West Georgia Woman Magazine October 2016

Woman

Complimentary

October 2016

West Georgia

TM

Explore The Softer Side Of

Shot Spot It's So Much More Than A Gun Range

Kathy Yates

Making Every Day Count

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This publication is dedicated in loving memory of

Tristan Alexander Brooks

May 15, 1993 – September 1 7, 2015

He will remain forever in our hearts ...

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100 PROFESSIONAL PARK, STE. 204, CARROLLTON 4

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What’s inside...

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Power Of Purpose

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Breast Cancer: Fact And Fiction

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An Inside Peek At Freaks Of Fear Haunted Attraction

In Every Issue:

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Circles Of West Georgia: Empowering Families

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Learning From Grief

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Healthy Lifestyle And Breast Cancer Risk

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One Too Many

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She’s Got Game

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Womentality

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Daily Fare

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Resources For Women

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Celebrate Her Success

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Kidz Korner

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Breast Cancer Awareness October is the month dedicated to breast cancer awareness. Although I have not been affected by breast cancer personally, nor has anyone in my family, I have many courageous friends and colleagues who have. Breast cancer is such an important issue to address, and not only in October.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, and about one in eight, or 12 percent of women in the U.S., will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. About 40,450 women will die from breast cancer this year. The good news is, with early detection, many women can be saved. There are currently more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, which includes women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.

So ladies, if you haven't already, please schedule your annual mammogram if you are age 40 or older.

The American Cancer Society recommends the following early detection program: annual mammograms beginning at age 40, annual clinical breast exams for women 40 and over, or every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and optional monthly breast self-exams for women starting in their 20s. Remember, every woman is at risk for breast cancer, even if there is no family history of the disease, and your risk increases with age. Early detection and prompt treatment are the best protections against breast cancer, but you can do a few things yourself to reduce your risk such as engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and limiting your alcohol intake.

In This Issue I am pleased to have Kathy Yates as our cover feature this month. Kathy is such an intelligent, hard-working, amazing and dedicated woman.

She is a fighter, compassionate, kind and dear to so many in West Georgia.

Kathy is also an incredibly strong breast cancer survivor who has endured so much during her battle with cancer the last two years, but her inner strength, faith, family, friends and coworkers have seen her through this difficult time. She is a community leader and volunteer, a full-time employee of Georgia Power, a mother and grandmother.

Please read about Kathy's courageous battle with breast cancer on page 12.

Thank you for reading! Our advertisers invest in this publication so we can continue to bring you these fabulous stories of amazing women in West Georgia. Please support our advertisers by doing business with them, or give them a call and let them know you saw their advertisement in West Georgia Woman!

See you next month,

Publisher

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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.

This magazine would not be possible without the inclusion of our advertisers. Please be sure to show your support by doing business with these VIP’s (very important partners) so we will be able to continue to share with you our stories about amazing West Georgia Women!

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Inspiring women wanted.

Do you know an interesting woman who should be on the cover of West Georgia Woman? Is there a special project or organization you would like us to feature in our magazine?

Let us know!

Email your suggestions to: features@westgeorgiawoman.com Share your special events.

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We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Woman West Georgia

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Volume 1 • Issue 12 October 2016

Contact us: Angela@westgeorgiawoman.com (404) 502-0251 Online: www.westgeorgiawoman.com Follow us!

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Publisher/Editor

Angela Dailey angela@westgeorgiawoman.com

Copy Editor Editorial Contributor

@WestGAWoman

Shala Hainer shala@westgeorgiawoman.com

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Photographer for cover and Page 8

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tion in this publication and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.

Angela Brooks Dailey, publisher of West Georgia Woman magazine, 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, Ga., and is a Civil and Domestic Relations mediator and arbitrator registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She lives in Carrollton, and has two wonderful children, Zachary and Sydney Dailey.

Angela enjoys reading, spending time with her children and extended family and loves to watch Sydney play soccer.

All submissions will be included as space is available. West Georgia Woman reserves the right to reject or edit any submissions that are All submissions must be 300 dpi or not in compliance with our editorial policy. If higher. you wish to have your submission returned, The views, opinions, positions or strat- please include a self addressed stamped egies expressed by the contributing envelope along with your submission. authors are theirs alone, and do not West Georgia Woman is a monthly pubnecessarily reflect the views, opinions, lication of Angel Media, LLC. All contents of positions or strategies of Angel Media, this issue are copyright 2016. West Georgia LLC., West Georgia Woman magazine Woman magazine, its logo and “Finding our or any employee thereof. Angel Media, voice. Knowing our value. Making a difference.” are trademarks of Angel Media, LLC. LLC. makes no representations as to All rights reserved. Reproduction without accuracy, completeness, correctness, permission is strictly prohibited. suitability, or validity of any informa-

Mail correspondence to: West Georgia Woman P.O. Box 2782 Carrollton, GA 30112

Rosa Reyes rosa@westgeorgiawoman.com

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WHO’STHERE? FREAKS OF FEAR Haunted House

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Power

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Of Purpose Lifelong Community Volunteer Embraces The Help Of Others

By Shala Hainer

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ny given day, you might find Kathy Yates happily baking in the kitchen, spending time with family, volunteering in the community or working at her job with Georgia Power.

Kathy knows her days are, in fact, “given.” She considers each day a gift after fighting a long, exhausting but so far victorious battle with breast cancer.

A perfectly healthy and devoted single mother of two grown daughters, Kathy wasn’t worried when she got the call in January 2014 that her mammogram showed an abnormality. “I wasn’t concerned or alarmed because I know many people who had to have their mammograms repeated and everything was OK,” she says. “It didn’t even throw up a red flag that they wanted me to come that same day and it was 3:00 in the afternoon.”

Even though she was sure the tests were unnecessary, Kathy followed her doctor’s advice. “I went the next day for a diagnostic mammogram, then a sonogram, and then a conversation with the radiologist,” she explains. “I was aggravated because I knew I would have to have a biopsy if I was speaking with the radiologist. I still didn’t believe anything was wrong because I had friends who had to have a biopsy and nothing was wrong.”

The radiologist sent Kathy to see the breast specialist, who agreed to schedule the biopsy for the next week. Perpetually busy by nature, Kathy was planning the Carroll Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner as part of her duties on the organization’s board, and the event was only two days away. “I

Photos By Keith May

had the biopsy the next week and in 24 hours, at 8:00 at night, I received the call that I didn’t want to hear,” she recalls. “I had cancer.”

Aggressive and Spreading One cancer diagnosis is terrifying, but Kathy received a double dose of bad news: a second biopsy of an abnormal lymph node showed the cancer wasn’t only in her breast. It was in her lymph nodes as well. No cancer had been present the year before when she had a mammogram; in a year’s time, the cancer shot from zero to almost stage 3.

“After that call, I cried for about an hour and kept the news to myself,” she says. “I thought about the fact that my girls had already lost their dad to ALS, that I have a dependent adult child who I was very concerned about and needed me, and about 100 other things. My mind was racing.”

Kathy switched into battle mode almost immediately. Her team of doctors sprang into action, ordering tests and planning the best strategy to start the fight against cancer. She told her family matterof-factly so they could stand by her with the same attitude. “I was direct and to the point because I was ready to fight the fight. I believe it helped my family to see me determined to beat that monster."

“My cancer was aggressive, so that meant my treatment was, too,” she remembers. “Everyone was working hard to help me beat this terrible disease.

It was a tough battle. I had chemo, then surgery and 33 rounds of radiation. Every 21 days for a year,

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I appeared at the cancer center in Carrollton for treatment.”

Any cancer diagnosis is terrifying, but when they know the cancer is aggressive, Kathy felt it was best to get her affairs in order, just in case. She updated her will and added her daughter to her financial accounts.

“I was afraid my cancer would spread to my brain and I would not be able to take care of my business,” she says. “After I handled my legal issues, I started thinking about how I wanted my children and grandchildren to remember me. I have tried very hard to make sure they have good memories of me.”

She is thankful she chose the medical team at North Georgia Oncology in Carrollton, for her treatments. “I felt comfortable with them and trusted their recommendations. Not once did I question their advice,” she says.

It’s essential that you believe in the skills, direction and care of your medical team, Kathy advises.

“It was so nice to be close to home because my treatment was tough,” she relates. “I developed staph twice and had to get IV antibiotics daily. I needed a driver to treatment, so it was so nice to be close to home."

