugar causes ADHD, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But I often tell those that I work with to pay attention to certain foods and food additives because often, when a person presents with symptoms similar to that of ADHD, there could be an allergic reaction to certain foods.

As ADHD is frequently diagnosed in childhood, it is sometimes missed and chalked up to either bad behavior or lack of motivation.

With no intervention, a child grows up, becomes an adult and continues to present with symptoms of ADHD. A licensed medical or mental health practitioner can best determine whether the individual has symptoms of adult ADHD. There are other disorders such as depression and trauma with symptoms that mimic ADHD. Some health conditions also have symptoms similar to that of adult ADHD, so it is imperative to consult a licensed practitioner to determine whether someone is presenting with symptoms of ADHD. To diagnose adult ADHD, the behaviors have to manifest in more than one environment.

For an adult to be diagnosed with symptoms of adult ADHD, the behaviors and symptoms must be present since childhood and continue to create problems for the individual during adulthood.

In my sessions, I often hear,"I was never good at school. I could not sit still. I was the class clown."

These are possibly cues to delve more into whether this person is presenting with symptoms of ADHD. Often the class clown uses laughter as a distraction from poor image of self, or feelings of failure.

Adults who have compensated for the symptoms of ADHD during childhood often find they recognize a history of school failure, especially at subjects that they had no interest in. They also find that they have problems at work or home, are disorganized

and messy, or have difficulty remembering to keep appointments. They are also easily distracted and often move from one activity to the other, creating a series of unfinished tasks. These individuals may find that they have a history of difficulty creating and maintaining relationships as they perceive themselves as failures struggling with many of the things others may excel at.

Adult ADHD is treated much like that of a childhood ADHD. Medication management, psychotherapy, and coaching help manage the symptoms. Medication management includes stimulants and nonstimulants. A medical provider can help determine which type of medication is appropriate to treat the symptoms you are presenting with.

A professional counselor or mental health therapist can provide support or coaching on how to be better organized and or how to manage tasks so they are achievable and not overwhelming.

A professional counselor is able to provide support on improving one’s self-image, which is often impacted from past behaviors as a result of the symptoms of ADHD. Symptoms of adult ADHD do not go away, but certain strategies can be developed to manage this disorder. Taking steps to learn about and manage the symptoms of Adult ADHD is key. A great screening tool can be found online at www.add.org. WGW Cheryl A. Francis, Licensed Professional Counselor, is the owner of The Heart Matters Wellness Services LLC, a fullservice counseling agency. She is certified as a Mental Health First Aid Adult trainer and regularly provides seminars and trainings to the community on various mental health issues. She currently works as a school-based mental health counselor, and has partnered with the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy to train individuals in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. Visit heartmatterswellness.com for more information about Cheryl and her work.

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Daily Fare ”Adapt these recipes to your tastes and your lifestyle. That’s what I want you to feel the freedom to do with my recipes. You are more talented and creative than you give yourself credit for!”

Julie Culpepper Julie Culpepper is a Georgia native living in Carrollton for the past 26 years with her husband Alan and their adult children. She became a personal chef after graduating culinary school in 2012 and loves working with two companies that she incorporates into her style of cooking- Branch and Vine in Newnan and Doterra, an online source for essential oils located in Utah. For further information about contacting Julie or these companies, please feel free to contact her at : jculpep4@gmail.com or culpepperoilsolutions@mydoterra.org

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or go online to: branchandvineonline.org

A Tasty Flatbread And A Refreshing Cake With a Twist

For a healthy, delicious meal that can be made in a hurry, you just can’t beat the simplicity of this blackened fish flatbread sandwich. There are so many layers of texture, flavor and temperatures, this sandwich would be the perfect meal for a Cinco de Mayo dinner at home. Serve with spicy sweet potato fries or potato chips with delicious citrus flavors.

The watermelon cake is so delicious, beautiful and nutritious that I could not resist sharing it with you. It is not difficult to make, but it is very important to rinse and pat dry all the fruit before assembling. They need to be as dry on the outside as possible – especially the watermelon.

I placed all the rinsed fruit on a big towel and let it sit for about 30 minutes before assembling, patting dry every 5 minutes or so. This cake makes a stunning centerpiece and can be served as part of a main meal or for dessert. It is perfect for receptions, weddings, showers and summer parties. You can change out the types of fruit for the top as well but the more color contrast you use, the more appealing it will be.

Bring this to your next summer gathering and watch it disappear quickly. You may not even want to tell anyone that it is a cake made of fruit so you can watch the delight as it is cut and served!

Photos by Michelle Horsley

Blackened Fish Flatbread Sandwiches Ingredients 4 fresh flatbreads (round or square shaped) 2 pounds fresh fish filets (a white meaty

version such as cod, tilapia, bass, perch, or halibut)

Blackening seasoning blend 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil Condiments and additions such as: Leftover rice, black beans, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce

or Napa cabbage, chopped onion, sour cream, chopped avocado, salsa verde,

chopped fresh cilantro, fresh lime slices.

