Photographs by Andrew Arceri

Fashion Stylist Alex Becnel

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By Lea Rittenhouse | Photos by Chris Pound

Bingo cards, an owl, multiple bright shades of color and unique texture make up the elements in Tiffany Petty’s favorite piece of art she’s ever made  — she says she’ll never sell it.

“No one else could have made it,” Tiffany says of the painting, which she also has tattooed on her body. “It’s very unique to me, and it speaks a lot about my style and my art and what it looks like when I do art.”

When she created the art, it had little meaning to her, but she’s since learned the odd texture and a seemingly random focal point combined with the colorful  theme reflects who she is as a person and an artist. Although she grew up a self-described “doodle-er,” art only became substantial to her during her sophomore year at Robert E. Lee High School after she received encouragement from an art teacher. “I made a painting — it was so weird and stupid, and it was just every color everywhere, but she (the teacher) was so into it,” Tiffany says.

At Tyler Junior College, she studied under Derrick White, who helped her believe she was truly an artist, and greatly influenced her method to art.

“I don’t know how other artists are, but I never think, ‘I’m going to make a painting and this is what it’s going to look like,’” she says. “I literally start with a blank something and I don’t know how it’s going to end.” She uses anything she can get her hands on to create: canvas, a piece of wood, paper.

“I think paint by itself is boring. … I’ll mix oil and acrylic, or pastels, or pieces of paper, or fabric or anything, because I think texture is really interesting and I think flat things aren’t as interesting.”

Tiffany left Tyler at age 19 and carried art into her next venture, being on the staff at a camp in California, where she made set decorations and painted. After working at the camp, she moved to Tennessee and channeled her creativity in a new way — becoming a tattoo artist.

Through a visit to a Christian tattoo shop in Nashville with a friend, Tiffany was offered an internship based on her abilities.  “I wouldn’t have done a tattoo internship if I wasn’t interested in art, because it really helps,” Tiffany says. “It was something that kind of fell into my life.”

After living in Tennessee for five years, Tiffany moved back to Tyler last year.  She says she now recognizes that she and her art have matured and that art has been one of the only things that has remained constant in her life. “It’s just always been consistent in my life, whether things were good or bad, or where I was, or even who I was as a person. It has always been me creating,” she says. “I’m kind of like the prodigal daughter. I left town and figured out who I was and where God wanted me to be, and when I got back, art just meant more to me.”

When she was younger, Tiffany created what she describes as empty art, because she didn’t know who she was. She’s become confident in who she is, what role she wants to play in life and what she wants her art to look like. Tiffany has paintings on display in Tyler businessesCaffé Tazza (where she works), 8th Street Boutique and Wasabi. She also has participated in art shows and plans to be more involved in the community with her art.

Full of personality and whimsical creativity, Tiffany dreams of using her creative talent to amplify her faith.

“I think if you have a talent and you don’t use it to bring glory to God, it’s purposeless. I know that my talent is from the Lord,” she says. “I see it as something to offer the world and the kingdom. It’s something I can give.”

Tiffany says she’s learned not to take her art too seriously, or even seriously at all. “I’ve learned if someone makes something and calls it art, it’s art,” she says. “It’s the act of creating, good, bad, ugly, pretty — creating anything is art.”

To learn more about her art, email Tiffany at tiffany.petty@gmail.com.

 

By David Wallace | Photos by Herb Nygren Jr.

Brighten up your living space with a repurposed cornice, turned ambient lighting fixture. 

Don’t use it and lose it. Use it and then reuse it. In one word, recycle.

If you think recycling is a new trend, think again. Some are apt to believe that Adam and Eve were the first recyclers when they took those broad fig tree leaves that provided shade and recycled them into fashionable garments. Of course, I’m kidding (but nature is the quintessential embodiment of recyclability).

It has taken more than 40 years for recycling to become part of our collective consciousness. Worldwide attention to pressing environmental issues  culminated with the first Earth Day observance on April 22, 1970.

John McConnell, an environmental activist, came up with the idea following an oil spill in January of 1969 that resulted in 100,000 barrels of oil washing onto beaches at Santa Barbara, Calif. U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin led the effort that resulted in the official designation of Earth Day. More than 20 million people participated in events on the first observance. Today, Earth Day attracts more than 500 million observers from 175 countries.

In response to this movement, Chicago-based Container Corporation of America held a contest for art and design students. A 23-year-old University of Southern California student won the contest with a design of three mutually chasing green arrows outlined in black forming an unending single-sided loop. Called the Mobius loop, it became the first universal symbol for recycling.

How well I remember the first Earth Day. I was in high school. It was a cold and windy day. The student body was marched outside. We listened to speeches about our responsibilities to conserve the planet’s resources. Small tree saplings were planted to dedicate the event.

It left an impression on me. Today I still care about being a good steward of our planet’s resources. I hate litter and constantly pick it up. I find ways to reuse old things in new ways as art and decor. I love to recycle. I’ve concluded that virtually everything can be recycled. Recycling is fun, saves money, resources and landfill space and is simply the right thing to do.

