Flying restaurateurHomer Wilkerson

A change in lifestyleThe Avina family is taking health a little more seriously

A formidable flu seasonDr. Scott W. Barclay tells how to avoid what everyone is dreading

ConfessionsA fantasy football addict reveals all ... or not

Teacher’s teacherWho teaches the teachers? Meet Ann McClarty

The Crossroads Magazine

October 2009

Showcase of Homes Inside

FROM THE BIG SPRING HERALD

710 Scurry St. 263-7331

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Living Magazine 1

October.Children and

adults alike eagerly ’wait for this month in anticipation of all the activities that come with it. October is a time for adults to have some fun by not being themselves. This is a chance for the normal person to be abnormal. Adults get a chance to dress up or dress down in unique costumes and children can equally dress to impress the treat givers on “Trick or Treat Night.”

For me it is a special month. This is the birth month of both me and my son, Austin.

Growing up in Ohio, October was the time of the year to spend in the outdoors. The falling leaves and cool days provided the outdoorsman with an enjoyable outing. The colorful rolling hills of the Midwest pro-vided scenery that cannot be matched.

Here in the Crossroads, we get a much-needed break from the heat of the summer. Spending time outdoors becomes a little more enjoyable. Here, the fall season has its own splendor. Get out and enjoy it before it is gone.

This month we have selected to bring to you features that once again represent our people and their everyday lives. Read about Homer Wilk-erson and his life at Herman’s Restaurant and how he couples it with his duties as a flight attendant. Ann McClarty uses her 20 years of experience to assist teachers in Big Spring while the Avina family finds a way to get healthy with the help of the Big Spring State Park.

Unique people and places along with our contributors including Bruce Schooler, Dr. James Riley and Dr. Scott Barclay help to make this maga-zine what it is.

We at Living appreciate everyone’s help as we continue to look for stories and events that take us away from the everyday hustle and bustle. We hope you enjoy this edition. Have a wonderful October and until November,

Take Care,Ron Midkiff

On the Cover:Pumpkins by Ron Midkiff

Featured StorieS 2 Flying restaurateur

6 Don’t try to hide your grays

8 Aformidableflueseason

18 A change in lifestyle

20 Confessions of a fantasy football addict

24 Common conditions treated naturally

26 Setting the white balance

28 Teacher’s teacher

Publisher: Ron Midkiff

Contributors: John A. Moseley Kay Smith Dr. Scott Barclay Bruce Schooler Thomas Jenkins Steve Reagan Bill McClellan Jonathan Hull Dr. James C. Riley Ron Midkiff

Calendar

Published by Heritage Publications (2003) Inc. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Living Magazine is published 10 times yearly and mailed individually free of charge to homes and businesses in the Big Spring, Texas, area. Editorial correspon-dence should be sent to Living, P.O. Box 1431, Big Spring TX 79720. For advertis-ing rates and other information, please call (432) 263-7331.

Oct. 4• 17th Ever DiscOver Big Spring

Tournament• St Lawrence Fall Festival

Oct. 9-11• Webb AFB Reunion

Nov. 14• Homespun Christmas & Christmas Tree Forest at Heritage

Museum display opens

Nov. 14• Silver Wings Ball

Dec. 5• Living Christmas Tree, First

United Methodist Church• Annual Parade Watch at the

Heritage Museum• Big Spring Herald Lighted

Community Christmas Parade

Dec. 6• Living Christmas Tree, First

United Methodist Church

Vol. 1 Edition 11Publisher’s NoteContents

2 Living Magazine

Simply put, Homer Wilkerson’s life is a blend of the old and the new.

There’s no better description of a man, who at the same time operates Herman’s Restaurant in Big Spring and works as a flight attendant for American Airlines.

By Wilkerson’s own admission, Herman’s Restaurant is an old-fashioned, family-owned cafe, offering diners a full menu from breakfast to several daily lunch specials and everything from sandwiches to steaks and Mexican food.

“Once upon a time you saw lots of restaurants like this one in just about any town in America,” Wilkerson said

during a brief break following the lunchtime rush. “There were a lot of mom and pop operations for years, and after World War II, there were a lot of men coming home out of the service who’d been trained as cooks, so obviously the number of cafes and restaurants like Herman’s grew. But now the restaurant business is all about franchises and specialization. And all those guys that got out of the service in World War II and got in the business are in their 80s. They’ve died or have long since retired for the most part.”

Homer’s parents opened the restaurant in 1960, when a heart

attack forced his father to get out of the trucking business he’d owned and operated previously, and they moved to the business’ current location on May 20, 1978.

Homer took over the restaurant in June of 1983 when his father, Herman Wilkerson, was forced to quit the business due to poor health. Prior to that time, Wilkerson had been an accountant for Fina, which had placed him in Houston, Chicago and Dallas, as well as a couple of moves back to Big Spring. He was working in the company’s downtown Big Spring office when his father’s health failed.

“I was an accountant here with Fina

Flyingrestaurateur

By John A. Moseley

Living Magazine 3

and I used to give Jeff Morris (now Alon USA’s president and CEO) his travel advances,” Homer remembers, before adding with a laugh, “He had to come to my office to get a check in those days. I’ll bet he doesn’t have to go to somebody’s office to get travel money these days.”

When his father’s health failed in 1983, however, Wilkerson said he felt he had to leave Fina and begin running the family business. “Mother and Dad had put just about all their assets into the restaurant,” he recalls. “I felt that if I didn’t come on and help, they wouldn’t be able to go on. This place was still pretty new and we still owed money on it. Family has always been important to me, and I felt it was my responsibility. I’ve been well rewarded ... I’ve never looked

Flyingrestaurateur

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back.”One of the biggest keys to the

restaurant’s success over the years, Wilkerson says, is loyalty — the loyalty of the people who work there. “Customers are important, but the employees are the people who make the business,” he said. “They’re the ones who made Hermans. We’ve got a dishwasher who’s been here 35 years, and a cook who’s been here 20. The dishwasher has been here ever since he was discharged from the Air Force. And we had a waitress who worked here almost 40 years. People like that, that are loyal and love their jobs. They’re the reason people keep coming back to Herman’s. You have to serve good food, but if the customer isn’t getting good service or has to worry about dirty dishes or silverware, they’re not going to come back.”

