january + february 2021
Frontliners
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Four Leaf Towers · $325,000
101 Westcott St. #806
867 Rosastone Trail
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Bayou Bend Towers · $795,000
1724 Wrenwood Lakes
Spring Branch · $3,200 / month Neil Silverman | 713.725.9750
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Cottage Grove · PENDING Janice Ratliff | 713.819.0801
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WORTHWHILE CONVERSATIONS
WHAT NOW? WEALTH PLANNING AFTER COVID-19…
J. Harold Williams, CPA/PFS, CFP®, and Lauren Rich, CFP®, discuss wealth planning strategies during uncertain market conditions. DOES THE COVID-19 EXPERIENCE MEAN THAT WEALTH PLANNING IS NOW TOTALLY DIFFERENT? No, not necessarily. Market and economic conditions continue to change, but good wealth planning comes from being consistent in making sound decisions.
HOW CAN YOU MAKE SOUND DECISIONS WHEN THE FUTURE IS SO UNCERTAIN? In 50 years of wealth planning, we have worked with families who can personally recall terribly uncertain conditions. In 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union were staring each other down over nuclear missiles in Cuba and plenty of people felt it could be the end of civilization. In 1974, a sitting U.S. President resigned from office in disgrace and the average citizen’s faith in our government reached an all-time low. There have been times, of course, when the future looked bright. In 2000, we ushered
in a new Millennium amidst great optimism, following a decade that saw the fall of the Iron Curtain and a peace dividend.
SO, WHAT IS YOUR POINT? Certainty, or uncertainty, about the future is an unreliable basis for building wealth. Ryan Patterson, CFA, CFP®, our Chief Investment Officer, puts it this way: “When everyone is feeling good about the future, the prices of financial assets are higher, reflecting that feeling. When few people feel good, prices are discounted and opportunities are greater.” If you invested in U.S. stocks during the month of the Cuban missile crisis, you were 30% richer one year later. If you put money to work in U.S. stocks during the month Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency, you were 250% richer ten years later. If you waited for the optimism of the new Millennium to put your money to work in U.S. stocks, you were 35% worse off two years later.
SO -- THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME? Circumstances may change but financial behavior should be consistent and disciplined, not reactive. Most families benefit from the coaching of an experienced, 100% fiduciary wealth advisor. That is the model we follow at Linscomb & Williams. We have the credentialled and experienced team ready to sit down and formulate a plan for your success right now, right here.
For more information, or a copy of our Form ADV, Part II, with all of our disclosures, call Grant Williams at 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com.
Linscomb & Williams is located at 1400 Post Oak Blvd., Ste. 1000 in Houston, TX For more information call 713 840 1000 or visit www.linscomb-williams.com. Linscomb & Williams is not an accounting firm.
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contents
Send comments, thoughts or ideas to intownmagazine@gmail.com
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wen a gnitargetni yrt ro aps dna loop detaeh eht ni pid a ot pu20 ekaW .su ot gnivird eht evael dna sgnituo suorutnevda ynam ruo ,esoohc uoy esicrexe tahw rettam oN .retnec ssentfi tra-eht-fo-etats ruo ni enituor yliad ruoy otni margorp esicrexe evitavonni sisao roodtuo eht ni xaleR .dnim ni uoy htiw dengised era saera ytinummoc ruO .sucof yramirp ruo era ssenllew dna htlaeh ruoy uoy sa ecneirepxe gninid etisiuqxe na rof tellap ruoy eraperP .enilyks notsuoH eht fo weiv dna sexob rewofl ,gnitaes egnuol htiw ro kcans kciuq a barg ,gninid lamrof rof emit on htiw og eht no era uoy fI .moor gninid lufituaeb ruo ni rennid ro hcnul rof taerter fo ssalg a htiw erutnevda fo yad ysub a morf dniwnu uoy elihw ylimaf dna sdneirf htiw noitasrevnoc yojnE .ortsiB eht ni hciwdnas fo 8 eltsuh dna ytic ehPUBLISHER’S t fo sdnuos ehtLETTER ,notpmahtuoS fo egalliV eTh ta 16-17 emoh wen ruoy oCELEBRATING tni elttes uoy ecnARCHITECT O .egnuoL ykS eht ni eniw JOHN S. CHASE .sreffo yad hcae taht seitilibissop eht evol uoy erehw s’tI .yawa edaf ot mees dlrow eht 10 ARTS + EVENTS 18-19 LIFE: BEWARE! PUTTING ON 11-15 HOUSTON FOOD BANK’S eviL uoy erehw si notpmahtuoS fo egalliV eTh— secivres erac yrom em dna gnivil detEXERCISE sissa htiw ,SHOES gnivil tnednepedni detacitsihpoS BRIAN GREEN tpek tseb s’notsuoH erolpxe emoc ot uoy etivni eW .®lleW efiL 20-21 FINANCIAL FOCUS fo egalliV eTh woh tuoba erom nrael ot ekil dluow uoy fI .terces ta tnanoC lliJ llac ,emoh wen ruoy eb nac notpmaPRODUCTION htuoS
retrahC PIV evisulcxe na emoceb dna yadot evreseR .2808-68Web 8-18Design 2 PUBLISHER
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CONTRIBUTORS
Lindsay Mowad William Hanover Marene Gustin Evans Attwell Philip Berquist Minnie Payne
For advertising rates and information: 713.525.8607 intownmagazine@gmail.com Space reservation deadline is 15 days prior to publication.
