Lovely Like Mom
Abby and Jennifer Cowan
by Jennifer Oakley
Amusement-Park Memories Amazing Place Life With 12 Siblings On Photo Safari Houston, TX Permit No. 2047
The Kids’ Table
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Holiday-Meal Sides
EDITOR’S NOTE Still to this day my 86-year-old mom swears by Albolene Cream. She started using it when she was 16 and still uses it every single night to take off her makeup. Today, her skin is flawless. When I was younger, this cream and her passion for it were the target for many laughs. But today the joke is on me. I wish I had taken her advice. These days, I often visit her after a long day at work. I’ll run home, change into something comfy, then pop over to say hi. But no matter what time of day you visit my mom, she always looks fabulous. Without fail, this is what happens: She introduces me to someone new, and I see that perplexed and surprised look on their face, “You’re Blanche’s daughter?” Yes, I am. Mom, is it too late to borrow your Albolene Cream? Unlike me, many Buzz residents have actually taken their moms’ advice. To find out their tips, see this month’s article by Jennifer Oakley on beauty and wellness – inside and outside – passed down from Mom. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com
THE BUZZ MAGAZINES BELLAIRE • WEST UNIVERSITY • MEMORIAL • TANGLEWOOD/RIVER OAKS Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com • p: 713.668.4157 • f: 713.665.2940 Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter thebuzzmagazines.com Editor Publisher Associate Editors Design Manager Staff Writers
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Joni Hoffman Michael Hoffman Cheryl Laird Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld John Duboise Tracy L. Barnett Sharon Albert Brier Andria Frankfort Angie Frederickson Todd Freed Michelle Casas Groogan Dai Huynh Annie Blaylock McQueen Cheryl Ursin Cathy Gordon Catherine Kelsey Novosad Jennifer Oakley Russell Weil Jay Janecek Andrea Blitzer Leslie Little Kim Montgomery Darsey Swaim Amber Lewis, Michele Luke Helen van Rensburg
On our cover: Jennifer Cowan tries to teach daughter Abby that eating right is part of being healthy and beautiful. Cover photo by Michael Hart Photography, www.hartphoto.com The Buzz Magazines has made all reasonable attempts to verify the accuracy of all information contained within. Advertising claims are solely the responsibility of the advertiser. Copyright © 2015 Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this magazine by any means without written permission is strictly prohibited. Printed on recycled paper. Please remember to recycle.
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 4
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713.764.9850 • mlivingston@gmail.com • www.har.com/mikelivingston BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 5
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Your letters, thoughts, opinions Encouraging article on mental health Thank you so much for the excellent article featuring my daughter Elizabeth Smalling in the October 2015 issue [Not OK? That’s OK: Normalizing mental-health struggles, by Allie Burrow, October 2015]. She loved meeting with you and the process of writing the article. It is so important for the public to read an encouraging article on mental health – especially right now. What perfect timing. Elizabeth and I have traveled the state telling “our” story through a dialogue that she wrote. I have been on the NAMI [National Alliance on Mental Illness] Houston board for many years and have taught the NAMI Family to Family 12-week course for at least 10 years. Congratulations on a fine job. Shelley Green School likes School Buzz Thanks so much. The student reporter, Celia [Houston], rushed to my office when she saw it posted [School Buzz: Outside of a Textbook: Seeing Greece and Rome, August 25, 2015], and she couldn’t have been more excited. Her parents were extremely proud as well. We’re trying to get it trending on our school Facebook pages and Twitter accounts! Thanks for giving our students an opportunity to engage with The Buzz in such a fun and interesting way. Danny Kahalley, director of admissions, St. Thomas’ Episcopal School Editor’s note: Thanks for the feedback. We are happy to have Celia’s contributions to our School Buzz blog at thebuzzmagazines.com and look forward to more from her and the rest of your school’s team.
would be better served if perhaps only the first initial of the last name were used. Thank you. Linda C. Schneider
Glad for article on school safety I receive the magazine on a regular basis. To write a school safety and security article in a leisure-type magazine requires cleverness, guts and pioneership. Not to mention displaying it on the cover page and writing about it on [the] first 10 pages inside the magazine. Your article is timely and hits right on the bull’s eye. You all did a great job, first by giving it the priority it deserves, and second by using a positive language not to intimidate the readers. The article gives the affirmation to our children (and parents) that as responsible students and parents we are all involved in this and there are ample tools out there to help us all to minimize and curtail school violence and also terrorism. It is our job to be prepared regardless of our backgrounds and regardless of the threat. It is all about protecting our children. Hanan “Richter” Yadin Send letters to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and space. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.
What’s your story?
Rethink names on school signs The school safety article in the August issue [Playing It Safe: Preventing crime on campus, by Andria Frankfort, and Safety Tool Box: Back-to-school guide for families, by Rania Mankarious] made me think (again!) about something that has been on my mind for years. And yours is the perfect forum. I live very near Mark Twain Elementary School and Pershing Middle School in Braeswood Place. Almost daily I see the school sign reading “Happy Birthday John Smith (e.g.) September 5” or whatever child’s birthday it is. I have also seen this at Kinkaid School in Memorial. I feel this is a great opportunity for a predator to say to any child, “Who is John Smith? I have a birthday gift from his grandma for him.” And then, John gets pointed out. And evil is on its way! I know these messages are great moneymakers for the schools, but safety BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 6
We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who: • Recently got married. • Have a unique hobby or passion. • Loved (or hated) the results of past New Year’s resolutions. • Are involved in planning the 2017 Super Bowl LI in Houston. • Know an interesting neighbor to profile. If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 12.
NEIGHBORS RGD0006-1977-3448NA002, Houston Public Library, HMRC
by Russell Weil, contributing writer
Amusement Parks Where Houston used to play Exactly one year ago, native Houstonian Russell Weil wrote a story for The Buzz that was especially popular with readers. It was called Restaurant Memories, and it chronicled favorite old-time Houston restaurants. If you missed it, you can find it – along with all Buzz stories – at thebuzzmagazines.com. Here is Russell’s take on another slice of Houston’s classic past: amusement parks.
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musement parks have been a local favorite for over 90 years. One of the earliest venues was Luna Park. Sprawled over 36,000 acres in the Houston Heights on the banks of White Oak Bayou where I-45 and I-10 intersect today, this entertainment paradise was Houston’s answer to the famed Coney Island. Luna Park, in operation 1924-34, was home to Houston’s first roller coaster, The Skyrocket. A newspaper article from 1927 reported that the hand-built, white, wooden roller coaster carried up to 3,000 passengers daily. The centerpiece was a heart-stopping 84-foot drop. Boxing and wrestling exhibitions, dance marathons (with a first prize of $750) and beauty pageants were popular draws. Luna Park reached its height of popularity during the 1920s, but things changed as the 1929 stock market crash left people less money to spend. Bad times continued with the discovery of a man’s corpse on the park’s grounds in 1930; two years later, a farmer was hijacked in his car while in Luna Park. Houston’s love affair with the amusement park did not end with the demise of Luna Park in 1934. Two popular parks debuted along South Main Street. Opening in the 1930s, the beloved Kiddie Wonderland on South Main Street and Kirby enjoyed nearly 60 years as a popular destination for young children. Built on deserted land leased from Ben Taub that was, at the time, outside the city limits of Houston and is currently a Kroger, Kiddie Wonderland was a favorite during the 1960s. It was on the same route that would take us to our pediatrician in the Texas Medical Center. My brother and I were always relieved when my dad would turn into the Kiddie Wonderland parking lot. BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 8
PONY TIME A youngster enjoys a ride on one of the legendary ponies at Kiddie Wonderland in 1977.
While the usual rides, such as the 1941 Merry-Go-Round and the 1938 Kiddie Train, would keep us entertained, the ponies were the main attraction. With names such as Jack, Tippie, Sandy, Champ and Spunky, these ponies were as gentle as they could be. Former keeper Gene Bauer was quoted in an early 1980s Houston Chronicle article as saying, “Anything slower than Spunky is legally dead.” Many longtime Houstonians have fond mem-
TICKET TO RIDE A 1972 ticket to Peppermint Park. Ticket courtesy of David Morris Purdie.
ories of Kiddie Wonderland. Birthday parties here were popular. Buzz resident and The Emery/Weiner School teacher Steve Daum recalls, “I remember my dad telling me that the horses I rode were the same ones that he rode as a kid!” With rising costs and increased land value, the owners closed the park in the early 1990s. The ambitious Playland Park was built in the early 1940s and featured two roller coasters. The park was located on South Main Street between Murworth and Westridge, now a Conn’s and strip center west of the NRG Stadium parking lot.
With a carnival-like theme, complete with barkers, Playland was billed as an entertainment complex. With 10 rides on 10 acres, the centerpiece of Playland Park was The Rocket, a wooden roller coaster opening in 1947. The Rocket was promoted as being “the largest roller coaster in the world.” Cheap thrills were paramount. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle from 1969, Madame Kate was a voluptuous self-proclaimed gypsy whose clinging garb and “azure” eyes mesmerized two generations of park-goers. Local advertising executive Lynton Ellisor worked at Playland Park as a teenager in his family’s booth making nametags. “On my off time, I remember riding the roller coaster, which had three huge drops,” he says, “but my favorite part of the park was the arcade and buying stuff with all the tickets I had won.” A stock-car race track was built as a side attraction, but quickly became quite popular. Unfortunately, memories of the race track involve incidents that most likely contributed to the park’s eventual closing in 1968. In 1959, an out-of-control stock car careened through a steel fence, killing two and injuring three others. In 1962, a passenger on The Rocket turned in his seat to grab a child to make sure he was secure, and subsequently plummeted 60 feet, suffering major injuries but surviving the fall. Mysterious blazes occurred, as did other mishaps. With dwindling popularity and the opening of AstroWorld, Playland Park closed and was sold
Cecil E. Burdick Jr.
Russell Weil
WHEEEE Left photo: Russell Weil (this article’s writer), Carol Simon and Stuart Weil (from left) take their turn on the Hook & Ladder Ride at Wee Wild West in 1963. Right photo: The Black Dragon, here in 1968, was one of the original rides at AstroWorld.
for redevelopment in 1968 to controversial Houston socialite Candace Mossler. The 1950s and 1960s saw an increase in new amusement parks to the Houston area. With several locations throughout the years, Peppermint Park is especially remembered for its site at the North Loop near T.C. Jester. Housed inside a red- and white-striped warehouse, Peppermint Park was promoted as the “Miniature Amusement Park for Small Kids.” At most amusement parks, a sign would determine if you were tall enough to be allowed on a particular ride. Peppermint Park was unique in that it catered to little tikes who did not have to worry about being small. Some of the more popular rides included a merry-go-round, boat ride, airplane ride, The Whip, bounce houses, and a ball pit. Buzz resident and Houston history buff David Purdie recalls celebrations at this magical place. “Birthday parties were held at reserved tables that had the name of the birthday boy or girl posted on a clown-face chalkboard,” he remembers. Another resident says her favorite ride was The Whip: “It felt so fast and dangerous when the little metal car whipped around the short end, and we had to hang on for dear life while we slid to the outside,” says Buzz associate editor Cheryl Laird. “It probably wasn’t all that fast.” Peppermint Park delighted kiddos for decades before closing in the early 1990s. Another park operating during the 1960s was Wee Wild West on Westheimer Road at Yorktown where Capital Grille stands today. Thrilled to see the huge Wee Wild West sign at the entrance, I couldn’t wait to celebrate my childhood birthday parties there. The roller coaster had two drops – the first one was just enough to speed the car up to the immediate climb and the big drop coming ahead. That drop seemed to last forever, and I would lose my stomach with each ride.
