November 2014 - Absolutely Memorial Magazine

$2.95

NOVEMBER 2014

'Tis the SEASONEntertainingand Dining

+ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors

A Design Dream Team:

INSIDE FRONT

INSIDE FRONT

AOK Sports Medicine Specialists are keeping you in the game

For over 25 years, Athletic Orthopedics & Knee Center has been recognized in Texas as a prominent leader in orthopedic healthcare. Our sports medicine specialists work collaboratively with school staff to ensure the best care for our athletes. We strive to keep kids as active as possible throughout their injury recovery. Each athlete has individualized goals for treatment so they can return to their sport safely and quickly. Our services include:

• Post-concussion injury evaluation • Access to AOKC sports medicine specialists in our Emergency Room • Same day, in-office appointments • Platinum Patient Program • Individualized plan of care • Physical Therapy, extended weekday hours and Saturday mornings • 24-hour sports physicals available for $25

9180 Katy Freeway • Houston, TX 77055 (I-10 and Campbell in between 610 and the Beltway - Exit 759A)

Orthopedics & Sports Medicine • Emergency RoomPhysical Therapy & Rehabilitation

Athletic Orthopedics & Knee CenterFoot • Ankle • Hand • Pain • Shoulder • Spine713.984.1400 • aokc.net

AOK Emergency RoomFull service Emergency Room with NO WAIT TIME713.465.0911 • aokemergencyroom.com

Voss Rd.

Welcome Homemarthaturner.com | 713.520.1981Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

MEMORIALOak Bend Drive | $720s5/3.5 - 3,275 sfupdated home near bayou and parkLara Nesmith | 713.558.3260

BUNKER HILL VILLAGETall Oaks Street | $3.1+mil6-7/6.5 - 8,026 sfHouston’s only Frank Lloyd Wright homeKaren Harberg | 713.558.3203

RICHMONDRetreat Boulevard | $3.2+mil4/4.5+ - 8,059 sf1-story home | ±1.25 acresSusan Boss | 713.823.6992

BUNKER HILL VILLAGEPlantation Road | $1.4+mil5/3.5 - 4,589 sfmaster down | game room upSusan Boss | 713.823.6992

PINEY POINT VILLAGESmithdale Estates Drive | $3.3+mil4-5/3.5+ - 5,771 sfstunning home on ±40,000 sq. ft. lotKellie Geitner | 713.213.2011

RICE MILITARYPaseo Caceres Place | $1+mil3-4/4 - 3,758 sfThe “Lucia Grande” in CaceresKellie Geitner | 713.213.2011

HEIGHTSWaverly Street | $690s3/2.5 - 2,352 sfcharming move-in ready home Kathryn R. Hamilton | 713.299.5011

BUNKER HILL VILLAGEAmberton Lane | $2.2+mil5-6/5.5 - 5,798 sffabulous home on large cul-de-sac lotLeann Salmons | 832.868.9453

HUNTERS CREEK VILLAGESleepy Oaks Circle | $8.9+mil7/7.5+ - 12,364 sfstately European-inspired estateMartha Adger | 713.628.3772

MUSEUM DISTRICTCrawford Street | $390s3/3.5 - 2,466 sffreestanding home with roof top deckwood floors | high ceilings | 2 car garage

TANGLEWOODRocky River Road | $2.4+mil4-5/6.5 - 6,738 sfbeautiful traditional home with fabulous flowbonus room | garage apartment | pool/spa

MEMORIALHermitage Lane | $1.4mil5/5.5 - 5,530 sfstunning home zoned to Memorial MSKathryn Bonner | 713.201.3466

www.absolutelymemorial.com l NOVEMBER 2014 3

Howdypartner.We’re right here in West Houston andready to partner with you in the healthcare of your child.

With a dedicated pediatric emergencyroom, pediatric intensive care unit andmore than 20 pediatric subspecialties conveniently located on site, we offer topcare for kids, close to home. From sportsmedicine to cardiology to ophthalmology,our specialty clinics are staffed by expertsin their fields using the most advancedtechnology, in facilities designed specificallyfor children.

Texas Children’s is ranked #4 in the nationby U.S.News & World Report and is thehighest ranked children’s hospital in thesouthwest. The next time your childneeds medical care, come to us. We’re allabout kids.

For maps and information, visit westcampus.texaschildrens.org.

© 2014 Texas Children’s Hospital. All rights reserved. Texas Children’s Hospital is the only children’s hospital in Texas on U.S.News & World Report’s 2014-2015 Honor Roll. WC404_090114

Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus18200 Katy FreewayHouston, TX 77094832-227-1000

WC404_ad_WC_Howdy_AbsKatyMem_Layout 1 8/27/14 6:01 PM Page 1

NOVEMBER 2014 l TO ADVERTISE: 281.690.4242 or www.absolutelymemorial.com4

OnCall Emergency Center is a full-service emergency room that specializes in treating major and minor illnesses with a fully trainedER staff.

Our mission is to exceed a patient's expectation when visiting our emergency center. We will strive to provide the patient with exceptional customer service, low wait times and a comfortable environment. We will develop, train and maintain staff that understand and accept these foundational principles.

Memorial Village1014 Wirt Road

Houston, TX 77055

290 45

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THE DESIGNING WOMEN OF TWENTY-TWO FIFTY INTERIORSA mother/daughter design dream team with a full-service interior design studio, Teena Caldwell and Lauren Worsham recently completed a design project in a Memorial home, transforming it into a place of comfort and simplicity with a country French style.

12

Designed by Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors, this sitting room incorporates plastered interior walls as a beautiful backdropto earth tones and textured wood floors.Photography by Nesossi Studios.

F E AT U R E S

20 1,500 LOCAL CHILDREN NEED AN ADOPTIVE HOME DURING NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTHMemorial Organization Is Helping

22 THE POWER OF A VETERANAn Army Military Police Corps veteranprovides career opportunities for veterans

24 MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL AND G.W. CARVER MAGNET SCHOOL THEATRE STUDENTS Perform in Memphis, The Musical

36 DANCING DREAMS WITH THE ROCKETTESThe iconic dancers visit this holiday season

37 absolutely! ‘TIS THE SEASONA Guide to Holiday Entertaining and Dining

48 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDEFind fabulous gifts from local retailers

C O L U M N S

16 absolutely! FABULOUS FINDS

18 JAN GLENN’S PAWSITIVELY PURRFECTGeorge Strait Eyes

28 SPRING BRANCH SPORTS SPOTLIGHTMeet the SBMSA Lacrosse Team

51 FAMILY LAWWhat Assets/Debts Does Your Estate Have, and How Can They Be Located During a Divorce?

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4

C O V E R S T O R Y

JOINT PAIN

Contact a

Memorial Hermann

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living pain free.

Staying active is key to staying healthy.

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path to the life you want to live.

Call 713.272.1888 or visit

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or to make an appointment.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

IN ELIMINATING


CONTRIBUTORS

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | V O L U M E 1 0 | N U M B E R 1 1

N E W S W O RT H Y

17 KAPPA KAPPA GAMMAPRESENTSThe Pilgrimage Home Tour

26 28TH ANNUAL CELEBRITY PAWS GALASet for November 22nd

33 THIRD ANNUAL MEMORIAL CITY LIGHTSHoliday Celebration Planned for November 15th

57 OLYMPIC MEDALIST JOINS SPRING BRANCH ISDAs District Diving Coach

SPRING BRANCH EDUCATION FOUNDATIONHosts Fourth Annual Style Show

M E D I C A L & B U S I N E S S

29 MEDICAL FOCUS

32 HOUSTON WESTCHAMBER OF COMMERCE’SSuccessful Women Driving Business Luncheon

a b s o l u t e l y !H E A LT H Y L I V I N G

30 ARE YOU HAVING A CHARLIEBROWN HOLIDAY SEASON?Tips for Coping With the Holiday Blues

58 absolutely! Q&ATexas Children’s Hospital West Campus AnswersYour Questions on Sickle Cell

absolute ly!AUTO REVIEW

56 2015 CADILLAC ESCALADE

absolute ly!DELICIOUS

62 absolutely! DELICIOUS LISTING

I N E V E RY I S S U E

10 PUBLISHER’S PREVIEW

50 COMMUNITY EVENTS

52 OUT & ABOUT IN THEHEART OF MEMORIAL

60 MEMORIAL MENTIONS

64 A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY

ON THE COVER:

Lauren Worsham and Teena Caldwell.

Photography by Nesossi Studios.

Suzanne Stiles Memorial MentionsPage 60

60

Jan GlennJournalistPage 18

18

Jennifer GreerContributorPage 24

24

Kerstin BrownTMS Serenity CenterPage 30

30

Stephenie Coxabsolutely! focus mediaPage 46

46

Jennifer Elliottabsolutely! focus mediaPage 36

36

Debbie Clemens absolutely! Fabulous FindsPage 16

16

Steve KursarAuto EnthusiastPage 56

56

Nancy L. RommelmannFamily Law AttorneyPage 51

51

Michelle JohnsonContributorPage 12

12

Tammy HamptonContributorPage 28

28

Stephanie ValtasarosContributorPage 50

50


campbell wellness center

A one-of-a-kind Memorial area progressive health facility offering a

balance in lifestyle.

• Exercise Prescription• Nutritional Counseling• Massage Therapy• Yoga• Zumba • TRX

• Spinning • Couple’s Dance Preparation• Extreme Cardio• Open Access Colonoscopy• Sports Chiropractor

Blalock Rd.

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live your healthiest lifestyle.

1446 Campbell RoadHouston, Texas 77055

281-740-4550www.campbell-wellness-center.com


4655 TECHNIPLEX DR. STE 700STAFFORD , TX 77477

281-690-4242

WWW.ABSOLUTELYMEMORIAL.COM

absolutely! MemorialTM Magazine is published by absolutely! focus media, 4655 Techniplex Dr., Ste. 700, Stafford, TX 77477. Copyright © 2014 by absolutely! focus media. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. abso-lutely! MemorialTM Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial, nor do the publishers assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. abso-lutely! MemorialTM Magazine welcomes editorial submissions from its readers.

Vol. 10 No. 11November 2014

EXCLAMATION POINTS!THE INSIDE SCOOP STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP

Subscription requests are free to all Memorial and Galleria addresses. Annual paid subscription

of $25 required outside the Memorial/Galleria area.

Publishedby

P U B L I S H E RE DI TOR- I N - C H I E FPatti Parish-Kaminski

A S S O C IAT E P U B L I S H E RLara Bell

M A NAG I N G E D I T O RSarah Bearden

S E N I O R AC C O U N T E X E C U T I V EJessica Kij

AC C OU N T E X E C U T I V E SStephenie Cox Jennifer Elliott

Molly Ellis Kay Garrett

Juliet Hubbell Andrea Rigamonti

Suzanne Stiles Bonnie Bell Woodrow

A RT DI R E C TORGrace Belleza

G R A P H IC DE SIG N E RGinger Garza

W E B DE SIG N E RJoey Belleza

OF F IC E A DM I N I ST R ATORAdrienne Boring

I N T E R NErin De Veyra

P H O T O G R A P H YNesossi Studios

C O N T R I BU T O R SDebbie ClemensKerstin BrownStephenie CoxJennifer Elliott

Jan GlennJennifer Greer

Tammy HamptonMichelle Johnson

Steve KursarNancy L. Rommelmann

Suzanne StilesStephanie Valtasaros

I N Q U I R I E S281-690-4242

E D I T O R IA L SU B M I S S I O N [email protected]

Associate Publisher, LARA BELL

READER FEEDBACK

@larabell

I love driving through Memorial in the fall months and seeing all of the big, ma-jestic trees surrounding our neighborhoods with falling leaves and pretty shades of au-tumn. This is the season of Thanksgiving and being thankful, and I will say over and over how thankful I am for my family (even though we are not perfect!), my friends (even though they are not perfect!) and my community (even though it is not perfect!). I am blessed beyond measure with what I have. Last year we attended the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, and if you have never attended, I encourage you to go this year. It is a really fun experience!

