Crow 43
Longtime campaign manager a major force in winning elections
by Kathy Mitchell

Austin Independents 49
Locally owned businesses invite
you in their doors

Pet Adoptions 57
Somewhere in the Austin area there's a dog or cat that's just right for you
by Melissa Gaskill

Lagniappe 6
Proposition 2: Do the right thing
by Rebecca Melançon

Letters 7
Our readers write.

Arts Feature 8
An original composition
The Golden Hornet Project breathes new life into Austin's classical scene
by Bonnie Neel

Arts Buzz 9
Wicked art haunts
October's arts scene
by Bonnie Neel

Arts & Entertainment 10
Art, music, theatre, books and more
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Out & About 16
The lowdown on what's going on
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Intimacies 21
It's a shame, shame, shame how we feel shame about sex
by Karen Kreps

Seeking Spirit 22
Music knows no boundaries when you're fifteen
by Becca Hensley

Family 23
Thinking about Google, our kids and politics
by Lindsey Lane
October Family Events 25

Food 27
Soul of Austin
Stewed greens and macaroni and cheese
by Clane Hayward
October Food Events 29

Pets 30
Integrating health, happiness and pets
by Laura Koffler
October Pet Events 32

In the Garden 33
Growing the garden and the gardeners
by Cecilia Nasti
October in the Garden 35
October Garden Events 35

Shelter 36
Color energizes architect's home
by Amy E. Lemen

Environment 40
An immodest proposal
Those who won't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them in summer school
by Robert Singleton
October Environmental Events 42

Austin Original 56
Kenny Hill Autowerks
Established 1973
by Shelley Seale

Ancient Chinese Martial Art Heals Austinites 61
by Beth Goulart

Saving Some Lives, Confusing Others 64
Health screenings provide lots of information, but not all of it helpful
by Karen Branz Leach

Fitness 67
If the shoe fits, leave it in the closet
by Carla Birnberg

Healthcare 68
Simple answers seldom solve complex problems
by Karen Branz Leach

The Buzz 69
Health, wellness & fitness activities abound
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Crow 43
Longtime campaign manager a major force in winning elections
by Kathy Mitchell

Austin Independents 49
Locally owned businesses invite
you in their doors

Pet Adoptions 57
Somewhere in the Austin area there's a dog or cat that's just right for you
by Melissa Gaskill

Lagniappe 6
Proposition 2: Do the right thing
by Rebecca Melançon

Letters 7
Our readers write.

Arts Feature 8
An original composition
The Golden Hornet Project breathes new life into Austin's classical scene
by Bonnie Neel

Arts Buzz 9
Wicked art haunts
October's arts scene
by Bonnie Neel

Arts & Entertainment 10
Art, music, theatre, books and more
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Out & About 16
The lowdown on what's going on
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Intimacies 21
It's a shame, shame, shame how we feel shame about sex
by Karen Kreps

Seeking Spirit 22
Music knows no boundaries when you're fifteen
by Becca Hensley

Family 23
Thinking about Google, our kids and politics
by Lindsey Lane
October Family Events 25

Food 27
Soul of Austin
Stewed greens and macaroni and cheese
by Clane Hayward
October Food Events 29

Pets 30
Integrating health, happiness and pets
by Laura Koffler
October Pet Events 32

In the Garden 33
Growing the garden and the gardeners
by Cecilia Nasti
October in the Garden 35
October Garden Events 35

Shelter 36
Color energizes architect's home
by Amy E. Lemen

Environment 40
An immodest proposal
Those who won't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them in summer school
by Robert Singleton
October Environmental Events 42

Austin Original 56
Kenny Hill Autowerks
Established 1973
by Shelley Seale

Ancient Chinese Martial Art Heals Austinites 61
by Beth Goulart

Saving Some Lives, Confusing Others 64
Health screenings provide lots of information, but not all of it helpful
by Karen Branz Leach

Fitness 67
If the shoe fits, leave it in the closet
by Carla Birnberg

Healthcare 68
Simple answers seldom solve complex problems
by Karen Branz Leach

The Buzz 69
Health, wellness & fitness activities abound
Compiled by Whitney Angstadt

Proposition 2: Do the right thing
Our community has had many studies, plans, discussions and debates about what we want Austin to look like in the future. One inevitable fact is growth will occur. While we ponder the simplistic upward-or-outward question about where to put all the people moving to Austin, a small revolution has been building in our community.
While many confrontations of the past have been framed as the developer vs. the environment, the current fight takes on the developer vs. our tax dollars.
On November 4, in addition to voting for president, you will be asked to vote on a complex amendment to the Austin City Charter. Proposition 2 would prohibit the City of Austin from providing incentives to development or redevelopment projects that include retail and would prohibit the city from paying incentives currently contracted to The Domain and potentially others. No doubt you’ve heard the cry of Stop Domain Subsidies (www.stopdomainsubsidies.com) to pass this amendment to prevent the city from paying the rebate of sales tax dollars to Simon Property Group Inc., the current developer of The Domain.
But first a bit of history. Municipalities routinely grant incentive packages to create a thriving economic and cultural environment. Economic policies drive the addition of desirable jobs, recruitment of viable business sectors and development of specific areas of town. These policies can also express the desires of the community for the shape and feel of our city.
The term New Urbanism has been put into play here. New Urbanism seeks to provide neighborhoods that are scalable (no enormous skyscrapers) and contain jobs, a variety of housing options, public spaces, shopping and a walkable community. This translates into mixed-use development. The Domain is an example of this, as is the Mueller redevelopment, The Triangle and others.

In 2003, the city entered into a contract with the developers of The Domain to offer financial incentives to create a desired project that included affordable housing, park space, jobs, locally owned businesses, high-end retailers and a showcase of mixed-use planning. Among the incentives was a rebate of taxes collected on retail sales at The Domain. These taxes would otherwise flow into the city’s general fund coffers to help pay for our community’s needs including public safety, libraries, parks and numerous other necessities. You will hear estimates of how much these rebates cost that range from twenty-five million to sixty-five million dollars or more. The difference in these figures is the twenty-five million is a cap at net present value. That means in 2003 dollars. Over the life of this twenty-five year agreement this could stretch to sixty-five million in real dollars.
In 2004 Brian Rodgers, a local real estate investor, brought a lawsuit against the city and the developers to stop the refund of sales tax dollars to the developer. This ended in a settlement that allows the city and the developers to walk away from the agreement. (I wrote about this issue in November 2007 and explained the pros and cons in more detail. That article can be found at www.goodlifemag.com/archives/2007/11-07/11-07_Lagniappe.pdf.)
Rodgers and others led the petition drive to get Proposition 2 on the ballot.
Recently a new group has formed to defeat the proposition. Keep Austin’s Word (www.keepaustinsword.com) carries the voice of former Council Member Betty Dunkerley. Dunkerley is a well-respected advocate for local business and supported, among others, the Austin Independent Business Alliance throughout her time on the council. Keep Austin’s Word maintains that the original deal with The Domain should be honored. According to a recent review to be presented to the City Council October 2 (after our press date) The Domain has not only met its obligations under the agreement but has exceeded them.

Keep Austin’s Word claims that it will hurt the city and future projects to renege on The Domain deal. Although the Rodgers’ lawsuit settlement allows the city to stop the refund, Dunkerley and others believe it would be harmful to do so. It’s not just a matter of integrity—the developer is doing its part and so should we—it’s a matter of reputation, unintended consequences and expensive lawsuits. A deal’s a deal. Because you can walk away doesn’t mean you should.

What Stop Domain Subsidies says is also true

Simon Property Group, a successful international developer, doesn’t need and shouldn’t get our hard-earned tax dollars. Especially not to support the likes of Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton and others. Just to be clear, the rebates go to Simon Property Group and not directly to the retailers, although every retailer in The Domain, locally-owned and international alike, stands to benefit from these rebates through better amenities and possibly lower rents.
This was a bad deal. We can debate endlessly the merits of the deal, whether The Domain development would have happened anyway without city incentives, whether they have really complied with the terms of the agreement or it’s a bunch of deceptive numbers, and whether the citizens of Austin should spend tax dollars (as opposed to purchases as customers) supporting high-end retailers.

City Council Resolution vs. Proposition 2 Charter Amendment

In December 2007, Council Member Lee Leffingwell introduced a resolution passed by the City Council that would prevent future deals like The Domain but bind the city to pay the rebates in The Domain deal. This was an attempt to satisfy concerns about future deals and derail the Stop Domain Subsidies petition drive for a charter amendment. Clearly the petition drive continued and the proposition is on the ballot.
But the devil really isn’t in the details, he’s in the unintended consequences. Those consequences breed questions such as: How does this affect the Mueller redevelopment? What about the forthcoming redevelopment of the Seaholm Power Plant site? Does it impact the next phase of The Triangle? Will future deals be suspect if we back out of The Domain? Or is this a chance to set a bad deal right? Should this be a part of the City Charter (the equivalent of our local Constitution) or should it be economic policy? The City Charter requires a public vote to change or amend it while a policy can be changed by the vote of the City Council.
As legal minds pore over the possibilities of where we’ll be if Proposition 2 passes, we mere voters must weigh and decide the options by November 4.

The power you hold

While both sides are trying to get your vote, I’d like to pause and marvel at our form of government. We get a lot of things wrong. The Iraq War, greed on Wall Street, our failure to provide affordable healthcare, all these and more weigh on us heavily these days. Corruption comes in waves in both politics and business. The system that’s supposed to protect the most vulnerable among us often fails tragically. But sometimes we get it right.
In 2003, your elected City Council, with little community input, decided The Domain deal was good for the city. By the will of the people (it took the signatures of twenty thousand verified registered voters to get this charter amendment on the ballot) we have the opportunity to rethink this deal. You have the option to tell the council you want a different outcome. This is democracy in action.
Is your vote for Proposition 2 a better decision or mob rule? History isn’t particularly kind in judging the wisdom of voters in overturning a council decision or forcing the power of our will to bear. In an effort to curb the impact of big money’s influence on local elections, a citizens’ group petitioned for and a majority voted for a charter change that limited individual contributions to one hundred dollars. In retrospect it was a mistake, hobbling local elections in the land of the underfunded, and the limits have since been increased.
But sometimes our collective wisdom shines, as in the case of the landmark Save Our Springs Ordinance protecting Barton Springs and the environment we hold dear. The voters (or mob if you were on the other side) demanded to be heard and the voters overwhelmingly supported the initiative.
One side of the Proposition 2 argument is emotional: “Don’t give Neiman Marcus your tax dollars! Protect the little local businesses and let the big international high-falutin’ bigwigs fend for themselves! Do the right thing!”
The other side is practical: “Keep your word. Honor your deals but make better ones next time. Keep your options open and avoid anything rash that may bring those unintended consequences. Do the right thing!”

On November 4 while you’re out electing the next leader of our country, vote on Proposition 2. Exercise the power of your vote and do the right thing.Rebecca will be doing her right thing by voting for Proposition 2 and letting the devil and the lawyers fight over the details. You can e-mail her at hello@goodlifemag.com.

What if you went to the symphony and instead of a recital of a composition by Beethoven or Mozart (who were hip and trendy about two hundred years ago), you were instead treated to a string quartet composed by Mick Jagger? Sounds exciting and a little incongruous, right? But it is essentially the mission of Austin’s own Golden Hornet Project, which has performed more than one hundred new compositions by more than thirty new composers, many of them local musicians.
“A band is really no different from a string quartet,” says Peter Stopschinski, one-half of the duo behind GHP. “It’s chamber music. Those people are just more familiar with what a guitar is supposed to do, what its role is in the music, than say an oboe in an orchestra.” Stopschinski was working and writing with his own band, The Brown Whornet, when he met Graham Reynolds of the Golden Arm Trio.
“I had actually heard a rumor that Graham was writing string quartets,” says Stopschinski. “I called him up and said that I was writing string quartets and that they were ready to be presented. He said great and we started looking for venues to perform them. Later we realized that neither of us at that point had actually written anything. We were just totally bluffing each other. Then we had to follow through with it.” The concert wound up being really inspiring and, by the end of it, the Golden Hornet Project (taken from the names of both Reynolds and Stopschinski’s bands) was born.
Since that auspicious beginning in 1999, GHP has created and performed full symphonies, works for percussion ensembles, children’s piano recitals, film scores, and chamber music of all kinds. The concerts tend to bridge the gap between nightclub and concert hall with the patrons filing in wearing jeans and T-shirts (Austin’s high fashion) with seating available everywhere, even on the stage with the musicians. The music—especially that of the popular percussion ensembles—is alive, fresh and vibrant, played with the energy of a rock band on stage. It gets your body moving, your mind thinking, following the themes and movements in the composition.
“I think a unique experience that we had as opposed to people who study music in conservatories—which I did as an undergraduate and immediately got out of it—is our music doesn’t first come from the page,” says Stopschinski. “I think a lot of composers, if you are conservatory bred, are really concerned with how things look and really concerned with the mechanics of compositions.”
“My music looks boring on the page,” says Reynolds, who was not trained in composition at a conservatory. He taught himself with a book of notations and a white piano marked with instrument ranges on masking tape. Nonetheless, he gained international acclaim for composing the score for the 2006 Richard Linklater film, A Scanner Darkly.
GHP is growing in scope and acclaim as well. After ten years under the umbrella of Salvage Vanguard Theatre, GHP applied for and recently received its nonprofit status with an eye toward building for the future. This season features a free Big Band Concert at Wooldridge Square Park (Ninth and Guadalupe) on October 4, and a performance with the Tosca String Quartet at the Alamo Drafthouse in January. Symphony IV, GHP’s fourth full symphony, will premiere as part of the Fuse Box Festival in April at Austin’s Blue Theater.
“We’ve had basically five different kinds of concerts that we are trying to put on annually,” says Reynolds, “orchestral, string quartet, percussion, composers of the piano, and solo.” Plans are in the works to bring in national and international guest artists to collaborate with GHP to not only place the music into context for its audience but also to expand the connection of GHP to the national music scene.
“We’re interested in doing a turntable concerto piece and bringing in a well-known, established deejay to collaborate with us. It will be a test-run, of sorts, to eventually host a festival where we bring in three nights of out-of-town artists,” says Reynolds.
The future plans and big dreams are part of the charm and strength of GHP. Both Reynolds and Stopschinski teach young musicians at the Austin Chamber Music Center and plan on continuing that collaboration by staging annual concerts with their young charges as performers, interns and composers. “We’ve had students come play in our symphonies along the way,” says Graham. “They got to sit next to musicians that were in the Austin Symphony Orchestra.”
For adult composers, drawn from the local music scene, they hold “composer meetings” where they work out the finer details of putting music to page. “Especially for people that work for bands and very often are not familiar (with) writing classical ensembles, we would sort of walk them through the process. Look over their scores, work with them on their scores to make them easier to read, more proper, put things in the right ranges,” says Stopschinski.
The music that comes from bringing artists from the “underground” together with those from the conservatory is both revelatory and relevant. GHP and its wickedly talented and hardworking creators have given a new dimension to Austin’s live music scene, crossing the chasm between Sixth Street and the Long Center. Imagine the combination of a deejay and his turntables in the middle of an orchestra! Bet even Beethoven, if he could, would be there on the front row for that one.

Learn more about GHP and Reynolds and Stopschinski’s individual bands at www.goldenhornet.org.
Bonnie Neel got to sit next to the drums at the last GHP concert. It rocked. Contact her at bneel@goodlifemag.com.

