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December 2017
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Sharon Stanford The Greatest Gifts of all
Sharing Joy This Holiday Season
Put the Merry Back in Your Christmas
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Jennifer, Andrea and Michael
Tristan Alexander Brooks May 15, 1993 – September 17, 2015
Tristan, age 16, Christmas Day, 2009 Photo by Dan Keever
Christmas Memories By Angela Dailey, Publisher
T
he photo on this page was taken on Christmas Day, 2009, and is one of my favorites of my nephew, Tristan. I think it means so much to me because it seems indicative of what was to come in the future. His knit hat sports the name "Halo" – a video game in the early 2000's, and he has an angel perched on top of the tree above his left shoulder. Looking at this photo with a "halo" on his head and an angel watching over him gives me a sense of peace as I picture that beautiful, sweet young man in heaven just as he is in this photo. It's just nice to think of him this way now. On Christmas Eve 2014, Tristan was 21 years old. I remember that night vividly – as if it was yesterday. He was loud and happy and boisterous – typical Tristan – and the life of the party. My son, Zach, had given him a 22 rifle for Christmas – a big surprise for Tristan that he loved – and they had so much fun target shooting in our backyard. We had a house full of love, laughter and exuberance. That evening, we learned Tristan and Kennedy were expecting another baby that would be born in late July. When Tristan lived with us as a teenager, we would play Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne," in the car. He and I would always sing the lyrics together. That song was playing during our family gathering in 2014, and Tristan told me he always thought of me when he heard it.
I remember laughing as I told him when I'm dead and gone, he would hear that song and think of me, and he would know I was always with him. Now, I always think of Tristan when I hear that song, and I feel his presence with me. Tristan gave me a beautiful cedar bird feeder along with some birdseed as a Christmas gift that year. I had been going through a very difficult life transition, and he bought the bird feeder for me as a way of helping cheer me up. This was his last Christmas gift to me, and the last Christmas we would ever spend together. For the next several months I would give him updates on how popular the bird feeder was with the neighborhood birds, and thank him for such a thoughtful gift. His answer to me was always "Anything for you and Syd." He told me he was happy I was enjoying it so much and was hoping it would help me during my transition. Tristan was always a very sensitive person. Someone who knew what it was like to experience deep pain, sadness and suffering – even at a young age, he had experienced things no child should ever have to go through. But, he still had an enormous capacity to love and care for others, and to forgive those who had let him down. Tristan wasn't perfect – none of us are – but throughout his short life he often demonstrated what the spirit of Christmas is all about. Love, forgiveness, generosity and charity. Things we can all aspire to be this Christmas, and always. WGW
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Time to Celebrate!
Christmas is here, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is already upon us. Do you have lots of friends and family to visit this year, or will you have family coming to visit you from out of town? My family and I are all staying home for Christmas this year. I'm excited that my brother, William, and my nephew, Nathan, will be visiting us from Houston, Texas. I don't get to see them often enough and it's so nice to be able to catch up on their lives while they're here. Although my brother and I talk on the phone a good bit, it's always nice to see him and my nephew up close and in person! I sincerely hope your Christmas is everything you wish for this year. Just remember, the holidays don't have to be perfect to be happy, so try not to stress about the little things that won't matter in the end. I wish all of you a joyful holiday season filled with love, peace and happiness. I can't wait to see you next year! In This Issue Our cover feature this month is Ms. Sharon Stanford. Sharon is a loving and kind person – real and authentic – with a huge heart and a no-nonsense personality. Many years ago, she opened her heart and her home to raise her niece, Hannah, and to adopt two very special young men, Noah and Austin Stanford. She is a wonderful friend to so many in West Georgia. I know you will enjoy reading about Sharon and her greatest gifts of all on page 10. We also have Bowdon Elementary School outstanding student, Emma Staudigl. At only 10 years old, Emma has a courageous spirit and is never afraid to try something new. She also has a loving and caring heart for children in need. Read about this young woman who is already making a difference in the lives of others on page 38. Shannon Gill is a Carrollton native and life and business strategy consultant, author and coach. She has traveled the world working for various corporations such as Walt Disney in Hong Kong, e-Sylvan (a subsidiary of Sylvan Learning Systems) in Baltimore, Md., and Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS) in Columbus, Ga. Shannon has recently published a children's book, "Cosmic Kitty, a Mindful, Metaphysical Journey," under the pen name Shan Gill. This book would make a great Christmas present for children and adults alike. Read more about Shan, her new book and how to purchase on page 57, and buy your copies for Christmas today. Do you ever get the feeling that Christmas seems to be more hectic and stressful every year and you just can't seem to get into the spirit of the holidays? Learn how to have a stress-free holiday on page 28, and how to put the merry back in your Christmas on page 48. What do you have planned for the upcoming Christmas holidays? Whatever you're doing, please take some time to be good to yourself this Christmas. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to take care of others! I know I mentioned this last month, but it's definitely worth mentioning again. Please remember to shop locally as much as you can this year, so your money will go directly back into the community in which you live. May I ask a favor of you? Will you shop with our advertisers included in this publication? Without them, you wouldn't be able to pick up West Georgia Woman magazine at no charge every month, so please give our valuable advertising partners your support by doing business with them this holiday season. Please be sure to tell them "thank you" for supporting West Georgia Woman! Merry Christmas!
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West Georgia Woman is a voice for and about the women who live and work in West Georgia. Our mission is to engage, inspire, and cultivate a cohesive community for all women in West Georgia by sharing our hopes, our dreams and our lives. This magazine would not be possible without the inclusion of our advertisers. Please be sure to show your support by doing business with these VIP’s (very important partners) so we will be able to continue to share with you our stories about amazing West Georgia women! Please be sure to tell them we sent you! Inspiring women wanted. Do you know an interesting woman who should be on the cover of West Georgia Woman? Is there a special project or organization you would like us to feature in our magazine? Let us know! Email your suggestions to: features@westgeorgiawoman.com Share your special events. Send your upcoming events to: calendar@westgeorgiawoman.com Send us your photos! We welcome your local event and wedding photos. Email your photos to: photos@westgeorgiawoman.com
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Volume 3 • Issue 2 December 2017
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Zachary@westgeorgiawoman.com Angela Brooks Dailey, owner and publisher of West Georgia Woman magazine, has lived in West Georgia most of her life and has a deep love and appreciation for the area. She received her B.B.A in management from The University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga., and is a Civil and Domestic Relations mediator and arbitrator registered with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. She lives in Carrollton, and has two wonderful children, Zachary and Sydney Dailey. Angela enjoys reading, spending time with her children and extended family and loves to watch Sydney play soccer.
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The Greatest
Gifts Of All
How the Gift of Adoption Changed Sharon Stanford's Life 10By Janet Flanigan
Photos by Keith May. Photo location courtesy of Mr. Steve Adams.
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I
t’s the holiday season, and television commercials reflect on the happiness of friends and family. We see the images of happy families sharing lovely repasts, exchanging the perfect presents and front doors opening with the homecoming of a beloved family member. A uniting theme in these commercials is “family,” but well and truly, family can mean many things to different people. A person can experience several family structures in a lifetime or even different types of families all at the same time. We have family that is related to us by blood, family of choice, our religious community family, friends and co-workers – even pets are often considered “family.” Sharon Stanford is part of several families including the family into which she was born, the family she created with her adopted children and her work family. Sharon shares the following quote from blogger, Jody Landers, to illustrate her feelings about adoptive motherhood and family: “A child born to another woman calls me mom. The depth of the tragedy and the magnitude of the privilege are not lost on me.” Sharon may be the very embodiment of family because she believes the main requirement for family is love.
Scratching The Surface A nutshell biography for Sharon might read: she is one of eight siblings; she has two adopted children and helped to raise her niece – all three she raised as a single parent; she has worked for West Georgia Ambulance since 1989; and she tries to live her life honoring her faith and her Lord and Savior. But as it is with most tales, the surface details do not reflect her true story. Sharon’s early life was filled with happy memories. Her father, Ike, worked for Plantation Pipeline and her mother, Allene, worked the switchboard at
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Sharon as a toddler in San Diego, Cali., 1967.