In this issue, we look at home decorating with a beautiful home in Memorial and how the designers at Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors made these homeowners’ dreams a reality. Also in this is-sue, we feature holiday entertaining and how to throw the perfect holiday party, as we will be either going to some or throwing some in the upcoming weeks. Check out Jennifer’s story on the Rockettes – yes, those Radio City Rockettes are coming to Houston at the end of the month.

November is also known as National Adoption Month. Spaulding for Children is located in Memorial and is working hard to place children in adoptive homes. They are changing the lives of kids on a daily basis and tell us how we can help!

Finally, if you have not bought your ticket to the Spring Branch Educa-tion Foundation Fashion Show featuring designer Trina Turk, you better hurry – they are almost sold out! And just as a friendly reminder to send me story ideas and comments, we love to hear from you! Please also send me your New Year’s resolutions. I’d love to highlight some in the January issue of the magazine. Happy Thanksgiving!

Absolutely! yours,

LaraLara Bell-Milam

[email protected]

Brent, Lara, Dylan and Brooks Milam at the 2013 Thanksgiving Day Parade in Downtown Houston.

Lara, You are so amazing and an incredible writer!

I love your magazine and read every article about breast cancer. In Houston, the statistics are higher than in the U.S. for breast cancer. I would think it is an environmental issue.

I am proud of you and Brent for being honored, and you are truly an amazing person! So glad your darling mom is better, love Bonnie!

Cindi Harwood Rose

What an inspiring article on such an inspiring person! Jamie Gilmore is one in a million, and I commend you for writing about her. I am a fan of your magazine!

Sherry Crossin


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Makingthe Big Move

When Martina Babine and her fami-ly decided to relocate to Memorial from Sugar Land, she knew she wanted Tee-na Caldwell and her daughter, Lauren Worsham, of Twenty-Two Fifty Interi-ors to help make her new house into a home. She knew the design duo from their store and design center located in the heart of Sugar Land Town Square, and she knew she wanted them on her team as she relocated her family.

“Martina came into our store and loved what she saw,” said Caldwell. “We formed a great relationship, and it all started from there.”

What Martina found at Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors was a family-owned vi-sion that was brought to life in 2010 by Caldwell and Worsham. This mother/daughter team decided that they want-ed to create a comfortable, beautiful store and design center featuring eclec-

T he world in which we live is very stressful and de-manding. Your home is the place where you can es-

cape and leave the rest of the world be-hind. But, making it your own personal retreat – your space to relax, entertain and enjoy life – can require expert as-sistance, especially during a move. Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors can help. This mother/daughter design dream team with a full-service interior design studio does it all from freshening up a room to designing an entire home – beautifully.

COVER STORY

By Michelle Johnson

Photography byNesossi Studios

The

Designing Womenof Twenty-Two Fifty

Interiors

The Babine’s kitchen designed by Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors features a chef’s stove and under-cabinet lighting. Textured wood floors and brick add to the home’s Country French theme.


Lauren Worsham and Teena Caldwell.

tic elements for timeless interiors. For four years, this designing duo has pro-vided unbridled creativity to their cus-tomers with their custom design center.

Eclectic Elements, Timeless Interiors

“Our store is truly a ‘Boutique for the Home,’” said Caldwell. “We want our customers to walk into a visually stunning presentation of items from all around the world.” The store showcases iconic designs along with a full-service design studio. Whether clients require complete interior design of their new home or an update of their existing space, the design team at Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors offers a full array of ser-vices including custom drapery, fabric, furniture, art, linens and accessories.

The store features vibrant designs, which are unique and unforgettable. “Our store is filled with one-of-a-kind finds. I’m amazed at how many visitors come here from out of town and com-ment on how much they like the unique items in our store,” said Worsham.

The space is decorated with many beautiful items, as well as pieces of Caldwell’s family history. “I love re-claimed wood,” shared Caldwell, who said that the trend for using reclaimed wood remains very popular with cli-ents. “We actually pulled wood from the home of my grandparents where my dad grew up and used it in our space. It’s as if my father is here with us every day. Taking what you have and making something new out of it can really add a unique element to a home.”

Making aHouse into a Home

Caldwell began working on the Babine project as soon as the homeown-ers finalized the plans for construction of their new home. “Martina expressed the vision she had for her home, and I helped her carry it out.”

With the Babine children enrolled in a new school in the Memorial area, the drive back and forth from Sugar Land was taking its toll on the family. They

wanted to start over with a home that featured bright, inviting colors, which was a complete change from the design of their Sugar Land residence that fea-tured darker colors. Furnishings from their old home would not work in their new space.

Caldwell began designing the Babi-ne’s new 9,800 square foot home located on four acres in Memorial. The Country French interior theme came to life in the expert hands of Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors and took a year to complete.

The client, along with Caldwell’s help, chose several antique pieces that were to be the focal point of the design. However, decisions on lighting, wall textures, furniture, rugs and other ac-cessories still required attention. “In this home, the interior walls were plas-

Stonework and a glow from the fabulous chandelier add warmth to the dining room.

tered creating a beautiful backdrop for a room,” explained Caldwell. “I love us-ing plaster in my design projects. The walls and many of the cabinets have very beautiful, unique finishes done by Segreto Finishes and Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors.” Caldwell further explained the plastering technique. “A diamond plaster has a color pigment added to the plaster. It is layered onto the wall, providing a subtle, three-dimensional effect.”

Most of the new furnishings for the home were provided by the design firm. Furniture placement, as well as other accessory selection and placement, were directed by Caldwell. Bedroom linens were selected from collections by Bella Notte, which are featured by Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors.



With the Christmas holiday season quickly approach-ing, Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors is your holiday décor headquarters. To help you get your home holiday ready, here are a few design tips from the experts at Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors to help you enjoy the holidays – beautifully.

1. Spend money where it counts by buying unique or limited edition pieces that can be passed down forgenerations.

2. Bring natural elements into your holiday decora-tions such as magnolia leaves, berries, and freshgreenery.

3. The holiday season brings family together, so add elements that tell your family’s story.

4. Vary the scale of elements in your tree. Large dec-orations make for an interesting focal point whenused in a tree.

5. Bring the country home. Antlers and hides now cross all design barriers from contemporary to tra-ditional.

6. Set your dining room table. You can add holiday dessert plates to your everyday place setting tocreate a wonderful holiday table setting.

7. Add the element of family into your design. Family photographs can be adorned with holiday framesto jazz up those everyday photographs.

8. There’s nothing like the smell of winter. Add new diffusers, candles and potpourri to complete theholiday ambience in your home.

9. Don’t forget Christmas accessories. There are fabulous Christmas pillows and paintings in themarketplace today. Add them to your décor during the holidays.

10. Decorate early. This allows you, your family and friends to sit back and cherish the momentand beauty of the season.

Visit Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors at 2250 Lone StarDrive in Sugar Land or twentytwofiftyinteriors.com.

Design Tipsfor the

Holidays

Soft, inviting hues and luxurious linens

create a comfortable master bedroom.

A Full-Service Design FirmWith the experience and full-service design services of-

fered by Caldwell and her team, the Babine’s new house came to life. “Completion of a project of this size can often be over-whelming to a client,” said Caldwell. “That’s where we come in. We assist the client with all aspects of the design from color selections of paint and textures to complete furnishings for the space. We are there to assist with any decision and execution so the client can relax and enjoy their new home.”

The Babine’s new home was completed just before Christ-mas. “The family began moving into their new home on De-cember 22nd. They were still unloading furniture the following day when our crew arrived. We immediately began decorating for the holidays so it would feel like home on Christmas Day.”

“Teena was very instrumental in making our new home a place of comfort and simplicity,” said Martina Babine. “She is an extreme professional with an incredible sense of design and detail. She made our dreams a reality.”

Making clients’ dreams come true is the goal of Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors. With over 20 years of Interior Design experience, Caldwell’s knowledge and creativity brings fresh ideas to her clients. “Our goal is to offer a unique selection of home accessories and furnishings while providing an out-standing customer experience and service. Guiding our cus-tomers in exceptional interior design through a team of dedi-cated and knowledgeable employees is our mission.”

For more information about Twenty-Two Fifty Interiors, visit twentytwofiftyinteriors.com or call 281-265-2250.

947 gessner + houston, tx 77024i-10 and gessner next to the westin memorial citygatewaymemorialcity.com

Bold flavors of the Latin American parrilla with all its fire and passion.From appetizers like empanadas and ceviches to the famous signature char-grilled

chimichurri marinated Churrasco steak and award-winning Tres Leches.

Already hailed as one of Houston’s best, Vallone’s offers dry-aged steaks, chops,in-house butchered seafood, and Tony Vallone’s signature housemade pastas.

From lunch to happy hour, to business entertaining, Vallone’s is your home away from home in Houston.

A classic modern day pub with American craft bottled and draft beer, handmade cocktails and an all American wine list.

The perfect beverage program for Chef Bradley’s classic American cuisine.

Executive chef Adison Lee, formerly of Nobu, brings his talent and passion for Japanese fusion cuisine to Memorial City.

Focusing on artistry and complementary flavors, KUU has a constantly changing menu featuring locally-raised ingredients.

for lunch and dinner reservationskuurestaurant.com | 713.461.1688

for lunch and dinner reservationsvalloneshouston.com | 713.395.6100

for lunch and dinner reservationscordua.com/churrascos | 713.231.1352OPENING FALL 2014


BY DEBBIE CLEMENS

FabulousFinds

You may know me as a Memorial mom of four fabulous boys and wife

to Roger Clemens, but what you may not know is that I love finding cool and unique products because, let’s face it, in a house full of boys, a girl needs her girl stuff! So, here are some things I absolutely love... and hope you will too!

@debbieclemens

Salt Seasoning EggThanksgiving is almost here! I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey can be testy –especially the brining. This will take the hard part away and help you bake a wonderful, moist, delicious turkey!www.saltrox.com

Hand-Knitted Golf Club Head CoversGuys out there, if your honey golfs, you need to get these for her golf bag! They are totally fun, bright, cheery and super easy to get on and off of golf clubs.www.debbieclemens.com

Burks and Bailey TiesThese are handmade in

Portland, Oregon, which I love. They are reversible and come

in bright, bold colors. With holidays and formals coming

up, you may want to spruce up your look. They are great!

www.burksandbailey.com

Laurence Dacade ParisThese boots are gorgeous and made of velvet suede! I love the studs and buckles. I bought the gray and silver, although they come in other colors. The mid-calf boot is a new look for fall, and I’m all over it!www.neimanmarcus.com

Rockabye RockersAll of the rockers are so cute, but I play favorites to Homer! They are soft,

colorful and sure to make your little one smile big.