Wee Wild West’s Hook & Ladder ride was a favorite, with kids sitting in an old firetruck driving around the park. Some other popular rides included the Whirly-Bird helicopter ride and hand-operated push trains. The locomotive train ride would leave the depot with parents standing along a chain-link fence to wave as the train entered a dark tunnel. Of course, Houston’s most beloved and missed amusement park is AstroWorld. Built by Judge Roy Hofheinz as part of the Astrodomain Complex, AstroWorld held its grand opening on June 1, 1968, with over 50,000 guests visiting the first weekend. Situated on 57 acres of land, which would eventually expand to 75 acres, the park had several themed areas, including Americana Square, Alpine Valley, Children’s World, Plaza de Fiesta, Oriental Corner and Western Junction. Rides such as the Black Dragon, Bamboo Shoot and the Texas Cyclone filled our need for thrills. The Alpine Sleigh Ride and Lost World Adventure (jungle boat ride through Rio Misterio) carried us to exotic adventures. The AstroWheel and AstroNeedle took us to new views of Houston. Six Flags purchased AstroWorld at the beginning of the 1976 season, opening up the Coney Island section later that year. Management at AstroWorld wanted to build a classic wooden coaster to be the key attraction, initially considering whether to relocate the world famous Coney Island Cyclone to Houston before settling on building their own faster, taller, mirror-image version. Opening in 1976, the Texas Cyclone was one of the largest wooden roller coasters in the United States. With over a dozen drops, the coaster reached speeds of up to 60 mph. Buzz resident Susan Zimmerman Rosen, who worked at AstroWorld during middle school and high school, recalls, “I remember sitting in the last seat in the last car. That first plunge was so fast that we would have been lifted out of the car if
we didn’t grip the bar holding us in.” The Crystal Palace Theater offered up musical entertainment in an air-conditioned setting, while other shows featured animals and characters that became familiar through the years. “AstroWorld was the greatest place to work back then! Great friends and so much fun,” says Rosen, whose main role was as a show character, Samantha Skunk. Later she became a show captain, teaching performers dance routines. So many people I encounter have magical memories of being dropped off at AstroWorld as a teenager for a day of fun. As the tram crossed the AstroWorld Bridge, the spinning globe at the main entrance would come into view, and they knew the day was going to be a great one. Buzz resident and information-technology executive Mark Newman says, “I had my first kiss on the Bamboo Shoot.” There were some love-struck teenagers who knew every dark, private corner in the park. Riding favorite rides over and over, no matter how long the line, and stopping by the Rainbo bread store for a mini loaf added to the happiness that AstroWorld brought to all. How sad it was when this beloved theme park closed for good 10 years ago. While amusement parks have been a vital part of Houston’s past, excitement is building, and occasionally fading, at news of the planned Grand Texas just north of Houston in New Caney. With a 150-acre theme park and a 40acre water park among the planned attractions (plus an RV park, motor-racing track and factory-outlet mall), there is hope that the amusement park – even if later than originally announced – eventually will return to Houston in grand style. Editor’s note: We hope you enjoyed this story, part of our “Where Houston used to play” series. Up next: Music and Movie Theaters. And, as always, we’d love to share your favorite memories and photos. Comment under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com or email info@thebuzzmagazines.com. BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 9
NEIGHBORS by Cheryl Ursin, staff writer
Amazing Place lawellphoto.com
When memories fade
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ementia is terrifying. The idea that your mind might slip out from under you, taking your memory, your abilities and your independence with it, is something most of us prefer not to think about. Yet, many people, both those afflicted and their families, have to. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one out of every nine Americans aged 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease, by far the most prevalent type of dementia. By age 85, that number is one out of three. “Very few people don’t have some experience with dementia,” says Margaret Bandy. She should know. Bandy has been involved with Amazing Place, a Houston day program specifically for people with mild to moderate dementia, since its founding in 1996 and served as its executive director for several years. Now, she attends its program two days a week. Though you would never know it by talking to this intelligent, articulate, social woman, Margaret Bandy has dementia. She can quickly, with wit and charm, tell you all about dementia and Amazing Place, but later that day, she might have no memory of that conversation or of you. Dementia is a set of symptoms that can be caused by a number of medical conditions. It is defined as a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to interfere with daily life. While there are some reversible conditions, such as a hormone imbalance, that can cause dementia symptoms, most dementias are not curable, and most do progress. The exact symptoms, their severity and their rate of progression can vary: While Bandy’s symptoms are mild, Leigh Vasnin’s 90-year-old mom, Lillian Whalen, often does not recognize her daughter or know where she is. “Basically, reality is generally gone for her,” says Leigh. Participants at Amazing Place range in age from 53 to 98. Amazing Place, a state-licensed, 501(c)3 non-profit, offers its program Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Participants decide how many days per week to attend. Tuition is about $80-90 per day. Some long-term care insurance policies cover it, and Amazing Place is a service provider for the Veterans Administration. Amazing Place also offers BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 10
AMAZING PERSON Margaret Bandy, former executive director, has been involved with Amazing Place since the beginning and was the first to recognize the early symptoms of dementia in herself. (Inset picture from 1997.)
financial aid to families who qualify. What Amazing Place offers its participants is a safe, comfortable place to interact with people and take part in interesting activities. Fitness classes. Book clubs. Gardening (in raised flower beds on wheels for easy access). Even golf and basketball. (Amazing Place has its own putting
green and basketball hoop.) Participants can take cognitively stimulating classes, covering subjects from art and woodworking to Bible study, history and international studies. They can play games, from bridge to billiards, go on excursions, such as a recent trip to an IMAX
lawellphoto.com
AMAZING LIFE John Elliott, pictured with wife Jenni, traveled the world as a geologist. (Inset picture from the 1970s.)
theater, and watch visiting entertainers. In 2010, Amazing Place moved into its current, 14,000-square-foot building at 3735 Drexel, near Richmond and Weslayan in the Greenway Plaza area, designed specifically for the program. Its rooms, such as its chapel, com-
plete with modernist stained glass, its art studio and its recreation room, outfitted with game tables, a pool table and a bank of computers, feel spacious but also intimate and comfortable. The building’s shady 4,000-square-foot garden is home to a koi pond and waterfall (raised for easy
viewing) as well as the basketball hoop, putting green, a shuffleboard court, a walking path and comfortable wooden benches. Amazing Place’s staff of 25, taking care of about 58 participants a day, plan every aspect of each activity carefully. (continued on page 12)
How to talk with someone with dementia Realize that you may encounter people with dementia anywhere. “People with mild to moderate dementia are out and about in public, in grocery stores, on planes, and they don’t look sick,” says Sally Davis, Amazing Place’s health services director. Davis knows of families whose loved one might act inappropriately who carry cards to discreetly inform people, “Please excuse my mother’s behavior. She has Alzheimer’s.” Jerry Bates, an Amazing Place participant, says that his experience has taught him “‘the importance of being kind to everyone as you never know when you’ll need someone to be kind to you.’” “Don’t be afraid to talk to them and engage them; that’s what they’re hungry for,” says Tracey Brown, Amazing Place’s executive director. People with dementia fear not being able to keep up in conversation and withdraw, becoming isolated and lonely. Jenni Elliott, whose husband John attends Amazing Place, remembers a “spectacular” young woman they met at a Christmas party a few years back. What did that young woman do? “She went and sat next to my husband and engaged him in conversation,” says Jenni. Don’t correct their errors. If they say they just had a visit from a long-dead relative or they believe they’re on a cruise ship, go with it. “Meet them where they are,” says Davis. Likewise, avoid the temptation to “memory-test” them or to remind them of an important memory, hoping to rekindle it. Ask about emotions rather than facts. Ordinary conversation can contain a lot of specific questions. With a person with memory loss, switch the focus to how the person feels. “Rather than ‘What did you do today?’ ask ‘Did you have a good day?’ Instead of ‘What did you have for lunch?’ ask ‘Did you enjoy lunch?’” says Brianna Garrison, Amazing Place’s family services director. Ask what their childhood was like. Most often, recent memory is what is affected by dementia, but a person’s memories of the distant past remain intact. Miah Arnold, a writer with a doctorate in writing and literature, in conjunction with Inprint, a literary non-profit, leads memoirwriting classes at Amazing Place, in which participants produce beautiful essays about their earliest memories.
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 11
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AMAZING ATHLETE Jerry Bates ran multiple marathons and triathlons, including 14 marathons in Houston alone. (Inset picture from the Compaq Houston Marathon in 2001.) (continued from page 11) “Participants don’t realize
all the thought that goes into everything, but they do feel it and appreciate it,” says Margaret Bandy. For the daily lunch, for instance, culinary director Michael Lieb creates brain-healthy menus, the seating arrangements are carefully planned for maximum socializing, and staff members sit at each table of eight, to facilitate conversations. BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 12
When Jenni Elliott, a retired school librarian, picked up her husband John, a retired geologist, after his first day at Amazing Place, she asked him what he thought. “He said, ‘They treat you like you’re something precious,’” she says. “Amazing Place does as much for the caregiver as it does for the participant,” says Ronald Bandy, Margaret’s husband. While, of course, one of the biggest benefits to caregivers is know-
ing that their loved one is being well-cared-for when they must leave them for work, other tasks or to take a much-needed break from the roundthe-clock care a person with dementia can need, Amazing Place offers other support to them as well, including a six-week class, called Powerful Tools for Caregivers, held three times a year. Jenni Elliott took that class and continues to meet with her former classmates in a support
AMAZING SMILES Lillian Whalen enjoys the company of Peyton Edens, a student from the River Oaks Baptist School. Every summer, Amazing Place's STARS program brings 20-25 high school and college volunteers together with program participants. (Inset picture of Lillian is from 1941.)
group every couple weeks, staying in touch with them, via their own Facebook group, as well. The group meets in a private room in a restaurant “where we can laugh, scream, cry, whatever we need to do,” says Elliott. Brianna Garrison, a licensed clinical social worker, is Amazing Place’s family services director. She provides counseling of all sorts to families, from the practical, such as what the next step should be when their loved one’s dementia progresses, to the emotional. “We want to give caregivers a safe place to talk about what they
are going through and to have them not be afraid to seek support,” she says. Betsy Bates, for example, asked Amazing Place counselors to talk with her twin teenaged daughters about their father’s disease and how it affects him. Caregivers can have such “a feeling of loneliness,” says Betsy, as they come to terms with their loved one’s diagnosis. Both Garrison and Tracey Brown, Amazing Place’s executive director, urge people in the community who may be dealing with dementia to consider Amazing Place an information resource.
“If you need help, you don’t necessarily have to attend here, we will still help you,” says Brown. Leigh Vasnin, whose mother does not always remember who she is, has come to a sort of peace. “I don’t take it personally. I know it’s her brain changing,” she says. “I know that, for as long as she could, my mother knew me and loved me.”
MORE ONLINE See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links to helpful websites and for expert tips about when memory loss can signal serious dementia.
Some helpful books and resources on dementia The 36-Hour Day by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins The Alzheimer’s Action Plan by P. Murali Doraiswamy, Lisa P. Gwyther and Tina Adler Alzheimer’s from the Inside Out by Richard Taylor For more information on Amazing Place, visit its website or call 713-552-0420. The Alzheimer’s Association provides a wealth of information, including local resources. 24-hour helpline: 1-800-272-3900 Sheltering Arms (713-685-6577) is a non-profit that provides a number of services for the elderly and their caregivers, including its own day program specifically for people with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at Baylor College of Medicine, here in Houston, provides diagnostic and clinical care for patients and also conducts research into promising therapies, 713-798-4734. Twice a year, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, which originally founded Amazing Place, presents a free caregiver conference, in partnership with Interfaith CarePartners, to give families information, resources and support about caring for an aging parent or spouse. For more information, call 713-402-5008.
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 13
NEIGHBORS by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
Growing Up Big No dull moments with 12 siblings
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llison Edwards was an only child. The assistant professor at The University of Texas School of Nursing says she enjoyed growing up solo. “I never felt like I missed out on having a sibling.” But she needn’t have worried. Because when Allison married Tommy Edwards, founder of Cima Energy, she also gained 12 siblings who came with a slew of spouses and children. “The ironic thing,” Allison says, “is that my father-inlaw [the patriarch of those 13 offspring] was an only kid too.” So what was it like stepping into a family whose every get-together attracts no less than 40 people? “It was awesome, like an ongoing party,” Allison says. “I was never overwhelmed, because as an only child you’re always the center of attention. Having an immediate set of sistersand brothers-in-law was glorious.” Tommy, who is the 12th of the 13 children, says, “My parents did a great job. We always said it was like they had 13 only children.” Today, Tommy’s parents are no longer living, but their legacy lives on in their 13 children, who range in age from 49 to 70, and their 18 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. The Edwards kids grew up on their large working ranch in Stowell, Texas, which was established in 1818. Allison says, “They had two or three of everything – dishwashers, washers and dryers.” “Growing up on a farm in a rural environment added a twist,” Tommy says. “We had a ready playgroup, but we had to entertain ourselves a lot. It was like we had our own squad. We did things you couldn’t do in a city today – we walked back and forth to school, we’d play outside and be gone for a long time, and nobody would look for you. [My parents] didn’t have to think much about safety. The older ones always took care of the younger kids, and you were always with a big group.” Sometimes the group got a little rowdy. “They had this milkman deliver milk to the family,” Allison says. “In 1976, they spent $200 a month on milk bills. That would be like $1,000 or more today. Just gallons and gallons of milk.” Unbeknownst to their parents, the kids would BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 14
MORE IS MORE When the 13 Edwards siblings get together for family weddings and birthdays, as they did 25 years ago for Allison and Tommy Edwards' wedding, attendance typically tops 40.
stop the milkman for ice cream, which wasn’t on order. Once their dad got wind of the offhanded additions, he told the milkman to shut them down, because the charges would amp up. The new plan didn’t go over well with the kids, so Tommy says, “My sister talked my older brother into locking the milkman into his truck so they could access the back of the truck to get to the ice cream. As they were implementing the scheme, one of the older brothers pulled up and stopped it.” Another time some of the girls were experimenting with cigarettes. They burned the barn down. “Perfection was not in the cards,” Tommy laughs. “It was kind of like Lord of the Flies. Pretty hard to describe. What’s normal to me is not normal to someone else.” Time and schedules were all relative. “If you were five minutes late, you’d just have to say, ‘Hey, we got here, and we’re all alive!’ “It was hard to do anything with any structure. With that many kids there were so many car wrecks and football injuries. You learn to roll with the punches and live with life’s imperfections pretty early on.”