Every cancer patient must choose the team that works best for her, and Kathy is confident her choice was the right one for her and her family. “It is a personal decision, and there are good doctors everywhere,” she says. “I’m glad I made the choice I made. If a person has confidence in their team, they will be more determined and have more strength to fight. Treatment may feel as if it is going to destroy you, but keep telling yourself if it is having that kind of effect on you, it is killing the cancer!”

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Show of Support When Kathy got the news about her cancer diagnosis, all she could think about was her children, her grandchildren, her dad and her sisters. She has a strong bond with her family, and she knew there were many memorable moments she still wanted to share with them.

She says her main sources of support were, and still are, her friends, family, co-workers and faith.

Her sister drove her to her appointments, and her youngest daughter, Emily, helped take care of her at home. She had wonderful support from her employer, with health benefits and the security of knowing her job wasn’t at risk because of her cancer battle.

“I had so much support from Georgia Power, my immediate supervisor, my co-workers and employees, the Carroll Chamber staff, the civic groups I belong to, family, friends and neighbors,” she relates. “It was difficult at times, but I had too much I wanted to do and too much to live for. I had people around me that reinforced that fact all the time.”

She also had powerful support from some of those people closest to her. “I have a dear, sweet friend, Melanie Jackson, who left her home, moved in with me and lived there for six months,” Kathy says. “She moved in the day before my first chemo treatment and stayed until I recovered from surgery. She cooked for me, cleaned my house, planted flower beds, looked after the pool, did the grocery shopping, laundry, was invaluable company and a life saver to me.

I will never be able to thank her enough.”

Her fiancé, Richard Hightower of Hightower Funeral Homes, stood by her with stalwart support.

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He brought his unique experience with helping others through difficult times to bear, using his calm, quiet and reserved manner to offset Kathy’s expressive personality. “Richard and I are as different as night and day,” says Kathy. “I didn’t need anyone like me for support, but Richard was a very positive influence. If I started to get tired of the fight, he could always find a way to encourage me. In his line of work at the funeral home, he understands the importance of staying positive, not worrying about things you can’t control, and enjoying every minute.

Life is too short!”

Her friends sought creative ways to offer support, trying to bring an element of humor where they could to help Kathy remember what she was fighting for. For example, when she started losing her hair after her first treatment, she gathered some friends along with a hairdresser for an uncommon gettogether. “We had a couple of glasses of wine for courage and ate a little jambalaya,” she recalls.

“Then they took turns taking a few swipes at my head with the hair shears. With each swipe someone would make a joke about the size of my ears, the shape of my head, and anything else to make me laugh. It was difficult but that group of ladies made it bearable. I love them all for their support.”

She remembers the little things that sometimes

made all the difference. A simple card of encouragement sent from a cancer survivor Kathy had never met could pull her back from the brink of quitting.

Small acts of kindness, such as a supportive text or bright flowers, often came at just the right time to keep her spirit strong. “I also had a patient navigator that was an angel, support from the Tanner Breast Center and prayer groups from churches all over the state,” she says. “I was so blessed.”

Baking Perfection Kathy helped keep herself centered by baking when she could. She has a strong love for baking, which she began developing as a child, watching her mother and her grandmother in the kitchen.

She finds it therapeutic, although it started with an inventive ulterior motive.

“My baking started in high school,” she remembers. “I tried to cook like my grandmother back then to impress my parents and earn approval to go to a friend’s house or an event I desperately wanted to attend.”

With no formal training, she learned by watching her mother and grandmother. She also collects cookbooks, with more than 200 in her collection.

“When I am in the kitchen baking, I think of my

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mother and my grandmother,” she explains.

“My mother always had homemade biscuits and a hot breakfast for us, seven days a week. My grandmother baked in a hot kitchen every Sunday for many relatives with no air conditioning. They baked with love. Those are special memories to me, so I guess that is where the therapy comes into place. I have girlfriends who are good cooks and we used to get together and really bake some fantastic meals. Meagen, my first born, is a great cook, and Emily, my youngest, is learning and is a great help to me when I am baking. I hope to retire one day and cook for my grandchildren since A sample of Kathy's collection of more than 200 cookbooks.

I was working and couldn’t do it for my girls.” with cancer. She saw several that didn’t have money to buy what they needed, such as wigs or hats, and Advice to Others they didn’t have proper transportation to treatment or even to the grocery and drug store.

Kathy is blessed with a strong support system “It breaks my heart to think of people who have to help her on her worst days, but she knows not no one,” she says. “I have joined the Hope for the everyone has people to be there for them as they Journey Board of Directors, a breast cancer support fight for their lives. She recalls during her year of group, because we are assisting with those kind of treatment, she watched 10 people lose their battle issues. Anyone who knows of a cancer victim who From left: Kathy and her daughters, Emily and Meagen.

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“Communication is important and listening to what the patient needs is vital to her recovery.”

For every woman, Kathy says it’s vital to have mammograms as recommended by your doctor. “Please have an annual mammogram,” she says. “I almost did not have mine that year because I had so many things going on. I learned that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and one in four over the age of 55.

I thought it had to be inherited.

I had no family history, had my mammograms every year, and did self-exams. My tumor was very deep and sitting on my rib cage. It would have never been found in an exam.

I went from zero to almost stage 3 from one December to the next. It even spread to my lymph nodes.

Having a mammogram is not an enjoyable experience, but it’s not unbearable either. Thank goodness I had mine because it helped save my life.”

Kathy has talked with her daughters about the importance of mammograms. She was tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation, which is linked with a higher risk of breast cancer, and thankfully, the test was negative – that means she didn’t pass a bad gene to her daughters.

However, she knows mammograms are life-saving.

Kathy and Gertie.

is alone, please offer your support. Any assistance would be so valuable to them.”

If you know someone battling cancer, Kathy advises just letting her know you are there for her.

“I feel the best thing that can be done for someone diagnosed with cancer is to stay close to them but also give them space,” she says. “Being positive for the cancer victim is very important. As long as a patient knows you care, you are there, and you are willing to help, they will not feel alone.”

Kathy also recommends asking the person the best way you can help. Just as every person is different, so is their treatment. “Every person’s needs are different, so just ask what they are,” she advises.

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The Future Kathy looks forward to a bright future, although she knows she’ll never be exactly the same, emotionally or physically. She still sees one of her specialists every three months, but she has been cancer-free for just over two years.

“Chemo and radiation are great for destroying cancer, but they sometimes leave you with side effects you didn’t prepare to have,” she explains.

“Overall, I am doing OK. I am still trying to find and accept my ‘new normal.’ Bottom line, I am one of the very lucky ones. My doctor says he will be very happy if I am cancer free after three years and will be ecstatic if I make it five.”

She has learned to put things in perspective – a

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perspective she didn’t fully understand until her battle with cancer began. She realizes every day is a gift, and she works to structure her life that way.

“I don’t worry about things I can’t control,” she says. “I used to sweat the small stuff but not anymore. It truly bothers me for people to waste time because I realize how important it is after a cancer diagnosis. If I ever started to ask ‘why me?’ or start to feel down, I could walk through the infusion center at North Georgia Oncology, look around the room at so many VERY sick people, walk out of the building, and thank God for knowing how lucky I was.”

Kathy continues to work as a local manager with Georgia Power, serving the Carrollton area, which includes Heard, Carroll and Haralson counties. “I have worked in many different areas of the company in the past 36 years,” she says. “I am a second generation employee since my dad retired from Georgia Power.”

She stays busy with work, which includes responsibilities such as legislative affairs, encouraging industry growth at the local level with chambers and development authorities, handling logistics during storm restoration, and communicating with the public, as well as her civic

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and community duties.

She looks into the next year, and she knows she will live every day to its fullest. “I am going to try to accomplish as many things at work and home as I possibly can,” she says. “I am lucky to have my dad and want to spend more time with him. I want to participate in everything possible with my children and grandchildren. I would love to travel with Richard and enjoy whatever we can. I want to be positive and physically active as much as possible. I want to be ‘A Citizen Wherever We Serve’ and represent Georgia Power well. I want to remain active in my civic organizations and continue to give back. In other words, live every day as if it were my last and make it count!” WGW

Breast Cancer: Fact and Fiction

FICTION: Mammograms cause cancer because they use radiation.

FACT: Mammograms use small amounts of radiation – about the same amount you normally encounter from other sources over a three-month period, according to Prevention magazine. The FDA regulates the amount of radiation a mammogram can use, which is 50 times less than the amount of radiation mammograms used 20 years ago. As always, talk with your doctor about breast cancer risks before deciding which screening method is best for you.