As far as the food at Herman’s Restaurant is concerned, Wilkerson’s rule of thumb is simple, “If I don’t like something, we’re not going to have it here.”

Having good and loyal employees is important, but Wilkerson admits he has other concerns to deal with.

“It would amaze you how little changes affect your customers,” he said. “A business is a very delicate thing ... you make too many wrong decisions and you’ll be out of business. I’ve made changes, but I’ve been slow to make them.”

Wilkerson said one of the biggest decisions he’s made over the years was to change the restaurant’s hours from serving 24 hours a day to a 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule. It was a move that

made sense, he says, because there simply wasn’t enough business to warrant staying open day and night. “I had one guy, a truck driver, come in here and he told me, ‘I’m never going to come back because you’re not open in the middle of the night when I want to come in.’ All I could say was that I guess I wouldn’t be seeing him anymore.”

That doesn’t mean that all of Homer’s decisions have been good ones, however. “I’ve made a few mistakes now and then, but I’m not too proud to back up.”

While he makes his living in the restaurant business, Wilkerson satiates a long-standing desire to travel with his second profession as a flight attendant.

“I decided one day that there was more to the world than Herman’s Restaurant,” he explained. “I decided I intended to see some of it. I’ve been in every major city in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.”

At a time when most men dream of retiring, he decided to take on a second responsibility. And while he’s in the midst of a year-long leave of absence, it’s clear Wilkerson is looking forward to getting back in the air.

“I had taken a break after I was injured and had just gone through training this year — you go back to training every year — and flew my first trip back in March,” he noted. “My wife (Stina) had a stroke while I was back home from that trip. I asked the airline if I could take a year’s leave of absence and it was granted. So I’m off until the first of April. I’ll probably go through training again in February.”

Working as a flight attendant has not only given him an opportunity to travel “to lots of places I wouldn’t have had a chance to see,” he says, but also provided him a tremendous opportunity to share some of those travels with his wife, son (District Attorney Hardy Wilkerson) and grandsons, Heath and Jared.

“I got a chance to go to New York

4 Living Magazine

Big Spring SymphonyKeith Graumann, Music Director & Conductor

(Or is that Moving Around?)2009-2010

Big Spring Symphony Season

“Moving On”

December 19, 2009 Symphonic Christmas with the Coahoma Choir Kids at the Trinity Baptist Church New SanctuaryFebruary 20, 2010 Symphony in Motion Big Spring High School Auditorium March 27, 2010 Symphony Pops Extravaganza with Paul Williams Howard College Coliseum

264-7223 graumann@suddenlink.netwww.bigspringsymphony.com

Keith Graumann

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“I decided one day that there was more to the world than Herman’s Restaurant. I decided I intended to see some of it. I’ve been in every major city in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.”

Living Magazine 5

Stanton Division

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After Hours

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with the boys back before Sept. 11 (2001) and they got to go up on both of the World Trade Center towers,” he recalls. “And we’ve gone to San Francisco together and had a terrific time.”

Homer says it was certainly a lot easier to see the cities he flew into before the terrorists attacks on 9-11. “Before 9-11 we’d have 30-hour layovers in cities like San Francisco. It gave you an opportunity to see lots of things. But they tightened up the schedules after 9-11. You could hardly get in the hotel and rest for eight hours before you had to leave again. After the third day, you could hardly hold your head up.”

With plans to return to the air in 2010, it’s clear that Homer Wilkerson still has more traveling he wants to do. Obviously he’s still not looking back.

Proudly Supporting The Living Magazine

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6 Living Magazine

I n oil painting, gray or similar neutral colors should be as individualized as you can make them.

Exactly what is the difference between a gray and a color reduced to a dull intensity? Gray lacks an obvious color identity, whereas a low-intensity color still retains a recognizable shade of its original hue.

The ability to see color in gray subjects takes lots of practice and an open mind. Begin to notice the gray examples around you; many will be pulsating with color. When you begin to see and to be aware, you can then study the shadows of a white house or a white coffee mug to identify any hints of color. Most artists I know, including myself, love to paint white subjects as they are a real challenge.

At first, your vision will take in nothing more than dull variations of light and dark. Now take a second look and try to shake off any preconceived ideas that gray is only an equal mix of white and black, nothing more. Let your eyes linger on the subject. Trust your impulses and monitor even the slightest hint of color. Maybe an orange or apple next to your white mug will reflect bounce light if it is close enough. Subtle warm and cool hues on surrounding surfaces should be evident. You will discover that any seemingly gray item can be a treasure trove of subdued color.

Black and white pigments are colorless. When mixed, these are totally unexciting to the artist. Some tonal painters put this mix with other colors as they are less concerned with having colorful grays.

The richest grays, however, are made by mixing complementary (opposites on the color wheel) colors such as red and green. Theoretically, mixed complements will make a perfect gray. But in practice, they don’t because pigmentary hues aren’t as pure as optically mixed spectrum

colors. This is an asset since it gives the artist a rich choice of colorful muted grays.

To discover possibilities in gray hues, render a quick study of six, three-dimensional shapes such as blocks. With your color wheel close by and a full palette that includes black and white, sketch six blocks or square shapes on canvas. Paint the shadow of the first block a middle-gray value of a black and white mixture. Next, add just enough black into a generous amount of white for a very pale gray, and put in the two light-struck sides of your block. Repeat with the second block, but add a small daub of cerulean blue into the shadow mixture and a touch of cadmium orange to the light gray.

Each of the next three blocks will be made up of complementary mixtures. To identify these, put a daub of the following pairs of complements above each of the blocks: Cadmium red light and permanent green light; cadmium orange and cobalt blue; and cadmium yellow light and cobalt violet. Beginning with red and green, mix up equal amounts of color on your palette, then paint the blocks’ shadow sides. Add white if needed to lighten the mixture to a middle-gray value.

