moments july 2012

July-August 2012

A Healthy Outlook

Mother Guides Program

Career on New StageDrama Meets Design

2 Moments Magazine | July-August 2012

Dedicated to All Better

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John HallPublisher

Kevin AtwillEditor

Adlen RobinsonDirector of Content

Ryan GarmonAdvertising Director

Autumn VetterPhotographer

Jeff BucchinoGraphic Design

Contributing WritersJulie ArringtonJennifer Sami

McKenzie StanfordAutumn Vetter

Forsyth Mom - Page 8

Outdoors � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 Safety � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 Moms at Work � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14 Fashion � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 20 Community � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 24 From the Cellar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26 School Spotlight � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 27 For the Health of It � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 28 Smart Snacking � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30

Contents8 Moments Mom

Meet Karen McNamara. This mom has combined her lifelong interest in physical

fitness and health into a successful business career.

10 Book ClubsYou know a book group that named

itself The Cool Girls Book Club is going to be fun. And fun is exactly what these

woman have.

18 Dinner MattersIf your hamburgers seem, well, a little on the boring side, get ready for some secrets

that will guarantee flavor each and every time.

22 Surviving the Summer

The dog days of summer can be a challenge for any parent. We’ll share some

suggestions for fighting the “there’s nothing to do” refrain.

Moments Magazine is published bimonthly by the

Forsyth County News Co�,302 Veterans Memorial Boulevard,

Cumming, GA 30040� Advertising rates and deadlines

available upon request� Contact Ryan Garmon at

(770) 205-8960 or [email protected]�

Follow us online atforsythnews.com, as well as:

Facebook.com/ForsythMomentsand

Twitter.com/ForsythMoments

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Welcome to

Adlen W. Robinson is a longtime resident of Forsyth County and mother of four. A contributor to the Forsyth County News for more than 10

years, Adlen is author of “Home Matters: The Guide to Organizing Your Life and Home.” E-mail her at [email protected].

W elcome to our first summer issue of Moments. We hope to help you during these hot months by offering some summer safety tips, ideas for planting a late-season garden and secrets to the perfect hamburger for outdoor grilling.

In addition, check out our wine features. One is from a local winery. And even though it’s summer, school starts in August. Check out our fashion tips for what’s hot.

Our Mom at Work is Danielle Gustaveson, owner of The Gypsy Chic Boutique, and this issue’s Moments Mom is Karen McNamara. We can all learn a thing or two about business and perseverance from both of these busy mothers.

Keep the feedback coming, we love hearing from our readers! E-mail us at [email protected].

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Moments Mom

See McNamara pg. 16

A Healthy Outlook on Life Mom helps grow educational program

Photos: Autumn Vetter

Physical fitness and health have always been an integral part of

Karen McNamara’s life. But little did the south Forsyth

mother of three know she would be able to combine both in a successful business career.

Over the past two decades, McNamara has helped found and grow OrganWise Guys from two women with an idea to a multimillion dollar company with warehouses in two states.

The educational program is in every elementary school in Forsyth County, as well as in schools across Georgia and nationwide.

McNamara explained that she and longtime friend and business partner Michelle Lombardo have a goal that’s twofold.

“We want to be game-changers in the obesity crisis by empowering a generation of kids who feel good about themselves because they are healthy and smart from the inside out,” she said.

As with many things in life, the path

was not always so clear to McNamara.After majoring in sports marketing

and graduating from the University of Maryland in 1990, she thought she had landed her dream job as a representative for professional athletes.

Despite the perks that went along with it, McNamara wanted something more.

“I was always searching,” she said.

“I knew it wasn’t what I really wanted to be doing.”

After marrying her husband, Joe, and moving to Georgia, McNamara found herself attending a lecture on health put on by her chiropractor, Lombardo.

“It was for new patients, but I was so mesmerized I went every week,” she laughed. “Michelle is a gifted speaker and I was fascinated with what she was talking about — basically, eating well to prevent disease and stay healthy.”

By just making a few changes, McNamara said shed 20 pounds. “I really began by focusing on the quality of the food I put into my body.”