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Sewell Manufacturing in Bremen, Ga. As babies began to arrive – eventually four boys and two girls born in Bremen – Allene left the workforce to tend to the children. Several years later, Ike was offered a good pipeline job across the country in California, and the family moved from Bremen to San Diego. Sharon was born in California two years later, and she was followed by baby sister, Lisa, for a total of eight siblings. With a large family, money was not abundant, but love and a sense of adventure were always plentiful. “Dad and Mom were famous for their ‘day trips,’ often surprising us kids with spur of the moment travel in the family station wagon," she shares. "We might end up at one of the many beaches, driving down the coast of Mexico, out in the desert at a little date farm – Dad loved dates – or a drive up Big Bear Mountain.” The family found fun and adventure through their explorations with their tight-knit clan, until suddenly, their idyllic life as they knew it was shattered.
An Unexpected Turn Ike was felled suddenly by a devastating heart attack at the early age of 41. He survived, but was unconscious for quite some time and he never fully recovered his health. Care for heart patients was not what it is today and, while he did live, he was declared “semi-disabled." He would never return to his job at the pipeline company and his financial disability package he received through his work was so small it would not support their family of 10. As the healthy parent, Allene was offered a clerical job with Ike’s former employer, but the salary offered was not nearly enough to care for eight children. Allene was forced to make some terribly difficult decisions. “That's when hard decisions were made
that would leave lasting marks on each of us,” Sharon explains.
A Most Difficult Decision While Ike remained unconscious, Allene agreed to accept help from her brothers and sisters back in Georgia. The middle five children were sent to stay with relatives in Tallapoosa, Decatur, Bremen and Cumming. The toddlers, Sharon and Lisa, would remain in California along with the oldest sister, Sandra, who would help Allene care for the little girls while she worked full-time. When Ike regained consciousness, he found his beloved family had been split apart. He had not been able to see or say goodbye to five of his precious children. He also learned his wife had been forced to return to work as he was no longer the family wage-earner. “These events had a profound effect on our Dad, who would eventually recover, but would spend the next decade or so in a battle with depression and alcohol," she relates. "He felt he had failed his wife and kids, and those feelings were made worse by the realization that his relatives had to step in to help raise and financially support his children.”
Lasting Implications Eventually the family moved back to College Park, Ga. – and the children and parents were reunited – but Ike’s demons remained. Sharon says that Ike’s troubles were a part of their everyday life through most of their school years. "We went from a relatively carefree life as children to one of re-building the family from scratch," she shares. "Our parents blamed and fought each other, while cobbling together some imperfect form of 'home' for all of us. It was not an easy road." There were positive outcomes that came later that left deep impressions on each Stanford child – their parent’s strength and refusal to give up or quit on each other has helped family members power through the inevitable times of distress that come with adult lives. “Their efforts to overcome alcohol addiction and economic hardship were rewarded with an even stronger marriage that lasted through their 50th anniversary,” she says. Allene passed away
on Mother’s Day in 2000 and Ike followed her on Father’s day, 2002.
From Pain To Positivity Like many of the kids she knew in the early 1980s, Sharon planned to graduate high school and get a job. But on a whim, she took the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and scored well enough to learn college might be an option. After graduating from M.D. Collins High School in College Park, she enrolled in Clayton Junior College – now Clayton State University. Sharon realized fairly quickly that college might not be for her. But she felt that God had led her to that school. “My faith has always been a part of who
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I am and it was growing at that point," she shares. "I felt I was meant for more and I didn’t know what that was at the time, but God did." In the student dining hall one day, Sharon happened upon a group that she says would forever change her life. The group was called Youth With A Mission (YWAM), and the members described the organization as comparable to a Christian division of the Peace Corps. With YWAM, young people can put their faith into action by doing community, healthcare or schooling projects in under-served areas around the U.S. and the world.
Broadening Horizons And Lives YWAM became Sharon’s goal, rather than attending college, and she decided she wanted to travel overseas with the organization and experience other cultures. She also wanted to explore work with her burgeoning faith. After convincing her reluctant parents that this was what she was meant to do, Sharon was assigned to go to Hong Kong. As a young woman who had never even been on a plane, leaving family and friends behind to go to a completely foreign culture was a bit scary, but exhilarating. There were no cellphones and no internet, and long distance phone calls were prohibitively expensive, but Sharon jumped right in with a passionate enthusiasm. She spent three months in classroom training initially, and three months doing outreach. “After I got my bearings, I loved it and jumped right in wanting to make a difference in my life and more importantly,
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in the lives of others," she explains. "I was only supposed to be gone six months but ended up staying on that assignment for well over a year working in a tiny village in the Philippines. "This period of my life and being in YWAM, truly helped change and marked me for seeking something different, for wanting more and seeing all people as basically the same.” Another stint in YWAM led Sharon to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata), India where she had the incredible opportunity to work for one of Mother Theresa’s orphanages and her home for the sick, destitute and the dying (Kalighat the Home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday). “I have never seen anyone work as hard, tirelessly and unselfishly as the women under Mother Theresa’s care,” Sharon recalls. Sharon's witness of those nun’s offers of love and kindness to the hopeless and outcast was a formative moment that helped shape Sharon’s future. After several years abroad with YWAM, Sharon recognized it was time to come back home and begin the next phase of her life. This included finding a job, getting an apartment and creating a life as an independent young woman. She was hired by Steve Adams, owner of West Georgia Ambulance, and she was very grateful for the job. Most people need ambulances during highly stressful situations, and Sharon saw that Steve and his family were caring and giving people. After completing her mission work, it was crucial for her workplace happiness to have a caring employer. “Though the work is not always easy, we are a family and do what we can – often behind the scenes – to help others," she says. "I love the variety my job offers on a daily basis and I am so thankful for my friendships at work and the wonderful relationship with the Adams family. I truly love them.”
Then There Were Two Sharon was just getting started on her path to independence – she had a job she loved, an apartment of her own and friends – in essence, a typical young person making her way, when she made an incredible decision that would forever change the trajectory of her life. One of Sharon’s siblings had been going through a difficult time and had recently had a baby girl. Sharon knew her sibling needed help. “I had the privilege of helping raise my niece when a sibling was going through a hard time," she explains. "I
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went from just getting my first apartment and job to bringing home a baby girl who was less than 10 days old! But this niece really brought our whole family together and gave us all so much love in return. It is another example of how God can use a less than perfect situation and turn it into something beautiful, if you let it." The years passed by slowly, and Sharon continued to help raise her niece, Hannah. “She is legally my niece, but I consider her my daughter,” she says. Her love for Hannah and involvement in her life made Sharon realize she had more room for other children – both in her heart and her home.