Memorial Villages magazine is published bi-monthly by SNS Media. Articles are welcome and will be given careful consideration for possible publication. Memorial Villages magazine does not assume any responsibility for unsolicited materials. Materials submitted will be returned if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Box 980757 Houston, TX 77098. You can also e-mail intownmagazine@gmail.com. Copyright 2021 by Intown magazine. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Intown magazine.
6 | Mv | January + February 2021
10 Magnolia Woods Dr/Kingwood $3,500,000 MLS# 91653116
1207 Sterrett St/Downtown $989,900 MLS# 83001999
1010-F Nantucket Dr/Westhaven Estates $1,125,000 MLS# 20563680
2619 Newman St/Upper Kirby $799,900 MLS# 56369829
38 Blooming Grove Ln/Parkway Villages 1716 Rosewood St #C/Rice-MuseumDist $679,000 MLS# 26183074 $589,000 MLS# 27087722
4010 Childress St/West University $419,500 MLS# 98589850
2100 Welch St #C305/River Oaks $299,888 MLS# 60013621
4019 Driscoll St/Montrose $765,000 MLS# 66254848
2200 Willowick Rd #2J/River Oaks $549,000 MLS# 3560042
2100 Welch St #C301/River Oaks $239,000 MLS# 40488043
David M Young Broker Associate
713-320-6453 David.Young@Compass.com www.youngrealtyhouston.com Proven Performance – Year After Year Over 18 years experience working with buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Houston Area.
Frontliners Person(s) Of The Year
combat, experiencing the most immediate, intense action with the enemy. They formed a military line of the most advanced tactical combat units. Our frontliners in healthcare and many other essential businesses that must deal with the public are modern-day combat units. ne of the year’s best quotes and biggest understatement was that this year didn’t require a pivot but a pirouette. From the pandemic, we have learned how vital our frontline workers have always been. During this pandemic, the fearlessness and determination of our frontline workers cannot go unrecognized. Nurses and doctors have felt a unique pressure to help save the lives of their fellow neighbors. This year Frontliners are our Persons of The Year. Thank you for your sacrifices. You have made a difference. Many frontline workers must live in fear during a once in a lifetime event. Many doctors and nurses thrive in these conditions, and for that, we are thankful. The term frontliner (or frontline worker) refers to anyone who provides an essential service and can’t perform their job from home. A frontliner works on the frontline of a business or organization, performing its public-facing work. Frontliner was used in the late 1800s to refer to soldiers fighting on the frontline of 8 | Mv | January + February 2021
Frontliner became more popular in the 1990s and was used in the same way as a frontline worker, referring to customer service employees who had direct contact with clients. Many other essential workers have been and still are risking their lives to make ends meet. We honor all those who have been brave facing the unknown and wonder when it will all end. Hopefully, in 2021 it will end. It may take awhile before we are back to normal, but hope springs eternal. We all should feel inspired and try and do the right thing to make our frontliner jobs as painless as possible. State and local governments have been dealt a difficult hand in balancing the difficulty of keeping people safe and not shutting down our economy and allowing the right for people to work. I commend their tireless efforts in what seems like a no-win scenario. This disease has been relentless. Thankfully, frontliners, with their implacable nature, have shown their courage and help lead us to a better day. It has never been more evident than in 2020. Welcome, 2021!