McNamara and Lombardo’s friendship grew and in 1992, they were talking about a business.

“We really didn’t know what we wanted to do, but we knew we wanted to get the word out about health and nutrition,” she said. “At the time, we envisioned sort of a lunch and learn for adults.”

“We wanted children

to know that when

you are healthy, you feel

better about yourself ”

Karen McNamara credits her husband, Joe, for helping her balance work and home life.


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Outdoors

Sure the hard-core gardeners were tilling soil and prepping their gardens months ago, but that doesn’t

mean it’s too late to plant one.Because our “summer” seems to last well into October,

there still is plenty of time to plant a garden and enjoy your own home-grown produce.

I used to have a fairly large garden, but nowadays I’m just too busy to keep up a big plot of land.

Instead, my husband “built” me a small, 10-by-10 garden out of some 8-by-8-by-10 boards.

We filled it up with bags of good quality planting soil along with some manure, and then planted a variety of cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and herbs. In just a few hours, we were in the gardening business.

Don’t forget to add some mulch to help protect the plants against the brutal summer sunshine and heat.

Of course, I also added some flowers and “garden art” to make my garden more visually appealing.

You may be surprised to see how easy a raised bed garden is to care for. It definitely needs less weeding (music to a gardeners’ ears), and even a few plants can produce quite a bit of vegetables.

In addition, when summer is over, you can expand your gardening finesse

and plant some fall- and winter-type vegetables.

The most fun part about the garden, besides enjoying the edible rewards, is walking down there after a long day and seeing what has changed since yesterday.

Once it begins producing, it’s always

a treat to see what’s ready for picking. Even if you don’t think you have a green thumb, give

a small garden a try and you may be surprised with your abilities.

Young children love “helping” and it’s a great way to get picky eaters to try new vegetables. Happy growing!

-- Adlen W. Robinson v

Small gardenscan carry BIG APPEAL


Book Clubs

You know a book group that named itself The Cool Girls Book Club is going to be fun.

Stephanie Stone said the club formed nearly four years ago and has been going strong ever since.

Her friend, Julie Spierto, started the club and all of its members except Stephanie (a self-proclaimed “adoptee”) live in The Gates subdivision.

“We are a tight-knit group of seven dedicated readers. We always read the chosen book and we all try not to miss our monthly meeting,” Stephanie said.

In fact, she said if she does have to miss one of their meetings, she is really upset.

“We are all busy moms, so finding time for ourselves is always a challenge. This is one outlet we all love and don’t ever want to miss out on the discussion and time together.”

Recently, the club met at Stephanie’s home to discuss her chosen selection.

“Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath,” by Mimi Alford, was obviously a book with controversial overtones.

Stephanie had heard about it in December, when she was home recovering from heart surgery.

“When you are home and forced to rest for so long, you tend to watch too much television,” Stephanie said.

“One day I was watching ‘The View’ and I saw Barbara Walters interviewing the author of the book. Barbara was pretty hostile to the woman, but it did make me go out and buy the book.”

The author claims to have had an affair with John F. Kennedy and wrote the tell-all book about her experience.

Alford came to Washington as a 19-year old intern and contends she carried on an intense 18-month affair with the most powerful man on the planet. Many years later, she was exposed by tabloids and felt compelled to tell her story.

“It was fantastic. We all loved it,” Stephanie said.

“We are all busy moms, so finding time for ourselves is always

a challenge.”

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Asked for a consensus on whether the author was telling the truth, Stephanie said the group all believed the events were true.

“We had a great discussion and looked at it from her perspective, from his, and from Jackie Kennedy’s.”

Stephanie said whoever plays host to the book club meeting chooses that months’ selection. They typically have dinner and if applicable the meal is themed.

“Once we read ‘The Island’ by Elin Hilderbrand, so I made beach food,” Stephanie recalled.

The Cool Girls Book Club reads extremely diverse books ranging from “beach reads” to books that have serious, sometimes disturbing content.

“We read ‘Infidel’ by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which tells the story of the author growing up in Somalia in a strict Muslim home.”