Wicked art haunts October’s arts scene

Double, double, toil and trouble. There are wicked delights bubbling in the Austin scene this month.
First off, our most daring and so-good-they-are-scary theater company, the irrepressible Rude Mechanicals, have recently received a fifty thousand dollar grant from the HMBG Foundation to be disbursed over three years. The Rude Mechs are busy conjuring another genre-breaking production and fixing up the Off Center, but the grant requires a two-to-one match. So open up your wallets, ladies and gentleman, and share your bounty with the original bad boys of Austin theater.
For more good-lookers and even better guitar riffs, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) will be holding its third annual HAAM Benefit Day October 7 at City Hall to thank local businesses and patrons who have done their part to provide health insurance for our local musicians. A Battle of the Bands fund-raiser will be held that evening at Antone’s. I can guarantee some wicked good music.
For more fiendishly good music, the magical choral ensemble, Conspirare, will open its season at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church with Home (October 3-5) featuring the work of American superstar choral composer Eric Whitacre. This production will be filmed the following week by PBS in the Long Center for a national prime-time broadcast next year. Get your tickets while you can.
Tickets are still available for the last two screenings of Austin Film Society’s The Third Wave: Contemporary German Cinema at the Alamo Drafthouse South (October 7 and 14). I’m looking forward to Love in Thoughts (Was Nutzt die Liebe in Gedanken) by director Achim von Borries (October 7), a dark, diabolical love story—German style. AFS continues not only to screen provocative films but also to actively encourage their creation, recently giving away more than one hundred three thousand dollars to twenty-two video and film projects via its 2008 Texas Filmmakers’ Production Fund.
If German love stories aren’t devilish enough for you, Austin’s Halloween offerings are ghoulishly delightful. First, Trouble Puppet Theatre presents its mischievous rendition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the City Theatre (October 30-November 16). Austin Chamber Music Center is conjuring up its own theme concert, Mmmmm... Creepalicious! on October 31 (private home performance) and November 1 (the Long Center Rollins Theater). ACMC’s program includes the delightfully spooky Ghost Trio by Beethoven. And finally, the Mexic-Arte Museum launches its twenty-fifth annual Dia de los Muertos celebration with its exhibit of local community art and altars opening October 20, leading to its procession in East Austin and celebration downtown November 1. If you’ve never experienced the sheer magic and pageantry of the sacred Mexican Day of the Dead holiday, run out and enjoy the goblins, ghouls and honored dead.
Wickedly good offerings would not be complete without reminding one and all that the Texas Book Festival (November 1-2) swoops into town the day after Halloween. A veritable coven of writers and celebrities will be on hand, but if you’ve got little goblins up for a frightful good time, don’t miss R.L. Stine’s appearance on October 31 at the Austin Children’s Museum, where he’ll read from his new book Goosebumps HorrorLand #5: Dr. Maniac vs. Robby Schwartz and lead the kids in a communal ghost story.
Something wickedly good this way comes. Get out, Austin, and enjoy its delights!

Every Halloween, Bonnie dresses like a witch. Better to not ask why. Contact her at bneel@goodlifemag.com.

ART SPACES

Sundays Oct. 19-Nov. 16 8:30am-12:30m Aquarelle: Waterloo Watercolor Group 30th Annual Fall Juried Exhibition: Art work selected by Christopher Schink, signature member of the American & National Watercolor Societies & nationally recognized artist, author, teacher & juror. Riverbend Church, 4214 N. Capital of Texas Highway. Details: 327-3540.
• Oct. 30 Th 5:30-7:30pm Reception

Oct. 1-11 Sa-M free The Art of Hessam: Expressions of Life: Austin’s largest contemporary fine art gallery welcomes international artist Hessam Abrishami to Austin for the first time. ART on 5th, 1501 W. 5th St. Details: 481-1111 www.arton5th.com.
• Oct. 3 & Oct. 4 F-Sa Meet Hessam

Oct. 1-11 M-Sa Past: Paused: Matthew Fuller & Faustinus Deraet: Fuller curated & digitally enhanced iconic photographs taken by the artist’s grandfather during the 1950s. Deraet dazzles us with unexpected visions of China; surprising everyone with what an artist & his plastic toy camera can achieve together. Davis Gallery, 837 W. 12th St. Details: 477-4929 www.davisgalleryaustin.com.

Oct. 1-12 $0-$7 A Place of Dreams: Exhibit of paintings & photos of Caddo Lake by Bruce Tinch. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. Details: 232-0100 www.wildflower.org.

Oct. 1-20 Little Heroes: Display of images of children by some of Mexico’s most acclaimed photographers. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, 3600 Presidential Blvd. Entire exhibition is also on-line. Details: 245-2313 www.alkek.library.txstate.edu/swwc/wg/heroes/index.html.

Oct. 1-Nov. 1 Pachacuti pachacuti pachacuti: Exhibition of work by William Cordova. The Andean Quechua word, pachacuti, like many words in languages from across the world, does not have one translation, but many interpretations depending on its various usages & contexts. In two installations, “this one’s 4U” &”some of us were gladiators,” Cordova investigates the many interpretations & contexts of visual culture. Okay Mountain, 1312-B E. Cesar Chavez. Details: 619-4622 www.okaymountain.com.

Oct. 1-Nov. 1 Jeffrey Dell: Big Pelt: Dell’s work pushes the boundaries of printmaking by building a textural surface not commonly seen in serigraphy. With this unique use of the printmaking medium, Dell makes surprising images that do not always look like prints. d berman gallery, 1701 Guadalupe. Details; 477-8877 www.dbermangallery.com.
• Oct. 11 1pm Gallery Talk

Oct. 1-Nov. 2 Tu-Th 1-6pm Discrete Space: Leslie Mutchler, Sam Sanford & Jeannie McKetta: Titled after the topological term referring to a plotted network of isolated points, the show includes artists working in disparate mediums, each individually interpreting & dissecting issues of space formally, structurally & emotionally. From the way we access our memories & our belongings, from the structure of our environment & our subconscious, these artists a dealing with both the power & limitations of our physicality. Bay 12 Gallery at Big Medium, 5305 Bolm Road, #12. Details: 385-1670 <info@bigmedium.org> www.bigmedium.org.

Oct. 1-Nov. 2 free The Inner Image: New work from Betty Jameson & Carolyn Patterson in various water media & collage. North Hills Gallery, Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, 7050 Village Center Dr. Details: 346-0261 www.nwhillsumc.org/northhillsgallery.html.

Oct. 1-Nov. 2 free Reset/Play: Exhibition attempting a critical exploration of contemporary art inspired by video games. Questioning the history, control mechanisms, political & art-historical implications of electronic games, this exhibit assembles a formidable group of international artists who made a significant impact on this growing post-game artistic sub-genre. Arthouse at the Jones Center, 700 Congress Ave. Details: 453-5312 www.arthousetexas.org.
• Oct. 18 Sa 8pm AMODA Performance: Featuring performance-sound artists Loud Objects, Ceremony Hall, 4100 Red River.

Oct. 1-Dec. 31 M-Su free Fab’rik + Rebecca Bennett: Original Oil Paintings: fab’rik, 12801 Hill Country Blvd. Bee Cave. Details: 923-0158 www.fabrikaustin.com.

Oct. 1-Jan. 18 Reimagining Space: The Park Place Gallery Group in 1960s New York: An exhibition that opens a new window on the 1960s art world. In doing so, it reveals the decade to have been a period of much richer artistic possibility & complexity than standard art historical narratives suggest. Blanton Museum of Art, 200 E. MLK. Details: 471-7324 www.blantonmuseum.org.

Oct. 1-Jan. 18 The New York Graphic Workshop: Showcasing over 100 prints, drawings & mixed media works, the exhibition will explore contributions made to the Conceptualist movement of the ’60s & ’70s thru the printmaking of The New York Graphic Workshop. Blanton Museum of Art, 200 E. MLK. Details: 471-7324 www.blantonmuseum.org.

Oct. 3-Nov. 9 Everything’s Going to be Okay: Young Latino Artists 13: This exhibition curated by Leslie Moody Castro illustrates how moments of vulnerability can turn into our greatest strengths. Now in its 13th year, this exhibition features & challenges young Latino artists younger than 35 to create & present their vision in a reexamination of social & aesthetic norms with new & experimental media. Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 N. Congress Ave. Details: 480-9373 ext. 25 www.mexic-artemuseum.org.
• Oct. 3 F 7-9pm Opening Reception

Oct. 4 Sa noon-dark free Art Walk: S. 1st Street businesses & artists hosts their annual Art Walk & donation drive for Capital Area Food Bank. The Art Walk includes music, jewelry, performances & artwork by some of Austin’s most gifted artists. Visual artists include Subliminal Phoenix & the 8d Crew. Performance art includes Baruzuland Shadow Puppet Theater. Creative workshops for kids are offered by Future Craft Collective, Greater Austin Garbage Arts (GAGA) & Treasure City Thrift. Details: 373-4242 www.myspace.com/southfirst78704.

Oct. 4-Oct. 31 free Art Across the Americas: The Austin Lima Sister Cities Committee presents this exhibition of Peruvian and North American painters and sculptors. Sales will go to the artists & the Center for Adolescent Mothers in Lima (El Centro Para Madres Adolescentes). International Center of Austin, 201 E. 2nd St. Details: Carol Hayman 477-3099 www.ci.austin.tx.us/siscity/lima.htm.
• Oct. 4 Sa 6-9pm free Artists’ Reception

Oct. 4-29 free New Paintings by Honora Jacob: New work by painter & sculptor Jacob, whose work combines seemingly disparate imagery to explore feminine archetypes. Wally Workman Gallery, 1202 W. 6th St. Details: 472-7428 www.wallyworkman.com.
• Oct. 4 Sa 6-8pm Opening Reception

Oct. 3-5 F-Su $26-$40 Conspirare: Home: Classical & traditional melodies, spirituals & plainsongs, songs from Broadway & contemporary standards & pop hits. Details: 476-5775 www.conspirare.org.
• Oct. 3 & Oct. 4 F-Sa 8pm St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, 606 W. 15th St.
• Oct. 5 Su 2:30pm Northwest Hills United Methodist, 7050 Village Center Dr.

Oct. 3 & Oct. 4 F & Sa 8pm $27-$48 The Music of ABBA featuring Arrival with the Austin Symphony Orchestra: The only show with exclusive rights to recreate exact versions of ABBA’s original clothing & likeness. The Austin Symphony & the 12-member ensemble, including original ABBA musicians, Finn Sjoberg (guitar) & Roger Palm (drums), will perform ABBA’s greatest hits such as “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” & many more! Dell Hall, The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Details: 476-6064 www.austinsymphony.org

Oct. 4 Sa 8pm $30-$60 Eliot Fisk & Angel Romero: These towering giants of the guitar world will provide a spectacular evening’s entertainment. Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, 7050 Village Center Dr. Details: 300-2247 www.AustinClassicalGuitar.org.

Oct. 7 Tu HAAM Benefit Day: Area businesses pledge 5% of the day’s profits or make cash donations to the groundbreaking group that helps Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) member-musicians (now more than 1,200) gain access to low-cost primary medical care provided by Seton Family of Hospitals, dental care by St. David’s Community Health Foundation Leadership, & mental-health & addiction-recovery services by The SIMS Foundation.
More than 90 bands, most with HAAM member-musicians, have volunteered to play at restaurants, clubs & retail outlets across Austin. Details: 322-5177 www.myhaam.org.

Oct. 9 Th 8pm $29-$49 Revolution: Driven by the power of Rock & the heartbeat of percussion, Revolution is a sweaty, sultry mix of live rock music & dance that fuses Tap Dancing & Irish Dancing into an unforgettable night of Sweat, Dance & Rock ’n’ Roll. Dell Hall, The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Details: 476-6064 www.TheLongCenter.org.

Oct. 12 Su 3pm $15 Viva La Diva: An Evening of Opera with Othalie Graham: A concert featuring soprano Graham, mezzo-soprano Jeanette Blakeney & contralto Judith Skinner, singing classical repertory, musical theatre & traditional spirituals. King-Seabrook Chapel at Huston-Tillotson University, 900 Chicon St. Details: 236-0644 lisa.byrd@proartsaustin.org www.BAMAustin.org.

Oct. 12 Su 3pm $10-$20 Klezmer Music: Austin Klezmorim is the oldest & most celebrated group of its kind in the Southwest. Founded in 1979 by trumpeter, vocalist & composer Bill Averbach, the Austin Klezmorim are pioneers in the revival & further development of the genre. Festival Concert Hall, 248 Jaster Rd. Round Top. Details: 979-249-3129 <info@festivalhill.org> www.festivalhill.org.

Oct. 12 6pm $35 Music March for Heroes: The goal is to raise $100,000 for Hope for Heroes, a program that provides confidential, no-charge counseling to veterans of the war in Iraq & Afghanistan & to their families. La Zona Rosa, 601 W. 4th St. Doors open 5pm, no reserved seating. Details: 203-6785, 263-4146.
• 6pm Levon Ingram, singer-songwriter who served with the Army in Iraq.
• 7pm Sara Hickman
• 8:15pm Micky & the Motorcars
• 9:30pm Reckless Kelly

Oct. 14 Tu 8:15-9:45pm PoolSide Live: Live music under the Full Moon. Onion Creek Crawdaddies perform. Free entry after 9pm. Barton Springs Pool, Details: www.sosalliance.org.

Oct. 15-Nov. 20 $17.50 ($90 for 6 classes) Drumz Fall Classes: Celebrating creativity, compassion & communication. Drumz, 3700-½ Kerbey Ln. Details: 453-9090 <sdrumz@austin.rr.com> www.drumzaustin.net.
• Wednesdays Oct. 15-Nov. 19 6:45-7:45pm Beyond Beginner: Coed & for students already moving along the way on the drummer’s path. Class will work on exercises to improve technique , learn more about rhythm structure & more complex rhythm patterns than beginner level classes. All parts of the ensemble ( bell, djun, shekere, djembe) will be included.
• Wednesdays Oct. 15-Nov. 19 8-9pm Beginning Hand Drumming: For those starting out on the drummer’s path. We learn basic hand technique, exercises to develop good technique, the “babatunde drum language” to help us learn West African style rhythm patterns, drum circle etiquette, how to select your drum, how to tune a hand drum as well as learning & experiencing in-the-moment-improv with a weekly spontaneous closing rhythm. Drums are furnished for those needing a drum for class.
• Thursdays Oct. 16-Nov. 20 7:30-8:30pm Intermediate Hand Drumming: For students with strong hand technique & a good grasp of West African style ensemble playing! We work at a more rapid pace with more difficult material. We do multiple-part djun bell combination patterns & practice is a must to stay up with the group.
• Saturdays Oct. 18-Nov. 22 10am-11am Morning Beginner’s Class: The class for those starting out on the drummer’s path.

Oct. 17 F 7-11pm $35-$350 Save Austin Music Gala & Fund-raiser: Top-notch Austin music, food & beverages, & a silent auction to raise funds to place TV, radio, print & Internet spots that will make a call-to-action for all Austinites to “See one Austin Band Each Month.” Entertainment includes John Pointer, Troy Dillinger, Neckbone & Nakia & His Southern Cousins. One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Caves Rd. Details: 329-6753 <info@theyearofaustinmusic.org> www. theyearofaustinmusic.org.

Oct. 17 & Oct. 18 F & Sa 8pm $19-$48 Anton Nel with the Austin Symphony Orchestra: Nel joins the ASO to perform Messiaen’s L’Ascension, Schumann’s Introduction & Allegro appassionato, Op. 92, Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in g, Op. 25 & Respighi’s Vetrate di chiesa (Church Windows). Dell Hall in The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Details: 476-6064 or www.austinsymphony.org.