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Instructions

Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle blackening seasoning on both sides.

Heat the oil in a skillet, preferably cast iron over a medium high heat. Add the filets and cook on

both sides about 2 ½ minutes, or until flaky and

firm, depending on the thickness of the filet. It is

okay to allow the filets to come apart. I use virgin coconut oil because it adds a wonderful flavor

to the fish. Heat the flatbreads slightly so they

Instructions

Build an assembly line of any and all the ingredi-

For the watermelon “cake” base: Evenly cut off the ends of each side revealing the red portion. Turn onto one side and carefully skin the rind off the sides revealing the red portion.

Shape it into a cylinder shape and save the watermelon scraps for a snack. Place onto a towel and pat dry while preparing the other ingredients. Clean and slice the other fruit and lay on the towel as well to dry.

will be warm and pliable when it is time to serve. ents you want to pile into the sandwiches. Spoon a generous amount of fish into the middle of the

flatbread, but leave room for everything else you plan to pile on top! Leave the limes at the end

of the line so the juice can be squeezed over the top of your masterpiece.

Serves 4

Watermelon Cake Ingredients

1 medium sized watermelon (preferably seedless) 12 ounces sliced almonds, toasted 2 kiwis skinned and sliced thin 6-8 large strawberries sliced 1 cup large blackberries

8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature

About 12 ounces powdered sugar

1 can coconut milk (refrigerate overnight. Care-

fully remove the bottom rim from the can and drain the milk from the can. Spoon out the

cream left at top and use about ½ cup in your frosting). Use the leftover coconut milk and

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cream in smoothies, sauces, etc.

For the icing: Beat the softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl for about 1 minute. Add the coconut cream and beat until blended. As the mixer is turning the bowl, begin slowly incorporating powdered sugar into mixture. If you are worried about lumps, sift your powdered sugar before you begin. Add enough to make a fairly thick icing to a pasty consistency. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla or coconut flavoring as well if you prefer.

Some people taste an overpowering powdered sugar flavor that is undesirable.

Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble. Place your watermelon base onto your serving platter. Ice the sides first and then the top. Gently press the toasted almond slices onto the sides of the cake by handfuls until the sides are lightly covered. Brush away the fallout. Place the other fruits onto the top of the cake in a circular pattern. Keep your masterpiece very cool until time for service.

Serves about 8-12 people depending on the size of your watermelon.

Tips from Julie: If you have never tried to make some of your pantry staples at home, maybe you should! Many times they are more nutritious and less expensive, taste fresher and do not contain all the preservatives found in items that can survive on shelves for months or even years.

Just do a quick internet search to find different recipe ideas. Pick the one that intrigues you the most and have fun trying something new. Make small batches that will be used quickly (usually within a month) because remember, you are not adding chemicals that will preserve them forever in time – or in your body!

• Granola: Use the freshest oats you can find and raw honey for the sweetener. My favorite version is Blood Orange granola from the Branch and Vine website.

• Flavored Salts: Start with a flaky or coarse salt (a good sea salt or pink Himalayan are healthy varieties).

Think about your favorite dried herbs, spices, edible flowers, tea leaves and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. Many of these come in powdered forms. A great example would be chile lime salt made with dried chile powders and lime powder or peel.

• Hummus: Made from ground sesame seeds (tahini), a good mild oil (olive or grapeseed) and lemon juice. Then a myriad of flavorings can be added such as roasted red peppers, kale, garlic, beans, and pesto. This can be done at a fraction of the cost of the store bought version which can become bitter from sitting on the shelf for so long.

• Refried beans: Cook your choice of beans in the slow cooker during the day while you are busy (white, red, pinto, black), add seasonings and blend with a food processor until smooth. Can also be frozen in smaller batches.

These are just the beginning of ideas for you to try. The new and exciting discoveries are there waiting for you to try and enjoy!

“Carrollton’s Prescription Headquarters”

821 Dixie Street Carrollton, GA 30117

770.832.7076 Drive Thru Service • Gifts • Free Delivery

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Local A couple of new moms getting their “Zen” on at the Mommy’s Day Out monthly fellowship session.

Mommy’s Day Out Monthly Fellowship Session March 3, 2016 Need It Most’s “Mommy’s Day Out” featured a relaxing yoga session with instructor Dawn Perry.

These fellowship sessions offer new mothers an hour to themselves the first Thursday of every month to renew their mind and spirit along with other new mothers. Childcare is provided as needed.

Ms. Joan Norman serves refreshments to new mothers at the Mommy’s Day Out yoga event.

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Healers and Helpers Wellness Group This group meets the last Saturday of every month in Douglasville. For more information, contact Cheryl at theheartmatters@gmail.com or learn more at www.heartmatterswellness.com.