Ali continues to fight for the rights of Muslim women across the globe.

“We are all very different and have different tastes in books, but we all enjoy reading things we might not necessarily read if it weren’t for the book club,” Stephanie said.




Summer Fun Starts with Sunscreen and HelmetsSplashing in the neighborhood

pool. The pitter patter of wet feet on sidewalk. These are the sounds of summer we look forward to each year.

But what can you do to ensure these sounds remain joyful?

Dr. Dee Stewart of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta points to two items — sunscreen and helmets.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see every time I’m at the pool is that parents will bring the children to the pool, spray the sunscreen on them, and then let them go jump in. That’s not really effective,” Stewart said.

She suggests applying sunscreen prior to arrival at the pool or lake, and reapplying every hour using a product with both UVA and UVB protection.

“Everybody for a while got focused on which ones were the burning rays. But they’re both bad,” she said.

Stewart also tells parents, “Anything

with wheels that requires manpower, [children] need a helmet on their head. Us pediatricians, we’re pretty good at fixing broken bones … but broken heads are really hard to fix.”

Dr. Rymon Wilborn, medical director of the emergency department at Northside Hospital-Forsyth, agreed, saying head injuries are one of the most common, preventable conditions seen in the emergency room.

“Anything you can do to protect that little growing brain should be No. 1 priority,” Stewart said.

Wilborn said another common

summertime condition is heat-related illness.

“It really could be avoided if you stay out of the heat or know your limitations or can see some of the early warning signs,” he said.

According to Stewart, those signs start with fatigue and can escalate from there.

Wilborn warned that if you begin to get heat cramps in the arms and legs or start sweating profusely, it “may already be too late. But definitely stop what you’re doing, drink some water, cool yourself down.”

Stewart suggests parents take a “popsicle or cool-off break” with their children during the hottest hours of the day.

Every summer, bugs are an expected accessory to the heat, but Stewart said this year is worse than usual.

“Oh my goodness, ticks galore,” she said. “I have taken more ticks off

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of children in just May and June than all of last year. I think the milder winter had a lot to do with it.”

Stewart noted that ticks can be anywhere in the yard, not just the woods, and encourages parents to check themselves and their children every few days.

To remove a tick, Wilborn said to “grab [the tick] as close to the surface of the skin as you can with tweezers … and pull steadily upward.”

Stewart also encourages parents to double-check the bug spray label as well. “Number one is that you want to make sure it’s safe for children, and … it’ll say on [the label] whether it protects against ticks.”

Other summer-loving critters to look out for are snakes.

“In this area, copperheads are probably 90 percent of the venomous snake bites we see,” Wilborn said.

He suggests watching where you step and staying out of bushes and tall grass when walking outside.

Above all, Wilborn stresses safety in the water, particularly Lake Lanier.

“It’s one of those things that takes two seconds, you turn your head, and then [a child is] under the water for a little bit of time,” he said.

He recommends even great swimmers wear a life jacket and use a buddy system because “anything can happen.”

Still, both doctors say common sense can be the greatest measure to ensure fun in the sun.

-- Autumn Vetter v

Layla Malmberg wears plenty of sunscreen while playing at the Cumming Aquatic Center.


Moms at Work

Danielle Gustaveson and daughter Sasha operate Gypsy Chic Boutique in downtown Cumming.

In today’s economy, it is increasingly refreshing to see entrepreneurs

forge ahead and start new businesses — especially when that business owner is a busy mother.

Danielle Gustaveson, owner of Gypsy Chic Boutique, operates her upscale consignment shop in the heart of downtown Cumming. But she also acts as the managing director of her and her husbands’ theater group, the Gypsy Theatre Company.

“I’m the costume designer for our theater company, so I practically live in thrift and consignment stores finding what I need to create costumes for the plays,” she explained.

“Even for myself, I love finding different kinds of clothes and accessories you find in consignment shops. I cannot even remember the

last time I was in the mall.” Danielle said that since it seems

everybody is on a budget, opening a consignment shop for women seemed timely.