Oct. 19 Su 6pm $10 Keep Austin Young: Celebrating the Life of Danny Roy Young Benefit Concert: Young, owner of the Texicali Grill and a rubboard player who died unexpectedly in August at age 67, will be remembered in this benefit concert to retire debt incurred after the restaurant was sold & subsequently closed. Live performances by The Texana Dames, Ponty Bone, Marcia Ball, Ray Benson, James McMurtry, the Cornell Hurd Band & the Antone’s House Band featuring Derek O’Brien, Riley Osbourne, Frosty & Ronny James with special guests. Author Joe Nick Patoski will emcee. Sponsorships available for tables of 10 for $1,000, tables of 4 for $400. Austin Music Hall, 208 Nueces St. Tickets available at GetTix 866-443-8849, Waterloo Records & Video, University Co-op, Monarch Event Center & RunTex locations. Donations may be sent to Danny Roy Young Memorial Fund, c/o Prosperity Bank, PO Box 2167, Austin TX 78768. Or contribute on-line at www.dannyroyyoung.org. Details: For sponsorthips 472-8463 <rshivers@shiversgroup.com>.

Oct. 19 Su 7:30pm $29-$49 3 Mo’ Divas: Exciting musical journey celebrating the amazing versatility of the female voice! The theatrically staged concert is a magnificently entertaining evening performed by mezzo-soprano Laurice Lanier, soprano Nova Payton & soprano Jamet Pittman. Dell Hall, The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Details: 476-6064 www.TheLongCenter.org.

Oct. 19-21 Su-Tu Salon Concerts: Duality Augmented: The mission is to get all kinds of people excited about chamber music. The program includes The Kobayashi-Gray Duo & Douglas Harvey, cello performing Prokofiev’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 94a, Mozart’s Piano Trio in C Major, KV 548, Viardot’s Romance, Bohemienne, Tarantelle & more. Details: 217-1264 <proartsmgt@aol.com>.
• Oct. 19 Su 4:30pm Private home, directions given with reservation
• Oct. 20 M 7:30pm Private home, directions given with reservation
• Oct. 21 Tu 6-7pm Armstrong Community Music School of Austin Lyric Opera, 901 Barton Springs Rd.

Oct. 31 & Nov. 1 F & Sa 7:30pm $20-$40 Mmmmm … Creepalicious! Frightfully memorable works by musical masters. What better way to celebrate Halloween than deliciously spooky compositions from Beethoven, Shostakovich & Crumb? Come enjoy music in the key of Boo! Details: 454-0026 www.austinchambermusic.org.
• Oct. 31 F $40 Intimate Concert: Private Home.
• Nov. 1 Sa $20 Synchronism: Long Center Rollins Theater, 701 W. Riverside Dr.

Nov. 8 & Nov. 13 7:30-10:30pm Peace-N-Rhythm International Festival: Huston-Tillotson University Chapel, 900 Chicon St. Seniors & kids younger than 10 get in free. Tickets available at Antone’s Records Oct. 12. Details: Richard Carson <diversepro@yahoo.com>.
• Nov. 8 Sa $12-$15 Music from India, Haiti, China, France, Nicaragua, Cuba & North America
• Nov. 13 Th $15-$20 Music from Guinea, Brazil, India, New Orleans & North America.

Nov. 8-Nov. 16 $20-$175 Cinderella: Austin Lyric Opera opens the season with Rossini’s charming fairy tale. This innovative production has been updated to a setting in 1930s Hollywood, starring acclaimed mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy in the role of Cinderella. The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr. Details: 472-5992 www.AustinLyricOpera.org.
• Nov. 8 Sa, Nov. 12 W & Nov. 14 F 7:30pm
• Nov. 16 Su 3pm

THEATRE
Tuesdays Oct. 7-28 7-10pm free Tuesday Improv Jam: Forget your worries & come out for an evening of improv comedy starring you in low-pressure warmups, games & scenes. Surprise yourself this week. The Hideout Theatre, 617 N. Congress Ave. Details: 443-3688 www.austinimprov.com.

Thursdays Oct. 2, Oct. 9 & Oct. 16 8pm Some Like It Improvised: Completely Improvised Screwball Comedies: Parallelogramophonograph presents a fully improvised theatre in the style of classic screwball comedies from the ’30s & ’40s. ColdTowne Theatre, 4803-B Airport Blvd. Details: Details: 968-6486 www.pgraph.com.

CONFERENCES

Oct. 3, Oct. 4 & Oct. 5 F-Su National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation: This gathering brings together 100s of individuals who are committed to making a difference by skillfully bringing people together to talk, listen & act in ways that create greater understanding, build stronger relationships & foster common ground for action. With so many critical problems facing our organizations, communities & world, the ability to help people communicate more deeply & act from a place of shared understanding is more important than ever. Details: 971-3033 www.thataway.org/events/?page_id=6.

Oct. 17 & Oct. 18 F & Sa free Austin Energy Alt­Car Expo & Conference: Experts & the public convene to see the latest in transportation technology & alternative sources of energy. That includes the innovative vehicles, or Alternative Cars (AltCars). Specialists in transportation, public policy, sustainability, engineering, clean energy & automotive technology will address emerging trends in global transportation & energy. The event is free. Parking is $7. Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. Details: 344-2028 www.austinenergyaltcar.com/seminars-short.html.
• F 8:30am-5:15pm
• Sa 10am-4:30pm

DAY TRIPS

A Hill Country Heritage 8am-5pm daily free The Land & People that Inspired a President & First Lady: A permanent exhibit. Tram tour $3. Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site, 2 miles east of Stonewall on US Hwy. 290. Details: 830-644-2252 www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lbj.

EXHIBITIONS

Oct. 1-31 free E.M. Barron Exhibit of Minerals & Gem Collections: See 100 specimens collected from all over the world by the late Col. E.M. Barron (1903-1969), a former Texas legislator who served under General Douglas MacArthur in Australia during WWII. Included in the exhibit will be a 925-carat blue topaz crystal from Mason County, Texas, along with magnificent specimens of azurite, cinnabar & wulfenite, delicate leaf gold, unusual copper in calcite & sparkling crystals of cerussite, among others. Permanent exhibit. Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity St. (2 blocks north of the UT stadium). Details: 232-5654 www.texasmemorialmuseum.org.

Oct. 1-31 free Fishes of Texas: This exhibit highlights freshwater fishes & their place in our world, discussions of fish diversity & a look at how fish fit into our lives & environment. Through multimedia displays, underwater photographs & Texas Natural Science Center specimens, visitors gain an appreciation of the diversity & value of Texas fishes. Texas Memorial Museum, 2400 Trinity St. (2 blocks north of the UT stadium). Details: 232-5654 www.texasmemorialmuseum.org.

Oct. 1-31 M-F 9am-5pm free Songs of the Lone Star State: An ongoing exhibit of rare sheet music, consisting of compositions written in praise of Texas, the Texas flag & star, the state bird & flower, cities & historic sites. Texas Music Museum, 1009 E. 11th St. Details: 472-8891 www.texasmusicmuseum.org.

Oct. 18- Jan. 4 Cowboys & Presidents: From Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush, U.S. presidents have used the powerful iconographic symbol of the heroic American cowboy to define themselves & their administrations to the nation & the world. In this election year, the special exhibition created by Autry National Center explores the fascinating & ongoing intersection of cowboy culture & presidential politics. Motion pictures, TV, radio & music enhance the exhibition & visitors are invited to cast their votes on thought-provoking issues in interactive voting booths. Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave. at MLK Blvd. Details: 936-8746 www.thestoryoftexas.com.
• Oct. 8 W 6-8pm Exhibit Preview with drinks & “Head Honcho” hors d’oeuvres. Members RSVP 936-4649.

FESTIVALS

Saturdays & Sundays Oct. 11-Nov. 30 9am-dusk Texas Renaissance Festival: Nine weekends of Renaissance-themed adventure merriment, music & romance. 21778 FM 1774 between Magnolia & Plantersville. Tickets range from $5 to $21. Details: 800-458-3435 www.texrenfest.com.
• Oct. 11 & Oct. 12 Oktoberfest
• Oct. 18 & Oct. 19 1001 Dreams
• Oct. 25 & Oct. 26 All Hallows Eve
• Oct. 28 & Oct. 29 School Days
• Nov. 1 & Nov. 2 Pirate Adventure
• Nov. 8 & Nov. 9 Roman Bacchanal
• Nov. 15 & Nov. 16 Highland Fling
• Nov. 22 & Nov. 23 Barbarian Invasion
• Nov. 28 F Thanksgiving Friday (Celtic Christmas)
• Nov. 29 & Nov. 30 Celtic Christmas

Oct. 4 Sa 10am-5pm Texas Hill Country Fall Lavender Festival: Music, arts & crafts, wine tastings, demonstrations, classes, u-pick lavender, opportunities to glean lavender growing tips & provide answers to your lavender growing questions. Becker Vineyards Lavender Farm, Chantilly Lace Inn & Lavender Farm, Miller Creek Lavender Farm & The Meadows at Flat Creek Lavender Farm & Ranch will all offer Texas Hill County lavender plants & products along with items by local craftsman for early holiday shopping. There will A short drive along Hwy 290 West allows you to tour all four farms. Details: 830-868-2806 <rileychelita@yahoo.com> www.lbjcountry.com.

Oct. 10 & Oct. 11 F & Sa $5 Mediterranean Festival: A gathering of authentic Mediterranean food, music & dance. The whole family will enjoy the exotic dance demonstrations & live music from nationally acclaimed Greek band, Stayros & Maria from the East coast & Middle Eastern chanteuse Zein Al-Jundi, who will perform both evenings during the event from two stages. Children will love the Kids’ Oasis, a separate play area complete with games, activities & even a live camel. A full city block on 11th Street between Red River & Trinity. Details: 476-2314 www.mediterraneanfestival.org.

Oct. 10-12 F-Su Gruene Music & Wine Fest: Americana event benefiting local charities featuring the best in live Texas music & the best in Texas food & wines at Gruene Hall & The Grapevine. All 3 days will be filled with vintner & music events, wine & food samplings & the Great Guitar Auction. Gruene Hall & The Grapevine, 1281 Gruene Rd. New Braunfels. Details: 830-629-5077 <mail@gruenetexas.com> www.gruenemusicandwinefest.org.

Oct. 25 Sa 10am-6pm free Hogeye Festival: Features live music, handmade arts & crafts, children’s activities, Road Hog Car Show, BBQ Pork Cook-Off, In a Pig’s Eye Dart Contest, the crowning of King Hog or Queen Sowpreme, a children’s costume pet parade, a carnival, the Pearl’s Art Show, Hogeye Hoedown Talent Show, Hogalicious Dessert Contest, Cow Patty Bingo & great food. Downtown Elgin, 19 miles east of Austin on Hwy 290. Details: 281-5724 www.elgintx.com/HOGEYE.ASP.

Oct. 25 Sa $0-$20 noon-7pm Fredericksburg Food & Wine Fest: Taste Texas at its finest with guest chefs, 27 Texas wineries & more than 50 Texas specialty booths. Live entertainment includes Harry & the Hightones, Shake Russell & Walt Wilkins. Plus the Great Gargantuan Grape Toss & silent & live auctions. $20 adult admission includes 3 sampling tickets. Markplatz. Details: 830-997-8515 fbgfoodandwinefest.comm.

Nov. 1 Sa 5-10pm Día de Los Muertos Procession & Celebration: Mexic-Arte celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional Mexican holiday when family & friends gather to honor & remember loved ones, thru music, food & festivities. Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Ave. Details: 480-9373 www.mexic-artemuseum.org.
• 5-7pm Procession: Gathers at Plaza Saltillo in East Austin with various sections including the return of the Frida Kahlo look-alikes, tributes to Virgen de Guadalupe, Chihuahuas, portable altars, noise makers, mariachis, folklórico & Aztec dancers, paper mache props, sponsored floats & Posada Catrinas.
• 7-10pm Celebration: On 5th Street, between Congress & Brazos. Festivities include artists’ booths, traditional foods, dancing & live music. Portable Altars from the Procession will be displayed outside during the day of the celebration. Entertainment also includes a reprise of the Thriller dance.

GOVERNMENT

Oct. 1-6 Voter Registration Locations: Voters who do not register by Oct. 6 will not be eligible to vote in the November presidential election & down-ballot races. An application postmarked on or before the deadline will be considered timely for the presidential election upon receipt. Travis County voters who do not update their residence address by Oct. 6 & who choose to vote on election day (rather than early voting) will be asked to vote in their previous neighborhood. Voters can pick up a voter registration application in their neighborhood tax office at the locations below. In addition, many grocery stores, post offices, libraries, schools, places of worship & apartment offices provide applications. Find them on-line. Details: 854-9473 www.co.travis.tx.us.
• Main Office, 5501 Airport Blvd. Open until midnight on Oct. 6
• East Austin Office, 4705 Heflin Lane at Springdale & MLK Blvd (drive-thru service)
• Oak Hill Office, 8656 Highway 71 W (turn right at Covered Bridge light) Building B, 2nd floor
• Pflugerville Office, 15822 Foothill Farms Loop (drive-thru service)
• Southeast Office, 4011 McKinney Falls Parkway (drive-thru service)

Oct. 6 M Voter Registration Deadline: With the 2008 presidential election just around the corner, the Travis County Voter Registrar offers valuable information to assist you in the voting process at the Voter Registration Web Site or by calling the office. Find out about who is eligible to vote, current Travis County statistics, Extended voter registrar office hours, how to verify voter registration status & how to submit in-county address changes. Details: 854-9706 www.traviscountytax.org/goVoters.do.

Oct. 17 F 10:30am-noon free Travis County Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force: This group’s mission is to create a community consensus that underage drinking is illegal, unhealthy & unacceptable. This month, Judge Madison will discuss a variety of programs in his Lakeway, Briarcliff & Horseshoe Bay courts that help educate young offenders on the dangers of alcohol & substance abuse, especially when coupled with driving. All are welcome to attend. Howson Branch Library, 2500 Exposition Blvd. Details: Gloria Souhami 854-4229, 699-7394 <gloria.souhami@co.travis.tx.us> www.co.travis.tx.us/county_attorney/Underage_Drinking_Pgm/default.asp.

Oct. 20 M 6pm free Public Comment Opportunity: Federal Review of the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process in Hays, Travis & Williamson Counties: Per federal law, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation conducts periodic reviews of metropolitan transportation planning processes in areas of more than 200,000 population. Representatives of the Federal Hwy Administration & Federal Transit Administration will host this meeting to receive comments. Joe C. Thompson Conference Center, UT Austin campus, Rm. 3.102. Details: 974-2275 www.campotexas.org.

Oct. 22-Nov. 19 6:30pm free Austin Energy Seeks Input on How to Meet Future Energy Needs: An 8-month program will gather public input for options for future power generation. As part of the City of Austin’s Climate Protection Plan, Austin Energy seeks to obtain at least 30% of its power generation from renewable resources by 2020. The draft plan also calls for 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new generation by 2020, offsetting 700 MW of peak demand through energy efficiency & load shifting, capping greenhouse gas emissions, & taking steps to become one of the nation’s first carbon-neutral electric utilities. After meetings in Oct. & Nov. Austin Energy will coordinate with customer groups to set up a second round of town hall meetings, beginning early next year. Austin Energy expects to provide final recommendations to the City Council by next summer. Details: Ed Clark 322-6514 www.austinenergy.com/About%20Us/Newsroom/Press%20Releases/2008/publicParticipation.htm
• Oct. 22 W Austin City Hall council chambers, Cesar Chavez at Guadalupe
• Oct. 28 Tu Sunset Valley City Hall, 3205 Jones Rd.
• Nov. 6 Th University Hills Branch Library, 4721 Loyola Ln.
• Nov. 12 W Travis County Service Center, 4501 N. FM 620
• Nov. 19 W Metz Recreation Center, 2407 Canterbury St.

