June 2018

M A G A Z I N E

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Her — June 2018

7636_JH_Baileys_Her_S1801B.indd 1
511 Red Banks Road | 252.353.3434 | baileybox.com

511 Red Banks Road | 252.353.3434 | baileybox.com

Her — June 2018 3
4/4/18 4:14 PM

4/4/18 4:14 PM
 On The Cover
Kelsey Curtis is working
hard to grow the Tar
River community. Read
about her on page 8.

CONTENTS
Contact Her
Mackenzie Tewksbury | Editor | 329-9585
Elizabeth Semple | Advertising | 329-9513
Samuel Alvarado | Designer
Email: tellher@reflector.com

Her magazine is published by The Daily Reflector

and Cooke Communications of North Carolina.

Meet Her Food

8 Kelsey Curtis 26 Nutrition

Explore Inside
16 The Great Outdoors 15 Puzzles
18 Brewery Run Clubs 24 Her Panel
20 Face Your Fears 28 Gardening
30 Coach Chris

4 Her — June 2018

From the editor Meet our team
I recently took a trip to Asheville with my
Mackenzie is the editor of Sam is the graphic designer
boyfriend for his birthday. We ate at the Her and Mixer magazines for Her Magazine, Bro
Omni Grove Park Inn, which offers a truly and a loving mother to a Magazine and Greenville:
rescue pup named Ficklen. Life in the East. His interests
breathtaking view of the city of Asheville
She is also a band T-shirt include strong coffee, long
and the mountain tops. I remember the collector, coffee shop naps and soft cats. Contact
exact moment when we were led to our connoisseur and die-hard him at salvarado@reflector.
Pirate fan. com.
table and our gaze shifted outwards. It was
jaw-droppingly beautiful. Both of us spent Mackenzie Tewksbury Samuel Alvarado
most of our dinner staring off into the hori- Editor Layout
zon, talking about how pretty it was.
It’s moments like those I realize the truly
wondrous effects of nature. Juliette Cooke is a
The next day, we drove about 30 minutes Molly is a recent RCC photo
photographer for The
grad, Carolina Panthers
on a dirt road, passing cows, horses and Daily Reflector and Her and
fan and cat enthusiast. Her
Mixer magazines. She is
goats until we arrived at Catawba Falls. favorite thing to photograph
also a loving mother to her
is sports.
We hiked four miles up a mountain until rescue lab, Molly.
we reached the beautiful waterfalls, and
again, stood in awe of nature’s beauty. Juliette Cooke Molly Mathis
But, you don’t have to go all the way to Photographer Photographer
Asheville to bask in the evident wonders
of nature. We’ve got tremendous opportu- Christina is an advertising
Stephanie DiFranco, BS,
account executive, Her
nities right here in our backyard. EP-C, is a Kinesiology
Magazine contributor and
Kelsey Curtis, owner of Knee Deep Adven- Master’s student at East
Hot Dish writer for The Daily
Carolina University. This
tures, is our impressive cover woman who Reflector; a Barnes & Noble
past semester she did her
bookseller; and an adjunct
has devoted much of her life to growing internship at the Pitt County
writing instructor. When not
Health Department. She
the Tar River kayak and paddle commu- working, Christina enjoys
enjoys being active by:
bubble baths, drinking wine,
nity in Greenville. playing sports, using the
cooking, eating and getting
Trollingwood Taproom and Brewery and elliptical, lifting weights, and
lost in the wonderful world
Stephanie DiFranco taking group fitness classes. Christina Ruotolo
Uptown Brewing Company have united Contributor of reading. Reach her at
Contributor
cruotolo@reflector.com.
with the running community to create
Brewery Runs - a group run followed by
An organic gardener of
ice cold craft beer. 20 years, Kimberly is Christy Jones, also known
Our contributor Christina reminisces on enthusiastic about nutrition as Coach Chris, is a
and seeks to encourage Greenville life and business
her first-ever camping trip with her boy- coach. Contact her at
healthy lifestyles through
friend and offers a great deal of useful education. To ask her coachchris4success@
questions or get advice gmail.com or www.
reflection. coachchriscompany.com.
about horticultural
Enjoy reading about some of the unique projects, email her at
opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors Kimberly Newsom growinginspiration.nc@ Christy Jones
in our area. Contributor gmail.com. Contributor

It’s all right here in Her.

