JUST FOR COUPLES: How to Keep the Romance Alive
February 2007
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publisher’sdesk
WHEN’S the last time you laughed –
really laughed – out loud? Not a chuckle,
a laugh till you could barely breath, tears
in your eyes, guffaw? If you have to think
about that question, it’s been too long.
This month’s story “Just For Couples:
How to keep the romance alive” was
suggested to me by a neighbor. At a time
when marriage seems almost disposable
he said, how about a story that includes
some solid advice on how to work on
a relationship instead of watching it
unravel? Erin Littlefield’s story is that and
more including specific habits couples
should both take up and leave behind
to grow a mature, loving relationship.
It also includes some highly romantic
suggestions for ways to put those
behaviors into practice.
As good as the story is, I’d like to add
my own two cents about what a shared
sense of humor can do for a relationship
– any relationship – not just a romantic
one. Greg and I have been married
for 23 years. It is a source of ongoing
consternation to our children why such
seeming non sequiturs as “So, are those
your angry eyes?” can reduce us both
to paroxysms of giggles. It’s a Mom
and Dad thing we say; someday you’ll
understand. And I hope they do because
our ability to laugh together, sometimes
through the tears, is one of the things I
love most about my husband.
So go ahead and read the romance
story, but while you’re planning the
perfect romantic gift, don’t forget to
figure out a way to tickle her fancy, too.
– Angelique Gammon
Insite/February 2007
contents
6
areaevents | page 6
What’s Happening
Music, theatre and events around the Brazos Valley
compiled by the Insite Magazine staff
12
coverstory
| page 12
Home Product Preview
Let nature be your guide indoors and out
for home décor
by Kelli Levey
healthyloving |
page 20
Just For Couples
20
How to keep the romance alive
by Erin Kyle Littlefield
medicalnews |
page 24
Age Management Medicine:
28
15
An update on a new Brazos Valley
medical specialty practice
by Angelique Gammon
communityfocus | page 28
Shall We Dance?
Hospice fundraiser a good time to (learn how to)
put on those dancing shoes
by Angelique Gammon
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GET IN TOUCH WITH INSITE MAGAZINE
Letters to the Editor · Send to Angelique Gammon, Insite Magazine, 123 E. Wm. J. Bryan
Pkwy., Bryan Texas 77803 or send email to [email protected]
Happenings & Around Town · Deadline to submit information is the 5th of the month preceding
publication. Send Happenings to Insite Magazine, 123 E. Wm. J. Bryan Pkwy., Bryan Texas
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Electronic Submissions · All photos submitted electronically must be at least 3” wide at
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photos. Email Business briefs, What’s Happening events or Around Town photos to agammon@
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Mail · Mail business/event listings or photos with names and event description to Insite
Magazine 123 East WJ Bryan Parkway, Bryan, TX 77803.
departments
6 Around Town 30 Business Briefs Areawide events
Notable Brazos Valley news
INSITE Magazine is published monthly by Insite Printing & Graphic Services, 123 E. Wm. J.
Bryan Pkwy., Bryan Texas 77803. (979) 823-5567 [email protected]. www.insitegroup.com Volume
23, Number 11. Managing Partners: Kyle DeWitt, Angelique Gammon, Greg Gammon.
Reproduction in any part without written permission of publisher is prohibited. Publisher/Editor:
Angelique Gammon; General Manager: Carl Dixon; Account Executive: Cynthia Kauder;
Prepress Manager: Glenn Richards; Graphic Designer: Alida Bedard; Office Manager:
Molly Barton; Production: Daisy Acosta, Anthony Battles, Steve Beatty, Linda Browning, Joe Campice,
Don Coburn, Ricky Conchola, John Daniels, George Galloway, Connie Gosch, Erin Hagar, Brad Hillegeist,
Cynthia Justice, Doug Madison, Arthur Maldonado, Pam Mize, Frank Ramirez, Ramon Ruiz, Randy Valencia,
Wes Vilo, Jimmy Welch, LaCheryl Wilson.
February 2007/Insite what’shappening
FEBRUARY
events
areawide
February 1, 8, 15, and 22 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.,
Dr. Fernando R. Casas will present the lecture series
“Interpreting European Painting – From Mysticism and
Royal Power, to Revolution and Deconstruction.” Dr.
Casas will teach attendees to formally interpret a painting
compiled by the Insite Magazine staff
March 21 at 8 p.m., Bethune
Women’s Club presents the
49th Annual Ebony Fashion
Fair “Stylishly Hot” at the Bryan
Civic Auditorium. Tickets are
$30 in advance and $35 at the
door and may be purchased at
the North Bryan Community
Center, Lurl’s Hair Design, Vision
in Peace music store, The B/CS
Eagle, Pruitt’s Fabric Shop, or
by calling Effie Perry at (979)
822-2536. Every ticket price
includes the choice of a oneyear subscription to Ebony or
six-month subscription to JET
magazines and entry into prize
drawings. For more information
about the show, visit www.
ebonyfashionfair.com.
for the next trip to at an art gallery. Classes will be held
at the Blinn College Student Center, 1007 W. 2nd Street,
Brenham. Register on-line at www.brenhamcommunityed.
com or by phone at (979) 277-6531. Cost is $60 for the
entire series or $15 per individual lecture.
February 1 at 7:30 p.m., Community Chamber
Concerts presents Czech Nonet Ensemble
at First Presbyterian Church in Bryan. For more
information, contact Friends of Chamber Music at
www.communitychamberconcerts.org.
February 2 from 5:30-9:30 p.m., the Frame Gallery
hosts First Friday in Downtown Bryan. Enjoy live
music and local art while walking around historic
downtown Bryan. For more information, contact Greta
Watkins at (979) 822-0496.
February 4 at 4 p.m. the Brazos Valley Symphony
Orchestra presents American Classics featuring
George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Concerto
in F” performed by Petronel Malan on the piano, at the
Rudder Auditorium. For more information, contact the
Brazos Valley Symphony Office at (979) 779-6100.
February 6 from 11:30 a.m. to1 p.m., the American
Heart Association will host the 2007 Go Red for
Women Luncheon at the Hilton College Station Hotel
and Conference Center. The featured speaker will be
Jodie Schrier with Life Line Screening. This annual
event is a chance for women to gain valuable knowledge
about heart disease and to raise funds that will help with
research and education efforts. Tickets are $30 each with
limited seating. For more information, contact event cochairs, Cortney Tenhet ([email protected])
or Dedra Nevill ([email protected]).