RECYLE

I’m very excited to share this recycle project: repurposing a window cornice into shelving with a twist and ambient lighting. The low-cost project is simple. It can inspire you to see how an object that served one purpose can have yet another life.

A cornice (the Italian word for ledge) is any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building, furniture element or, most often, a window. I built the ones in this project for living-room windows of the little country home that we lived in. We placed all kinds of little country decor on the cornices.

I brought them when we moved into our subterranean home on the square in downtown Tyler. Since we don’t have windows like we did, I needed to reuse them. It didn’t take me long to figure out that they could become shelving with lighting. Because we don’t get a lot of sunshine in our new space, we depend on all kinds of lighting. It was easy to string inexpensive rope lights inside the cornices and I ended up with creative shelving with ambient lighting.

THE PROJECT

Most cornices are made of wood; some are made of other materials. If you plan to use one to hold heavy things, such as glassware, then consider using wood. Many times you’ll find cornices at resale shops because people remodel and dispose of them. They cost little money.

The two I built are made from inexpensive pine boards, stock lumber. I used easy, box construction and it only cost me about $10. They measure around 5 feet long. You could spend that much for a ready-made shelf of no more than 15 inches long.

Rope lights usually cost about $10 for a 2-foot long piece but I bought mine at Goodwill for $2. They were still in the original package. You could use clear little Christmas lights for the same effect. They are very inexpensive. Be creative!

Ambient lighting is low-key lighting —the combination of light reflection from various surfaces to produce uniform illumination. It can be either purposeful or simply decorative, but is usually a combination of both.

Movie theater lighting is a good example. You can’t have a lot of light when the movie is on but some light is needed to guide people out to the lobby. For this reason, lighting is placed along the stairs, seats and even the walls. The lights usually are concealed under moldings. Only reflective light is revealed.

The espresso bar in our home was created by firmly attaching two window cornices, one above the other, to the wall. I made sure they were well attached. I used cup hooks inside the top shelf to string the lights. The lights easily can be pulled out if they need to be replaced.

I used a very long strand of rope lights because I wanted light to shine down on the bottom shelf of glassware.  I cut a hole in the top shelf and threaded the lights up through the hole and across the back of the top shelf to light the glassware on the top ledge.

I added a small (1-inch by 2-inch) strip of pine across the back of the top shelf. I painted it the same white color of the shelf. This conceals the light that comes through the hole on the top shelf and across the back. Remember, with ambient light you don’t see the source. You simply see the reflection of light.

I placed a small stainless steel table under the shelves, to conceal the light cords plugged into the wall outlet.

It really pays to recycle!

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By Steve Knight 

As sites of Native American campsites, the earliest footprints of Europeans in Texas, Civil War veterans’ graves and remnants of the work during the Great Depression, Texas’ state parks preserve history.

They are also outdoor recreational wonderlands with swimming and fishing holes; trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding; and activities such as geocaching and star watch parties. They are getaways from the city with enough amenities that roughing it, isn’t really that rough.

In the 1920s, Gov. Pat Neff, an avid traveler by automobile, envisioned a park system of overnight camping sites. Neff convinced the legislature that Texas needed state parks but he couldn’t convince it to fund them so Neff and Park Board Chairman David Colp, a San Antonio car dealer, then convinced Texans to donate land. One of the first donors was the governor’s mother, Isabella Neff. She gave land along the Leon River in McLennan County that became Mother Neff State Park.

State funding didn’t come until a single $25,000 emergency appropriation by Gov. Miriam Ferguson in 1934 and only because the federal government had threatened to pull money earmarked for 26 parks projects by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Today the system includes 95 state parks, eight natural areas, eight historic sites and five state park/historic sites covering 627,360 acres. The parks attract 8 million visitors annually. Almost 2.2 million come, as Neff envisioned, and stay overnight.

In East Texas, 11 state parks offer a variety of scenery and activities.

 TYLER STATE PARK

When work began on Tyler State Park in 1939, its 985 acres were badly damaged by soil erosion. It took four years to develop the park. Today, visitors are drawn to its 65-acre lake and bicycle and hiking trails.

The park was originally designed only for day use. Campsites weren’t developed until the 1960s. Now the 175 camping sites include cabins, screened shelters and places for tents and campers.

About half of the 150,000 annual visitors are day visitors from within 50 miles of Tyler. Three-quarters of overnight campers come from outside the area.

The park was built by Civilian Conservation Corps laborers. Visible projects are the bathhouse, concession stand, boathouse and lake. Less visible are boulders that were hauled to form culverts, dams and coffers to prevent soil erosion and an abandoned youth wading pool behind the headquarters.

In the 1950s and ’60s, the park was popular with a young crowd that came to weekend dances. Today, the 11 miles of bike and hike trails developed in the late 1990s by Tyler Bicycle Club is a big draw.

The lake is popular as a winter fishery for rainbow trout stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and a spring fishery for largemouth bass.