December is just a month away, and this is a good

gift to put on your listfrom Santa Claus!

www.rockabye.com


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14441 Memorial Drive,Suite 5 • Houston, TX 77079(Located between Kirkwood and Dairy Ashford)

Looking for a little inspiration with your holiday decorating this season? Here’s the answer. The Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) biannual Pilgrimage Home Tour is set to take place December 5th through 7th with four breathtaking homes in the Memorial and River Oaks area. The KKG Pilgrimage has been showcasing homes in Memorial, Tanglewood and River Oaks neighborhoods for over 35 years, and this year it will not disappoint.

The KKG Pilgrimage’s goal is to raise funds to support local charities in the community, and in 2012, a record 13 foundations were helped by the Pilgrim-age. And keeping with all things local, each home will partner with a talented local florist to bring to life the joy of the season and further showcase the art and décor of the homeowner’s style.

From the entries to the formal spaces to the chef’s kitchens, these homes ex-hibit beautiful architectural styles each in their own way. It’s a great way to take a break from the chaos of holiday shop-ping and spend some time in neighbor-hoods supporting the community. The tour will take place Friday, December 5th and Saturday, December 6th from 10 am until 4 pm and on Sunday, December 7th from 1 to 4 pm.

Tickets for the home tour are now available online at houstonkappas.org or may be purchased at these local re-tailers: Area, Bering’s, Cornelius, Central Market, Out of the Box, The Villager, Le-onard Rutan, Paisley House, Accessory Place and Backrow Antiques.

Kappa Kappa Gamma Presents the

Pilgrimage Home Tour

NEWSWORTHY

Jan Glenn’sPawsitively Purrfect

Ifirst met George Strait Eyes, a cross-eyed

tabby, at the Houston Humane Society in

1993 while working as a volunteer. Every

morning, this precious kitty would reach out

to me from his cage in the cattery as if to

say, “You need to take me home with you,

because I’m special! I’m a king!” So after two

weeks, I did!

At my home on Tree Frog Lane, George Strait Eyes met an-other king. It was Elvis Presley, my blue parakeet, and his com-panion Pricilla, a green parakeet, who were my pets for eight years. Within a week, this special kitty had learned to get into my study where the parakeets were very safe, open their cage, chase them around the room and eventually catch them. I never saw them again – not even a blue or green feather. That’s when I realized George Strait Eyes wasn’t a kitten. He was a cat, and he was something special.

For the next 21 years, George Strait Eyes’ antics and es-capades were unbelievable. He was mischievous, smart and loaded with personality. Before I would load clothes into the dryer, I would check to make sure he wasn’t there, because he

enjoyed making it his cave. After hearing a few thump thumps when starting the dryer without looking, I finally got the point!

The microwave was also one of his favorite spots. He had the paws of human hands, and he could open and close just about anything in the house. There was no drawer he couldn’t get into and no cabinet or shelf he couldn’t reach and crawl into. You never knew where he would be. Being a cat, he wasn’t about to let me know where he was. We played that hide and seek game for 21 years.

George Strait Eyes’ dexterity was renowned. He could crawl around cabinets with pots, pans and dishes and never break one. The first Christmas tree was different though. He thought it was his to play in. Coming home and finding it toppled over on the floor with all of my favorite broken decorations put a stop to Christmas trees forever.

That was okay for George, because the house was his and there were plenty of things to do while I was away. He was his own guy. He didn’t enjoy the company of my other two cats, Conway Twitty Kitty and Tammy Whynot, so he avoided them. He found them to be quite boring. Conway was twice his size and could handle George with a swipe of his paw. My two dogs, Studley Dudley Moore and Bridget Bardot Dog, were just a nui-sance.

At the age of 18, George started getting old. He couldn’t jump up as high, he started falling off the couch, his eyesight was failing and he was seriously arthritic. For the next three years, I gave him intravenous fluids day and night and medicine every three hours. The next three years were tough on George Strait Eyes, my husband Gene and me.

On February 11, 2014, George went to kitty heaven. He couldn’t walk that morning, and that was it. He sat in the back seat with me while Gene drove us to Dr. Taffi Tippit’s clinic. It

was almost as if George knew what was happen-ing. He was going to have to answer for a few things to our Maker that day. There was something sad and peaceful about him during that long drive. It was our last adventure together. The two of us had survived hurricanes, disappointments and loss through our 21 years. He was a joy and made me laugh daily, and I look at life differently now be-cause he was such a part of mine.

George Strait EyesGeorge Strait Eyes in his favorite spot.

Jan Glenn and George Strait Eyes.



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Streety became a licensed foster parent and fostered a six-year-old boy, who was finally reunited with his birth father after two years in state custody. After the boy left Streety’s home, his caseworker asked if he would consider adoption. Streety again thought, “I can do this.”

While Streety was in the process of adopting Fabian and Jovani, two brothers ages 14 and 12, his casework-er discovered that the boys had a 16 year-old half brother Arnold, who was also available for adoption. Although Arnold originally did not want to be adopted, he changed his mind so he could be with his brothers and not age out of the system without a forever family.

Streety moved forward in adopting

all three boys, and they now live in Spring Branch. Fabian and Jovani at-tend Northbrook High School with as-pirations of attending college after they graduate, and Arnold attends the Uni-versity of Houston-Downtown, an op-portunity he never imagined would be possible growing up in the state foster care system. Although raising teenag-ers isn’t always easy, Streety wouldn’t have it any other way.

November marks National Adop-tion Month. Many people do not know there are more than 1,500 children in Houston today who are available for adoption. Spaulding for Children, a Memorial-area non-profit organiza-tion, works tirelessly to find adoptive families for these children, who were removed from their birth homes due to

abuse, neglect or abandonment.Spaulding for Children focuses on

getting children like Fabian, Jovani and Arnold, who are over the age of six and part of a sibling group, out of the state foster care system and into loving adoptive homes. Older children, minor-ity children and sibling groups have a harder time finding adoptive homes than younger Caucasian children and are at the highest risk of aging out of the foster care system at age 18 with-out ever being adopted.

If you are interested in helping Spaulding for Children in its mission to provide children in need of a lov-ing home with the joy of having one or learning how you can become a foster or adoptive parent, call 713-681-6991. Together, we can do this!

1,500 Local ChildrenNeed an Adoptive Home

During National Adoption MonthMemorial Organization Is Helping

Fabian, Arnold, Steven and Jovani Streety.

S teven Streety never considered becoming a foster or adoptive parent before fate stepped

in. Through his employer’s volunteer program, Streety became involved with a local organization that served children in the foster care system who had endured abuse. Before volunteering, Streety did not even know what foster care was. However, after speaking with foster parents during his volunteer shifts and learning more about the state foster care system, Streety thought to himself, “I can do this.”


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W hen Army Military Police Corps veteran and Memorial resident Kevin Barber got

out of the service and began raising his family in the Memorial area, he real-ized that he wanted to do something to help established and transitioning combat veterans, so he started Veteran Energy.

“As an army veteran, it was my goal and desire to create a social enterprise supporting the veteran community that brought Veteran Energy to mar-ket. We are very active in local, state and national veteran and military sup-port causes while continually working to grow Veteran Energy’s presence in Texas,” explained Barber. Veteran En-ergy not only serves veterans but also the “one degree of separation” of a vet-eran. In other words, the organization serves everyone in the great state of Texas.

Veteran Energy is a Retail Elec-tric Provider (REP) serving all Texas residential, industrial and commercial electricity customers across Texas. Veteran Energy was the first Veterans Administration (VA) certified veter-an-owned REP in Texas when it was formed three years ago. Their mission statement since day one has been “to positively impact the lives of veterans, active duty military and their families on a daily basis,” and that’s how they judge the success of each day. “This is achieved through The Power to Give Back™ initiative and our constant con-tact in the communities we serve,” said Barber.

Since December 2013, Veteran En-ergy has provided over 20 career oppor-

tunities for veterans in Texas. “As we grow the business, we will continue hir-ing a veteran workforce and be a force multiplier for veteran career develop-ment. We are committed to providing well-deserved career opportunities to our fellow veterans,” said Barker. Veteran Energy realizes veterans, cur-rent military and their families have made sacrifices. “We’ve been there, and that’s why we’ve established a program where we offer discounted electricity rates, deposit forgiveness and bill pay flexibility to our own, as well as the Power to Give Back™ program for all of our customers.”

One of Veteran Energy’s newest team members is Allyson Shoptaw, a California bay area native who enlist-ed in the U.S. Marine Corps two days after she turned 18. She reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island shortly after and began a wild journey that yielded two deployments, eight countries and a lifetime of memo-ries. Her Military Occupation Specialty

The PoWerof a VeTeran

(MOS) consisted of driving large mili-tary vehicles in all climes and places.

Shoptaw married the love of her life, Scott, at the end of her enlistment in 2010. She enrolled in college with the Post 9/11 GI Bill the following semes-ter and began a family. Two kids, three years, four states and one degree later, Shoptaw began contracting with Carni-val Cruise Lines Direct Sales. The goal became finding work complimentary to her bustling schedule of being a mom of two under two, an active duty military spouse and a financial contributor.

One final move later, Shoptaw found herself in Houston setting up a new home for her family in preparation for Scott’s transition out of the Marine Corps. She was introduced to the Lone Star Veteran’s Association and accept-ed an offer from Veteran Energy a week later. Today, you can find this Texas transplant loving Houston, passionate-ly cooking, intermittently tapping into her kids’ daycare security cameras, video chatting with her handsome hus-band and selling top-notch, aggressive-ly-priced electricity to Texans.


Scott and Allyson Shoptaw in Timor L’este in 2009.

Allyson Shoptaw in Djibouti, Africa in 2010.

absolutely! Memorial Magazine salutesall of our military members this Veterans Day!


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two schools from different sides of town with two different backgrounds coming together to produce the product could do that.”

Memorial Director Nicole Morgan noted students are learning more than songs. “They get to see the progression of not only how racism played out, but also how radio became popular, then transitioned into television and how

By Jennifer Greer

Memorial High School and G.W. CarverMagnet School Theatre Students Perform in

Sariah Felix and Julia Westwick perform a scene from Memphis, the Musical.

T heater students from Memorial High School and G.W. Carver Magnet School recently joined

forces to present Memphis, the Musical – a rare cross-town collaboration that allowed a diverse group of students to work together and make new friends. Half of the cast was from Memorial, half from Carver. Carver is an Aldine ISD magnet school composed of pri-marily African American and Hispanic students.

Memphis, the Musical tells the story of the birth of rock and roll in the 1950s from the segregated R&B clubs and ra-dio stations of Memphis, Tennessee. In this fictional story, a young Caucasian DJ and a beautiful African-American singer challenge prevailing cultural and racial norms with their love affair and their attempt to bring her music into the homes of all Americans.

Carver Director Roshunda Jones ex-plained that Memphis, the Musical was perfect for their collaboration. “I felt we could really showcase the meaning of the show, because it took place in the 50s during segregation. And I thought

people could make it or break it based on that.”

Students at both schools enjoyed working together. Kiera Prusmack, Carver’s student choreographer, said, “I love the Memorial kids. I just really enjoy it.” Memorial student Patrick Greer agreed. “The enthusiasm cre-ated by our schools working together is something I’ve never seen in a high school production. I’m really looking forward to working with them again if Memphis is chosen for the Texas Thes-pian Festival.”

Before the show, the students were thrilled by a surprise visit from Will Mann, who starred in Memphis, the Musical on Broadway and its first na-tional tour. “I’m so proud of what you’re doing,” Mann told them. When he asked who was interested in a theater career, many hands went up. Mann ad-vised, “If you’re going to do it, do it all the way. Commit to it.” He warned that people would say they need a “backup plan” but that they should focus on the-ater. “If you have no choice but to suc-ceed, then you will.”