Need It Most – Mommy’s Day Out Each Mommy’s Day Out event is from 6 to 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. Locations vary, please contact Jwyanda at 678.739.1740 for more information. These are free events for new mothers, mothers with children 0-12 months, and mothers suffering from postpartum depression.

Dawn Perry (Not Pictured) was the yoga instructor at the Mommy’s Day Out event.

Happenings Mommy’s Day Out – May meeting: You Are Not Alone!

Chat with Tanita Teagle, Licensed Counselor May 5, 2016 6:00pm – 7:00pm Burson Center 500 Old Bremen Road Carrollton, Georgia 30117

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I'm Scared.

How To Help Your Children Feel Safe In A Scary World

By Sara Anderson

N

ot too long ago, there was a social media uproar about a teenager who was defiant to the teacher’s directives. The teacher sought backup from the school safety resource officer and social medial was flooded with video clips of the teen girl being physically and aggressively removed from her chair. As I sifted through the Facebook comments condemning and blaming the teen for not responding to the adults’ orders, I could not help but wonder to myself, “What is her behavior saying? What has she experienced so far in life?"

ors: Common St re ss ury

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• Ser ious Illness or Inj • Car Ac cident/H ous e Fire • Bul lying At Sch ool • Sep aratio n From Loved Ones • Domest ic or Commu nit y Vio len ce • Sca ry Mo vie s or Videos • Physic al, Emoti ona l, Sex ual Ab use • Parent al Ne gle ct Or • Parent Wi th Me nta l Hea lth Iss ues Str ugg ling Wi th Addic tio n

While it is often easy to blame a child or parent for misbehavior, sometimes we have to understand that a child’s behavior tells us what the child has experienced. This is particularly true for children who have experienced trauma. Not every child who misbehaves has experienced a trauma. In fact, some misbehavior might be the result of overindulgence of a child or a child who does not know how to manage strong feelings well. But for some children, misbehavior is the effect of having experienced a significantly upsetting event that left the child feeling unsafe, lost, confused, and unsure.

Some of the more commonly known events that can be distressing to a child are: • A serious illness or injury that might require hospitalization or surgery • A car accident or house fire • Constant and intense bullying by schoolmates • Separation from a loved one because of parental divorce, deployment, incarceration, or death

• • • •

Domestic violence or community violence Watching a scary movie or video Physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect A parent who struggles with addiction or mental health issues

Unfortunately, children do not have the language skills to tell us how upsetting an experience has been. A child’s best form of communication is to act out his or her feelings. Acting out may look like an extreme temper tantrum, defiance, refusal to move or speak, or violence. Sometimes a child can become clingy toward a parent or refuse to sleep alone after an upsetting event. A scared or hurting child will sometimes do the most unloving acts just to be heard. Adults can help children learn to feel safe and manage strong feelings without acting out.

Tips for helping a child calm down: • Remain calm no matter how bad the behavior is • Remind the child that she is safe and that you will help her feel and be safe • Talk the child through steps to calm down, such as taking a deep breath, counting the number of doors and windows in the room, and relaxing his body • When the child is calmer, ask her to talk about what she was feeling. Help her to connect her feelings with how she was acting • Give her some alternatives of what to do the next time she is feeling the same way, such as taking some deep breaths or coming to find you

By connecting with the child to redirect the behavior, you are providing the child a wonderful opportunity to feel heard, understood, loved and supported, which are the very things needed to feel safe. WGW Sara Anderson is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Addiction Counselor in the state of Georgia. She is Board Certified as a Registered Play Therapist, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Clinical Supervisor, and Distance Counselor. Sara specializes in helping kids, teens, and adults manage anxiety and stress.

As a trained play therapist, trauma specialist, and addiction counselor, Sara uses an integrative, relationally-based approach to help clients move forward successfully. Sara maintains a practice called Spoken Heart Counseling Center in Bremen, Georgia. Visit www.spokenheartcounseling.com for more information about Sara and her work.

Proud Supporter and Printer of 925 Pacific Avenue Bremen, Ga. 30110 770.537.4329 www.gatewayprint.com

Woman Magazine West Georgia

TM

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Celebrate

HER SUCCESS Helping Hands

Local Home Care Provider Jwyanda Norman 44

Helps New Mothers In The Community

J

wyanda Norman is no stranger to hard work or life's challenges. To look at her, you would believe she has everything going for her.

She owns a successful business, Need It Most, LLC, which provides non-medical home care to clients in the West Georgia area, and she has four lovely children who are coming into their own. Life hasn't always been easy for Jwyanda though. It has taken her many years of hard work, dedication and the help of one very special non-profit, Circles of West Georgia, to become who she is today.

The Early Years Jwyanda was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., and her parents moved to Atlanta in the 1970's. She remembers her household as being full of joy and laughter as she shared her early years with her three older sisters; Bridget, Gena and Kiya.

Both of her parents were entrepreneurs who facilitated fashion shows in the Atlanta area. All of the children in the household participated in the family business.

Her mom and dad were extremely involved in the girls' lives, always attending their school activities. Jwyanda fondly remembers how involved her parents were in their children's lives and in the community.