NATURE

Saturdays Oct. 4-Feb. 28 10am–noon free Walk on the Wild Side! Enjoy an interpretive hike as a park naturalist brings together a unique blend of human & natural history to tell the story of the Colorado River & how the river influences animal, plant & human life along its banks. Each walk will focus on a different aspect of the river’s story. Geology, botany, native & early people, wildlife & river history are just some examples. Preregistration is required. Hike limited to 1st 20 people. McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 SH 71 West. Details: 303-5073 <outdoorprograms@lcra.org> www.lcra.org.

Oct. 4 & Oct. 5 Sa & Su 9am-5pm free Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo 2008: Annual tribute to the great outdoors features activities related to hunting, fishing & outdoors sports. Texas Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 4200 Smith Rd. Details: 389-4472 www.tpwd.state.tx.us/exptexas/programs/expo.

Oct. 4, 12, 18 & 26 9-11am $0-$4 Wild Basin Walks: 2-hour nature hike that’s a great introduction to the preserve. Learn about the plants, animals & geology of the Basin’s Central Texas Hill Country habitat. Reservations required. Wild Basin Wilderness, 805 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy. Details: 327-7622 www.wildbasin.org.
• Oct. 4 & Oct. 18 Sa
• Oct. 12 & Oct. 26 Su

Oct. 7 & Oct. 14 Tu 8am free Two Hour Tuesdays: This seasonal 8-week series of accessible bird walks is perfect for students, seniors & newcomers to Austin. Most sites visited will be in the city limits & convenient (on alternate weeks) to those who live north or south of downtown. It’s a great way to explore your own neighborhood hot spots. No registration required, just follow the published directions & spend a couple of hours birding with a group led by a Travis Audubon Society field trip leader. Beginners welcome, but bring your own binoculars! Details: 300-2473 www.travisaudubon.org.

Oct. 11 & Oct. 12 Sa & Su 9am Bright Leaf Preserve Guided Hikes: These monthly hikes are usually 4 miles & last about 2 hours. Wear sturdy shoes & bring water. There’s only 1 hike per day so arrive on time. Takes place 2nd Sa & 2nd Su each month. Other hikes for any type or size of group can be arranged. Meet at the parking lot off 2222 & Creek Mountain Rd. Details: 459-7269 www.brightleaf.org.

SPIRIT & SOUL

Oct. 7 & Oct. 21 Tu 7:30pm Transformation: By different masters. 1st & 3rd Tu each month with Sasha. Shamballa Healing Light Center. 7018 William Wallace Way. Details: 278-0559 www.sashawhite.com.

Oct. 11 Sa 11am-1pm Magic of Herbs with Samantha: Halloween, All Souls’ Day & Day of the Dead are celebrated this time of the year, so it’s a very magical time. This class gives you an idea of what magical herbs are & how to use them to set the mood & create or enhance special events. SOL Reflections, The Liberty Center in Lakeway, 107 RR 620 S. #105. Details: 263-6990 <solreflections@earthlink.net> www.solreflections.com.

Oct. 17 & Oct. 18 F & Sa $25-$130 Awakening the Soul: With Master Li Junfeng. Awakening the Soul is a seated form of qigong that is easy & accessible for most ages & levels of mobility. It is practiced while seated in a chair. Each posture & movement has a contemplation to help the mind understand its relationship with unconditional love. Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin
2700 W. Anderson Ln. #204. Details: 462-4797 <shengzhenproducts@yahoo.com>.
• Oct. 17 F 6-9pm Introduction to Sheng Zhen Qigong & Awakening the Soul
• Oct. 18 Sa 9:30am-5pm Awakening the Soul

Oct. 18 Sa 10:30am-2:30pm Energy Intuitive Healing: Energetic healing & chakra clearing can assist in releasing unwanted, stagnant energies by unblocking them & increasing the natural flow of healthy energy thru your body, mind & spirit. First Spiritualist Church of Austin, 4200 Avenue D. Appreciation fees accepted. Details: 458-3987 <clear.spirit@yahoo.com>.

Oct. 26 Su 7-9pm Sufi Dancing (Dances of Universal Peace): Usually meets 4th Su each month from 7:15-9:15pm at Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, 3315 El Salido Parkway, Cedar Park. Free. Details: Xvarnah D’Obrenovic 280-0584 <parvati1199@yahoo.com> www.sufidance.org.

VOLUNTEERING

Oct. 3 & 4 F & Sa $25 Cancer Connection Volunteer Training: Volunteers needed to participate in 1-on-1 matching & treatment center visitation programs with newly diagnosed cancer patients & caregivers to provide practical & emotional support. Scholarship assistance available. Apply online. Details: 342-0233 www.thecancerconnection.org.

American Cancer Society needs volunteers to help with patient transportation. Volunteers must be over the age of 21, have a valid Texas driver’s license, a dependable car with insurance coverage & a safe driving record. Drivers are provided training & can volunteer as little or as often as they like. Details: 919-1800 www.cancer.org.

Arc of the Capital Area needs usable clothing & household items, furniture, toys & small appliances. ARC provides opportunities for people with mental retardation & other developmental disabilities. Free donation pickup. Details: 707-0008 www.arcofthecapitalarea.org.

AseraCare Hospice serves Central Texas by providing medical, emotional & spiritual support to terminally ill patients & their families. Volunteers are needed to offer friendship to patients & families for the last 6 months of life. A once a week contact is preferred. TB & drug tests, background check, training & placement provided. Details: Deborah, volunteer coordinator 218-9890 www.aseracare.com.

Auto Donation: This year-round fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society is an easy way to get rid of an unwanted vehicle. Your car is picked up & sent to auction at no cost to you. You can claim your donation as an itemized tax deduction. The vehicle must have four inflated tires & all vital parts. The program accepts donations of used cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats & recreational vehicles. Details: 877-999-CARS www.cancer.org.

Call for Board Members for the YWCA of Greater Austin: The YWCA of Greater Austin is looking for a few good women! If you are a woman who is interested in making a difference in our community by eliminating racism & empowering women & girls, call for more information about joining the YWCA board of directors. You can make a difference. Details: 326-1222 www.YWCAaustin.org.

Family Eldercare: You can make a difference with just 4-6 hours a month as a volunteer advocate or volunteer bill payer. Scores of elderly & disabled people are on a waiting list for volunteers. Matches by Zip code. Details: 483-3569 <volunteer@familyeldercare.org> www.familyeldercare.org/how-you-can-help.

Give the Gift of Life: Donate Milk! Healthy, breastfeeding moms are needed to donate excess breast milk for premature & ill infants. The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin accepts, pasteurizes & dispenses by prescription donated human milk to the smallest & most fragile lives. Details: 494-0800 www.milkbank.org.

Goodwill’s Computer Recycling Program: Goodwill is looking for volunteers to participate in the demanufacturing of donated computers that will be resold or recycled. Details: Christine Chute 748-1684 <christine.chute@austingoodwill.org> www.austingoodwill.org.
Handy Helpers Program Needs Volunteers: The Glimmer of Hope Foundation has granted AAIM’s Hands on Housing program the funds needed to begin Handy Helpers. The rest is up to you. The program is especially looking for retired trades professionals, skilled home repair people, handy men & women, apprentices, carpenters, electricians & plumbers. Ideally, we are looking for folks with their own tools who can volunteer on a consistent basis (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) or several times a year when you are available. Details: Kathy Weiner 386-9145 <kweiner@aaimaustin.org> www.aaimaustin.org.

Health’s Angels: You can make a difference in the life of an elderly person in Austin by volunteering for one of the nonprofit organizations that assist older adults & their caregivers. Perfect for teenagers looking for community service hours or new retirees. Health’s Angels works with local aging-services providers to pinpoint volunteer opportunities for its members, then match members with those agencies. Members may volunteer as much as they are able. There is no minimum service requirement & members are encouraged to involve their families in their service hours. Details: 879-6600 www.healthsangels.org.

Help the Homeless Front Steps a program of the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), serves food from a kitchen & dining room at 500 E. 7th St. Volunteers needed to help prepare & serve food & for other ARCH programs. ARCH operates on the belief that all people deserve the dignity of a safe place to call home. ARCH seeks to end homelessness by providing shelter, affordable housing, community education & a day resource center. Details: Susan Morris 305-4133 www.frontsteps.org.

Join Austin Area Interreligious Ministries to Help Austin’s Refugees: Austin is becoming a major destination for political & religious refugees from around the globe, people who were forced to flee their homes & often endure long years in refugee camps. AAIM is the region’s sole provider of English as Second Language classes for refugees settled in Austin. We teach the adults basic English skills, help orient them to American culture & provide enriched learning experiences for their children. AAIM does not proselytize or attempt to convert the refugees; we simply give them the skills they need to survive so that, some day, they will be able to call Austin home. AAIM needs your seed money & support, whether you are rooted in a faith tradition, consider yourself to be spiritual but not religious, or simply share the values of our mission, you can make a difference in the life of our community by supporting AAIM. Details: 386-9145 www.aaimaustin.org/donation_new.html.

Project Transitions needs beds, household items & furniture. Donations are needed for clean or gently used dressers, sofas, chairs or tables, plus bed sheets, blankets, towels & money for buying mattresses. Details: 454-8646 www.projecttransitions.org.

RSVP Opportunities: The Travis County Retired & Senior Volunteer Program needs volunteers to serve in a broad array of areas, such as the Austin Humane Society, Austin Gray Panthers, Circle of Friends Alzheimer’s Caregivers Respite Care Program, Hispanic Contractors Assn., LBJ Library & Museum, Meals on Wheels & More, Odyssey Healthcare, Senior Games-Austin & in other capacities. Details: 854-7787 www.seniorservice.org/travis_county_rsvp.

Seton Medical Center Volunteers are looking for compassionate & caring persons to volunteer in patient & nonpatient care areas of Seton Medical Center. Volunteers are needed to provide support to families in need, assist hospital staff in the ER & in the Surgery Center & help in the gift shop, the cafe & at the information desks. Details: Volunteer office 324-1590 <vkappler@seton.org> www.setonmedicalcenter.org.


Wright House Wellness Center, formerly the HIV Wellness Center, has volunteer opportunities available. Work directly with clients, represent the Wright House in the community, or work with staff behind the scenes. 4301-B N. I-35. Details: Leah Graham 467-0088 <leah@thewrighthouse.org> www.thewrighthouse.org.

WOMEN

Oct. 4 Sa 9am-noon $149 Find Your Clarity: Mini-retreat for women who are reaching for something more, whether you are in transition, at a crossroads or meeting a milestone. Learn how to move ahead confidently & enjoy the possibilities! Limited seating. Ballet Austin Education Center, 501 W. 3rd St. Details: 454-0531 www.anndaly.com.
Oct. 4 Sa 9am-1pm $50 Healthy Aging from the Inside Out: Are you looking forward to your next birthday? If not, come participate in a workshop for women interested in learned about holistic aging. From fitness specialists, a nutritional health counselor, an acupuncturist & a psychologist, learn how to care for your mind, body & spirit to promote healthy aging. Get help from these professionals & learn how to make lifestyle changes that will help you embrace the aging process instead of fighting it. Enrollment limited. Clear Spring Studio, 605 Copeland. Details: Fabianna Laby 638-3555 www.DrFabi.com.

Oct. 11 Sa 8am $45 What Women Need to Know About Divorce: Workshops meet 2nd Sa each month to deal with the legal, family, financial & personal issues of divorce in a logical & compassionate way. Workshop topics vary. DeVry University Stratum Executive Center, 11044 Research Blvd. Details: Melanie Johnson 732-1244 www.austindivorceworkshop.com.

Oct. 14 Tu 11am-12:30pm $17 North Austin Women’s Connection Luncheon: Meets monthly. This month, Gail Folkins, author of Texas Dance Halls, tell about her new book & about German culture in Texas. Child care included. Reservations due by Th Oct. 9. River Place Country Club, 4207 River Place Blvd. Details: Nancy 608-6686 <adandyduo@austin.rr.com>.

Oct. 21 Tu 5:30pm $25 Superwomen’s Daughters: The Legacy of Perfectionism & Exhaustion in Female Leadership: Award-winning author Courtney E. Martin lays the groundwork for considering what we define as 21st century female leadership (bringing in examples from the political scene & pop culture). She makes her case using stories & statistics. George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina St. Details: 841-4093 <office@genaustin.org> www.genaustin.org.

Oct. 31-Nov. 2 F-Su $295 Magical Connections: Workshop for women integrating the magic of hand drumming & the intuitive power of SoulCollage with facilitators Sherry Gingras & Doris Adams. We will combine the vibrant spirit of hand drumming with the gentle & joyful process of SoulCollage as we invite mystery in & let magic happen! Namaste Retreat Center, 131 Oak Acres Ln. Boerne. Details: 453-9090 <sdrumz@austin.rr.com> www.drumzaustin.net.