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Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP) Shelter and Pet Adoption Center is ex-cited to present the 28th Annual Celeb-rity Paws Gala on Saturday November 22nd at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, locat-ed at 2222 West Loop South. Chaired by Wezy and Bobby Dees, the evening will include a reception, auctions, raffle, din-ner and dancing beginning at 6:30 pm.

The 10 elite honorees, Tony Bradfield, Kevin Black, Irma Brindis, Sam Bying-ton, Robert Federowicz, Penny and Paul Loyd, Laura McIngvale Brown, Cyndy Garza Roberts and Rini Ziegler, will be recognized during a presentation. Junior honorees are Justin, Cole and Chandler Smith.

CAP was founded in 1972 for be-nevolent, charitable and educational purposes for the protection of homeless animals. The organization strives to build a better future for pets and people in the Greater Houston area by defending

28th Annual Celebrity Paws GalaSet for November 22nd

helpless animals and speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Located in West Houston, CAP op-erates a state-of-the-art animal shelter and with a dynamic board of directors, dedicated staff and volunteers, im-proves the lives of families through na-tionally recognized programs. CAP has an adoption rate nearly four times the national average and works to build a better community by providing solu-tions to animal issues. Services pro-vided to the community by CAP include pet adoptions, community outreach and humane education speaking programs, animal rescue, lost and found, pet owner counseling, foster care for special needs animals, telephone counseling and vol-unteer assistance.

For tickets and more information on the gala, contact [email protected] or 713-972-1896.

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Wezy and Bobby Dees with Tony.


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MEDICALFOCUS

New Pelvic Floor Program Now Available at Memorial Hermann

Memorial CityPelvic floor disorders – including uri-

nary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and bowel incontinence – are wide-spread and affect women and men of all ages. Yet these conditions are greatly undertreated. Many people are embar-rassed to discuss these conditions with their doctors or think their symptoms are a normal part of aging. A new Pel-vic Floor Program at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center now offers effective treatments, many noninvasive, to alleviate the difficulties these disor-ders present.

“One-third of all women and 50 per-cent of women over 55 are affected by pelvic floor disorders,” said Apurva B. Pancholy, M.D., a Memorial Hermann Memorial City-affiliated physician who is board certified in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. The pelvic floor consists of the muscles, ligaments and connective tissue that support men’s or women’s pelvic organs, including the bladder, rectum and urethra. “Connec-tive tissue can weaken with age, preg-nancy and childbirth, menopause, a hys-terectomy or obesity,” said Dr. Pancholy. In men, incontinence doesn’t always originate in the pelvis. In many cases, it’s a symptom of a neurological disorder such as dementia, Parkinson’s or mul-tiple sclerosis (MS).

At the Pelvic Floor Program at Memo-rial City, a patient’s individual needs are identified, and the affiliated physicians customize a plan of care to meet those needs. A variety of treatment options are available, depending on the precise nature of the patient’s condition. Vari-ous therapies are combined to achieve an optimal outcome. The primary focus is helping patients regain independence from these life-limiting conditions. For more information or a physician referral, call 713-222-CARE (2273).


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Common conditions treated:H Loss of bladder or bowel controlH Pelvic organ prolapseH Emptying problemsH Sexual dysfunctionH Painful bladder problems

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Holiday Blues Coping Tips

1. Get Real: Instead of trying to emulate the perfect holiday straight from the pages of Southern Living,

reframe expectations so that they are more realistic of what can actually be accomplished with the time, money and energy that fits your individual life. Determine priorities, establish realistic goals and don’t assume everything will be perfect – food, decorations, parties, family or presents. Make the holi-days meaningful and survivable by keeping holiday expecta-tions in check.

2. Watch the Booze: It is easy for us to think that a little “liquid courage” can go a long way when facing

the holidays, but that’s a dangerous path to take. Truth se-rum in the form of spiked eggnog isn’t a good thing. Alcohol is a depressant, and overindulging in alcohol causes us to have less control over what is said, be more emotionally sensitive and can ruin others’ enjoyment of the occasion. Holiday gath-erings are not the appropriate time to work out issues with Aunt Linda’s controlling nature or Dad’s criticism of the career we’ve chosen. It’s a time to be grateful for what we have and let go of the rest.

3. Ghosts of Holidays Past: Be prepared and learn from the past. Before the hustle and bustle of the holi-

day season arrives, sit down and think, what have the prob-lems been? Identify where the stress comes from and how to avoid those pitfalls. Do an inventory of stress and anxiety trig-gers. If certain situations or people spark those triggers, make the conscious choice to stay away. The forced cheerfulness of the holiday season can fuel anxieties, so spend time in caring,

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But for some, it appears Charlie Brown feels as they do around the holiday season:

Charlie Brown felt so depressed. “I just don’t understand Christmas. Instead of feeling happy,I feel sort of let down.” – A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965

We all know that the holidays are supposed to be a joyful time of relaxed gatherings of family and friends. But, that’s not always the case. Reality is we are totally stressed out, ex-hausted, sleep deprived and in seemingly endless clashes over parking spots or who was next in the checkout line.

During this time of year, there is a high potential for psy-

chological, physical and financial stress. As a result, the hol-idays can leave millions of people feeling blue, not happy or merry. The holiday blues can affect men and women of all ages with intense and unsettling feelings ranging from mild sad-ness to severe clinical depression.

So, why are so many of us feeling like Charlie Brown, and what can we do to prevent it? With some suggestions from his “psychiatrist” Lucy, Charlie Brown found ways of coping with his blues, like getting involved by directing the Christmas play and giving a sad, tiny tree some tender loving care and a home.

Here are some tips to help cope with the holiday blues and avoid having a Charlie Brown holiday season:

Are You Having a

Holiday Season?Charlie Brown

A s the old holiday favorite goes, ‘tis the season to be jolly, but that’s not the case for everyone.

When Charles Schultz’s classic A Charlie Brown Christmas comes on television every year, millions of us sit down in front of the television to watch it for the umpteenth time. Charlie Brown’s revelation about his feelings for the holidays are looked at by some viewers as Charlie Brown being, well, himself.

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supportive, nurturing environments. Limit the amount of time spent with people or in situations that are aggravating, insult-ing, negative or otherwise difficult to be around.

4. Just Say No: Be open to projects, invitations and get-togethers around the holidays, but recognize that it’s

okay to say “no.” Taking on too many things at once can leave us feeling too run down to enjoy the holiday season. Don’t take on a project that seems more important to you and less appre-ciated by others. If family members want a 17 course Christ-mas dinner made completely from scratch but don’t offer to provide any assistance in the kitchen to get it done, under-stand that it is okay to express that it is too much for one per-son to handle. Decide what can be comfortably done and what cannot be done.

5. Relax and Be Thankful: Instead of focusing on all of the stresses and shortcomings of the holidays, think

of the true reason for the season. This doesn’t have to be a taxing or traumatic experience. Remember, we are fortunate enough to be able to spend time with loved ones. Enjoy being surrounded by this love, even if said love drives us all a little bonkers one time or another. If there comes a point when it gets to be too much, take a step back and have some “down time” to relax, pray, meditate, laugh or whatever works when life stressors pop up any other day of the year. Most of all, develop a sense of gratitude and tune into the good things in

life. Being thankful is the best medicine – without any adverse side effects.

Is it more than the holiday blues?Clinical depression is more than just feeling sad for a few

weeks. The symptoms generally include changes in appetite and sleep patterns, losing interest in daily activities, poor en-ergy, no motivation, difficulty concentrating, a general feeling of hopelessness and for some, thoughts of suicide. Clinical de-pression impairs relationships, education, career and causes dysfunction in day-to-day life. Clinical depression requires professional treatment. If you are concerned that yourself, a family member or friend may be suffering from more than just the holiday blues, contact a mental health professional.


Making Space for Living.“From the initial meetings with the architect to finishing the last items on the punch list, Erin and her team always exhibited the highest levels of integrity and pride in their craft. Her straightfor-ward discussions we had throughout the process, exceptional at-tention to detail and commitment to quality, and most of all her open transparency with respect to project costs made our project seem easy. Stetzer Builders created a warm, beautiful, comfortable, and functional home for our family. Our home is not just a place to eat and sleep; rather, it is an extension of our family, a place to enjoy life, a place where friends and family can gather together, and a place of peace.” Client Testimonial

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Memorial City will host its dazzling third annual Memorial City Lights holiday celebration and lighting extravaganza on Saturday, November 15th from 6 to 7 pm on the Grand Stage near the fireplace in Memorial City Mall.

The family-friendly event will feature a magical indoor winter wonderland snowfall and holiday-themed entertainment for all ages, including a variety of musical acts such as choral groups, orchestras and dancers performing holiday favorites and more. Children will delight in visits from Mrs. Claus, Santa’s elves and the Memorial City Mall Dancing Reindeer.

The special evening will culminate in an appearance from Santa, who will flip the switch to illuminate 3.2 million lights, which will sparkle throughout the holiday season on one of the tallest Christmas trees in Houston, 200 trees lining Gessner

Third Annual Memorial City LightsHoliday Celebration Planned

for November 15th

Road and on all surrounding office and retail buildings in Me-morial City.

Memorial City Lights is a free event open to the community. Call 713-464-8640 or visit www.memorialcitymall.com for more information.

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MEDICALFOCUS

David ElgaricoJoins West Houston Medical Center as

Chief Operating Officer

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) affiliated West Houston Medical Center’s (WHMC) Chief Executive Of-ficer Todd Caliva announced that David Elgarico has been named the facility’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). Elgarico was previously the Executive Director of Ancillary Services at the University of California Irvine (UCI) Medical Center in Orange, California.

Before joining UCI Medical Center, El-garico served as the COO for Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Texas from 2009 to 2012. Prior to this position, El-garico participated in HCA’s COO Devel-opment Program where he oversaw the ancillary departments as the Associate Administrator for Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, California since 2005. He completed his Administra-tive Residency at HCA’s Trident Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina in 2005 after he graduated from the Medi-cal University of South Carolina where he earned his master’s in Healthcare Ad-ministration.

“David brings many years of experi-ence and energy to West Houston, and I am very excited to have him join our


David Elgarico


team,” said Caliva. Elgarico is a co-founder and the current chair of the Asian Health Care Leaders Association (AHCLA), a national organization found-ed to advance Asians in healthcare lead-ership. He also had the opportunity to serve as faculty at the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Con-gress in 2013 and 2014.

Additionally, on behalf of AHCLA, El-garico gave the invocation at the annual ACHE Diversity Breakfast. He has served as a panelist speaker for the South Texas ACHE Chapter and the South East Texas ACHE Chapter. Elgarico also served on HCA’s Diversity Council and Planning Committee, a committee aimed at ad-vancing diversity for HCA’s 190,000 em-ployees through the development and continual improvement of the Diversity and Inclusion Program. Furthermore, El-garico has served on the ACHE Regents Advisory Councils in California, Texas and South Carolina. He has served as a board member for several organizations representing hospitals and leaders in the communities he has served.

“I am privileged and excited to return to HCA’s Gulf Coast Division by joining a team that has distinguished itself in delivering excellent quality care and look forward to contributing to the communi-ty as we continue raising the bar on our services for our patients,” said Elgarico. Elgarico and his wife Kim have two chil-dren, Gianna and Noah. Elgarico started his role as COO at West Houston Medi-cal Center on September 2nd.