"My parents built spooky houses for our school auditorium and made costumes.

They also enjoyed Christmas caroling in our neighborhood," she says.

In 1993, Jwyanda attended technical college and obtained a certificate in Medical Assistance. Although she was victim of domestic violence during this time, with three small children, she still managed to graduate in the top of her class.

After several years of being victimized, and now with four children, Jwyanda courageously escaped from the violent relationship that still haunts her today. "I finally reached out to family and went through counseling with my children. At that time, I

knew I had to keep going and become a role model for them," she relates. She moved to Chicago and began working with her father as a tutor at the University of Chicago. Her father helped her raise her children there, and she later studied phlebotomy at South Suburban College.

Jwyanda credits the immense support of her family for seeing her through those trying times.

"My family has always been supportive of me and my children. They’ve assisted whenever they could.

It truly takes a village. If it wasn't for my family, I don't know where I would be," she shares.

In 2010, life handed Jwyanda one more difficult challenge when she lost her sister Kiya, who was a nurse for Emory Children’s Hospital and specialized in caring for premature babies. Jwyanda recalls her sadness after the loss of Kiya. "I loved her dearly, and it was hard to go on without her," she shares.

New Beginnings Life is a little brighter for Jwyanda now. She lives in West Georgia and is the proud mother of her four children, Dennis, Waneice, Brinae and Quynton. Her oldest son Dennis is pursuing his own lawn care business, Waneice is interested in real estate and interior design, Brinae is completing her bachelor's in biology and Quynton is majoring in computer analysis, both at Georgia Southern.

She has three beautiful grandchildren: Zoey, Demiya, and Jaylen.

Jwyanda's life dramatically began to change for the better in January 2015. Her mother was at Jwyanda's home for a visit and happened to see a small ad about a nonprofit organization called Circles of West Georgia.

Circles' mission is to inspire and equip families and communities to thrive and end poverty through their 18 month program. Her mother encouraged Jwyanda to go to the initial meeting.

Since that meeting, and with the help of others in the community, Jwyanda has worked tirelessly to create the dream that she has always wanted, owning her own non-medical home health care

45

business. She has been in business for one year.

Circle Of Friends Jwyanda credits Circles of West Georgia and The Burson Center for helping her become not only self sufficient, but also a successful business owner. "Circles of West Georgia is a non-profit organization that helps individuals who are willing to work out of poverty. Circles helps you put your goals in perspective and execute them. They pair you with 'Allies' who are professionals in the community and volunteer their time to help you achieve your goals and dreams.

My 'Allies', Claudia and Pat Waldrop, introduced me to The Burson Center, a business incubator in Carrollton, Ga. Through the connections I’ve made, I now have a successful home care business. I have worked in home care for over 20 years. I always wanted to have my own business, but Jwyanda helps one of her clients, Monica Ollendorff, put on her knee brace for I just didn't know how to do it," she relates. physical therapy.

Jwyanda can't share enough about how herself within the last year. "If you're willing to the Circles program has helped her help work to bring yourself together and to become self sufficient, they can help you do that if you're willing to work. They give you resources on how to do things. It's a great program. You have to be committed. They provide child care and go through all the hard times with you and help you out of it," she says with passion. "My life has just totally changed over this year from being in the Circles program. I'm very excited about what I'm doing, and when you're excited it's all you can think about and talk about!"

Caring For Those Who Need It Jwyanda's business, Need It Most, provides quality care through professional household services such as housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, reminders, hospital sitting and more. They also provide residential and commercial cleaning.

The business specializes in four different care categories: Elder care, athletes recuperating from sports-related injuries, patients recovering from extensive surgeries, such as hip or back surgery, and new mothers with postpartum depression.

Need It Most also has three very affordable tiered levels of care from running errands and preparing meals to helping with bathing, or even more long-

46

term care, depending on which level of care the person needs. They also do not require a minimum amount of hours for the care they provide, which sets them apart from most home care providers, who often have a four-hour minimum for care. Need It Most is there to care for people no matter how many hours, days, weeks or months their services are needed.

Jwyanda shares the stringent requirements for the employees of Need It Most. "All employees must be certified in first aid, adult and infant CPR, and have a tuberculosis test, background check and drug test.

They also have two interviews before coming on board and once they are hired must be covered with liability insurance," she says. "My greatest challenge as a business owner is hiring. I must be very selective regarding the individuals I hire, and I have found that it can be challenging to find employees you can truly trust. It takes a special kind of person to do this line of work."

Helping New Mothers

She has 3-year-old More women will suffer Zoey and from postpartum 6-monthdepression and related old Jaylen illnesses this year than the at home. combined number of new After having cases for men and women Zoey, she of tuberculosis, leukemia, had mood swings and multiple sclerosis, would call Parkinson’s disease, me in the Alzheimer’s disease middle of and epilepsy, according to the night.