After all the years of living with a crowd, Tommy says when he married he didn’t think he wanted children. “But my wife wanted six. We were blessed with three,” Grace, 20, Porter, 18, and Thomas, 15. Now when the extended family gets together, it’s usually punctuated by a holiday or birthday, and it’s typically at the ranch. Once a month, everyone celebrates birthdays. “Someone brings a cake and lists everybody’s birthday for that month,” Allison says. “Then we all contribute to the menu, and the brother who is the rancher does the beef.” The siblings, all of whom live in Texas, still meet regularly for the working interest of the ranch. Allison says, “The best part about having this extensive family is that I always have a resource or a friend. There’s always an event, always a wedding or a funeral, and there’s no shortage of conversation or things to do. “At the end of the day, they’re such a loving, close-knit family. They’re such a force.” Of his growing-up years, Tommy says, “There was never a dull moment. In hindsight I would not trade it for the world.”
NEIGHBORS by Jennifer Oakley, contributing writer
Lovely Like Mom Mother-daughter beauty tips
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also has a son, Brandon, 14, who attends Post Oak High School. “So we drink a lot of water, and we drink a lot of tea. When you enter a Persian home, hot tea is made available to you, and we drink it from clear glasses to gauge how dark or strong the tea is, and we always make it from fresh tea leaves.” The blacktea leaves often have cardamom, rosewater or saffron added in. Morgan is a big fan of keeping $6 tins of Smith’s Rosebud Salve, which she buys at Sephora, at home, in the car and in purses – for everyone in the family. LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTERS Morgan Shin demonstrates the art of applying her “go-to” lip balm on Isabella while Sophia looks on. They use Rosebud Salve “For us, it’s like the for everything from chapped lips to sunburns. Windex in My Big kitchen that Abby created a special yogurt parFat Greek Wedding. We use it not just for chapped fait with pomegranates as the star of the dish. lips, but for everything. It is so soothing. We put Jennifer, who was raised in Oklahoma, it on a face blemish, cuts, sunburns, chapped lips, believes beauty and healthful living go hand in on eyebrows. When our kids were babies we used hand, a message she shares with Abby, attorneyit for diaper rash.” husband Ben Cowan and son, Eli, 13, who also Morgan says a common refrain growing up attends The Emery/Weiner School. “First and was “use henna to make your hair shinier and foremost beauty comes from within,” says fuller and more nourished, if you get a blemish, Jennifer, a former social worker. “I definitely put a little lemon juice on it, and eat pomegranbelieve in a healthy lifestyle, which includes ates so your skin will glow.” being healthy in mind, body and spirit. When Pomegranates also have a place of healthful you are healthy in body you eat right, exercise importance for Buzz resident Jennifer Cowan regularly, drink plenty of water and get lots of and 11-year-old daughter Abby, who attends sleep. When you are healthy in mind you feel The Emery/Weiner School. The fruit, rich in less stress, experience more (continued on page 18) antioxidants, has such a prized place in their hartphoto.com
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or Mojgan “Morgan” Shin, the lesson of learning beauty tips from her mother started the moment she was born. “In Farsi, the name ‘Mojgan’ is a poetic way of saying ‘eyelashes,’” notes Morgan, who was born in Tehran, Iran. Adds her mom, Azam Shadravan, “It is a name used in literature and poetry as a metaphor for sending an arrow to the heart of man, inspiring love. And when she was born, I just looked at her eyelashes and said: She is ‘Mojgan!’ Everything in our Persian culture is about love and beauty.” Both women’s lives are as steeped in shared lessons as the tea they drink daily. “Persian people are very passionate about our food and our families, and we believe in being very hospitable,” says Morgan, a Buzz resident who emigrated from Tehran to the United States in October 1979 with her family. “Persian women care very much about their appearance, and beauty is important in everything we do, from how we look to how we greet people and show our hospitality.” Morgan has tried to pass on her mother Azam’s life and beauty lessons to her own daughters, Isabella, 14, and Sophia, 10. Isabella attends Episcopal High School, and Sophia attends Annunciation Orthodox School. “Beauty is inside and out, and the key is to not put it on your face if it is not natural or filled with preservatives,” says Azam, a Buzz resident and a former urban and rural planner who now enjoys retirement with her husband, Siavash. “We believe that beauty comes from the inside, so when you eat good, it reflects in your face.” Azam lists pomegranates, cucumbers, water, tea, lemons, honey, apples and henna among the most important items in both a kitchen cupboard and a beauty cabinet. “We like our faces to be shiny and clean and bright, so two times a week, I make a mask of 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey, and I mix it and put it on my face for 15-20 minutes and then wash it off – it is my Botox!” Additionally, she credits a 20-minute nap with being a critical part of a daily beauty routine. “My Mom has always told me that hydration is critical for supple skin,” says Morgan, a former nurse who, with surgeon-husband David Shin,
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SITTING PRETTY Dr. Nina Ali loves to share her beauty and health tips with daughters Nylah, Aneesa and Nadia (from left). For special events, they wear richly detailed outfits called shalwar and kameez.
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From floral scents to chai tea to henna, every month, Angela Nina’s daughters love experiencing products has some unique views that make up their Indian heritage. “My Mom on what it takes to stay was particular and did not want any chemical healthy while traveling. treatments in our hair,” recalls Nina. “Her gen“Never get on a plane eral philosophy was to use natural products without food and and to hydrate. For hair and skin, we use a lot water,” she says; hydraof natural henna, which grows on trees.” tion is critical to a Henna dyes are used for hair color and for healthy traveler. elaborate, temporary designs that are painted “Always have some onto hands. Nina notes that there are a numChapStick because your ber of Indian salons in Houston and recomlips will dry out, put mends Aisha’s Salon & Spa, which has multimoisturizer on your ple branch locations, as an excellent spot to hands and face, and get henna dyes and tattoos. always wash your face “For special occasions we enjoy henna — on a plane after dinner, especially at Eid or during weddings,” says Nina. so if you go to sleep, you “Part of the fun of henna is the getting together will be more refreshed of the girls and ladies to have the henna done. when you wake up.” Usually there is a party with food, music and Angela believes that artists who apply the henna, so it’s a whole beauty begins internally. atmosphere of festivity.” “It doesn’t matter what Nina notes that the oils and spices used for genclothes you wear, what erations in India are still relevant today. “For exammake-up you put on, ple we are always looking for hair detangler and what shoes you walk in conditioner,” she says. “Once the girls learned about — those things may using coconut oil as a hair conditioner/detangler it’s make you feel good, but become their ‘go to’ hair product.” beauty starts when you Besides coconut oil, spices such as ground feel good about yoursandalwood, turmeric powder, saffron and gram self,” she says. “You must (chickpea) flour are all items that can be purfeel good about you chased at the grocery stores but also used for before you can be beaubeauty purposes. “I make a yellow mask using GAME ON Jennifer and Abby Cowan play tennis weekly and say healthy tiful.” living leads to a more beautiful life. gram flour, turmeric, sandalwood, rose water and With three daughmilk,” says 11-year-old Nylah Ali. “It’s easy to ters, Buzz resident and (continued from page 16) peacefulness and greater make and fun to use things you find in your obstetrician Dr. Nina Ali gets to bestow a wealth focus to your relationships. When you are kitchen. And my mom notices the difference it of beauty tips, mixing in elements of her family’s healthy in spirit you naturally connect with peoIndian heritage, on to ple in more meaningful ways. Nylah, 11, Nadia, 8, and “My parents always made me feel pretty, but Aneesa, 4. Nylah and not by telling me necessarily and focusing on outNadia attend St. John’s ward beauty. Beauty was via philanthropy, being School. Although Nina kind and accepting of others and not through was born in London and materialism, even though there was plenty of that raised in North around. All of this and keeping us grounded.” Carolina, her parents Jennifer and Abby integrate exercise into their and in-laws all are from lives by playing tennis weekly and credit the Hyderabad, India. Nina, sport for mother-daughter bonding. “For Abby along with cardiologistand I, volunteering in the community is another husband Asif, are mindform of beauty,” she says. “We believe helping ful of the vibrant tradiothers makes the world more beautiful. As a tions that have been mom, I would like to teach Abby the importance passed down from the of beauty from within – to not be superficial and women in their families. to not judge others by appearance.” “India has such a colBuzz resident Angela Perry, an international orful history, and Indian flight attendant, echoes the sentiment that people care very much beauty sprouts from within. She says she and about beauty, their hair husband Carlton Perry, a surgeon, have tried to and their skin,” says be thoughtful about how to promote beauty and Nina. “Although both overall wellbeing to 8-year-old daughter Asif and I grew up here Addison and son Caden, 10, who both attend in the United States, we St. John’s School. feel very lucky to Angela adds that she and Addison do have include our Indian or their “girl” time by playing “spa” and getting South Asian cultural IT’S IN THE BAG Mother-daughter duo Angela and Addison Perry share their nails and hair done together. traditions in many tips on how to stay refreshed and healthy while traveling. Angela, a longtime With a job that takes her to Italy and back international flight attendant, always brings lip balm, lotion and water. things we do.” BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 18
makes in my skin.” Nina says there are many Indian grocery stores in Houston and recommends Patel Brothers, 5815 Hillcroft, as a large store that carries all of these items. Nina says colorful clothing and jewelry are also a highly regarded part of their culture. “We often wear traditional clothes to dinner parties and family events. The clothes are ornate with intricate embroidery and beading that is mostly
hand done by skilled artisans. The girls and I love getting dressed up, and we’ll have coordinating outfits made for special occasions.” Sometimes Nina will wear a sari, and often she and her daughters will all wear shalwar and kameez, which are two-piece, pants and top outfits. The Ali girls also have a collection of colorful glass-beaded bangle bracelets, which they wear to add more sparkle to their outfits.
“I want my girls to be confident in who they are, what they believe and how they look,” Nina says. “A confident woman is a force to be reckoned with.” Editor’s note: Email info@thebuzzmagazines.com or leave a comment under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com to share your own beauty tips with fellow Buzz readers.
POMEGRANATE PERFECTION Abby Cowan, 11, created the tasty Pomegranate Parfait. Filled with fruit, yogurt, honey and nuts, Abby’s recipe is easy and healthy.
Abby Cowan’s Pomegranate Parfait Ingredients: 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 4 teaspoons honey ½ cup pomegranate seeds ½ cup blueberries ½ cup walnuts, chopped In a parfait dish, place a layer of each ingredient, one on top of the other. Decorate the top layer with a combination of the pomegranate seeds, blueberries and chopped walnuts. This dish can be made and served right away, or can be made ahead of time and kept cool in the fridge until ready to serve. Serves 1. Azam Shadravan’s “Face Lift” Mask Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 Tablespoon honey 1 Tablespoon milk 1 Tablespoon egg white 1 Tablespoon mashed ripe avocado Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Apply to freshly washed face. Leave mask on skin for 20 minutes and rest and relax. Rinse off with lukewarm water. Follow up with favorite moisturizer. If you make and apply the mask and rinse before bedtime, Azam Shadravan says that you will “wake up like you had a face lift!”
Nylah Ali’s Beauty Mask Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons gram flour (besan) 1 teaspoon turmeric (haldi) A pinch of ground sandalwood 2 Tablespoons rose water 1 Tablespoon milk Mix all of the ingredients together to create a yellow paste. Apply it to your face and keep it on until it dries (15-20 minutes). Rinse off with warm water. Morgan Shin’s Perfect Cup of Persian Tea Morgan buys Top Tea brand tea from Phoenicia Specialty Foods in downtown Houston. This recipe makes four cups of tea. You will need one tea kettle and one tea pot, a tea strainer, four clear tea cups/mugs and spoons. Directions: Place four teaspoons of loose tea leaves into the tea pot and set aside. Fill a tea kettle with six cups of cold water. Turn on heat and bring to a boil. Once the water has boiled, pour boiling water over the tea into the tea pot. Let the tea and the water steep for 5-7 minutes. Place the tea strainer on top of a mug and pour the tea into the tea cup/mug. Continue with each mug. Discard strained tea leaves from the strainer. “The color of the tea is very important and determines its strength, which is why we use clear tea cups,” says Shin. “There will be some extra water in the tea pot, which we use to dilute any of the cups of tea in case a guest wants their tea weaker. If a guest prefers darker tea, we steep it longer. Also, we serve the tea with white or brown sugar cubes for sweetness. “There is something so comforting about having a cup of tea with your family and friends. It is an important part of our everyday life.” hartphoto.com
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Natural beauty recipes
THE ART OF TEA Clear mugs of Persian tea are presented on a family tea service at the home of Morgan Shin. Guests are always offered a cup of tea.