When you are painting this or any other color combos, begin each mix with the warmer of the two colors. In this case, use red, as has been said. It is easier to cool a color than to

By Kay Smith

Don’t try tohide your grays

warm one up, since cools tend to overpower warms. Avoid over-mixing. Keep mixes loose.

Going on to the light side of the block, add smallest amounts of red/green mix to white, then paint the two light-struck sides. Repeat the same process with the next two blocks, using the complement above the forms as the basis for your mixture.

The sixth or last block will be burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. Remember that the sienna, an earth pigment, is a shade of orange, so you’re still going with a complementary blend. You may have to lighten some of the mixes to a mid-gray in shadow and near-white in light.

The six mixtures you’ve done are only a small number of the varied possibilities your oil palette contains. Try sampling the many blends possible with other opposite or complementary mixes. Or, you might stray slightly from the complements and explore combos such as viridian and alizarin crimson, cerulean blue and cadmium red light, or ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Then there are numerous others by adding various colors to basic black and white hues.

As time passes and you paint more, you’ll find your own favorite grays. It is important to know your options and possibilities and create a menu of mixes you can rely on while remaining open to experimentation. Even with watercolor or other media, these options with grays are similar.

Your eyes will in time become trained to identify colors and names of hues, even different manufacturers

versions. In painting, color is meant to be spontaneous and not a laborious job. Try to enjoy your time at your easel or drafting table and have some fun.

By the time you read this, my new blog will be ready and can be viewed at:

http://kaysmithbrushworks.blogspot.com Web site: http://www.kaysmithbrushworks.us

Call 263-2788 if you have questions or e-mail me at 1971ks@att.net or stop by 2106 Scurry and see how I use grays in my work.

Living Magazine 7

8 Living Magazine

Stock Up On AllYOUR HALLOWEENTREATS TODAY!

200751 WALMART-OCTOBER.indd 1 9/14/09 4:26:35 PM

Each year, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from sea-

sonal flu complications. This fall, no one is taking lightly their health care provider’s advice to get a flu shot. H1N1 (formerly called “swine flu,”) first identified this spring, is expected to have a strong resurgence this fall and winter flu season, according to health industry experts.

As of Aug, 30, 2009, approxi-mately 9,057 U.S. residents had been hospitalized and more than 593 had died from the disease (before publication, these num-bers should be updated by visit-ing CDC.gov where it’s regularly

tallied). The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), which monitors influenza strains that circulate in the U.S. each year, predicts that the number of H1N1 infections will again spike during this fall and winter.

With that said, I want to cau-tion our community not to panic. Despite heightened news reports, so far, H1N1 isn’t more threaten-ing than seasonal flu. From what health officials have observed in the Southern Hemisphere where flu season is now winding down, during these few months of this new flu’s existence, hos-pitalizations and deaths seem to be lower than what is typically experienced during seasonal flu. The worry comes from the fact that more people are susceptible to H1N1 and U.S. health officials are concerned because it hung in so firmly here during the sum-mer — a time of year when the flu usually goes away.

H1N1 and Seasonal Flu: What’s the Difference?

Seasonal flu, made up of influ-enza strains that the body has had some exposure to, changes each season, necessitating a new flu vaccine. When someone catches seasonal flu, the body remembers parts of the influ-enza virus it has previously been exposed to and is able to work through the illness and develop an immune response when it en-counters seasonal flu again.

H1N1 is known as a “novel” flu, because, unlike seasonal flu – which involves combinations of

By Scott W. Barclay, D.O.

A formidable flu seasonWhat you need to know and how to prepare

Living Magazine 9

City Of Big SpringCONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Convention & Visitors Bureau

Contact Us to list your Eventon the website or Channel 17.

Orto reserve the

Dora Roberts Community Center

310 Nolan Big Spring, TX 79720www.bigspring.com

Dora Roberts Community Center is locatedon the bank of the Comanche TrailLake and is a perfect location for

weddings and receptions

(432) 263-8235

1654

3

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A formidable flu season flu strains that people’s immune systems have been regularly exposed to over the years – it is a new virus which many people haven’t previously encountered.

And, in contrast to traditional seasonal flu, which is particularly dangerous to the elderly, few H1N1 cases have been reported among those age 65 and over. Scientists think that one reason the senior population has fared better is that older individuals may have some residual immuni-ty because their body remembers being exposed to earlier strains of H1N1 (1977) and similar strains (1957).

Preparing for flu season

Any flu virus is spread though coughing and sneezing by people who have the virus, or by touch-ing an object that an infected person has touched and then touching your mouth or nose. The CDC recommends the following tips to prevent the flu or, if you are already ill, reduce the spread of infection:

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your arm, not your hands.

Wash your hands often — and long — with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Avoid close contact with sick people — keep at least 6 feet distance if possible.

Stay home if you are sick for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom- and fever-free for 24 hours (whichever is longer) to keep from infecting others.

You may be able to spread the flu virus beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming ill, accord-ing to the CDC, and children may remain contagious for seven days or more.

Seasonal flu vaccineThe best way to prevent getting

seasonal flu is to get a flu vacci-nation every year – anytime from the beginning of the flu season in September through January and even the later winter months. The flu season is comprised of several outbreaks and the peak time var-ies from year to year, so it’s still a good idea to get a flu shot later in the fall or even into the winter months.

The seasonal flu vaccine is available via the flu shot or a nasal-spray. The flu shot is ap-proved for children ages 6 months and older adults, both healthy individuals and those with chronic medical conditions. The nasal-spray flu vaccine is approved for healthy individuals ages 2 through 49, with the exception of pregnant women. The flu vaccine is safe, effective and, contrary to various rumors, does not cause the flu.