Gypsy Chic Boutique is a charming and eclectic shop with rack upon rack of upscale clothes, as well as designer hand bags, shoes, boots and a myriad of other fashionables.

“I really wanted to have an upscale consignment store with the feel of a boutique,” she said. “I have everything from interesting inexpensive items, to couture things. We truly have

something new every day and there is definitely something for everyone.”

With an interior design background, Danielle said design and fashion have always been passions of hers. The boutique also carries candles and jewelry which are hand crafted by local artists.

Its atmosphere is sophisticated and whimsical while at the same time eclectic and stylish.

Danielle has two children, Sasha and Colton Bugay. Her daughter helps run the boutique.

“It is great being able to work

with Sasha,” Danielle said. “We have a lot of fun together.”

In addition to the support her family offers, Danielle said the community and other female entrepreneurs have been supportive of her business endeavor.

“It has been a wonderful experience getting to know other women who own businesses in our community,” she said. “I have learned so much from them.”

When she is not running the boutique, Danielle finds time to act in some of the plays her husband, Mercury, directs, as well as perform a myriad of other tasks to keep their busy company running.

“We are very excited because this year we were nominated for nine MAT awards,” she said.

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Danielle’s husband, who builds all of the sets, was able to show off his design expertise in the boutique as well. “I didn’t have any shelving for shoes, so he took some old fence posts and created these rustic shoe shelves.”

Danielle is pleased that word of her shop is spreading and hopes women will come shopping and also bring their clothes. “It is a great time to clean out your closet and make a little extra money.”

On the wall behind the cash register hangs a black and white picture of Danielle’s beloved late grandmother, Isabel Pierson.

“She was a dancer and was always so beautiful and glamorous,” she recalled with a smile. “Even in her everyday running around, she always looked wonderful.”

No doubt Grandmother Pierson is happily watching her granddaughter help others dress with style and panache.


“I’m the costume designer for our theater company, so I practically live in thrift and

consignment stores...”


Moments Mom Continued from Page 8

McNamara: “We wanted to make it fun and engaging”

After putting together a plan, the two women approached Kroger and asked if the grocery store giant would sponsor them. To their surprise, the company agreed.

“We were teaching the adults, and all of the questions people had were about the participants’ children,” McNamara said. “The parents kept wanting advice about how to educate their children, how to get their kids to eat vegetables, etc.”

McNamara and Lombardo started brainstorming and came up with posters with creative characters such as Peter Pancreas, Hardy Heart and Peri Stolic the intestine.

“We wanted to make it fun and engaging,” she said. “Our goal was for children to take ownership of their own health.”

Before long, the OrganWise Guys were born. The creative characters and the clever and relevant material quickly developed into tools to teach children about how their body works, and the importance of giving it the proper fuel.

“We wanted children to know that when you are healthy, you feel better about yourself,” McNamara said.

Word continued to get out and soon the two women were doing presentations in schools with slideshows featuring their organ characters.

“The teachers were telling us

they liked it as much as the children,” McNamara said.

With characters such as Sir Rebrum the brain or the cooler than cool Kidney Brothers, it’s easy to see how children would be receptive to the information.

McNamara is quick to give credit

to her husband, noting her extensive involvement with the business and its growth could not have been possible without his help.

“Because he has his own [chiropractic] practice, we had flexibility when it came to our children’s needs,” she said.

As the business grew, so did the level of sophistication of the characters and the subsequent videos.

Currently, the executive producer on the OrganWise Guys DVDs is Melissa Sykes, a seasoned network programmer and Emmy Award-winning producer and writer of


Though her growing company keeps her busy, Karen McNamara and husband Joe enjoy spending time with their three children — Liam, 14, Shea, 12, and Reilly, 8.


children’s programming.Other writers include acclaimed

children’s author Danny Schnitzlein. The puppets are fantastic and were created by many talented folks whose credits include the Muppet Workshop.

“Our program is uniquely applicable for the academic community because it is linked to every subject — math, science, all of them — that makes it relevant for the teachers, plus it is fun and entertaining for the kids,” McNamara said.

She explained that most diseases take 20, 30 or even 40 years to present themselves, so why not teach children what they can do in order to stop the disease from happening in the first place.