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NEIGHBORS by Cathy Gordon, contributing writer
Shark Tank fave sheds light in disaster
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hree puffs as if blowing into a balloon. That’s all it takes, says Andrea Sreshta, exhaling into a rectangular object that at first glance resembles a tiny, semi-transparent pillow. But there’s no fluff to this device. Neatly tucked into a clear, laminated pocket on its front sits a small solar panel that hints at a more powerful purpose. “It feels good to come up with something that can help people,” says social entrepreneur Andrea, 31, a 2002 Bellaire High School graduate and co-inventor of LuminAID, a solar-powered light that packs flat and inflates to diffuse light like a lantern. Created as a college project, it now sheds light in some of the darkest corners of the world in times of disaster. While the Yale architecture graduate was pursuing her masters degree at Columbia University, a devastating 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti, killing more than 160,000 and displacing 1.5 million. Her professor challenged the class to design something to aid in post-earthquake relief. “We’d seen the news reports. Grim,” she says. Haitians huddled in tent cities with scarce basic necessities, no electricity. Crime came under the cloak of night. Thefts. Rapes. Her thoughts were in sync with project partner and classmate Anna Stork’s. “Light was an unmet need.” “We needed to create an inflatable device that could pack flat for easy distribution, and it had to be lightweight, waterproof and be able to charge on the go,” explains Andrea. They created a prototype at Anna’s kitchen table. “We thought, ‘Okay, this is something that’s not been seen before. Maybe we’ve got something here.’” The prototype came in handy a year later while on class assignment in Tokyo. An earthquake struck. The two were safe at their hotel but without power at times due to rolling blackouts. A click of the device’s button, and Andrea and Anna had lights. “It brought to our mind that this could be important in a lot of applications,” Andrea says of the lights that are now a staple for emergency preparedness, camping trips and other uses in the U.S. BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 20
Daphna Gall
Illuminating Invention “An invaluable aid,” says Eric Klein, founder of the international non-profit disaster relief group, CanDo. His organization disperses LuminAID lights in Haiti where many are still displaced due to the earthquake and 2012 Hurricane Sandy. “It can improve SOLAR SOLUTION Social entrepreneurs Andrea Sreshta (left) and Anna Stork bring their world in a light to disaster relief with their invention, LuminAID. second,” Klein says. Memorial home. “Yeah, I don’t know when I’ll “Kids there think these lights are magic. When get my garage back,” quips her dad. you turn them on, their faces light up too.” “We’re just to the point where we’re starting Through LuminAID’s Give Light, Get Light to outgrow it,” says Andrea, who estimates up to program, people can purchase a light for them40,000 lights are stored there before they are selves and sponsor another for someone in need. sold at www.luminaid.com, on Amazon and in Outreach projects with NGO partners have retail stores. placed more than 10,000 donated lights in more The startup received its first funding in the than 50 countries including Haiti, Nepal and fall of 2011, raising more than $50,000 through the Philippines. The startup supplies lights to the Indiegogo crowdfunding website. Other ShelterBox, Doctors Without Borders and sevfunds came from a $25,000 new-venture chaleral United Nations organizations. lenge at Andrea’s business school and a cleanJoe and Yvonne Sreshta aren’t surprised at energy competition that garnered $100,000. their daughter’s ingenuity. She is bright, confiEarlier this year, she and Anna wowed all five dent and creative, they say. She excelled in acaSharks on the hit ABC show Shark Tank, demics, debate, violin and piano. accepting billionaire investor and businessman “She did not want to be a conformist, so to Mark Cuban’s offer of $200,000 for 15 percent speak,” says her dad, a wealth management adviequity in the company. sor. “She had friends who wanted to become Most recently, the startup received a doctors and lawyers, but she had no interest in $100,000 Mission Main Street Grant from either. Architecture was a nice place for her Chase. With proud parents looking on, she because she could be as creative as she wanted accepted a giant ceremonial check before an to be. It was a more free-thinking environment.” audience of students at her alma mater, Bellaire LuminAID is based in Chicago where High School. Andrea, an admitted workaholic, pursues an “I wanted students to know,” says Andrea, MBA at the University of Chicago Booth “that they’re being prepared for bigger things.” School of Business while running the business with Anna. “Anna is amazing at the technical stuff,” says Andrea of the Dartmouth College See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for a engineering graduate. The lights are manufacvideo of the inventors’ appearance on Shark Tank. tured in China but ship from Andrea’s parents’
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Two quick pathways to allergy relief Allergy shots are unique in that they make you less allergic to the pollen, dust mites, mold and/or animal dander you’re allergic to. They do this by helping your body to switch from an “allergic” response, to more of a “tolerance” response. In essence, your body no longer tries to fight off the allergens; instead, it learns how to ignore them. We have to start shots at a safe dose because you’re allergic, but the shots don’t help until you reach a high dose. After we finish building up your dose, you take a “maintenance dose,” usually once a month. Since 1995, The Allergy Clinic has safely performed Rush on over 3,000 patients. This one-day procedure provides very rapid desensitization, getting you to that highest dose, or at least 90 percent of the way, in one eight-hour day, providing quicker relief of symptoms. Rush is a great procedure for those with busy schedules who would find it difficult to come in at least once a week for up to six months, which is what is typically required with more traditional methods of building to the high or “maintenance dose.” But what if you can’t spend the entire day in our office? Or what if you can only come on Saturday mornings? Cluster is also a great option, and is almost as fast as Rush. With Cluster, we essentially do a series of “mini-rushes;” that is, we give a set of allergy shots, observe the patient, then give another set of allergy shots, again observe the patient, and then give a final set of allergy shots for that day. So you spend 1.5 or 2 hours in our office, once or twice a week, for a total of 8 or 9 visits before you reach your maintenance dose. With Rush, we have patients take several medications for three days beforehand to reduce the chance of severe allergic reactions. With Cluster,
you only pre-medicate with antihistamines. That’s because your immune system has at least 36 hours to process the previous set of shots, so the risk of having allergic reactions to the shots is less. Most insurance companies cover Rush and Cluster, but there are some limitations. We can verify your specific insurance benefits at no charge. Rapid allergy desensitization procedures such as Rush or Cluster are safe, effective options that are covered well by insurance companies and get your dose of shots where you receive relief much more quickly. Rapid allergy desensitization procedures such as Rush or Cluster are safe, effective options that are covered well by insurance companies and get your dose of shots where you receive relief much more quickly. No one nose allergies like we do.™ Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board-certified allergist to address individual medical needs. Alnoor A. Malick, M.D., The Allergy Clinic, 7707 Fannin, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77054, 713.797.0993, *1200 Binz, Suite 180, Houston, Texas 77004, 713.522.9911, www.allergyclinic.com, *Operating as Houston Allergy & Asthma Clinic
Healthy Smiles Need More Than Bubbles
(Top row, from left) Clinicians Rendie Brown and Kim Jones; (bottom row, from left) Director Sherry Duson and clinicians Amy Wong, Tricia Miller, Sam Caplan
Oral healthcare for the growing & developing child Joel J. Vela, D.D.S. Bellaire Pediatric Dentistry, P.A. 6750 West Loop South, Suite 795 713.661.1100 • www.bellairesmiles.com
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Services include: • Evaluation and treatment for pregnancy and postpartum depression and anxiety • Individual and couples counseling • Marriage and family therapy • Free support groups for new mothers For more information call: 713.561.3884 or visit CPFH.org
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KIDS
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Buzz Baby
Thankful moms
Buzz Baby is a column about life with babies from the perspective of a first-time mother. If you have baby stories to share, leave a comment under this article at thebuzzmagazines.com or email info@thebuzzmagazines.com.
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t the end of this month, we sit down, with family if we’re fortunate, and give thanks. The message of Thanksgiving is all over the stores this time of year. Fall décor and little signs with the words “Give Thanks” and “Fall Blessings” are everywhere you go. If you ask a new mom what she is thankful for, chances are her list is especially long. I certainly feel thankful. My twins are 1 now, and it’s been quite a ride with lots of help from our family. To a new mom, small gestures can mean so much, like a friend dropping off coffee, or a neighbor stopping by with a home-cooked meal. I felt so much gratitude when my mother-in-law, Terry, said to me one day that she was sending her beloved housekeeper to my house to help me with the babies, and it was her treat. It may not have seemed like a big deal to her, but it was to me. Recently, I spoke to some Buzz moms to find out what they are thankful for. The adage goes that “it takes a village” to raise a child. Stay-at-home mom Helen Shultz and her husband Brent, a finance attorney, say they agree with that. The couple has an 11-monthold baby girl named Jillian. “I’m most thankful for [the people] who’ve been our ‘village’ through pregnancy and the first year of parenthood,” said Helen. “Their love, advice, sense of humor, compassion and friendship has meant the world.” In her first year of motherhood, Helen says she appreciated the simple gestures, such as texts, packages, hand-me-down clothes, meals and Facetime calls. “Family, church members, Bellaire Young Mothers group and friends kept our little family fueled and fed for many months.” Family members who babysit quickly earn their way to the top of the favorites list. “My brother [Lu] comes over weekly to babysit on Sundays so that Brent and I can go to church and sometimes lunch afterwards,” said Helen. “It’s nice to be able to enjoy some quality time together and know BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 24
that Jillian is in good hands.” Casey Croley, a teacher, and her husband Anthony have a baby boy named Henry. Casey is thankful for her own mother, Kathy Hall, and her unselfish hard work to help her family manage dayto-day life. “I am so thankful for my mom. She is ‘Super Grammy,’” said Casey. “She takes him to and from school, keeps him while I’m at work, and loves on him TAKES A VILLAGE Parents Helen and Brent Shultz (pictured with 11-month-old Jillian) when we can’t be say they are most thankful for the family and friends they call their “village.” there. She also appointments,” said Jenny. “The plan that was somehow manages to fold our laundry and help eventually developed was to stay on blood thinkeep our house from falling apart.” ner, allow the blood clots to diminish and Jenny and Dawson MacLennan, who own a induce at 39 weeks.” ranch in Colorado (Jenny grew up in Houston and The plan worked, and Alice arrived, a moved there last year after marrying Dawson), had healthy, full-term baby. Jenny says she is most a healthy baby girl named Alice last December. thankful for supportive parents. “My parents During her pregnancy, Jenny experienced a scare [Barb and Gerry Bracht] spent most of she will not forget and she says she’s most thankful November and December in Colorado last year, for their parents, who helped out when they had doing anything that they could to help us,” said a curveball thrown at them. Jenny. “Dawson’s parents were also integral to “I was feeling short of breath at 32 weeks pregour success. Dawson’s Mom, Sue, spent many nant but had been [nauseous] the entire pregnandays at the hospital with us, and his Dad, David, cy, so I didn’t think very much of it,” said Jenny. tended to the ranch. We also had many prayer At her next appointment, Jenny explained her warriors across the country.” symptoms to her doctor. Her doctor listened to her Being a new mom isn’t the easiest job in the vitals and detected that something was not right. world, but with support, even from strangers who She was sent straight to the emergency room. hold doors for strollers (yes, they do exist), things There, scans revealed blood clots on her lungs. fall into place. For that, this mom is thankful. “I spent eight days in ICU, not knowing if we would have to deliver Alice early,” said Jenny. Editor’s note: Is there somebody you are especialThe frightened, expectant mom was ultimately ly thankful for this season? Give that person a shout sent home, still pregnant. The next two months out under this story at thebuzzmagazines.com or would be a roller coaster. email info@thebuzzmagazines.com. “We made it through countless doctors’ Happiness is Life Photography
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TRAVEL by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer
Travel Buzz On safari: the circle of life
Safari tips from the Steiners Take Turkish Airlines direct to Istanbul and plan a layover of a day or two – or three – to take in the sights. The Abramsons and the Hershkowitzes scheduled three days in the ancient city. The Steiners had already seen Istanbul and opted instead for a tour of Cappadocia, where they floated in a hot air balloon over a fairyland marked with homes carved into geological chimneys, pillars and cones. If it’s gorillas you crave, try The Safari Partners. Their guide, Chris Ronneseth (chris@safaripartners.com), organized the whole Africa portion of the tour, from Rwanda to Tanzania, lined up the gorilla trek permits and provided a seamless experience. If people want to do a safari on a budget, try Overseas Adventure Travel. Their lineup includes a Tanzania safari starting at $2,995. Marty Steiner used them for a Botswana-NamibiaZimbabwe tour and considers them reasonably priced and good quality.