West Houston Medical Center is a full-service hospital serving the West Houston community for nearly 30 years. This Joint Commission accredited facil-ity provides a range of care, including emergency services, neurosurgery ser-vices, inpatient and outpatient surgery, rehabilitation and diagnostic services, bariatric/weight loss surgery, senior care, wound care, sleep disorder ser-vices, cardiovascular care, women’s ser-vices and more. For more information, visit www.WestHoustonMedical.com.

W hat young girl doesn’t dream of standing onstage, in a line with 20 dancers, doing eye

high kicks to rounds of glorious ap-plause? I know that I sure did after watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade as a child. Life has taken me other places, but sometimes I won-der if I could have done it.

I recently had the opportunity to meet two lovely Rockettes, who were in town promoting their Radio City Christmas Spectacular coming to Houston this December. The first thing I asked Jessica Osborne and Sarah Grooms was if there is a height require-ment for the Rockettes. “Yes,” they told me. Dancers must be between 5’6” and 5’10 ½” when standing barefoot. So in a way, that is a relief. I am glad I didn’t spend years training just to end up three inches too short to even try out.

Of course, I can still fantasize about a dancing career. I am mesmerized by the fabulous costumes and can only imagine how exciting it would be to

wear them. Grooms’ favorite costume is adorned with over 3,000 Swarovski crystals. It’s like you are “dripping in diamonds,” she said. I could get used to that.

What might be hard for me is get-ting in and out of the seven costumes in the show with the necessary speed. The shortest costume change takes a mere 80 seconds. That includes re-moving the 24 inch wooden soldier hat without completely messing up your hair. By the way, the Rockettes each do their own hair and makeup. I feel like I could handle that, as I do it every day – except for the days I don’t even bother.

So, what about all of those eye high kicks? It looks like so much fun, but the Rockettes will perform 300 kicks per show. That sounds pretty challenging. On days when there are four shows, that’s 1,200 kicks! Plus, most of them are done in three-inch heels. I love a good pair of heels, but ouch! Every night, the Rockettes end the evening with a 10 minute ice bath. Now I know

During their New York at Christmas scene, the Rockettes board a life-size double-decker tour bus, taking the audience on a guided tour through the streets of New York City.

By Jennifer Elliott

Dancing Dreams

I don’t want to sign up for that. I much prefer a glass of wine.

Although my height and general lack of grace prohibit my joining this amazing group, I found that Osborne and I had one thing in common. We have both run half marathons. I will admit she ran it faster. But in my de-fense, I am a couple of decades older. Here’s some good news for all of you dreamers out there: the Rockettes have no maximum age limit for trying out.

By the end of our interview, both of these young women impressed me with their love of dance and their grateful-ness for the opportunity to be a Rock-ette. “My favorite part is sharing it with children,” commented Osborne. The Rockettes sometimes teach class-es, and Osborne tells the kids, “You want to do this, and I’m telling you, you can and also be a mother, a nurse or a teacher.” Grooms advised, “Be pas-sionate about whatever you are doing.” I couldn’t agree more.

The Rockettes performing their iconic toy soldier dance.

with the ROCKETTES


absolutely

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING AND DINING

F E AT U R I N G

Host a FabulousHoliday Party

Reginelli’s Pizzeria

Dinner PartyDo’s and Don’ts

Cooking a TurkeyIs Quite Simple...

• Don’t shy away from foods typically associated with warmer weather. Watermelon, for example, is actually available year-round and makes a surprisingly healthful and delicious addition to a holiday party spread, whether in a fruity drink, side dish or dessert. Watermelon and Spicy Mayan Dark Chocolate Fondue com-bines decadent chocolate fondue with the light, sweet pop of juicy water-melon. Save the rind to use as a pret-ty carved centerpiece.

• Serve a hot cocoa or spiced cider bar and let guests add their own toppings and spices, ranging from whipped cream and maraschino cherries to cinnamon sticks and caramel syrup.

• Help guests forget the blustery out-doors and holiday stress with action-packed party games that get the blood flowing. Charades is a clas-sic example that lets a large group participate. Use wine bottles and rib-bon-wrapped miniature looms for a grown-up ring toss. Or, simply pre-pare a spirited play list with music so lively your guests can’t help but get up and dance.

Though you may not want to treat your guests to an al fresco brunch, cooler weather shouldn’t hold you back from entertaining in style. To make your holiday party a hot success, follow these tips for setting the theme and creating the perfect menu:

• Pick a theme that pays homage to the season. The possibilities are end-less, so set your imagination free. Re-member that lighting sets the mood, so look for options that complement your theme, whether soft and subtle candles or bright and colorful paper lanterns.

• Take advantage of the cooler weath-er as an excuse to savor an array of rich, decadent comfort foods. Serve warm, crusty breads with dips or a thick, creamy soup. Or, delight guests with an indulgent chocolate fondue with watermelon dippers.

If cooler temps have you feeling blue, there’s no

better time for a party with family and friends to lift your spirits.

Holiday PartyHost a Fabulous

• 4 cups watermelon, cut into1 inch cubes

• 1/2 cup fat-free half and half,plus extra reserve

• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne• 1/2 teaspoon coriander• 8 ounces dark chocolate (at least

60 percent cocoa powder)

Wrap watermelon cubes in paper towels to soak up excess fluid. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring half and half and spices to a simmer. Re-move from heat and stir in chocolate. Let chocolate melt and continue to stir until thoroughly blended.

Transfer to fondue pot and heat ac-cording to directions. If fondue becomes too thick, stir in extra half and half, one tablespoon at a time, to desired consis-tency.

Place watermelon cubes on platter with fondue forks or skewers.

Source: Family Features

Watermelon andSpicy Mayan

Dark Chocolate FondueServings: 4

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING & DINING




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Reginelli’s Pizzeria was born in New Orleans more than 17 years ago by Dar-ryl Reginelli and Bruce Erhardt. Since then, the business has grown to 11 res-taurants in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and now Houston.

Reginelli’s is thrilled to have partnered with Alex Brennan and Ti Martin in Hous-ton. After winning many “Best of New Orleans” awards, Reginelli’s hopes to win over Houston with their commitment of quality ingredients, personal service and a desire to please.

The fabulous menu at Reginelli’s boasts pizza, calzones, pasta, salads and focaccia sandwiches. Their pizza is hand tossed, and they offer a huge se-lection of toppings from hand cut, aged pepperoni and calamata olives to pan-cetta from Italy. Reginelli’s Gumbo Pizza features a smoky tomato sauce, crystal marinated shrimp, andouille and roasted eggplant topped with cool, crisp, pick-led okra. Their sandwiches are made to please. The muffaletta is always a hit, as is the Chicken Garcia with oven roast-ed marinated chicken, dill aioli, fontina cheese, arugula, barbecued red onions, avocado and roma tomatoes on ciabatta bread.

The most recent menu at Reginelli’s features selections inspired by Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace, who spent hours with Reginelli and Erhardt in the kitchen sharing his knowledge. Regi-nelli’s has its guests covered, whether it’s dine in, delivery or a special cater-ing event. Their wine list is overseen by Dan Davis, Commander’s Palace’s own “wine guy.”

For more information, download Reginelli’s new mobile app to order on-line, visit www.reginellis.com or call 713-468-2727.

Reginelli’s Pizzeria: Making a Great Name

With Great Food

Advertorial



Treat yourself to a memorable and stress-free Thanksgiving. !Chef Patrick Taylor adheres to classic ideals and sources heritage ingredients to create a conventional but exceptional family-style Thanksgiving feast. The fare will include a turkey & beef strip loin carving station, fresh seafood display, salad bar, traditional entrees, sides, and desserts. Complimentary valet parking. !Join us November 27h, 2014 from 10 am – 3pm $55 Adults $45 Seniors $25 6-12 Child Free 5 and younger. **Prices quoted do not include tax and gratuity

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But, dinner parties need not be an exercise in crisis management. In fact, first-time and even veteran hosts can put the following do’s and don’ts of dinner parties to good use to ensure their turn as host goes off without a hitch.

DO serve your specialty. While experiment-ing with new recipes is part of the joy of

cooking, such experiments are best avoided when hosting a dinner party. Instead of trying a new recipe, serve a dish you have prepared numerous times in the past. Making such meals is like sec-ond nature to home chefs, and that can greatly re-duce the stress of hosting a dinner party.

DinnerParty

H osting a dinner party is no small task. First-time hosts tasked with host-

ing a dinner party for family and friends may not realize just how big a commitment such an under-taking can be. As a result, hosts of-ten find their first dinner party to be somewhat overwhelming.


Do’s andDon’ts


DON’T worry if it takes longer to serve a

meal than you planned. Even if you are making a dish you have prepared doz-ens of times in the past, expect things to move a little more slowly when host-ing a dinner party. This is especially true when hosting a large dinner par-ty, because you will have to prepare a much larger meal than usual. So, don’t worry if the meal is served later than you had planned.

DO make a list and check it twice. In the days leading

up to your party, make a list of ingredi-ents you will need to prepare the meal. Once that list has been made, check your refrigerator and pantry to make sure you have enough of everything to prepare the meal on the scale it needs to be prepared. After you have made your list and checked your pantry, read the recipes again just to make sure you didn’t forget anything before you head to the store to buy whatever you need.

DON’T ask guests to bring essential items.

While guests will often volunteer to bring certain items, it’s best that hosts don’t ask guests to bring anything es-sential to the meal. That’s because guests might be late, which can delay the meal, or they might just forget, forcing hosts to make last-minute trips to the grocery store. Guests can bring items, but it’s ideal if they bring items you won’t need to serve the meal, such as a bottle of wine or even pre-made desserts.

DO ask guests if they have any dietary restrictions. Many

guests, especially older guests who might be managing certain health con-ditions, might have dietary restrictions that govern what they can and cannot eat. Ask guests to let you know if they have any such restrictions and if those restrictions are foods they can’t eat or simply foods they don’t want to eat. That’s an important distinction that can make a host’s job easier.

DON’T make meals that require a specific

taste. Certain types of cuisine are des-tined to produce mixed responses, and hosts should avoid such foods so no one is forced to dine entirely on appetizers and dessert. For example, not everyone likes very spicy food. Stick to cuisine that is flavorful but not so extraordi-nary that it may upset the stomachs of your guests who don’t often indulge in such foods.

DO start early. In addition to preparing your entrée earli-

er than you would when making dinner for your family, start preparing sides or other parts of the meal in advance when possible. Some recipes include storage instructions for chefs prepar-ing meals in advance, so heed those recommendations to take some of the pressure off come the day of your party.

DON’T go overboard. While it may be tempt-

ing to stun your guests with a seven-course meal, aiming too high may lead to disaster. A simple meal with an eas-ily prepared appetizer, a delicious en-trée and a light dessert will make for a memorable evening for everyone, and your guests will appreciate both your efforts and the time they get to spend with you throughout the night.

Hosting a dinner party is a thought-ful gesture that should be fun. While hosting can be stressful, following a few tricks of the trade can make hosting du-ties that much more manageable.

Source: Metro Creative Connection





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T hanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just imagine a pic-turesque table with fall floral and gourds set for dining in fellowship with family and friends. What could be

better than to set the scene for a fabulous feast? It is a time to come together with thankful hearts and celebrate what we are grateful for. It is a time to embrace the quirkiness and the crazy

in every family and set a place for forgiveness and openness at that fabulous table.