Despite the availability of extensive health information, childhood obesity rates in our country continue to soar. McNamara offers insight as to why.

“We have a generation of parents who give their kids whatever they want,” she said. “Think about it, would you give your kids blue food dye to eat? Of course not.”

With the program, children learn to read labels so they can see for themselves what’s in the food.

The clever and adorable puppets help educate children about the why’s of good nutrition and do so in a fun and memorable way.

Who could forget when adorable Sir Rebrum the brain explains what foods to eat for super brain power?

“We are not extreme, we do teach moderation. But we want them to understand the reasons behind what we are trying to teach,” McNamara said.

By Adlen W. Robinson v

Karen McNamara helped found the OrganWise Guys, an educational pro-gram used in every elementary school in Forsyth County, as well as many across the state and nation.


Dinner Matters

Now that summer is officially here, most of us will be grilling plenty

of America’s favorite summertime fare: hamburgers.

In fact, some polls show we consume about 13 billion burgers a year. If your hamburgers seem, well, a little on the boring side, get ready to learn a secret that will guarantee you turn out juicy, flavorful hamburgers each and every time.

The true secret is the pinade, a mixture of bread crumbs and milk plus a few other key ingredients.

The soaked bread crumbs help keep the meat moist. You often see this technique applied to meatloaf or meatballs.

Just remember not to overwork the meat or it will be tough.

Use your hands (the best tools in the kitchen) to lightly combine the pinade with the meat, quickly form the burgers, and then refrigerate for a while so the burgers can firm up a bit.

Grill to your preferred doneness and, voila, hamburger heaven.

Even if none of your friends and family are vegetarians, portobello “burgers” are a delicious addition to any cookout.

I like to mix up my own balsamic marinade, but feel free to use your favorite bottled variety.

Don’t leave out the step of removing the gills from the mushrooms. When left on, they leave the mushrooms with a “muddy” feel.

The Great American Hamburger

The best hamburger1 1/2 pounds ground chuck1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper1/2 cup good quality bread, processed into crumbs1/4 whole milk or half and half1 clove garlic, put through a garlic press or very finely chopped2 teaspoons A1 steak sauce

Loosely break apart ground chuck in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, bread crumbs, milk, garlic and steak sauce, mixing well. Pour milk mixture on top of ground chuck and using your hands mix well using a light touch. Form into four large burgers or six medium ones. Place on platter that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour (or longer if needed) to allow burgers to firm up. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Allow hamburgers to sit out for 15 minutes or so to take the chill off of them. Grill to desired doneness.



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Portobello mushroom burgers

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pressorveryfinelychopped• 1teaspoonDijonmustard• 1/2teaspoonkoshersalt• 1/4teaspoonblackpepper

In small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, Dijon, salt and pepper. Place mushroom caps in a zipper plastic bag and pour marinade over them. Shake bag to evenly distribute the liquid. Place bag in refrigerator and marinate at least 30 minutes, turning bag over a few times. Heat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and grill mushrooms until softened, but still have some texture to them, about four or five minutes per side.

-- Adlen W. Robinson


Fashion

The calendar may say July,

but back-to-school time will be here before we know it.

The first day of the 2012-13 school year for the Forsyth County school system is Aug. 9. Preparing children to start back can be a challenge

for any parent, and preparation is key.

Not to mention that buying new clothes, accessories and supplies can make your head spin with the coming and going of fashion trends.

You don’t want your child going back to school ill prepared. But have no fear, we at Moments are to help ease the stress

and get your child back to school in style.

When we looked into what was popular for this year’s styles we were somewhat surprised to find that much of the fashion from parents’ childhood is making a comeback.

Yes moms, it’s time to bring out your 1970s bellbottoms, ’80s Member’s Only jackets, and ’90s flannel and grunge.

According to local retailers and other sources, fashions “don’ts” this school year are pretty straight forward.

Among other pointers, no capes — your child is not a superhero.

Also, no shorts and tights combos — chose your season and don’t mix them together.

And no stilettos — that explanation likely goes without saying.