PostpartumProgress.org I would go to her home, and we would talk about how she felt she was so far behind. She felt she had all of these things she had to get done, and I would tell her it’s okay. At the time, I didn’t necessarily understand why she felt this way. In trying to help her find solutions and take time to rest, I realized there was more to it. As time

Jwyanda does more than help those who need home care. She also has a special place in her heart for new mothers with children. She recently started an outreach program called Mommy's Day Out, to help new mothers in the community who suffer from postpartum depression.

"I simply want to provide resources and fellowship to moms," she shares. I recently joined Postpartum Progress, which is one of the largest nonprofit support groups in the nation. I know we can shine a light on PPD and be there for moms when they need it most."

She explains the motivation behind Mommy's Day Out. "My daughter Waneice was actually the driving force behind our program Mommy’s Day Out.

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"Need It Most cares about women's health issues in our community," says Jwyanda. "Our program, Mommy's Day Out, offers free monthly fellowship support sessions for mothers suffering from postpartum depression, new moms, and moms with children 0-12 months. We meet every first Thursday of the month. We want to let our mothers know they are not alone and encourage them to seek professional treatment if necessary. We spread Jwyanda's daughter Waneice and her children Zoey, 3, and Jaylen, 6 months old. Waneice suffers awareness in our from postpartum depression. community by hosting events, encouraging medical professionals to speak out, and developing went on, I started hearing about PPD in the news a strong network of referrals." and immediately recognized that my daughter was "This is something that really needs to be talked suffering. I started doing research and knew that about," she explains. "A lot of people don't believe I wanted to spread awareness about PPD in my that postpartum depression is real. They haven't community," she relates. talked about it. Back in the day people would say, 'just go take a nap' or 'go take a walk and you'll be fine,' but that's not what it is. It's hormonal changes, psychological adjustments to motherhood and just being tired. I want the people in the community to come together and support our mothers to help them get themselves back together. They are going through a trying time right now and just need our help."

“

“

“Having a career

you love is not hard, but it's a learning process. You’ve

got to be willing,

happy and excited to

48

pursue it!”

Looking Ahead When it comes to Need It Most, the sky is the limit for Jwyanda. She plans on staying right here in the place she calls home, Carrollton. "What I love about working and living in Carrollton is its uniqueness, fairness and versatility. It’s also

a melting pot of different cultures," she says.

She loves going to work every day and is motivated by clients like Monica Ollendorff of Carrollton. "Clients like Monica motivate me to come to work every day and exceed expectations. It's wonderful to be able to help someone else in need. Monica, and others like her, use our services to help with housekeeping, errands, exercising and all of their home care needs. Our mission is to revitalize and strengthen the wellness of our community by providing these Jwyanda with her mother, Joan Norman. Joan helps run the day to day operation of Need It Most and helps with Mommy's Day Out. Joan has an associate's degree in business much needed services. Our management. Jwyanda says Joan is her cheerleader and her mom and her dad, John Hike staff is hand picked and highly from Chicago, are a huge source of support. qualified to provide these sacrifices. Let people know about your passions, and services with care," she explains. form relationships in your community. Simply go out Her advice for women wanting to pursue this there and meet people. Having a career you love is field is simple: "Love what you do," she says with not hard, but it's a learning process. You’ve got to a warm smile. "Choose a career or cause that you be willing, happy and excited to pursue it!" WGW are passionate about and you enjoy no matter the

West Georgia Ambulance Encourages all WOMEN to INVEST IN YOURSELVES! For the greatest return on your time and money, invest in yourself.

• • • • • • •

Check your blood pressure at the local drugstore.

Scan the paper for free health screenings in your area.

Get your yearly check up and mammogram.

Add drinking water to your daily routine.

Park farther out from the store and walk.

Incorporate a meatless Monday and eat your veggies!

No one is worth more than you. When you are at your best, then you can be better for those around you.

Dedicated Healthcare When You Need It Most

770.832.9689

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Womentality

Inspiring quotes by extraordinary women “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

- Oprah Winfrey

“Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.”

- Stella Adler “There is no scientific answer for success . . . You can’t define it. You’ve simply got to live it and do it!”

- Anita Roddick 50

“If we feel distress, embarrassment or anger, we think we’ve really blown it. Yet feeling emotional upheaval is not a spiritual faux pas; it’s the place where the warrior learns compassion, it’s only when we can dwell in those places that scare us that equanimity becomes unshakable.”

- Pema Chödrön

“I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth; and truth rewarded me.”

- Sylvia Ashton Warner

Ever After “Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years.�

Simone Signoret

51

PHOTOS BY RACHEL DOBSON

NALY AND CHRIS RICE Were married August 22, 2015, in a traditional Hmong/American ceremony in South Carolina.

52

DI VE IN TO SU M M ER

AT SHOT SPOT WWW.SHOTSPOTLLC.COM

Mother’s Day May 8, 2016

This year give Mom the gift of safety.