Love and light,

Mackenzie Tewksbury
— editor

Her — June 2018 5

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Her — June 2018 7

meet

Knee Deep
in THE
By Mackenzie Tewksbury | Photos by Molly Mathis
 meet
KELSEY
CURTIS
walked out of the health care business
three years ago.
Her coworkers thought she was crazy.
Her boss thought she was crazy.
Perhaps, she was. After all, she was
throwing away a steady income, great
benefits, a job in her degree – she was
throwing away her career.
Her boss even called her every other
week to check to see if she wanted her
job back. Her coworkers figured she'd
beg for it back after a few weeks.
But she never did. To her, she was
working for the weekend for ten years.
She was working just so she could hop
in her kayak and spend the day knee
deep in the Tar River.
“I would work really hard five days
a week to wait for those two days off,”
Curtis said. “I thought, 'This is not
a good way to live. There's got to be
something better out there.'”
So, she hung up her scrubs, picked
up a life jacket and opened her own
business, Knee Deep Adventures, a
water sports storefront and the only
10
company in Greenville that rents
kayaks and paddle boards to the
community.
She used to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to
work long shifts; now she works when
she wants to. She used to spend eight
hours inside the walls of a hospital in
Wilson; now her office is the Tar River.
She had no idea if it was going to work
out, but a desire for a life she loved
made the leap of faith worth while.
“I'm also not waking up everyday
saying, 'Gosh, I don't want to go to
work,'” Curtis said. “Now, I set my
own hours. If I work late, I work late.
I work for myself. I'm working for the
community.”
As a native of eastern North Carolina,
Her — June 2018
it was a no-brainer to open her busi-
ness right here in her hometown.
“This is where my roots are. This is
where my family is,” Curtis said. “I've
been on this river since I was a little
kid. I know it like the back of my hand.”
As she pulls kayaks out of her truck
and into the river, she hops in, waves
to nearby boaters and paddles almost
effortlessly. It seems like second nature.
That's likely because it is.
“I could paddle it with my eyes
closed,” she said with a laugh.
Curtis works day in and day out
– sometimes even 14 hour days – to
provide nothing but the best service
for her customers. She's always trying
to keep her business fresh and unique,
 This is where my roots are. This is where my family
is...I've been on this river since I was a little kid.
I know it like the back of my hand.
hosting moonlight paddles, Halloween that more than 50 percent of her spent a lot of time at the Pitt Commu-
events or even stand-up paddle board business comes from renters outside of nity College's small business center, ab-
yoga, sometimes keeping Curtis at Greenville, something that to this day sorbing the do's and don'ts of business
work until 2 a.m. surprises her, but nobody else – she before she jumped right in.
“I give Kelsey a lot of props. She recently won the “In Good Company' “I had no idea what a business plan
does a lot more after business hours tourism award from the Greenville even was three years ago,” Curtis said.
than a lot of people realize,” employee Pitt County Convention and Visitors The business plan didn't go off with-
Clay Barber said. Bureau. out a hitch, however. The city didn't
However, her hard work does not go “I never thought this business would know how to zone her, her accountants
unnoticed by the community. She was turn into anything having to do with didn't know what to do with her and
nominated for “Water Conservationist tourism,” she said. she didn't even know what to tax her
of the Year 2016,” an award given by The area has seemingly latched onto customers. She struggled with educat-
the North Carolina Department of the business, but since she’s the only ing customers on what she was even
Natural Resources. She received the one doing it, it caused confusion, back doing – people thought kayaks were
“River Friendly Business of the Year” and forth phone calls, teeter-tottering canoes and paddle boards were surf-
award in 2016. Curtis sees lots of with officials and lots of research and boards. Customers were even confused
customers from the Raleigh, Cary and questions for Curtis. She admittedly when they asked her male employees
New Bern areas, and recently learned knew nothing about business, so she questions and they pointed to Curtis

Her — June 2018 11

 and said, “She's the owner.”
“I mean, I drive around with a 28 foot long

I think we've helped give trailer that's 10 feet tall and everyone is shocked
when I get out of the car and I'm like, 'Yeah, I

people the courage that got this,'” Curtis said.

Curtis also fights for the Tar River; actively

they need to say, debunking stereotypes and educating the

community about not only the river itself but
also safety measures. She stays informed on

'Hey, the river is safe, the river on a daily basis, working closely with
Sound Rivers, an environment nonprofit that
guards the health of the river, and the United

the river is clean, States Geological Survey river gauges – and she
won't let anyone out if she sees even the smallest
bit of danger. Curtis said she doesn’t want to

go out and enjoy it.'
get in dirty water, so she wouldn’t send her
customers into dirty water, either.
“Me and my employees will just take off the
dock and jump in. People think we're nuts, but
it's kind of to prove a point,” Curtis said. “If

12 Her — June 2018

 it was unsafe, we would never attempt this
business here.”
Barber, employee at Knee Deep Adventures,
does everything from social media and photog-
raphy to guided group tours. He believes Curtis
and her business are a tremendous asset to the
river, allowing customers to enjoy the benefits
hassle-free.
“They don't need to haul gear or clean or any-
thing. They just get in, have fun, get out, thank
you, go home,” he said.
Barber said his favorite thing about the Tar
River is that it offers him a place of solitude.
“It's hard for me to take a whole weekend off
and go to the mountains or beach or all these
faraway places,” Barber said. “I've figured out
there are some places that I can get to in under
an hour that feel like you're a million miles from
everywhere.”
Barber’s sentiment is really the crux of Curtis’
goal: to show people the great things the river
has to offer and grow the Tar River paddling
community.
“I'll tell ya, I see a lot more kayaks on the river. I
think we've helped give people the courage that
they need to say, 'Hey, the river is safe, the river
is clean, go out and enjoy it.'”
On the cusp of her three year anniversary,
Curtis shows no signs of slowing that goal.
“A lot of people say once you hit the three
year mark then you're probably going to be OK
when it comes to starting your own small busi-
ness,” Curtis said. “Hopefully that's true.”
Her anniversary also marks three years since
leaving healthcare, and she hasn’t looked back
since.
“I'd rather make no money and do something
I love than have a steady income and be misera-
ble,” Curtis said.