Room For One More Witnessing the tender kindness and love provided by Mother Theresa’s nuns in Calcutta never left Sharon. She remained committed to sharing similar love and kindness with others, and when a new need presented itself, rather than close the door, she opened it wide open. “I was first contacted by CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to work on behalf of children in need by helping to provide a voice for foster children going through the legal system and the situations that arise while children are in foster care," she explains. "It is often a very difficult time. The court process is tough for everyone involved but mainly for the child. Children often feel they have no
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say so. It is hard on the foster and adoptive parents. The courts give chance after chance after chance to reunify and it just drags out seemingly in limbo forever." A bit reluctant at first, Sharon decided to give CASA a try. The lessons learned while working with YWMA were again at play: caring for the most vulnerable with loving kindness. “I feel as if God was setting me up with an eventual plan – yet I was oblivious to it – but oblivious in a good way,” she says. Sharon was later encouraged to go through foster parent training. "I thought that was absolutely crazy being a single, small-town woman with a job that had some crazy hours,” she says. However, the thought of foster parenting would not leave her heart and she took the training. That softening of her heart would eventually lead to two of the greatest gifts she would ever receive in her life. After the foster parent training, she was contacted by DFCS (Division of Family and Children's Services) about a foster situation. “When they first told me there was a little 18-month-old boy they wanted me to foster, I was so nervous and expectant," she shares. "Then, I read the case file and his case workers began to tell me his story and, honestly, it scared the living daylights out of me.” When she read the little boy’s story, Sharon’s curiosity was piqued but her heart was broken. This precious child, this tiny boy named Noah, had
What Adoption Means to Me
By Noah Stanford
God has always been a huge part of my life. He placed me and my brother into the very best family anyone could ask for. Being a part of this family has taught me to not take things for granted and to be grateful for everything that you have. I always have a home and a family to come back to, and that means everything to me, especially now as I am looking at college. They love me completely and I love them. I just want to thank God and my mom for adopting us and raising us to be smart and independent men. 17
What Adoption Means to Me
By Austin Stanford
I am glad I am in this family because no matter what, my mom is going to make sure my brother and I have things we want and need. She is at every sporting event we have and she is my biggest fan. You can usually hear her cheering. She loves my friends and they are welcome at our house, and she also cheers for them. She understands me. She loves us so much and adoption means to me a second chance – and I'm glad I've gotten this chance because this is the greatest life and family ever. 18
received quite a bad start in his young life. He had not been fed adequately, was touched even less and he hated to be held. According to Sharon, he had many issues, but she knew she had to see him in person. As soon as she laid eyes on him her heart melted. “He ended up sitting on my lap that day and I was completely hooked way before I should have been,” she smiles. According to Sharon, we are currently very short on foster homes, especially in Haralson and Carroll counties. She wants people to understand that they don’t need a big house, lots of free time or a lot of money to care for a foster child. “I didn’t have much more to give than a partially furnished home and all the love I could muster,” she explains. “Most of what these children want and need is kindness, acceptance and stability. Hope can come from a variety of sources and they just need to know it is going to be okay.” Sharon says foster parenting is not easy and comes with many challenges, but the rewards are much greater than the difficulties. But she cautions that the needs of a foster child can be very complicated. Often their “normal” is not the average person's
“normal,” and most people are not initially prepared with how to deal with the situation. When situations spiral out of control Sharon recommends trusting in a higher power. “You really have to trust that God is in control, even if you absolutely can’t see it,” she relates. Sharon did not make the decision to bring Noah into her home by herself. She discussed the matter thoroughly with Hannah and the rest of her immediate family. She felt Hannah should have some say in the decision because she would be the one most affected. The rest of the Stanford family was supportive, but also cautious in their concern that she was taking on too much. But the decision was already made in her heart – Hannah would get a little brother and Noah would get a forever home. Times were not easy, as is often the case with any new parent-child relationship. There were many, many sleepless nights with little Noah accompanied by tears, as well as joy in the small accomplishments. Sharon took the Foster to Adopt classes offered through DFCS to make the transition from foster parent to adoptive parent.
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Again, her family’s future changed in an instant. “My second road to adoption had begun before I even knew it," she shares. "If you will be open to the possibilities, God is capable of handling the arrangements.”
Truly Her Own
One of Sharon's older photos of the three kids. From left: Austin, Hannah and Noah.
More Love To Give Noah had been home with Sharon for about six months when, suddenly, Sharon was asked to provide a temporary home for another 18-month old boy. Theirs was supposed to be a temporary home for about 30 days while this child was transitioned into the home of one of his family members. The child named Austin was in the hospital at that moment, and Sharon originally declined the request. "I thought DFCS had lost their ever-loving minds!” she exclaims. This little boy was a child with a totally different set of issues but, once again, before making the decision, Sharon felt she had to pay a visit to the little boy. “As before, curiosity got the best of me and I swung by the hospital on my way to work that morning to take Noah and Austin as toddlers. a peek at the situation,” she admits. What Sharon found was a tiny little boy in the hospital – all alone, scared and very sick. He had been battered, bruised and neglected. "I thought to myself, 'How can I leave him?'” she says. The answer was ... she couldn’t. She called into work that day and stayed with Austin at the hospital.
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When a foster parent and family brings a new child into the home, they make it through the first night, then the second, then the first holiday and the first court appearance and they find they are actually making it. The foster child begins to experience little moments of improvement and starts to develop a trusting relationship with the parent. Sharon’s moment of recognition that these little boys were truly her own was when she recognized their cries among a sea of other children. “The boys were playing at a local McDonald’s playground on a busy weekend afternoon," she says. "The playground was packed and I was tired from the long week. The boys were at the top of the slide together when suddenly a bee stung one of them. They both began crying, and I recognized their cries above the noise of all the others and knew something was wrong.” In that moment, when Sharon recognized those little boys were her sons, and she was their mother, she wept with that recognition. She knew then God had been preparing her all along for this moment – to be the mother of these children.
A Worthwhile Journey Adoption is a long and difficult process, and interestingly, Sharon had never requested an adoption. But adoption was meant to be for her family. She also never requested a boy or a girl or had any preference whatsoever. She just wanted to keep an open
mind during the process. Sharon has had other children come and live in foster care in their home, but she knew Noah and Austin were meant to be her children. DFCS’ original plan, and one that remains in place today for most foster situations, is to eventually reunite foster children with their families and the entire situation is very stressful for all involved. “It was heartbreaking for me to see their families fall apart on them and then we all had to keep going through these legal procedures and court hearings,” she shares. Sharon just felt in her heart that God so strongly wanted her to adopt Noah and Austin as her own legal children, that she clung to that mindset during the entire process. “I was able to play a part in speaking with their Guardian Ad Litems (court appointed investigators who come up with solutions in regards to what is in the best interests of a child)," she recalls. "I also wrote a letter to the judge as well as testified on their behalf in court.” The process is very long with a lot of waiting and she says it was incredibly trying. “I was honestly so scared I would lose one or both of them and was not prepared for that heartbreak,” she explains. She also recognized that tragically, for the three of them to become a legal family, their original families had to first completely fall apart.
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How Georgia Measures Up The fact sheet to the left provided by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services shows the approximate number of children in DFCS custody in the state of Georgia as of 9/30/2015. The greatest need for foster homes are colored the darkest red on the map. Haralson County, where Sharon lives, is one of the counties in greatest need. Carroll County also has a need for more foster families currently.
Interested in Becoming a Foster Parent?
1. Contact. Contact your local county Division of Family and Children's Services. 2. Tell Someone. Tell them you're interested in becoming a foster parent. 3. Ask. Ask for the resource development person in the county. 4. Attend Training. Ask this person when the next training classes are going to begin. 5. Schedule a meeting. Schedule a time to meet with the resource development person to find out how you can become a foster parent.
Interested in Adopting? 1. Call. Call your local county Division of Family and Children Services and tell them you're interested in adoption. 2. Ask. Ask for the resource development person there who can provide you with specific information about DHR adoptions. 3. Visit. Visit the Office of Adoptions website, or the DHR website to learn more: www.dhr.state.ga.us and go to the adoption information section.
Can't Foster or Adopt? You Can Still Help. 1. Become a qualified temporary care provider. Ask your local DFCS County Resource. 2. Provide food, clothing, birthday and Christmas gifts to children. 3. Help with children’s activities and provide places for visits. 22
Tips provided by the Adoptive & Foster Parent Association of Georgia.
“I recognize a price was paid by their biological families in order that we become a family, and I do not take that lightly,” she relates.