970 Hays Mill Rd. Purchase a gift certificate for one of our Ladies Basic or Intermediate Gun Safety Courses. Carrollton, Georgia We also carry beautiful name brand apparel 678.664.0610 and shoes that Mom will love.

Mother Of The Bride (Or Groom) Say Goodbye To That Boring Dress

Y

our child's wedding is one of the most important events in her lifetime. Many mothers experience stress about what they will wear to the wedding, and often spend just as much time as the bride does in preparing themselves for this special day.

In the past, women have stuck with the triedand-true matronly dresses or pantsuits that are

old or outdated. Gone are the days where mothers sit back and dress in what some consider "age appropriate." You're only as old as you feel, after all, and with all of the cash moms are shelling out for the wedding, not to mention the stretch marks and extra body weight they incurred while having the stars of the wedding, they deserve to shine just a little.

• Lace Illusion Necklines. Obviously, a deep V-neck isn't the proper attire for moms, but there's nothing wrong with showing just a tad bit of skin through a beautiful lace illusion neckline. You will not only look amazing, but you will also add a touch of elegant sultriness.

• Sassy Sleeves Are In Style. Unique sleeves are definitely a favorite this year among mothers.

Anything from a split sleeve to a ventilated

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cut out works for summer and for spring. For fall and winter, a dress with kimono sleeves is divine. • Neutral Shades. Moms in 2016 are dumping the dark, matronly colors (boring) for gorgeous and elegant neutral colors such as taupe, beige and light gray. By wearing colors that work better with white, you will be sure to stand out, second to the bride, of course.

Another plus: Moms wearing neutral colors will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the bridal party.

• Capes or Shawls. While some moms still prefer some sort of traditional, and boring, pencil skirt with a matching blazer, make your dress stand out more by adding a beautiful and classy lighter option such as a shawl or a detachable cape. Sheer lace shawls or an embellished cape are sure to make you one of the star attractions. • More Metallics. For a beautifully textured and unique look, metallics are all the rage in 2016.

There are so many options for metallic dresses this year, and all of them are sure to make mom look nothing

West Georgia Woman will feature your bridal photo at no charge in “Ever After.” The bride or groom must be from West Georgia.

Please submit one photo

(at least 300 dpi), the bride and groom’s names, address, wedding date,

venue, photographer’s name and copyright release to:

photos@westgeorgiawoman.com.

Photos will be included as space becomes available.

but impeccable.

No matter what you decide to wear to your child's wedding, you want to make sure you choose a dress that is comfortable, fits perfectly and makes you feel as lovely as you are.

Try choosing a trend or style that you and your child are both comfortable with, and then get down to discussing the details until you find the perfect style that both of you will love.

Your dress should reflect who you are and what you like. As long as you feel beautiful, and the end result is your child gets to move out of the house (finally), you can't go wrong.

WGW

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Resources for Women

Police Departments Call 911 in an emergency.

Bremen Police: 770.537.4441

Dallas Police: 770.443.8100

Buchanan Police: 770.646.5246

Douglasville Police: 770.920.3010

Carrollton Police: 770.834.4451

Douglas County Sheriff: 770.942.2121

Carroll County Sheriff: 770.830.5888 Cedartown Police: 770.748.4123 Coweta County Sheriff: 770.253.1502

Floyd County Sheriff: 706.291.4111

GSPIN

Suicide prevention, intervention, and aftercare information. www.GSPIN.org

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Heard County Sheriff: 706.675.0444 Hiram Police: 770.943.3087 Newnan Police: 770.254.2355

Franklin Police: 706.675.6624

Paulding County Sheriff: 770.443.3010

Grantville Police: 770.583.2266

Polk County Sheriff: 770.749.2900

Suicide Prevention Services National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800.273.TALK (8255)

Haralson County Sheriff: 770.646.2011

Know the Suicide Warning Signs!* If you or someone you know: • Threatens or talks about hurting themselves • Feels hopeless or like a burden • Increases alcohol or drug use

• Feels rage or uncontrolled anger • Feels trapped, like there is no way out • Engages in reckless behaviors • Withdraws from friends and family

Senoia Police: 770.599.3256 Tallapoosa Police: 770.574.7211 Temple Police: 770.562.3151 University of West Georgia Police: 678.839.6000 Villa Rica Police: 678.785.1100 West Georgia Technical College Police: 855.579.4357 Whitesburg Police: 770.832.1184 • Feels anxious, agitated or unable to sleep • Encounters dramatic mood changes • Sees no reason for living *Warning signs provided by Georgia Suicide Prevention Information Network

Healthcare Resources The following list of contacts assists people with no health insurance or those who can’t afford their medications, based on income or age.

Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging, Georgia Cares Program: (Disabled. 60 years of age and older.)