FICTION: Bust size matters.

FACT: Women with large breasts are not at a higher risk of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. However, women who have larger breasts because they are overweight could be at a higher risk. Obesity is linked to an increased risk of several types of cancer, including breast cancer, especially in women over 50.

Continued on page 23.

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Kathy's Pecan Pie Pound Cake Ingredients

For the pound cake: 4 sticks of butter 1 8-ounce package cream cheese 4 cups sugar 8 large eggs 4 cups plain (all purpose) flour 4 teaspoons vanilla For the topping: Brown sugar (enough to cover the top) 1 bag whole pecans 1 jar caramel sauce

each one. Add flour 1 cup at a time. Add vanilla.

Grease and flour your tube pan and pour in the batter. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and then pecans. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Increase the heat to 325 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. You can test for doneness with a wooden skewer, and if you insert and the cake is not done (still wet), allow to bake a little longer until the skewer can be inserted and comes out dry. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. Drizzle with a jar of caramel sauce while the cake is still warm.

Instructions Allow butter, cream cheese and eggs reach room temperature. Cream butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after

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Advancing Health WITH 3 DAYS FROM DIAGNOSIS TO TREATMENT OPTIONS. It’s the Tanner Cancer Care Promise: 3 Days from Diagnosis to Treatment Options. And it’s how Tanner is taking the fear out of cancer. Referrals are received by a patient navigator and reviewed by cancer specialists. Recommendations for further evaluation and treatment are prepared and the patient meets with a cancer specialist to discuss treatment options and what happens from here — all within three days. That’s less time to worry and more time to focus on overcoming cancer. That’s medicine beyond measure.

Learn more about the Tanner Cancer Care Promise at TannerCancerCare.org.

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MEDICINE BEYOND MEASURE

SM

Breast Cancer: Fact and Fiction Continued FICTION: You’re only at risk of breast cancer if you have a family history of it.

FACT: Although family history can be a risk indicator, the overwhelming majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. Having a clean family history only reduces your risk by between 5 and 10 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. If you do have a family history, and especially if you’ve tested positive for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations linked to breast cancer, please talk to your doctor about annual mammograms, regardless of your age.

FICTION: You can get breast cancer from using deodorant and drinking water out of disposable bottles.

FACT: A 2002 study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found no evidence that using deodorant or antiperspirant leads to a higher risk of breast cancer. Some people believe that chemicals in these products leach into the skin and lead to cancer, but there’s no substantiated link between the two. Some rumors also claim that if you leave a plastic water bottle in a hot car, toxins called dioxins in the plastic seep into the water and cause breast cancer. That just simply isn’t true, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Urban Environmental Health. Plastic doesn’t contain dioxins. However, some plastics have BPA, or bisphenol A, that is still being studied for a possible link to increased cancer risk.

Make sure the water bottles you buy are BPA-free, or labeled with a recycling symbol with the numbers 1, 2, 4 or 5 on the bottom – the majority of water bottles in the USA are already BPA-free.

FICTION: Women who get breast cancer must have been doing something wrong.

FACT: Breast cancer is not preventable. Everyone, including men, has the potential to develop breast cancer. There are factors that increase your risk, such as age, obesity, alcohol use and the presence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Some very high-risk women choose to have preventative double mastectomies – this reduces their risk by about 90 percent, but doesn’t eliminate it completely, according to the American Cancer Society. You can’t be less “at fault” than that.

No insurance? No problem.

Most health insurance plans cover doctor-recommended mammograms at 100 percent as a wellness benefit.

However, if you don’t have insurance or your insurance doesn’t cover a mammogram when you want one, you might qualify to receive one for free.

Tanner Health Systems

Tanner Health Systems provides mobile mammograms as part of their Mammography on the Move program.

The mobile unit travels throughout Carroll, Haralson and Heard counties, and depending on your household income, you might qualify for partial or full financial assistance to pay for the mammogram through the Tanner Patient Financial Assistance Program. Call Tanner at 770.838.8435 to speak with someone about financial assistance.

Piedmont Hospital Newnan

In Coweta County and the surrounding areas, Piedmont Hospital Newnan offers breast health screenings for uninsured women. In addition to mammograms, qualified women might also receive financial assistance with a breast ultrasound and biopsy, if necessary. For more information, call 855.788.1212 to ask about patient financial assistance.

Wellstar

The WellStar Foundation offers vouchers to enable women to receive free mammograms at many of their locations, including in Douglas and Paulding counties. This assistance is available for women who don’t have health insurance that will pay for a mammogram. The vouchers might also pay for some follow-up care. For more information, call the Wellstar Foundation at 770.956.GIVE (4483).

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FREAKS OF FEAR Haunted House

Experience A New Generation of Terror I

f you're looking for a fun (and frightening), place to take the kids this month that is right here in West Georgia, look no further than Freaks of Fear Haunted House. Located at the VFW Fairgrounds at 1625 Bankhead Hwy, in Carrollton, Ga., this haunted attraction is not for the faint of heart.

Freaks of Fear has a little something for everyone.

The main attraction is the haunted trail, which measures over 1/2-mile long through some of the scariest scenes imaginable. Rumor has it, an airborne pathogen has been released into the earth's atmosphere and has infected 50 percent of the Earth's population. Anyone who was infected turned into horribly disgusting freaks that fed on the fear of humanity until there was no one left to scare. Anyone caught in the path of these freaks was literally scared to DEATH! After nine months, a few survivors have gathered together to create a group called The Brave. Just recently, the group has intercepted a transmission from a few survivors in Brooks, a town just on the outskirts of the city. They need help, so your group is going to the town to save them and bring them back to the base camp.

Watch out for The Freaks of Fear when you search for the survivors!

Once the trail ends, the fun's not over yet. Those who are lucky enough to make it out of the trail alive

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will be released into the next part of the attraction, which includes optional prize-winning games and fortune teller readings from Madam Zadora (tickets need to be purchased at the gate or gift shop for the optional entertainment), novelty items that can be purchased in the gift shop, as well as food and snacks. On the menu in October is delicious Witch's Brew, Potions, Skin Slivers, Roadkill and Vomit Squares, among other delectable culinary delights. Or just hang out (and get creeped out), in the ghoulish and ghastly viewing area, where scary movies will be playing for your viewing pleasure at no additional charge.

Tickets for the haunted trail may be purchased at the gate – $15 per ticket or two tickets for $25. A substantial percentage of the proceeds go directly back to the VFW veterans' programs. Optional entertainment tickets are $1 each. Most optional attractions require three tickets to play. The hours of operation are Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 1 to 29, from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Hours on Halloween – Monday, Oct. 31 – are from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Ages 10 and up can enjoy the trail, and all ages are welcome for the optional entertainment. For more information, go to www.freaksof-fear-hauntedhouse. com or call 404.444.9072. The Freaks of Fear are dying to eat you, oops, we mean they're dying to see you! WGW

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Photos By Dan Keever

Circles Of West Georgia

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eri was a mother at a crossroads. Smart, capable and personable, she had reached the point where she needed radical change to create a better life for herself and her 5-year-old son. In her own words, she felt that she could “jump up or jump down,” the first option being the more desirable, but far more difficult. As it turns out, there was a third option: “At Circles, I found I didn’t have to jump up. Someone put out a hand and said, ‘Let me help you up.’”

In Carroll County, 20 percent of the population of 111,000 lives at or below federal poverty guidelines.

One in four children live in poverty. While many emergency service providers in this area serve a critical purpose, the lines for service are getting longer, and supply will not continue to meet the growing demand.

In rural areas, poverty is often more hidden than in urban ones. Many families with two working adults still live in poverty, one illness or unexpected car repair away from losing everything.

Poverty is a complex problem with no easy answers. Sheer force of will is not enough to lift someone out of poverty; there must be a social base to support individuals, a support network of people

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Empowering Families To Change Their Lives

By Leslie Davis

to offer a safety net.

The national organization Circles USA recognizes that “both poverty and prosperity rest not only in the hands of individuals, but also with societies, institutions and communities.” The mission of Circles USA is to inspire and equip families and communities to thrive and end poverty.

As a chapter of Circles USA, Circles of West Georgia, founded in January 2015, supports this mission at a local level. Circles is a unique program that offers long-term adult mentoring for individuals and families who are ready to move out of the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet.

Circles uses very intentional vocabulary.

Individuals and families entering the program are called Circle Leaders, as they lead in their journey toward greater financial stability.