www.kneedeepadventures.com
kneedeepoutdooradventures@gmail.com
252-714-5836

@kneedeepadventures
@KneeDeepGville
@kneedeepadventures

Her — June 2018 13

 WATER SPORTS
SHOPPING GUIDE
Items from Knee Deep Adventures Don’t forget to accessorize! Grab some twisted hemp
bracelets while you’re getting ready to head to the water.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It’s likely a hot

one out there — load up on water.

Kayaks galore! You can rent or purchase kayaks

from Knee Deep Adventures.

If the water isn’t for you, stay on land

and camp out or relax in a hammock.

This book is an absolute MUST! It will tell

you where to go, things to look out for, diffi-
culty levels of paddles and so much more.

Safety first, of course! Safety vests are

a must on any water sport trip.

14 Her — June 2018

 Clues Across Clues Down
1. Small lump 44. Makes ecstatically 1. Mentor 25. American state
4. Helps little firms happy 2. Lyric poems 26. Keen
7. A way of performing 47. Excellent 3. A dry cold north wind in 28. Khoikhoin peoples
12. Lawyers 48. Material body Switzerland 29. Int’l defense
15. Stirred up 49. The Golden State (abbr.) 4. Trapped organization
16. Believed in 50. A unit of plane angle 5. Used for road surfacing 32. Samoan money
18. The Bay State (abbr.) 52. Argon 6. Cuckoos 36. A sign of assent
19. Makes computers 53. Fancy 7. Prefix “away from” 38. One from Somalia
20. Sodium 56. Fried mixture of meat 8. Seth McFarlane comedy 40. Boat race
21. As fast as can be done and spices 9. Not out 43. Trims
(abbr.) 61. How green plants use 10. “The Simpsons” bus 44. French coins
24. Institute legal sunlight driver 45. Indigenous
proceedings against 63. Without wills 11. Popular HBO drama Scandinavian
27. More compact 64. Unhappy (abbr.) 46. Flew alone
30. Ethiopian river 65. Meat from a pig’s leg 12. Acclaimed Indian 51. Loch where a “monster”
31. Quantitative fact physicist lives
33. No (Scottish) 13. Removes 54. Japanese title
34. A concession of no 14. One-name NBA player 55. Pros and __
great value 17. Revolutionary women 56. Present in all living cells
35. Tony-winning 22. Smell 57. Something to scratch
actress Daisy 23. Ground-dwelling 58. Branch of Islam
37. More (Spanish) songbird 59. Appear
39. Russian space station 24. Midway between south 60. Former CIA
41. Helicopter and southeast 62. Yukon Territory
42. At the peak
Solutions on page 23

Her — June 2018 15

 G ROUT
EDOOR
A TS
THE

By Mackenzie Tewksbury
Her Editor
GREENVILLE
R RIVER
TA
on
m
m
Co
Greenville Town

There are many 1 BICYCLE POST TRAIL 2 TOWN COMMON 3 THE

Short Bridge Road
things you can do
A phenomenal bike trail in
right here in eastern Greenville that totals an 11-mile
North Carolina loop, or five separate, shorter
to soak up some loops! All users must either be-
come a Bicycle Post Trail mem-
sunshine, explore ber or pay a daily rate of $3 per
the area and try person and also sign a liability
something new! waiver at The Bicycle Post.
The trail, in partnership with
Whether it’s a
East Carolina Velo Cycling Club,
day on the river has regularly scheduled rides
or on land, we’ve on Tuesdays, Thursdays and
got you covered weekends. Contact Bicycle Post
for more information.
for a summer day FROM GREENVILLE: Take NC-
outdoors. 43 N (towards Rocky Mount)
from town, after crossing over
US-264 – go 5 mi, turn left at
Short Bridge Rd, trailhead is 0.8
mi on the left.
105 E 1st St.
There is a ton to do here from
water sports to music. There is
a public boat ramp visitors can
utilize for free, as well as places
to walk or enjoy a picnic.
The Town Common hosts many
5ks, fundraisers, and even con-
certs at the Greenville Toyo-
ta Amphitheatre, including a
weekly concert series that runs
May-August called Sunday in
the Park. Every Sunday, visitors
can listen to music, eat from
food trucks and drink beer — a
new feature on the common!
Also new this summer is a Con-
cert on the Common, happen-
ing every second Wednesday of
every month.
GREENWAY
Greenville is home to
a tremendous asset —
The Greenway. It is a trail
adjacent to the river where
visitors can ride bikes, walk
dogs, go fishing and exercise.
It is open every day from dusk-
dawn. It features a dog park,
community gardens, and is a
great way to exercise!
4 PORT TERMINAL
938 Port Terminal Road
Not even 10 minutes from Town
Common is another free public
boat ramp! Pack your bag, hop
on a boat/kayak and paddle
your way through all of the na-
ture and wildlife the Tar River
has to offer.