800.669.8387 dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHS/ RX Outreach: 800.769.3880 www.rxoutreach.com

Partnership for Prescription Assistance: 888.477.2669 (toll free) www.pparx.org/ Pfizer Helpful Answers: 866.706.2400 (toll free) www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com Lilly Answers: 877.RX.Lilly (1-877-795-4559) (toll free) www.lillymedicareanswers.com Merck Prescription Discount Program: 800.727.5400 www.merck.com Georgia Parent Support Network: (Addictive Disease, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health Issues.)

404.758.4500 www.gpsn.org

Additional Resources: www.rxhope.com www.rxaminer.com www.medicare.gov www.phrma.org www.rxassist.org www.needymeds.com www.themedicineprogram.com PeachCare for Kids: Provides free or low-cost health insurance for qualifying children in Georgia.

To apply, visit www.peachcare.org or call 877.427.3224 (toll free).

Pregnancy Resource Center: Carroll, Haralson & Heard Counties: Provides free confidential pregnancy tests and counseling.

770.832.0256 www.pregnancyrc.com

Services Georgia Legal Services: 404.206.5175 TDD 800.255.0056

Coweta County Solicitor’s Victim Assistance: 770.254.2701

Exchange Club Family Resource Center, Floyd County: 706.290.0764

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.7233 TTY 800.787.3224

Douglas Task Force on Family Violence: 678.715.1196

Hospitality House for Women, Floyd County: 706.235.4673

Douglas Judicial Victim Assistance: 770.920.7292

Victim Assistance, Haralson County: 770.646.2016

Douglas County Homeless Shelter: 770.949.4911

Heard County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence Unit: 706.675.3329

S.H.A.R.E. House Family Violence Crisis Center, Douglas County: 770.489.7513

Paulding County District Attorney Victim Assistance: 770.443.7561

Carroll Co. Emergency Shelter: 770.834.1141 Carroll County Mental Health: 770.836.6678 Carroll County Solicitor Victim Assistance: 770.214.3110 Carroll Rape Crisis Center: 770.834.7273 Community Welcome House, Newnan: 770.304.0966 Coweta Judicial Circuit Victim Assistance: 706.845.4270

Highland Rivers Center, Floyd County: 706.233.9023 Floyd County District Attorney Victim Assistance: 706.291.5210

Shepherds Rest Ministries, Paulding County: 770.443.5213 Polk County Women’s Shelter: 770.748.2300

UWG Health Services: 678.839.6452 (free sexual assault exams completed by sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE)) UWG Patient Advocates: 678.839.0641 (Jill Hendricks) or 678.839.5338 (Corey Hindman) Georgia Crisis & Access Line Help is available 24/7 for problems with mental health, drugs, or alcohol.

800.715.4225 mygcal.com

HomeSafe Georgia: 877.519.4443 www.homesafegeorgia.com HomeSafe Georgia helps by providing “bridge” mortgage assistance to many Georgians who are unemployed or have seen a dramatic decrease in their income due to national economic conditions.

West Georgia Woman magazine makes every effort to make sure the information made available is complete, correct, accurate and up to date. Despite these efforts, inaccuracies can occur. Angel Media, LLC and West Georgia Woman magazine cannot be held liable for direct or indirect damage originating from use of the information on this page. Should you observe inaccuracies in the information made available, please email us at features@westgeorgiawoman.com.

57

Can You Leave Your Pets And The

Guilt

W

At Home?

e all have to leave our pets at home on occasion, whether it’s the everyday routine of leaving them while we go to work, or only at certain times such as going on vacation. If your pets are like mine, they begin to show signs of stress the moment you begin packing for an extended trip.

I once had a cat named Sugar. I guess I should probably say she had me, if you want to know the truth. I absolutely adored her. She passed away two years ago on April 1, but for the many years that she was a part of my life she had a very specific routine every night.

First there was an exhausting 30 to 45 minutes of hunting dirty socks that she would pull out of the laundry hamper – her preferred choice of prey was socks, but she would settle for underwear – with only a slight look of disdain – if the socks were all clean and put away.

Sugar, (acting very contrary to her namesake), would meow, growl and yowl while systematically doing everything in her power to annihilate those socks every night. Then she would strew these casualties of war from the bedroom, through the

58

By Angela Dailey

doorway, along the hallway and into the living room, leaving a trail of mismatched socks in her wake (if she didn’t have to settle for underwear that night, but you get the idea).

Sugar did this every single night, all without feeling the slightest bit guilty about leaving the spoils of her battles for me to collect in the morning.

After the mass carnage every evening, Sugar would jump on the bed and lie beside my pillow without fail. Then I would bury my hands into her soft thick fur as her loud and rhythmic purring lulled me to sleep. She would lie there sleeping beside my head all night long.

The only exception to this bedtime routine were the times I would return home from an extended trip. Sugar and I were so in tune with each other that on my first night back at home, I would be startled out of my slumber several times in the middle of the night to find her sitting upright beside my head staring at me intently while softly purring, as if to say, “Is it really you lying here? I missed you so much.