The program seeks to empower Circle Leaders to decrease dependence upon government assistance by increasing their income and equipping them with the knowledge to maintain permanent self-sufficiency.

Photo in header: Circle Leader Wendy Worthy with Circles Coach Lisanne Denmon and Circle Ally Darryl Hessel, attending a family fun night at Safari Park. Hosted by the young professionals group >Me (Greater Than Me).

How You Can Help Circles depends on community support and involvement as it mobilizes volunteers, community leaders, and organizations to partner with families in need.

Circle Leader Jeri Shaffer with son James.

Circle Leaders are paired with two community volunteers called Allies. These Allies work one-onone with the Circle Leaders to provide assistance with brainstorming, goal setting and to give much needed encouragement and support.

Circles of West Georgia meets weekly on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Each weekly gathering begins with a community meal, and childcare is provided for all in attendance. “Everyone is just so happy to see each other and talk about what’s been going on with them since the last meeting,” says Circles Coach Lisanne Denmon.

The rest of the evening meeting involves numerous topics such as basic banking and positive

A Circles evening meeting. Circles meets weekly on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m.

spending habits, effective goal-setting techniques, and positive non-financial lifestyle changes.

Real change takes time. As Circle Leader Jeri notes, “Circles is what you make it. It can be nothing or it can be everything. It’s like the difference between going on a crash diet or making an ongoing lifestyle change. It’s not a quick fix; it’s the right fix.”

-You can volunteer to be an Ally, helping Circle Leaders achieve their goals.

-You can refer people to become Circle Leaders and change their lives.

-You can provide a meal or help with childcare at one of the community meetings.

-You can make a donation at the Community Foundation of West Georgia Web site, cfwg.net or by writing a check payable to: CFWG-Circles of West Georgia.

Mail to CFWG, 807 South Park Street, Carrollton, GA 30117.

In addition to the personal improvement and empowerment, Circles encourages its participants and volunteers to bring awareness to and advocate for larger systemic barriers that families in poverty are working diligently to overcome. Working with a local bank, Circles has developed a non-predatory auto loan program that utilizes the Community Reinvestment Act. It’s specifically for Circle Leaders.

Circle Leader Virginia Satterwhite was the first recipient of this loan.

As a member of Circles' second Circle Leader class, Jeri has been participating in the program for less than a year but has already changed jobs, passed the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) exam and submitted applications to become a para-professional.

“My Allies encouraged me more as friends, not trying to rescue me. There has been no judgment, just support and encouragement,” said Jeri.

Circles will graduate its first Circle Leader class this month. Successes include safer, more affordable housing; reliable, non-predatory auto loans; improved employment; and even small business

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Circle Leader Jwyanda Norman celebrating the opening of her home care business Need It Most with a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

ownership through the business incubation program at the Burson Center in Carrollton.

Circles seeks more driven individuals to join its third class of Circle Leaders as well as community members interested in encouraging and supporting our Circle Leaders to serve as Allies.

In his book Until It’s Gone, Circles founder Scott Miller says, “It is within the grasp of each of us to

area, to raise themselves above the poverty line and to feel empowered to be contributing members of the economic development for our community.

WGW

Circle Leader Annette Boykin, Ally Delores Clark and Circle Leader Jwyanda Norman attending a weekly Circles meeting.

Circles Coach Lisanne Denmon and Circles Coordinator Leslie Davis accepting the 2016 award for Best Facebook Page and Interaction at the Circles USA National Leadership Conference.

unleash enormous power to transform our society so that one day, no one will have to live in poverty again.” Circles of West Georgia continues to work persistently to assist those living in poverty in our

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Find more information on the Circles of West Georgia website: www.circlesofwestgeorgia.com, the national website: www.circlesusa.org and the Circles of West Georgia Facebook page. You can also contact Circles Coordinator, Leslie Davis at lesliedavis.cwg@ gmail.com or 678.551.4395.

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Florida State University Softball Player Cali Harrod Scores Big For Her Hometown

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ali Harrod, 19-year-old sophomore and softball player at Florida State University, is no average athlete. Originally from Ephesus, Georgia, and a graduate of Heard County High School, Cali helped lead her high school to its first state championship in any sport, as the Heard County Braves softball team earned the GHSA AA title on Nov. 1, 2014.

Cali's record throughout high school was outstanding. As a senior, she batted .545 with 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 35 stolen bases and 48 runs scored. She was also named the AA Player of the Year and was voted as the top athlete, among all sports, in all of Heard County. Her success and hard work on the softball field, as well as graduating in the top 20 in her class, is what led to the opportunity of an athletic scholarship at FSU, where she began attending in 2015.

Cali was an outstanding asset to the team during her first FSU softball season in 2016. Starting all 65 games at shortstop for the Seminoles as a freshman, she helped FSU reach the Women's College World Series for the second time in three seasons and win its 14th ACC Championship. Cali batted .253 (40for-158) with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs and 26 RBls, and added 31 walks, 27 stolen bases and 45 runs scored during the season.

She has one brother, Ryan Harrod, who is a senior at Valdosta State University, and her parents are Roger and Charlene Harrod.

Cali enjoys

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swimming and spending time with family and friends, watching movies and playing different sports – Cali played soccer and basketball as a young girl. While at FSU, she lives in an apartment in Tallahassee with three of her teammates: Anna Shelnutt (who is also from Heard County), Mia Lacy and Jasmine Palmer. Her major at FSU is in sports management.

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

Cali Harrod: I enjoy playing softball because it's fun.

It’s really challenging and competitive, and I enjoy that part of it. I have met so many wonderful friends that I will have forever because of this game. I love it because it’s like my escape from everything else in my life. It’s kind of like my safe haven. It has taught me how to deal with failure and work hard for what you want and that dreams come true.

WGW: What did it take to get to this point in your life as a player?

CH: I practiced a lot with my dad and brother growing up. My brother played baseball so I was always out at the field in Ephesus playing catch with him and my dad. I started playing T-ball when I was 4 years old and just kept playing. I started playing travel ball when I was about 8 and started taking private lessons at about 12 years old or so. I loved every bit of it.

WGW: Who has invested in you as a player?

CH: My family has invested so much into me. They are my rocks and biggest supporters and I am very lucky. My brother and dad are always willing to throw with me or put the ball on the tee as I hit, even to this day when I go home on breaks. My family is always pushing me to be better and to go further than I think I can. They always come to my games and cheer me on and have made me into the person and player I am today.

WGW: What keeps you motivated?

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CH: I have always dreamed of being able to play at a Division 1 college since I was 8 years old, and now that I get to live my dream everyday, I don’t ever want to take a day for granted. My coach here at FSU always reminds us that we are playing for those who can’t, and that really puts things in perspective. After games, little girls are always wanting our autographs, and it reminds me of myself when I was little, when I fell in love with softball. I want to play for that little girl. I just really love this game, and I am very fortunate to be able to live my dream, so it motivates me to constantly get better.

WGW: What is your training regimen?

CH: My training regimen consists of workouts around three times a week and conditioning once or twice a week. I usually practice every day, and on off days, we usually take some reps in the cage or on the field. We might watch film, or spend time doing activities that keep our bodies healthy.

CH: There is a special voice recording I listen to before every game and certain songs. I try to take a couple of minutes and visualize myself on the field playing how I want to play. Physically, I stay hydrated and make sure I get a good stretch in to stay loose.

WGW: How do you prepare the day of a game mentally and physically?

WGW: What do you like most about playing softball?

CH: I enjoy every part of softball. I love the

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challenges it brings and the success and failures because of what softball teaches you. I love the people it brings into your life and all of the opportunities you get because of it. I just really love the game of softball.

WGW: What do you like least about playing softball?

CH: There isn't really anything I don't like about softball. Some moments are very frustrating, but at the end of the day, I still love the game.

WGW: Who had the most influence in your life in middle school/high school, regarding sports?

CH: I have had a lot of influential people throughout my life, but my parents have always been the people who have influenced me to be better and to always work hard for what I want. They never let me settle, and I will forever be grateful for that. They have shown me hard work and how to never give up. They’ve pushed me harder than anyone, and I hope to be half the people they are one day.

WGW: Who has had the most influence in your sports life at FSU? CH: My coaches here at FSU are absolutely amazing. They show me every day the bigger picture and what this game is really about. They remind me why we play and what we play for. They have been the biggest influences since I stepped on campus the first day.