PRIMARY & SPECIALTY CARE RIGHT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD Introducing Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Memorial City
OPENING JANUARY 4, 2021! #HelloMemorialCity “We’re excited to be joining this growing and vibrant community and look forward to caring for our neighbors.” – Jessica Stull, M.D. Internal Medicine Managing Physician
• Adult Primary and Specialty Care • Internal Medicine
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic – Memorial City 929 Gessner Road, Suite 1450 Houston, TX 77024
• Specialists in Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, and Surgery joining us soon • On-site laboratory services • Free parking in Garage 5
24/7 Appointment Scheduling: 713-442-0000 Learn More at: kelsey-seybold.com/MC Welcoming NEW PATIENTS and accepting MOST HEALTH PLANS, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare.
Arts +
EVENTS
Artupdate houston published every two weeks by houstonintown. Go to website and sign up for newsletter to receive free update.
MUSEUMS Asia Society Texas Center
Artists on Site
Featuring Ahra Cho, Lauren Drey, Brandon Tho Harris, and Royal Sumikat
MFAH
Glory of Spain: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library
Virginia Jaramillo: The Curvilinear Paintings, 1969–1974
Through January 3, 2021
The Marzio Years: Transforming the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982–2010 Between Sea and Sky: Blue and White Ceramics from Persia and Beyond
Ongoing through May 31, 2021
Hockney-Van Gogh The Joy of Nature
Opens Feb. 21 - June 20 2021
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
Closed but open virtually at www.camh.org
Every Saturday, Rain or Shine 9am - 1pm
Feb. 21 - June 20, 2021
Museum Of Fine Arts Houston
Through January 10, 2021
David Hockney, Under the Trees, Bigger, 2010–11, oil on 20 canvases, David Hockney Inc.
Ongoing through Jan. 24
MEMORIAL VILLAGES FARMERS MARKET
Ongoing through Jul 3, 2021
Silent Revolutions: Italian Drawings From The Twentieth Century Ongoing through April 11, 2021
Houston Museum Of Natural Science
Special Exhibits Moon by Luke Jerram Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life Ongoing through May 31
State of Water: Our Most Valuable Resource Ongoing through Jan. 18, 2021
Death by Natural Causes TourmalineTreasures Mandela: Struggle for Freedom Ongoing through January 3 Permanent Exhibits Stories of Survival : Object. Image. Memory. Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. Hall Opens Jan. 9 - April 19, 2021 Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals Earth Forum Menil Collection Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife Allora & Calzadilla: Specters of Noon Ongoing through June 20, 2021 Frensley/Graham Hall of African Wildlife Hall Of Ancient Egypt Holocaust Museum Houston
Hamman Hall Of Texas Coastal Ecology Herzstein Foucault Pendulum John McGovern Hall of The Americas Lester & Sue Smith Gem Vault Morian Hall of Paleontology Starke Hall of Malacology Wiess Energy Hall Welch Hall of Chemistry MUSIC & DANCE Houston Ballet
Digital Events Available
HOUSTON Symphony
Hunters Creek Village at First Congregational Church 10840 Beinhorn Road ALLEY THEATRE
The Stronger
Jan. 15 through Feb. 7
A Half Sheet Of Paper
Jan. 22 through Feb. 14
The Man With The Flower In His Mouth Feb. 12 through March 14
Broadway Across America
Hobby Center Check houston.broadway.com
The Mood A Big Ban New Year
STAGES REPERTORY THEATER
Midori Plays Beethoven
Jan. 27 through Feb. 7
Jan. 8,9, 10
Jan 15,16, 17
THEATER A.D. Players
Photograph 51
Opens Jan 22 through Feb. 7
Check with theatre for updates
Ann
Sin Muros: A Latinx Theater Festival Feb. 16 through Feb. 28
THE ENSEMBLE THEATER
Check ensemblehouston.com for updates Theatre Under the Stars
Check tuts.com for updates
LOUISIANA CRAWFISH SEASON IS HERE!