16 Her — June 2018

5 UMBRELLA MARKET
Five Points Plaza
Every Wednesday until Sep-
tember, the parking lot of Five
Points Plaza transforms into
a farmers market, full of food
trucks, plants, local crafts and
other goodies from local ven-
dors. Grab some pals and head
out for a night of fun!
River P
ark
No
rt
h
WASHINGTON
PAM
LIC
OR
IVE
R
7 GOOSE CREEK STATE PARK
2190 Camp Leach Rd,
Washington, NC 27889
Not far from Greenville and just
a hop from the historic streets
of downtown Washington is
a quaint, eight mile trail scat-
tered with oak trees, Spanish
moss, Cypress swamps and
6 RIVER PARK NORTH
1000 Mumford Rd,
Boating, fishing, camping, hik-
ing and more! River Park North
is a 324-acre park with 45 acres
of ponds, more than 250 acres
grassland areas, so it is sure to
fit all of your outdoor adventure
needs this summer! It has three
hiking trails, picnic shelters,
sand volleyball courts, rental
fishing and pedal boats and a
fossil pit. It’s a great place to
check out eastern North Caro-
lina’ s wildlife, as well!
Check the website for events/
camps. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
www.greenvillenc.gov/government/
recreation-parks/river-park-north
more. Goose Creek State Park is
a wonderful spot to camp, ex-
plore wildlife, enjoy solitude on
a man-made beach or just walk
through the trails. Check their
website for weekly events and
camps.
www.ncparks.gov/goose-creek-
state-park
Her — June 2018 17
 BEER
DRINKERS,
RUNNERS

UNITE Trollingwood Taproom and

Brewery hosts “brew runs”

By Mackenzie Tewksbury | Photos by Molly Mathis

18 Her — June 2018

W hen a group of runners
finish a three-mile run
around downtown Green-
ville, they immediately quench their
post-run thirst with an ice cold beer.
It might sound crazy; but it’s not. It’s
the result of the Trollingwood Taproom
and Brewery Brewery Run Club.
Robin Ashley, organizer of the club,
said members show up for the run, and
stay for the beer. And if there ever was
a universal motivator -- perhaps it’s a
local craft brew.
“Man, there are many days that I
don't want to do it, I don't want to run,”
Ashley said. “But sitting on the patio,
in the breeze, with a beer, surrounded
by a bunch of people who just did the
same thing I just did... it's a wonderful
feeling.”
The club started when Ashley, a for-
mer bartender at Trollingwood, was
chatting with East Carolina University
professor Blakely Brooks. Brooks ran
with a run club in Raleigh and brought
the idea of starting one at Trollingwood
up to Ashley -- she was all in.
“I was like, ‘If you want one, if you
think there’s enough, then let’s do it!”
They kicked off the first run on St.
Patricks Day of 2017 with nearly 20 run-
things going on at one time.
“A rising tide floats all boats. We
have a wonderful growing craft beer
community, and a wonderful running
ners, and it’s continued to grow since community here in Greenville.
that first run. Ashley said they have a “Always room for runners and beer
steady group of about 15 runners who drinkers,” Ashley said.
run every week, creating friendships The group meets every Thursday
and a sense of family within the club. night on the patio at 6 p.m. and run
“It's a nice little family. We celebrate until about 7 p.m., rain or shine,
each other's accomplishments, each hot or cold. Any running level
other's races, each other's graduations,” is welcome, and it’s not unlikely
Ashley said. to see some four-legged pals on
And even when races take runners to the run — including Shelby,
far-away cities, like marathons in Oc- the official run dog.
racoke, that love transcends the Troll- “I think she's got more runs
ingwood patio. than me,” Ashley laughed.
“We cheer each other on because we
know each other from this club,” she
said.
Other establishments have followed
suit; Uptown Brewing Company on
Evans Street has their own run club
on Wednesdays.
Ashley said it’s
always beneficial
to have multiple
Her — June 2018 19
 FACE Just jump
and build

YOUR
your wings
on the

FEARS
way down
By Christina Ruotolo
Her Contributor

W here does fear come from?

How does it grow from a
small seed in our brain into a raging
storm in our bellies sending us into
a flight or fight response more often
than not? Fear is real and it lives in
us and can hold us back from the ad-
venture that life offers up every day.
But, we can change the narrative of
fear with a few easy life lessons. We
can go from choosing the path less
traveled instead of the paved path
with expected outcomes. So here are
a few lessons you can use to help you
face your fears and have some sum-
mer adventure. Adventure is waiting
for you, so let’s get going!