CADDO LAKE PARK

Caddo Lake State Park is an integral part of a unique landscape. The appearance changes with each season and its flora, fauna and wildlife is like nothing else in the state.

Caddo, at 163 acres, was developed from land donated by, among others, Karnack businessman T.J. Taylor, the father of former first lady Lady Bird Johnson. The CCC projects include a barracks and mess hall that have been transformed into nine cabins and a group recreation facility. The park also has eight screened shelters, 36 trailer sites and 20 tent sites.

The property is shaded by pines, oaks and sweet gum trees. Trails lead to Black Cypress Bayou, where visitors are greeted by the famed cypress trees.

The park attracts about 55,000 visitors annually, including many from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Since Caddo Lake was designated in 1993 as a Wetlands of International Importance site, the park has attracted visitors from around the world.

Development of the adjacent Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge should bring more visitors. The refuge is being created from 8,500 acres of what had been the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant.

A boat is needed to really see the cypresses of the lake and many marinas offer tours. Winter is an especially good time for photography on the lake because in their dormant state, cypresses and Spanish moss become a monotone landscape.

 DAINGIERFIELD STATE PARK

In the fall when the leaves are colorful, Daingerfield State Park is a photographer’s dream. Carved from 500 donated acres in Morris County, the park features CCC buildings in a natural setting.

The park was completed in 1938 and underwent a $5 million renovation in 2010. Its main feature is one of its oldest, an 80-acre lake. The lake attracts visitors who swim, fish or just sit and gaze at the trees that frame it like a picture.

Although the park only has 52 campsites, it attracts 50,000 visitors a year.

RESERVOIR PARKS

Martin Creek Lake, Lake Bob Sandlin, Lake Tawakoni, Cooper and Atlanta state parks are all built adjacent to major reservoirs.

Located in Rusk County, 286-acre Martin Creek Lake SP attracts almost 50,000 visitors annually. The park is near Trammel’s Trace, an old Indian trail used by settlers. It is adjacent to Harmony Hill, a farm community that thrived during the Civil War years and then faltered when a railroad went through Tatum three miles away. The town disappeared after being struck by a tornado in 1906.

The park is the only public access to the lake. The proximity of plant to park creates an odd juxtaposition of nature and industry.

Lake Bob Sandlin SP is all about fishing but has a rich historical background as well. The 640-acre lake is located where Cherokee Trace road crossed Big Cypress Bayou going into what is today Titus County. Blazed in the 1820s, the road was a trail leading from near Nacogdoches north into Arkansas.

More than 150 years ago, the site was in the home range of Caddo Indians. The park attracts about 50,000 visitors a year and has 75 campsites, 12 screened shelters and eight enclosed shelters.

Bob Sandlin SP also teems with history, although most is hidden and still to be discovered. Indian sites aren’t marked because of concerns of looting. The U.S. Calvary’s Fort Sherman is believed to have existed there, but researchers have never discovered its remains.

Near the boat ramp, a cemetery holds the grave of J.F. Coston, a Confederate veteran who reportedly survived 14 battles including Manassas, Antietam, the Wilderness and Gettysburg.

Just 11 years old, Lake Tawakoni SP attracts 71,000 visitors annually. The 376-acre park sits on the southern shore of Lake Tawakoni, one of the best reservoirs for catfish, white bass, striped bass and hybrid striped bass. The park offers nature programs, hiking trails and 40 picnic sites. The 78 multi-use campsites and a group area that holds up to 35.

COOPER LAKE, MARTIN CREEK LAKE  

Cooper Lake SP consists of South Sulphur, a 2,310-acre park in Hopkins County and Doctors Creek, a 715-acre site across Cooper Lake in Delta County.

With boat ramps, fishing piers and a swim area, the lake is the focus. It is the only park in Northeast Texas set up for horseback riding and has 15 miles of trails and a special campsite for those who bring horses. It also has hiking and biking trails, campsites, and 14 cabins that overlook the lake.

Like Martin Creek Lake SP in Fairfield is on a 1,400-acre lake and has been in the park system since 1976. It has 181 campsites.

Fairfield Lake is known for its inland redfish fishery and a tilapia fishery, popular with bow fishermen. In recent years, the lake has been plagued with low oxygen and fishing has fallen off.

ATLANTA STATE PARK

Located on Lake Wright Patman, Atlanta State Park may be the most underutilized park in the area.

Attracting only 25,000 visitors annually, the 1,500-acre park always has room for visitors at its 66 campsites to roam.

PURTIS CREEK STATE PARK

The focus of the 1,200-acre Purtis State Park in Henderson and Van Zandt counties is its 355-acre lake — a visitor magnet. The park attracts 61,000 visitors annually.

Designed as a trophy bass fishery, the lake is also a good spot for crappie fishing and popular with traditional tackle anglers and fly fishermen. A winter catfish fishery attracts a crowd that fishes the lake at night.

The park has 59 campsites and reservations are recommended. It is popular with visitors looking for a place to fish. There is a swimming area and paddle boat, canoe and kayak rentals.