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ions stalking their prey or nursing their young, coats glistening in the noonday sun of the Serengeti plain. Herds of zebras grazing in the wake of the wildebeests – hundreds of thousands of wildebeests. Standing breathless in the midst of the Rwandan jungle, surrounded by a family of mountain gorillas. Safari is an unforgettable experience for those lucky enough to embark upon such an adventure, and it’s one that’s likely to leave travelers deeply moved, and with a greater appreciation of nature at its most magnificent. Three Buzz families embarked on such an adventure a year ago, and the memory still brings a smile to their faces. Neurologist Marty Steiner had already been on safari twice, but had talked with friends who had traveled to Rwanda to see the mountain
ALL IN THE FAMILY The Houston travelers saw one of the largest mountain gorilla families, one of 10 that range the jungles of Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo. This is Agashya with part of his family.
gorillas in their natural habitat, and their stories caught his attention. His wife Marilee, a recruiter and former psychologist, had always wanted to go to Tanzania, so they decided to combine the two trips in one. Marilee’s parents were tour operators, and so she did the research, together with her friend Carol Hershkowiz, finding an operator who could guide them through both experiences. The Steiners teamed up with local businesspeople Ronny and Linda Abramson and Carol and Lenny Hershkowitz, also a neurologist, beginning with the trip to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas. “It brings tears to my eyes at this very moment,” began Marilee, visibly moved at the memory. “It was really one of the highlights of my life seeing them.” Visiting the mountain gorillas is not a small thing. First you have to get the permit, which is a challenge in itself; the Rwandan government strictly controls access to the 10 mountain gorilla families that range through the forests of Rwanda, Uganda and the Congo, and with good reason: the Gorilla beringei graueri is only found in Rwanda and is one of the rarest species of gorilla in the world. Indeed, the Rwandan government’s careful and community-based management of gorilla tourism has led the United Nations Environmental Programme to highlight it among its “success stories.” Only 80 people a day can go up, or 10 groups of eight. They meet with their guides at 6 a.m., ready for a difficult climb and encounters with ankle-deep mud, tropical rainstorms, stinging
nettles and biting insects. Worst of all, there is no guarantee that you will see the gorillas at all. The Houston group was lucky. “We were prepared with chaps for our feet and gloves and walking sticks,” said Marilee. “It turned out to be a gorgeous day. I kept asking, ‘When do I have to put the gloves on?’ We never needed them because our gorilla group wasn’t in that area.” As Linda recalls it, less than an hour into the hike, the guide turned to them and said, “Can you smell?” Indeed there was suddenly a faint odor. They had caught up with the Agashya group, one of the largest, with 23 members. “They were sitting there, eating bamboo, picking their teeth,” recalls Ronny. “They surround you when you’re with them – you’re just 3 feet to 10 feet away from them.” “They’re just such gentle giants,” added Linda. “They’re looking at us, and we’re looking at them, and everyone has their cameras up.” Marty was taking a photo of one and suddenly a baby ran up behind him and grabbed his leg, using it as a pivot point to twirl around and run back behind Linda. The mother very gently placed her hands on Linda’s shoulders and moved her aside to reach her baby. “It was somewhat of an exhilarating experience,” said Marty. “I had never been touched by a gorilla before.” Perhaps even more moving but in a very different way was their interaction with the Rwandan people. Twenty years after one of the most brutal genocides in (continued on page 28)
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SAFARI Houston travelers tracked and shot their quarry with cameras instead of guns. Len and Carol Hershkowitz, Marilee and Marty Steiner, and Linda and Ronny Abramson (from left) had an exhilarating immersion with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. (continued from page 26) world history, the country
has undergone a reconciliation process and a profound transformation. The Steiners and the Abramsons were struck by the careful stewardship of the natural resources, the attention to cleanliness – litter was virtually nonexistent – and the kindliness of the Rwandan people. A visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, a museum exploring the story of the Rwandan genocide, was especially powerful. Their trip took place at the height of the Ebola epidemic – a phenomenon that caused fear back home, but the Steiner crew headed on, unfazed. “It was 4,000 miles away, on the other side of the continent,” said Marty, dismissing the danger – but taken aback by the complete lack of screening when they arrived home at the airport, a stark contrast to the extensive health screenings throughout their Africa tour. After their Rwanda tour they boarded a plane for Nairobi, Kenya, where they caught a transfer to Arusha, Tanzania, the jumping-off point for their trips to the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. They were able to witness a part of the Great Migration – an amazing spectacle revolving around the annual migration of about 1.5 million wildebeests, or gnus, followed by about 300,000 zebras. The wildebeests eat the higher part of the grass, as Marty explained, while the zebras follow along behind and eat the lower part. Following them both are a variety of predators – lions, cheetahs, BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 28
hyenas and wild dogs – increasing the likelihood of witnessing a kill. Normally the migration happens in December, but climate change makes this phenomenon less predictable, and when the Houston travelers arrived in October, they were right on time. The wildebeest start the whole chain of events when they mate near the Ngorongoro Crater, then begin a circular sojourn through the Serengeti then north to Kenya, circling back to the Ngorongoro to give birth. “The animals that prey on the wildebeest follow along, so it’s the whole circle of life – and we were able to become a part of that,” said Marty. Witnessing the animals in their natural habitat is like nothing you will experience outside of a safari, said Marty. “You see them and they look entirely different from when they’re in the zoo,” he said. “You see these animals in captivity, with shabby coats that don’t have a shine or glisten to them – when you see them in their natural habitat, they are magnificent animals; they look so clean with their cubs or their offspring – they look amazing.” The other amazing experience was to be there in the midst of mating lions, listening to their calls at night during the mating process, which takes place about every 15 to 20 minutes for seven to eight days, around the clock. “As the male is mating you hear these roars and sounds that are made; through the night you could hear it going on while you were trying to sleep.”
The Steiners particularly recall a moment when they were all looking off to the left at some animal activity going on. Marilee was sitting on the right side of the car and happened to look out the window. “Under this bush we’re parked next to is a female lion. Had she stepped out of the car she’d have been right in the lion’s face,” said Marty. “You’re admonished never to leave the safari vehicle. Now we know why.” The other great part of the trip, he added, was traveling with good friends. Six people is the ideal number to travel with on safari because each vehicle holds six people plus the driver. “So this reduced the expense, and it was very comfortable,” said Marty. “We had a seat rotation system, and everyone felt amicable… we had a lot of fun.” The only down side, said Marilee, a bit ironically, is that “When you do something like this, it’s just impossible to raise the bar.” Speaking from a nice hotel after dinner in Milan, Italy, with their travel buddies the Abramsons, the couple traded safari memories with alacrity. Italy barely scored a mention. “We’re having trouble thinking of another trip,” joked Marilee, “because we can’t imagine anything that would top that.”
MORE ONLINE See this story at thebuzzmagazines.com for links to sites on gorillas, safari destinations and community tourism.
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FOOD by Catherine Kelsey Novosad, contributing writer
Cooking Buzz Holiday open house Cooking Buzz is produced in partnership with the Junior League of Houston, a women’s charitable and education organization founded in 1925.
W
ith the holidays right around the corner and retail outlets already starting to display holiday decorations, it is time to start thinking about planning a festive get together. My husband and I have had a busy year with our wedding in April and moving into our new house in September. Months later, after much purging, packing, storing and moving, we are getting settled in our new space. Our friends and family are excited to see our new home, so we are planning a holiday party. My favorite kind of holiday party is a cocktail and appetizer open house. Guests can come and go as they need and dress as they are. It is so fun to see my favorite people mingling, some in black tie on the way to formal affairs and others in jingly, adorned sweaters (hopefully on the way to an “ugly sweater party”). The first step is to choose a date. Friday and Saturday evenings or Sunday afternoons tend to yield the best turnout. Just pick what is best for you and let the folks on your guest list know as soon as possible. I love using a fun, informal Evite or Paperless Post. The invitations look great, are easy for people to respond to, and help you keep up with the number of people planning to attend. The next and most important step is to choose the menu. So many people these days have dietary restrictions and preferences, so I like to make sure I have at least one dish that meets each group’s needs. Start with a signature cocktail. I love having a pitcher of something fabulous ready to serve when my first guest arrives. My favorite for the holidays is the Pomegranate Martini from the Junior League of Houston cookbook Peace Meals. It is a little sweet, a little sour, and so very pretty served in my grandmother’s vintage coupe glasses. Next, pick four or five appetizers. You can adjust the quantity as needed, and this is so much easier than trying to make a lot of differBELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 30
HOLIDAY DISH The Cranberry Salsa with Warm Brie and Pistachios is so colorful that it looks festive even on a simple plate.
ent items. Also, make sure you do not choose all dishes that must be served hot. You want to be able to put out the food and enjoy mingling with your guests. I am planning to serve some of my favorite recipes from the Junior League of Houston cookbooks Stop and Smell the Rosemary and Peace Meals. I love that both cookbooks have plenty of photos, so you can be sure your dish looks the way it is supposed to and get ideas
on presentation. For holiday parties, the Cranberry Salsa with Warm Brie is always a hit. The bright red cranberries and green pistachios make it look like a decoration, so I serve it on a simple crystal platter as not to take away from its naturally stunning presentation. Pair with plain water crackers to showcase the flavors of the salsa and cheese. I make the Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese from Peace Meals for nearly every occa-
sion. They are not the prettiest, but your guests will be hooked from the first bite. These are best served warm right out of the oven, but taste great at room temperature too. Your guests will love the Peppercorn Marinated Shrimp from Stop and Smell the Rosemary. My book club gals are still raving about this shrimp years after I made it for our annual party. You do need to plan ahead since this needs to marinate for 8 to 10 hours, but that time allows the flavors to meld and create something really special. Serve the shrimp cold in a crystal bowl with a pretty spoon. The Mushroom Pate is divine and a great option for your gluten-free friends. It looks a little plain on its own, so I usually create a wreath to go around it. Mix white corn syrup with granulated sugar and brush onto rosemary stalks. Arrange them around the pate to give the appearance of an icy evergreen wreath. Finally, have a little surprise for your guests as they are leaving. I love to send people on their way with a favor, especially an edible one. The Gourmet Pecans from Stop and Smell the Rosemary are yummy and beautifully presented in cellophane bags with colorful ribbon. Good luck with your holiday party planning, and best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful season!
Pomegranate Martini From Peace Meals 1½ cups pomegranate juice 2 ounces lemon-flavored vodka 1 ounce Cointreau or other orange liqueur Sparkling water (optional) Pomegranate seeds (if available) Lemon twists Shake the juice, vodka and Cointreau over ice in an extra-large cocktail shaker and strain into chilled martini glasses. Finish each martini with a splash of sparkling water, pomegranate seeds and a lemon twist. Serves 4
Cranberry Salsa with Warm Brie and Pistachios From Peace Meals Cranberry Salsa: 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries ½ cup chopped green onions 2 small jalapeños, seeded and chopped ½ cup sugar ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish 2 Tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice Brie: 1 small round of Brie cheese (about 8 ounces) ½ cup chopped pistachios, toasted Water crackers This recipe requires advance preparation. Rinse the cranberries and discard any that are soft or bruised. Reserve several of the whole
cranberries for garnish. Place the remaining cranberries in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (do not overprocess). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining salsa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the brie on a rimmed baking sheet and heat for 15 to 20 minutes until softened. Transfer to a serving platter and top with the Cranberry Salsa. Sprinkle with the pistachios, reserved whole cranberries and additional cilantro. Serve warm with crackers. Serves 6.
Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese From Peace Meals Maybe not the prettiest appetizer at your party, but certainly one of the tastiest. Manchego cheese is used here, but goat cheese is a creamier and equally delicious substitute. 4 ounces Manchego cheese 30 pitted fresh Medjool dates 10 strips thinly sliced bacon, cut into thirds Wooden picks Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Coarsely chop the cheese and stuff into the cavity of each date. Wrap each stuffed date with a bacon strip and secure with a wooden pick. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp, turning once during cooking to ensure even browning. Carefully remove the pick and serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 30 pieces.
Peppercorn Marinated Shrimp From Stop and Smell the Rosemary ¾ cup balsamic vinegar 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 3 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1 lemon or lime 2½ cups virgin olive oil 5 pounds fresh medium shrimp, boiled, peeled, and deveined 6 bay leaves 6 Tablespoons capers 1 large red onion, minced 6 Tablespoons black and green peppercorns Lemon slices Chopped fresh basil Combine vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside. Layer one-third shrimp, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons capers, one-third red onion and 2 tablespoons peppercorns in a nonmetallic bowl. Repeat layers until all shrimp are used. Pour marinade over shrimp. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 10 hours. Remove bay leaves. Serve chilled. Garnish with lemon slices and sprinkle with basil.
Mushroom Pate From Stop and Smell the Rosemary
2 Tablespoons plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, minced 1½ teaspoons minced garlic ¼ cup minced green onions, white part only 1 ⁄3 cup chicken stock 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 Tablespoons minced green onions, green part only 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper Chopped fresh parsley, red bell pepper, or green onions Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a medium skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and ¼ cup green onions. Sauté 1 minute. Add chicken stock and cook over high heat until all liquid is absorbed. Cool to room temperature. Blend cream cheese and remaining 2 Tablespoons butter in a medium bowl. Add mushroom mixture, 2 Tablespoons green onions, Worcestershire, lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings. Pour into 1-cup mold lined with plastic wrap and chill. When ready to serve, unmold onto a serving plate and sprinkle with parsley, red bell pepper or green onions. Serve with toast points or crackers. Yields 1 cup. Mushroom pate may be prepared 3 days in advance.