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

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

CH: Playing a collegiate sport is exhausting physically and mentally, and you just have to figure out what your body needs and how to recover. I try to just think about the process and focus on that and not the results and outcome. I find it’s better for me mentally and physically if I just focus on the process.

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

CH: I just want to be able to lead by example. I want them to know that they can come to me and ask me anything they need. I would just tell them that failure is inevitable and just to focus on the process.

WGW: What was that first game experience like for you at the collegiate level?

CH: It was amazing. I was so happy, and I felt like all my dreams from when I was little were coming true.

It's something that I'll never forget, that’s for sure.

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

CH: It’s really all about time management. You just learn what you can do and when you have time, and you just have to get it done.

WGW: Who is your biggest fan?

CH: My parents and brother are my biggest fans.

WGW: Who inspires you?

CH: My head coach, Lonni Alameda, inspires me every day. She always reminds me that we are playing for something bigger than ourselves, and softball is more than a game. She cares so much and works so hard, and I hit the jackpot having her as my coach.

WGW: If you could meet one professional athlete personally, who would you want to meet?

CH: I would either want to meet Derek Jeter or Ronda Rousey (an American mixed martial artist).

They are phenomenal at their sports.

WGW: Tell me about your support network at home.

What do they do/have they done for you to help you succeed?

CH: I am very close to everyone in my family. They always try to make it to every game they can and are always pushing me harder than I think I can go.

They never let me settle, and they are all my biggest supporters.

WGW: If you could have done one thing differently during your freshman year in college, what would you have done?

CH: I wish I could have learned time management faster, but everything that happened was meant to, so I’m very happy with how my year was last year.

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

WGW: If you could give a freshman just starting to CH: I wish I could. I want to play softball for as long play softball at the collegiate level advice, what would as God allows me to. WGW you tell her?

CH: I would tell her that failure is going to happen.

Do you know an outstanding athlete, I would say just focus on the process, prepare, and don't worry about the results. Enjoy every second dancer, cheerleader, marching band because it’s a dream come true. member or coach in your school or WGW: What do you do to help your community?

CH: As a team, we are always doing community service. We adopted a street, and we clean it. We do different community service events around Tallahassee almost every week.

WGW: If you could have done one thing differently in high school, what would you have done?

CH: I wish I was more involved with the student body.

community?

Do you know a young woman who is involved in a non-traditional sport?

We want to hear about her!

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Learning From Grief Several months ago, Mary Ellen shared the tragic story of her nephew Tucker, whose drug use and small skirmishes with the law resulted in the murder of Tucker's father, and severe injuries to his mother and brother.

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n the April issue of West Georgia Woman, I shared the story of my family's tragedy in 2012 and reflected on my own experience of grief as it has unfolded during the past four years. While I appreciate the way the cultural story of the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance – points to real aspects of the experience, I find that the road map that promises a successful end to the pain of grief fails to capture the jumbled complexity and actual overwhelming disorientation of grief.

Tidy resolution, achieving a return to the pre-loss status quo, "moving on" as quickly as possible are ideals that guide much of the current thinking about bereavement. For me, though, these ideals miss the mark; we can learn much about life and death when we give grief time and space, when instead of forcing or manipulating the process, we ride the waves, finding our unique tempo.

Grief shows us our deep connection with one another. Much of the time, we think of ourselves in terms of our

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By Mary Ellen Trahan, Ph.D.

separateness; we value independence, and we take self-reliance to be a sure sign of maturity. When life is humming along, even our interactions – our relationships – are encounters balancing closeness and independence.

Grief melts our belief in selfcontainment. When someone dies, a loved one often says that a part of them has died as well. And that's the truth. When we lose someone, life doesn't go on as it always did, or slightly altered by the fact that someone is now missing. Life is completely altered because our very selves develop their particular shape through mutual love and care for each other.

When my sister, Rose, was not dead but truly missing because she was in a coma for two weeks and her survival was in question, I stood by her bed, willing her to live. Memories flooded into the space between us, waves of deep connection I didn't resist.

When we allow ourselves to patiently settle into loss as an experience of profound connection and shared vulnerability, seeds of greater kindness

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Phone: 770.834.8313 Email: dan@mcinsure.com and compassion for ourselves and others might begin to sprout. Sadness and confusion don't magically dissolve, but leaning into connection rather than separateness sheds its own kind of light on life.

If grief is the experience of loss, mourning is the process of remembering. We remember and celebrate the person who has departed. Obituaries and eulogies are formal expressions of our desire to remember and celebrate. Less formally, we tell stories and carry the person in our hearts; even though they are no longer in the physical world, they are still with us. Mourning can't be hurried; it is a process that takes time. A gold nugget at the heart of the process is awareness of the absolute uniqueness of each and every one of us. We can't be replaced, and we can't be repeated.

The crushing heartbreak of loss stems, in part, from our encounter with the reality that a onetime-only spark of life -- our loved one -- has been extinguished. The potential gift embedded in the heartbreak is a gradual but steady opening to and appreciation for the preciousness of life.

Even though they are well-intended, we often find little comfort in platitudes. Uniqueness has a lot to do with this. People offer consolation in words such as "She is in a better place,” or “She isn't

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suffering anymore” or “It's God's will." These general statements could apply to anyone. We want to ask how they describe – if they even do – the person we've lost. Hoping to ease our suffering, people say, "God never gives us more than we can handle. Don't let your feelings get the better of you. Be strong, move on." While I appreciate the intention, I wonder how anyone can know whether these sentiments apply to my unique relationship with my unique loved one?

If platitudes fail to bring comfort, what does?

Recognition that death is not a deviation but a normal part of life brings that comfort. The discomfort that so often accompanies the experience of being in the presence of a grieving person softens with this knowledge about life and death.

We can be much more skillful in our support when we can truly listen to the grieving person without trying to change or fix them – letting them talk about the deceased, or letting them talk about this new form of life without the deceased. We can better discern real needs and real opportunities for consolation when we don't let our own fear of death or worry that we might "upset" the grieving person get in the way.

We might find ourselves being cautious about intruding or concerned about being clumsy. Such kindness is admirable. It helps to remember, though, that there is a distinction between that thoughtfulness and shying away because of our own uneasiness.

I know as I grieve and mourn, I often deliberately dip into memories of shared times, savoring the details even in my sadness. Other times, images spontaneously appear and I let them unfold even as I wish I had known "then" how many times would be "last times." When others can be with me in living with the reality of my loss – the pain and the confusion – and revel with me in the fullness of my loved ones, together we can celebrate life even in the face of death. WGW Mary Ellen Trahan, Ph.D. is a local therapist and author of the book, Living Well, Living Wise: Thriving Beyond Our Fashionable Stories. She grew up in Michigan, earned her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and has made her home in Georgia for the past 30 years. To find out more about her and her work, visit her website, livingwelllivingwise.com, or her professional Facebook page, Mary Ellen Trahan, Ph.D.

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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 who lived in Carrollton for 26 years with her husband Alan and their adult children. She and Alan recently became residents of Wedowee, Ala. Julie 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

Easy And Savory Dinner Crepes And A Crock Pot Dish With A South American Flair This delicious Crock Pot Picadillo is a South American recipe that I chose because it is a great way to use ground venison instead of ground beef. Cooking it in the Crock Pot all day is an added plus. It makes a large amount that can be used later in the week for soft tacos, salads, hash, or a sloppy-Joe type of sandwich. It is healthy, economical and tastes great. So why wouldn’t you want to try it for yourself? You could also cook this in a large skillet or cast iron pot for 2 to 3 hours, but just be sure to keep it “low and slow,” so the spices can have time to infuse the dish without burning and becoming bitter. You can make the Dinner Crepes from scratch if you prefer, but I would suggest that you buy them from the store. A whole wheat variety can usually be found at the farmer's market. You can also change up the ingredients to your preference.

You could add more vegetables and proteins like seafood and chicken, or even ground beef or turkey. I like to add brown rice for extra nutrition and fiber. Go through your refrigerator and add some things that need to be used up as additions to your crepes. Allow yourself to try something out of the box, and you might discover something new that is fabulous. Crumbled bacon and raisins are wonderful in sautéed spinach, so be creative!