February 8 at 5:15 p.m., the George Bush Presidential
Library presents Dr. Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice
President for Defense and Foreign Policy at the Cato
Institute, as part of the Bush School National Security
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what’shappening
Seminar Series. Dr. Carpenter will give a presentation
on “Nuclear Rogue States: Iran and North Korea.” For
more information, contact [email protected].
edu or (979) 862-7974.
February 14 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel
in College Station, Scotty’s House Child Advocacy
Center Invites the public to attend “An Elegant Evening
of Dinner & Dancing” with the music of “Donald Childs
and the Heartbeats.” Cash bar opens at 6:30 p.m.; dinner
buffet at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person, and all
proceeds will benefit Scotty’s House. Space is limited,
so reserve tickets early by calling Scotty’s House at
(979) 775-4695.
February 8 at 7 p.m., the George Bush Presidential
Library presents Humoresque (1946), as part of
its Classic Film Series, in the Annenberg Presidential
Conference Center with free admission, refreshments
and parking. For more information, contact the Library
at (979) 691-4015.
February 15 at 10:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-1:30
p.m., the Bush Storytellers Guild will present
President’s Day Celebration with Theodore
Roosevelt with Theodore Roosevelt portrayed by
historical impressionist Ted Zalewski at the Annenberg
Presidential Conference Center’s Frymire Auditorium.
Admission is free. Reservations are recommended. For
more information, contact [email protected] or
call Monica Lerma at (979) 691-4006.
February 8-11 and 15-18, the Navasota Theatre
Alliance presents God’s Favorite, directed by Earlene
Rainey. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at
7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 for
adults and $5 for members, seniors and students. A
dinner theatre performance is set for Friday, February
16. For more information, contact the Theatre Alliance
at (936) 825-3195.
February 8-11, 15-18 and 22-25, the Brenham Unity
Theatre presents Scotland Road, a story about a girl
who is found floating on an iceberg in the North Atlantic
and will only say one word, “titanic.” Performances are
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4
p.m. Tickets are $22 per person. Group rates available. For
more information, contact the Theatre at (979) 830-8358.
February 9 and 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the
Children’s Museum of Brazos Valley presents
Daddy Daughter Dance. Tickets are $50 per couple
February 3 at 2 p.m. MSC OPAS, Jr. presents
Willy Wonka at the Rudder Auditorium. For
more information, contact the MSC Box Office
at (979) 845-1234.
and $20 per additional daughter. Friday night is
recommended for girls up to age 8 and Saturday night
is recommended for girls 9 and up. Reservations are
required and space is limited. For more information,
contact the Museum at (979) 779-5437.
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Insite/February 2007
February 15 at 7:30 p.m., Friends of Chamber Music
presents Modigliani String Quartet, winner of the
2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions in
NY, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bryan. For more
information, contact Friends of Chamber Music at www.
communitychamberconcerts.org.
February 15-17 and 22-24 at 7:30 p.m., StageCenter
presents Dr. Cook’s Garden, a drama/thriller written by
Ira Levin featuring a young doctor who returns to his New
England home town and finds his life in danger. For more
…
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MonAm
February 6 at 7:30 p.m., MSC OPAS presents
Ballet Hispanico at Rudder Auditorium. For
more information contact the MSC Box Office
at (979) 845-1234.
information, contact the Arts Council at (979) 696-2787.
February 16 at 7:30 p.m., MSC OPAS presents Kodo
Drummers of Japan at the Rudder Auditorium. For
more information, contact the MSC Box Office at
(979) 845-1234.
February 16-18 and 23-25, The Theatre Company
presents The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,
about the real life chicken ranch and its fight to survive
the glare of publicity featuring a tribute to our own Texas
Aggies and a great pop and country score. Performance
times are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7
p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for evening
shows and $10 for matinees. Children 12 and under are
$5 for all shows. For more information, contact the Arts
Council at (979) 696-2787.
February 22 at 12 noon, The TAMU Department of
Performance Studies presents Richie Barshay and
Trio in Room 304 of the Academic Building. For more
information, contact the Department of Performance
Studies at (979) 845-3355.
February 26 at 7:30 p.m. MSC OPAS presents Neil
Simon’s Lost in Yonkers as part of its Intimate
Gatherings at the Rudder Theatre. For more information,
contact the MSC Box Office at (979) 845-1234.
February 27 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 1:30 pm,
the Bush Museum Storytellers Guild presents The Life
of the Buffalo Soldier, featuring Trooper Ken Pollard.
The legacy and history of the African American Cavalry
and Infantry Regiments are presented with living history
demonstrations and exhibits in the Frymire Auditorium.
Admission is free. Reservations are recommended. For
more information, contact [email protected] or
call Monica Lerma at (979) 691-4006.
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March 3 at 6:30 p.m., the Brazos Valley Chorale
presents Memorable Melodies, their annual dinner
February 2007/Insite what’shappening
contributions to Texas and the world. The George Bush
Presidential Library and Museum is open Monday
through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday
from 12 to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the
Museum at 691-4000.
Through February 27, the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at Texas A&M University presents
Masters of Disaster: Texas Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue. The exhibition
consists of photographs, equipment, videos, and interactive pieces from natural disasters,
adversities, and the incredible history of Texas Task Force 1. Since Texas Task Force 1’s
Through May 12, the MSC Forsyth Center Galleries
presents Lovers on a Swing: Love and Art in the
Collections at the Memorial Student Center. Hours are
Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday
and Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m. For more information,
contact the Gallery at (979) 845-9251.
February 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m., MSC OPAS presents Disney’s Aida at the Rudder Auditorium. For more
information, contact the MSC Box Office at (979) 845-1234.
concert featuring a mouthwatering menu and a wide
range of much-loved music from Mancini to Mandrel
and Mathis to McCartney with a special tribute to Johnny
Mercer. Tickets are $60 per person, dinner included. For
more information, call (979) 776-1776.
reservation, visit www.bcamc.org or call (979) 775-0336.
continuingevents
meetingsseminars
Through February 15, the George Bush Presidential
Library presents Children Speak: Tsunami, a
collection of children’s artwork by child survivors.