Gourmet Pecans From Stop and Smell the Rosemary 1 cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 large egg white 3 Tablespoons Grand Marnier, Kahlua or any liqueur with a strong flavor 4 or more cups small pecan halves Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil. Combine sugar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk egg white and liqueur in a large bowl. Add pecans and stir to coat. Add sugar mixture. Stir thoroughly to blend. Spread pecans in a single layer on a prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until pecans are toasted and crisp, stirring every 10 minutes. It will look as though all the coating is coming off. Stir from the outside of the pan towards the center as the nuts at the edges brown faster. Watch closely because sugar burns quickly. Remove pan from oven and immediately loosen nuts from foil. Cool on wax paper. Save the seasoned sugar to use as an ice cream topping. Yields 4 cups. Gourmet Pecans will keep up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. They make great gifts and are wonderful on ice cream. Editor’s note: To buy a cookbook, see www.jlh.org or call 713-871-6608.
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 31
SPORTS
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by Todd Freed, staff writer
SportzBuzz A
s the regular season winds down this month in football, the early-season St. Thomas vs. Strake Jesuit matchup certainly has to get strong consideration as one of the so-called games of the year. Before a crowd of over 10,000 fans at NRG Stadium, St. Thomas pulled out a thrilling 42-35 victory over the long-time rival Crusaders. “It was a great experience for everybody,” said St. Thomas head coach Tim Fitzpatrick. “The kids being able to play in that big of a platform and the alumni tailgating at NRG, it was like a college or professional game. To play your chief rival in a stadium like that is something the kids will remember forever, especially coming away with the win in dramatic fashion.” Leading the way for the Eagles’ victory was senior quarterback Michael Keating, who completed 20 of 26 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning, six-yard touchdown pass to Drew Guidroz with only six seconds left in the game. Amazingly enough, it also marked the second straight year in which Keating threw the game-winning touchdown against Strake Jesuit on the Eagles’ final offensive play of the game. In the wake of his heroics, Keating would also be named the Texas High School Football Private School Player of the Week. Keeping with the game-of-the-year theme, two weeks after that St. Thomas win over Strake Jesuit, it was the Episcopal Knights’ 28-21 victory over St. Thomas that also has to go down as one of the most exciting and memorable games of the football season. “That was a huge win,” said Episcopal head coach Steve Leisz. “It was Friday Night Lights at its finest. We had a full house at our stadium, with the overflow crowd actually wrapped around the track. You had two great high school football teams on the field, and it was just one of those nights where it was unfortunate that somebody had to lose.” The game itself went right down to the wire, with Episcopal quarterback Preston Heard connecting on a 39-yard touchdown pass to Zach Bowman with just over one minute remaining to give Episcopal the dramatic victory. The touchdown pass capped off a brilliant BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 32
EAGLES ASCEND St. Thomas Eagles quarterback Michael Keating scores a touchdown in the Eagles’ dramatic 42-35 victory over Strake Jesuit before 10,000 fans at NRG Stadium. The victory marked the second straight year that St. Thomas had scored the winning touchdown over Strake Jesuit on its final offensive play of the game.
night for Heard, who completed 20 of 30 passes for four touchdowns. “It was an unbelievable night for our entire team,” said Heard. “I’ve never had that feeling before in my life. It was a big game, and even bigger fourth-quarter comeback. We kind of had a chip on our shoulder because they got us last year, but we weren’t going to let that happen this time around.” For his performance, Heard would be honored as the Texas High School Football Private School Player of the Week. One week later, it was the Strake Jesuit Crusaders who certainly made a case for gameof-the-year consideration in the wake of an incredible 50-49 comeback victory over Katy Morton Ranch. The underdog Crusaders, who trailed 21-0 at one point, scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Zach Zubia to Christian Charbonnet with one second left in the game to pull within one, making the score 49-48. “At that point Coach Clancy looked at us in the huddle, especially the seniors, and asked if we wanted to go for two points and the win,” said Zubia. “Of course we did. We’ve gone through a lot of adversity over the past couple
of years, and we wanted to solidify ourselves as a championship-type team.” So, on the win-or-lose final play of the game, Zubia lofted a perfect pass to the corner of the end zone, where Charbonnet made a spectacular, leaping, one-handed catch with a defender wrapped around him to give Strake Jesuit the victory. “It was just so crazy,” said Charbonnet. “We were all so happy and excited. There are just no words to describe that win. It really was incredible.” The winning touchdown also capped off a magnificent night for Zubia, who threw for 365 yards and four touchdowns, and as previously was the case with his quarterback counterparts at St. Thomas and Episcopal, Zubia himself earned the prestigious honor as the state’s Private School Player of the Week. Editor’s Note: Todd Freed is the Emmy Awardwinning co-host and producer of the KUBE SportsZone, which airs Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. on Channel 57-KUBE. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.
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SPORTS
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by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
SportzBuzz, Jr. W
elcome to SportzBuzz, Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.
Streamlined swimmer Presbyterian School seventh grader Alex Gatto (top photo) is a competitive swimmer with the Briar Club. He began swimming with the Briar Club’s summer team when he was 4 years old, and began the competitive year-round program at age 11. Butterfly is Alex’s favorite and best stroke, and he also swims freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke. The practice schedule is intense, and Alex can be found in the pool four days each week, to prepare for a swim meet every month. One of his favorite parts of the swim team is meeting new friends who are different ages and attend multiple schools. He aspires to attend the Gulf Championship meet again this year, and to quality for the TAGS (Texas Age Group Swimming) meet.
Learning lacrosse Twins Ellie and Alexis Burger (middle photo, from left) enjoy their first lacrosse season with SwizzleSticks. Third graders at St. John’s School, the girls play many different sports and decided to try lacrosse for the first time this year. SwizzleSticks lacrosse is a girls’ lacrosse program focused on skill development, rather than intense competition. The players get an introduction to lacrosse and an opportunity to learn the basics. The girls’ light practice schedule allows them to continue with the sports they have already been playing. Ellie and Alexis’ mom, Courtney, loves that her daughters are surrounded by female coaches who are positive role models and make practices fun. In addition to lacrosse, Ellie and Alexis are also active in Texas Pride field hockey, HITS theater and piano.
Little Dynamos Diogo Migliati, 10, is enjoying his very first soccer season. He plays on the Bellaire Dynamos (bottom photo) coed soccer team, through Bellaire Parks and Recreation. “We love it because the goal is for the kids to have fun and enjoy themselves,” said Diogo’s mom, Renata. Playing on the team has instilled a love of soccer in Diogo and he now attends Houston Dynamo soccer games at the BBVA Compass stadium. Coached by Rohan Bernal, the Bellaire Dynamos are (top row, from left) William Le Geyt, Diogo Migliati, Lucas Gutierrez, Jordan Gorewitz, Carter Bernal, Jake Davidson, Erica McKean; (bottom row, from left): Sophie Kauffman, Audrey Nasser, Daniyal Henka, Chase Wei, Julian Moore and Kevin Liong.
Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.
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NEIGHBORS
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by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Buzz About Town Moms having fun A group of moms had fun at the Condit Elementary mom’s night out at the home of Cynthia Gowda. They call these nights “The Real Housewives of Condit” parties, as part of their annual ladies-only sociables events to start off the new school year. The women enjoyed a fun evening of food, drinks and socializing. Money raised from the evening will go toward the new school being built now. In the mix were Heidi Dholakia, Mindy Newton, Erin Mould, Jami Fowler, Peggy Chang, Stephanie Sparks, Holly Koehn, Cynthia Gowda, Ali Septimus, Lisa Gregory, Wenyi Wang, Rachel Pasternak,
Nataly Marks, Amira Staller, Archna Vajpaynee, Jill Weston, Duyen Nguyen, Sejal Patel, Rachel Berger, Kristi Coffey, Kelly Chapin, Heather Hazen, Barby Garibaldi, Terry Leavitt-Chavez, Stephanie King, Dana Cran, Andrea Tran, Thuy Promubol, Anita Mehta, Laura Toplin, Christine Cao, Natalie Engineer, Diane Negro, Janet Cannon, Julia Tamm, Paula Hertel and Monika Kalra.
Leave your mark Condit Elementary families and community members, including (pictured, from left) Julia Tamm, principal Dan Greenberg and Pegi
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Newhouse, gathered to leave their mark on the school while construction is taking place. Students, parents, teachers, faculty and community had a way to be part of the process at a beam signing. A steel beam was selected and painted white, and everyone signed it. Principal Greenberg saw this done successfully at Grady Middle School, and parents thought it would be a fun idea to bring to Condit.
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trict matches; that’s 72-0 in set wins and a first in school history too. The team is raising funds to help with expenses during the playoffs. Supporters can make a donation on BellaireVolleyball.com and follow Bellaire Volleyball on Twitter @BellaireVball.
Hooked on the horns
taining Smokey the Cannon, which is on the field at all Texas Longhorns’ home-football game, and are known for service work on campus and within the Austin community. Brandon and Brett were featured in a Buzz article about heading off to college with twins or triplets back in 2012; Caroline was also featured in a Buzz article in 2012 with her sisters Rachel and Anna, as all three were at UT Austin at the same time.
Fans of Bellaire High School’s volleyball team gathered at Skeeter’s Mesquite Grill for “spirit night” to raise money for the team. Pictured from left (back row) are Megan Evans, Aryel Domes, McKenna Compton, Travana Matthews, Lauren Li, Sundara Chinn, (front row) Mary Lenz, Ella Hawes, Jade Robinson, Isabelle Long and Maya Evans. It’s already been a special year for the team, which finished in the top 20 of the prestigious Adidas Texas Volleyball Invitational. Early in the 2015 season, coach Gloria “Ap” Clarke celebrated her 500th win at Bellaire. At the end of the first round of district play, the Cardinals were the only undefeated team at 8-0, with a 24-5 overall record. In district, Bellaire was on a 24-match win streak, dating back to the start of last season. The Cardinals have not lost a set in any of the 24 dis-
David Einsel at HISD
Cardinal pride
Twins Brandon (pictured, left) and Brett Levinson, seniors at The University of Texas at Austin and grads of The Emery/Weiner School, are part of the Texas Cowboys, a men’s service organization. They were recently spotted on the field with long-time friend Caroline Meyerson, a Bellaire High School grad who is a Sweetheart with the Texas Cowboys organization. These three seniors have known each other since their Condit Elementary School days. The Texas Cowboys are responsible for keeping and main-
Bellaire High School senior and Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Natalie Romero, battalion commander of Bellaire’s JROTC Cadet Battalion, was awarded the Legion of Valor for Achievement at a recent HISD board meeting. This is the second highest (continued on page 38)
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 37
(continued from page 37) award in JROTC (Army
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps), placing her in the top .00001 percent of all JROTC cadets in the nation. Her name was submitted to Congress and is now permanently recorded in the Congressional Record. She is only the second HISD cadet in 13 years to receive this national award. (Last year, Bellaire’s Cadet
Bianca Rubio also received it.) Pictured (from left) are Houston ISD trustee Mike Lunceford, Romero, Lt. Col. Dennis Driscoll and principal Michael McDonough.
Bobbie’s bash Friends and family gathered to celebrate a beloved woman, friend, mother, mother-in-law, grandmoth-
er and great-grandmother, Bobbie Weinstein, on her 80th birthday. Four generations of women hosted a beautiful lunch for 100 of her closest friends. Pictured (from left) are Julie Weinstein, Bobbie’s great-granddaughter Lexi Cohen (child in front), Lindsay Cohen, Cindy Weinstein, Bobbie Weinstein, Leslie Robinson and Alex Wein. Also there but not pictured: Ashley Wein.
Lucky Luke
Luke Onufer (pictured, in red), a kindergartener at Horn Academy, celebrated Grandparent’s Day with his grandparents, Lydia “Idgy” Alvarado, Helen Loe and Bob Onufer (pictured, from left). Lydia, one of the VIPS (volunteers in public schools), can be seen opening juice boxes and corralling kids 3-4 days a week
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as a lunch monitor. Bob and Helen visit the school as often as they can. Bob Onufer is a quadruple-bypass survivor and belongs to a volunteer organization called Mended Hearts, which offers hope to heart patients. While at Grandparent’s Day, he ran into a fellow Mended Hearts volunteer – they had no idea they both had grandchildren at Horn.
Easy being green
Neighbors put on their gardening gloves and cleaned up the grounds in front of Horn Academy. Debra Kolah and Tricia Garrison, cochairs of the Beautification Committee, plan to meet once a month with Horn families to maintain the flower beds and continue to add more natural beauty to the front of the school. Preliminary plans are underway to add rock walls, pathways and plants, creating areas that can be
used as outdoor classrooms. Pictured (from left) are volunteers Kathryn Hokamp, Manish Kumar, Arin Kumar, Emma Kolah, Jasper Guo, Xumin Guo, Debrah Kolah, Juliette Garber, Elisa Garber and Darayus Kolah.
A strong finish When Joseph Sorena (pictured) decided to participate in his first sprint triathlon at the Katy Triathlon, he had no idea he would hit a bump in the road. The race, which includes swim, bike and run portions, started with a 500-meter swim, followed by a 12mile bike ride and a 3-mile run. Well, that was the original plan. Joseph finished the swim part without a problem. But on mile 4 of the bike ride, his bike got a flat tire and he didn’t have a repair kit with him. So he decided to run the rest of the bike portion while pushing his bike – a total of eight additional miles.