MISSION TEJAS

Mission Tejas State Park is all about history. The 363-acre park is on the El Camino Real, Texas Highway 21, and contains a portion of the Old San Antonio Road used by Spanish explorers and founders of Texas such as Moses Austin, the father of Stephen F. Austin.

The land was purchased by the people of Houston County in 1934 to mark the site of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, the first of several missions to the Nabedache Caddo tribes.

The site was developed by the CCC and operated by the Texas Forest Service as Mission State Forest. In 1957, TFS turned it over to the Texas State Parks Board, the predecessor of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Among the CCC projects is an interpretation of the original mission that was located less than a mile from the park headquarters. It is believed the floor stones for the reconstructed building came from the original.

Located across from the Davy Crockett National Forest, Mission Tejas has 17 campsites and one group site. It attracts almost 12,000 visitors a year.

 Know before you go

Costs: Day-use visitors 13 and over pay a daily entrance fee of $3 to $5. A Texas State Park Pass for $70 includes entry to all state parks and includes daily admission for everyone in a vehicle. Camping fees range from $6 to $26 per night. Cabin and lodge fees range from $50 to $225.

Reservations: Reservations are not required, but are recommended, especially on and around holidays and weekends. Call the statewide reservation system at 512-389-8900 or go online at http://texas.reserveworld.com.

Guide: Get a State Park Guide from area parks or view online at http://trendmag2.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=111073.

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Story and Photos by Jennifer Babisak & Courtesy Photos

When it comes to a family-friendly weekend getaway, I had never considered crossing the state line to Shreveport-Bossier City. After all, I thought of the destination, with its posh casinos and plethora of drive-thru daiquiri shops, as a hotspot for adults-only entertainment. 

A recent getaway with my three kids revealed Shreveport-Bossier City’s family-friendly side. We found kid-friendly attractions, world-class museums and acclaimed restaurants.

Upon arriving, we headed to the Louisiana Boardwalk — the sprawling retail development along the Red River. The picturesque setting, illuminated by strands of hanging lights and dotted with graceful fountains, offers kid-friendly perks, such as the Louisiana Wildlife Carousel and the Magnolia Belle Trolley. Window-shopping at the Banana Republic Factory Store, Nine West Outlet and other stores left us hungry, so we headed to one of the Boardwalk’s finest restaurants, Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro.

Decorated in an upscale coastal theme with starfish mosaics and shell sculptures, the restaurant offers sumptuous entrees, ranging from pastas to hand-battered seafood. We started our restless toddlers with complimentary “baby plates”— fruit and bread arranged in the shape of a smiley face. The rest of us chowed down on the Spicy Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich, a peanut vinaigrette drizzled Thai Chicken Wrap, and, of course, decadent servings of Copeland’s famous cheesecake (the kids swooned over the cookies and cream version; the adults preferred the strawberry and tuxedo varieties).

That night, we retired to our elegant suite at The Homewood Suites by Hilton. The new, dual-concept hotel shares administrative space with a connected Hilton Garden Inn. Our suite, decorated in a modern scheme of chocolate and gold, had a bedroom with king bed, living room with sleeper sofa and full kitchen. We enjoyed complimentary hot chocolate in the evening and a complimentary breakfast with eggs, scones and yogurt. A pool, fitness room, and putting green offer plenty of opportunities for recreation.

The next morning, my little sports-loving son and I visited the Ark-La-Tex Sports Museum of Champions located in the lobby of the Shreveport Convention Center. The museum recognizes more than 100 distinguished area athletes, including football great Terry Bradshaw and golfer Hal Sutton. We saw everything from football jerseys to champion riding saddles. My son gushed over items from his favorite teams.

Just down the street, we entered the world of Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center. The 92,000-square-foot educational center boasts almost 300 exhibits, an IMAX, planetarium, gift shop and cafe. We made our way through the Nature Lab, a light-filled space dominated by floor-to-ceiling windows that allow picturesque views of trains crossing the Red River. A replica riverboat pays homage to Shreveport’s history as a major hub of steamboat commerce. The replica, called the Archimedes, allows kids to turn the paddle wheel and pull its whistle. Nearby, a water play feature teaches kids about locks and dams as they send toy boats downriver.

In an adjacent room, we saw a group of youngsters assembling hundreds of dominoes, only to knock them down in a thrilling chain reaction. We took turns lying on a bed of 3,000 nails, which demonstrated that distributing the weight over a large area prevents the nails from piercing our skin. The kids were fascinated by a whirling tornado in a jar and a “Pump Yourself Up” chair that sent them soaring into the air via a hydraulic cylinder.

In The Space Center exhibit, we walked through a mesmerizing tunnel that simulates a space walk by immersing visitors in 360 degrees of star-dappled darkness. Our space walk led to the Space Dome planetarium where we watched a short film starring Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo. The duo makes a trip to the moon, educating us about constellations along the way. Outside the planetarium, a sailboat gave the kids the opportunity to hop on board and practice celestial navigation.