The Lucky One Those babies raised by Sharon have grown into wonderful young people who have brought much joy to each other’s lives. Hannah turned 27 recently and received a hard-earned master’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Georgia. She lives in Charleston, S.C., with her husband and works for the Department of Natural Resources. Proud Aunt Sharon says the only drawback is the distance between Bremen and Charleston makes it tough to see each other as often as they’d like. Noah is now 17 years old and a senior at Bremen High School. A well-rounded young man, he is an honor student and the family is crossing its collective fingers that he will graduate with an astounding 12 years of perfect attendance. He also plays soccer for Bremen High School and plays on a travel soccer team. His mom describes him as gentle and kindhearted and says spending time with him is a true joy. He is the family’s “tech support” and is the go-to man for anything electronic or computer oriented – Apple® products
are his personal favorite. Noah is in the planning phase of researching local colleges and is hoping to play soccer at the college level. He is considering a science-oriented major such as biology, medicine or pharmacy. “I can’t fathom where the time has gone,” Sharon shares. Austin is now a junior at Bremen High School and a multi-sport athlete. He loves sports and his mom says if he could quit the academic part of high school to play sports full-time, she believes he would. He plays basketball and football, runs track and keeps everyone entertained. Sharon says Austin is really funny, makes her laugh like no one else can, keeps her wits sharp and keeps her on her toes at all times, but he combines his comedic spirit with a loyal and tender heart. "He has never met a stranger and is a very loyal friend,” she relates. “Our lives are chaotic, crazy and less than perfect," she shares. "Yet our family is filled with love and several other kids. We are not perfect, but I couldn’t ask for more. I am always grateful to my family, friends and church for walking this road with us. Even on my worst days, I feel that every day I am the luckiest person in the world. I honestly believe that with all my heart.” WGW
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Sharing By Cheryl Francis
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Through the Eyes of a Child
T
his month, I am pondering the word "joy," its meaning and its purpose. And as I think about joy, I think about this holiday season. The displays in the stores have been reminding us daily that we are indeed in a season of joy. The decorative lights have changed colors from black and orange for Halloween, to orange and darker colors for Thanksgiving and red and green for Christmas. Even the reflection of car lights at night seem to be saying this is a different kind of glow. All the decorative lights in their vast array of colors signify a special kind of feeling in the air. The music we hear, though all too familiar, sounds more cheerful and motivates one to take on a different sense of self. People are smiling more, taking time for togetherness and simply enjoying the little things in life. As adults, we tend to make this time of the year more about family – especially the children. We are usually in a tizzy trying to get the perfect gift for this or that person, but more so for the child. We get an unusual sensation from being a giver and from what the recipient gains from our giving. As I reflected on this exchange of emotions, I thought to myself "Who better to ask about joy and sharing joy with others, than those who are usually the focus of the holiday season?" So I went on a mission to find out what the word "joy" and sharing joy with others means to children. I asked eleven children ranging from the ages of 4 to 15 what joy means through their eyes.
The Meaning Of Joy • Amelia, 4 years old: "Sharing joy is a party. I get joy from Amelia’s birthday party.” • Rayven, 5: “Joy means that I am intelligent! That means I’m happy and excited. It means I am skillful!” • Angelo, 6: “I get joy by being happy and excited!” • Charity, 6: “Joy is to share love." • Madison, 7: “Joy means finding something you like and make it a holiday for you. Do something you really
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True joy comes from within.
the world that makes your life happy.” • Lawren, 15: “Sharing joy is to make somebody’s day a little bit better!” As I listened to the responses and the intensity with which each child shared their opinion, I realized true joy comes from within. Joy cannot be manufactured. It is not an external factor. It is something that we all have within us. Not one of the children referred to presents as the ultimate joy. They each seemed to express that joy is an emotion that must be activated. No wonder we respond differently during this season. As joy is activated, it has no other choice but to permeate the atmosphere like perfume. Each child seemed to be convinced that joy is an action word. It is something we have that needs to be used. It is something that, once shared, brings a sense of fulfillment to themselves and others and changes the atmosphere. Joy is magnified and becomes useful only when we share it, whether for our personal situation, like Amelia, or for someone else’s benefit – like making someone's day a little bit better. When we have a good attitude, we are sharing
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joy. When we rejoice with others we can fill someone else’s bucket. Joy, as Nathaniel said, gives people a purpose. I think of the story from long ago when a Father decided to share joy unconditionally. Some recognized it, some did not. Even so, many of us are thriving and living out our purpose because of that one unconditional act. So today, let your array of lights shine, get out there and share some joy. WGW Cheryl A. Francis, Licensed Professional Counselor, is the owner of The Heart Matters Wellness Services LLC, a full-service counseling agency. She is certified as a Mental Health First Aid Adult trainer and regularly provides seminars and trainings to the community on various mental health issues. She has partnered with the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy to train individuals in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. Visit heartmatterswellness. com for more information about Cheryl and her work.
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Stress-Free
Holidays
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Making Your Time Together Meaningful 29
S
ometimes the holiday season can be wrought with stress and anxiety. From welcoming relatives into your home, traveling long distances to spend time with family and friends, attending company parties or parties with friends, finding that "perfect" gift for someone special or buying the latest and greatest that you or your kids just have to have, it's no wonder we're all stressed out by the New Year. Some may be worrying they won't have enough money to even make it through the holidays – much less have money for gifts. These types of stressors can cause depression, ruin your holiday spirit and your perspective on what the phrase "Happy Holidays" really means. This holiday season, why not take a few moments to think about what you can change about your typical holiday routine so you may have a truly meaningful Christmas with the time you and your friends and family have together? We've compiled a list of some things you can do to wind down a bit and bring out the spirit of the holidays in a meaningful and purposeful way. 1. Use the holidays to connect with people you love and care about. Make time to reach out to your loved ones through conversation, fun and inexpensive family activities or just have a 30-minute chat over coffee. Invite your family over to eat takeout and play board games together. Just enjoy spending time with those you love without having any type of agenda. Love, laugh and talk with each other. 2. Get together as a family and bake cookies or treats for your friends, neighbors or elderly shut-ins you know. Spend a weekend together delivering these heart-felt gifts. 3. Ask each family member to research the meaning of different holiday traditions. Find out why we hang candy canes on the
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Thank You
Thank you to our fabulous designers for contributing their hard work and their talents, and to all of our sponsors for making this event a success. Many lives will be touched by your generosity through Circles of West Georgia. Anna Gordon Photography Fogo Data Centers Edie & Rick Haney Howard & Jana Seeman West Georgia Woman Magazine Gradick Communications The Kelly Nolan Team Melanie McClendon - ALFA Insurance
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www.circlesshowhouse.com Christmas tree and stockings by the fire, why Hannukah lasts eight nights and what is a dreidel or what is the significance of the gifts given during Kwanzaa. 4. Find a movie that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas and watch it together as a family. Two of our favorites are "It's a Wonderful Life," with Jimmy Stewart or "A Christmas Carol," with George C. Scott. 5. Give a meaningful and creative gift from the heart. Christmas doesn't have to be about how much money you spend on your friends and family. As a matter of fact, we challenge you to even try to remember what you received last year for Christmas from family and friends. Unless you received something truly heartfelt and meaningful, you probably don't remember most of what you received – or what you gave to others. Create a festive scrapbook for a family member who has lost a loved one filled with photos of them together, make hand crafted ornaments that friends and family can use for years to come or their favorite homemade goodies and treats for your loved ones to enjoy.