LESSON ONE:
FACE YOUR FEARS HEAD ON
When I was two years old, a spider
crawled into my crib and bit me on
the eye and I had to go to the hos-
pital. My mother told me this story
when I was little and from then on,
I have been terrified of spiders. This
lead me to being scared of thunder-
storms and so many other things.
I became what my mother called a
“worry wart.”
As a kid, I attended a summer
camp called Camp Frontier and
loved every minute with the full sun
shining down on my face and my

20 Her — June 2018

future spread out ghost stories. I
ahead of me like was so terrified,
a golden blanket. I threw up and
I swam laps in the they had to call my
crystal blue water in mom to come get
the pool, a little afraid me. She had to drive
sometimes that someone thirty minutes in the
would dunk me and I middle of the night and
would drown. I paddled take me home. She was
out in the middle of the lake not happy, but was a caring
in a kayak and rowed until and loving mom who under-
my arms burned with excite- stood my internal fear com-
ment, while at the same time I pass. I added camping to my
was afraid a snake would jump fear list and only went camping
out of the water up and attack me. one other time in high school, but it
I rode the beautiful angelic horses was in a well lit area and it was more
with strong muscles that would walk us through nature like glamping, so it was OK.
trails past blooming trees. I loved it, but was afraid I would Fast forward about forty years, and I am still afraid. I’m
be bucked from the horse and break my neck like Christo- afraid of death, drowning, being kidnapped, pumping gas
pher Reeve. I practiced archery and as I pulled the bow back at night and still spiders.
aiming for the target, a small voice inside me said, “What if I decided I would face one of my fears and go wilder-
it shoots backwards back and pokes my eye out?” ness camping with my boyfriend in Pisgah National Forest
On the last week of camp, each group selected a camp- a couple years ago. I went to the local camping prep store
site along a side trail and everyone brought sleeping bags. and bought a backpack, made sure I packed my hiking
We roasted marshmallows over a roaring fire, and told shoes, a bearbox (we will get to that later), beef jerky, lip

Greenvillenc.gov - 252.329.4567

Her — June 2018 21

balm, sunscreen, a bear bell for safety,
flashlight, and of course, a first aid
kit. We decided to camp on the top
of Black Balsam Knob, a 45 minute
hike up a mountain and across a wide
stretch to a remote and desolate patch
of open field on The Art Lobe Trail.
The location just so happened to be
the exact same spot that my boyfriend
camped two weeks earlier and encoun-
tered a pack of bears at his tent, hence
the bearbox. A bearbox is a large blue
canister you have to put all your food
in so the bears can’t smell it and track
you down to slash your small tent
and eat you until only bones are left.
Exciting right? But I was facing my
fears, well actually multiple fears. But,
I was really happy too. The hike in was
glorious with a wide, blue sky, a view
of lush green grass against jagged grey
rocks and winding trails that thou-
sands of feet have strode on before me
including bears, spiders, cougars, and
in my mind, possible escaped convicts.
But, nature was all around me welcom-
ing me, telling me to let go and just be
and enjoy the moment.
We ate beef ravioli and drank
lukewarm coffee from plastic mugs
while sitting on a rock watching the
sun descend into the most beautiful
and peaceful sunset I’ve ever seen.
You could feel the energy as it dipped
below the treeline and sprang out
rays of sun the color of summer gold.
It pulled my fear away with it and as
soon as the sun was gone and I real-
ized we were alone on top of a moun-
tain miles from help with limited cell
service, my fears returned. We hung
our bearbox from a tree a hundred feet
away, pushed away the massive spin-
dly legged spiders that crawled on the
outside of the tent, and huddled inside
since we were not allowed to start a
fire. But, it would be OK, my boyfriend
was with me and if a bear came, he
would let them eat him first. So, let’s
take that fear and push it away.
22
LESSON TW0:
MEDITATE, BREATHE IN,
BREATHE OUT AND RELAX
YOUR MIND
Pretend you are on a mountaintop
watching a sunset and you only
have that moment when the sun hits
your face and you feel warm. Take
that image and feeling and hold it in
your mind. Count back from ten and
take a few long breaths in and slow
breaths out. This really worked for
me. As my boyfriend slept soundly
wrapped in his sleeping bag, I was
huddled in mine fully awake and
aware of every sound that sprang
forth from the thin tent lining. At
one point I was so afraid a bear was
outside the tent, I actually unzipped
the tent, and with my headlamp
peeked outside and saw a small bun-
ny sitting on the rock next to our tent
just chilling. I realized that my fear
of a bear was really a bunny and a
bunny doesn’t really hurt you. It was
cute and looked relaxed. I zipped
my tent up and somehow managed
to fall asleep while breathing in and
breathing out my fear.
LESSON THREE:
DON’T PANIC
The next morning, we awoke to the
sounds of 60 mph winds thrashing
the tent so fiercely, we both feared
the tent would be pulled away with
us inside like Toto in his basket in
the Wizard of Oz. We made a funny
video for our friends of us huddled
in our tent while the wind violent-
ly protested around us for at least
an hour. My fear brain told me if
we died all that would be left of us
would be pieces of tent and a one
minute video of our plight. I tried
not to panic realizing I actually
camped the night before and I was
not eaten by bears. Go me! I was so
tired though from the night before, I
think my fear needed a nap and I just
rode out the storm. When we opened
Her — June 2018
the tent, the sun peeked through and the
clouds parted like in a movie and we packed
up our stuff and hiked back down the moun-
tain. It was a great experience and I didn’t get
eaten by bears, no spiders bit me on the eye
and no imaginary ghosts haunted the tent.
I faced at least a few of my fears head-on,
breathed through my fears with meditation
and didn’t panic. I came out of this little
adventure with a newfound appreciation for
Mother Earth and its beautiful bounty. We
have returned to “our mountaintop” often to
seek out the beauty like visiting an old friend.
Even though my fears still remain, and yours
will too, try to take one fear at a time and
push it away, so you can see the beauty that
lies past it. Summer is here and it’s waiting
for you, so go on, jump and build your wings
on the way down!