February 13 at 12 noon, the Brazos County A&M Club
will hold a monthly luncheon at the Clayton W. Williams,
Jr. Alumni Center. For speaker information or to make a
Through March 18, the George Bush Presidential
Library presents 100 Tall Texans. This exhibit
showcases 100 Texans who made significant
Through March 24, the J. Wayne Stark Galleries at
Texas A&M University presents PICASSO: 25 Years
of Edition Ceramics From The Edward Weston
Collection. The exhibition presents a selection of the
ceramics created by Pablo Picasso in collaboration
with George and Suzanne Ramie and the artisans at
their Madoura pottery workshop in Vallauris, Southern
France, between the years 1947 and 1971. Included in the
exhibition are 65 ceramic works including plates, bowls,
pitchers, vases, and plaques, plus posters from previous
Picasso ceramics exhibitions and photographs of Picasso
at work at the Madoura workshop. For more information
about this exhibition and others at the Stark Galleries,
please call (979) 845-6081 or visit http://stark.tamu.edu.
planahead
March 6, Susan and Bill Birdwell will be honored at
establishment in 1997, the team has responded to disasters including Hurricane Katrina
and 9-11. Artifacts include actual pieces of steel and granite from the World Trade Center
and rubble from the famed Disaster City® training facility. Both an emotionally moving
exhibition and a learning experience, it shows the tremendous efforts of the Texas Task
Force 1 team and the risks set before its members. Texas Task Force 1 is the state’s first
and only statewide urban search and rescue team (US&R) and is administered by the Texas
Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a member of The Texas A&M University System. It is
one of 28 national US&R teams under the direction of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency. The J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries are located at the northeast corner
of the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M University campus. Gallery hours are
Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; weekends, noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. For
more information call (979) 845-6081 or visit http://stark.tamu.edu.
the Brazos Community Foundation’s 2007 Tribute
Luncheon at the College Station Hilton. The Birdwells
will be honored for their active support of non-profit
organizations in the community. For sponsorship or
reservation information, call (979) 595-2800, ext. 2005.
March 31 through April 7, Bahia Antique Show and
Sale will be held in Burton at Hwy. 290 and TX 237.
Show opens daily at 8 a.m. and admission is free. For
more information, visit www.labahiaantiques.com.
May 15, Saint Michael’s Academy in Bryan will
hold a $1,000,000 Hole-In-One Contest and
Golf Classic at Traditions Club, sponsored by the
Suites at Galleria Village. Contestants for the Hole-InOne contest must be pre-qualified at monthly events
leading up to the Golf Classic. Contestants will also
be eligible to win a Segway Golf Transporter or a Nike
Hybrid Club. The Golf Classic will be a four-person
scramble with shotgun starts at 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Players will receive Traditions Club Nike Dri-Fit Shirts,
caps and more. To register for the Golf Classic or learn
more about qualifying events for the $1,000,000 HoleIn-One Contest, visit www.galleriavillage.com. To
learn more about Saint Michael’s Academy, call (979)
822-2715 or visit www.st-michaels-academy.org. i
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February 2007/Insite 11
coverstory
by Kelli Levey
Spring is the season of renewal, and that rings true around area homes
and yards. Serenity, warmth and a connection with nature are the soughtafter attributes for today’s homes, and they are acquired through fabrics,
fixtures and finishing touches such as pillows and plants.
“P
Pick a Peck of
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Nature is the New
Star of the Home
eople want a
certain look,
a certain feel,
and
they
want luxury,” says Barbara
Holley, owner of Holley’s
Window Fashions & Interiors
in College Station. “They’re
trying to create in their homes
an oasis away from everything else,
and the focus area right now is the
master suite. Color is so important
– you want something soothing and
comfortable – but most of all, you need to
de-clutter and really be selective about what
you allow in your house.”
Discerning taste and
deliberation are what set this season’s
buyers apart, says Kay Conlee, owner of Old
Bryan Marketplace in Downtown Bryan.
“They’re trying to use what they have and
integrate new color and a new look,” she
says. “They’re a lot more thoughtful
when shopping. They’re looking
for things they will keep for
a lifetime, mixing the old
with the new. That’s
what makes a house
a home, after all,
isn’t it? Mixing the memories with the fresh?
That’s what we’re seeing.”
The colors and textures of nature lead the
latest trends in home decorating, with blue
the new neutral and earthy shades completing
the palette. Coarse pottery, natural-looking
woods, grass cloths and nubby fabrics in
terra cottas, khakis and clays are among the
principal design elements.
Contemporary clean lines are gaining
acceptance, but they’re still overshadowed
by traditional iron light fixtures and
comfortable furniture framed in wood.
Geometric designs are inching into
acceptance, but they’re understated and
classy – not the mod configurations found
in New York or L.A.
“We’re still mainly a very traditional
community, so if you see something
hit the magazines on the East coast,
we’ll see it here about two years
later,” says Mia Neuenhoff, interior
decorator at Brazos Blind, Drapery
& Interiors.
Fabric-lined walls are finding
their way into the Brazos Valley but
the updated local studies, dining
rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms are
no shag-saturated dens reminiscent
of Austin Powers. Flannels,
stripes or muted florals are more
common in this community. Still,
installers are done, and they typically
finish a job within a day.
“It is a simple process, really, where we
install a light layer of padding and stretch
the fabric across the area, but it completely
changes the look and feel of a room,” Jezisek
says. “I bet I get two calls a week about it,
it’s that popular right now.”
Fabric also can be used to create custom
headboards and coordinating shams and
pillows. Ambrose also constructs custom
furniture from anything as basic as a crude
sketch to a photograph of a desired piece. “If
people can dream it, we can make it,” Jezisek
says. Another current trend is to reupholster
family heirlooms and fine furnishings, then
adding custom-fitted slipcovers for existing
sofas and chairs. Chenille and other soft
fabrics are popular, as well as the muted
geometric patterns.
“Someone who treasures a piece of
furniture is obviously going to take good
care of it, but more and more they’re giving
themselves permission to update it to look
a little more fresh or to better fit their own
décor,” Jezisek says. “It’s basically another
form of recycling.”
Fabric is also providing color in the living
areas through sofa and chair slipcovers,
Conlee says. One popular line the store sells
offers a set of two slipcovers: one for fall and
winter, one for spring and summer. “It’s
Lighting selections are catching up to the
times, in the form of more-efficient interior bulbs
and increasingly stylish solar systems.
the fact that there is fabric at all is a sign
of changing times. The benefit of fabric
walls is it covers anything – old paneling
or unwelcome wallpaper, says Ray Jezisek,
owner of Ambrose Furniture in Bryan.
There is no spatter or smell when the
relatively inexpensive and neither one wears
out too quickly,” Conlee says. “I think it’s a
great idea.”
For outdoor dining and living areas, the
selection of sun- and weather-resistant fabrics
continues to improve, Holley says. “You
February 2007/Insite 13
coverstory
the whole way,” Lee says. The reason?