Some people get the flu vac-cine and still contract the flu. This doesn’t mean that the vac-cine is ineffective. The capability of the vaccine to prevent the flu depends on how well the viruses contained in the annual vaccine match those circulating in the hu-man population at a given time.

People who have a severe al-lergy to eggs, have had a severe reaction to a past flu vaccination, or have an illness with a fever should not receive the flu vaccine. People who are sick should wait until their symptoms have eased to be vaccinated.

10 Living Magazine

H1N1 vaccine: A companionto your annual flu shot

An H1N1 vaccine is under development and projected to be available in mid-October. Since the standard flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 virus – and vice versa – health experts recommend getting both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu vaccines. Clinical trials are currently being conducted to determine whether the two vaccines can be administered together or should be given separately. It’s not known at this point if one dose or two doses will be necessary for initial vaccination against the H1N1 virus.

The CDC recommends that the following high pri-ority individuals receive the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it becomes available:

• pregnant women• children and young adults ages 6 months to 24

years• persons who live with or provide care for infants

under 6 months of age• health care and emergency medical services

personnel• individuals ages 25-64 years who have a com-

promised immune system (diabetes, cancer, heart and lung disease, and HIV infection) which places

them at higher risk for flu complications.Once the demand for the vaccine is met among

these priority groups, the CDC recommends that all individuals ages 25-64 receive the vaccine, and then individuals ages 65 and older, since research shows the risk is lower among this age group.

Scenic Mountain Medical Center and its health care team are committed to keeping our community informed about the flu season as new information becomes available. Watch for the next installment in this series, “Do I have the flu?” For more informa-tion on H1N1 or seasonal flu, visit us on the Web at www.smmccares.com or contact Dr. Scott Bar-clay at Cornerstone Family & Sports Medicine. Dr. Barclay is a board-certified family practitioner, with more than 13 years experience in caring for a broad range of health concerns. His office is located on the second floor of the Malone & Hogan Clinic. To schedule an appointment, please call (432) 264-6361. Check out his Web site at www.Big Spring-Doc.com

1601 S. Moss Lake Rd. (432) 935-4809

Take Advantage Of Big Spring’sNew Fine Dining & Events Facility

Corporate Retreats ◆ Weddings ◆ Special Events

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Living Magazine 11

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UNIQUE TRI-LEVEL - Nice Kentwood home on corner lot. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, WB �replace, total electric, covered patio, workshop, courtyard area and 2 car garage.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS! This great property could be lovely residential home or used for commercial purposes. Great location, 2,075 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, WB �replace, central heat/air, formal dining, 2 car garage.

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NEARLY NEW HOME built in 2008. Beautiful interior with stained concrete �oors, WB �replace, breakfast and formal dining, total electric, covered patio, landscaped yard with sprinkler system, 2 car garage. Nice price reduction on this lovely 3 bedroom, 2 bath!

12 Living Magazine

UNIQUE FLOOR PLAN - Extra nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath Kentwood home. Central heat/ref. air, 2 living areas, pretty backyard with covered patio, 2 car garage. Well maintained home on corner lot.

NEW MODULAR HOME in Forsan ISD. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 living areas, �replace, 2 dining areas, central heat/ref. air, barn/stable, 2 car garage with storage room plus workshop, 2 car carport. 3.3 acres. $80's.

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GREAT BUY on this beautifully updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Central heat/ref. air, 2 living areas, �replace, Pergo �ooring, tile & carpet, back sprinkler system, 1 car garage, double carport. $79,900.

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COLLEGE PARK - Spacious 3 bedroom, 1 bath with central heat/air, WB �replace, formal living, garden/sunroom, covered patio, masonry fence, storage building with AC. $70's.

EXTRA NICE MOBILE on 3.82 acres in Forsan ISD. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, central heat/air, lovely covered patio, 2 car carport, workshop, entire acreage is fenced.

NICE AND SPACIOUS 3 bedroom, 2 bath brick in North Parkhill. Central heat/air, 2 living areas, study/o�ce, storage shed, carport. Priced below FHA appraised value. $74,000.

Living Magazine 13

GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH! Nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath with 2,112 sq. ft. Large living area, garden/sunroom, 2 �replaces, central heat/ref. air, tile fence and 1 car garage. $74,000.

BARGAIN BUY! 2 bedroom, 1 bath house with 1 car garage plus a 1 bedroom, 1 bath that is used for rental property. Both houses have central heat/ref. air. $69,000.

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NEW ADORABLE 2 bedroom, 1 bath in Edwards Heights. Many updates including beautiful re�nished hardwood �oors, crown molding, kitchen cabinets. Central heat/ref. air, FP, wood deck, carport. $60's.

COAHOMA - Very clean and well maintained 3 bedroom brick on corner lot. Central heat/ref. air, patio, storage shed, 2 car carport, 0.275 acre. $60,000.

WELL KEPT 3 bedroom, 2 bath with laminate wood �ooring and tile, total electric, 12X20 storage building- workshop, 2 car carport, pretty yard. $59,900.

NEW VERY NICE updated 3 bedroom with 2 living areas, central heat/ref. air. Recent new carpet, tile, paint, remodeled kitchen with new appliances. $50's.

TAKE A LOOK at this nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath brick with family room, sunroom, central heat/ref air, tile fence, 1 car garage. College Park addition. $74,000.

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Home Realtors 432.263.1284 - 800.295.8938 - www.home-realtors.net14 Living Magazine

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HISTORICAL TUDOR DESIGN - 3 bedroom, 1 bath with 1,803 sq. ft., hardwood �oors, 247 sq. ft. storage house in back, 1 car garage, covered patio, concrete fence. $52,000.

CUTE STARTER HOME with good curb appeal. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, large storage in back with alley access. $51,000.