A sweet gesture Horn Academy students who are members of the Horn Helping Hands group went to the
Bellaire Fire department on Sept. 11 to deliver homemade cookies to the firefighters and to say thank you for their service to the community. This has become a tradition for Horn Academy’s fifth-grade club, which leads multiple schoolwide community-service projects during the school year. Pictured (top row, from left) are John Ferris, Kade Richardson, Brennan Stanley, Juan Schultz, Sofia Abdalla, Lucy Medauer, (middle row, from left) Brandon Baker, Christopher Ho, Matthew Moini, Cayla Gottesman, Emily Soroos, Callie Hester, Gabriella Kurian, Madelyn Carrillo, Camron Lande, Giselle Colmenter, (bottom row, from left) Leah Magid, Sage Canon, Alex Moore, McKenzie McDaniel and Mia Arteaga. Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings on thebuzzmagazines.com.
BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 39
SUMMER VACATION Ishani Shethia, an eighth grader at The Village School, explored India with her family this summer. She is pictured (at right) in a traditional Kashmiri outfit with her 10-year-old sister, Anika.
KIDS by Ishani Shethia, age 13
Buzz Kidz
A family adventure in India
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his summer, my family visited India, since that’s where my parents are from. I was astonished at how different everything was. The last time we visited India was five years ago, but everything seemed like a haze to me. Our first week was spent with family in Calcutta. We went swimming at the Calcutta Swim Club every day. The pool was built during the British Empire, since Calcutta was the capital of India then. Another memorable thing that we did in Calcutta was distributing food to people who live in the slums. The condition that they live in truly saddens me. But it was amazing that they were smiling and grateful for the food. Living in America, we don’t see as much poverty as other countries.
Next, we went to Kashmir. Arriving in Kashmir was like arriving in paradise. The first view was of the snow-capped Himalayas in the background of a field of greens. Kashmir is called the “Switzerland of Asia” for a reason. One evening, we went on a shikara, a wooden boat, when the sun was setting and everything looked so beautiful, like a perfectly edited picture. Another adventure was when we went to the top of a mountain to see a temple that was over 1,000 years old. It took 200 steps to get up, but it was worth it. Next we went to Gulmarg. My favorite experience there was a gondola ride up a mountain. At the top, we climbed about 75 yards and sledded down. We had a bird’s eye view of the city. Then we went to Pahalgam, which is one of
the most stunning places I’ve ever been. We went hiking every morning, and we also went horse riding. The locals who owned the horses said every night, the horses go up in the mountains, and by morning they return on their own. Our trip ended in New Delhi, India’s capital, where we saw my mom’s side of the family. It was strange because it almost felt like being in the U.S., since everything seemed much more advanced than other parts of India. Overall, our trip was unforgettable, and I can’t wait to go back. Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.
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DINING GUIDE
by Dai Huynh, staff writer
This Month in Dining
Carry-out holiday sides
Restaurant Listings $ (under $10) $$ ($11-$30) $$$ ($31-$60) $$$$ (over $60) Prices include drink, tax and tip per person Dai Huynh is a James Beard food-journalism award winner and longtime restaurant writer. Her visits to restaurants in our Buzz Dining Guide were anonymous, and she paid for her meals to maintain objectivity. We’d love your thoughts too. Write to info@thebuzzmagazines.com with your own dining opinions and suggestions. Also, you can contribute in the Comments section under the online version of this story at thebuzzmagazines.com. MOCKINGBIRD BISTRO The bread pudding is a popular to-go item for the holidays.
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his year, give yourself the gift of time by relying on others for side dishes – and even desserts, if you’re so inclined. If you’re having friends over or just enjoying the family this year, carry-outs can make the party planning less stressful and more fun. There are plenty of restaurants and specialty-food shops serving side options to make your almost-entirely-homemade holiday meal the way you want it. Here are a handful: Hugo’s (1600 Westheimer; 713-524-7744) – Chef-owner Hugo Ortega features more than 30 carry-out items, from chicken-mole tamales and enchiladas verdes to nopales salad, plus his signature corn pudding. Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar (1985 Welch; 713-533-0200) – Quart-size servings of giblet gravy, garlic haricots verts, steamed asparagus with herbs and butternut-squash bisque are available, along with complete meals. Leibman’s Wine & Fine Foods (14529 Memorial Drive; 281-493-3663) – Along with a plethora of hors d’oeuvres, such as artichoke-parmesan-stuffed mushrooms, Leibman’s offers a full range of sides, including orange-honey carrots, rosemary scalloped potatoes, spinach soufflé and grilled vegetable medley. Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen (2327 Post Oak Blvd.; 713-871-8883) – Pass up the canned cranberry sauce for Kenny & Ziggy’s cranberry compote with pineapple and nuts. Numerous sides include barley with mushrooms, sweet noodle kugel, string beans almandine and truffle macaroni and cheese. Pondicheri Bake + Lab (2800 Kirby Drive, Suite B240; 713-522-2012) – Put an international twist on your holiday meals with Indian-inspired salads, chaats, sides and desserts, including the award-winning $80 Chai Pie. The Only Reheating Tip You’ll Ever Need: Years ago, Etienne Leibman of Leibman’s Wine & Fine Foods taught me how to properly reheat my restaurant-bought side dishes and carry-outs without zapping the flavor or the moisture out of my investment. This is a foolproof technique that even a klutz can master with pristine results. To start, forget about reheating holiday sides low and slow – as in 250-300 degrees. Instead, preheat your oven to about 400-450 degrees. When it reaches this range, place your room-temperature sides in the oven. Turn off the heat and let the magic happen. Yeah, it’s that easy. Cornbread dressings and vegetables generally heat through in about 20 minutes. Turkey or other meats take about 30-35 minutes. BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 42
Arnaldo Richards’ Picos Regional Mexican Neighborhood: Upper Kirby Many remain nostalgic about the old Pico's location on Bellaire. But upon entering the new locale, it's hard to fault owner Arnaldo Richards for moving into this graciously appointed, hacienda-inspired space made warm and inviting with coral tablecloths, ceiling beams and dark furniture. His food, too, has been tweaked, often with winning results. The tomato salsa sings. The ranchera salsa smolders with charred tomatoes. The chicken consommé soup is still a cure for the blues, swimming with pulled chicken, onion, cilantro, Mexican rice and avocado. A dash of Serrano pepper provides a mild, welcome kick. And his signature huachinango a la Veracruzana (red snapper) is elegantly draped with an exquisitely light tomato sauce flavored with green olives, capers and chiles güeros. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 3601 Kirby, 832-831-9940. picos.net. $$
NEW LISTING! Bramble New Southern American Neighborhood: Briargrove When a restaurant fits a chef like a glove, everything comes together effortlessly like it
does at Bramble, Randy Rucker's latest Gulf Coast-inspired venture and, so far, his best foot forward. Here, he effortlessly melds Southern classics with modern techniques, creating an enticing menu that is out of the ordinary and yet familiar. Take his beef tartare with a dash of miso. Who would have thought? And yet, that bit of fermented soybeans adds a je ne sais quoi that makes you want to take another bite and another bite. Crunchy peanuts give this dish a surprising crunch. Not always available, but if the dinosaur-sized seared beef short rib shows up, order it. Lunch Mon.-Fri. & dinner Mon.-Sat. 2231 S. Voss Road, 832-819-0322. restaurantbramble.com. $$$
Caracol Mexican coastal cuisines Neighborhood: Galleria Hugo Ortega is largely credited with introducing Houstonians to the foodways of Mexico. His namesake restaurant, Hugo’s, on Westheimer captivates with interior specialties, while Caracol showcases Mexico’s lilting coastal cuisines. Ceviches and crudos shine against a snow-white interior dressed with deep-sea creatures by renowned illustrator Charley Harper. Jalapeño and ginger give great spark and crunch to conch, while scallops combined with sweet mango, papaya and lime crudos dance merrily between sweet, salty and tangy. A house favorite is oysters
smoked in a wood-burning domed oven, then drizzled with a luscious chipotle butter. The menu leans toward seafood, but there are meatier options, such as bone-in short rib with cocoa nib and roasted duck with pumpkin seed sauce. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 2200 Post Oak Blvd., No. 160, 713-622-9996. caracol.net. $$$
Holley's Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar Upscale seafood Neighborhood: Midtown Mark Holley is back. The Brennan's of Houston alum reeled in many diners, overseeing Pesce's kitchen for a decade. But in 2012, Landry's sold it, leaving Holley without a kitchen burner and fans floundering. Ironically, quality, upscale seafood restaurants are rare gems in this Gulf Coast city, so Holley's Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar is a welcome addition. At his namesake, Holley has free rein, sprinkling his menu with his life experiences, from the cobblestone alleys of New Orleans to Kentucky bluegrass. You'll find, too, touches of Asian influences, most notably the large-format, Thai-style whole snapper for two. It's a perfectly crisped rendition paired with two tangy dipping sauces, fried rice and braised greens. No doubt, it will stir up memories for former Pesce regulars, but Holley's updated version is even tastier. The
same goes for the shrimp-and-okra gumbo, a nourishing dark brew now enriched with duck confit and topped with delicately fried oysters. A crowd pleaser is the yieldingly tender sesame Park House Rolls, a traditional fare that gets an haute spin with three accompanying spreads: poblano pimento cheese, smoked drum mousse and pickled vegetables. Truthfully, these yeasty rolls as a starter and the homey apple bread pudding would make any evening at Holley's go swimmingly. Lunch Mon.-Fri. & dinner Mon.-Sat., 3201 Louisiana, 713-491-2222, holleyshouston.com. $$$
Hugo’s Regional Mexican Neighborhood: Montrose Tex-Mex was the game in town until risk takers such as Hugo’s owner-chef Hugo Ortega set out to educate Houstonians about the food of his motherland. Many traditional Mexican establishments have failed, but not the highceiling, palatial Hugo’s, with such comida tipica as a soulful off-the-menu oxtail soup, earthy moles and snapper tamales fragrant in banana leaves. Perennial favorites are the wood-grilled rib-eye steak and baby pig roasted in banana leaves, not to mention pan-fried grasshoppers, which taste like popcorn and are delicious when paired with a blanco tequila. The crown jewel is Hugo’s Sunday brunch – a (continued on page 44)
Honoring
JJ Watt & The Justin J. Watt Foundation Alan and Diane Levin December 2, 2015 Congregation Beth Yeshurun
Megastar Presenting Sponsor Budweiser Light/Silver Eagle Distributors www.byds.org/gala • 713.666.1884 BELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 43
BRAMBLE Try the gigantic, tender, seared beef short rib with spicy cabbage at chef Randy Rucker's restaurant. (continued from page 43) majestic
cornucopian spread, worth every peso. Lunch & dinner Mon.Sun. 1600 Westheimer Road, 713-5247744. hugosrestaurant.net. $$$
Izakaya Wa Authentic Japanese Neighborhood: Memorial You can tell a lot about a restaurant by the diners. In this case, about 80 percent of the customers at Izakaya Wa are Japanese. Here, they can savor the true flavors of home without flying home. No wonder. Kubo-san is in the kitchen. Hajime Kubokawa is revered by chefs around town. There is artistry in how he wields the knife. His expertly sliced sushi and sashimi melt on the palate. But at Izakaya Wa, he has left the sushi bar in the very capable hands of business partner Akira Asano. Instead, Kubokawa is in the kitchen prepping homey noodle soups, stews and izakaya, or Japanese tapas of grilled and fried meats and vegetables, best enjoyed with friends over good, cold beers. Food by Kubo-san can be a revelation. Simplicity defines Japanese cookery, and he has mastered its succinctness. Want to learn about real Japanese food? Here is your chance. A great perspective is the rotating halfand-half lunch special, consisting of a rice dish and a noodle dish – a rare duo offering in the U.S., but common in Japan. Lunch Mon.-Thurs. & dinner Mon.-Sun. 12665 Memorial Drive, 713461-0155. izakayawa.com. $$
Local Foods Chef-driven gourmet deli Neighborhoods: Rice Village; Upper Kirby Hand-crafted sandwiches and salads from
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chef Dylan Murray draw a diverse crowd. Savor duck confit smothered with melted brie, aioli and cranberry preserves on wheat bread. Shrimp-and-crab on ciabatta with green goddess dressing is another must-try. Sandwiches come with two sides that include Tuscan kale with golden raisins and potato chips speckled with Old Bay seasonings. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 2424 Dunstan, 713-521-7900. Local Foods Upper Kirby, Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun., 2555 Kirby Drive, 713-255-4440. houstonlocalfoods.com. $$
McHugh Tea Teahouse and more Neighborhood: Bellaire This shabby-chic corner charms with its practical lunch menu and English ambiance, illuminated by tea-cup chandeliers, refurbished tea sets and ornately framed photos of famous tea sippers, including Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson. Fragrant, organic teas – hibiscus blossom oolong, masala chai and cabernet assam – gently brew in glass orbs while regulars fork into lemon and chocolate pies topped with solidly crisp, snow-white meringue. But the homemade jellies and buttermilk scones (tender, hot, just out of the oven) are what have won the hearts of regulars. Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 5305 Bissonnet, Bellaire. 713-218-6300. mchughtea.com. $
North Italia Modern Italian Neighborhood: Galleria area Following the success of True Food, Phoenixbased Fox Restaurant Concepts has launched another winning venture with this reasonably priced Italian eatery, where community dining