Fashion “do’s” include color, skinny jeans, vibrant prints, boots, and bright sneakers.

Trade in those tights for scrunched ankle socks with boots for a trendy look.

JanSport backpacks are popular this year and can be found in many local department stores, including Belk and Kohl’s.

The big brands featured at Belk, officials said, are J Khaki along with Izod brands.

Ronnie Parker, the assistant store manager at Belk in Lakeland Plaza, said “color, color and more color” is going to be the biggest trend for the upcoming

Trend:

Backpacks are also a key ingredient for the start of

school.


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season. “Everything on the shelves is in color

ranging from jeans to Bermuda shorts,” Parker said.

According to Larry Wilkerson, the store manager at Kohl’s in Cumming, the state’s tax-free weekend will be Aug. 10 and 11.

“This is going to be a huge weekend for back-to-school shopping because it’s the first time we have had a weekend like this in three years,” he said.

Wilkerson also echoed Parker’s assessment of children’s fashion trends.

“Lots of hot colors will be in style for juniors this year, along with a new brand called Rock & Republic that has denims for both girls and guys,” he said.

Graphic backpacks, along with those by Adidas and Nike, will also hit the shelves this summer with the back-to-school gear.

Athletic apparel is always popular, particularly when it comes to footwear.

The new school year is fast approaching, so hit the local stores with these new fashion tips and get your kids ready in style.

-- McKenzie Stanford v



Summer Survival

for Moms


Ahhhh, the dog days of summer. Nothing but relaxing on

the front porch sipping on some homemade lemonade.

What? Your summer consists of swim meets, camps and endless sleepovers?

Most mothers I know say that when their children finally do have some downtime, the mantra goes like this: I’m bored … there’s nothing to do.

If that sounds familiar, here are some suggestions that are free or nearly so.

* Learn a foreign language. The Forsyth County Public Library System has a Language Collection Center with everything you need to learn numerous foreign languages.

In addition, the libraries have children’s books in different languages, so your children can practice their new skills.

* Clean out the basement, closets and attic and have a garage sale.

Then, do something special with the proceeds. If you are willing to share

the profits, it’s amazing how children will pitch in and help.

* Make an animal book. Research different animals, using the Internet and the library. Keep all of your animal studies in a large notebook. Also check out different educational animal

shows on television. * Take a trip to the Zoo or the

Elachee Nature Center and show off your animal knowledge. Fernbank Science center has an amazing IMAX theater, which is not too expensive and the movies are always educational.

* Use your video camera and make some home movies. Help your children write the script, and let the children act, direct and, if old enough, even film the movie. A true keepsake.

If you have budding musicians, make music videos. These are some of my favorite memories from when our children were young.

* Start a family reading group: Select a book the entire family would enjoy, and then take turns reading it every night. Plan to do something special after finishing each book.

* Teach your children to type. Have a contest to see who can type the most words in a minute. No more typing papers for them.

* Teach your children how to cook. Or learn yourself. Make a family cookbook with all of your family’s favorite recipes.

* Bake cookies and after sampling

Home Matters

Summer ReadingCheck out the library for suggestions. The classics are always a good bet. This is also a good time to ensure children are reading their summer reading books for school. To encourage them, read the books as well. That way you can discuss the books with them, and also make sure they actually read them.


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them, take them to a nursing home for residents and staff to enjoy. The residents always love seeing young people. It really warms their hearts.

* Have a home video party and watch movies of when the kids were younger. All children love seeing themselves when they were babies and toddlers. Don’t forget the popcorn for the kids and tissues for mom.

* Collect all the change from around the house and take it to a change-converting machine at a grocery store or bank.

Do something special with the

money or use it to save up for a more expensive item. We did this one year and had enough to buy a new television.

* Make homemade ice cream.* Play board games and/or

charades.* Learn to juggle. * Learn some card tricks.* Go bowling. Call ahead to find

out the best times and for any possible discounts.

* Go to free movie day at a local theater.

* Go visit the humane society and

play with the dogs and cats. If you don’t plan on adopting, make sure the children understand ahead of time.