6. Spread love throughout your community. Take a road trip with your family to the nearest supermarket or department store and hand out inexpensive gloves, hand warmers, candy canes or hot cocoa to people as they leave the store. 7. Talk to your family at the beginning of the holiday season and discuss what they would like to do to help others. You could create backpacks or toiletry bags for the local homeless shelter, collect toys or food for local community drives or talk to your local church about sponsoring a family who needs help this season. 8. Volunteer your time or talents at a local food bank, retirement home, children's hospital or homeless shelter. If you or some of your family members play a musical instrument or sing, contact one of these places to see if you can come caroling one evening. Helping those who have no family, are sick or those who have no resources have a nicer holiday teaches children the importance of being grateful for what they have and the importance of helping those who have less. 9. Establish new traditions with your family. Go to an inexpensive holiday-themed play at your local community theatre, decorate your Christmas tree or make homemade gifts for your loved ones together. Bake cookies and watch your favorite holiday movies all night long. Let the entire family decide what new traditions you will do together. 10. Celebrate the holidays through your faith. If you celebrate Christmas, read the original Christmas story in the Bible together. Attend services at your local place of worship. 11. Visit older relatives and ask them what their celebrations were like as children. Ask them what types of things they did together as a
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family during the holidays, what foods they prepared and what types of gifts they received when they were growing up. 12. Create a gift bag or stocking full of inexpensive gifts and treats to give to someone you know who has no family, or who may be going through a difficult time in their life. Remain anonymous and leave it in their mailbox or on their doorstep for them to find later in the day. 13. Ask your family members and friends what they personally believe is most meaningful about the holidays. You might be surprised at some of the answers you'll receive and you'll most likely realize you have many of the same ideas and beliefs as they do. 14. Spread holiday cheer wherever you are. Sometimes just a smile or a simple compliment given to someone you know – or don't know – can lift someone's spirits. 15. Give the gift of intentional and purposeful love. Strive to be more loving, honest, gentler and kinder to others and more committed to
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Tips for Avoiding Stress and Depression During the Holidays • Ask family and friends for help with holiday tasks. • Maintain healthy habits such as exercising and eating properly. • Learn to say no if your schedule is full. • Create a holiday budget and stick to it. • Volunteer to help others or someone in need. • Be realistic and accept that everything may not be perfect. • Reach out to others if you are feeling lonely or depressed. • No one is worth more than you. When you are at your best, then you can be better for those around you.
Dedicated Healthcare When You Need It Most • 770.832.9689 your family and friends. Practice compassion and forgiveness toward others. As you finish this year and a new one begins, try to slow down and contemplate on the many gifts you have been given in your life. Move into the new year with more hope, faith, courage and positivity, and most important, give those you love an essential gift only you can give them: your time. Let that be the greatest gift and the greatest meaning you bring to this beautiful, joyful and sacred time of the year. There is no better time than to begin purposefully and intentionally giving those gifts to others right now. WGW
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Daily Fare ”Adapt these recipes to your tastes and your lifestyle. That’s what I want you to feel the freedom to do with my recipes. You are more talented and creative than you give yourself credit for!” Julie Culpepper
Julie Culpepper is a Georgia native who lived in Carrollton for 26 years with her husband Alan and their adult children. She and Alan recently became residents of Wedowee, Ala. Julie became a personal chef after graduating culinary school in 2012 and loves working with two companies that she incorporates into her style of cooking – Branch and Vine in Newnan, and Doterra, an online source for essential oils located in Utah. For further information about contacting Julie or these companies, please feel free to contact her at :
Photo by Keith May
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jculpep4@gmail.com or culpepperoilsolutions@mydoterra.org or go online to: branchandvineonline.org
Photos by Michelle Horsley
Cold Weather Snowflake Tortillas Comfort with Tomato Soup These snowflake tortillas are a quick recipe using your favorite soup – store-bought or homemade – and are a great way to get the kids involved with your dinner preparation. You could also make these tortillas as a sweeter version by mixing together powdered sugar, cinnamon and honey. This delicious and aesthetically pleasing holiday bread bowl with sweet and spicy pecans is a party appetizer that is quick and easy to transport to your holiday gatherings this season. Just cover the bread bowl with a foil tent when you arrive at your destination, and warm in a 250 degree oven for a few minutes before serving. Serve with crackers and your leftover toasted bread chunks from the bread loaf.
Ingredients 4 flour tortillas
Olive oil, for brushing
Your favorite seasoning blend (I used a smoky savory seasoning from Branch and Vine called Bourbon Smoked Togarashi) About ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
Tomato soup ( I seasoned my own fresh 35
frozen garden tomatoes with a little chicken stock, Tuscan Herb B&V olive oil, and Italian herb paste fresh in a tube from Publix)
Preparation Soften each tortilla one a time in microwave for about 8 seconds. I wrapped them in a lightly damp paper towel. Fold and cut the tortillas in various shapes with clean scissors just like you would a paper snowflake (There are lots of template ideas online). Discard the tortilla scraps. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with a little oil. Sprinkle seasonings onto the tortillas and then sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until
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slightly browned and crispy. Serve immediately.
Holiday Bread Bowl with Sweet and Spicy Pecans
Ingredients For the bread bowl 1 King’s Hawaiian round bread loaf (or any style round loaf-even homemade) 2 13-ounce wheels of Brie cheese, cut off the rind 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon white wine (I used a
to place the Brie on the inside. Cut your Brie into chunks and place inside the bread loaf that will fill up the hole without melting over the sides too much. Cut the leftover bread into bite sized chunks and toast about 5 minutes if you do not want to throw away the unused bread you cut out from the loaf. In a small bowl, mix together the wine, brown sugar and chopped rosemary. Gently pour it over the cheese, trying not to allow too much to run over the sides. Bake the loaf in the aluminum tray that it came with but you may want to place some aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch spills. Bake about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubby. Chardonnay) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary and extra sprigs for serving and pretty presentation For the pecans (these can be made in advance) 1 cup of halved pecans 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 3 teaspoons water
Preparation For the bread bowl Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut out a rounded part off the top the bread loaf with a serrated knife and pull out some of the bread in order
For the pecans Combine pecans, powdered sugar, salt, water and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until covered with glaze mixture. You can add a few drops of water if it seems too dry, but do not add too much or the glaze will not adhere to the pecans. Transfer the nuts to a parchment lined baking sheet and arrange in one layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Slide the parchment off the baking sheet and allow the nuts to cool completely. You can serve your extra glazed pecans on the side or keep them sealed in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for snacking. Sprinkle top of bread bowl with pecans and serve immediately with crackers. WGW 37
Every Day Heroes 38
Young Women Making a Difference
B
owdon Elementary School 5th grader Emma Vale Staudigl is not your average 10-yearold. When this straight-A student decides she is going to try something new, she puts her entire heart and soul into it. She demonstrated this determination this year when she won third place in a prestigious poetry contest and first place in an animated graphics contest. Emma loves to swim and has been a member of the Carrollton Bluefins swim team since the second grade, but she doesn't plan on stopping any time soon. "Swimming will be something I do until I retire," she shares. She loves to draw, and drawing princesses is a favorite past time of hers. Emma turned 10 in August and lives in Bowdon with her mom and dad. Her two siblings are quite a bit older than she is – her brother, Justin, is 33 and lives in California, and her sister, Sandra, is 35 and lives in Atlanta. "They are much older and really fun," she says.
A Big Surprise Last year, Emma's fourth grade teacher, Connie Ross, told her class about a statewide poetry competition. Once Emma heard about the contest she knew she had to write a poem about one of her favorite activities – swimming. "Writing poetry was something unique I wanted to try and my teacher told me about the poetry contest,' she says. "So I just gave it a shot. My poem is about my swimming
Emma takes a break from the Carrollton Bluefins swim team practice to read her favorite magazine (wink).
lessons and how I get first place at the end." All of the fourth grade classes at Bowdon Elementary participated in a school-wide poetry contest first, and Ms. Ross selected three poems from that pool of students to send to the state competition. Emma's poem, "Swimming," was one of the poems selected to be sent to the state competition. "I felt really good," Emma shares. "I was surprised that I won the competition out of some of my friends in Emma's winning poem, "Swimming," my class and I received third place in the Margery was just really Carlson state competition. excited."
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Although "Swimming" was the first poem Emma had ever written, she quickly realized how therapeutic writing is for her. "It makes me feel more open about my feelings when I write," she explains. It's no surprise her favorite books are the Harry Potter series written by female author, J.K. Rowling.
A Published Author The Margery Carlson Memorial Award is given annually by the Georgia Poetry Society for poetic achievement by students in grades one through five. Emma received third place out of all of the first through fifth grade entries in the state. She was invited to attend the Georgia Poetry Society's meeting in Athens on April 22, 2017 to accept her award. Emma read her poem aloud for those in attendance, received a third place award certificate and a check for $10. The Georgia Poetry Society's annual anthology, "The Reach of Song," was published in July and includes the winners of the Youth Contests – including Emma's poem – the Fall Contests, and selected member poems that have been judged by two anonymous judges.