Some still exude a blue or orange hue,
though technology is gradually correcting
this phenomenon.
Other lighting fads include motion
detector sensors and photocells, which turn
on the lights when an area reaches a certain
Among window
treatments, Roman
blinds lead the
pack, with woven
fabrics in shades
of the earth.
the amount of time families spend in their
outdoor living areas.”
Lighting selections are catching up to the
times, in the form of more-efficient interior
bulbs and increasingly stylish solar systems.
Fluorescent lighting – particularly compact
versions – has been gaining popularity for
the past few years. The initial cost is higher
than traditional incandescent bulbs but the
selling point is efficiency. Fluorescent bulbs
are four to six times more efficient than
traditional bulbs – for instance, a 15-watt
Textures are key: Pottery
is rough-hewn, colors
tend toward khaki or
pale blue and a newcomer
– copper – is becoming a
popular accent in both
kitchens and living areas.
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level of darkness. While these have been
common outdoors for some time, they are
making their ways into the interior of homes,
says Lee. Most are installed after construction,
many times as sockets on lamps.
Solar lanterns, long popular in landscape
design, are becoming more stylish and
more readily available, Lee says. Their
shapes are finally slipping away from the
“spaceship” shapes, tending more toward
contemporary and traditional lantern
designs. “Everyone seems to love these,
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can have whatever furnishings you want in
whatever colors you want, and there’s no
longer a need to bring the cushions in every
so often,” she says. “That just adds to the
options you have outdoors, which increases
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fluorescent bulb produces the same amount
of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
“You get the brightness of a 150-watt
bulb but your electric meter reads it as 40
watts,” says Jan Lee, manager of Dealer’s
Lighting Supply. And the bulbs typically
last two to five years. “People are crossing
over, but they are kicking and screaming
14
Insite/February 2007
February 2007/Insite 15
coverstory
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with no hassles of wiring and stringing, so we’re glad there are
more options coming out,” Lee says.
Bringing the outdoors in remains a popular trend, and one that
area designers predict is here to stay. Textures are key: Pottery is
rough-hewn, colors tend toward khaki or pale blue and a newcomer
– copper – is becoming a popular accent in both kitchens and
living areas, Neuenhoff says. Among window treatments, Roman
blinds lead the pack, with woven fabrics in shades of the earth.
Shutters remain popular but their widths have expanded to an
average of 4 inches, Neuenhoff says.
Outside the home, living spaces are being carved into the great
outdoors in the form of walking trails, ponds and lighting. “A lot of
people want secondary walking trails either for nature walks or for
recreation,” says Tommy Batten, owner of T. Batten Dozer. “They feel
more secure walking on their five acres than on the rural roads, where
cars are flying by at 70 miles an hour.”
One-acre ponds are the most common size on 8- to 10-acre sites,
Batten says. “It seems if they have at least five acres, they want a ½acre pond, though there are no real rules about it,” he says. “People
just want what they want.”
Sometimes docks are added, and that must be done while the pond is
empty. Often fish are desired, and Batten’s recent addition of a wildlife
biologist allows his company to provide continuing service. Floating
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and Half-round jute table page 15: Brazos Blind, Drapery & Interiors.
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Roman Shade, pages 16-17: Brazos Blind, Drapery & Interiors. Fabric
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Insite/February 2007
NEW SALES & SERVICE
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February 2007/Insite 17
coverstory
fountains are also popular, and often double
as an aerator to keep the ponds clear.
Boulders and big rocks are added to
enhance grand entrances, along with electric
gates and action-sensing lights. Mature trees
and shrubs are often added to spruce up
barren sites.
The costs for such projects start at $3,500,
but Batten says one homeowner tipped the
upper end of the scale by spending about
$80,000 on a 3-acre pond. It had about a
dozen submerged islands 3-4 feet below
the surface. He brought in lily pads, which
naturally hover over the shallow areas, and he
dug a water well to keep the pond full.
“He didn’t spare any expense, and he got what
he wanted,” Batten says. “That’s one I can hold
up as an example of a dream come true.” i
T
he Bryan/College Station
Homebuilder’s Association
will host the Annual Home
Product
&
Garden
Show
on
February 24-25 at the Brazos Center
in Bryan. More than 125 vendors
will display the latest innovations for
any custom building, remodeling or
outdoor project you have in mind.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on
Saturday and 12 noon to 5 p.m.
on Sunday. Call the Homebuilder’s
Association at (979) 846-1240 for
admission or more information.
18
Insite/February 2007
healthyloving
by Erin Hill Littlefield
Couples Massage Room, French Door Salon.
Just For Couples:
How to Keep the Romance Alive
Day, and instead of
It’s Valentine’s
a special outing, you just barely
remember to send a free e-card to your spouse.
You know there should be something more,
but frankly, you’re too tired to look for it.
In a world of ever-escalating divorce
statistics, many couples may be nostalgic for a
time when “’til death do us part” and “happily
ever after” were synonyms. At some point,
the “Just Married!” sign on the honeymoon
getaway car turned into a “just married” sigh.
Susan Hill, a licensed psychologist,
remembers one frantic couple who begged
for emergency counseling. She managed to
squeeze them in, only to be told the next day,
“Never mind. We’re getting divorced.”
What gets in the way of relationship
success? For starters, life. We’re juggling
jobs, financial demands, and child rearing.
The 21st century may have introduced sleeker
cell phones, but couples still face the same old
communication problems.
Dr. Bets McSpadden, psychologist,
shares, “What I know to be true is that we
all have four basic needs – for affection,
attention, approval and acceptance.” Even
more necessary than love, she says, is to feel
valuable, to feel important. This need is
carried with us from childhood.
One way to keep our relationships
healthy is to focus on giving that affection,
attention, approval and acceptance to each
other. But somewhere between carpools and
the mortgage, we forget. The reality is that
marriage is both work and pleasure. All
relationships change with time, and each
phase of married life brings opportunities for
growth. While some people may fantasize
about starting over with someone else when
problems arise, our emotional baggage
travels with us. Going the long haul with
a spouse actually gives us an opportunity
to heal old wounds. It is only through
transformation “where you’ve used what
you’ve learned,” emphasizes McSpadden,
that a couple can enjoy “real love.”
Harville Hendrix – whose ideas McSpadden
uses frequently in her own counseling because
they “make so much sense and have so much
consistency” – identifies four stages of a
relationship, starting with the romantic phase.