* Take a picnic to beautiful Lake Lanier. We are so lucky to live close to such a wonderful lake.

–– Adlen W. Robinson v

History Can Be Fun!Check out historical sites around Georgia and take day trips. Many of the sites and museums are free. Research before you go, so the site will be more interesting.


Community

NeighborhoodsKeeping WatchFCSO program helps deter crime

ContactFor more information about starting a Neighborhood Watch program in your subdivision, call (678) 513-5982 or go online at www.forsythsheriff.org.

In Cumming The Cumming Police Department conducts residence vacation checks for city residents. Those planning to go out of town should notify the department so officers can make sure to patrol areas where homes are unoccupied.Contact: (770) 781-2000.

Tips

Check out the following tips if you’re getting outdoors or planning a trip this summer:

Lock doors and roll up windows when you leave your car Store valuables in the trunk, where would-be thieves can’t

see them Keep an eye out for strangers who may be watching you

and your family or getting a little too close When shopping, be aware of your surroundings and

avoid showing large amounts of cash or credit cards Make sure house doors and windows are locked Let your neighbors and authorities know if you’re going

out of town Call 911 if you see any suspicious activity Source: Forsyth County Sheriff ’s Office

I f you’re interested in making your neighborhood safer,

look no further than the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Allan Frampton said 317 subdivisions participate in the local Neighborhood Watch program.

The benefits of having a program include lower crime and better communication with law enforcement.

“Just having the sign reduces crime because, statistically, national Neighborhood Watch says a neighborhood that participates is 10 percent less likely to be a victim of crime,” Frampton said.

He said subdivisions wishing to establish a program start out by holding three meetings.

In those sessions, a deputy assigned to the neighborhood will talk with residents about communication with authorities, protecting children and general crime prevention.

He said a certificate will be issued to the neighborhood during the third meeting.

Participating neighborhoods will also receive notices from the sheriff’s office regarding safety tips, crime trends in the area and more. -- Julie Arrington

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While I knew we had wineries in Georgia, I only recently learned about BlackStock Vineyards and Winery in

Dahlonega. Founded by Georgia native David Harris, these 90

acres have spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Perhaps more importantly, the winery produces some really good wine.

For our purposes here, I wanted to focus on their Rocking Chair Red, which is 100 percent merlot and a real value at less than $10 a bottle.

The winery wanted to produce a smooth, satisfying red wine that reminded people of relaxing in rocking chairs sitting on their front porch.

Light and mellow, this is the perfect summer red wine that goes great with hamburgers or pizza. It is also great on its own.

Consider taking a field trip to visit the winery soon.

From Dahlonega to Italy, my next favorite summer wines come from the Italian Primaterra wines.

The pinot grigio is fruity and crisp, perfect on its own or paired with lighter dishes such as fish, pasta or chicken.

The primitivo, a delightful red table wine, is light enough to pair with chicken, but bold enough to go well with burgers or even barbecue.

I was interested to learn that the primitivo grape thrives in warm, southern coastal climates, such as the heel of Italy. Many consider this grape to be the father of zinfandel.

Since both of these wines were less than $10, they are a great way to economically enjoy some outstanding wines.

I love finding good wines that are $10 or less, yet “fancy” enough to serve to company during the busy entertaining months of summer.

You definitely want to give these wines a try. Happy summer sipping!


From the Cellar

The frugal amateur wine enthusiast

FeedbackIf you have a favorite (affordable)

wine, please let me know at [email protected].



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School Spotlight

Fun facts: The school takes its name from an early resident that claimed the land was rich with coal to encourage economic development, though such reserves were never

found. The campus has received three additions and renovations since opening. The school is actively involved with robotics, music, art and chess. It also is home to this year’s Forsyth County Elementary Teacher of the Year, Antoinette “Toni” Sullivan.

Special programs: The school is involved with the Bring Your Own Technology program, allowing students to learn through devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops

and their own handheld gaming systems. It also has the Miner Messenger Student Newspaper. The staff works to build strong relationships with parents, students and the community to encourage collaboration. The school also participates in Relay for Life, March of Dimes and plans to build a garden in the upcoming school year.