Women of Visionary Influence Austin Chapter: WOVI, incorporated thru outreach, collaboration & expansion, provides for the individual development of women globally. Meets monthly at Balcones Country Club, 11210 Spicewood Club Dr. Details: 638-6563 www.womenofvisioninternational.org/Austin.htm.

by Karen Kreps

Admit it. You and I have experienced it, and we enjoyed it—though we’re loath to tell anyone exactly what we did. We felt heat emerge from within our bodies, as a flush turned skin red and self-consciousness became acute: We wallowed in our private sense of sexual shame.
Ever since Adam and Eve got expelled from the Garden of Eden (the Hebrew word for which, by the way, means, “pleasure”) humans have been ashamed of their nakedness. Sure, we’ve been through the Sexual Revolution and now many people have declared themselves “sex positive” (a movement promoting open sexuality with few limits, in contrast to sex negativity, which adherents identify as the dominant view of sex in Western culture). But shame—either suffered by the submissive or inflicted and enjoyed vicariously by the dominant—still permeates the sexual experience.
There’s an undercurrent, if not an emphasis, on bondage and sadomasochism (BDSM) in erotica, pornography and adult entertainment. The master-slave dynamic is acted out to stimulate our imaginations. For some, it is a turnoff. For others—such as consumers who support the ten billion dollars-a-year pornography industry—it is arousing.
Most adults won’t talk about sex. For some, it’s a matter of discretion. For many, sexual issues are seen as “dirty” and immoral, even in this age of supposed sexual enlightenment.
Why is a natural act, even non-kinky sex, a source of shame?
Children are taught to feel shame from an early age. When used properly, it is a useful self-regulating mechanism for behavior. Sadly, it often causes the shamed one to pull back, physically and emotionally, afraid of being exposed or seen as being bad.
Feelings of shame may also be the result of sex abuse or early childhood stimulation, which could not be resolved—unrequited Oedipal longings. But even in normal, age-appropriate sex play, children may be shamed and told they are bad and wrong. When parents are embarrassed by their own sexual behavior, they pass their misgivings about sex to their offspring.
We’re fooling ourselves if we think we could totally free ourselves from these feelings of shame. So many religions and customs have linked sex with guilt that few of us are entirely unaffected. Over centuries, the Judeo-Christian ethic has ingrained the belief that sex is synonymous with sin. Churches have used shame as the guiding force to redirect young peoples’ sexual impulse and to shun the pleasures of hedonism. It’s programmed into us. Yet we enjoy intimacy and making love. So when we do things that support that, we feel a sense of shame.
Some men have a Madonna-whore complex. They want to be mated with a pure virgin, but sex without guilt doesn’t do it for them, and they lust after the shame of a prostitute.
We pride ourselves on having evolved out of the cave to a highly sophisticated social structure where sexual impulse is restrained by intellect. Our fear of being discovered spares us from doing things we would later regret.
Guilt emerges when we revert to our animal behavior. We’re ashamed about appearing selfish in our desires or about having lost control of ourselves. Orgasm becomes taboo, experienced only in private and rarely discussed. We feel inhibited by something. Could it be the fear of being visible, disarmed at the deepest levels?
Sexual shame is rampant in our culture. We objectify each other sexually, and then we feel shamed for having done so. Thinking of someone as a sex object instead of as a human is depersonalizing. We can even recognize this self-imposed limitation and feel ashamed for indulging in it. Then we eroticize shame itself. Its “forbidden” status hooks us into an addictive cycle made even stronger by shame.
Although stories of sexual shame now fill tell-it-all TV talk shows, the pages of popular magazines and the plots of soap operas, few people will ever talk about or admit to their own feelings of shame. If one or both partners are too shy, embarrassed or ashamed to talk about sex and any shame they may associate with it, they’ll miss the exploration and risk-taking required for good, lasting sexual relationships with a long-term partner.
“There are two ways to absolve ourselves of shame,” states psychologist and sexologist Joy Davidson. “One is to speak of it, share it, expose it to the light and watch it burn away. The other is to use it, to eroticize it. Fantasy allows us to utilize shame in extraordinarily creative ways. If you allow yourself this privilege, you triumph over shame.”
Tantra is an Eastern tradition that teaches us to reframe how we see sex, to celebrate it as divine, not shameful. It views sexuality as a path by which we may be guided out of the illusion of being incomplete and separate to an understanding of our intrinsic wholeness and connection.
Before we evolve to that exalted level of consciousness, we have some issues to work out. Perhaps it’s not a shame that we experience shame, for it compels us to self-examine and to better understand what triggers our response. Do enough of that, and lovemaking is bound to be something to be not ashamed of, but proud about.

Karen Kreps isn’t ashamed to break a taboo or two. You can write to her at kkreps@goodlifemag.com and learn about her book, a collection of these columns titled Intimacies: Secrets of Love, Sex & Romance, at www.TrueIntimacies.com.

by Becca Hensley

My son hates the fact that I love Green Day’s American Idiot album. It embarrasses him. In fact, when we discover that we love the same music—which is often—he eschews it and rejects me. He feels the same way about me when I wear my leopard pants, and for some reason, he particularly is revolted by the fact that I have a predilection for lace.
A lot of this is classic teenage stuff, I know. So, I forgive him. Besides, when he isn’t looking, I like to borrow his iPod. His reaction resonates with me. I can remember my dad rocking out to the Four Seasons (can you say square?), a tendency which led him to pass me all the record samples that he received from my grandparents, who owned a record store. Imagine: though my dad kept the jazz and the crooners for himself, he handed over first-edition albums of every coveted band of my time, a luxury that lasted for years. (I was the first kid in the first grade to own Meet the Beatles, which made me a grammar school celebrity, something which I believe did much to mold me to be the person I am today.)
I like to think I played at least a minor hand in developing the tastes that contribute to the albums loaded on my son’s iPod. I played him Mozart while he somersaulted in my womb. I gave him piano lessons and urged him to memorize Billy Joel songs before he could write his name. I introduced him to Celtic ballads and world beat from Africa. He tried drums in spite of our noise-sensitive neighbors. And, by osmosis, by natural development in our culture, by sheer intuitive personal striving, he developed a sophisticated palate for rock ’n’ roll, blues, world beat, violin sonatas and saxophone riffs. This warms my heart and leads me to allow him to do some things I shouldn’t, like not noticing when he plays music too loud while he cavorts with friends late at night in our backyard; like playing music while he does homework. Ah, yes and this is why I always splurge on a three-day pass for him for the Austin City Limits Music Festival, despite my worries about him doing...well, you know, all that stuff we did at concerts when we were his age.
It was Stig Anderson who said that music knows no boundaries and crosses them all. Most Americans don’t know about Anderson, but Europeans do. He was a popular lyricist and musician who found fame when he helped propel Abba to the universe as their manager and publisher. He founded Polar Records, and in 1989 allocated a large chunk of money to create The Polar Music Prize, hoping to endow the largest and most prestigious music prize in the world. Awarded to two individuals or groups annually for exceptional achievement, the prize tends to honor a laureate in the classical field and one in the rock or pop area each year. Winners are feted at a hip awards ceremony modeled after the Nobel Peace Prize, with royalty and glitterati of all sorts in attendance. The King of Sweden personally hands the laureate the award and it has been received by such invincible music heroes as Ray Charles, Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Stern, Bruce Springsteen and Gilberto Gil.
I was lucky enough to be on-site this year when Pink Floyd and opera diva Renée Fleming received the 2008 Polar Prize. Somehow, like Willy Wonka opening a candy bar to find the golden ticket, I found myself on the A-list as a guest of Marie Ledin (Anderson’s daughter and the force behind today’s Polar Prize) and Thomas Ledin (her husband, gold record winning, Swedish musician and one time back-up singer for Abba). In Stockholm, I went from event to event, often conversing with someone and not discovering they were the Prime Minister, a famous actress or supermodel (well, I could have guessed that one) until they had walked off and someone clued me in. Once I found myself bellied up at the bar with a guy I had just seen on a movie poster earlier in the day. He looked rather different in a tuxedo than he did in a Viking costume.
The only event I attended where I wasn’t surrounded by the elite of Europe’s music, stage, political and literary world was a press conference. There, European television and print journalists bombarded Fleming and Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason and Roger Waters with questions about earlier musical influences. (for Fleming it was Pink Floyd and for Mason and Waters it was Elvis and Muddy Waters). What amused me most was the fact that I had just had a conversation with Mason, Pink Floyd’s drummer, in the elevator and I had mistaken him for a well to do, slightly over the hill, but nevertheless very nice, aging British businessman.
All this is to say that music does cross all boundaries and though I had no idea whether I was sitting by a princess or the head of the Swedish Communist Party (they were both there), when Renée Fleming sang arias in a Polar Prize concert, we all cried. Waters and Mason were sitting in front of me, and I swear, they wept as well. When popular Swedish musicians jumped on stage to honor Pink Floyd with renditions of their songs and when even the Prime Minister sang “We don’t need no education” before making a short speech, I was moved and floored—along with everyone.
Waters and Mason said one thing that stuck with me when I interviewed them. They were talking about ‘Another Brick and the Wall’ and they mused, “Isn’t it funny about art? That song is no doubt more deeply understood by the fifteen year old listening to it, than by the twenty five year old who wrote it. But we were all fifteen once, eh?”

Becca Hensley wonders what Governor Palin likes to listen to with her kids. You may e-mail Becca at bhensley@goodlifemag.com.

by Lindsey Lane

My friend and fellow children’s book author Julie Lake just called. “Hey, guess what? The Atlantic printed my letter to the editor.” I smiled. As writers, we take our successes where we can. In this case, a letter to the editor in a prestigious magazine was worthy of notice.
Lake had responded to an article in the July-August 2008 edition of The Atlantic by Nicholas Carr entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” In the article, Carr provides anecdotal examples for how our brains scan for information on the Internet. Then he conjectures how this type of information gathering might possibly be shortening our attention span and our ability to concentrate. And if our concentration is shrinking then so might our ability to think deeply and conceive new ideas.
Lake shares some of Carr’s concerns and, in her letter, describes an incident in her family when their computer crashed. Upbeat as ever, Lake took her daughter by the hand and went to the library to do research in the stacks. Instead, Lake witnessed her child’s meltdown when she found she couldn’t access what she needed through book research.
Lake points outs out in her letter that her child is not lazy or dull witted: “Here was an A student, a voracious reader, raised in a home where computer time and TV watching have always been doled out. As the night wore on, I realized that she really did not know how to read or even skim a nonfiction book to distill key facts. Why would she have to, with succinct summaries of any topic imaginable a mouse click or two away?”
As writers, Lake and I use Google daily. We love its convenience. We love its like-magic access to words and thoughts from any time, place or library around the globe, while we stay in the comfort of our own homes.
I too wonder about its effect. But for different reasons.
On any given day, I can open my e-mail queue and find that fifty percent of the correspondence is from friends about the current presidential candidates and their running mates. All of the e-mails contain links to editorials about each candidate and reactions to what they said or didn’t say, and did or didn’t do.
All this furious Internet activity has the appearance of people becoming more politically active. I am not so sure. It looks to me like we are becoming more politically reactive, fueled by links to charges and accusations that are made more accessible by our computers, phones and televisions with three hundred channels. We’re becoming more reactive by the nanosecond. If I want to bolster my viewpoint, it is only a click away. If I want to get hacked off about someone else’s opinion, I can surf my way into a tempest.
This disconnection between thinking and reactivity was brought home to me one morning during the Republican convention. I was driving my daughter and some neighborhood kids to school. I was gnashing my teeth, frothing at the mouth and swearing at the radio. Then I exclaimed, rather loudly for the early morning hour, “I hate Republicans and everything they stand for!”
My daughter looked over at me. I sounded as reactive and vindictive as Sarah Palin. This was not good.
If I want to make a case for McCain’s maverick sensibility as early signs of dementia, I can Google “McCain” and “dementia” and four hundred ninety-one thousand results would be available to me. If I want to make a case for Obama’s snobby elitism, I Google “Obama” and “elitist” and I get one million seven hundred and eighty results.
With the help of Google, I can formulate an opinion and then find massive bits of information to support it. To what effect? Are we communicating better? Are we thinking better? It seems to me that we might just be getting better at building our arguments, wielding them like clubs and bludgeoning each other with them. Opinions have little to do with thinking. In fact, opinions have little to do with understanding or listening or consensus building.
To be fair, Google and the Internet are not the originators of opinion mongering. Pollsters and advertising agencies have tried to predict elections and create trends as if knowing a certain population’s opinion and hinking about Google, our Kids and Politics

How to get your family event listed: We prefer that calendar listing information be submitted by using the form on our web site at www.goodlifemag.com/calendar-submission-form2.html. Second choice is to e-mail the essential details to editor@goodlifemag.com. Or fax it to 512-474-5725. Or mail to PO Box 4400, Austin, Texas 78765. To be considered for inclusion, items must be received by the 15th of the month for the following month’s events. Listings are free & are published on a space-available basis.

Daily: Kids Series on KLRU-TV: Austin’s PBS affiliate station hosts a children’s series that incorporate literacy & behavioral & academic skills. Check the web site for complete schedule. Details: www.KLRU.org.
• M-F Word World A literacy-based, animated series where WordFriends spell their way thru “word play” adventures.
• M-F Super Why! Tells the story of Wyatt Beanstalk & his friend Super Why, a tiny superhero who lives behind the books in a children’s library. Each episode brings a new twist to a classic fairytale, while showing emerging readers how reading & seeking answers in books can help solve problems.
• M-F WordGirl: An animated weekly series about the everyday life & superhero adventures of WordGirl as she fights crime & enhances vocabulary usage. Each episode introduces up to four new vocabulary words in an engaging way.
• Sa Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies: Is set in the African savanna, chronicles the adventures of sassy elephant Mama Mirabelle & the young animal characters she cares for. Each episode aims to illuminate the real world for pre-schoolers by providing insight into animal customs & behaviors.

Daily $2 Highland Express Train: Ongoing year round. All aboard the exciting electric train! The kids will have fun riding the train while you relax in the cool comfort of Highland Mall. The train depot is located in the Kids’ Zone. 6001 Airport Blvd. Details: 507-5617 www.threeringservice.com.
• M-F noon-8pm
• Sa 10am-8pm
• Su noon-6pm

Mondays 9am-noon $4-$8 Baby Bloomers: Weekly program for children ages 3 & younger & their caregivers. Discover the exhibits & play in a relaxed atmosphere with other families with small children when the museum is open exclusively for this age group. Stroller parking included. Storytimes 9:30am; sing-along 10:30am; The Little Explorers Lab 11am. Austin Children’s Museum, 201 Colorado St. Details: 472-2499 www.austinkids.org.

Monday-Friday 10am $6 per class Tot Signs: Classes incorporating sign language to help toddlers communicate more effectively. Free trial class. Locations around Austin. Details: Elisabeth McCoy 771-9449 <info@totsigns.com> www.totsigns.com.

Tuesdays afternoons Free Month of Youth Martial Arts Classes: Fun! Focus! Confidence! Life Ki-do Martial Arts & Life Education is offering a free month of classes for children ages 4 & up & also a free month of Family Classes. No strings attached. Classes are fun, nurturing & age appropriate. In addition to developing great martial arts skills, students will also develop focus, confidence, social skills, body awareness & coordination. Life Ki-do Martial Arts at Westover Hills Club, 8706 Westover Club Dr. Details: 215-0064 <info@lifekido.com> www.lifekido.com.

Tuesdays & Thursdays Oct. 28-Dec. 11 5-6:30pm $45-$60 La Juventud Youth Social Dance Program: Salsa: The nonprofit EsquinaTango Cultural Society of Austin invites children to come be part of this new, unique & exciting program that includes Tango, Tejano, Salsa Swing & more. Enjoy demonstrations, refreshments, raffles 7 get to know the staff. Special discount for registering for upcoming sessions. Classes meet once a week for 45 minutes. 6-week session $60, $15 off for 2nd session & additional child in the family. 209 Pedernales St. Details: 524-2772 www.esquinatangoaustin.com.

Wednesdays 5-8pm $1 Community Nights: Come out & play & enjoy the exhibit galleries, storytime & a variety of hands-on activities. Austin Children’s Museum 201 Colorado St. Details: 472-2499 www.austinkids.org.

Wednesdays & Thursdays 5:30-7pm Austin Derby Brats: Program for girls ages 5-17 with the primary focus to develop character, confidence, leadership & social interaction thru sports. Austin Derby Brats believe that performance is secondary to these ideals & intends to nurture & develop both skilled athletes & those who have not yet realized the champion inside of them. Millennium Youth Center, 1156 Hargrave St. Details: 472-6932 Major Problem <austinderbybrats@yahoo.com> www.txrd.com.

Thursdays 12:30pm $3 Garden Yoga: Mia Pem takes children ages 3-5 on a spiritual journey thru yoga in the organic garden at Ronda’s Montessori Garden. Pioneer Garden School, 4300 Mt Vernon Dr. Details: 707-8635 <rondasgarden@yahoo.com> www.rondasgarden.net.

Saturdays 10-11am Kids Yoga: With Cindy. Free with a purchase at the café. Bring a mat; some provided. Ruta Maya Café 3601-D S. Congress. Details: 707-9637 www.rutamaya.net.

Saturdays Oct. 4, Oct. 18 & Oct. 25 10am-noon $0-$6.50 Engineering Saturday: Children & families can explore engineering firsthand with activities presented in collaboration with students from UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering. Austin Children’s Museum, 201 Colorado St. Details: 472-2499 www.austinkids.org.

Saturdays Oct. 11-25 6:30-10pm $10 A Lewis Carroll Halloween: Many characters from the writings of Lewis Carroll will inhabit Pioneer Farms. Hayrides will transport visitors to the world of Lewis Carroll. Reservations required. Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Dr. Details: 837-1215 www.pioneerfarms.org.