We grabbed a snack at Sci Port’s cafe, Counter Culture. We split a Humphrey Yogurt, which delivered the right balance of tangy frozen yogurt mixed with fresh fruit, granola, and a drizzle of honey. The kids scraped the last bits of the gooey confection into their mouths as we moved to more adventure.

A few minutes away, we found the Ark-La-Tex Mardi Gras Museum. Home to the second largest collection of Mardi Gras royalty costumes in the world, the museum focuses on the Mardi Gras experience of North Louisiana. The kids gasped in wonder as we looked at the dozens of Mardi Gras floats outside the museum. Fashioned to resemble famous cartoon characters and celebrities such as Fred Flintstone and John Wayne, the larger-than-life floats entertain even when removed from the revelry of a Mardi Gras parade.

Before heading home, we stopped at the famous Strawn’s Eat Shop and indulged in down-home cooking — cheeseburgers, meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, and grilled cheese. Of course, these savory bites were only a prelude to the real star: Strawn’s famous pie. We sampled the chocolate cream and coconut, but really raved about the strawberry pie. Biting into the juicy berries topped with a cloud of whipped cream, we understood why the dessert has been featured in Southern Living six times. With that tasty impression lingering on our lips, we wondered why we’d waited so long to explore the family side of Shreveport.

By Rebecca Hoeffner | Photo By Sarah A. Miller

EDITOR’S NOTE: With the arrival of longer days comes for many a much needed vacation – a time for grabbing a good book to pass the time as you relax by a pool or, better yet, on a tropical beach. Here are three easy reads that entertain and inspire at the same time.

“Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World”  // by Bob Goff 

The author of “Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World” believes in doing life a little differently. That’s why Bob Goff created a giant, man-sized Valentine’s Day card after he met the woman who would be his wife, why he and some friends sailed the Pacific in a rickety sailboat, why he camped out in front of the dean’s office to get into law school, why he started freeing children in Africa and why he considers Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland his office.

It’s a whimsical, fun-filled collection of adventures from his life and what he thinks they say about God, Christ and love.

Each chapter is a different story from Bob’s life. Far from being self-indulgent, Goff isn’t even the hero in many of the stories. He shares the spotlight with other extraordinary people he’s met along the way. If you’re looking for moving prose and intellectual stimulation, this is not the book for you. Goff admits he’s a lawyer, not a writer. But if you’re looking for something entertaining and light — I chuckled out loud several times throughout the 215 pages — you’ll likely enjoy this.

All of the proceeds from the book sales go to two nonprofit organizations Goff is involved with, Restore International’s Leadership Academy in Gulu, Uganda, (www.restoreinternational.org) and The Mentoring Project (www.thementoringproject.org).

“Radical: Fighting to put Students First”   // by Michelle Rhee

This memoir from an education reformer is hot off the presses and an impressive story from a woman who works tirelessly out of a belief in the power of education.

Michelle Rhee got her start in education with Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that places recent college graduates in inner-city schools. The experience opened Rhee’s eyes to the needs of children in America’s public school system, and she never was the same. After two years, she decided she wanted to make a bigger impact on students across the country. She created a new branch of Teach for America that contracted with school districts to hire excellent teachers.

She transitioned from there to chancellor of the public school system in Washington, D.C., when it was one of the worst in the country. She gained national recognition for turning the system around (teachers in Tyler recognized the name).

Now she is founder and CEO of Students First, an organization that fights for the best thing for students — often going up against teachers’ unions — all across the country.

Rhee is known for her tireless efforts, and her passion comes through in the book.

This dedication comes at a price — Rhee acknowledges the price as she mentions her divorce – but it’s hard not to admire and be inspired by her efforts.

While I am someone who believes passionately in education reform, I was nervous to pick up this book. I was worried that Rhee would bog things down and that the book would be hard to follow.

That wasn’t the case at all. It’s a delightful journey that makes the reader want to ask themselves, “what can I do to help put students first?” With a publication date in 2005, this New York Times Bestseller is a little outdated, but it’s one of my favorite novels. (Also, is anyone else in disbelief that 2005 was eight years ago?)

“Love Walked In”  // by Marisa De Los Santos

“Love Walked In” was recommended by one of my best friends, even though I don’t typically read fiction. Any time a best friend recommends something, you should seriously consider it.

The main character and I share a love for classic movies and hyperbole. As a matter of fact, the author uses a delicious litany of literary devices. De Los Santos’ background is in poetry, and she makes use of those skills beautifully in the details of this story.

The plot centers around Cornelia Brown, a single woman who runs a coffee shop in Philadelphia. When a Cary Grant look-alike enters the picture and they start dating, she can’t believe her luck.

Across town, a young girl struggles to understand as her mother begins to act as a stranger.

Your heart will break for 11-year-old Clare as her mother begins to mysteriously disappear and she has to fend for herself.

The way the two are intertwined makes for an unpredictable story of kindness and love.

This is far and away the most unpredictable, whimsical, heartwarming novel I’ve read in a long time.