So with peace, joy and thankfulness, it is time to show off your at-home cooking

skills. I asked a few lo-cal chefs for some ideas of turkey tips and sides

to share with you. I hope you enjoy, and I wish you a blessed

Thanksgiving.

By Stephenie Cox

Chef Johnathan Salgado’sRoast Turkey TipMasraff’s1753 Post Oak Boulevard, 77056713-355-1975

“A very important factor to turkey is cooking it very slowly. When cooking a turkey, you need much time on hand and always need to keep the cooking temperature as low as possible. That’s the only way to keep the turkey ex-tremely juicy. As corny as it sounds, you have to love and treat any protein with kindness. Rub the turkey down with any seasoning of your liking from salt to pepper to all around the world flavors – your choice. Just show it some love!”

Cooking a TurkeyIs Quite Simple…



Chef Patrick Taylor’sSteps for the Ultimate Bird024 Grille945 Gessner Road, 77024281-501-4350

“First things first: Brine the turkey. After you have removed the giblets and the neck, which you should save for gravy, brine the bird in a solution of water and salt. I brine in two gal-lons of water, one cup of kosher salt and one cup of brown sugar. You can add aromatics such as cloves, juniper berries, etc. Make sure the bird is fully immersed in the brining liquid, and re-frigerate overnight.

“The next day, rinse with cold wa-ter inside and out. Place on a roast-ing rack in a roasting pan and pat dry with paper towels. Make a butter rub consisting of room temperature but-ter – about one pound – the zest of one lemon, one orange, rosemary, sage, thyme and kosher salt and black pep-per thoroughly mixed together. Rub the butter under the skin of the breast. Next, rub the butter over the skin of the bird. Place some fresh herbs and citrus wedges in the cavity, tie up the legs and tuck the wings. Now you are ready to roast.

“I start in a 500 degree oven for 30 minutes, then knock the heat down to 350 and roast another two hours. If the breasts start to brown too quickly, cov-er them loosely with foil. Pull the bird when it reaches a temperature of 160. Poultry should be cooked to 165, but the carryover cooking will get it there. Be sure to rest the bird for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.”

Ruth’sSweet Potato Casserole

Makes Four Servings

IngredientsCrust Mixture:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar• 1/4 cup flour• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)• 1/4 cup melted butter

Sweet Potato Mixture:• 3/4 cup sugar• 1/4 tsp. salt• 1/4 tsp. vanilla• 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes • 1 egg, well beaten• 1/4 cup butter

Process 1. Combine crust mixture in

mixing bowl and put to one side.2. Combine sweet potato mixture

ingredients in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Combine thor-oughly.

3. Pour Sweet Potato Mixture into buttered baking dish.

4. Sprinkle crust mixture evenly onto surface of sweet potato mixture.

5. Bake for 30 minutes at 350degrees. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Chef Carlos PadillaBrings the Sizzle HomeRuth’s Chris Steak House5433 Westheimer Rd #100, 77056713-840-1433

“The key to bringing the signature Ruth’s Chris ‘sizzle’ to your turkey din-ner at home starts with selecting the best bird for your family. Whether you choose a fresh or frozen turkey, make sure you’ve got enough to feed all of your loved ones. Estimate at least one pound of turkey per guest, adding a half pound per person if you are plan-ning for substantial portions or leftover turkey sandwiches.

“If you’re brining your turkey, cus-tomize it and make it your own by add-ing herbs and spices, honey or maple syrup. You can even add apple cider vinegar or coffee to your brine for a unique flavor.

“Once you’ve brined, rubbed, stuffed or seasoned your turkey, choose a roast-ing pan and preheat your oven. The ideal roasting pan is made of heavy-gauge metal and has two-inch sides to allow for optimum basting. A stainless steel finish not only looks nice, but it also keeps drippings from burning onto the pan.

“Invest in a thermometer to ensure that your turkey is ready to serve. The temperature at the center of the stuffing should read 165 degrees. Af-ter letting the roasted turkey ‘rest’ for 20 minutes, set a beautiful table with Ruth’s Chris side items, and enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving meal with your family.”


Staying at homefor the holiday?

Make Thanksgiving preparation even easier with some of your favorite Ruth’s Chris Steak House side items to go. By letting Ruth’s Chris handle your side items, you’ll have more time to focus on the main event: preparing a delicious, decadent Thanksgiving turkey that your family will love.

HOLIDAY

RIDE IN STYLE

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Give a gift that will add value to your home – a new outdoor living space for entertaining, grilling or relaxing by the fire. Call Texas Custom Patios today! Texas Custom Patios.Call 281-265-1994;www.TexasCustomPatios.com.

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Discover ageless beauty in the blink of an eye at Sugar Land Plastic Surgery. Their 2-in-1 Neocutis Eye Intervention System contains an anti-aging bio-serum and eye cream,and when used in combination, completely rejuvenateseyes for an absolutelyamazing transformation!Sugar Land Plastic Surgery.Call 281-980-8000;www.mybodysurgeon.com.


PILATES REFORMER FORA HEALTHY, STRONG BODY

Make someone special top priority all year with agift of fitness. Enjoy a package of 10 classes for$250 at Dominic’s Ultimate Pilates Studio. The offeris good from November 1st through December 20, 2014. Dominic’s Ultimate Pilates Studio, 821 Frostwood Drive. Call 713-647-0708; www.dupilates.com.

Dominic Berry and Stella Biassi.

GREAT GIFT FOR GOLFERS

Take the holiday fun outdoors from clean, soft, attractive, synthetic lawn surfaces to home golf greens that look and perform like country club greens. Let Green Links help beautify your home and take the games outside. Green Links.Call 713-932-9997; www.greenlinksinc.com.

YOUNGER,HEALTHIER SKIN

Skin Medica’s TNS EssentialSerum® is the perfect growth

factor product for all skin types.It is proven to give you healthierand younger looking skin in as

little as 30 days. Get yours today!Dr. Shel Wellness and Medical Spa,

1437 Highway 6, Suite 100in Sugar Land. Call 281-313-7435;

www.drshel.com.

HOLIDAY TREATS AT NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

With a variety of flavors and decorations available in bite sized bundtinis, personally portioned bundts and 10 inch decorated cakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes is sure to make your holidays one to rememberwith a tradition that will last a lifetime.Nothing Bundt Cakes,5000 Westheimer Road, Suite 108in Houston Uptown. Call 713-552-9100.



By Stephanie Valtasaros

EVENTS

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTSE-mail [email protected]. Include the event date, time, location and a short description of the event.

November 20th, 5:30 pmSpaulding for Children’s All in for AdoptionTexas Hold ‘Em TournamentBring your best poker face for a great cause! Tickets are available for poker aficionados and spectators alike and include dinner, drinks, playing chips, silent auction and a chance to win door prizes. The tournament will take place at River Oaks Country Club, located at 1600 River Oaks Boulevard. All in for Adoption raises critical funds and awareness for Spaulding for Children and its mission to provide children in need of a loving home with the joy of having one. To register, visit www.SpauldingforChildren.org/Poker.

November 21st – 30thA Christmas Carol:A Ghost Story of ChristmasAlley Theatre’s production of the holiday favorite by Charles Dickens follows Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey with three ghostly spirits that visit him on Christmas Eve. A Christmas Carol instills a powerful message of redemption and the spirit of the holiday season. The show runs through December 24th at Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre, located on the University of Houston campus at 4149 Elgin. For more information and tickets, visit www.alleytheatre.org or call 713-220-5700.

November 27th, 7 amThe TXU Energy Houston Turkey TrotRunners, walkers, families and kids are all invited to the annual 5K, 10K and Kids Run starting at Dillard’s by the Galleria. A post-race celebration includes free food, music, a kid’s area and other fun family activities. Early registration runs through November 26th, and all registration prices increase $5 beginning November 22nd. Proceeds from the event benefit Sheltering Arms Senior Services. Visit turkeytrot.shelteringarms.org.

November 27th, 9 amH-E-B Thanksgiving Day ParadeThe 65th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade will welcome the holiday season as the downtown business district streets come alive with zesty marching bands, imaginative floats and colorful balloons. Presiding over the parade as grand marshals will be the stars from TLC’s television series The Little Couple, Bill Klein and Jennifer Arnold along with their children. Bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the parade in comfort. Food trucks and vendors will be available along the parade route. Visit www.houstontx.gov/thanksgivingparade.

November 1st and 2ndWings Over Houston AirshowThe Wings Over Houston Airshow at Ellington Field is one of the top five airshows in the U.S. featuring civilian, modern military and vintage war bird demos. This year’s show will feature the Canadian Air Force Snowbirds, Kirby Chambliss, Chuck Aaron, the Red Bull Air Force and other spectacular performers at 510 Ellington Field. Tickets are availableonline, at the events gate and at Houston area Kroger stores.Visit www.wingsoverhouston.com or call 713-266-4492for more information.

November 11th, 11 am25th Annual Par Fore Pets Golf TournamentThe Houston Humane Society’s annual fundraising event will take placeat the Memorial Park Golf Course. Proceeds from the tournament will benefitthe Houston Humane Society, dedicated to ending the cruelty, abuse andthe overpopulation of animals. Held on Veteran’s Day, the event will alsohonor a local veteran. For more information, call 832-613-1390or visit www.houstonhumane.org to register online.

November 15th, Noon26th Annual Ice SpectacularEnjoy a full day of festivities as The Galleria kicks off the holiday season with a 45 minute tree lighting show of its 55 foot Christmas tree, featuring 450,000 twinkling lights and 5,000 ornaments in a variety of colors and shapes. Throughout the day, guests can enjoy in-store retail activities, face painting, balloon art and live entertainment throughout The Galleria, located at 5085 Westheimer. Call 713-622-0663 or visit www.simon.com/mall/the-galleria.

November 16th – 30thMadeline’s ChristmasMain Street Theater presents Madeline’s Christmas, based on the book by Ludwig Bemelmans. Madeline finds herself in a Christmas crisis when all of her schoolmates are sick! Madeline’s Christmas is a perfect reminder for all ages of this wonderful season of miracles. The show will take place at Talento Bilingüe de Houston, located at 333 South Jensen Drive. Advance tickets are on sale at the Main Street Theater Box Office in Rice Village, located at 2540 Times Boulevard. Visit www.mainstreettheater.comor call 713-524-6706.

Leah Curney as the Spirit of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol.

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• Divorce Planning• Divorce (Contested or Uncontested)• Child Custody• Child Support• Complex Property Division• High Net Worth Divorce• Parental Relocations• Post Divorce Modifications• Paternity and Parental Rights• Visitation Rights• Grandparent’s Rights• Pre- and Post- Martial Agreements• Adoptions• Collaborative Law• Alternative Dispute Resolution (mediation and arbitration)

Nancy Rommelmann is regularly consulted by local media for her on-air analysis about family law.

Straight Answers • Strategic ThinkingCompassionate • Experienced

Memorial City Plaza – Tower Two820 Gessner, Suite 1630, Houston, TX 77024(across from Memorial City Mall)ph 713-622-3000www.attorneynancyrommelmann.comCall us today for a consultation!

NaNcy L. RommeLmaNN

FAMILY LAW

F a m i l y L a w A t t o r n e y

J.D. JOYCEINVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC

Pantone 874

Black

1811 Bering Drive, Suite 250Houston, TX 77057

713-714-8500

www.jdjoyceimg.com

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. J.D. Joyce Investment Management Group, LLC is a separate entity from WFAFN.