Saturdays & Sundays Oct. 4-19 $55-$150 per family Texas Outdoor Family Program: Designed to provide your family a chance to learn basic outdoor skills needed for a great day at the park & a positive overnight camping experience. There is no better way to learn than to do! Your family will have a hands-on experience that’s fun & educational with plenty of help & advice from outdoor specialists, park staff & trained volunteers. This exciting program is offered at many participating state parks & local parks thru November. No experience necessary. Details: 389-8903 www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoorfamily.
• Oct. 4 & Oct. 5 Brazos Bend State Park
• Oct. 11 & Oct. 12 Buescher State Park
• Oct. 18 & Oct. 19 Georgetown City Park
• Oct. 25 & Oct. 26 McKinney Falls State Park

Sundays 10:30am free Sunday Morning Kids Shows: Ruta Maya showcases Austin’s community of great children’s performers & entertainment. Tips for performers appreciated. Check web site for the schedule of performances. Ruta Maya International Headquarters, 3601 S. Congress Ave. Details: 707-9637 www.rutamaya.net.

Oct. 1 W 5:30-8pm $100 A Celebration of Children in Nature: Featuring Richard Louv, best-selling author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder & an Awards Presentation to regional organizations & individuals who exemplify the best in connecting kids to nature. Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto Blvd. Details: 830-825-3442 www.westcave.org/celebration.

Oct. 1-Nov. 30 DinoLand Exhibit: Visitors to the DinoLand Exhibit will travel back in time, coming face to face with 30 lifelike dinosaur models of every shape & size. These prehistoric creatures will take up temporary residence along the new Escarpment Trail (near the Hartman Prehistoric Garden) being developed by PARD staff. From the fierce, 33-ft. Daspletosaur (cousin to the T-Rex) to a herd of tiny carnivores, these scientifically accurate dinosaur models were created by Guy Darrough, a renowned paleontologist & owner of Lost World Studios. Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd. Details: 477-8672 www.zilkergarden.org.
• Oct. 11 & Oct. 12 Sa & Su The Extravaganza: Includes plant sales, vendors, food concessions, family-friendly entertainment, dino crafts & activities for kids, storytelling & tours of the exhibit trail.

Oct. 1-May 30 Sa-Tu $0-$6.50 All Systems Go: Going places. Getting there. This feature exhibit, sponsored by Capital Metro & developed by Austin Children’s Museum, is all about transportation. Austin Children’s Museum, 201 Colorado St. Details: 472-2499 www.austinkids.org.

Oct. 3-5 & 9-19 $0-$15 You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown: Join all of your favorite Peanut characters as they live thru an “average day” in the life of Charlie Brown. Linus in love with his blanket, Lucy joyfully tormenting Charlie Brown, Sally & her new philosophy, Schroeder playing his piano & of course Snoopy, anxiously awaiting suppertime. Details: 386-8292 <info@secondyouth.com> www.secondyouth.com
• Oct. 3-5 F-Su (F 7pm; Sa 11am; Su 2pm) Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd.
• Oct. 9-19 Th-Su (Th-F 7pm; Sa 11am; Su 2pm) McCallum Fine Arts Academy, 5600 Sunshine Dr.
• Oct. 11 Sa 7pm McCallum Fine Arts Academy, 5600 Sunshine Dr.
Oct. 4 Sa free Marathon Kids Kickoff Celebration: Thousands of Central Texas K-5th grade school children & parents ceremonially begin running & walking 26.2 miles in increments of ¼ to ½ mile at a time over 6 months, coloring in their Marathon Kids Running Logs. They also are challenged to eat 26.2 days a month of 5-a-day fruits & veggies, coloring in their Fuel Logs. Together in a free, glorious, ceremonial Kick Off Celebration, they will start their 1st mile of their marathon, with other Central Texas families & University of Texas Athletes. University of Texas, Mike Myers Track & Soccer Stadium, 707 Manor Rd. Details: 477-1259 <Kay@MarathonKids.org> www.MarathonKids.org
• Austin ISD 9am
• All Other School Districts 11am

by Clane Hayward

Before I actually moved to Austin, I had a lot of ideas in my head about what Austin actually was. Austin was, of course, the musical Mecca of South By Southwest and Austin City Limits. Austin was the hipster home of filmmaker Richard Linklater, whose 1991 movie Slacker enthralled and embarrassed me, coming, as it seemed it had, right from my own slacker subconscious. Austin was Tex-Mex and Margaritas and barbecue, and Southern-style hospitality flavored with Western cowboy individualism. My two best and favorite fantasies about Austin, though, were roller derby girls and soul food. The tough, cocky, and feisty rollergirls of Texas are teachers and nurses and moms by day, who slug it out on roller skates in torn fishnets and short skirts and lipstick by night. And there would be macaroni and cheese, stewed greens, and deep fried pork chops on every corner. That was it. I was moving to Texas.
The first thing I saw, the first morning in our new house in Austin, was a bruised-looking but gorgeous girl climbing out of a car in a zebra-print mini-dress and silver Spandex tights and purple platform shoes. “I don’t usually dress like this at ten in the morning,” she hollered to me, and let herself into the house across the street. The bumper sticker on her car said TXrollergirls.com. How lucky was I? And my first fried okra and chicken fried steak only confirmed the wisdom of my choice. Go see the Texas Rollergirls compete in the Calvello Cup Championship at the Convention Center October 11 (512-428-GIRL). And bake yourself some macaroni and cheese.
Cook your macaroni ahead of time. There’s one thing to keep in mind when cooking any type of pasta, and that is salting your water first. This is such an elementary, boilerplate issue, and yet so many supposedly dedicated pasta eaters are unclear on the concept. Here’s the concept: pasta is unflavored. It has no flavor. It has so little flavor that it will actually unflavor other flavors. So cook your pasta in generously salted water. It’s that simple. Cook the pasta until it is almost, but not quite, done, and then drain it and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process.
Preheat your oven to three hundred twenty-five degrees. Make your cheese sauce: melt some butter over low to medium heat. Swirl some white flour into the butter, and mentally prepare yourself to whisk. Lower the heat and slowly add milk to the flour-and-butter mix (properly called a roux, and generally the base for about a million sauces and gravies) and whisk like crazy. The milky soup will quickly form lumps while simultaneously thickening, so keep whisking, and keep adding milk, a little at a time. When you have several cups of white sauce, and the sauce is thin but not runny, lower the heat still more. Salt and pepper it. Slowly add cubed or grated cheese, a handful at a time.

Integrating Health, Happiness and Pets

by Laura Koffler

I’ve consistently found that people who own pets are often nicer and, generally speaking, happier than the ones who don’t. Yes, that’s an extraordinary statement, but studies not only support the idea that pets make us feel more positive and help us socialize, but also show that animals are actually powerful healers, too. So, if you’re of the non-pet-owning ilk and suffering from a chronic malady, or perhaps a solitary pet owner unaware of the magical nature of your animal, I have good news for you.
Our history is dotted with examples of a happy human-pet synergy. The artifacts gathered from ancient traditions across the globe, highlighted by the Greeks, Egyptians and Mayans, cast animals in a sacred, reverential and often healing light. So, it’s easy to understand the fact that we call dogs our best friend is no mere historical accident—science tells us why.
While the exact origins of pet therapy are unclear, the paper trail is long and distinguished. In 460 BC, Hippocrates wrote about the beneficial effects of riding a horse. Taking his lead, medical documents dating from the seventeenth century advised gout patients to ride horses as a means of combating this disease. More modern pet therapy, however, was most likely instituted in 1942 at the Army Air Corps Convalescent Hospital in Pauling, New York, where U.S. veterans of WWII were encouraged to work with livestock and farm animals to aid in their convalescence.
In a more recent fascinating study conducted in the eighties titled “Animal Companions and One Year Survival of Patients After Discharge from a Coronary Care Unit,” authors Erika Friedmann, et al, were able to show a striking commonality among the improved recovery rates for those who survived a year or more after serious heart surgery: they all owned a pet! The subjects came from very different backgrounds and socio-economic classes; some of them lived alone and others had loving families, but the only common denominator were the animals with whom they shared their lives. The study showed that compared to the control group of people with no pets, they fared much better with respect to recovery.
Further, a ten-year study from the Minnesota Stroke Institute at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis showed that owning a cat conferred a thirty percent reduction in heart attack risk. Considering that heart disease is a leading cause of death, this study makes an especially strong argument for those at risk to own a cat. Still other studies involving pet ownership cast light on everything from alleviating depression to lowering blood pressure.
Closer to home, on the socialization front, Protection for Animal Welfare Services of Austin (PAWS) www.pawsofaustin.org, runs a fabulous program that brings dogs unsuitable for adoption into the jails, where inmates train them and provide themselves with a deeper sense of purpose. The mutual benefits of love, care and affection have profound implications. In his study “Therapeutic Applications of the Human-Companion Animal Bond,” E. J. Ormerod, et al, concludes that the inmates who receive visits from dogs through the pet therapy programs significantly reduce their level of aggression and decrease their chances of becoming drug addicted or committing suicide.

Growing the Garden and the Gardeners

by Cecilia Nasti

“You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.”

Deloria Grant, seventy-three, lives on the same street and in the same house she’s lived in since she was a girl. It is the house her father Boston Grant, an educator, coach and guidance counselor, built for his family on East Thirteenth Street. It is the house where her grandmother Lizzy, a teacher and domestic who lived in San Marcos, came each weekend to care for her young granddaughter and son following the untimely death of her daughter-in-law. It is the house where more than sixty years ago Deloria Grant learned how to grow a backyard vegetable garden.
For years, three generations of this small, close-knit family worked side-by-side to cultivate a large food plot in the backyard of their East Austin home, something they—and their neighbors—did out of necessity back then.
“The neighborhood was different when I was growing up,” Grant said in a telephone conversation. “Most all the people had gardens, and everyone shared what they had. Flowers or vegetables, if you didn’t have something in your garden and someone else did, they shared. And everyone knew everyone in the neighborhood because most people had gardens, and everyone sat on their front porches to visit. If you were sick, they came to see about you.”
Over time, and after the passing of the elder Grants, the garden on East Thirteenth Street slowly returned to nature, but Grant (a former nurse who developed breathing problems that made it difficult for her to spend time outdoors) never forgot the joy she felt when her hands were in the deep, rich soil; or the sense of community she experienced that grew from a neighborhood teeming with gardens and gardeners; or the satisfaction she derived from sharing meals overflowing with homegrown vegetables, lovingly prepared by Grandma Lizzy.
Today, with the help of the Green Corn Project (www.greencornproject.org) Deloria Grant once again has a vegetable garden that provides her with fresh, healthful organic produce. It is a garden that also allows her to reconnect with an intimate and precious time from her past. Grant said, “They gave me back something I thought I had lost forever.”
Since 1998, the Green Corn Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, has installed more than one hundred and thirty organic food gardens in Austin’s underserved neighborhoods, touching the lives of hundreds of people. With only one paid employee, Executive Director Meagan O’Donnell, who works half-time, Green Corn Project Board President Mitch Mills says the organization achieves its mission—to educate and assist Central Texans in growing organic food gardens—through the hard work and dedication of an ever-expanding group of community volunteers, many of whom join with little or no gardening experience.
“I think the biggest misapprehension people have is that you have to be a master gardener (to volunteer); that’s definitely not the case. I had only done container gardening before I became a volunteer, and later a team leader. Green Corn provides a lot of training in that aspect, and we have a fairly detailed method that we follow.”
Green Corn provides hands-on workshops to volunteers, employing biointensive gardening methods outlined in John Jeavons’ book, How to Grow More Vegetables (and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine. Workshop leaders take volunteers through double-digging garden beds to “grow” soil, composting, intensive and companion planting, seed saving and starting, and garden planning.
Green Corn Project volunteers use their newfound skills during twice yearly Dig-ins where they build and plant ten-by-four-foot organic vegetable gardens at qualifying homes, schools and community centers. “To qualify for a garden,” says Wayne Kamin, Green Corn garden coordinator chair, “you have to fill out an application form that verifies you have a low income, fixed income, are elderly on modest income or disabled.” Kamin adds, “This is not charity, it is a helping hand. Our goal is to help our gardeners achieve self-sufficiency.”

Color Energizes Architect’s Home
by Amy E. Lemen

Let’s face it. Color can be scary when it comes to slapping it on your walls or painting your home’s exterior. What will it look like? What will the neighbors think? Will you like it when it’s done?
Stewart Davis, AIA, principal architect and design director of CG&S Design-Build, says he thought about all of that after he and his wife, Dolores Davis, decided to change the color palette of the home they’d designed and built in 2001.
“Color is the second skin of the home,” he says. “When we first did the color scheme, they were more comfort colors—not strong colors.”
In fact, Davis calls the home’s original color scheme “Starbucks” colors—earthy green, brown, gold and rust—and that ended up being the default for the house.
“By the time we were done with the house we were tired, so we decided to add color later,” he says. “I’d always liked that combination, so we went with it.”
A few years ago, the Davises decided it was time for a change. After all, Davis had designed the home to be comfortable to live in, as he intended it to be the last house he was going to build for his family. The house sits on five acres, and has a masonry base, then a limestone cap, and three coats of stucco on top of that.
After Davis and his family had lived in the house for a while, their thoughts on color began to emerge.
“We’d been looking through color palettes in books, and added them based on what they looked like on printed material,” he explains. “But color works differently on a flat page than on an interior or exterior, so it took some experimenting.”
Color selection was also a family affair. The home’s gold exterior is custom: Davis’ son, Ryan, a UT fine arts graduate, created it by mixing his oil paints. They took a sample and had it made into an exterior paint.

An Immodest Proposal

Those Who Won’t Learn the Lessons of History are Doomed to Repeat Them in Summer School
by Robert Singleton

If Jonathan Swift were alive today, he’d probably be writing for The Onion.
In 1729, he published A Modest Proposal: For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick. In this masterpiece of the satirical form, Swift advocated eating the children of the poor. In doing so, he hoped to call attention to the lack of compassion toward the poor that he felt was afflicting his country.
As Bill Cosby used to say, I tell you that to tell you this: I think that the City of Austin should attempt to sell our share of the South Texas Nuclear Project by advertising it on Craigslist.
Unlike Swift, I am serious about this, so much so that I posted the following on Craigslist on September 16:
Sixteen percent interest in South Texas nuclear power plant. Twenty years old, still works. Desperate to sell. No reasonable offer refused. Become a part of the Nuclear Renaissance. Reply to southtexasnuke@live.com.
The listing is under General, the category where you’ll find white elephants and birthday gifts from relatives who haven’t seen you since childhood.
As a not-too-frequently-delinquent Austin Energy ratepayer and recovering City Council watcher, I feel that it’s my obligation to sound out potential buyers.
A little history: On November 3, 1981, Austin voters passed a referendum authorizing the City Council to seek buyers for our portion of the plant. (Note: this was seven years before the plant came on line, when we thought it was only going to cost a couple billion dollars. Final cost—six billion dollars. )
The only bidder was Tom “Smitty” Smith, now director of the Texas office of Public Citizen. Smith bid one dollar for our interest in the plant. The offer was rejected, not for the size of the bid, but because the city thought Smith didn’t have the “character and competence” to run a nuclear power plant. To which he replied: “Oh, and Houston Lighting and Power does?”
Parenthetically, I refer you to my previous observation that NRG Energy, which owns the biggest portion of the plant, forty-four percent, and wants to add two units to STNP:
(1) Has never built a nuclear power plant anywhere,
(2) Wants to build a new type of power plant, an Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR), that has never been built in the United States,
(3) Wants to change design plans from the type built in Japan to use features that have never been tested anywhere, and,
(4) Wants to build ABWRs despite the fact that most of the units in Japan are shut down, operating at reduced capacity or suing the unit’s manufacturer over design defects. (More on that in a minute.)
There’s never been a better time to post our portion of the STNP on Craigslist. The much-touted “Nuclear Renaissance” public relations campaign would have you believe that nukes are now clean, safe and cheap. If that were true (which it isn’t), surely it would make more sense for investors to buy an existing plant with an operating record rather than pay the rapidly rising bill for new plant construction.
On the subject of rising costs, on-line financial newsletter Bloomberg.com ran an article recently that said that John McCain’s plan to build forty-five additional nuclear reactors by 2029 would cost three hundred fifteen billion dollars, “with taxpayers bearing much of the financial risk.” And that’s based on an optimistic seven billion dollars per unit. (More on the financial risk to the public in Updates, below.)