By Jim Laws

Jim Laws is the minister at Broadway Church of Christ in Tyler. Raised in Murfreesboro, Tenn., he received an undergraduate degree from  Lipscomb University, a master’s in theology from Harding University, a doctorate in Bible from Tennessee Bible College and a law degree from Concord Law School of Kaplan University. His interests include philosophy and philosophic history as it relates to God and His existence.

Psalm 104 is a beautiful song, which represents the world as the miraculous creation of God. It’s a wonderful corroboration of the Genesis account of the beginning.

The events of the Genesis do not follow a strict chronology or a literal description. The verses are cast in poetic form that review the awesome, creative work of God, a good portion of which we still do not understand.

Notice the first two verses: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, who cover yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens, like a curtain.

With recent discoveries using high-tech instruments, such as telescopes and particle colliders, scientists have been able to envision the beginning of the cosmos as an event when space, matter and time erupted from nothingness. If we could have been there to record it, scientists say we would have seen something much like what the psalmist describes here. The heavens completely filled and wrapped in energy and light, as newly created matter hurled off to its appointed destiny.

Verses 3-9 parallel Genesis 1:2-10, which describes The Creator as the master over the earth. He rides the clouds and is “walking on the winds.” He makes messengers, his angels, a flaming fire. He takes the earth, he transforms it. He brings order out of chaos. God covers the land with water, but referring to the terrestrial seas he (psalmist) says: At your rebuke they fled; at the voice of your thunder they hastened away. They went up over the mountains; they went down to the valleys, to the place which You founded for them.

Verses 10-18 tell of the water nourishing the land (the rain is not even a chance event). He provided the grasses, trees and vegetation to nourish and sustain humans and their animal companions.

Verse 19 points to Day Four of the creation, when the moon and sun take their proper places, serving as governors and points of reference for days and seasons. By God’s design the earth is regulated by rhythms and cycles. The lions hunt for the prey God provides for them at night, though man labors in the day and rests in the evening (verses 20-22).

The psalmist turns to the fifth and sixth day of creation in verses 24-30. God fills the seas with creatures, both great and small. The writer uses the Hebrew word “bara,” meaning to create, which shows life exists because of God’s creation. God created life; he also sustains it.

The psalm draws to a close by sounding God’s praise and glory. May the glory of the Lord endure forever. May the Lord rejoice in His works. He looks on the earth and it trembles. He touches the hills and they smoke.

May we learn more of this marvelous creation and learn to praise the one behind it all.

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By Danny Mogle | Photos Courtesy of Preferred Pools 

When Lindsey Bradley and his wife purchased a home in Tyler’s Stonegate subdivision, just one thing was not quite right – the back yard was a mess.

As Bradley tells it, the backyard was underdeveloped, with only a small patio. Bradley wanted much more from this space. “We love the outdoors,” says the hospital executive. “We love being outside. … We consider the back yard to be another room of the house.”

They had two “musts” for their outdoor space. “We wanted something like a ‘Southern Living’ house with a New Orleans courtyard type of feel … something with a wrought-iron look from the Old South.”

And they wanted a swimming pool. “We had a pool (at our home) in Bullard and loved it.” The Bradleys closed in the small patio to create an inviting sunroom and put the task of transforming the yard into the hands of Lanny Musslewhite, owner of Preferred Pools, and Tyler landscape designer Mike Loggins. The designers, who often collaborate, put into motion a three-step plan.

3 Step Plan:

1. They extended a partially covered courtyard from the house and framed it with decorative wrought-iron fencing. They anchored one end with an oversized fireplace and the other with a water feature.

2. They used walkways to connect the courtyard to the focal point in the yard: a sauna from which the water cascades down a rock formation into a swimming pool with serpentine borders lined with decorative tile.

3. They tied it together with lighting and low-maintenance plants that hug the natural slopes of the property and lead to areas left as Mother Nature created.

The Bradleys are among homeowners who in record numbers are bringing the indoors out and the outdoors in — combining the fresh-air pleasure of nature with the cozy comforts of a family room and the convenience of a fully-functional kitchen.

As the line between indoors and outdoors evaporates, families are extending living spaces onto decks, patios, porches, sunrooms, terraces and poolside cabanas.

“In this uncertain economy, homeowners want to get more enjoyment out of their yards,” says American Society of Landscape Architects Vice President Nancy Somerville, in a news release announcing this year’s hottest outdoor trends. “They want attractive outdoor spaces that are both easy to take care of and sustainable.”

ASLA residential architects say this is another big year for creating outdoor living spaces, installing pools/water features and using fireplaces to turn patios into entertainment retreats. The idea is to create natural extensions of the home by taking into account existing architecture, layout of the property and lifestyle of the family.

“You want it (back yard) to look natural. It needs to be well thought out. When it looks natural, that’s the genius of the property,” says Musslewhite.“The outside is the new inside,” says Byron Utz, owner of Excel Pools and Landscaping, based in Flint.

Homeowners are paying as much attention to the back yard as they are the interior, says Utz. “If the homeowner can dream it up, we can make it happen. There’s is nothing we can’t do.”Utz has worked on outdoor projects as large as $750,000 in which no expenses were spared to create a back yard paradise any resort would envy.  It’s just all a matter of coming up with a budget and selecting the features you want the most, insist design professionals.