4302 RICHMOND AVE HOUSTON, TX 77027 10 | Mv | January + February 2021
Catching Up with Houston Food Bank’s
BRIAN GREEN
Feeding the Hungry During the Pandemic By Marene Gustin
C
OVID-19 has played havoc with the economy, but that has caused Houston Food Bank’s business to go up, but that’s rather a sad thing when you’re in the business of feeding the hungry. “I was really nervous at the beginning of it,” says Houston Food Bank President and CEO Brian Greene, “because the energy crisis was already hitting Houston hard. But then Houstonians really stepped up.” It’s been a challenging year for the 58-year-old native Californian, but he’s been helming food banks his entire career. Greene received a BA in Economics from Humboldt State University and an MA in Economics from the University of Tennessee. He was working on his doctorate there when he decided to take a break to gain some real world experience. The newly opened Second Harvest Food Bank in Knoxville, Tennessee was looking for an executive director and he took the job, thinking it would be a temporary gig. But he had found his calling. Five years later he became the executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana and stayed for 12 years. In 2005 he took the job as president and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, the largest food bank in America, in a city that is the second most food insecure city, behind Los Angeles, in the country. Founded in 1982, the Houston
January + February 2021
| Mv |11
10 Magnolia Woods | Deer Ridge Estates
63 Fairway Park | Bentwater
Grand 12,708 SF estate on 3.85-acre lot in guard gated Deer Ridge Estates. Grounds include huge pool, secluded hot hub, many covered patios, two kitchens, fountains, fire pits, palapas and a walking trail through the woods. David M. Young | Compass RE Texas | 713-320-6453
Country Club home features a courtyard pool and Casita. Summer kitchen poolside in a gated community close to The Woodlands Mall and Market Center. Three car plus golf cart garage. Beverly Smith | Coldwell Banker Realty | 713-569-2113
List Price $3,500,000 | MLS #50130592
List Price $565,000 | MLS #31596584
Dan Monson Mortgage Banker | NMLS# 302692
713.480.1061
dan.monson@sentemortgage.com
• VA Loans • Construction Loans • Fannie/Freddie Loan • Jumbo Loans • Investor Loans • Reverse Mortgages 10038 Briar Drive | Briargrove Park List Price $1,111,111 | MLS # 88024987
Magnificent Modern Masterpiece secluded in well-established, sought-after Houston neighborhood. Stately custom gate, garden, & custom iron & glass door entrance. Soaring Ceilings and beautiful vista of the deck & pool all overlooking a serene meadow. Genevieve Rowland | Keller Williams Memorial | 281-904-7014
• EXPERTISE
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• INTEGRITY
This is not an offer to enter into an agreement or a commitment to lend. Application is required and is subject to underwriting and credit approval. Not all applicants are approved. Full documentation & property insurance required. TX * License #132111
5410 Morning Breeze | Lakes on Eldridge List Price $1,550,000 | Coming Soon!
Custom built by Mitchell Carroll, this 7 bedroom lakefront estate is a masterpiece of Italian design. Boasting more than 8,600 SqFt and a resort-like pool & spa, this sprawling estate with endless water views is the epitome of luxury living. Michelle Hinton | Compass Realty | 832-795-2246
Food Bank (HFB) is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. They distribute fresh produce, meat and nonperishables and prepare nutritious hot meals for kids in the state-of-the-art Keegan Kitchen. Since taking over, Greene has over seen the organization’s unprecedented growth. In August 2011, the Food Bank moved into its current home, a 308,000 square-foot warehouse and office facility, purchased and renovated following completion of a $55.6 million capital campaign. The new building is four times larger than the previous space and allows for more food distribution and more space for volunteers. In the fall of 2008, the End Hunger Network, a Houston-area food rescue organization, merged with Houston Food Bank. Through Greene’s leadership, HFB programs have expanded to feed more children and tap into additional sources for food donations. In early 2016, a second capital campaign was approved for $2.6 million to build a new home for the Keegan Kitchen inside the Houston Food Bank headquarters. In April of 2019, Greene received the John van Hengel Fellowship award at Feeding America’s 2019 Hunger’s Hope Awards. The award honors the ideals of the late John van Hengel, who developed the concept of food banking in the 1960s. He was recognized for his excellence in leadership, local impact and national influence, and entrepreneurial spirit in the area of hunger relief. But nothing in his past could compare to the last year. “At the peak in May,” Greene recalls, “we were serving 140,000 households a day. Back then the distributions ended when we ran out of food and that was one million pounds of food. By December it slowed some, 800,000 pounds a day and we managed to get to everyone in line.” In November the Houston Food Bank served 103,000 households per week, compared to 74,000 for the same month
January + February 2021
| Mv |13
2619 Newman St | Upper Kirby
List Price $799,900 | MLS #56369829
Immaculate custom home with clean, modern finishes in Upper Kirby with 4 bedrooms and open living areas on the second floor. Located on coveted horseshoe-shaped street (no thru traffic). Balconies with western views and a large patio. Elevator capable. David M. Young | Compass RE Texas | 713-320-6453
