Finding Ways to Sustain Personal Resolutions
January 2010
For gym rats, January is the worst month. Not because skating on parking lot ice terrifies more than tones or because working off stuffing leaves them winded. No, the month is bitter because New Year Resolution Reformers crowd fitness centers. Still, regulars realize that come February, Reformers will have given up and given them back the sweaty space. Continue reading “Keeping the Promises”
Dead of Winter Nonfiction Contest
There are some grim and difficult things that we’re forced to learn in a lifetime. Physics homework or memorizing the driver’s manual is standard fare. But I’m talking about the things we never counted on learning. For some, it’s measuring their blood glucose for diabetes. For others, it’s filing for bankruptcy. And for my neighbor, it was dealing with your husband when he’s high on painkillers, waving a gun and threatening to kill himself. Continue reading “Larry, Come Out … Please”
Seeking Solitude and Finding One’s Inner Self
December 2009
Steven Kalas went to the wilderness because he was feeling alone. Life is nothing if not ironic. He was hardly alone as a single father with three children, a psychology practice and a newspaper column. “Alone,” he journaled of his trip, “is a very ordinary experience. But for most of my life, when aloneness came to visit, I would promptly vacate the premises. I was, and still can be, the master of distraction when it comes to the deeper work of being human. But this weekend, I went camping. And I invited Aloneness to come camping with me.” Continue reading “Getting Personal (Time)”
Sings Country Music for Local Audiences
Winter 2009
The band tumbles off the stage of the Dosey Doe Coffee House, full of the happy energy that transfers from singer to listener and back again. “The people ate us up,” seems the general consensus of their acoustic set, opening for the Real Life, Real Music event. “This is the target, this is our niche,” says Dixie Trahan of her music and of the night. “We got off the stage just grinnin’.” Continue reading “Dixie Trahan”
Former Globetrotter inspires Cy-Fair’s youth through basketball, comedy and words of encouragement
Winter 2009
Local resident Melvin Adams wants good things for kids and inspires them to want the same for themselves. The NBA player turned Globetrotter showman inspires youth by combining sleight of hand basketball, comedy, and motivational messages. Adams explains to students how hard work, responsible choices, and staying the course will help them realize their dreams. “God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things,” Adams tells youth at New Experience Fellowship Church. “Not only was I short, I was poor, my mother was abusive and my father wasn’t around.” His was a rough start, but he laces it with humor, “If you’re black, you’re from the hood; if you’re Hispanic, you’re from the barrio; if you’re white, you’re from the suburbs.” Laughter bubbles up, and Adams says, “I’m from duh hood.” Dressed in baggy jeans and a T-shirt, he looks like them. Born in the projects of Houston in 1971, Adams understands their temptations. And he challenges them to make it, too. “Your choices today will determine where you’ll be tomorrow. Drugs and alcohol will hold you back from your dreams, your vision and your purpose.” Continue reading “Melvin Adams”
Utilizing Horses in Therapy
November 2009
The gravel driveway leading to Valerie Hannemann’s home and office in the woods passes a horse pen. The licensed psychologist and Northern Arizona University professor, dressed in boots and jeans with a red and white checkered shirt, stands within the fenced area, calling one of her three horses. The spirited animal comes close and shoots off again. Continue reading “Finding a Stable Life”
A Chair Yoga Class Offers the Exercise to All Abilities
October 2009
The participants arrive at Thorpe Community and Senior Center, ready for action. Bins of equipment stand ready to offer each person maximum benefit in a yoga workout. Good wishes and grins greet Iyengar Hatha Yoga Instructor Melinda DeBoer-Ayrey as her students spread out around the room. “You have enough space there?” they ask one another and joke as they set up.
Armed with water bottles and towels, the 
group has the gusto to pull off a challenging exercise routine in any setting. Except this isn’t just any setting. And this isn’t any group of yoga enthusiasts. This is Melinda’s Stretch & Laugh Chair Yoga class. Three of the five members that day manage with some degree of wheelchair assistance. None has any hesitation to participate. It’s an attitude that propels them through their tough days. Continue reading “Flexible and Accessible”
Reducing Stress through Meditation
September 2009
Sarah held a raisin and explored it with her nose, eyes and hands before putting it in her mouth. There, she noted the fruit’s lumpy shape before chewing through its firm skin to the fleshier inside. Finally, she swallowed it, reflecting on the sweet taste. “It sounds simple enough when you describe it (the class exercise), but each member of the group agreed that we’d never experienced anything quite like it,” she assured me. This was practice in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Continue reading “Mastering Mindfulness”
Pet Therapy Benefits Cy-Fair Residents of All Ages
Fall 2009
Eric Harris sits with an open book in his lap, but doesn’t say anything. Bonnie, the collie, snuggled next to him on a blanket in Matzke Elementary Library, waits. She noses the boy’s arm to read. Eric pats the dog, his grin grows, and he begins. Reading is an adventure in itself, but when a child shares the story with a four-legged friend, they’re more eager to embark on it. That’s the point of BAK-PAK Critters Reading Program. Canine Behavior Specialist Mary Kegarise created the buddy system to encourage confidence and skills as children cozy up for reading. And Cy-Fair residents of all ages, from kids to seniors, are getting the opportunity to experience the positive impact it can have on their lives. Continue reading “Precious Pets With Purpose”
Integrated Health Embraces Both Horizons
August 2009
Oh, my aching sacroiliac. My back’s SI joint had been shooting pain through my most basic motions: sitting, standing and sleeping. Like most people, I made a doctor’s appointment. The physician only took care of backs and wouldn’t even glance at my sore knee. “Might they be related?” I asked. After an evaluation, an MRI and physical therapy, I was released, and I guess, pronounced well. Except, I wasn’t. To pursue it further, I needed a pain management specialist. The tests said all my healthy individual parts should be working, so why the twinge? Continue reading “Eastern Meeting Western”