Pat Crow

Longtime campaign manager a major force in winning elections

by Kathy Mitchell
Photography by Alan Pogue

Local activist and campaign consultant Pat Crow recently suffered a stroke. As she recovers, friends and colleagues interviewed for this profile hope this narrative helps her celebrate and reconnect with her own history.

Fans wandered to their Erwin Center seats, stopping to chat with old friends in sections where they had
purchased season tickets for years. Jody Conradt’s Lady Longhorns dominated the Southwest Conference, taking the championship in eight of the past nine seasons and building up a huge and enthusiastic local fan base, particularly among women. The WNBA was years away, but for nearly a decade the Lady Longhorns showed how women could play basketball.
It was the 1991-92 season. A flagging team had racked up as many losses as wins for the first time in ten years and needed its fans to boost it to victory.
So Pat Crow, campaign manager for fledgling candidate Glen Maxey, had a problem. The endorsement vote for the Austin Women’s Political Caucus conflicted with the game.
Maxey faced a strong Hispanic woman, Lulu Flores, in the Democratic Primary for the largely Hispanic District 51 House seat. Flores could well make short work of his political career. Especially if he couldn’t swing an endorsement from the Austin Women’s Political Caucus, a political action committee and leading voice for the election of women at all levels of government. As a longtime gay activist, he had a chance with lesbian AWPC leaders, but the night of the endorsement vote, dozens of key women would be in the Erwin Center, cheering on their team, and there was no way around that.
“I’m running for office against a female opponent that year, and I’m the gay guy,” Maxey remembers, thinking back. “How did I get the endorsement of the AWPC over an officer of the AWPC? It was because Pat Crow was a fiend at organizing.”
“The AWPC had lesbians in the caucus who might choose to support me,” Maxey says. “We knew we could at least block an endorsement of Flores if we could just get the lesbians to show up. Pat realized that all these women would be at the Lady Longhorns basketball game.
“Only Pat would have thought to organize Maxey team-captains by section of the Erwin Center. Working with some lesbian activists, Pat had women in each section identify those in their section who were AWPC members. They called the women at the Erwin Center, section by section, and we had cars to pick people up from the game. Those women walked out, were driven to the (endorsement) vote and driven right back. They only missed a few minutes of game time. That was probably thirty or forty votes, and I got the AWPC endorsement.”

“During the seventies, I began to read a great deal of feminist philosophy, and so began a new time for me,” Crow wrote to her daughter in 2001. She also became a Lady Longhorns fan. “My mom (Crow’s mother, Mildred Rush) was always athletic, and played basketball during high school in the nineteen-thirties. It was a foul if the center (court) line was crossed, very different from the way it is played today. When mom was in her sixties, I took her to see a Final Four game with the Lady Longhorns. She was amazed and thrilled to see how women play today.”
With three small kids and a failing marriage, Crow went back to work and started to organize for and about women. She attended the founding meeting of the Texas Women’s Political Caucus in 1971, along with other Texas women who eventually became the state’s political leaders. “Pat told me they had over two hundred women at that first meeting,” recalled her younger sister, Barbara Rush. “Ann Richards was there, and Liz Carpenter and dozens of other prominent local women. That meeting inspired her to become active in the women’s movement. By the time I moved here in 1980 she was an officer with the Austin Women’s Political Caucus and eventually president.”
It was a complete transformation. “Pat had been a traditional housewife,” says Rush. “She was a stay-at-home mom, sold Tupperware, and at one point she even sold Avon. She was a product of the fifties.” By the early eighties, Crow had become a promising junior financial analyst for IBM. “She wore a three-piece suit, she got up early in the morning and was off to work,” recalls Rush.
Meanwhile, her reading and her personal experience began to give a transformed Crow a strong sense of direction.
“In 1981, my neighbor Cindy had broken off her engagement,” Crow wrote to her daughter. “Her ex did not take it very well and began to harass, threaten and follow her…The police told her there was nothing they could do until he actually did something to her.”
“Cindy had tried to get a peace bond, which is similar to a restraining order,” Rush recalls. “The JP (Justice of the Peace) kept dragging his feet on her request. She came over to Pat’s one day, and said there was a strange smell in her house and she was afraid her ex had been there. They go over together, and search. Pat hears Cindy call out, “Pat, it’s back here,” and finds her holding up a rag that had been soaking in ether. Then her ex leaps out, puts a gun to Cindy’s head and forces Pat to leave the house. Pat runs home, calls the police. They come, but by that time he had shot and killed her and himself.”
Women still had a long way to go to get needed protection in 1981. Although the man was dead, a friend of his began to make threatening calls to Cindy’s family. “They put Pat’s name and address in the paper, as the witness who had called the police,” says Rush. “She came and stayed with me for a week because she was afraid.”
But mostly Crow just got even. “I came to believe that the only way to change this system was to elect women in order to change the laws,” she wrote her daughter. “And so began my career in politics. My first campaign was in 1982 with a woman running for JP.” She successfully ran Debra Ravel for the seat of the same Justice of the Peace who had delayed giving her friend the peace bond. It was the first step in a new era for both herself and the Austin political structure.

Pat Crow’s candidates often win because they get more endorsements, raise more money, and keep fighting even against impossible odds. She mastered that more than two decades ago, in what may have been one of the more bizarre judicial races in Austin’s history.
In 1987, Travis County’s first court master for domestic relations cases, Jeanne Meurer, decided to run for state district judge and hired Crow to manage her campaign. While judicial races are often sleepy affairs, most interesting to lawyers and often invisible to average voters, this one exploded during the runoff when opponent Margaret Moore announced that Meurer, the top vote getter in the primary election, didn’t live in Travis County.
One week before the runoff Election Day, a judge affirmed Meurer’s ineligibility and it looked like it was all over. “Everyone was devastated,” says Meurer now. “We came back from the courthouse, and some at the office were packing up. Pat says, in that great voice of hers, ‘What are you doing, we’ve got work to do!’” Jeanne Meurer eventually won both the election and the legal battles, and has served Travis County for twenty years.
If Crow started out in politics to elect a woman justice of the peace in her friend Cindy’s case, she cemented her role as an Austin political fixture and activist bent on bringing more women to power—particularly, progressive women—by ensuring Sally Shipman’s election to Council in 1983.
Already by 1983, progressive women in Austin had come to grips with the fact that electing women could backfire. Carole Keeton McClellan (now Strayhorn), Austin’s first woman elected mayor (1977-1983), angered liberal Austin voters with her enduring support for the Southwest Texas Nuclear Project. Nonetheless, Shipman looked like just the kind of woman that progressives wanted in public office.
Once a neighborhood organizer and an appointed member of the Planning Commission, Shipman ran as an advocate for neighborhoods and the environment. From building sidewalks for children to stopping sewage discharge into Lake Travis and Town Lake to creating the Capitol Views Ordinance, Shipman built up a significant record of moderate to liberal achievement.

The Dogfight to Win a Judicial Race

The Jeanne Meurer race for state district judge in 1987-88 may, more than any other, have taught Pat Crow that you never, ever give up an election until the votes are counted.
“I was summoned to Chuck Herring’s house,” recalls Meurer, “and someone from Margaret Moore’s campaign brought evidence that my property straddled the (Travis County) property line. My house straddled the line, and they said that where you live is based on where the bedroom is.” A few days later, attorney David Richards penned a strong rebuttal on Meurer’s behalf.
Meurer didn’t back out of the race, and all hell broke loose. With the Democratic Party’s runoff ballots already printed, Meurer’s name would appear before voters no matter what, so everyone came out swinging.
Shortly after the March 9 Democratic Party primary, Moore’s campaign released their evidence to the press. On March 22, just three weeks before the runoff election, Bob Slagle declared Meurer ineligible for the seat on behalf of the Texas Democratic Party. Under the law, the party could declare her ineligible and pick someone else as the nominee to oppose Moore in the runoff. Meurer went to court for an emergency restraining order, with surveyors at her property attempting to ascertain the exact location of the county line. The judge set aside the Democratic Party’s finding, setting a hearing for March 31.
Competing press conferences by each side kept the race in the headlines, while Austin American-Statesman reporters pursued every possible angle. At Moore’s press conference on March 30, she claimed Meurer was “opposing our efforts to get the facts out,” while a few hours later Meurer called a press conference to say that Moore was not eligible to run for judge due to a break in her legal career, a break that Moore denied. As the race made news day after day, the contender who had won only ten percent of the vote in the primary put his name back in the ring. “Out of the ashes may rise the phoenix,” said Ray Grill to the Statesman’s Arnold Garcia.
One week before runoff election day, the judge upheld the party ruling against Meurer and it looked like it was all over. Some of the campaign staff were ready to pack it in, but Crow refused to give up.
It would not be easy for an “ineligible” candidate to win. “People came out of the woodwork for the underdog,” Meurer says. “Volunteers were block walking, making calls. It was an amazing grass-roots effort. The people really did speak.”
And so did some key political heavyweights. The day after the judge’s ruling, District Attorney Ronnie Earle endorsed Meurer and, in a remarkable public statement, claimed Moore “has manipulated the legal process to avoid the democratic process.” Harsh words indeed. The Austin Police Association called a press conference to endorse Moore in response.
Earle’s statement led to another flurry of press coverage, letters to the editor, and even satire. The Austin Mirror, in a soap opera spoof, breathlessly asked “Will Jeanne win the election anyway?...Will Moore win and make her courtroom a torture chamber for attorneys who supported her opponent?” Keeping the public on the edge of its seat, Meurer appealed the judge’s ruling, while holding events, making calls and raising money. The two candidates raised more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars, serious money for a normally quiet, low turnout election. The money made sure voters got both sides of the story and lists of endorsements in their mail boxes right before the vote.
“I had never run a race, never been in politics,” Meurer says of those innocent early days. “Pat was just amazing, hilarious. She would have to baby-sit me. I was a single parent with a child, and they were taking overhead views of my trailer. I had no privacy. The lawsuits were flying. But Pat was always Pat…laughing, always late, ordering people, ‘Get over here, do this, do that, make your phone calls,’ and always with that laugh.”
Women with children had special problems handling the political hurly-burly then, as now. “Pat’s kids were younger then, and it was hard for her too. It was a very emotional race and I think Pat treated me more as a daughter, then it evolved into sister and we became friends.”
Oh, Meurer won, of course. She won the election, and after more legal wrangling, kept the seat. She’s been a district judge in Austin for twenty years.

Besides offering comfortable, fashionable, healthy shoes, InStep hires enthusiastic staff members who truly enjoy helping customers find the right shoe to help ease foot, leg and back problems. Moore says, “We have a blast doing this. We get a lot out of taking the time to listen to people and helping them solve their problems.”
Moore rewards her dedicated staff by offering medical and dental benefits, paid vacation and a 401(k) retirement program. Keeping her employees happy and well paid is a win-win situation for everyone. “Locally owned small businesses live and die by customer referrals, so it’s important to keep everyone satisfied,” says Moore.
InStep also offers custom orthotics made in-house. Bring in a prescription from your physician, chiropractor or naturopathic doctor and InStep will create the perfect orthotic for your foot. “Because they are made locally, we can modify and adjust the fit until they are perfect,” Moore says. That doesn’t happen when orthotic prescriptions are sent to a big lab. Moore points out that she and her staff have an incentive to do a great job. “We are part of the community. Our customers are our neighbors.”

Small Business Development Program

Small business owners in the Austin area have a jewel in central Austin. The City of Austin’s Small Business Development Program offers resources for entrepreneurs to expand their existing businesses, or to help those with dreams of business ownership to realize their visions. The Small Business Development Program (SBDP) has been an advocate for small business owners in Austin and the surrounding area since 2000 and has grown in size and scope since its inception. The program, part of the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office, has become a portal of information for Austin entrepreneurs to get the tools they need to be successful in our changing economy.
Located just south of Lady Bird Lake at 505 Barton Springs Road at South First Street in One Texas Center, the SBDP has many different resources for small businesses owners, including BizAid Business Development, which provides free technical assistance with writing or reviewing existing business plans and marketing plans. Each Tuesday morning, SBDP offers a free, ninety minute Business Start-Up Orientation that covers the basic questions to consider when opening a small business. Since access to capital is the number one need of small business owners, BizAid Accessing Capital offers free credit reviews for business owners, assistance with filling out loan applications and help with understanding business finances. BizAid Business Education conducts low-cost classes on topics ranging from Legal Contracts to QuickBooks to Copyright and Intellectual Property.
In addition to the BizAid program, SBDP operates the Business Solutions Center (BSC). The BSC is a technology resource center containing business research software and web subscriptions to help small business owners find business opportunities and utilize technology to start or expand their businesses. The BSC has printers, a copier, fax machine, scanners and other office equipment ideal for Austin entrepreneurs. The BSC is free to access and has minimal fees for printing, copying and faxing. The Center is open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm on the first floor of One Texas Center. The resources include web subscriptions to research bid opportunities in construction or construction-related business, business sales opportunities with the government, a nationwide commercial real estate database, business-to-business research web subscriptions, demographics technology and business plan software, among others.
Additionally, the Small Business Development Program offers small business owners Information and Referral to local organizations that may be helpful to their businesses. SBDP offers compact disks (CDs) containing self-referral resource guides for business networking organizations, nonprofit business service providers and a start-up guide. These resources can be instrumental in discovering not only who can help an entrepreneur, but also where other small business owners meet for networking.
Finally, Special Events are offered to the community. Annual events bring content-area experts together with Austin entrepreneurs. The annual Meet the Lender, held each August, brings more than forty lenders to Palmer Events Center where the small business owner can discuss financing in a casual setting. Getting Connected, held in the spring, helps entrepreneurs to access dozens of nonprofit service providers and business networking groups at an information fair. Every other year, the Industry Specific Start-Up Conference focuses on one industry and brings experts and successful business owners to share their knowledge and experience with the new business owner.
Discover the jewel of central Austin! For more information about the Small Business Development Program, call 512-974-7800 or visit their web site at www.cityofaustin.org/sbdp.