FAM

ILY

LAW

ATT

OR

NEY

By Nancy L. Rommelmann, Family Law Attorney

“Not everything that can be counted counts,and not everything that counts can be counted.”

– Albert Einstein

What Assets/Debts Does Your Estate Have, and How Can They Be Located During a Divorce?

FAQ: “I am embarrassed to say I don’t know what assets and debts our estate has,

because my spouse always handled these matters. I never thought it would be a problem until now, when I’m going through a divorce! What should I do?”

Clients frequently do not know what/where all of their assets/debts are. Throughout a marriage, typi-cally one or the other spouse handles the finances and investments. If you are not that spouse, what can your divorce attorney do to find assets/debts?

A common method used in family law is to send “discovery” to the other side requesting that all assets and debts be disclosed. Your spouse’s deposition can be taken. A deposition is taken under oath and is the same as if you were testifying in court. If it is later found after a divorce that an asset wasn’t disclosed, that asset is subject to future division by a court.

It is beneficial to review tax returns where valu-able information can be found. An accountant/CPA that has prepared the income tax return has the ob-ligation to give copies of tax returns to either/both parties for whom the return was prepared. A copy of your tax return can be obtained from the IRS. The IRS form to request this is online.

Statements from banks, brokerage companies, credit unions and credit card companies are helpful to search for assets/debts as well. These statements can show transfers to/from accounts that you might not otherwise know exist.

Open your mail! It never ceases to amaze me when spouses holding joint accounts and joint credit cards fail to open up mail that contains joint accounts and debts. All parties on joint accounts need to know the status of these accounts. If debt is accruing, it can affect your credit.

Your attorney can subpoena documents from financial institutions and employers. It’s not uncom-mon for an executive not to know all of the benefits/accounts they have with their company, so it can be very important to obtain the document directly from the institution holding the assets.


IN THEHEART

M E M O R I A L

OUT&ABOUT

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Camden Beck and Katherine Kaiser were picture perfect at Stratford Homecoming.

How exciting! Roger Clemens and Brooks Milam were at a baseball clinic at the Clemens’ Memorial home.

Smiles for Kids’ Urvi Jadav and Kasia Lindhorst held their annual patient appreciation party at Studio Movie Grill. Kids look forward to this event every year where they come and enjoy a movie, pizza, fun and games.

Recent graduates of Rice University Kelsey Devine, Raaji Asaithambi, Bahrom Firozgary, Lindsay Daniel, Lilly Marrow and Jacinta Leyden graduated four years ago from Stratford High School. This amazing accomplishment of these friends made their families so proud. Congratulations!

BMW West hosted The Ultimate Innovation for customers to come and view the car that was featured in the last Mission Impossible movie with Tom Cruise. Only 1,000 of these cars are being made at the cost of about $140,000 each. Nikki Hart posed with the BMW i8.


Spring Branch Education Foundation recently held “Duncan and Donuts”at absolutely! Memorial Publisher Lara Bell’s home where guests were invited to meet the Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Duncan Klussmann and ask questions about the state of their district and students.

Kimberly Morris. Jessica Fogleman. Pam Goodson.

Lennie Grimes and Cece Thompson.

Duncan Klussmann and Lara Bell.

Minda Caesar and Rebecca Howard.

Heather Sheffield, Michelle Majewski and Susan Marks.

Casey Rowe and Linda Buchman.

Andrea Rigamonti and Lennie Grimes.


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By Steve Kursar

T he 2015 Cadillac Escalade is the undisputed top-of-the-line stretch SUV in the market.

There are other SUVs that are as long and others that are as luxurious. But the Cadillac stands alone as the only one that combines both qualities. This is the king – or queen – of the carpool lane, soccer practice and Girl Scout adventure. Get one, and they will stare, ask you questions about it and generally envy you. When the SUV swept into the Amer-ican conscious way back in the 1990s, automakers realized they had a win-ner on their hands and began to intro-duce big SUVs that were aspirational and catered to the luxury buyer. The biggest and most luxurious came out in 1999 when Cadillac introduced the Escalade. About four years later, they

brought out the ESV, which was built on the Chevrolet Suburban. The big-gest luxury SUV was born.

The 2015 Cadillac Escalade ESV continues its reign as top super-large luxury SUV with a new body style, a new interior and an all-new engine. The exterior is unmistakably Cadil-lac with a huge chrome grill and out-sized Cadillac badges just in case your neighbors lost their glasses. With stan-dard LED headlights and the optional 22 inch wheels, the new Escalade ESV is a definite presence on the road.

The interior boasts buttery leather, real wood, suede accents and all of the technology you should expect in a new Cadillac. The CUE infotainment system comes standard and features voice recognition software and touch controls that mirror those found on

your smartphone and tablet. The third row folds flat at the push of a but-ton, and there’s enough cargo space behind the third row to easily accom-modate every piece of equipment that the soft-ball team needs to reach the playoffs.

With a starting MSRP of $75,690, the new Cadillac Escalade ESV is of-fered with only one engine choice, the equally new 420 hp, 6.2 liter V-8 engine with cylinder deactivation that seamlessly switches from V8 to V4 when you reach cruising altitude and back to V8 when you need to pass that eighteen wheeler. Fuel economy is awfully respectable considering the vehicle’s size and weight with 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

With a price tag that can take you close to $100,000 if you choose all of the bells and whistles, the new Cadil-lac Escalade ESV remains firmly root-ed as the top luxury big SUV. Long live the king – or queen!

CADILLAC ESCALADE2015


www.townandcountryortho.com

713-465-3400788 West Sam Houston Pkwy. North

Ste. 201 • Houston, TX 77024

Many thanks and blessings! -from our families to yours.

Dr. Carin Domann and her family Dr. Angela Orfanos and her family

Anastasia Pozdniakova, an Olympic silver medalist in diving, joined Spring Branch ISD this school year as a dis-trict diving coach and facilitator at the W.W. Emmons Natatorium. A 2009 University of Houston graduate, Anas-tasia concluded her diving career in 2012 and began coaching at the Cou-gar Diving Club as a Junior Olympic coach. High school coaching is what she has always wanted to be involved in.

“When the opportunity opened with Spring Branch ISD, I took it. I am really honored to have this opportunity and hope to get to know the athletes, their goals and dreams. We will work hard in the pool to be the best this year,” Pozdniakova said. Born in Elektrostal, Russia, Pozdnia-kova came to Houston in 2004 to pursue a degree in art history at the University of Houston with a full diving scholarship. Re-cruited by UH Diving Coach Jane Figueiredo, Pozdniakova was

Olympic Medalist Joins Spring Branch ISDas District Diving Coach

NEWSWORTHY

Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) will host its fourth annual fashion event, A Legacy of Style, in partnership with designer Trina Turk and her coming Galleria boutique. The event is planned for Friday, November 21st at the Hilton Hou-ston Post Oak, located at 2001 Post Oak Boulevard. A recep-tion will begin at 11 am, followed by the style show featuring the fall collection from Trina Turk and luncheon at noon.

Co-chairs Debbie Slack and Susan Griffin expect the event to sell out. In the tradition of A Legacy of Style, models will

Spring Branch Education Foundation Hosts Fourth Annual Style Show

Debbie Slack and Susan Griffin.

Anastasia Pozdniakova

the NCAA champion for two years in 1 meter diving. In 2008, she qualified for the Russian Olympic team.

During the Beijing Olympics, Pozdniakova competed in the 3 meter synchronized springboard diving competition with her diving partner, Yuliya Pakhalina. The diving pair finished the Summer Olympics with a Silver Medal. “Coming into the Ol-ympics, anyone has a great shot at medaling. During our com-petition, I made a slight mistake in one of my dives but stayed focused and told myself that it wasn’t over until the last one,” Pozdniakova commented. Pozdniakova went on to compete at the 2012 London Summer Olympics where she competed in the 3 meter springboard individual event.

Pozdniakova plans to utilize her 20 years of diving experi-ence with Spring Branch athletes of all abilities. “I’ve always had the best role model – my coach Jane – next to me, helping me to always excel in what I do. Having 20 years of diving ex-perience under my belt and watching Jane coach has and will continue to help me to guide athletes to be the next champions in diving and in life,” she said. Pozdniakova begins coaching Spring Branch ISD athletes this fall at the natatorium.

be volunteers from Spring Branch ISD alumni and employees. Tick-ets start at $800 for a table of 10 or $100 for individual tickets. Call 713-251-2381 for more information or to receive an invitation. For reg-ular updates, “like” SBEF on Face-book and/or follow it on SBEF93 on Twitter and Instagram.


abso

lute

ly!

Q A&Sickle Cell: Part One

Q: WHAT IS SICKLE CELL DISEASE?

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which the red blood cells can become crescent shaped like a moon or sickle. Red blood cells should be shaped like a disc that looks like a doughnut with the hole filled. This doughnut shape allows red blood cells to flow freely and survive longer in the blood vessels. Sickle shaped red blood cells do not survive as long as normal red blood cells. They can also clog the blood vessels, blocking blood flow to an organ or tissue. A combination of a low blood count (anemia) and blood vessel blockage is responsible for the complications of sickle cell disease.

Q: ARE THERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SICKLE CELL

DISEASE?Yes, there are four common types

of sickle cell disease. The most com-mon form is hemoglobin SS. The second most common form is hemoglobin SC. The other two types of the disease are sickle beta-zero thalassemia and sickle

beta-plus thalassemia. Hemoglobin SS and sickle beta-zero thalassemia are considered the most severe types and are sometimes referred to as sickle cell anemia.

Q: HOW COMMON IS IT?

An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 peo-ple in the United States have sickle cell disease, making it the most common single-gene genetic disease in this coun-try. Texas has among the largest popula-tions of patients with sickle cell disease of all states. One in every 500 African Americans and one in every 3,600 His-panic Americans has sickle cell disease. It is important to note that although these are the two most common groups affected, sickle cell disease can be found in any race and/or ethnic group.

Q: HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

In the U.S., sickle cell disease is diag-nosed through a newborn screening pro-cess. In the state of Texas, this testing is performed twice: once shortly after birth and then again at one week of age. The results of these tests go directly to the physician identified by the child’s parents, with the recommendation the child be referred to a specialized center, like Texas Children’s Sickle Cell Center. This screening allows us to diagnose and identify children with sickle cell disease before complications occur.

Q: WHAT KIND OFCHALLENGES MIGHT

PATIENTS FACE? Anemia, or low blood levels, occurs

in all forms of sickle cell disease. Some children may only have mild anemia, but others will have severe anemia. The anemia can cause a child to feel fatigued or tired and can affect physical and mental growth as well.

The most common and well-known complication is pain crisis. Pain crises occur when sickle cells block blood flow to a portion of a bone, and they can require visits to the sickle cell clinic, emergency room or even require admission to the hospital for treatment.

For more information about the Can-cer & Hematology Centers at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, visit westcampus.texaschildrens.org.

The Infusion Center at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus.

Experts: Hematologists at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus

Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. Photo by A. Kramer.


Real Weddings

Coming January 2015

Submit your info todayand have your wedding detailsand photos published in printand online in our magazine.

Contact: [email protected] visit www.absolutelymemorial.com

Attention Newlyweds!