Emma with her grandmother, Ella Stewart, at the Margery Carlson Awards Ceremony in Athens, Ga.
Behind The Scenes Turns out, poetry isn't the only thing Emma excels in. She's also very accomplished in working with animated graphics, which is similar to coding. She creates graphics such as cartoons, builds scenes,
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Meriwether County. Emma competed in the regional competition held in Newnan, Ga., on Jan. 13, 2017, and placed first in the region in grades one through five with the animated "movie" she created using the software program Anime Studio. "It was really fun," she says. After winning the regional competition in her grade level, A still photo of Emma's animated movie. This movie received first place in grades one through five she went to the state in the West Georgia region on Jan. 13, 2017, at the West Georgia Technology Competition held in competition, the Newnan, Ga. Georgia Educational introduces characters and manipulates those Technology Fair Student Competition in Macon, Ga., characters to move a certain way. on March 11, 2017, where she represented Bowdon Last year, her animated graphics teacher, Anne Elementary School in Animated Graphics but did Anglin, chose Emma to represent the fourth grade not place. class in the regional competition at the West Georgia Technology Fair (the name has recently Breaking The STEM Barrier been changed to the West Georgia Technology Competition). Like most young girls, Emma has a nice collection The West Georgia Technology Competition is an of Barbie® dolls, but instead of playing with her annual technology competition for students in the dolls, Emma likes to build houses for them. She West Georgia Region of the state of Georgia. The began building houses for her dolls around the age West Georgia region includes students who attend of 7. "Not that I play with the dolls that much but I private schools, home schools, and public schools like to build the houses," she says. "My dad and I in Carrollton City, Coweta County, Carroll County, are building a new one with maybe wallpaper and Heard County, Harris County, Troup County and carpet."
Emma with her animated graphics teacher, Anne Anglin, at the Georgia Educational Technology Fair Student Competition in Macon, Ga., on March 11, 2017.
"Ever since Emma was a little girl she's always shown an inclination towards architecture and engineering," says Emma's mom, Cathryn. "She's always liked putting things together, taking them apart – she's very mechanically inclined." Emma's parents have always encouraged her to think outside of the box and to try new things that interest her. This encouragement is important due to the lack of interest of students in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – related careers. There is still much work to be done in our nation to attract young women to STEM-related careers. Historically, the United States has been a leader in these STEM fields, but recently, fewer students have been focusing on these types of careers. Only 16 percent of high school students are interested in a STEM career and have proven a proficiency in mathematics, according to the U.S. Department of
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Education. Although 28 percent of high school freshmen declare an interest in a STEM-related field, 57 percent of those students lose interest in STEM careers by the time they graduate from high school. Women remain underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce, although not as much as they have in the past, with the greatest disparities occurring in computer science, the physical sciences and engineering, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP). Half of the total U.S. college educated workforce is composed of women, but only 29 percent of women are part of the engineering and science workforce. Most of U.S. female scientists and engineers are concentrated in different careers than are men, with relatively high numbers of women in the social sciences – 62 percent, agricultural, environmental
life and biological sciences – 48 percent, and low numbers in mathematical and computer sciences – 25 percent and engineering – 15 percent, says the National Girls Collaborative Project. The U.S. engineering and science workforce has become more diverse over the last several years, but many racial and ethnic minority groups continue to be significantly underrepresented, and minority women make up fewer than 1 in 10 employed engineers and scientists. Emma is certainly on the right path for a STEM career if she decides to pursue that type of career in the future. In addition to earning all A's last year in the fourth grade, she also earned distinguished, or highest possible marks, in English Language Arts and Math on the Georgia Milestones Assessment System exams. She is also a member of the Junior Photo by Tim McClain of McClain Photography
Merry Christmas
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Beta Club and the animated graphics club at Bowdon Elementary. The Georgia Milestones exams measure how well students have learned the skills and knowledge outlined in the state-adopted content standards in English Language Arts, mathematics, social studies and science. Students in grades three through eight take an end-of-grade assessment in English Language Arts and mathematics while students in grades five and eight are also assessed in social studies and science.
A Caring Heart Along with being extremely intelligent, highachieving and innovative, Emma has a kind and loving heart for children in need. One of Emma's annual traditions she began doing at the age of 5, is a toy collection drive for other children who are going through a difficult time. Every year, she invites all of her friends to her birthday party, but instead of asking for birthday gifts from her friends, she asks them to bring a gift for the kids at Children's Hospital of Atlanta. "I only keep the birthday gifts from my family," she explains. During Emma's birthday party, photos are taken of the other children along with the gifts they bring
Emma delivers gifts to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Every year on her birthday, Emma asks those invited to bring a gift – not for her – but for a child in need. This photo is from last year’s toy donation of gifts given by those who attended her 9th birthday party.
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dan@mcinsure.com www.danmcbrayer.com to donate. All of the kids who donate gifts receive a certificate from the children's hospital thanking them for their donation. After the party, Emma and her parents bring all of the gifts and the photos of the kids at her party who donated the gifts to Children's Hospital of Atlanta. Emma is grateful for the support of her parents with her school, activities and her charitable works. "They drive me everywhere I need to go and they show that they love me in ways that I don't recognize," she shares. "Like, showing me different things when I'm just thinking I need to do this instead of that. That means they are trying to help me." Her best friend, Lainy Crawford, is also someone who is a great source of support for Emma. "I've known her since Pre-K" she says. "She's always there for me when I need her and we're really close to each other." Emma is a remarkable young lady who will undoubtedly be successful no matter what she chooses to do in the future. But even at the tender age of 10, Emma realizes what is truly important."I'm loving and kind, and I help others if they need it," she says. That is more than enough for a young woman to make a difference in this world. WGW
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Complications and Symptoms Associated with
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
P
olycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that is common among women who are in the reproductive stage of life. The exact cause of PCOS is not known, but early treatment and diagnosis along with weight loss may reduce the risk of long-term complications.
Elevated levels of androgen (male hormone) may result in physical symptoms, such as excess body and facial hair.
PCOS Symptoms Symptoms and signs of PCOS often develop around puberty during the time of the first menstrual period, but PCOS can sometimes develop later if there has been substantial weight gain. Signs and symptoms can be much worse if you are obese, and the signs and symptoms vary, but a diagnosis of PCOS is usually made after experiencing at least two of the following signs: • Polycystic ovaries. Your ovaries may contain follicles that surround the eggs and they might
be enlarged. As a result of this, the ovaries may fail to function properly. • Too much androgen. If your androgen (male hormone) levels are elevated this could result in physical signs, such as excess body and facial hair, and sometimes male-pattern baldness and severe acne can occur with PCOS.
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• Irregular periods. Irregular, infrequent or prolonged menstrual cycles are the most common sign of PCOS. You may have more than 35 days between periods, have fewer than nine periods a year and have unusually heavy periods.
Causes Of PCOS
Studies have shown certain genes may be linked to PCOS acne. Male pattern baldness may also occur from excess androgen.