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Luxury Home Insurance
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in 2019. And while the economy improved a little at the end of last year, Greene expects the need for food to remain higher than normal through most of 2021. “Until the economy recovers there will be a significant food need through most of the year,” he says. “And my biggest concern is getting food in the new year.” While monetary donations were up during the height of the pandemic, some food donations were lower. “At the beginning we wouldn’t get any donations from grocery stores, because they
14 | Mv | January + February 2021
stopped having surplus,” he says. “Due to panic buying their shelves were empty.” But with so many restaurants shut down, farmers and ranchers had food to spare. Because of the Trump administration’s trade wars, there was nowhere to sell the food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a plan to aid farmers during the pandemic by buying their food and donating it to food banks. “But they’ve cut that spending by 50 percent,” Greene says. “I don’t know what’s going to happen with that program this year. Another challenge the Houston Food Bank, and many nonprofits as well, faced, was a lack of volunteers. Luckily, with monetary donations up, Greene’s organizations was able to hire many unemployed hospitality workers. And Distribution changed drastically, The norm became massive drivethrough distributions like the one held at NRG Stadium before last Thanksgiving where a sea of cars lined up for hours to get groceries put in their cars’ trunks by masked workers. It’s an efficient way to get food to the hungry during a health care crisis, but it lacks one thing. “It’s missing the personal interaction,” says Greene. “There’s not a real connection between people and workers.” To donate or volunteer with the Houston Food Bank go to houstonfoodbank.org.
January + February 2021
| Mv |15
A N E W B O O K C E L E B R AT E S H I S W O R K
Architect John S. Chase
J
Originally printed by Texas Observer
ohn S. Chase is the Texas architect you wish you knew about— or perhaps should have already heard of. Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright with his own postmodern twists, Chase’s work has left a mark in East Austin, on the Texas Southern University and University of Texas campuses, and in churches all over the state. Now, a new University of Texas Press book, John S. Chase—The Chase Residence, celebrates Chase’s remarkable 60-year career. The book explores how Chase turned his own Houston home into the centerpiece of a larger body of work through a process that was in “equal measure architectural, social, personal, and political.” This new story of the Chase Residence, still home to Chase’s widow, Drucie, demystifies how Chase fashioned a space to fit his family—and simultaneously fixed his
16 | Mv | January + February 2021
place in architectural history. John S. Chase was also a trailblazer for architects of color. He entered the University of Texas soon after its desegregation and soon became the first Black person to obtain a master’s degree in architecture. He was also the first state-licensed Black architect in Texas. At one point, Chase served as the first Black president of the Texas Exes, UT’s alumni association. And he was a founding member of the National Organization of Minority Architects. The Chase Residence was a collective effort. It was written by David Heymann, a professor of architecture at UT, and includes a lengthy essay from co-author Stephen Fox, an architectural historian as well as contributions from architecture students Heymann took on his visits to Chase’s own home in Riverside Terrace,
considered a timeless masterpiece among the many houses, churches, and other edifices he built. That group, led by Heymann, tracked down Chase’s own architectural drawings, made new drawings of key details, and persuaded Chase’s family and friends to contribute photos that bring the home’s long history to life. Best viewed at night, the Chase house, even after nearly 70 years, remains a “lantern, a beacon in the city.” It is a “landmark and a landmark accomplishment.” Chase artfully created his house beneath loblolly pines with windows that fully embraced Houston’s humid greenhouse climate. Its vast interior courtyard offered views of leafy tropical plants and gave his boys, John Jr. and Tony, space to ride bikes around a koi pond. The den where Chase worked offered vistas of family life even as he continued to
sketch out a fast-growing list of projects for his firm. Inside the original house, Chase tucked a bar behind a bookshelf so that visiting Baptists ministers, teetotalers who frequently commissioned him to build churches, would not spot liquor but could be quickly extracted from an alcove when politico friends arrived for cocktails. Churches remained a mainstay of Chase’s practice in the 1950s and ’60s, Fox writes. Many churches designed by Chase still stand proudly in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, too. In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Chase built the First Shiloh Baptist Church in 1954 and ’55. The church features a towering brick sanctuary with dramatically rising roof planes and a bell tower, a landmark on Lyons Street fit for a congregation established for more than 100 years. A marker outside the church today marks its historic status and Chase’s contribution, too. Through those early works, Chase had become a “starchitect.” Gradually, Chase’s other projects took form as other private homes, more churches, and landmark buildings that rose across Texas—and beyond, as Fox’s essay explains. One of his very first jobs in 1952 was a building for a group then known as the Colored Teacher’s Union in Austin. He later earned major commissions from clients like Texas Southern University and Tuskegee University in Alabama. Many of his masterworks still stand on TSU’s Houston campus,