“That’s the best stage,” laughs McSpadden,
“because everyone is on their best behavior. It’s
easy to be whatever your partner likes because
you both are trying and it feels easy.”
Next comes the commitment phase,
“generally marriage or engagement,” which is
followed by the power struggle phase. This,
states McSpadden, is when we wonder, “Who
is this person?” We want to change the spouse
to be more like us. Not surprisingly, it is often
during this stage that divorce occurs.
Even when a couple doesn’t formally divorce,
one or both spouses may just “shut down” by
putting energy into other directions, including
career or kids, or relationships, “unless there is
an awareness of the problem and decision to
do something about it,” McSpadden says.
If your relationship is more “real tired” than
“real love”, it’s time to do something about it.
In the 20 years that McSpadden has counseled
in this community, she’s noticed that “it all
comes down to the idea of more/less, where
one partner wants more and the other wants
less” of whatever it may be.
For example, she might ask a couple
how often they eat out. One spouse is sure
that they eat out 10 times a week, while
the other is sure that it’s only twice. Their
perceptions are “so altered” from each other,
says McSpadden. Discussions about strained
finances or parenting problems can fall into
this more/less paradigm too. McSpadden
teaches couples a communication dialogue
and misunderstanding.”
Michael Smalley, who with his wife
Amy, founded the Smalley Marriage and
Family Center in conjunction with The
Woodlands United Methodist Church, sees
four common behaviors that will “wipe
out” a marriage: Couples “escalate, or yell
and scream at each other.” They “avoid” by
withdrawing, which leads to more conflict.
They also “dishonor each other,” often with
belittling statements, and they hold onto
negative beliefs about each other.
The problem is that we assume the
partner knows what we want.
Spouses sometimes feel that if they
have to ask, it is somehow discounted.
that helps them be very specific.
For example, when it comes to eating
out, one spouse wants “a tablecloth, candles
and fine china while the other is talking
about Jack in the Box.” Happy relationships
require compromise. “The problem is that
we assume the partner knows what we want.”
Spouses sometimes feel “if they have to
ask, it is somehow discounted,” she shares.
Conversation is vital to a healthy relationship
because “there is so much miscommunication
“These are very powerful negatives that
will lead straight to divorce,” he warns. “But
if you can look at the list and say ‘Uh-oh, I’m
doing those a lot’ and see you’re in big trouble,
you can change.”
In part because of the Smalley’s popular
speaking engagements and national profile
(Smalley’s father and brother are also nationally
known relationship experts) “people come
from all over the place,” including the Brazos
Valley, for one-day and two-day marriage
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Insite/February 2007
23 Years
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healthyloving
restoration intensives. Smalley, who directs
the center (see smalleymarriagecenter.com),
says that one dangerous pattern he observes
is isolation.
“They cut themselves from good friends
who want to grow and who have healthy
marriages.” It’s vitally important for couples
to have “friends who want them to be
married,” he says.
His suggestion for returning hope to a
struggling relationship?
“Get involved in community, through
small groups or Sunday School.”
McSpadden’s suggestion for relationship
health is also simple: “What relationships
seem to need most is what is most difficult,
which is time. We need time together to talk
things through.”
Her other prescription for nurturing love
is to have a weekly date night. Couples can
take turns doing things that they enjoy. One
partner might suggest MSC OPAS while
the other prefers an all-you-can eat buffet.
No matter the activity, it should be “kept
regularly and consistently.”
Couples therapy is also something to
consider.
“I think any couple could benefit from
some of the information given,” concludes
Dr. McSpadden. Therapists can provide
insight “outside the realm of our usual way
of thinking.” Relationships are so essential
to our well being “that anything that could
make it better, whether reading materials or
talking to a minister or going to a counselor,
is a tremendous benefit.”
Hill recalls one couple wanting to work
on trust. She helped them see that the
husband’s sleep deprivation was harming
their relationship. The couple hadn’t
connected the dots between his lack of sleep
and his behavior.
Criticizing each other never helps. When
we criticize, we are attacking the person,
sometimes without knowing. We do have
to ask our partners to change behaviors,
McSpadden says, but this is not the same
as changing the person. It’s the difference
between “You’re a lazy slob” and “It bothers
me when the towels are on the floor. Can you
pick them up?” Focusing on specific behaviors
“is much less offensive.”
Bottom line?
“Couples have to stop being critical of each
other,” she insists. “It just has to go. I just
don’t think there is such a thing as constructive
criticism in marriage.”
Relationship Bookshelf
Michael Smalley encourages “reading
relationship books and inviting friends
over to discuss them.” Here are some
titles to consider.
“It’s been around a long time but it has
good information and techniques that couples
can do themselves,” says McSpadden of Getting
the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.
She also recommends, If You Really
Loved Me by Laurie Gordon, Ph.D. “We do
tend to equate a partner’s behavior to love
so it becomes a touchy subject. This book
can help you understand that behavior
isn’t about love.”
Smalley suggests Boundaries and Marriage
by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend,
and The Marriage You’ve Always Dreamed Of by
Dr. Greg Smalley: “My brother has written
the greatest one so far,” he enthuses happily.
Smalley’s latest book, More Than a Match,
written with his wife, was published by
Random House in January 2007.
Relaxing into Romance
In light of Dr. Bets McSpadden’s counsel to
have a weekly date night, “just for the two of
you,” consider these local getaways.
The 7F Lodge in Wellborn, whose motto
is “Love saves lives,” offers year-round a
one-night stay in the cabin of your choice
with in-cabin couples massage ($319), but
their February special ($389) also includes
a goody basket with adult games, fudge,
chilled champagne and strawberries to
accompany the massage and cabin. Bathrobes and bubble bath are
provided during the stay.
Pam Hendrikz, of 7F, says that while weekends fill up early, dates
during the week are available.
“We have lots of repeat business,” she notes. “Some customers even
customize their packages.” One guest arranged to surprise his wife with
a massage and have a gift delivered while she’s being pampered.
Call (979) 690-0073 or email [email protected] to make a
reservation.
The French Door Salon in College Station also offers Valentine’s
Day specials for the entire month of February. “The response is usually so
overwhelming that we would have to turn couples away if we ran it only
on the 14th,” says owner Marilyn Davis.
How does a chocolate butter cream Swedish massage sound?
Thought so! Make sure you reserve the Sweet Relief couples massage
package ($260), which also boasts a chocolate mousse mask for her and
hot towel facial for him.
The other couples massage packages are Cupid’s Special ($150), with
a champagne and rose mineral bath for two and the Rendezvous for Two
($280), which includes a champagne rose pedicure for two as just one of
several luxury options.