There are many complications you may experience The cause of PCOS isn't known exactly, but factors from having PCOS. Some of the most common include miscarriage, premature birth, type 2 that could potentially play a role in PCOS include diabetes, abnormal uterine bleeding, sleep apnea, the following: infertility, gestational diabetes, prediabetes, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, endometrial cancer or • High insulin levels. Insulin is the hormone pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. the pancreas produces that allows your Other complications may include nonalcoholic cells to use sugar, which is your body's main steatohepatitis – a serious inflammation of the liver energy supply. If your cells become resistant caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver and to insulin, then blood sugar levels may rise metabolic syndrome – a group of conditions that and your body might try to produce more insulin. Excess insulin might increase androgen include abnormal triglyceride or cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or high blood sugar. All of these production, which can cause issues with can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease ovulation. significantly. • Heredity. Some research indicates certain Because obesity is often associated with PCOS, genes may be linked to PCOS. this can sometimes worsen complications of this • Low-grade inflammation. This happens disorder. when white blood cells produce substances to fight off infection. Studies have shown that women with PCOS have a type of lowWhen You Should See A Doctor grade inflammation that is a direct cause of You should visit your doctor if you're experiencing polycystic ovaries producing androgens. This can lead to blood vessel and heart difficulties. infertility, have concerns about your menstrual periods or if you have signs of too much androgen • Excess androgen. The ovaries produce such as worsening excess facial and body hare, maleseriously high levels of androgen, that results pattern baldness or acne. WGW in excess facial and body hair and extreme
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Put the Merry Back in
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Your Christmas 49
D
uring the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it is easy to forget about what is truly important: celebrating the true meaning and spirit of Christmas. You're anxious, weary, frazzled, exhausted and worried about getting everything you need to, done, and done perfectly, to boot. Because of all of this anxiety, you may be grouchy, snappy, irritable and just plain old mean sometimes. And usually, it's those who are closest to you who have to deal with your holiday tantrums. If you find yourself feeling this way during a time when you feel you should exude peace and goodwill toward others, it may be time to take a step back and think about what you can do to stop the pressure and anxiety, before it starts.
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Whether it comes to celebrating out with friends and family, decorating your home, entertaining and gifts it's very important to know what your budget is for the holidays. Take a few minutes to sit down and decide how much money you have to spend. Once you have determined what your budget will be for the holidays, designate a set amount for each item on your list. Make sure to track your spending throughout the season and most important, adhere to your budget. Just because you have a budget that doesn't mean you have to miss out on anything important. Sometimes you just have to be a little more creative and prioritize things. What is most important to
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you? Is it buying gifts for friends and family or is it entertaining? If your priority is buying gifts, then allocate more to that category. If you have more people on your gift list than you have allocated in your budget, consider reducing the amount you spend on each person. Do you have people on your gift list who aren't really close to you? If so, then move those friends to your Christmas card list.
Is it over yet?
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(Don't be like this guy)
Entertain With Your Budget In Mind The holidays are all about spending time with your friends and family, but you shouldn't have to break the bank or lose your sanity while attempting to entertain everyone in your home. If your entertaining budget allows, you can save valuable time and have much less stress if you purchase a fully cooked or prepped meal from a local restaurant or market. Shop around for pricing and you may be
Keep your Christmas decor simple, then add a touch of color here and there. pleasantly surprised that some of these ready-made meals are actually less than what you would spend on supplies and ingredients if you make the meal at home. If the budget is too tight to purchase a readymade meal but you really want to host the annual Christmas dinner, enlist the help of your guests by asking them to bring a dish for the party. Your family and friends all want to be there because of who you are, not because of what you can do for them. They will understand and will be happy to bring wine, their favorite dessert or dinner dish if you ask them. If a potluck Christmas dinner still seems a little overwhelming to you but you still want to entertain, try an alternative like hosting a cocktail or hot chocolate party, a holiday breakfast or brunch or a holiday gathering of light snacks and holiday movie watching. A tight budget doesn’t mean you have to miss out on going out with family and friends either. If you don't have the funds in your budget to have a full dinner, choose to meet them later for coffee or dessert instead.
Keep It Simple If you enjoy having a Christmas tree or decorating outdoors, but the thought of lugging all of that stuff out of the basement or attic is exhausting, then the thought of taking it all down and putting it back up again in just a few weeks is even more overwhelming, consider scaling down a bit on the decorating this year.
Consider buying a small table top tree this year. You can find real or artificial table top trees at most any department or grocery store. This way, you can still have a tree, but you don't have to struggle with that ridiculous tangle of Christmas lights this year. Keep the holiday dĂŠcor throughout your home
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as simple as possible. You can add a touch of color here and there by buying a few inexpensive poinsettias or even a Christmas cactus. Keeping things simple means the end of the holiday season take down will be so much easier for you.
Make Yourself A Cup Of Hot Chocolate Hot chocolate is almost always guaranteed to lift your spirits, with or without those tiny little marshmallows. Smelling that delicious aroma automatically makes you happy and brings back fond memories of drinking it as a child. Multiple studies have shown chocolate – particularly dark chocolate – is an all natural mood booster because of the endorphins (natural opiates) and serotonin it releases in the brain, according to psychcentral.com.
Snuggle Up Giving yourself and others the gift of touch has an unbelievably calming effect on your mood. Physical touch increases your levels of serotonin and
dopamine, and these help regulate your mood and relieve anxiety and stress. Dopamine also regulates the pleasure center in your brain that helps counter feelings of anxiety. So grab the kids, your spouse, your bestie or your pets and let the snuggle fest work its magic on your mood.
Don't Forget The True Meaning Of Christmas As the whirlwind of the holiday season spins around your head, try to remember that being surrounded by people who really love and care for you is what is really important. And don’t feel pressured to spend more financially and emotionally than you can really afford to this season. Christmas can be a very merry time of year if you can just learn to relax, go with the flow and enjoy yourself. Be kind to yourself with the realization that you don't have to do everything perfectly, because your friends and family love you just as you are. Christmas is about spending time with friends, family and celebrating this joyous occasion together, and if you can put a little more merry back into your Christmas, then you've already won. WGW
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Merry Christmas! Why Do We Say it Anyway?
Merry Christmas! This is a phrase you will most likely hear several times throughout the Christmas season, but have you ever wondered why we use these words every year in December? Ever wonder why people don't wish you a Cheerful Christmas? And Merry Holidays? Why is Christmas merry anyway when we don't describe any other special occasion in this way? Have you ever wished someone a Merry Thanksgiving or a Merry Birthday? Probably not. Linguists and historians don't exactly understand why we use the words Merry Christmas. They do know the greeting dates back to a letter written in 1534 in London by Bishop John Fisher. He sent the letter to Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell wishing him this merry greeting. The words were also used in the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," back in the 16th century. When Charles Dicken's published "A Christmas Carol" in 1843, the words Merry Christmas gathered more momentum, and in that same year the phrase made its appearance on the very first commercially produced Christmas card. On May 1, 1843, English illustrator and painter John Callcott Horsley designed this first Christmas card. The card read "A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You," and included a picture of a family with a small child drinking wine together. Although controversial, the card was quite successful and resulted in two printings with a total of 2050 cards that sold for one shilling a piece. In spite of its popularity in the United States and its historical foundation, Merry Christmas has never received multinational support. Happy Christmas seems to be the favored phrase in Great Britain with Queen Elizabeth wishing her followers a "Happy Christmas" every year in her annual broadcast, and in the famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas," by Clement C. Moore he ends the poem with the words, “A Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night." There is a rumor going around that says Queen Elizabeth prefers using the word "happy" instead of "merry" because the word "merry" brings with it an impression of boisterousness and (gasp!) perhaps even drunkenness. In fact, the original church elders in Great Britain may have encouraged their congregations to be happy instead of making merry. Having a Happy Christmas may be a tad more reserved and conservative than having a Merry Christmas, which carries a more uninhibited and impassioned celebration. We don't really know why the phrase "Merry Christmas" became the more prominent greeting in the United States, but it is said that some Christians believe it is a more appropriate greeting because followers should have a more impassioned and emotional response to celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No matter the reasons why we use the phrase, the staff of West Georgia Woman magazine would like to wish you a very Happy and Merry Christmas. WGW 53
Womentality
Inspiring quotes by extraordinary women “Oh! like a wreath, let Christmas mirth Today encircle all the earth, And bind the nations with the love That Jesus brought from heaven above." – Maud Lindsay, teacher, writer and philanthropist who founded the first free kindergarten in Alabama.
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. – Laura Ingalls Wilder
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“Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” – Helen Steiner Rice
“The only real blind person at Christmastime is he who has not Christmas in his heart. We sightless children had the best of eyes that day in our hearts and in our fingertips.