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Quality, CompassionChildren’s poised to grow with Forsyth

For the Health of It

A fter making numerous trips down Ga. 400 over the years to take one of our

four children to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, hearing that there’s one practically in my back yard was welcome news.

The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Forsyth location celebrated its first anniversary in June. The facility has had more than 50,000 patient visits since opening its doors at The Avenue Forsyth off Peachtree Parkway in south Forsyth.

That’s an incredible first year and those numbers are sure to increase in as word spreads about this modern center.

I was excited to get a tour of the facility recently, and even happier to share my report with readers.

Beth Buursema, community outreach liaison with Children’s, took me through the center, which turned out to be much bigger than I realized.

I thought it was going to be similar to the urgent care center on Mansell Road, which I have frequented with our children.

Deceptive from the outside, the local location of Children’s is massive. With more than 20,000 square feet, there are plenty of examination rooms and much more.

Entire wings are devoted to pediatric specialists, including urgent care, rehab, sports medicine, orthotics and



prosthetics. I surely would have been lost were it not for Beth’s guidance.

I was particularly fascinated by the center’s STAR Machine. STAR, short for Symmetry Through Active Remolding, measures a baby’s head to see if a helmet is needed to protect the brain and also help reshape his or her head.

Babies may have a misshapen head for a variety of reasons, including having been born prematurely or those whose parents leave them on their back to sleep to protect against SIDS.

Edward Barber, supervisor of orthotics and prosthetics, explained how this amazing machine allows the necessary measurements to be taken without causing any pain and ensuring precision.

The baby’s helmet can then be customized. All of this is done on site.

Beth said Children’s is a special place where everybody truly cares and tries to make each patient’s experience a positive one. I know this first hand.

One of our children has had asthma since she was 3 weeks old. More times than I care to remember, I was up late at night on the phone with nurses from Children’s.

They were always so calm and helpful. The same was true whenever I had to go to the urgent care center or the hospital itself.

When we arrived, we were always seen immediately. There is no waiting when an asthmatic walks in or is carried through the door.

When I went with our other children with less serious illnesses, I tried to remind them that doctors have to see

the most critical patients first, and that’s something nobody can predict.

Beth told me that when people do have to wait to be seen, that’s why.

“Just last week, we had four critical cases at the same time,” Beth said. “We hate it when the waiting room is full and patients have to wait, but the reason is always because there is someone else who needs medical attention right away.”

Beth also told me that once patients arrive, a doctor is not going to go home until they have been seen.

Beth shared how one of the doctors had recently stayed until the wee morning hours to see the last of the patients.

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful facility with so many caring people in our area.

Remember to practice patience if you have to wait to be seen. And by all means, thank those tireless people at Children’s for what they do.

-- Adlen W. Robinson vChildren’s Healthcare of Atlanta

at Forsyth is at 410 Peachtree Pkwy. For more information, call (404) 785-3100 or visit

www.choa.org.


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RefreshingGazpachoBeat the heat with cold, savory soup

Smart Snacking

Gazpacho is a refreshing and delicious cold soup that’s perfect during the hot months of summer.

Hailing from the Andalusia region in southern Spain, this uncooked soup is usually made with fresh tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, cucumber, breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar.

My version is streamlined and uses delicious San Marzano canned tomatoes. They are a bit more expensive than regular canned tomatoes, but worth the few extra dollars.

I use these for almost all dishes that call for canned tomatoes.

Make sure you allow the gazpacho to chill in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) before serving.

As a fancy appetizer, serve shot glasses of gazpacho with some cocktail shrimp on the rim.


1 (28 ounce) can of San Marzano Tomatoes

1 cup vegetable juice

1 red bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup Vidalia onion, chopped

1/2 English cucumber, coarsely chopped (if using a regular cucumber, remove the skin and seeds)

1/3 cup bread crumbs, made from soft white bread

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (more to taste)

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon pepper

Splash of hot sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired “chunkiness.” Add more vegetable juice if it’s too thick. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.


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