taking Chase’s architectural journey full circle. There’s also a John S. Chase scholarship fund at UT for promising Black students, particularly those with an interest in architecture. And now, at long last, there’s a UT Press book honoring his legacy and his home. As his clientele and family expanded into the 1960s, so did the Chase residence. The Chases welcomed their third child, Saundria, to the family. In 1968, when she was six, he began a renovation and simultaneously enclosed the atrium to create a vast two-story gathering space for a who’s-who of famous friends and clients, including the late Congressman Mickey Leland, actor Gregory Peck who was in town for a Democratic fundraiser, and other luminaries like John Connally, then governor of Texas. One iconic photo shows Leland, a regular at the Chase home, lounging in that atrium with Saundria, by then a young adult. The Chase house, “always in a state of flux,” continued to evolve. This new book, as Fox writes, honors an architect who was part of a larger artistic movement that “powerfully imagined, and gave compelling form to, new ways for African Americans to live in the American South, with dignity, assurance and distinctive modern style,” too.
including its Humanities Building, with a stunning rounded entrance bay, its student center, and its law school. Eventually, Chase designed buildings on the campus of his alma mater, too— including UT’s utilitarian San Antonio garage and the track and soccer stadium. But UT wasn’t always good at remembering its famous alumnus. He doesn’t appear in the school yearbook, for example. The first on-campus show featuring his work didn’t occur until after his death in 2012. But recently, one of his early Austin works, the 1952 headquarThis article was originally published by the ters for the teacher’s union, was acquired Texas Observer, a nonprofit investigative news by UT. It’s now being remodeled and reoutlet. Sign up for their weekly newsletter, or fitted as part of the university’s commufollow them on Facebook and Twitter. nity engagement programs—in a way,
January + February 2021
| Mv |17
LIFE
BEWARE!
MAN PUTTING ON HIS EXERCISE SHOES! by the Honorable Philip Berquist, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Croatia
T
he year 2020 brought a lot of surprises to all of us, and most were not good. I picked an opera that I have always wanted to learn during the time off - “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” - the Woman Without a Shadow - by Richard Strauss. I have also been fortunate to discover a remarkable Swedish composer from the first half of the twentieth century, the relatively unknown Ture Rangström. I am trying to make him less anonymous. I also took training and certified in an area that will provide a future article. But, seriously, why not attempt to avoid the dreaded COVID-19 and try to get in shape? Quite frankly, there has never been a period of my life when I was truly “in shape.” Oh, some 15-20 years ago, I was a member of the old Downtown YMCA. I would ride a stationary bike for 45 minutes, three or four times a week for several years. That was probably the closest I ever came to feeling somewhat fit. It even allowed me to complete a ride in the MS 150 with relative ease. My wife, Lisa Powell, has been in a “Boot Camp” with some friends for some 15 years herself. She gets up at 5:00 am three times a week. Impressive and, one would hope, be inspiring to me. To no one’s surprise, I sleep in. A few months ago, we entered the “Peloton Era” as Lisa purchased the latest computer exercise bike - one fitted with a screen so you can have a personal trainer at your fingertips encouraging you to peddle faster and faster, further and fur18 | Mv | January + February 2021
ther. This seems like the perfect way to stay safe and to exercise in the comfort of your home. Due to the heavy demand of like-minded people, there was a one month waiting period for delivery of the bike and our special Peloton shoes. Finally, Lisa got the call that the bike was to be delivered and installed by a professional. Another nice touch in that putting things together is another in a long line of my “non-specialties.” With the bike finally assembled and ready for action, we tried on our special shoes. You guessed it, hers fit, and mine did not. They use the European sizing method, and we had ordered what we thought would be my standard size 12. The ones that came for me were 11’s at best. An immediate set back to my noble aspirations. They fit our son, Jack, however, so all was not lost. Naturally, I got on-line and ordered the largest size that Peloton offers for men, a whopping 13 1/2 sized clodhoppers! They were delivered quite soon, and I was ready to go. Arriving at 1:00 pm on a Wednesday, I took them into our kitchen to immediately try them on. A perfect fit, how exciting. As you can see by the photographs, they have a hard plastic bottom, and one has to manually add the part on the bottom that clicks into the bike’s