Puzzle solutions from page 15

Her — June 2018 23

 panel
W H AT I S
YOUR
FAV O R I T E
OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY?
“I love riding my 3-wheel bicycle around town.”
— Jeannine Cleaton, 68, Ayden
“Visit the beach. Playing frisbee and joining in
on sand volleyball.”
— Minnie Anderson, 72, Greenville
"I love throwing baseball and football with
my grandson and his buddies. I am the all-
time quarterback!"
— Connie Moore Corey, 62, Greenville
“Now that I'm older my favorite outdoor activ-
ity, other than sitting on my patio enjoying my
garden while drinking coffee, is taking a long
walk in the early morning hours.”
— Mary Anne Pennington, 74, Winterville
Her panel
contributors
Connie Moore Corey
24 Her — June 2018
W H AT I S Y O U R
FAV O R I T E
"ADVENTURE"
YOU'VE
BEEN ON?
"My favorite adventure was hiking up
Grandfather Mountain here in the good ol'
Carolinas! It was hard, challenging and I
was out of breath, but I'm thrilled to have
conquered it! I counted that one day exercise
as a week's worth!”
— Lien Hou, 44, Grimesland
“I love going to Boone in the early fall
before the busy season, I enjoy going to
the surrounding little towns, Blowing Rock,
Jefferson City and Banner Elk.”
— Jeannine Cleaton, 68, Ayden
"Downhill skiing in the German and Austrian
Alps. I was a novice and this was a fabulous
learning opportunity!"
— Mary Anne Pennington, 74, Winterville
Minnie Anderson

H AV E Y O U
EVER BEEN
CAMPING?
“I love camping, but we had a camper, I have
done tent camping years ago, but didn’t enjoy
being close to possible snakes and critters.”
— Jeannine Cleaton, 68, Ayden
“Yes, I have been camping in the Catoctin
Mountains in Maryland. Woke up with the
birds singing loudly. Then saw the raccoon
standing near my tent. I screamed so loud he
ran away. Last camping trip.”
— Minnie Anderson, 72, Greenville
"My husband and I have been camping for 30+
years including tents, pop-ups, travel trailers,
and even a park model. When we were newly-
weds, we lived in our camper for 2 years at a
campground and discovered the sub-culture
of people who live permanently in their camp-
ers. Camping is a great way of life!"
— Mary Anne Pennington, 74, Winterville
Lien Hou Mary Anne Pennington
Her — June 2018
WHERE IS
YOUR
FAV O R I T E
" D AY T R I P "
IN NORTH
CAROLINA?
“Favorite day trip is to take the ferry over to
Ocracoke, shop, have lunch at Howard's Pub
or SMacNally's, hang out on the beach and
take the last ferry off the island that night.
Even better if you can stay over for a few days!”
— Lucia Peel, 60, Williamston
“I love a day trip to Beaufort, it’s a quaint
little town with neat shops, love going in the
General Store, getting ice cream, sitting by the
waterfront and enjoying the views of boats
and sometimes they have music in the park
downtown. I also love a day trip going to
Smithfield outlets, such a variety of stores for
everyone, my favorite place down the road is
Dwayne’s, a store for women, a paradise of
anything you could possibly dream of.”
— Jeannine Cleaton, 68, Ayden
"A favorite day trip is to try out a new restau-
rant for lunch. We have discovered some
wonderful restaurants in eastern NC that are
off the beaten path."
— Mary Anne Pennington, 74, Winterville
Jeannine Cleaton
25
 nutrition
Food as fuel
for fitness
Whether you are getting ready to start exercising or have
already started, it is important to fuel your body for fitness
and optimal performance. How do we fuel our bodies
for fitness? The answer is...with food! There are so many
suggestions on what to eat and when to eat before exercis-
ing. Keep in mind that exercise is a planned and structured
activity that is intended to improve fitness. This could be a
30 minute jog, 45 minutes of swimming, or lifting weights
for healthy muscles.
If you know a certain food does not make you feel well
after eating it, it is probably not the best idea to eat it
before exercising. Feel free to try a variety of different foods
to see what energizes you more when exercising. You might
want to introduce new foods slowly and remember, you
can always eat bland foods as well. Examples of bland foods
include breads, crackers, pasta, creamy peanut butter, fruit
and vegetable juices and eggs.
Sports nutrition expert Christin Rosenbloom,
PhD, RD gives five tips for the types of foods
you should eat before exercising:
1 Low fat: low fat yogurt, egg whites, bagels,
cereals, fruits, vegetables
2 Moderate in carbohydrates and protein: egg
toast, turkey sandwich, chicken sandwich,
salmon with rice
3 High quality fiber: oatmeal, cereals, whole
grain crackers
4 Moderate fluid intake: water
5 Low or moderate intake of familiar foods that
you tolerate well: This is up to you!
26 Her — June 2018
Now, when is the best time to eat before exercising?
Generally speaking, it is important not to eat right before
exercise. Your muscles are trying to work during exercise
but they can’t because your stomach is working to digest
the food. In addition, exercising immediately after eating
may be uncomfortable and cause your stomach to hurt.
Ideally, you should fuel your body 1 to 3 hours before
exercising, depending on how it makes you feel.
Keep in mind that these recommendations are for indi-
viduals exercising at a moderate or vigorous pace. Going
for a short walk after dinner, taking the stairs instead of the
elevator, and walking around while talking on the phone
all add up to extra activity you get each day. Some activity
is better than no activity!
www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-eat-before-during-after-exercise#1
www.eatright.org/fitness/exercise/exercise-nutrition/timing-your-pre-and-
post-workout-nutrition
COMING SOON
Your House For Sale
Call Me
Want to buy or sell
a home?
Allow me to help you! Pam
CLARK-BRANCH, REALTORS
©
252-355-2000 Nearly 20 years in real estate Buck
252-378-1100
Healthy INGREDIENTS
m a ke s 1 2 s e r v i n g s