Photos by Michelle Horsley

Crock Pot Ingredients

Picadillo

2 ½ pounds ground beef, turkey, venison, bison 1 cup minced onion

1 cup diced red, yellow or orange peppers (or all three) 2 tablespoons garlic paste ¼ cup minced cilantro

1 ¼ cups water or replace about ¼ cup of the water with olive brine, apple cider vinegar 1 diced tomato or 1 cup canned drained diced tomatoes 8 ounces tomato sauce

¼ cup chopped green olives or a salad mixture that has pimentos and capers as well

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Savory and Satisfying

Dinner Crepes

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 cup red currants or raisins Salt and pepper to taste 2 bay leaves

Cooked brown rice, sliced red onion, and spinach salad to serve on the side for a full meal

Instructions Turn the crock pot on high for 3 to 4 hours and low for 6 to 8 hours. In a skillet, brown the meat and drain the grease. Add the onion and peppers and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Place the cooked meat mixture into the Crock Pot (could be cooked night before and refrigerated) and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, cover and allow to cook slowly on high or low in the Crock Pot for the allotted times.

Serves 6 to 8 with the rice, onions, and salad.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons garlic paste 2 cups chopped spinach 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 bag of premade crepes Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions Heat oil over medium heat and sautĂŠ the spinach until wilted, about 1 minute. Add garlic and stir until combined. Add ricotta and season with salt and pepper until combined, warm and bubbly.

Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Heat a crepe in the cleaned-out skillet until it's just warm, about 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to a platter and place some of the spinach filling down the middle of the crepe. Fold the left side over the middle, then roll until you have a rolled crepe that you can pick up and eat with your hand if desired.

Continue until your filling is used up, and keep them warm until ready to serve.

Makes 4 to 6 crepes

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Healthy Lifestyle And Breast Cancer Risk

By Dr. Habiba N. Shaw

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reast cancer is the leading cancer for women in the USA. Unfortunately, About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. The good news is that cancer death rates continue to fall, thanks to American cancer research treatment and early detection. A mammogram – the screening test for breast cancer – can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat.

Many factors over the course of a lifetime can influence your breast cancer risk. You can’t change some factors, such as getting older or your family history, but you can help lower your risk of breast cancer by taking care of your health.

Can A Healthy Diet Prevent Breast Cancer?

Eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil was associated with a relatively lower risk of breast cancer in a study of women in Spain, according to an article published online

by JAMA Internal Medicine.

The Mediterranean diet focuses mostly on plantbased foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, like olive oil over butter and fish instead of red meat.

Eating more high-fiber foods during adolescence and young adulthood may lower breast cancer risk, according to a new large-scale study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health. The study showed that women who consumed lots of fruits and vegetables when they were younger may have significantly lower breast cancer risk than those who

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eat less dietary fiber when young.

The researchers looked at a group of 90,534 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Breast cancer risk was 12% to 19% lower among women who ate more dietary fiber in early adulthood, depending on how much they ate.

High intake of fiber during adolescence was also associated with 16 percent lower risk of overall breast cancer and 24 percent lower risk of breast cancer before menopause.

The researchers speculated that eating more fiber-rich foods may lessen breast cancer risk partly by helping to reduce high estrogen levels in the blood, which are strongly linked with breast cancer development.

According to the Institute of Medicine, women need 25 grams of fiber per day, men need 38 grams per day and children need 19 to 25 grams per day.

The best sources of fiber are whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, beans and nuts. Fiber helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check.

There are two types of fiber. Soluble and insoluble.

It’s important to have both in your diet, and, luckily, most fiber-rich plant foods contain a mixture of both.

All plants, especially vegetables, wheat, wheat bran, rye and brown rice are full of insoluble fiber.

Tips For Increasing Fiber Intake: • Eat whole fruits instead of drinking fruit juices • Replace white rice, bread and pasta with brown rice and whole grain products • For breakfast, choose cereals that have a whole grain as their major ingredient • Snack on raw vegetables instead of chips, crackers or chocolate bars • Substitute beans or legumes for meat two to three times per week in chili and soups

Buy 100 Percent Whole-Grain Products All grains start life as whole grains. Whole grains

contain more than just fiber. In their natural state growing in the fields, whole grains are the entire seed of a plant. This seed is made up of three key edible parts – the bran, the germ and the endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed or flaked, it must retain nearly the same relative proportions of these nutrients as the original grain.

Examples Of Whole Grains Whole wheat, whole oats/oatmeal, whole grain corn, popcorn, brown and wild rice, whole rye, whole grain barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, quinoa and sorghum.

Staying healthy throughout your life will lower your risk of developing cancer, and improve your chances of surviving cancer if it occurs.

To find out if you qualify for a free or low-cost mammogram and Pap test and where to get screened, call: Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) at (404) 657-7735 WGW Dr. Habiba Shaw was a member of the National Speaker’s Association, Alabama Chapter, and is regarded as an expert in healthy lifestyles. Dr. Shaw has a Doctorate Degree in Health Care Education from Nova Southeastern University and a Master’s Degree in Food and Nutrition. Habiba, a former university health and nutrition specialist, specialized in working with medical professionals and organizations that are concerned with general health and obesity. During her thirty plus year career, Dr. Shaw wrote health and nutrition related articles for newspapers, scientific magazines, and brochures, and presented seminars to major universities and colleges in Alabama.

She also appeared on local television programs in her role as a nutrition expert.

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Photos by Keith May

Celebrate HER SUCCESS

Tammy Paulk Shares The Softer Side Of Shot Spot

W

hen you hear the words "Shot Spot," you might automatically think of an indoor shooting range if you're at all familiar with the business and what they're about, or rather, what you think they're about.

While it is true that Shot Spot is a state-of-theart, 22,000-square-foot, climate-controlled, indoor shooting and retail facility that offers a variety of services from gun and ammunition sales, to gun rentals and range packages, there is so much more beneath the surface. A much softer and more feminine side lurks behind the walls of this familyowned business in Carrollton, Ga. Tammy Paulk is the co-owner of Shot Spot along with her husband John. She was born in Carrollton, and has lived here her entire life. She began working at age 16, at Maplehurst, a local manufacturing plant of baked goods, where her position was working on the line decorating cakes. They have seven children ranging from age 23 to 38, and four grandchildren.

They have two dogs, Dottie, an English Bulldog and Belle, their three legged Great Dane rescue. Tammy enjoys tennis, going to the beach, being on the water and she loves spending time with her children, grandchildren and friends.Â

ownership, it was only natural that they would meld those two backgrounds together to create an exceptional business like Shot Spot.

Intensive research had to be done before starting

Making Of A Man (Woman) Cave Tammy has come a long way since decorating cakes as a 16-year-old. Tammy later went to work in the wholesale and retail clothing industry, her background is primarily junior and children's clothing, and John has always had a deep appreciation of the outdoors and sport shooting.

When they decided to take the leap into business

Shot Spot carries many of the biggest brands in ladies’ fashion.

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the business because Shot Spot was a totally new concept store that covered a wide spectrum of merchandise and services. Tammy says John spent countless hours researching his projects and products, and talking with people before they moved the first shovel of dirt to build the business. There were also the challenges of making women of all ages feel welcome and engaged in a business that might sometimes be considered as interesting only to men.

While researching and developing their business plan, Tammy and John learned the largest new segment of buyers in the shooting Shot Spot provides a warm and welcoming environment for new and industry are actually ladies and couples. experienced shooters alike.

Tammy had a vision for Shot Spot from the very beginning: to find ways to make the store Storage, then began working on developing the an atmosphere that is friendly to all customers. plans to build what is now their 22,000-square-foot "We wanted to break down those barriers so Shot Spot facility. grandmothers, mothers and daughters would want to come into a gun store and shooting range," she The Softer Side shares. "This was the vision we have strived for from the very beginning, and I think we have hit the mark Shot Spot offers an extensive variety of beautiful on the bullseye with these challenges we faced." and fashionable clothing for men and women, Tammy and John opened Shot Spot May 2014, accessories and jewelry. Shot Spot also offers in a 1,200-square-foot storefront in AAA Private Self personal shopper services for all of their customers.

When a woman walks into Shot Spot, she will have the surprise of her life. The attention to detail of the retail displays are unsurpassed, and the moment you walk in the business, you realize you could spend several hours shopping and browsing the beautiful clothing, shoes, accessories and jewelry they have to offer.

"The atmosphere surprises women most when they first walk into our business. It's not just a men's store selling guns," she relates. "There is a feminine side of Shot Spot that makes women feel welcome.

Most people are surprised to see the high-end clothing and that you can’t hear guns being fired in the range. There is a 'WOW' factor when you walk into the store. We call our front door 'The Chin Dropper,'" she laughs.