pedal. Of course, the base is to add stability, so there is no problem of your foot slipping off the pedal when the instructor on the screen gets incredibly annoying and demands increased power. The Peloton cobblers have devised a most exciting shoe. There are two Velcro straps, and last but not least, a belt for a slot on the shoe’s outer side. My problem with this critical final step was that I could not see exactly where the strap entered the ratcheting device. Most people would have carefully removed the shoe and figured out this puzzle. I did not. My reasoning had me consider putting the shoe on a higher level to see the issue and complete the task. Most people would have put the foot and shoe on, say, a modest footstool. I did not. Why not put my shoe on a high footstool, say, a tall kitchen chair? Can you see where this is going? I placed my right foot and shoe on the kitchen chair with both boots on, some three feet above the hard tile floor. Did I mention that the bottom of the shoes is hard plastic? As you might correctly imagine, they are very slippery on kitchen tiles. With my right foot and shoe in such an awkward position, I could now see how the ratcheting system worked. Success! Then, my left foot and shoe slipped out from under me, and down I went. Hard! I landed not so graciously on my
back, and my head whiplashed to the tile floor. Hard! I vaguely recall hearing the kitchen television being on as I lost consciousness. After what turned out to be at least a half-hour, I came to and somehow made it to a chair in the living room and sat down, exhausted and confused. Checking my watch, I realized that about 45 minutes had taken place that I could not account for.
I called Lisa, and she came immediately home from work. She took me to the Methodist remote emergency center on the Southwest Freeway just west of Kirby. I received a COVID-19 test that was negative. They performed a brain scan, and I had a subdural hematoma blood oozing from my brain. It was not life-threatening, but a somewhat dangerous situation and a concussion at my age is not something to ignore. I was there for over six hours before transferring via ambulance to Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. At this time, allow me to digress and mention that several doctor friends have mentioned the importance of going to a remote ER rather than to a hospital ER during this dreaded COVID-19 environment. Rather than being exposed to patients at a hospital ER, I remained at the small ER until a room was ready for me at Methodist. The ambulance attendants took me directly to my room,
bypassing the regular ER. During those hours at the remote ER, Lisa asked if it would be faster to take me to Methodist herself. As we later found out, if we had done that, the entire evaluation process would start all over. Please keep this advice in mind if an ER visit is needed. The next morning I was given another scan. The scan indicated that the bleeding had stopped, and by noon I was released. I felt strange grogginess for over a week, as you might expect following a concussion. But at least I was home. A visit scheduled with a neurologist to evaluate my condition was no longer necessary, and I took it easy for a few days. As to the Peloton, it and my 13 1/2’s remain in our bedroom, and I will start riding after the first of the new year. Although I cannot confirm this, I would bet that I am the only hospitalized simply putting on exercise shoes!
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FINANCIAL FOCUS
Money Lessons
Teaching kids about money
I
f you are a parent or grandparent, it may give you pause to know that research shows children tend to copy their parents’ habits and attitudes about money. Are you passing on good money skills to the children in your life?
Although many parents are diligent about teaching safety and good manners, too often money skills are a blind spot. To be sure, in some families, money is an uncomfortable, even taboo, topic. Many other parents simply don’t talk about money with their children because they don’t know where to start or they expect their children’s school to do the job. Still, what parents say and do is the single biggest influence on their how their children will deal with money. So, how do you help your children become financially savvy, responsible and eventually capable of being independent? For starters, say the experts, unlike a birds-and-bees or don’t-do-drugs talk, money skills must be methodically taught to kids, experienced hands-on and modeled daily by parents.
Start early
Some research suggests that lifetime money habits are set by the age of seven, and assuming that is true, starting money lessons early—as soon as your child can count—is important. But, say early childhood experts, treating your young child like a miniature adult is a mistake.
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To make an impression that sticks, you’ll want to find fun, meaningful and age appropriate ways to start and expand your child’s money education. As just one example for preschoolers, you might work the idea of money into their imaginary games, such as playing pretend restaurant or pretend shopping.
Show them the way
Because you are your children’s most influential teacher, your actions have the most power to help or hurt. Remember that children tend to mimic what you do even more than what you say, and they are always watching and learning, even when your actions don’t match your words.