Even if February doesn’t work out, the French Door offers a couple’s
massage year-round ($135) in their specially designed double-massage
room. Couples receive wine and cheese or chocolate and champagne, and
can use the double steam shower or the air-jet tub. Call (979) 696-8992
to make a reservation.
“Many wives buy a gift certificate for their husbands and surprise
him,” says Davis, while some “men buy the massage package and
surprise the woman with red roses that have been delivered prior to their
appointment. It’s great for couples of all ages.” i
Sponsor a Good Time
for a Good Cause.
Dance
Be a part of Hospice Brazos Valleyʼs annual fundraising event. Sponsorships
start at $250 and are greatly appreciated. Individual tickets are available
for $60 each. For more information regarding sponsorships or tickets contact
Angie Bates at [email protected] or 979-821-2266
www.hospicebrazosvalley.org
22
Insite/February 2007
February 2007/Insite 23
medicalnews
by Angelique Gammon
2
1
AGE MANAGEMENT MEDICINE
AN UPDATE
If
I had a dollar for everyone who
has asked me how I feel or what
I’m taking since embarking three
months ago on a program of diet, exercise and
supplements as part of an age management
program I could just about pay for the cost of
the “nutraceuticals” I’ve been taking.
Back in October, I wrote about the
one more marker of our growth as a regional
medical center. To illustrate how a medical
practice devoted to age management works,
my husband Greg and I agreed to go through
the extensive evaluation process, select a
treatment protocol we felt comfortable with,
and then document our experience for “before
and after” articles in Insite Magazine.
My lab panels confirmed what I already knew: for
someone who has always thought of herself as a
health Nazi, I needed to regroup and refocus.
opening of Dr. Scott Chennault’s Age
Management Medicine practice in the Brazos
Valley. Medical practices devoted to “healthy
aging” are a national phenomenon and the
opening of a local specialty practice is just
For the record: I feel better today than I’ve
felt in a very long time. Part of the reason has
to be simply the reward that comes from a
renewed focus on all aspects of my health:
sleep, diet, exercise and comprehensive
medical screenings. Part of it also has to
do with the regime of dietary and hormone
supplements prescribed by Chennualt as a
result of my evaluation. How much credit
goes to either factor is open to debate.
My Life
as a Juicer
The premise of age management medicine
is that by aggressively analyzing a person’s
diet, exercise and current physical health,
and by then supplementing in all areas,
including through the use of hormone and
dietary supplements, men and women can
return to levels of energy and vigor typical of
someone many years younger while fending
off early disability and disease.
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24
Insite/February 2007
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General Contracting
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The evaluation process includes extensive
1
lab panels that evaluate everything from
cholesterol and blood sugar to cortisol,
or stress hormone, levels. My lab panels
confirmed what I already knew: for someone
who has always thought of herself as a health
Nazi, I needed to regroup and refocus. Over
the past year I have experienced the joys of
perimenopause, the period that signals the
beginning of the transition to menopause.
Cardiovascular risk increases in menopausal
years, as bad cholesterol appears to increase
and good cholesterol decreases along with
diminished estrogen levels.
I actually didn’t recognize my cholesterol
numbers: a year ago my total cholesterol
level was 145 (75 of that was “good” HDL);
my new numbers were total cholesterol 205
(good HDL 65). Aging bites. What really
got my attention was my glucose was on
the high side (85) and my Cortisol,AM was
downright scary (23.4; 18 is considered
high). Equally unsettling was my Cardio
CRP at 1.2 (1 is considered the “upper
limit of” high; lower than .8 is optimal).
Cortisol and Cardio CRP are primary heart
disease indicators; my family history of
heart disease is why I’ve eaten a plant-based,
Mediterranean diet
2 for the past decade.
Obviously, something wasn’t working.
As for hormone levels, the labs showed
that while my testosterone was high (good
regulations on how human growth hormone
can be prescribed, manufactured and sold.
Chennault received his AMA-approved
training for his Age Management practice
The mechanics of injecting hGH are easy...it’s foolproof and
painless if not humorless. Standing in my kitchen
juicing I felt both slightly ridiculous and somewhat foolish,
but I’ve been doing it faithfully for three months nonetheless.
for lean muscle mass, mental acuity, good
bone density and to prevent heart disease)
my percentage of free testosterone was low.
Additionally, my IGF-1 (insulin-like growth
factor) was low.
Based on both the lab results and my other
evaluations, Chennault recommended the
following supplements: DHEA (a precursor
of testosterone and other hormones); hGH
(human growth hormone); Indole 3-Carbinol
and Lycopene (anti-oxidants for prevention
of colon and breast cancer); Co-Q10 (antioxidant to prevent heart disease); melatonin
(hormone that crosses the blood brain barrier
for better sleep); and B-Complex vitamins.
A word about hGH: it is the most
expensive and most controversial supplement
on the list. The FDA has established strict
at the Cenegenics Medical Institute in Las
Vegas. The Cenegenics FDA-approved
pharmacy manufactures all the supplements
including bioidentical hormones. Their
new patient guide devotes many pages to
explaining what adult hGH deficiency is,
the current medical research that supports
its use as a supplement and the possible
negative effects. It also alerts patients that
website promising cheap hGH that can be
taken orally are both bogus and dangerous.
The only clinically proven way to administer
hGH is by injection supplied through an
FDA approved pharmacy. Only 7 percent of
Cenegenics patients are treated with hGH.
Greg’s recommendations were similar to
mine, though without the DHEA and Co-Q
10 (his hormone levels were optimal and his
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February 2007/Insite 25
medicalnews
aerobic exercise excellent).
Agreeing to try all the supplements was
more than a leap of faith. While Cenegenics
and Chennault agreed to waive the evaluation
and lab fees for the purpose of writing
the stories, we agreed to purchase any
supplements we ultimately decided to use.
At $475 each for a one-month supply, the
hGH alone represented a car payment apiece,
half a month’s college tuition together or
just one heck of a lot of money. Altogether,
the total monthly supplement packages were
$618 for Greg and $656.40 for me.
Why did we decide to try it? Personally,
I was seduced by the possibilities, confident
I wasn’t taking a huge risk with my health
and just plain curious. Greg was just along
for the ride.
Apparently, we were less sanguine about
the decision than we thought. The day the
FedEX of our supplements arrived we put
them in the refrigerator – and then left them
– and didn’t talk about them for five days.