Egg 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup red pepper

measured after
chopping

Cups 1 cup green pepper

measured after
chopping

1 cup yellow onion

measured after
chopping

2 cups baby spinach

roughly chopped,
measured/packed
before chopping

1 cup mushrooms
measured before
chopping
Nutrition Facts
2 cloves garlic
Amount Per Serving minced
50 Calories, 18 Calories from Fat
Total Fat 2g salt to taste
Saturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 62mg 4 whole eggs
Sodium 47mg
Potassium 161mg
4 egg whites
Total Carbohydrates 3g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 1g hot sauce optional
showmetheyummy.com/healthy-egg-muffin-cups for drizzling on top!

INSTRUCTIONS Prep: 10min Co o k : 1 5 m i n To t a l : 2 5 m i n

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2 Grease a standard non-stick 12-slot
muffin pan with cooking spray and
set aside.
3 Heat a large non-stick skillet over
medium heat.
6 Add in spinach and mushrooms and
cook for an additional two minutes.
7 In the last 30 seconds, add in
minced garlic.
8 Season with salt and remove from
heat.
11 Pour the egg/veggie mixture evenly
into the prepared muffin pan.
1 2 Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the
tops are firm to the touch and eggs
are cooked.
1 3 Cool slightly and serve immediately.

4 Once hot, add in oil, red pepper,
green pepper and onion.
5 Saute 5-7 minutes, or until peppers
are tender.
9 Crack eggs/egg whites into a large 1 4 Leftovers can be stored in an airtight
4 cup measuring cup and whisk container in the fridge for about four
together. days.
1 0 Stir in cooked veggies. 1 5 These may also be frozen.

1 6 To reheat, pop them in the

microwave until warm.

Her — June 2018 27

 garden

EXPLORING
Hitting the trail
and getting in tune with
nature doesn’t have to be an
uncivilized affair. Our state

THE
has many beautiful public

cultivated
gardens to explore, with
quite a few offering events
and classes. You can even
find a sip and stroll evening
garden walk with your
favorite spirited beverage.

OUTDOORS
How can you beat a cool
spring evening surrounded
by nature and blooms, stroll-
ing along paved pathways
with your favorite drink in
hand?
By Kimberly Newsom
Her Contributor

Where to Go
North Carolina isn’t lacking
in public gardens to choose
from. Here is a short list to
get you started.