COMMERCIAL LOTS AND ACREAGE916 Lamesa Hwy. - 6 lots, great commercial site.Thorpe/Wasson - Commercial lots-frontage, $80,000.S. Service Rd & FM 700 - Good building site, 1.08 acre.N. Hwy. 87 - I-20 Frontage, 5 ac. tracts, $399,000.500 E. FM 700 - 1.8 acre, corner lot.1208 E 4th - 50 x 140 on corner lot, $12,000.1210 E. 4th - Corner lot, $12,000. 1900 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1901 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1210 E. 5th - Corner lot, $6,000.1611 E. 4th - Corner lot, $65,000.1201 Scurry - Good retail location, $50,000.1202 Scurry - Nice retail lots, $15,000.1605 Scurry - 0.177 ac., 3 sides fenced.500 Gregg - 100' frontage, 140' deep, $195,000.1207 Utah - 2 lots, $17,000.421 E. 3rd - 2 lots, $10,000.

RESIDENTIAL ACREAGEKentwood -5.08 acres, South of Merrily St.Kentwood - 89.10 acres, East of Kentwood.Stanton - 7.10 acres, beautiful building site. $35,000.S. Goliad - 9.681 ac., prime acreage, beautiful building site.Campestre Estates - 5ac. tracts - $12,500. (32 tracts available).Hearn - 3.86 acres, Forsan ISD, $11,500.South Mountain - 6.187 ac., beautiful building location.Angela Rd. - 10 acres, $19,000. RESIDENTIAL LOTSParkland Estates - Thorpe / Wasson, $35,000 each.Forsan - Warren St., nice building lot, $4,500.Connally - 7 lots, $11,500.Parkway Rd. - 70 lots, great building opportunity, $250,000.Coronado Hills - 6 residential lots. $49,000.Scott Drive - $18,000.712 Craigmont - $17,000.720 Craigmont - $17,500.3802 Dixon - $8,000.3800 Dixon - $8,000.3802 Parkway - $4,000.3800 Parkway - $4,000.4000 Vicky - $8,000.2513 E. 25th - $10,000.1308 E. 6th - $8,000.702 Caprock - $34,000.3204 Fenn Ave. - $6,500.403 E. 8th - 2 lots, covered parking, $13,000.702 Colgate - 6,500.

Lots and Acreage

Specializing in Residential,Commercial, Farm and Ranch,

HUD or VA acquired properties.

FARM AND RANCHInterstate 20 - 941.9 acres, Ranch Land, no minerals.

SELLER WILL GIVE $3,500 A/C allowance on this spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath with 2 living areas. Low maintenance vinyl siding, recent new roof, sprinkler system, storage shed, 1 car garage. $49,900.

A REAL BARGAIN! Attractive and updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath home. Berber carpet, nice tiled kitchen and front bath, washer/dryer/ refrigerator stay, 1 car garage. $49,900.

NEAT AND TIDY 2 bedroom, 2 bath with central heat/ref. air, masonry and wood fence, single car garage, on corner lot. $47,000.

NEEDS SOME TLC but has attractive curb appeal! 2 bedroom, 1 bath with one car garage and two carports. Will be sold "as is". $40,000.

BARGAIN BUY on this 3 bedroom, 1 bath. Pretty kitchen with nice cabinets and countertops, central heat/ref. air, attached carport. Priced at $35,000.

GOOD STARTER HOME or investment property. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, nice painted interior, hardwood �oors, close to college and elementary school. $34,000.

The source of square footage quoted on all properties listed in this magazine is Howard County Appraisal District.

Living Magazine 15

Commercial Properties

www.coronadohills.net - www.highlandsouth.com - www.kentwoodneighbors.com

307 W. 4th - Three lots with concrete building, the two houses on property will be moved.

1901 W. 16th - 9,900 sq. ft., additional building with 2,000 sq. ft. paved parking, 5 acres included.

502 E. FM 700 - For sale or lease, 11,242 sq. ft., fenced, 2.52 acres.

NEW 600 MAIN - O�ce building with 8 o�ces, 2 baths, 2 reception areas, storage building, 3,900 sq. ft.

710 S. GREGG - OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE - Recent updating, large parking area, good location.

1011 W. 4th - Approx. 7,356 sq. ft., showroom, shop with overhead door, fenced yard.

611 GREGG - For sale or lease, central heat/ref. air, basement, storage shed.

115 & 117 E. 18th - Brick duplex - Each unit includes 2 bedrooms, bath, laundry room, living room, kitchen, garage.

NEW 2528/2530 FAIRCHILD - REMODELED DUPLEX - One unit is 3 bdrm., 1 bath, other unit is 2 bdrm., 1 bath. Great investment property.

All of the properties advertised in this magazine were actively for sale at the time of publication. If the property has sold, or been withdrawn from the market, this is not an o�ering of that property for sale, and is only a representation of the properties that Home Realtors lists and sells.

308 SCURRY - Could be used for o�ces or retail, nice downtown location, central heat/ref. air, 3,164 sq. ft.

309 BENTON - Nice building, 6,308 sq. ft., good parking. For sale or lease, rent for $1200 month.

1701 & 1703 GREGG - Corner lot with large building, space enough for 2 businesses, residential home in back.

1211 E. 3rd - Large warehouse, 2 truck loading docks, 2 o�ces, 6,800 sq. ft., possible owner �nance.

200 W. BROADWAY - COAHOMA - Inactive service station, owner says tanks are good. Possible owner �nance.

NEW 806 W. I-20 - Approx. 5,632 sq. ft., 1.05 acres. Four 5-ton units, 2 septics, adjoining 3.57 acres that can be purchased.

303 YOUNG - 4,632 sq. ft., o�ce space, 5 bays with overhead doors. Has long term renter that would like to stay if possible.

NEW 4000 W. Hwy. 80 - Apartment complex with 14 apartments plus RV Park and 6 storage spaces. Will sell Apartments separate from RV Park.

16 Living Magazine

Living Magazine 17

18 Living Magazine

A change in lifestyle

By Thomas Jenkins

Living Magazine 19

A change in lifestyle

For Lorie and Jose Avina, helping to get their family healthy isn’t just a peripheral concern, it’s a priority.