The mechanics of injecting hGH are easy:
you pinch a roll of belly fat between your
fingers and use a pre-filled pen that dispenses
a measured .035 mg dose. It’s foolproof and
painless if not humorless. Standing in my
kitchen juicing I felt both slightly ridiculous
and somewhat foolish, but I’ve been doing it
faithfully for three months nonetheless.
Oddly, taking the handful of pills was
more problematic; I hate taking pills. Greg
too. However, knowing the monetary cost
cholesterol dropped). I went back and looked
at the clinical trial results for cholesterol in
the Cenegenics literature and couldn’t find
any correlation for why our levels went up.
Chennault mused that most other patients
had high-fat, unhealthy diets at the outset
Taken together – the evaluations, the research, the
supplements, the attention to diet and exercise – the
experience has been a highly motivating factor to
improve both my health and quality of life
involved certainly proved a good motivator
to commit to the entire program.
I also made a commitment to monitoring
my diet to conform to the low glycemic
index foods recommended by Chennault and
increased my exercise. Greg made only those
changes to his diet that happened when I
did the cooking and his exercise actually
decreased during the first two months we
were on the program.
At the end of three months we repeated
the lab panels to see what had changed for
each of us. Our results were not typical.
Both our cholesterol levels had increased,
(our bad cholesterol increased and our good
and that the effect on people with bettermodulated diets might account for the rise. I
kept thinking about Dr. Phillip Alexander’s
comment in the first story that new medical
protocols are always a throw of the dice.
Almost as strange, both Greg’s and my
body fat actually increased slightly (studies
show people almost exclusively measure
reduced body fat after taking hGH; again,
ours started out at optimal levels, 20 and 21
percent respectively).
There were positive results: both our
cortisol levels and Cardio CRP went from
very scary to excellent. So…on the two
biggest predictors of heart disease we look
great, just don’t look at the cholesterol or
blood sugar, which were higher for both of
us on the second labs.
Now for the anecdotal evidence, or what
my friend Dr. Charles Sanders would probably
label the placebo effect (you really ought to
go back and read the original story in October
for the full picture on this experience). With
the melatonin I am sleeping better than
I have in years. The night we stayed away
from home and I didn’t have it I regretted
forgetting to pack it. DHEA gets my vote as
the best drug in the bunch (good for mental
acuity, building muscle and libido and just a
general all-around party kind of hormone). I
can’t see any reason to discontinue taking the
antioxidants and vitamins; they are relatively
inexpensive and seem like good precautions.
As for the hGH, I can only point to my
left knee. I blew it out my sophomore year
playing basketball at Texas A&M and it’s
been in a downward spiral for the last 15
years. After two months on the supplements,
Greg and I went on a six-mile hike. That
night I couldn’t believe my knee didn’t
swell. At all. I realized I hadn’t taken any
anti-inflammatory drugs for my knee since
I’d been taking hGH. I’ve lived with chronic,
low-grade pain and swelling in that knee for
years, yet it’s winter, I’m in intense physical
therapy and I haven’t taken NASIDS for
my knee in months. Something good must
be going on because I don’t think my knee
knows about the placebo effect.
Greg and I both remarked that while
everyone around us is sick with winter
colds we’ve dodged the annual winter cold
bullet (hGH is thought to strengthen the
immune system).
As for long term, we’ve both decided
to keep the other supplements but drop
the hGH. Cost is a big factor, but so is
getting our cholesterol and glucose levels
under control (of the supplements we were
taking, hGH is the most likely culprit for
their increase). Both those factors respond
to diet and exercise and that’s what
we’ll try in the future. We have added
an Omega 3 fish oil supplement to help
with increasing our good HDL cholesterol
levels. It will be interesting to see if the
positive cardiac factors we achieved remain
through diet and exercise.
As for my left knee, it gets another month
of tissue growth spurred on by hGH and then
someday in the future, replacement with an
artificial joint.
Taken together – the evaluations, the
research, the supplements, the attention to
diet and exercise – the experience has been
a highly motivating factor to improve both
my health and quality of life. I suspect that
paying for the supplements also improved
my commitment to the diet and exercise
part of the package.
Could I have made similar improvements
in the way I feel without going through
Chennault’s Age Management Medicine
evaluation? Yes. Diet and exercise are proven
to benefit all that ailed me. Would I have?
I suspect the answer is the same for most
people: only if I had first been faced with
some serious health crisis. It’s nice to get out
in front of that scenario – for now. i
For more information on Dr. Scott Chennault’s
Age Management Medicine practice, email
[email protected] or call (979) 361-7860. For
a back issue of the October Insite Magazine with
the first Age Management Medicine article, email
[email protected] or call (979) 823-5567.
-ARATHON
7ATER
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February 2007/Insite 27
communityfocus
by Angelique Gammon
Put on those
dancing shoes...
Shall We
Dance?
B
allroom dance and etiquette
instructor Susan Quiring
has seen a number of dance
trends come and go, but few have had
the impact of the recent reality television
show Dancing With the Stars.
“Everyone wants to learn how to ballroom
dance,” says Quiring who began teaching
locally in 1989. Whatever the motivation,
Quiring is just glad that more teens, couples
and mature adults are all experiencing the
many benefits that come through learning
to ballroom dance.
“Besides exercise and to lose weight, there
are so many physical benefits from dance,”
says Quiring. Tightening and trimming,
strengthening of the core muscles and spine,
not to mention the social interaction and
positive benefits that come with smiling
and interacting with others. For Quiring,
dancing was the right prescription when her
doctor told her she was at risk of developing
osteoporosis. “I went back and he said ‘Keep
pounding the pavement; it’s working!’” she
recalls. Dancing, says Quiring, “allows us to
age gracefully.”
For teens, learning to dance is a huge
confidence builder, for both boys and girls.
She can’t count the number of boys who
have walked into class, slump-shouldered
Come see Chapman’s Paint at
the 2007 Home Products and
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Free Color Sample from
260 designer colors.
Convenient 2-oz jar.
Chapman’s Paint Company
1700 Villa Maria Rd · Bryan
(979) 776-8191 · www.chapmanspaint.com
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28
Insite/February 2007
Hospice Brazos Valley will host
their annual fundraiser on February
17 from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the
Brazos Center. This year’s theme,
“Shall We Dance,” offers the
opportunity to enjoy an evening
of fun, good food, gaming, silent
and live auctions and dancing.