Please don’t leave me again Mom.” A stronger person may have handled that well, but honestly, that did me in every time. Her behavior was akin to

a mourning widow who had been told her husband had died in the war, only to have him show up at her doorstep six months later, safe and sound. I think if Sugar could speak during those moments, she would have said, “Pinch me. I must be dreaming.”

Sadly, Sugar is no longer with us, but I will never forget the beautiful and unconditional love that we had for each other. And I will never forget her nighttime routine on every first day of my return home. I still feel a little bad about it, to be honest.

My two other pets are dogs because I haven’t had the heart or the will to let another cat in my life just yet. My sweet Dixie is a wonderful old girl, a 14-year-old black lab mix. Scotch is the new kid on the block, a 3-year-old golden retriever mix. He is an inheritance from my son who rescued him from the "blue juice" at the local animal shelter. Zach worked at the shelter a couple of years and brought home more than a few creatures during that time until I finally had to tell him, “No more pets.” Along came Scotch shortly after that conversation. Zach swore to me he would love him, take care of him and take Scotch with him one day when he moved out of the house. None of those things have happened, by the way. Well, I’m sure Zach loves him, but Scotch and I both have laid claim to one another and Zach still lives with me. One out of three isn’t too bad, I suppose.

Dixie is the more serious of the two, and Scotch,

or Scotchie as I like to call him, is my goofy, happygo-lucky guy. Dixie can sense immediately when I am planning to leave for a few days. She knows what a suitcase is and she does not like it one bit. She will follow me around as I pack, and once I take the suitcase downstairs, she knows her fears have come to fruition. Mom is leaving. Forever. Or so she thinks.

The only time she barks when I go out the front door and walk down the steps to the car is when I have my suitcase in my hand. She never barks like that any other time I walk out the door. It’s this really horrible and painful sound too. Kind of like a bark and a wail all rolled into one. It’s as if she’s saying “Don’t do this to me again! I won’t survive it this time I tell you, I won’t!” That sound gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

So I leave anyway. And I feel guilty the entire time I’m gone, I worry about them being taken care of properly, calling or texting several times to make sure they are all right. Then I return home in a few days, Dixie pees all over me from excitement, Scotch almost knocks me down from jumping on me, I get to clean up the carpet of fur covering the house due to the “stress shedding,” a consequence of leaving them, and all is well with the world once again.

So the question is can you leave your pets at home without feeling guilty? The answer for me is easy. Never. But for my next vacation I just might try wearing some ear plugs on my way out the door. WGW

I miss you Mom.

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Kidz Korner

By Charlene Brooks

Fabulous Flower Cookies To celebrate Mother’s Day this month, what better treat to make than these delicious flower cookies.

Not only do these cookies taste great, they only cost around $6 to make.

1 package small silk craft flowers 1 package striped cake pop sticks Assorted round candies 1 tube white icing Instructions

Ingredients 1 box frosty lemon flower shaped cookies 1 package candy eyes

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Using the tube of icing as glue, place the candy eyes on the cookie and one piece of round candy in the middle of the cookie to make a nose.

Place a dab of icing on the back of the cookie then press the top of the cake pop stick onto the icing. Take the icing and glue the fabric flower in place onto the cake pop stick.

Allow to dry.

Made With Love Mother’s Day Bookmarks Celebrate Mother’s Day by having your little one make these adorable foam bookmarks. Using only foam sheets and peel and stick foam flowers, this creative craft is so inexpensive and super easy to make. Even the smallest child can enjoy making a memorable gift for Mom (or anyone) this year.

Materials 1 package 4-by-6-inch foam sheets in assorted colors 1 package peel and stick foam flowers Instructions Cut the foam sheets in half long ways. Peel backing off of foam flowers. Stick anywhere onto the bookmark.

Give these heartfelt gifts to mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends!

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Mother’s Day Word Search Word Bank Mother Love Flowers Children May Birth Celebrate Family Memories Sunday Wisdom Maternal Honor Appreciation

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Word search created at puzzle-maker.com

M. Dawn Harvey, DMD, PC Family Dentistry and Complete Facial Esthetics

Don't you look at your smile and your face as one complete picture?

Well, so do we. Ask us today about our treatment options using injectables for wrinkle reduction, "gummy smiles," and lip and line fillers to enhance that beautiful smile.

Who better than your dentist to enhance your facial features to compliment your smile? Your dentist is an expert on the facial muscles and is also among the most experienced with injection techniques.

Do you suffer from TMJ, headaches, and/or migraines?

Did you know that 80-90% of the time, these problems are muscle related? See how we can use trigger point injections to relieve your pain and improve your quality of life. Often these injections not only relieve your pain, but also enhance your facial features for the better.

We are your total facial esthetics and facial pain treatment dental office.

Give us a call!

105 Dallas Rd, Villa Rica, GA 30180 • 770-459-5778 www.drharveysmiles.com

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WALKER CADILLAC 1492 N Park St (Hwy 27) Carrollton GA 30117 770.832.9602 www.walkergmauto.com

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