By Danny Mogle 

On this Sunday morning, the Neches is on her best behavior. Its level is just high enough for canoes to easily glide over the submerged trees that fall into the soupy, brown water.

In fact, everything is just about perfect. The temperature is in the lower 50s, it is slightly breezy and the sky is a brilliant deep blue — the type of weather that paddlers pray for.

My 19-year-old son, Alexander, and I are about to take our first canoe trip on the Neches. In recent years this river that twists and turns through one of the nation’s most pristine hardwood forests has been the focus of a battle. I want to see what the fuss is all about. Why are people so passionate about preserving the Neches?

Our guides are Kim Zemer, president of Neches River Runners, a nonprofit group that stages the Neches River Wilderness Canoe Race; Dr. Michael Banks, a driving force behind Friends of the Neches, the nonprofit group that has fought to stop efforts to dam the river; Steve Watson, who takes part in canoe races on the river; and experienced river runners Marvin and Charles “Wolf” Parker, bearded brothers who look as if they belong in an episode of the TV show “Duck Dynasty.”

As I climb into a seat in the long and thin canoe, Wolf assures me that it is difficult to tip a canoe over. I’m convinced that if there is a way to do it, I’ll find it. For the next few hours we will be paddling down a seven-mile stretch of the river ending at the bridge on Highway 79, near Jacksonville.

The Neches begins as an unassuming stream just of east of Colfax in Van Zandt County and gradually widens and deepens as it continues southeast for 416 miles to Sabine Lake on the outskirts of Port Arthur. Lake Palestine in Anderson County and B.A. Steinhagen Lake farther to the south are located on the Neches.

LIFE ON THE RIVER

Just minutes after getting on the river, it feels as if we’ve slipped back in time into a primeval forest. Towering hardwoods hug the sandy banks. Loblolly pines stand shoulder to shoulder with oaks, elms, cottonwoods and dogwoods.

“Danny, see that,” shouts Dr. Banks, pointing to a bird skimming the surface.  “That’s a kingfisher. He’ll be our guide.”

On cue, the kingfisher darts ahead and then flies up beckoning us to follow.

I spy something ahead of us. The creature climbs onto a branch in the water, pops its head up and looks us over.

“What’s that?” I call out. “I think it’s an otter.”

“Yeh, it’s an otter, you don’t see that a lot,” says Wolf from the back of the canoe, before the otter dives and disappears.

Wolf tells me he often sees wildlife while he’s on the river, especially when it is warmer. He’s paddled various stretches of the Neches about 50 times.

“Those are tracks left by beavers,” says Wolf pointing to marks on the bank. “You can see where they dragged their tails in the sand as they came out of the water.”

As we round one of the sharp bends in the river, Wolf points to the water’s edge. “I once came across a bunch of wild hogs over there.”

“What about turtles?” I ask later. “I thought we would see more turtles?”

“It’s too cold. In the spring these logs will be covered with turtles.”

Wolf says it is not uncommon to come across snakes.

“People ask me if they ever get in the canoe with me,” says Wolf in a slow deliberate speech that again reminds me of Uncle Si on “Duck Dynasty.” “Sometimes they do. I just use my paddle to lift them out. They don’t want to be in here with me any more than I want them in here.”

PRESERVING THE NECHES

Not long ago, many feared we could lose the upper Neches.  To meet long-term water needs, the city of Dallas proposed damming the river to create a new reservoir called Lake Fastrill. The reservoir would have submerged thousands of acres in the upper Neches River watershed.

Conservationists were outraged.  In broadcast and published statements, Richard Donavan, director of the Texas Conservation Alliance, argued that the Neches was an environmental and historical treasure worth fighting for: “The Neches is the only river left in the state of Texas that is unfettered and looked like it did in most cases … when Davy Crockett swam his horses across it.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wanted to preserve the watershed as an irreplaceable habitat for wildlife, songbirds and migratory waterfowl. In 2006, the agency announced plans to establish a wildlife refuge near Jacksonville that could eventually include tens of thousands of acres.

If the refuge was created, there would be no flooding of the watershed, there would be no Lake Fastrill and Dallas would have to look elsewhere for a new source of water.

Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board fought back by suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. After years of legal wrangling, a federal judge ruled in favor of the refuge. The losers appealed. In 2010, the Supreme Court chose not to hear the case and the lower court’s decision stood. The message was now loud and clear:  the Neches had to be preserved because of its role in sustaining the ecosystem of the watershed.

During a gathering held last October to celebrate the creation of the refuge, Dr. Banks, a dentist who owns land on the river, was jubilant. “The Neches River National Wildlife Refuge has been a dream for many of us for a long time and now this refuge is a reality,” he was quoted in newspaper coverage.  “This is a wonderful asset to our region. There’s no place on earth like the Neches River.”

On this day, Banks says the best thing that can happen to the Neches is for everyone to leave it alone. “Let Mother Nature do what she is supposed to do. It’s humans who mess up Mother Nature.”