Entertainment will be provided by
ballroom dance instructor Susan
Quiring and members of Texas
A&M University’s Ballroom and
Swing Cats dance clubs. Proceeds
from the benefit will help provide
care to Hospice Brazos Valley
patients. Sponsorship information
and tickets are available by calling
Angie Bates at (979) 821-2266.
and shy only to learn four weeks later what
many men already know: girls love boys who
know how to dance. Says Quiring, “Dance
etiquette teaches an even larger life lesson:
Dance etiquette shows how women can be
ladies and boys can be gentlemen.” Monthly
ballroom dance parties are part of Quiring’s
program and she’s had more than one parent
thank her for providing a source of good,
clean recreation for teens in our community.
Teens, couples, singles and seniors all have
the opportunity to learn and dance through
her programs. “Many (students) pair up and
get married in dance class,” says Quiring,
“brides and grooms get ready for that first
dance and step into the future. It also pulls
couples together. They learn to listen, lead
and follow and work together.
“When couples say dancing has changed
their lives, that’s what it’s all about.” i
For more information on Dr. Susan Quiring’s
classes, visit www.susansballroomdance.com
February 2007/Insite 29
localnotables
compiled by the Insite Magazine staff
business
briefs
February 2007
Downtown restaurateur Rami
Cerone, owner of Café Capri
(www.theplaceforitalian)
is featured in the current
Mays Business Online,
an email news publication of
the Mays Business School at
Texas A&M. Read Cerone’s
story about how he started his restaurant at http://
maysbusiness.tamu.edu/2007/01/perspectives.html.
Greg Helms, sales representative (Skaar Furniture
Associates); Walter Charnizon, president of
Continental Exhibitions; Dr. Mark Benden, executive
vice president of Neutral Posture; Rebecca Congleton
Boenigk, CEO of Neutral Posture; Dr. Jerome
Congleton, professor at Texas A&M University and
consultant for Neutral Posture; Steve Ferradino Jr.,
sales representative (Ferradino Marketing Group); Jaye
Elizabeth Congleton, executive vice president of
Neutral Posture; Fred Goff, sales representative (Trend
Marketing Group); Terry Dixon, sales representative
(Ferradino Marketing Group); Sergio Lohora, sales
representative (Trend Marketing Group); J. Paul Teel,
business development manager of Neutral Posture.
Neutral Posture’s newest innovation, Extended
Height Arms, has earned the company its 4th
consecutive Attendees’ Choice Award at the
2006 National Ergonomics Conference and
Exposition in Las Vegas. With these arms, Neutral
Posture addresses the challenges of elevated tasks
with three special function arms mounted 4” higher
than normal, with 4” of height range. Neutral Posture
is a Texas-based manufacturer of ergonomic seating
products and accessories. The company is the largest
woman-owned furniture manufacturer, co-founded by
mother-daughter team of Jaye Congleton and Rebecca
Congleton Boenigk. Neutral Posture is a certified
women’s business enterprise (WBE), and is one of the
top diversity suppliers for the U.S. government and for
Fortune 500 companies worldwide.
M. F. “Trey” Thurmond, with
Classic Realty, Inc./GMAC
Real Estate, has recently earned
the prestigious Certified Real
Estate Brokerage Manager
Designation presented by
the Council of Real Estate
Brokerage Managers. The
CRB is recognized industrywide as the measure of success for real estate brokers
and managers. Realtors® earning the designation
have completed a comprehensive program combining
experience with management education. The Council is
a not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of
Realtors® with almost 7,000 members in North America.
Innovative and result-oriented programs, products and
services are continually being developed to enhance the
productivity and profitability of Council Members. Trey
is the designated broker at Classic Realty in College
Station. He is a member of the Local, State and National
Association of Realtors. He is a GRI, Graduate Realtor
Institute, and a past Realtor of the Year. He has been
active in the real estate business in our area for 29 years
and can be reached at [email protected]. Classic Realty
is located at 3600 Hwy. 6 South, Suite 100 in College
Station; (979) 694-8844.
The Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center is proud
to announce that Greg Burtin, PT has recently become
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30
Insite/February 2007
credentialed as a certified McKenzie practitioner. The
McKenzie MethodR is a comprehensive, step-bystep evaluation process for spinal and joint pain. This
assessment/treatment method can aid physicians by
accurately determining the likelihood of those who would
or would not benefit from conservative therapy. This in
turn can improve cost-effectiveness when deciding
if expensive and/or invasive procedures are needed.
Discovered in 1956 by Robin McKenzie, a New Zealand
physiotherapist, this method is now practiced worldwide
and continues to receive scientific support as the primary
evaluation and treatment of choice for patients with
spinal or joint pain. Greg has been using the McKenzie
MethodR for the past four years with great success. He is
one of only 1.200 therapists and physicians certified in
this method in the United States. Greg is also the Clinical
Director at the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, a
local non-profit outpatient treatment facility dedicated to
helping people with disabilities lead independent lives
regardless of their ability to pay for their services. If you
would like to learn more about the McKenzie MethodR,
call the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center at (979) 7762872 or on the web at www.mckenziemdt.org.
Catherine Hawes, Ph.D, and Charles Phillips,
Ph.D., M.P.H., faculty members at the Texas A&M
Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health,
were recently recognized as among the top 250 most
frequently cited researchers in the field of general social
sciences. ISIHighlyCited.com lists researchers from
around the world who have been cited the most times in
publications from 1984 to 2003. Researchers listed in
ISIHighlyCited.com represent about one-half of 1 percent
of all researchers publishing in professional journals.
Drs. Hawes and Phillips are professors in the Department
of Health Policy and Management at HSC-SRPH and
internationally recognized researchers in the field of
long-term care, contributing a wealth of information to
the scientific and healthcare communities. Both are recent
recipients of the Public Service Award from the National
Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, and Dr.
Hawes was named Regents Professor by the Texas A&M
University System Board of Regents.
Martha’s Bloomers was recognized in the November
issue of Southern Living magazine as the Number 5
shopping spot in their 50 Top Shops in the South. Located
on Hwy. 6 in Navasota, 15 minutes south of Bryan/College
Station, Martha’s Bloomers opened in 2000 as a home
and garden store and has grown into a dining experience
and all-day shopping destination. Café M. Bloomers is an
important part of the whole Martha’s Bloomers experience.
Café M. Bloomers not only serves lunch Tuesday through
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., it also boasts a Gourmet
Shoppe. A must see for the visitor who enjoys cooking,
the Gourmet Shoppe is filled with tea sets, baked desserts,
cookbooks and gourmet cookware. Visit Martha’s website at
www.marthasbloomers.com to sign up for their newsletter
and for information on the many events and seminars going
on throughout the year. i
February 2007/Insite 31