1 NC Botanical Garden
Chapel Hill
2 Old Salem Museum
& Gardens
3 The North Carolina
Arboretum
4 Daniel Stowe
Botanical Garden
5 Sarah P. Duke Gardens
1 | N C B OTA N I C A L GA R D E N C H A P E L H I L L 4 | DA N I E L S TOW E B OTA N I C A L GA R D E N
If you happen to be traveling through Chapel Hill, take A 400-acre conservation donation of land that is being
a moment to enjoy a free walk through the university’s cultivated over a 50-year time span boasts several garden
Display Botanical Garden. Containing a native plant exhibits: an Orchid conservatory, conifer garden,
collection, a carnivorous plant garden, native azalea garden, a white garden consisting of
water garden, herb garden, coastal plains only white blooms, a Scroll garden that
and sandhills habitat, piedmont and demonstrates shape and texture, the
mountain habitats, and a fern Ribbon garden with a meandering
collection. The garden offers daily stream, the Serpentine garden, a
plant sales. canal garden, the Lost Hollow
for kids containing manicured
2 | O L D SA L E M plants and old growth forest,
M U S E U M & GA R D E N S the Cottage garden of 19th
If you would like to see century heirloom plants,
the original “sustainable” and a Four Seasons garden.
garden don’t miss out on Old Located in Belmont, be sure to
Salem Museums and Gardens. check out the Beer garden and
Established in 1766, Old Salem the Mother’s Day sip and stroll
maintains the history of this with a wine tasting.
Moravian town restoring and
preserving the historical architecture, 5 | SA R A H P. D U K E GA R D E N S
gardens and landscape. In the heart of Duke University you can
The Horticulture Program preserves a find 5 acres of cultivated gardens free to
landscape of early Salem of “utility, practicality, enjoy. The garden features four distinct areas: the
and beauty united.” The plants are open-pollinated Historic gardens that include the original Terraces began
heirlooms for seed saving and the produce is cooked in in the 1930s, including the Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden
historical methods right on site. You can walk through the and historic Roney Fountain, the H.L. Blomquist Garden
Miksch family backyard garden and visit the Single Brothers’ of Native Plants, the W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum
Garden, and throughout the town of Old Salem’s town that includes a moss garden, and the Doris Duke
and buildings as well. There are a several dining Center Gardens, including the new Charlotte
options and shoppes all within walking Brody Discovery Garden.There are five
distance. You can find plant sales of miles of allées, walks, and pathways
the locally grown varieties during throughout the gardens to explore.
the growing season. There is also a Terrace Cafe for
dining and seasonal plant sales.
3 | NORTH CAROLINA Dogs are permitted.
ARBORETUM
With 65 acres, the North North Carolina spring days
Carolina Arboretum hosts are too beautiful to miss with
a Bonsai collection, an ever our crisp blue skies, cool
changing quilt garden, a breezes and colorful shows of
streamside plant garden, a blooms. If you’ve been wanting
Heritage garden filled with to explore more garden plants
plants used in basket, paper and to add to your home collection,
broom making, along with historic a public garden tour will provide
medicinal plants, a forest meadow, a you with an up-close view of all
fluid landscape plant garden filled with those new additions you’ve been pining
award-winning specimens, and a Holly over, and will likely add a few more to your
Garden. Located in beautiful Asheville, this would wish list. Don’t miss out on our state’s plentiful
make a wonderful addition to a mountain road trip. There are public gardens to explore.
also hiking trails, biking trails, art exhibits, and dining options.

Her — June 2018 29

Don’t Cry Over
Spilled Milk
…Just Clean It Up!
advice
Happy June! Ladies, we are halfway
through 2018…seriously, so many
great things have been happening this
year that I can hardly contain myself!
All of you who have been following
me in this magazine already know
that June is my FAVORITE month of
the year! Yep, you guessed it…it is my
birthday month! I was born on June
17 (I will leave the year blank…LOL!)!
This was one of the greatest days that
ever was put onto the calendar. No,
seriously, I mean that!
OK, you all are getting me off track
again, you know I tend to get excited
when it comes to my birthday because
I believe wholeheartedly that all of
us were born ON purpose and FOR a
purpose. I do not believe that anything
just happens just to be happening…
including our births! So, yes therefore
I celebrate myself…I am here for a
reason and so are you!
Another reason why I love the
month of June is because we get an
opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day!
Although my father passed away in
30
2013, I always celebrate because he
taught me so many practical life les-
sons, including the one that I want to
share with you today!
I happened to be rushing out of the
house one day with a bowl of cereal
and milk in my hand trying to make
it to a meeting. I had to eat the cereal
in my car and did not have chance to
pour the milk out. So, I sat the bowl
as securely as I thought I could have
on the floor. Well, I took a turn a little
more sharply than I needed to and
the milk went flying everywhere on
my floor. When I came to a stop, I was
like “Oh my goodness, this is such a
mess…this milk is everywhere!”
In that one moment, I had a choice
to make: you can either cry and whine
over what has happened or you can
get out of the car, get you some water,
a bucket and a rag and clean it up! My
daddy was a big proponent of “do
something little girl…don’t just sit
there and go to pieces, it is not going to
solve your problem!”
In our everyday lives, we all have
Her — June 2018
the same choices: we can either sit
there, whine and cry over the spilled
milk or we can choose to clean it up.
There have been a lot of things that I
have “spilled” in my life and “created
plenty of messes” out of (I won’t go
into all of that in this article, we will
save that for another one); and hon-
estly, I felt as though I did not possess
the strength nor the strategy to clean
it up. My daddy used to talk to me
and tell me, “Listen, it is what it is if it
ain’t what it ought to be, but you have
to shake yourself and make it what it
should be.” In other words, I needed
to stop crying and start moving. There
is a time and place for the tears but
eventually tears must dry up!
I want to encourage you today to
choose not to cry over your spilled
milk, get up and clean it up! If you
need someone to fill the water bucket
for you or even hand you a rag to help,
do that too but whatever you do…dry
your tears and clean it up! Until next
time, celebrate good times and clean
up the milk!