Lorie Avina, 38, recently began walking at the Big Spring State Park with her 4-year-old daughter, Mi-chaela, and her mother, part of an exercise regimen the family is hoping will improve their health while shed-ding a few extra pounds.

“My mother has walked at Scenic Mountain for years,” said Avina. “However, between taking care of my foster kids and Michaela, we re-ally didn’t have much time.”

Avina said her husband, Jose, re-cently discovered he suffered from diabetes, and watching him struggle with the disease was just one of many elements that encouraged her and her daughter to lace up their walking shoes and make health a priority.

“He was diagnosed with diabetes, and I watched him go from 220 pounds to 165 pounds,” said Avina.

“It was at that point both of us realized we were going to have to take better care of our health if we expected to be around to see our kids grow up.”

Married 10 years, Avina said it’s been an uphill battle for her and her husband to develop a lifestyle suited to his diabetes.

“A lot of it is things we real-ize now we really should have done years ago,” she said. “In the end, it’s really just a lot of little things we eat here and there. You really don’t real-ize how many carbohydrates you’re really getting, or even how much sugar, until you’re forced to read the labels of everything you place on the dinner table. It really opened our eyes to a lot of things that we were doing wrong.”

Avina said Michaela’s weight has also become a concern.

“The pediatricians keep telling us she’s going to be a very tall girl,” said Avina, smiling at her daughter seated next to her. “And it’s likely she’ll outgrow most of her weight issues. However, there’s a lot more to it than just your physical health. Kids these days can be really mean and cruel, and as a parent, it’s hard to see your child teased or called names because of their weight.”

While Michaela is Avina’s first child, born long after doctors had told the local woman she couldn’t bear chil-dren, the woman is no stranger to motherhood.

“When I was told I couldn’t have children, we decided to be foster parents,” said Avina. “We had two children — Trevor and Casey Smith — come and live with us when they were about 10 and 11 years old. They are 17 and 18 years old now and still live here in town, and they are my children in my heart.

“I’ve seen first hand what it’s like for children growing up today through them. I know all of the teasing that

20 Living Magazine

goes on, and that’s something I re-ally want to avoid for Michaela, if i can. That’s why we’ve made changes in our diets and started paying more attention to just how much exercise we’re getting. And if you didn’t know it already, walking the mountain is a lot of exercise.”

And while Michaela huffed and puffed her way up the mountain next to her mother the first few times they

began their exercise regimen, Avina said it wasn’t long before the 4-year-old was exceeding everyone’s expec-tations.

“We’ve only been at this a short time, but she has already managed to walk the entire mountain,” said Avi-na, looking proudly at her daughter. “It was hard at first. A lot of those hills really make you struggle, but she kept right on walking and managed

to make it all the way around.“I can’t tell you how proud I am

of her. How many children can say they’ve walked that entire mountain? Not many, I’m willing to bet. It just goes to show, you have to set goals for yourself and keep trying until you make it. You can’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. You can’t let other people discourage you, because it’s not them out there walking. It’s you, and whether or not you make it — whether or not you stick to it and get healthier — is completely up to you and no one else.”

And while Michaela’s young mind may not grasp the importance of what her mother is trying to do for her now, the 4-year-old isn’t shy about what makes walking the moun-tain fun for her.

“It’s fun because you get to see all the different animals,” said Michaela. “The animals are my favorite part.”

Though the members of the Avina Family — including 5-year-old Angel Avina — know the road to a healthi-er lifestyle isn’t necessarily the easiest, Lorie Avina said it’s one they plan to stick to for a very long time.

“It’s so much easier just to eat whatever you want, whenever you want,” she said. “But there’s a price that has to be paid in the end, and if that means losing someone we love, it’s not a price we’re willing to pay. We have to watch what we eat, not just for Jose’s health, but for all our health. It’s tough, but it’s worth it.”

The Avinas aren’t the only local family taking advantage of the park and its rolling roadways, however.

“You see so many people there, even early in the morning,” said Avina. “Everyone is really friendly, and they’ll wave to you or stop and say hello. Exercise is a big part of it, but there’s another part, and that’s spending time with your family and seeing all the other people who have discovered what an amazing place the state park really is.”

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Living Magazine 21

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Hi, my name is Steve ... and I’m an addict.

(Crowd responds, “Hi, Steve.”)

For the past year, I have found my-self consumed by this addiction and I am powerless against it. My days are spent feeding this addiction and my nights are restless because of it.

That’s right — I’m talking about fantasy football.

What? You thought I was on hero-in or something?

Go ahead and laugh, but I imagine there’s a bunch of football fans out there sadly nodding their heads and saying, “I feel your pain, brother.” And there’s probably a bunch of football fans’ wives out there nod-ding their heads and saying, “I told you that crap was a waste of time.”

For the uninitiated, fantasy foot-ball usually involves a group of peo-ple (called “team owners”) who get

together and form a “league.” This “league” then holds a “draft” to form the individual “teams.” The “teams” then play “games” against each other and the “owners” end up losing their “minds.”

OK, I got carried away there. Let’s try again.

A group of guys (although some women have been known to stare into the face of this particular dragon) get together and form a league of virtual teams. The league then holds a draft, which each team owner selecting a certain number of players.

During the season, the team own-ers square off against each other. Long story short — the team that has the best individual stats, wins.

Simple, right?Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho.That was what I thought when I

was first asked to join a fantasy last year. Despite a small voice in my head (a voice I now pay more atten-tion to, thank you very much) telling me I was getting in over my head, I

decided to give it a try.The first thing you learn about

being in a fantasy league is that it can be extremely time-consuming. Just preparing for the draft takes hours upon hours — and that’s just the start of the madness. After the draft, and once the season starts, you spend Lord knows how much time pouring over statistics, injury re-ports, “inside information” tips and anything you might deem remotely helpful in fielding the best players come Sunday afternoon.

For some, especially novices such as myself, it becomes a bit of an ob-session.

Just a “bit” of an obsession, mind you. And the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a “mild disturbance.”