– Helen Keller
“Let Christmas not become a thing merely of merchant's trafficking, Of tinsel, bell and holly wreath And surface pleasure, but beneath The childish glamour, let us find Nourishment for heart and mind. Let us follow kinder ways Through our teeming human maze, And help the age of peace to come." – Madeline Morse
Local Happenings
Healers and Helpers Wellness Group
Need It Most Mommy’s Day Out
This group meets the last Saturday of every month in Douglasville or Austell. For more information, contact Cheryl at theheartmatters@gmail.com or 678.754.5840.
Each Mommy’s Day Out event is from 6 to 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. Locations vary. Contact Jwyanda at 678.739.1740 or Jwyanda@icloud.com for more information.
Learn more at www.heartmatterswellness.com.
These are free events for new mothers, mothers with children 0-12 months and mothers suffering from postpartum depression.
Hope For The Journey This group meets the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the board room at the Tracy Stallings Community Center at 118 South White St. in Carrollton. These events are free to breast cancer survivors or those currently battling breast cancer. No one should have to face breast cancer alone.
www.needitmost.wordpress.com
Rare Pearls Mentoring and Leadership Program This group meets the fourth Saturday of each month at WellStar - Douglas Hospital from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. This program is open to all girls from ages 10 -17.
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Rare Pearls mission is to enrich and empower the lives of young girls and women. For more information call 770.947.8210, email rarepearls2015@gmail.com or visit the website at www.rarepearlsmentoringandleadership.org
Nursing From The Heart Breastfeeding Support Group This group meets the third Monday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 500 Old Bremen Road in Carrollton. Please contact Anne Lussier at 470.270.9520 or IBCLC@nursingfromtheheart.com for more information. These events are free to pregnant women and moms looking for breastfeeding support. Free weight checks will be available. Come and share your breastfeeding journey with us. Please check our website for meeting and event updates.
Technical College System Of Georgia Announces Leadership Change At West Georgia Technical College
Dr. Scott Rule, Acting President, West Georgia Technical College
Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Gretchen Corbin has announced a transition in leadership at West Georgia Technical College. Dr. Scott Rule, TCSG Assistant Commissioner for Data, Planning and Research,
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has been named Acting President of West Georgia Technical College. Dr. Rule joined TCSG as Assistant Commissioner for Data, Planning, and Research in 2016. He has served Georgia’s technical colleges since 1990 as a technical instructor, chief information officer, vice president for academic affairs, vice president for economic development and most recently, as vice president for student affairs at Chattahoochee Technical College. “Dr. Rule brings over 25 years of experience in technical education to West Georgia Tech,” said Commissioner Corbin. “His academic credentials are second only to his caring for and commitment to our students, and I’m confident his leadership will enable the college to continue to thrive and serve both students and the community.” Current president Steve G. Daniel will become an executive director at Quick Start, TCSG’s economic development arm, and will also focus on developing a system-wide model to replicate WGTC’s “West in Thirty” program, which enhances the ability of students to transfer credits from technical colleges to four-year colleges. Daniel has served in various positions within Georgia’s technical college system since 2003, including as provost, vice president of economic development and project leader at Quick Start. He has been president of West Georgia Technical College since 2014. “We appreciate Steve Daniel’s contributions to West Georgia Technical College and his continued focus on workforce training and development. The West in Thirty partnership with the University of West Georgia has shown great promise and Mr. Daniel’s economic development experience will be an asset for Georgia Quick Start,” said Commissioner Corbin. Acting President Dr. Rule said he looks forward to visiting with students, faculty and staff and continuing the legacy of excellence at West Georgia Tech. “West Georgia Technical College has a great reputation in the community and across the state,” Dr. Rule said. “I know and understand the hard work done every day to make a difference in the lives of students, to support the needs of business and industry and to be a true community partner. West Georgia Tech is a great college with a great future.” West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties offers over 120 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit
of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is the fourth largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit westgatech.edu. The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in 600 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-ofthe-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its individual colleges, who work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit www.TCSG.edu.
Angela and Sydney Dailey
Publisher Angela Dailey and her daughter, Sydney Dailey, participated in the Villa Rica Main Street scarecrow contest in October on behalf of West Georgia Woman magazine. Angela and Sydney created a Rosie the Riveter scarecrow complete with a West Georgia Woman magazine cover sporting Rosie. Of course, West Georgia Woman magazine wouldn't be complete without a 1942 Walker Cadillac ad on the back cover. "Unfortunately, we didn't place in the contest," says Angela. "But Sydney and I had so much fun creating and featuring a powerful female icon such as Rosie the Riveter. We chose to create a scarecrow with the likeness of Rosie to remind all women of West Georgia that they can achieve great things, and to always remember that 'We Can Do It!'
(Special thanks to Dr. Fred Richards for providing the bamboo and Dan Keever for cutting the bamboo for the project.)
Carrollton Native Pens Children’s Book
Shannon Gill (pen name Shan Gill), is a Carrollton native and author of the children’s book Cosmic Kitty. Gill’s new book was inspired by her childhood doodles of a cartoon that would become “Cosmic Kitty,” the principle character of the story. “CK,” as the story refers to her, travels between alternate dimensions of her world and learns valuable lessons regarding self-worth, compassion and the impact of bullying. The book also emphasizes metaphysics and mindfulness for young people and adults. “I hope ‘Cosmic Kitty’ encourages kids and adults to be more open to things outside of their comfort zones,” said Gill. “Metaphysics and mindfulness can help people discover who they truly are while asking questions about their immediate realities.” Shannon Gill is a life and business strategy consultant, author and coach. She has more than 20 years of corporate experience working in areas such as strategy, product, learning and development, operations and manufacturing with companies like Walt Disney in Hong Kong, e-Sylvan (a subsidiary of Sylvan Learning Systems) in Baltimore, Maryland, and Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS) in Columbus, Georgia. In addition to her corporate experience, Gill has a unique and complementary blend of traditional and metaphysical training. She has a bachelor’s degree from St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, N.C., and an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For more information regarding Shannon Gill and Cosmic Kitty, please visit www.shangill.com, search @cosmickittybook on Facebook or @cosmickittybook on Twitter.
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Ever After “A marriage is not a noun; it’s a verb. It isn’t something you get. It’s the way you love your partner every day.” Barbara De Angelis
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PHOTO BY ASHLEE BURGESS PHOTOGRAPHY
KAYLA RENAE MORRISON AND JERRY JACKSON RANN Were married October 21, 2017, at the Front Porch Event Center in Carrollton, Ga.
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Kidz Korner By Charlene Brooks
Decorative Christmas Tree Cakes I f you don't have time to make cookies for Santa this year, these delicious and colorful Christmas trees and yule log cake rolls are a really easy and quick treat even the smallest children can make with ease. Decorate these for school parties or leave Santa a treat he's sure to remember on Christmas Eve!
Ingredients Snack size Christmas tree cake Vanilla icing Assorted edible Christmas decorations
Instructions Spread icing on the backs of the assorted edible Christmas decorations. Decorate as desired and allow icing to dry.
Merry Christmas!
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Super Easy Yule Log Cake Rolls
Ingredients
Snack size chocolate cream roll Cherries Powdered sugar Vanilla icing
Instructions
Red and green Christmas sprinkles
Attach cherry to cream roll with icing. Cut one or two slices of the roll for presentation. Decorate as desired with powdered sugar and red and green Christmas sprinkles. WGW
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Join us for Admissions Open House ~ Thursday, January 11, 2018 ~ 10 a.m. 222 Cross Plains Road ~ Carrollton, GA 30116 ~ 770-834-6651 ~ www.oakmountain.us
Register on-line today! 61
Merry Christmas Word Search Word Bank
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Stockings Reindeer Snow Christmas Eve Gifts Sleigh Wrapping paper Garland Jesus Parties Santa Claus Relatives Nice Nativity Scene Caroling Rejoice Wreath Christmas cards Naughty Elves
Word search created at puzzle-maker.com
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DARE GREATLY
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