ON THE WATER

There’s a science to navigating the Neches. If you make poor choices, you will end up hung up on a log or pulling yourself out of the water. Wolf knows all the tricks.

“To the left, to the left,” he instructs me. Ahead a huge tree is lying across the width of the river. It looks to me as if the river is blocked but Wolf knows better. There’s a small sliver of an opening against the left bank just wide enough for the canoe to slip through.

Wolf says he can remember how to get through most of the problem spots. When he can’t remember, he looks for markings indicating where the trees in the water have been cut to create openings. He keeps his eye out for ripples that indicate stumps or limbs are just below the surface.

The Neches is a river of contrasts. In some places it is wide and calm and unhindered. Other places it pinches to narrow openings as it twists and turns. In other places it becomes clogged by the hardwoods that tumble into the water from steep sandy banks that over time wash away.

What doesn’t change is the color of the water. It is a deep chocolate brown caused by the silt and sand that constantly washes into it.

NEW UNDERSTANDING

The Neches moves along at a leisurely but steady pace like a wise grandfather who knows there’s no need to hurry through life. It forces you to slow down and enjoy the moment. Wolf and I went for periods without saying anything. The water gently splashed as the paddles dipped in and the wind rustled through the trees. But there were no sounds of traffic, or television or cell phones. It was peaceful and it gave me the blessing of forgetting about the world beyond the hardwoods around us.

Wolf shares a story that makes me wonder what is watching over the river.  He says a woman pulled her canoe onto an embankment and came face to face with a ghostly figure of an Indian. He says years later another river runner had virtually the same experience.

I am relieved to see the bridge on Highway 79 marking the end of the canoe trip. I wouldn’t admit it but my shoulder was sore from the paddling and I didn’t want to push my luck about tipping the canoe.

On the bank we posed for photos. It was a great experience and I am glad I was able to share it with my new friends and my son.

“See why we want to preserve the Neches,” asks Dr. Banks.

“Yes, I do,” I reply. “Yes I do.”

By Crystal Breaux | Courtesy Photo

“Quick Weight Loss!” “Lose all Your Weight in 21 Days!” “Celebrity Diet!”

These are some of the marketing campaigns I’ve read in the last few days. I can’t begin to name all the campaigns I’ve read over the years. It saddens me to see so many women chasing gimmicks in hopes of finding a perfect quick fix to look and feel better.

We are bombarded with advertisements for new diets, eating programs and “better, healthier” foods. To be honest, it’s exhausting and overwhelming to keep up with it — and I’m in the health and fitness business.

Years ago, I came up with a question for women desperate to know if the latest diet, supplement or weight-loss method will work: “Can you do it for the rest of your life?”

I have yet to meet anyone who can continue for a long period a very calorie-restrictive diet; a meal plan that includes the same foods or shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner; or a hefty fee each month for packaged foods that you only can get from the vendor. These bring initial weight loss, no doubt, but the weight quickly returns once you’re no longer on the special program and then the weight-gain, weight-loss cycle begins again.

The only way to lose or maintain weight, have balance in life and be at peace with food is to give up the nonsense and take time to learn to eat healthy food as part of a balanced diet and an exercise program.

Calories in/Calories out

While we don’t want to restrict ourselves with a very low number of calories each day, a certain number is needed to lose or maintain a healthy weight and there must be a deficit between the number of calories we eat and the number of calories we burn. It’s simple math. A deficit is accomplished by combining the right amount of exercise with the right amount of healthy food.

Add vs Subtract

Most women concentrate on what not to eat, which can lead to deprivation and failure.  Instead, focus on real foods you should eat and then create meals and snacks from them.  Focus on the healthy plate plan. When you eat, plan your plate to be one-fourth healthy protein, one-fourth a healthy grain and the other half fruits and vegetables. Putting effort on what needs to be added to your diet, instead of subtracted, leaves little room to dwell on things you can’t have.

Add Super Foods 

Super foods are foods closest to their natural state and provide an abundance of nutrients, such as fiber and protein. To maintain a healthy weight, we need natural foods that keep us full and satisfied. A few of my favorites are salmon, tomatoes, eggs, beans, sweet potatoes and spinach.  For snacks, I see how many different fruits I can add each day and eat cheese, almonds and raw vegetables.

I want to enjoy life and eat like a real person. There’s no peace or balance when you’re continually chasing the latest fad diets. There’s no quick solution. It’s not rocket science. It’s learning to eat the types of healthy food that God gave us from the beginning of time.

HEALTHY SNACK IDEA:

CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER DIP

5.3-oz. Container of non-fat Yoplait Greek Vanilla Yogurt.

2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter.

1/2 Tbsp. Honey.

This makes four 2-tbsp. servings at 70 calories per serving. Double it to make a healthy appetizer or a sweet treat.

Breaux designs exercise and eating plans for women. She has worked as a personal trainer and weight-loss instructor. To learn more, go to www.yourfitnessdesigner.com.