Now, here’s the funny part.Imagine spending all that time, on

what is basically a pastime, building one team. Ridiculous, right? Now,

Confessions of a fantasyfootball addict

By Steve Reagan

consider this: A lot of fantasy own-ers compete in multiple leagues. Heck, I know this one guy who plays in 10 of the suckers.

Ten!Can you imagine how much time

and energy someone with multiple fantasy teams must devote to his or her craft? If they worked that hard at work, they’d cure cancer — or, at

least, impress the heck out of their bosses.

Here’s another thing about com-peting in more than one league: It is very likely that players you own in one league will be owned by your competitors in another league, which means there will be occasions where you are both rooting for and against a certain player during a

game.How sick is that?You’re probably asking right now,

“If this thing is so bad, why do you do in the first place?”

Because its fun.If you’re a football fan, you’ve

probably convinced yourself at one time or another that you could do just as good a job putting a team together as the real-life yahoos who hold down the actual gig. Well, fan-tasy football allows you that chance.

The competition is fun, the re-search is fun and you have a really good reason (by your way of think-ing, anyway) of watching every pro football game this season — and that’s fun, too.

Then, you get to make a lot of new friends, and that’s fun. You get to spend time trading good-natured (well, most of the time they’re good-natured) insults with these new friends and — you guessed it — that can be a load of fun.

Every Sunday of the season is fun. Even when you lose, there’s a large element of fun involved. And win-ning? That’s mucho, mucho fun, señor.

Fun can be just as addicting — if a lot more harmless — than any nar-cotic. But by the end of the football season, you are more than willing to get off the roller coaster for awhile.

Spend a few months recharging your batteries, however, and you’re ready for the wild ride once again.

Unlike my addiction to cigarettes (which I’m in the process of beat-ing), I have no intention of breaking my fantasy football habit. I don’t plan to get quite as swallowed up this season, but I’m leaving myself open to the possibility.

After all, I own four teams this year.

Pray for me.22 Living Magazine

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Living Magazine 23

ConstructionZone Ahead

Photos by Jonathan Hull and Steve Reagan

24 Living Magazine

Three conditions in the hand and wrist that commonly occur in adults

are ganglion cysts, trigger fingers and dupuytren’s contractures. These conditions obviously do not occur in the majority of the population, but they do occur often enough that most people know of someone with one of these conditions.Ganglion cysts are found

in the adult population with no known causation but develop from connective tissue. The ganglion cysts are fluid filled cysts that are located just under the skin near a joint capsule or a tendon sheath. The cysts are usually found on the wrist and ankles but can be found elsewhere. When the cysts are small they are usually just cosmetic, but as the grow larger they can pressure adjacent nerves, tendons and other soft tissue which can cause pain.On the wrist, the cyst are usually

round and firm. They will start out very small like a pea-size nodule and over time will grow larger up to the size of a ping pong ball. It is rare that a ganglion cyst will reach this size because most people will have had them treated before they get that big. If the cyst is no larger than the size of a marble, then the manipulation of the adjacent joint can be performed. The manipulation will cause the cyst to drain, eliminating the cyst for around

six to 12 months. Because the cystic material is still there under the skin, the cyst eventually will reform and the manipulation will have to be performed again. The high point of using the chiropractic manipulation is there is no invasive procedure and no drugs are having to be utilized.If the ganglion cyst is larger than

a marble, surgical intervention is the only option to treat it. Although surgery is invasive and expensive, the upside to having the surgery is that the ganglion cysts very rarely reoccur afterward. Trigger fingers are easy to spot

as adults will have a finger or thumb that snaps as the individual flexes and extends his or her finger or thumb. The snap can be felt and heard as it occurs. The

individual can get a trigger finger after an injury or for no apparent or known reason. The snapping finger is caused

when a person develops a nodule of scar tissue around the flexor tendon. When this nodule becomes too big to easily fit through the tendon sheath, it has to be forced through. When it is forced through you get the snapping audible and action of the nodule passing through the sheath. This snapping action is usually mild at first and will produce only mild pain, but after a few days of the snapping action the individual will develop much more pain and dysfunction of the finger. The snapping will cause a lot

of inflammation in the tendon sheath, so the longer you go

Common conditions treated naturally

Living Magazine 25

without treating the trigger finger the worse the condition will get. If you get in within one to three weeks after developing the trigger finger, the finger can be treated conservatively with soft tissue techniques such as myofascial stripping or active release techniques, along with ultrasound therapy. At home, the patient would ice the palm side of the hand for 15 to 20 minutes at the end of their day. With conservative treatment, you are still looking at six to 10 treatments to take care of the trigger finger. If you have waited longer than three weeks, the trigger finger becomes much more difficult to treat conservatively. Once the nodule has become big enough and has inflamed the area enough through the snapping action, you are left with a visit to your orthopedic surgeon. Dupuytren’s contracture is

caused by scar tissue developing on the over the flexor tendons of the fingers in the palm of the hand. The scar tissue will cause the tendon or tendons in the palm of the hand to become very tight and will feel very rigid and taut like a string on a guitar. The longer this condition goes on

without treatment, the more the scar tissue will cause the finger to be pulled in toward the palm and will not let the finger extend back to its normal position.This condition can and should

be treated conservatively. The patient should see their chiropractor so he or she can perform the soft tissue techniques of myofascial release and or active release techniques and ultrasound therapy. At-home techniques will also be taught. The stage of the condition will determine the frequency and duration of the treatment plan. These conditions are just a

few your chiropractor could help you with. If you have a problem

that you are not sure what it is or where to go for treatment, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor so he or she can either help you get well or refer you to the appropriate specialist. Remember the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so take care of yourself don’t let your health problems go until it is too late.

Dr. James C. Riley operates Riley Chiropractic Health Center, located at 1318 E. Fourth St. in Big Spring.

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Common conditions treated naturally

One of the challenges we have in creating excellent images is getting the colors of

our prints to match the colors of our subject. In the film days we had the choice of daylight films or tungsten film. We could also use filters to insure that we got the colors right. There was also the option of letting the lab correct the colors for you. Today, with digital we have what is called “white balance.”