is part of the appeal, along with homemade pastas and pizzas. A soaring space with bulbous overhead lighting and well-coiffed customers, North Italia manages to captivate and nurture our love affair with Italian cooking. Dishes to try include the seasonable vegetable salad, the highly touted bolognese, fig-and-prosciutto pizza, ricotta gnocchi with braised beef short ribs with horseradish crema, and Italian donuts. Call ahead for reservations or avoid peak hours if you hate to wait. North Italia, with a view of the kitchen behind floor-to-ceiling glass, is packed and loud during prime times. But that's part of the fun. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 1700 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 190, 281-605-4030; northitaliarestaurant.com. $$
Pass & Provisions Inventive modern fare Neighborhood: Fourth Ward A duo eatery in one space – white-tablecloth Pass and bustling Provisions. Pass is a caviar affair, while Provision serves casual edibles, including smartly donned sandwiches and billowy pizzas with such toppings as kale with pork sausage and duck confit with potato and pickled currants. There are some crossovers of dishes and kitchen playfulness between the two menus. Provisions, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sat; Pass, dinner only. 808 Taft, 713-628-9020. Passandprovisions.com. $$-$$$$
Quattro Contemporary Italian Neighborhood: Downtown Talented chef Maurizio Ferrarese brings the flavors of his native Italy to Quattro at the Four
Seasons Hotel. The dining room is an elegant affair. Just as engaging is the adjoining Vinoteca Quattro bar where downtown workers unwind over Italian beers, wines and Italian small plates during happy hour. Breakfast, lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 1300 Lamar, 713-2764700. quattrorestauranthouston.com. $$-$$$$
The Republic Smokehouse and Saloon Texas barbecue Neighborhood: Midtown The 2007 demise of Williams Smokehouse, which occupied a wood-paneled cottage in Acres Homes, left a void. Williams’ meaty, tender, oaksmoked pork ribs never disappointed. Now the folks behind Hearsay and Mr. Peeples have lured Cedric Williams, the youngest of Willie Williams' three sons, to fire up its state-of-the-art pit at Republic Smokehouse and Saloon in Midtown. Against a fancy honky-tonk backdrop and red neon lights, Cedric continues to honor the family tradition with his blend of seasonings, which also can be found at Kroger stores. Give his gigantic 1.5 pounds of slow-smoked beef short ribs a try. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Sun. 1910 Bagby Street, Suite 100, 832-925-8871; republicsaloon.com. $$
NEW LISTING! Saltillo Mexican Kitchen Mexican
Neighborhood: Near Bellaire Fans of La Casa de Caballo will be happy to hear that it has immigrated near the city of Bellaire and rechristened itself as Saltillo. Many of the old favorites remain, including the 4 pound-plus ribeye cap ($190) large enough to share with five of your BFFs, or for a smaller group of four, there is the 3-pound top sirloin ($80). Saltillo is smaller in size but in many ways with more charm. We like, too, the three-course lunch specials for $20. Try the tasty trio of tacos. Lunch Mon.-Sun. & dinner Mon.-Sat. 5427 Bissonnet St., 832-623-6467. saltillomexicankitchen.com. $$$
Teppay Japanese Restaurant Japanese Neighborhood: Galleria If the yardstick for Japanese food is sushi and sashimi, then Teppay is serenely fresh, with clean, briny flavors. This intimate nook offers grade-A seafood at reasonable prices, made even more enjoyable by the lack of pretense even when packed with well-heeled diners. Meanwhile, the kitchen in back is plenty busy, churning out a home-kitchen menu that has sustained Japanese families and fans of lacy tempura shrimp and crispy pork katsu for more than a decade. The chawan mushi egg custard with seafood is ethereal, fragrant with real yuzu citrus from the chef’s gar-
den. Come early for dinner; this spot, with its nourishing, opaque, miso-rich broth, fills up quickly. Lunch & dinner Mon-Sun. 6516 Westheimer Road A2, 713-789-4506. $$
Underbelly Upscale Texas eats Neighborhood: Montrose Underbelly chef-owner Chris Shepherd’s menu is a touchstone of the nose-to-tail movement. The Oklahoman is known to haul a whole hog through a roomful of diners, and his passion is mirrored by a striking woodcutting of a snout at the entrance. Family-style offerings include a pork roast with smoky sweet cornbread. Another piglet rendition is spicy kimchi stew. Shepherd shares his fondness for Asian cuisines with sweeping touches here and there – all of which are satisfying against an airy, modern, Texas Hill Country setting, with maple wood communal tables, fresh wildflowers and a wall of homemade preserves. Lunch & dinner Mon.-Thurs. & dinner Fri.-Sat. 1100 Westheimer Road, 712528-9800. underbellyhouston.com. $$$
MORE ONLINE See thebuzzmagazines.com for all reviewed restaurants. Use our restaurant finder to search by area, cuisine and price.
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HOME HOME DECOR AND ACCENTS
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Appointment for disposition of remains When someone dies, who gets the body? Do instructions matter? There’s a form for that, and Texas just updated it. Get a free copy at www.rwhpc.com/disposition_of_remains. Remains are controlled by i) written instructions in a will, pre-paid funeral contract, or any paper the decedent acknowledged before a notary public; ii) decedent’s agent appointed to control disposition of remains; or iii) family, in this order: the spouse, any adult child, either parent, any adult sibling, then any adult heir. Effective September 1, 2015, the executor or administrator appointed by the probate court comes ahead of remote heirs. A common law spouse has the same right to control a burial or cremation as a ceremonial spouse. Register an informal marriage before the county clerk, so proof will be easier (read “cheaper”) if contested. The person in charge, whether family or an agent, may ignore the decedent’s instructions, unless they are written in a will or pre-paid funeral contract, or acknowledged before a notary. Even written instructions are unreliable when they fall to unsympathetic family. The statute provides no tiebreaker when survivors share responsibility but disagree among themselves. The Appointment form allows you to pick your own agent, e.g., just one sibling or parent, even if your spouse would otherwise have priority. You may also name someone outside the family, e.g., a friend or companion. Successor agents may be named in case anyone is unable or unwilling to serve.
The appointed agent may disregard the family’s objections and even your own oral instructions. Use the Special Directions of the Appointment form to offer at least some guidance, e.g., “Cremate my remains.” Think budget. The person in charge is responsible for the cost. They may apply to the estate for reimbursement, but generally have to front the money themselves. Always ask a funeral director for an estimate. Consider prepaying, or at least leaving life insurance to cover the cost. Insurance can often be assigned, even before the death certificate issues. If you name your spouse, then divorce, the ex is automatically disqualified. To leave your body to the ex, you’ll have to redo the form and name them again. We write wills and go to probate court. We offer no-obligation initial interviews for estate planning and administration, so it costs nothing to hear specific recommendations that suit your needs. Foreign nationals and international families welcome. Russell W. Hall, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Board Certified – Estate Planning and Probate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 6750 West Loop South, Suite 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, www.rwhpc.com
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Maia Grace, age 1, Wheaten Terrier, Chelsea St. I moved to Bellaire in November 2014 when I was 9 weeks old. I love Bellaire. My mom takes me to the Bellaire car wash and to the spa – actually, the groomer, but my mom calls it “spa day” so I play along. I love to ride in the car; whenever I know my mom is leaving, I run to the door in hopes she will take me with her. The best thing about being a Wheaten is that I do not shed, and I am very smart. I went to school, so I know how to sit, stay and roll over. I love my mommy and daddy so much. When the alarm clock goes off in the morning, I jump on the bed to make sure they know how much I love them. I love to play with other dogs and children. If you see me in the neighborhood, please stop and say hi! Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Featured pets receive two passes to Rover Oaks Pet Resort. Each pass can be redeemed for one day of lodging in a Bunk House Suite, 25 percent off your next grooming appointment or 25 percent off one obedience training class.
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Since the Texas Supreme Court has authorized marriage for same-sex partners much has changed in the family law field. However, there are still some very gray areas that are going to need to be decided in the days to come, specifically, the date of marriage for a common law marriage amongst gay couples. This can be a contentious area in our law in general, but with many same-sex couples having called each other their spouse or acting as if they were married in Texas prior the recent ruling, this could be a hotly contested area. The date of marriage determines the date community estate began. This could affect ownership of homes, retirement, businesses and other valuable assets. If you are considering dissolving your same-sex partnership and you have held yourself out a married couple, make certain to obtain legal advice regarding your rights in Texas. It is important to legally protect yourself and make certain that you divide assets and liabilities properly if either party might claim a common law marriage. K. Nicole Voyles, a partner at Jenkins & Kamin, L.L.P., a full-service, boutique, family-law firm, has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for 2014 and 2015 and Texas Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers for 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Jenkins & Kamin, LLP, Two Greenway Plaza, Suite 600, Houston, Texas 77046, 713.600.5500, www.jenkinskamin.com
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NEIGHBORS
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by Andria Frankfort, staff writer
Back Porch
Where the cool kids sit
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’m pretty sure I was halfway through college when I realized I had never actually had Thanksgiving – or any other holiday for that matter – with my parents. Sure I spent the day with them, helped set tables and basted the turkey alongside my mom. But it took me more than 20 years to look up and notice that I had never actually sat with them at the Thanksgiving table. Because I was always at the kids’ table. Looking back, it wasn’t a bad place to be. Snickering with the cousins about my mom’s rotating assortment of random guests was definitely more exciting than listening to old people talk about work and politics. And for 20 years, I never knew the difference. Turns out, I wasn’t alone. Tevia McLaren, who now is a mom of two teenaged boys, remembers sitting at her own family’s kids’ table: “As the fourth-youngest out of 45 first cousins, I was never allowed to sit at the grown-up table,” she says. “Now I find that as an adult, when we have kids’ tables, I would much rather sit at the kids’ table!” Having a table just for kids is not without controversy, though. Arguments against it abound: Aren’t the holidays supposed to be about the whole family being together? How are the children ever going to learn manners if they sit by themselves with no one watching over them or leading by example? They need to learn to eat what the grownups eat. One attorney and mother of three recalls her family’s kids’ table in Boston as turning into something of a parent’s nightmare. “Our family is very, very big. It wasn’t uncommon to have 75 people in my parents’ foyer, with the kids at the end of the table,” she says. “For Passover, we’d be at the end, but we still had to participate in the Seder [typically everyone takes turns reading parts of the story of Passover from a book called the Haggadah]. There’s all this wine they say you’re supposed to drink [as you read the story], but really you’re not supposed to drink it. Anyway, I was 10 and drank it all, and suddenly my dad realized the kids’ table had been vacated. I was upstairs drunk and vomiting and crying. My dad came up and said, ‘Stop crying, you have the flu,’ and my 13-year-old sisBELLAIRE BUZZ NOVEMBER 2015 50
NEVER GROW UP Some say the kids’ table is the best seat in the house.
ter said, ‘She doesn’t have the flu, she’s drunk!’ My dad was like, ‘No, that isn’t possible,’ but nobody was watching the kids’ table.” For all the complaints, though, there’s still something about a kids’ table that makes everyone a little nostalgic. In a good way. Public relations exec Kim Tarleton and her sister Kelly Mills are both pregnant with their first babies, Kim due in February and Kelly in December. “We’ve been cleaning out my parents’ house,” Kim says. “And of all the things my mom kept, she kept our kids’ table.” Kim has fond memories of sitting at the tiny table, round with four little chairs. “It was literally kid-sized,” she says. “My sister and I sat at that table until we were in elementary school and big enough to sit at the kitchen table. But when the other cousins came along, we sat back at the little kids’ table to help them.” “The younger cousins are exactly 10 years younger than us. So it wound up that we were sitting at the little table when I was a little older
than 10! We didn’t get a choice. We were told we would sit at the little table with the baby cousins so they wouldn’t feel left out.” Eventually the younger cousins grew big enough to move to the kitchen table, which was where the entire clan of cousins celebrated holidays for years. “The adults always sat in the dining room, and we were always in the kitchen. I do remember finally asking, ‘Why can’t we sit at the adult table? We’re going to college. Aren’t we adults?’” Kim’s mom (Sherry Tarleton) finally acquiesced, reconfiguring the dining room table to hold more adults, but not until Kim and Kelly were firmly affixed in college. “I remember being so happy to sit with actual silverware and candles instead of the everyday utensils we got in the kitchen. We felt so grown up.” Having found the treasured table, and with children of their own on the way, Kim and Kelly plan to carry on tradition and use the table for the next generation of cousins.