Because Tammy was formerly in the clothing business, she says knowing those "tools of the trade" is what really prepared her to open her own business selling men and women's apparel. "When I was in the clothing business all those years, that time prepared me to be a very thorough buyer and promoter of the apparel products like what we sell at Shot Spot," she says.

Tammy is proud of the impact Shot Spot is having on consumers in West Georgia because people no From left: Robin Smyth, Julia Curran, Tammy Paulk and Lindy longer have to travel to Atlanta or Birmingham to Lovvorn wearing a small sample of some of the beautiful styles get the high-end quality clothing they love, most offered at Shot Spot.

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“

We wanted to break so down those barriers ers grandmothers, moth want and daughters would ore to come into a gun st This and shooting range. ave was the vision we h very strived for from the k beginning, and I thin k on we have hit the mar ese the bullseye with th challenges we faced.

“

everything customers would want or need is right here at Shot Spot. She shares her greatest challenge as a business owner is selecting those up-andcoming designs and trends in clothing for the West Georgia customers so they don't have to go to another city to find the products they want.

Giving Back Tammy knows that giving back to her community is a very important and integral part of owning the business. From day one, Shot Spot has been involved in helping many organizations with fundraisers, raffling off goods for different charitable organizations and selling tickets to support so many of the community's charitable programs. Shot Spot is very active with all of the local schools, both public and private, in promoting gun safety, and

“Carrollton’s Prescription Headquarters”

821 Dixie Street Carrollton, GA 30117

770.832.7076

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marksmanship and they excel in teaching gun respect and discipline.

Tammy says Shot Spot is also the very first private business in Georgia to be certified to teach the Hunter Safety Course to the youth of West Georgia, and they are proud supporters of Project Childsafe, a nonprofit charitable organization committed to promoting firearms safety among firearms owners through the distribution of safety education messages and free firearm Safety Kits.

Drive Thru Service • Gifts • Free Delivery

A Safe Place For Women

Shot Spot has a wide variety of activities for women, including ladies-only beginner and intermediate shooting courses, gun cleaning courses, Georgia gun carry and personal defense classes, an active shooter program, female instructors as well as chapter meetings for The Well Armed Woman, a non-profit organization that organizes local groups of women around the country that meet monthly to hone their shooting skills, and grow and learn as shooters. This local chapter creates opportunities for women to be introduced to important issues specific to female shooters, helps them learn safe gun handling and enables women to train together.

Shot Spot also offers many creative and fun activities for women from bachelorette parties, corporate and team building events, company picnics, private parties and family reunions, to date night every Friday at 4:30 p.m.

On date night, a couple who wants to experience a fun-filled evening at the range will receive one gun rental, two eye and ear protection rentals, one box of 50 ammunition for the rental gun and two targets, all for only $37 for members and $65 for non-members.

Her Support Being a small business owner is not for the faint-

hearted.

It's very From clothing to firearms to jewelry, Shot Spot carries hard work, everything for today’s often long modern woman. hours and not your average 9 to 5 job.

The hours are Tammy's least Some beautiful multicolored favorite beaded bracelets by Lilly and Laura. part of owning the Shot Spot strives to create an environment business, that’s welcoming for all, regardless of but she experience level. will be the first to admit that she and John wouldn't be able to do this without the help and support of many people. She credits much of her success to her three daughters, Julia, Lindy and Robin, who are directly involved in the operation and marketing of the business. "Their responses to the challenges, willingness to do it and be there for us as they A few models of carry pistols that are very popular with ladies. put their heart and soul into it has impacted our success," she shares with a warm smile. "Our daughters love the clothing part of Shot Spot, but Ladies of all ages are interesting enough, they really enjoy the shooting encouraged to learn shooting as much or more. All three are quite accomplished technique and safety practices. shooters."

The support of friends and family has made all the difference in Tammy's business. "My girls that are in the business with us and my friends, who are always One of the most popular ladies’ willing to help us no matter what the situation, are carry pistols, the Sig Sauer P238 features beautiful engraved slide my support group," she relates. "When we moved and pearl-patterned grips. from the small store in the front of AAA and started stocking the new store, our friends and family came

Shot Spot offers a wide selection of shoes for ladies from some of the biggest names in fashion.

in to help us bring it all together."

Tammy also says her husband John is her biggest fan, and her husband, children and friends have had the greatest impact on her personal life. She also credits John for having the greatest impact on her professional life. "My husband, John Paulk, stands by me in all the decisions that I have made throughout this journey and has pointed me in the right direction," she shares. "In my eyes, he is a great businessman and we make great business partners."

There are many mentors Tammy reaches out to regularly for business advice. She says she literally has a hundred or more people she speaks to frequently, from professionals with the fashion world

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to professionals belonging to the shooting, hunting and sporting world. Tammy and her staff also attend trade shows and conferences regularly, which helps them learn more about details and opportunities, which is vital to their business.

Tammy says what sets her business apart from others is the dedication she receives from the staff at Shot Spot. She says her staff goes above and beyond for any and all of their customers, they select and purchase merchandise specifically for their clientele based on their expectations and needs and consistently exceed the expectations of their customers."We couldn't do it without them," she says. "We wouldn't be Shot Spot without them." Some of the Shot Spot family modeling a few of the great styles

More Than Just A Business Tammy knows from personal experience how quickly life can change in an instant. Her son Bo Lovvorn was diagnosed with cancer years ago and she says that kind of adversity makes you look at life in a different light. "That was the most challenging thing I went through in my whole life, and we are so happy to have won the fight," she says with a smile.

Because of her life experiences, it's so important to Tammy that all of Shot Spot's customers feel like family when they enter the store. For Tammy, one customer in particular comes to mind who made a difference in her and her staff's life. "We had one of our first members and dear customers pass away. From the time we first opened the business, he would come in multiple times a week to enjoy sport shooting," she shares. "His wife came in to tell us of his passing, and that he loved the store and the people of the store so much that he wanted us to have something of his. He made such a huge impression on all of us that we knew we not only lost a customer, but a very dear friend."

When the store first opened for business, Tammy was very eager and excited to help the customers.

She recalls an amusing story early on, "A man came in and he asked me if we sold magazines for guns," she says with a laugh. "I ran over to the team lead of gun sales and asked if they had a magazine of guns for him to look through. He scrambled to find multiple brand booklets, and I was pleased to hand the customer the booklets. The customer looked at me puzzled and told me he was looking for a magazine clip for a gun. Needless to say, there was a learning curve we had to meet from the beginning."

Looking Ahead As for the future, Tammy plans on staying right

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available at Shot Spot (From left to right: Robin Smyth; Tammy Paulk; Julia Curran; and Lindy Lovvorn)

here in West Georgia. She loves her home and the people and feels this community is a great place to live, work and raise her children. She hopes to open more Shot Spot locations within the next several years, which will include further expansion in shooting sports. She enjoys the everyday challenges and opportunities of running a successful business, knowing that every day holds something exciting and new at Shot Spot. The one thing she would do differently would be to enlarge the shipping and receiving and storage areas because she says you can never have enough storage in a business like Shot Spot.

Her advice to women who may be interested in opening a business like hers is simple; follow your hearts and minds. "Women can be successful in any industry today, find something that is unique. Not every woman will want to open a store like Shot Spot. However, if they follow their hearts and minds, there is something out there that each and everyone of us can achieve success."

Tammy knows her customers are the bread and butter of a business like Shot Spot, and extends a personal invitation to all women, and men, to visit Shot Spot in the future."We are one business that appreciates our customers," she relates. "Every day a person comes in who has not been into Shot Spot, our staff will extend an invitation for a tour which shows our customers how hard we will work to earn their respect and business. Bring your friends and family to Shot Spot for a world-class opportunity to see what we are about." WGW

For more information about the softer side of Shot Spot, visit them at 970 Hays Mill Rd, Bldg. 200. in Carrollton, call 678.664.0610 or visit their website at WWW.SHOTSPOTLLC.COM

Womentality

Inspiring quotes by extraordinary women “The problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small.”

– Mother Teresa

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”

– Anais Nin

“Doesn't everything die, at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

– Mary Oliver, "The Summer Day"

“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”

– Betty Friedan,

quoted in the Chicago Tribune

"Remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free someone else. If you have some power then your job is to empower someone else." – Toni Morrison

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I

One Too Many

n the United States alone, there are hundreds of people with a substance use or abuse disorder.