If you or your children have recently marriedand you would like to enter for a chance to

be featured in our Real Weddings, all you need is atleast ten high-resolution photos of the ceremony

and/or reception. It doesn’t matter where thewedding took place, as long as it was in the last year

and you or your parent/s reside in Memorial area.Photographers are also welcome to submit photos.


MentionsMemorial

BY SUZANNE STILES

[email protected]

Congratulations to the Houston Polo Club’s Equestrian Show Team for earning over 100 ribbons in a two-day show. Pictured are trainers Amy Leroy and Merrily Quincoces with team members Katie Miller, Hallie Grimes, Grace Wolfe, Blair Barineau, Caroline Miller, Kendall Sill and Anglea Gonzalez.

Kinkaid freshmen Lindsay Wolf and Katherine Berman enjoyed Homecoming.

Grace Manes and Sara Burpeau celebrated Homecoming at Kinkaid.

Stratford Playhouse Thespians Collins Rush, Cameron Munoz, Matt Hopper, Caitlin Ehlinger, Noelle Flores, Griffin Sink, Cameron Saims and Phillip Beavers got into character for the musical production of Chicago. Photo by Claire Sharp.

Baileigh Turet and Sarah Edwards had a great evening at Stratford Homecoming.

Cell Block Tango girls and Billie Flynn got into character for the Stratford Playhouse production of Chicago. Pictured are Marlina Brown, Katie Moore, Eliza Masewicz, Tucker May, Kirby Morris and Erin Higgins. Photo by Claire Sharp.


Bunker Hill Elementary fourth grade girls Grace Transou, Evelyn Carney, Macy Gregory, Cynthia Beijani, Elizabeth Keeling, Madie Barrow, Leigha Howard, Leah Munoz, Hannah Brenner, Amelia Nuzzo, Mary Margaret Beck, Riley McCloskey, Claire Childress, Ella Davison, Annabelle Langford, Zahwah Ashraf, Lara Alkhadour, Morgan Brenner, Kate Pounds, Katie VanArsdel, Grace Gentner and Isolde Andrews enjoyed a party at the Memorial Forest Club.

Cristina and Adaire Cramer looked beautiful at a Mother Daughter Tea held at Lakeside Country Club.

Spring Branch Middle School had a successful “Sir Read a Lot” fall book fair with the help of Theater Teacher Jes Byboth, Principal Bryan Williams and Librarian Brandee Smith.

Ava Romero, Joanie Darnall and Caroline Stiles represented the Harris County Fair as members of the Queens Court.

Landon Long earned his black belt in jiu jitsu. Pictured with Landon are instructors Ulpiano Malachias and Inacio Neto.

Lisa Robinson, Amanda Davison, Markley Berg, Lara Bell, Christy Iverson and Tony Masraff celebrated at the Tony’s Prostrate Cancer Research event.

Four Frostwood Elementary fifth graders participated in the Captain Kid’s Triathlon at Moody Gardens. This was Archie Martin’s third triathlon while Zach Bassett, Trey Engvall and Sebastian Keener all participated in their first.

The Houston Junior Forum hosted their Fall Call Luncheon at Lakeside Country Club. At the event were Event Chair Connie Zieba, Kim Vidor, Frances Carr, Guests of Honor Marilyn and Bob McDowell, Houston Junior Forum President Cindy Cochran, Cooky Mays and Debbie Berner.

At the Small Steps Nurture and Nourish Luncheon were Elizabeth Hogan, Susan Light, Liz Murray and Lorie Herod. The fall luncheon, chaired by Hogan, Light and Herod, was held at Houston Country Club with Murray as the featured speaker.


A B S O L U T E LY ! D E L I C I O U S L I S T I N G

GRILLE

024 GRILLE945 Gessner77024281-501-4350Facebook.com/024Grille

024 Grille combines the atmosphere of a local bistro and the classic tradition of a Texas steakhouse. This contemporary restaurant provides a full menu of locally-inspired foods for freshness and classic dishes with a twist. Complete with four intimate private dining rooms, a sophisticated wine list and a signature cocktail menu, 024 Grille is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CUISINE

MASRAFF’S1753 Post Oak Blvd.77056713-355-1975www.masraffs.com

Hands on proprietors, Russell and Tony Masraff, recognized premier Houston restaurateurs, offer affordable elegance, attentive yet unobtrusive service and exquisitely fresh American cuisine prepared with the best ingredients from around the world. Located in the heart of the Galleria, Masraff’s features the perfect ambience for business and social gatherings. Whether dining in one of the elegant dining rooms, stunning bar area with the elevated fireplace or The Patio on the Boulevard by the waterfall, Masraff’s impeccable service is sure to offer a dining experience to remember.

MEXICAN

CANTINA LAREDO11129 Westheimer77042713-952-3287www.cantinalaredo.com

Cantina Laredo specializes in authentic Mexican dishes in a so-phisticated and upscale atmosphere. The entire lunch, dinner, Sunday Brunch and Cantina menus are all available for take-out, some delivery and catering. Selections such as Ensalada de Cilantro y Pollo, Cascabel Ribeye and Tacos al Carbon are divine, not to mention the Mexican apple pie that is served with a warm brandy butter and choice of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.

JAPANESE CUISINE

KUU RESTAURANT 947 Gessner, Ste. A18077024 713-461-1688 www.kuurestaurant.com

Situated in the new Memorial Gateway complex, Kuu Restaurant has now opened to bring upscale Japanese dining to West Hou-ston. Executive chef Adison Lee, formerly of Nobu, has brought his talent and passion for Japanese fusion cuisine to the Memorial area. Focusing on artistry and complementary flavors, Kuu has a constantly changing menu featuring locally raised ingredients. With an extensive wine list and private dining area, Kuu is well equipped to handle any event.

DISTINGUISH YOUR

RESTAURANTFrom Others in Our Premier Dining Guide

absolutely! Delicious

To Advertise, Call 281.690.4242www.absolutelyfocusmedia.com

CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CUISINE

THE WYNDEN1025 South Post Oak Lane 77056281-768-6070www.thewynden.com

Masraff’s has long since been known for excellence and uncompromising quality, and this tradition continues with our event venue, The Wynden. Nestled in the center of the prestigious Galleria area, The Wynden features a picturesque courtyard along with a Tuscan setting for indoor events. Perfect for corporate or social, wedding or fundraiser, Masraff’s exquisite cuisine and impeccable service will ensure that your next event will be a memory made to last a lifetime.


Limit 1 coupon per customer.Expires January 1, 2015

Southwell ’sHamburger GrillBuy one hamburger, fries and drink, get another hamburger

for FREE!

Galleria713-789-4972

5860 San FelipeTX 77057

Memorial713-464-52689410 GaylordTX 77024

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Rejuvenation & Wellness

Special Advertising Section

I n 1836, just after Texas won its independence from Mexico, real estate speculators John Kirby Al-

len and Augustus Allen purchased a town site along the Buffalo Bayou. They named the town Houston after Sam Houston, the president of the new Republic of Texas. The Allen broth-ers envisioned Houston as a center for trade and understood the importance of a port to the city’s economy. In 1837, they arranged for a small steamship, the Laura, to travel up the Buffalo Bayou to Allen’s Landing. The Laura’s voyage proved that Houston could be reached by water, and regular steamship service to the city began that same year. The first wharf was built in 1840 and soon after, the Port of Houston was officially cre-ated by a city ordinance.

In 1869, the Buffalo Bayou Ship Channel Company was formed to make navigational improvements to the chan-nel. At the same time, Congress official-ly declared Houston a port of entry and authorized a customs house. A few years later, the Ship Channel Company ap-proached railroad and shipping magnate Charles Morgan to take over operations. Morgan, who had severe disagreements about shipping costs with the Galveston Wharf Company, agreed to the propo-sition. Morgan funded a project to con-struct a canal at Morgan’s Point and in-crease the bayou’s measurements to 120 feet wide and 9 feet deep. In return, he received a large sum of capital stock in the Ship Channel Company.

Morgan organized several railroad lines, built 1,100 feet of wharves and cre-ated a turning basin 250 feet wide and 16 feet deep. At the peak of its service

to Houston, the Morgan Line had a fleet of about 10 steamships, two steamboats, 32 schooners, seven steam tugs and 18 barges. Morgan died in 1878, but be-cause of his efforts, he is known as “The Father of the Houston Ship Channel.”

During the 1890s, U.S. Congressman Thomas H. Ball spent countless hours trying to gain support from his congres-sional colleagues for a deep-water port for Houston that would accommodate ocean-going vessels. Ball and Houston Mayor Horace Baldwin Rice convinced Congress to pass the Rivers and Har-bors Act in 1910, giving $2.5 million to improve Houston’s waterway and port. Half of this money was to be provided by the federal government. The other half was to be provided by the City of Hou-ston. The Harris County Houston Ship Channel Navigation District – now the Port of Houston Authority – was formed, and the Houston Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to persuade voters to approve $1.25 million in bonds. The voters carried the measure by a majority of 16 to one. With the help of local civic leader Jesse Jones, the local banks sup-ported the bond initiative.

With the funding now available for construction of the new Houston Ship Channel, the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers began work. In 1912, they award-ed a contract to the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Company to dredge the channel. In order to prepare for the increase in traffic the new port would bring, Hou-ston authorized a bond issue of $3 mil-lion to build docks, wharves and numer-ous other public facilities. On September 7, 1914, the channel dredging was com-plete and Houston was ready for deep-

water cargo vessels.The Houston Ship Channel was offi-

cially dedicated on November 10, 1914 with thousands of people attending the ceremony. From Washington D.C., Pres-ident Woodrow Wilson pushed a button to fire a cannon on the banks of the Ship Channel. A band played the national anthem from a barge in the center of the Turning Basin while Sue Campbell, daughter of Houston Mayor Ben Camp-bell, sprinkled white roses into the wa-ter from the top deck of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Windom. “I christen thee Port of Houston; hither the boats of all nations may come and receive hearty welcome,” she said.

A LITTLE PIECEOF HISTORY

By The Heritage SocietyPhotos courtesy of The Heritage Society Permanent Collection.

The Port of Houston:An August 1908 postcard of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Windom in the Houston Ship Channel.

This photograph was taken the day of the christening of the Ship Channel, November 10, 1914. The mayor’s daughter Sue Campbell is in the center.

This year, the Port of Houston cel-ebrates 100 years as a deep-water port and remains one of the city’s most im-portant economic assets. The Houston Ship Channel is recognized as a feat of civil engineering and connects Houston to the world. The road to deep water took enormous public support and per-severance, and the investment has paid off handsomely for Houston.

Celebrating 100 Years


INSIDE BACK

INSIDE BACK

New Partner of the Houston Zoo

From amazing armadillos to zany zebras, children have been delighted by the Wildlife Carousel at the Houston Zoo for more than 12 years, and now, thanks to Texas Direct Auto, the famous carousel has been given a fantastically wild upgrade. The newly-refreshed Texas Direct Auto Wildlife Carousel will continue to thrill the young and young-at-heart long into the future.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE TEXAS DIRECT AUTO WILDLIFE CAROUSEL:

• From armadillos to zebras, there are 84 different animals represented

• In 2013, more than 300,000 people rode the carousel• It took approximately 80 gallons of paint to restore the

carousel• On a typical summer Saturday, the carousel goes around

an estimated 750 times

The Texas Direct Auto Wildlife Carousel is in previews with zoo guests now, and will celebrate its official grand re-opening on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. The carousel is $2 for zoo members and $3 for non-members, zoo admission is required.

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November 2014 - Absolutely Memorial Magazine

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