By Robert May Assistant Vice President Frost Commercial Banking
Would you like to talk to a financial professional?
Allow them to make mistakes
Although it’s important to give your children advice and guidance, it’s equally important to allow them to make some of their own decisions about money—good and bad. Even by taking responsibility for small amounts of real money, children learn powerful lessons from personal experience, perhaps even more from mistakes. Need a little coaching of your own? Look for resources online and in print that offer creative, age-appropriate ideas for teaching money skills to children.
Contact Robert May at 713.388.7821 or Robert.May@frostbank.com. Investment and insurance products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, and may lose value. Brokerage services offered through Frost Brokerage Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, and investment advisory services offered through Frost Investment Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser. Both companies are subsidiaries of Frost Bank. Investment management services, financial planning and trust services are offered through Frost Wealth Advisors of Frost Bank. Additionally, insurance products are offered through Frost Insurance. Deposit and loan products are offered through Frost Bank, Member FDIC. Frost does not provide legal or tax advice. Please seek legal or tax advice from legal and/or tax professionals.
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Holcombe House, 1973
Houston Hospice Historic Garden Reopens, Celebrating 40th Anniversary
H
ouston Hospice’s historic garden reopened to patients, families, and the community, Monday, December 14, 2020 during a small ceremony in the Texas Medical Center. Through generous grants, the newly renovated garden has been restored to its original Holcombe House estate design, allowing for wheelchair and hospital bed access. In addition, Houston Hospice presented its 40th Anniversary official recognition proclamation, signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in commemoration of the nonprofit organization’s momentous milestone. 1980: Houston Hospice is founded. The same year, New Age Hospice is formed, which will later merge with Houston Hospice. New Age Hospice’s primary organizer is determined to establish a source of humane, caring responses for dying patients and their families, following the loss of three of her children. 1981: Houston Hospice (as New Age Hospice) begins accepting patients. Its first medical director is Dr. Richard Lamerton, a revered authority on care of the terminally ill who had been the first intern trained
Mayor Oscar Holcombe, Wife Mary Gray Miller, Daughter Elizabeth Holcombe Crosswell
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by the famous Dame Cicely Saunders at St. Christopher’s Hospice in London. 1982: Congress includes a provision to create a Medicare hospice benefit in the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. 1983: Houston Hospice (as New Age Hospice) becomes a member organization of the Texas Medical Center. At the time, it is the only hospice in the country so affiliated. 1986: The Medicare Hospice Benefit is made permanent by Congress. 1989: The Texas Medical Center, acknowledging the importance role Houston Hospice (as New Age Hospice) is now playing in the health care spectrum and the unique aspects of its care, gifts to the Hospice the former home of Mayor Oscar Fitzallen Holcombe, a picturesque English Tudor style home built in 1925 and its gardens, covering a 2.5 acre site just east of M.D. Anderson Hospital. 1993: Hospice is included as a nationally guaranteed benefit under President Clinton’s health care reform proposal. Hospice is now an accepted part of the health care continuum. 1996: Houston Hospice (as The Hospice
at the Texas Medical Center) opens the Margaret Cullen Marshall Patient Care Center adjacent to the Holcombe House for inpatient care services. The style of the three-story structure precisely matches the 1925 English Tudor architecture of the former mayor’s home. The Houston Garden Club continues to maintain the lush historical gardens for patients and families. 1996: Houston Hospice develops the Butterfly Program, providing for the distinct hospice needs of infants and youth aged 18 and younger. It is Houston’s first pediatric hospice program. 2002: Houston Hospice merges with The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center to form the largest not-for-profit hospice in Southeast Texas. 2006: The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognizes hospice and palliative medicine as a medical specialty. 2014: Houston Hospice’s renovations of the Margaret Cullen Marshall Hospice Care Center are completed, converting the third floor into patient rooms to meet the growing need for inpatient care. Private and communal spaces on all three floors are updated
The Garden Club of Houston Board Members (left to right): Vivie O’Sullivan, Isabel Lummis, Sue White (Houston Hospice Board Member), Julie Griffin, Jenny Kempner; Cynthia Nordt, VP Development, Houston Hospice; Sue Gaines, 29-Year Volunteer at Houston Hospice; Dr. Paul Mansfield, Professor of Surgical Oncology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Hospice Chairman of the Board; Rana McClelland, President & CEO, Houston Hospice; Aida Matic, incoming VP of Development Houston Hospice.
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