Daily environmental stressors, managing family life, trying to balance multiple roles, including staying well, is a major challenge for women. Many find it difficult to cope and often find a variety of methods to function and manage it all. Alcohol is one of those methods used and subsequently becomes one of the substance use challenges many face.

Having a drink is as cultural as having a slice of pizza. After work we “go out for a drink” with the office. When we feel stressed we “have a drink” to unwind. In social situations where we may feel uncomfortable, we say “let's have a drink” to relax and loosen up. Alcohol is very much a part of our society, and it is a legal drink for those 21 and older.

Alcohol affects everyone differently, and the gender and age differences are not exempt. Unlike men, women are more at risk when it comes to drinking alcohol. Drinking more alcohol than the body is able to manage poses extreme threats to women as alcohol passes through the digestive tract and flows through the body with water. Women have less water content in their bodies due to their structure and body type. As a result, a woman’s organs are exposed to alcohol and its byproduct at a faster rate, especially when the body begins to break down and eliminate alcohol.

As women age, the water content in their bodies decreases and ingested alcohol becomes concentrated. Older women tend to feel the effects of alcohol more strongly than younger women. It does not take much alcohol to impair a person’s ability to function, and a woman’s body structure is conducive to impairment when ingesting alcohol.

How Much Is Too Much?

To better understand the effects of alcohol, it is important to know how much is too much. That is, how much alcohol is in a drink. Understanding what a standard drink is may take away from the excitement associated with the “Red Solo Cup” effect.

A standard drink is: • A 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler (5 percent alcohol) • A 5-ounce glass of wine (12 percent alcohol) • An 8- or 9-oz bottle of malt (7 percent alcohol) • A 1.5-ounce, 80-proof distilled liquor (40 percent alcohol) For a woman, low risk drinking is no more than three drinks in a day and no more than seven drinks within a week, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). This applies to older women as well, but older women may benefit from consuming less than the low-risk amount due to the reduced water content in their bodies.

Having more than three drinks daily increases a woman’s risk for accidents and medical problems.

Some of these problems include hypertension, stroke, injuries, liver disease, brain disease, cancer and heart disease. It also increases the risk of becoming a victim of violence and sexual assault.

Drinking more than the daily standard drink for a woman increases her risk for an alcohol use disorder.

Younger women are affected too. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, young women who drink alcohol prior to age 15 have a 40 percent risk of becoming dependent on alcohol.

Factors Predicting Alcohol Use Disorder There is no one factor which predicts whether a woman will have a problem with alcohol. However, women who have had a history of traumatic experiences, depressed mood and anxiety as well as increased stressors are more likely to drink in increased amounts.

A woman’s support system, or lack of, history of significant alcohol use in the family, having a partner who drinks irresponsibly (more than what

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What Is The Big Deal About Drinking Alcohol?

Alcohol use disorder or what we called formerly, alcoholism, is a brain disease. Alcohol’s effect on the brain causes someone to feel sleepy, relaxed, high or comfortable. Alcohol use affects how the brain functions. The brain balances how messages are transmitted throughout the body. Alcohol slows communication patterns from the brain to the body.

When this happens, reflexes are slow and individuals are more prone to accidents.

Women who consume more than the “low-risk” amounts of alcohol will find that after drinking, they may experience depressed mood, agitation and memory loss. NIAAA states that long term drinking contributes to reduction in the size of brain cells. This affects motor coordination, temperature regulation, sleep and other cognitive functions such

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as learning and recall.

If not managed responsibly, alcohol use can be life threatening. Long-term irresponsible drinking affects and changes the way the brain responds.

Women who are pregnant or are attempting to become pregnant should not drink alcohol at all.

Should a pregnant woman ingest alcohol, she places her unborn child at risk for medical illnesses such as fetal alcohol syndrome, learning disabilities and possible addiction.

How Do I Know If I Have A Problem With Alcohol?

Drinking irresponsibly is harmful to everyone and destroys lives. Too often we hear of people dying as a result of someone who had one too many drinks of alcohol.

To be considered having a problem with alcohol, pay attention to some of the following symptoms.

If a woman can say yes to two or more of the items listed below and on the next page, please consult someone you trust for help and support.

• She consumes more alcohol than she

• •

• •

• • • •

originally planned She is worried about stopping use or consistently fails to cut down or control her consumption of alcohol She spends a large amount of time using alcohol or engaging in alcohol related activity, as well as doing whatever is needed to obtain alcohol She has a “craving” or a strong urge for alcohol She continues alcohol use in spite of negative health, relationship and work consequences and is unable to fulfill expected life roles as a result of alcohol use She repeatedly uses alcohol in dangerous situations such as operating a car or machinery She gives up important social, occupational or recreational activities to engage in drinking.

She builds up a tolerance or needs larger amounts of alcohol to get a certain feeling or effect She experiences withdrawals such as anxiety, irritability, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hand tremor or seizure, after no longer drinking alcohol

How And Where Do I Get Help For Alcohol Use? If you recognize someone is struggling with excessive use of alcohol, it is important that you first express concern. A statement such as, “‘Sheila,' I noticed when we were at the party last week, you were drinking a lot more than you usually do, is everything OK?” This gives ‘Sheila’ an opportunity to open up, but also helps her to know that someone cares.

Too often we approach someone whom we know is struggling in a manner that causes them to be defensive about their drinking. If you are the one struggling with alcohol use, it is important to identify how it is impacting your everyday life and admit to having a problem. It takes a very courageous woman to admit that she is struggling with alcohol and that she needs help.

Most women tend to ignore the problem, or compare themselves to others who may be drinking in excess. They may even deny that they have a problem. Some women may go back to the social aspect of alcohol use stating they only drink in social settings, but deny that they drink in excess when in social settings. When she is able to be honest

with herself and look at her symptoms in a candid manner, she is then able to begin the process of getting treatment.

There are a variety of methods available to treat someone struggling with an alcohol use disorder.

No one method will work for everyone. There are professional counselors in West Georgia who are trained specifically to work with women struggling with an alcohol use disorder.

We help women identify behaviors that are not working for them, as well as help them understand the underlying reasons they may be drinking in excess. We provide support, alternatives and skills to first reduce the drinking, and eventually eliminate excess drinking.

A professional who specializes in addiction treatment will also help the individual to set realistic goals and avoid those things that might cause her to go back to drinking or what we may call – relapse.

There is also medication management where a medical doctor may prescribe specific medications to help stop or reduce drinking. These medications can be used in conjunction with counseling.

Medication management and professional counseling simultaneously have proven to be very effective treatment.

There are several support groups that are available to assist someone who has a challenge with drinking. There are programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step group, and Celebrate Recovery. These programs provide peer support to those who have decided to stop drinking and need support in maintaining an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Maintaining an alcohol-free lifestyle is an ongoing process, and these support groups provide nonjudgmental support. The individuals in these groups are all working on themselves to maintain sobriety, and these types of support groups are a great place to begin your journey toward an alcohol-free life.

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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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.

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Kidz Korner

By Charlene Brooks and Sydney Dailey

Super Fun Patch Of

Pumpkins Get ready for Halloween with this super fun patch of pumpkins. These yummy treats will make great additions to a Halloween-themed party and are sure to be a hit with guests, not to mention how fun they'll be to make and eat!

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Ingredients Chocolate icing Green food coloring Flaked coconut Chocolate graham crackers (whole, halves and crushed) Candy corn Candy pumpkins Instructions Dye coconut with green food coloring. Allow to dry.

Spread a thin layer of chocolate icing across a whole or half graham cracker.

Place candy corn pointed side up around the sides of the graham cracker to create a fence, cementing the candy corn into the icing.

Sprinkle crushed graham crackers on the inside for dirt.

Place candy pumpkins inside the fence then sprinkle colored coconut for the pumpkin vines.

Not So Scary Graveyard Skeletons Instructions Spread a thin layer of chocolate icing across a whole graham cracker.

Cut a marshmallow in half. Using the edible marker, paint a face on each half.

Place marshmallow half, face side up on the icing covered graham cracker.

Take four of the candy skeleton bones and place them on the graham cracker for the arms and legs.

Take the white breath mints and place them in the middle for the rib cage of the skeleton. WGW

Ingredients Chocolate icing Chocolate graham crackers (whole and crushed) White breath mints Candy skeleton bones Marshmallows Edible icing marker

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Happy Halloween Word Search Word Bank Pumpkin Creepy Trick Or Treat Scary Witch Ghost Spider Candy Costume Cauldron Haunted House Hayride October Spooky

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Word search created at puzzle-maker.com

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