Many of us have experienced the results of having the white balance set wrong. If you have taken images inside with fluorescent lighting and

you didn’t use flash, Aunt Ethel’s face would have a lovely shade of green. It definitely would not go with her blue hair. If the image was taken under incandescent lighting everything would have a yellow tint.

So what do we do to correct this issue? I thought you would never ask. The easiest way to get your colors accurate is to set your camera’s white balance setting to auto. How do we do that? All together now — read the manual. You knew I was going to say that.

Setting the white balance is different on each brand of camera. If you have a point and shoot camera you don’t have as many options as you do with a DSLR. I said setting your white balance to auto was the

easiest. Unfortunately the easiest is not always the best. Depending on your camera, auto white balance is not very accurate. It is easily fooled if you have mixed lighting, such as daylight and incandescent.

Another way to get the white balance is to set it manually. Most cameras have different settings for white balance. Some cameras can have some or all of the following: incandescent, fluorescent, direct sunlight, flash, cloudy and shade. Some cameras even let you select the color temperature. If the light you’re shooting in is one of the above, set the white balance on your camera to that setting and take a test shot. Although most lcd screens on the back of cameras are not very

26 Living Magazine

By Bruce Schooler

accurate, you can get a good idea whether or not the colors will look good. I shoot with my camera set to cloudy when I am outside even when it is not cloudy. I do this because it slightly warms up the skin tones to give a pleasing portrait.

Another alternative is to set your camera to capture the image in the raw format rather than jpeg. Not all cameras have this option. Most DSLR cameras have this setting. This will allow you to set the white balance on your computer using your photo editing software. Most professional photographers shoot in the raw format, as it gives them more options to get a great image.

On some Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras you can also set white balance manually using a grey card or an expodisc. An expodisc is a device that you place on the end of your lens to set white balance. I use it a lot, especially in mixed lighting. Use your manual to get the instructions on how to manually set your white balance on your camera.

I hope this will help you on your quest to capture outstanding images. If you have any questions or comments, please call us at our studio or leave us an e-mail. Our studio phone number is (432) 264-7728 or (432) 466-3315. Our e-mail address is schoolerphoto@suddenlink.net.

Living Magazine 27

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28 Living Magazine

Call her the teacher’s teacher.Ann McClarty, a 20-year vet-eranof theeducationalfield,wasrecently hired by Big Spring In-dependent School District as ex-ecutive director of instruction and

personnel, a $5 title that basically means she will be in charge of making sure the district’s instruc-tors are up on the latest teaching techniques.“I’ll provide training and sup-

port for teachers in the class-room,” McClarty said. “And I’ll be working very closely with (Su-perintendent) Steven Saldivar and (Assistant Superintendent) Danny Ferrell on personnel matters. Basi-

Teacher’s eacher

By Steve Reagan

cally, we’ll all be working together as a team.”McClarty, the daughter of a

teacher, decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps after a 10-year detour into another career.The Hereford native obtained a dental assistant’s certificate fromAmarillo College and spent a de-cadeinthatfieldbeforegettingtheurge to teach.“Being a dental assistant was a

great opportunity to meet people,” McClarty said. “Every situation ... was different. I really enjoyed my time there — it was fun.”McClarty said her mother, a

home economics instructor for more than three decades, didn’t push her to become a teacher.“Education was important to my

parents, but it wasn’t that they said I had to go into teaching,” McClarty said. “They wanted us to follow our dreams, so I chose to go to junior college, then work. I later decided that teaching was what I really wanted.”So McClarty returned to school,

earning a degree in elementary education from West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University).“I took school a little more seri-

ously the second time around,” she said. “I think my experience in the business world helped — I could see education from both a business point of view and a passion point of view.”She was a classroom instructor

for about a decade, teaching el-ementary classes in Hereford, then Amarillo, before moving into ad-ministration.Over the next several years, Mc-

Clarty served as either assistant principal or principal at three

Amarillo elementary campuses before moving the Big Spring. As she sees it, those years in the prin-cipal’s chair proved to be perfect preparation for her current job.“At Amarillo, I had the opportu-

nity to be involved with staff de-velopment,” she said. “We’d de-velop strategies for the teachers to take back into the classroom. The goal was to make them the best teachers they could be.”She plans to continue that work,

although on a district-wide scale, at Big Spring. The rationale behind her efforts is that she believes bet-ter teachers make better students.“My passion is kids and that they

have the best education possible, so they can then turn that into a professional career or a trade,” McClarty said. “My role is to pro-vide teachers with the opportunity for new learning that they can take back into the classroom.”Although her background has

been mostly at the elementary lev-el, McClarty does not anticipate having trouble adapting her meth-ods to a variety of campuses.“Good teaching is good teach-

ing, whether it’s at elementary or high school,” she said. “It’s just a matter of concentrating on good teaching practices.”And developing those good teach-

ing practices is a year-round job, she added. Aside from standard staff development time before and during breaks in the school year, McClarty plans to begin an acade-my to help newer teachers develop classroom skills.“It’s geared for teachers who are

early in their careers,” she said. “We’ll be working with them on building good foundational skills to become a good classroom

teacher, and we’ll work with them through the school year.”The academy’s aim is to leaven

what the teachers learned in col-lege with some of their older col-league’s experience.“As with any job, many things are

easier with experience,” McClarty said. “(Newer teachers) come out of college with good skills, but they’re going to need support. If they get that support, over time, they’ll become better teachers.“The most important thing we

can provide teachers with are the tools they need to engage students in the classroom,” she added. “Teachers sometimes don’t appre-ciate the difference they make in a child’s life.”

Living Magazine 29

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John Lang, M.D.G E N E R A L S U R G E O N

Alan Abel, M.D.G E N E R A L S U R G E O N

43904_SCEN_HB7_25x9_25_4C.indd 1 8/14/09 2:45 PM