Serious tools for your beauty and health

Hi! I’m Kathy Bates. I’m not the Kathy Bates of film and television fame, but I’m a lot like the character she played in Titanic, the “unsinkable Molly Brown!” The real Margaret Tobin Brown (Hollywood made her Molly Brown) was a woman who threw herself completely into doing whatever it took to solve a problem. She studied the problem from every angle, then did whatever was necessary, no matter how nontraditional, to make the problem better.
Austin Beauty and Health is essentially in business because of my story, which required that same unsinkable determination. My first physical challenge came in 1978 when I had a seizure. The doctors incorrectly diagnosed me as being deficient in a physically addicting drug, which quickly threatened to further devastate my life by restricting my driving privileges at age twenty-one. God’s grace revealed the true cause, a dietary issue, something most doctors know little about.
In 1988, shortly after the birth of our daughter, my body seemed to accelerate into disease. I was suffering with severe allergies, extreme PMS and mood swings, infertility, serious and chronic intestinal issues, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), suicidal depression and thyroid disease, which I liked to have never gotten diagnosed and then was improperly treated. I had cervical degenerative disc disease, bursitis and recurrent urinary and respiratory infections.
I was given two weekly injections and a handful of over-the-counter and prescription medications for daily use with periodic “rounds” of what I would later learn were steroids for the allergies and asthma. I used an inhaler. I was given fertility drugs, anti-inflammatory meds and antibiotics routinely and I had a dismal prognosis. It appeared that even the doctors knew that they had no answers so they just kept throwing drugs at the mounting problems.
I was told by the doctors that my allergies and asthma were genetic and incurable; my female problems were “unexplainable but normal;” my thyroid problem was due to the “unexplainable malfunction of my autoimmune system and was incurable;” my degenerative disc disease was incurable and would result in my cervical vertebra being fused by 1991-1993 (which didn’t happen because I changed).
I learned the severe limitations of traditional medical doctors and knew that I needed to look elsewhere. I relied on my belief and developing relationship with God to steer me to the right answers. This belief and reliance changed my entire life view, the way I think and therefore the way I live.
Then in 1994, I broke my spine and eighteen months later suffered a secondary back injury which left me in suicidal levels of pain for most of seven years. Again I was forced to solve the problem.
On this path, I’ve met so many people who have given up and allowed their challenges to severely limit their productivity and destroy their quality of life. This for me was simply not an option. My orthopedic surgeon once told me that he didn’t know how or when but he knew I would one day be pain-free: “I’ve never seen anyone so determined to get well.”
I personally believe that healing is available to us on many varied levels. I also believe that we have to change to access it.
Austin Beauty and Health is wellness-oriented and equipped to bring some serious tools to address the beauty and health goals of our clients. We have other therapies available but have not had time to develop the web site to that end at this point. So please call to schedule a consultation if you have questions. We’re not here to take your money and smile pleasantly. We’re here to help!
We hope to become well known as a serious resource for wellness seekers. A venue for speakers and practitioners as well as a social and support network is near the top of the launch list.
Spread The Word!

Kenny Hill Autowerks
Established 1973

by Shelley Seale
Photo by Barton Wilder Custom Images

Like a lot of boys, Kenny Hill grew up loving cars. He admired them, drove them, learned how to work on them, and eventually became a mechanic. One of Hill’s first jobs was building dune buggies, and then he worked at a gas station. He never found a job he really loved, though, and decided to open his own auto repair business out of his garage.
“It was one of the stupidest things a person could do,” he says now, laughing. “I had no money, no credit; I didn’t even have any tools! I rented a jack to begin with, until a friend gave me a deal on one.” After a short time, Hill thought he would go back to a job—just as soon as he finished up the cars he had waiting for repair. But those cars just kept coming in, and somehow Hill never quite finished the business he had begun accumulating. “It’s thirty-five years later, and I’m still trying to finish the cars in my shop,” he says.
Hill credits family support with keeping his business going in those early years. He could reinvest his earnings into the business and slowly build a reputation. After less than two years, Kenny Hill Autowerks moved into a building on Goodrich Avenue in South Austin, but even then Hill had grander ideas: “I wanted to own my own land and build a custom shop.”
In 1984 Hill bought several acres in Oak Hill and moved the business, but the timing proved unfortunate. The economy took a nosedive at the same time his overhead drastically increased. “Business was still growing a lot,” Hill recalls, “but the move in location hurt. I had to recreate my clientele.” By 1989 his Autowerks shop had moved back to Goodrich Avenue, in its present location at 2127.
As he concentrated on growing his business, he became increasingly specialized. “There’s so much competition for the general basics like brakes and struts. And as cars have gotten more sophisticated, diagnosing and repairing them has gotten much more complicated, too. You need different specialty diagnostic equipment for different makes of cars, and so it made sense to concentrate on a niche.”
Hill decided to go back to his roots of Volkswagen experience he had learned in early jobs. His shop began specializing in Volkswagen repair, as well as Audis due to their similar parts. “I came full circle—I started off working on VWs and now I’m back here doing the German cars again. These are the cars we’ve built our reputation on.” So much so, in fact, that other mechanics and auto dealerships refer business to Kenny Hill Autowerks.
“When a customer comes in with a problem, we’ve seen it before. That’s a huge benefit of specialization—we don’t have to try a bunch of different things to try and figure it out. We know exactly what it is and what to do about it.”
One of the biggest things Hill has learned over the years is that there is a major difference between being a good mechanic who loves his job, and running an auto repair business. “You have to deal with taxes, permits, red tape, employees…There’s a high failure rate because a lot of people go into it just wanting to fix cars. Being good at that is the most important thing, but there’s a lot more to being successful.”
“Service is so important in this industry. You can’t just fix a client’s car—you have to service the client, too, by being professional and courteous and convenient.” Hill adds that he really enjoys being behind the counter and meeting the customers. “I imagine myself on the other side of that counter, and I treat them the way I would like to be treated.”
In addition to his customers, many of whom are long-term loyal fans, Hill has also had a great experience with the staff he’s chosen. Many of been with him for years; some have even left at one time only to return. All mechanics are required to be ASE certified (by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence), and skilled in areas such as communication, writing, documentation and telephone skills. “High standards and quality performance are the reasons they are good mechanics. The employees are an investment,” Hill adds. “Good help isn’t expensive, it’s priceless.”
I wanted to know what he thought were the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of running his company, and Hill gave me the same answer for both. “When you have your own business, you have no one to blame but yourself, for the good and bad. You are in control. It’s a lot of hard work, but I think that’s what it takes. You’ll only get out of it what you put into it.”

Kenny Hill Autowerks is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5pm. For more information call 512-445-0101.
Freelance writer Shelley Seale was thrilled to meet someone who could tell her what that funny pinging noise was in her VW Passat. You may e-mail Shelley at sseale@goodlifemag.com.

Pet Adoptions
Somewhere in the Austin Area There’s a Dog or Cat That’s Just Right for You

by Melissa Gaskill
Photography by Barton Wilder Custom Images

Noelita Lugo adopted a dog from the Town Lake Animal Center because she wanted to save a dog from being euthanized. “I knew I would feel good about that decision,” she says. It was also a simple process; she and husband Steven looked at pictures on the web site, then visited in person to make a final decision. “It was very straightforward and easy and we were able to bring our puppy home right away,” Lugo says. “Another thing we liked was the packet of information they provided, and the free puppy kindergarten. Neither my husband nor I knew much about training.”
Cheryl Langford chose a dog from an independently owned, nonprofit, no-kill shelter. When the dog began to exhibit behavior issues, a professional trainer recommended having him evaluated at a veterinary school. “We couldn’t fix the behavior problems so we just lived with them. We loved him and he really was a great dog,” Langford says. But then the dog bit a neighbor’s child, necessitating a trip to the emergency room and stitches. A few months later, the dog bit Langford’s husband, who also required an ER visit and stitches. The couple decided the dog was dangerous and had him put down.
“I won’t adopt from a no-kill shelter again,” Langford says. “As much as I love the idea of them, I don’t think it’s always the best solution. Since all the animals are ‘adoptable’ you never know what you’re in for. I know lots of people end up with great animals, but unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them.”

“It is always case by case. But we know how much joy a pet can bring to someone’s life, and we know how many animals are dying because we don’t have the shelter space.” The Humane Society’s capacity is from two hundred to two hundred fifty animals (puppies and kittens can be housed together), and last year it adopted out twenty-five hundred cats and dogs. This past summer, AHS partnered with TLAC to find homes for fifteen hundred cats in three months, and by mid-August had nearly reached that goal.
Heart of Texas Lab Rescue has fairly stringent requirements for adopters, a necessity for the high-energy breed, says Mike Strippoli, communications coordinator. The organization pulls Labrador Retrievers from local shelters throughout the Austin area, Williamson County, and as far away as San Antonio. Volunteers go to shelters and evaluate dogs for personality, aggression and medical issues. “We won’t take a dog with any history of biting or that is overly aggressive,” Strippoli says. “They are just unadoptable.”
Dogs selected for the program are placed in volunteer foster homes, where they stay until adopted. After a few weeks of learning about the dog, foster parents post pictures and a bio on the HOT web site. Potential adopters fill out an on-line application, then have a phone interview about the living situation for the dog and what traits they are seeking. Senior HOT board members review the application and notes from the interview and must approve the person for adoption. Those accepted look for a match with a dog in the program, and then schedule a session, usually at a volunteer’s home, to meet one to three dogs at a time. This process continues until the person finds a dog they like or chooses to go elsewhere.
“Foster parents are there during the meet and greet,” Strippoli says, “and they have the final say as to whether or not a potential adopter gets the dog. It is pretty easy to tell during a meet and greet session if a person is going to be a good match. Dogs don’t usually hang around or interact with people they don’t like, and they are pretty good judges of character.” Adoptions don’t get refused very often, he adds, and if they do, it is usually because someone was looking for a dog for the wrong reasons, such as for a gift.
HOT’s fees are some of the highest (see accompanying “Resources” article), but “it’s not a whole lot of money for the benefit,” Strippoli says. “Those who have the dog’s best interest at heart don’t mind paying. There are lots of places you can go to get a free dog. The dogs we bring into the program have not had a good life for the most part. So we want to go that extra mile so that any dog we place is going to thrive. The fee ensures that people are serious about it.”
He also doesn’t feel that the group’s adoption process is all that stringent. “If you go to the Humane Society, you have to fill out an application and go through an interview. They might be faster, but we go that extra mile to match you with a perfect dog. We also have a two-week money back guarantee. If it doesn’t work out for whatever reason, we take the dog back and refund the fee, no questions asked.” Returns are very rare, he adds, and usually because someone’s situation changed after the adoption.
“We pride ourselves on making good matches” he says. “We provide our applicants with a lot of information they can use to decide whether that dog is a good fit. We placed more than one hundred dogs last year, and will likely exceed that this year. Because the number of dogs is limited by the number of fosters, we have to be somewhat picky about the dogs we take. Often, they are in more immediate need, about to be put down, or have a medical need that we can rehabilitate so they can get adopted.”
Adoption clearly is not without its perils. These animals may have been scarred physically or mentally, or get sick, matches don’t always work out, circumstances change. Individuals must decide which adoption route is best for them. But adopting a pet is usually a fulfilling and positive, if not downright amazing, experience. To paraphrase an old saying, a little risk, amazing return. 

Melissa Gaskill has adopted five wonderful shelter animals, and can’t imagine getting a pet any other way. She urges Austinites not to buy from puppy mills or unscrupulous breeders, and to spay and neuter all pets. You may e-mail Melissa at mgaskill@goodlifemag.com.

Resources

Austin Humane Society—Austin’s largest no-kill, nonprofit animal shelter adopts out dogs and cats for $85, which includes first vaccinations (including rabies), health screening, deworming, spay or neuter, microchip and gift certificates. For more information, call 512-646-7387 or visit www.austinhumanesociety.org.
Blue Dog Rescue—This volunteer organization takes adoptable dogs in danger of euthanization at local shelters and keeps them in foster homes while seeking permanent homes. Dogs can be seen at adoption days or by special arrangement. A home visit is required. Adoption fee of $165 includes spay or neuter, exam, vaccinations and microchip. For more information, call 512-689-6328 or visit www.bluedogrescue.com.
Heart of Texas Lab Rescue—This nonprofit rescues Labrador Retrievers from shelters, abandonment and other situations and places them with approved families. It serves the Central Texas area and accepts and places dogs only in Texas. HOT charges a $25 non-refundable application fee and $250 adoption fee. All dogs are spayed or neutered, current on shots, and heartworm-negative before being placed. For more information, call 512-259-5810 or visit www.hotlabrescue.org.
Humane Society of Williamson County—This nonprofit, no-kill shelter in Leander seeks responsible pet owners willing to make a lifelong commitment. Adoption fee of $95 includes spay or neuter, initial vaccinations or rabies voucher, worming, microchip, heartworm screening (for dogs), leukemia test (for cats), and thirty days free pet health insurance. Call 512-260-3602 or visit www.hswc.net.
Public for Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) Shelter and Humane Society—A no-kill, nonprofit shelter serving Hays and surrounding counties, PAWS adopts animals out of its Kyle location, at regular adoption days at various locations in Austin and San Marcos, or on-line. Adoption fee $75 to $140, depending on the animal. All animals are given medical treatment, vaccinated and spayed or neutered. For more information, call 512-268-1611 or visit www.pawsshelter.org.
Town Lake Animal Center—A division of the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, and the largest shelter in Central Texas. Adoption fee of $75 includes spay or neuter, vaccinations, microchip, one year Austin pet registration, and collar. TLAC adopts out animals from its facility at 1156 W. Cesar Chavez St., west of downtown. For more information, call 311 or visit www.ci.austin.tx.us/health/animal_services.htm
Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter—This shelter is a cooperative effort of Williamson County and the cities of Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and Hutto. Adoption fee of $85 covers basic vaccines, spay or neuter, heartworm (dogs) or leukemia (cats) screening, and microchip. Call 512-943-3322 or visit www.wilcopets.org.

The organizations listed above were covered in the accompanying feature article, but there are scores of other animal-welfare organizations in Central Texas that prospective adopters can explore to find just the right pet. A comprehensive list of these organizations, and contact information for each, is available on our web site at www.goodlifemag.com/archives/resources-pages/PET_RESOURCES_2.pdf.

Ancient Chinese Martial Art Heals Austinites

by Beth Goulart
Photography by Barton Wilder Custom Images

When the Summer Olympics kicked off in Beijing last summer, some thirty-five million American viewers tuned in to watch the opening ceremonies on television. In the great Bird’s Nest arena, between synchronized drummers and “aah” inspiring pyrotechnics, precisely two thousand eight tai chi practitioners clad in snow white performed their ancient art. To most viewers, tai chi struck a familiar chord. Who hasn’t seen it performed in a public park or heard its name spoken in conjunction with stress relief and relaxation? In China, though, the practice of tai chi is a way of life.

Jackson started Austin Tai Chi when she and her husband and business partner, Danny Boone, relocated to Austin from Los Angeles to be near Boone’s family. Jackson had taught tai chi in L.A. for eighteen years, eventually meeting Boone in one of her classes. For more than ten years they studied together under Tung Kai Ying, a Chinese master who is a descendent of the Yang family for whom the style is named, and they continue to follow his guidance today.
The classes Jackson and Boone teach range through beginner, intermediate and advanced at six locations around Austin on four days each week. This decentralized approach, says Jackson, is aimed at bringing tai chi to people where they live. “I want to make it easy,” she says in explaining why she doesn’t mind driving all over town to teach. “I want to affect in a healthy manner as many human beings as I can in Austin,” she says.

When Juanita Johnson started tai chi three years ago, it wasn’t her idea. Her daughter, Terry Johnson-Growden, asked her to come along to try it after reading about its healthful benefits. Johnson-Growden had done some Internet research and discovered Master Gohring’s Tai Chi and Kung Fu school just north of Highland Mall on Airport Boulevard, so they went there for their first class.
Several moves in, recalls Johnson, then sixty-three, “I looked over at my daughter and said, ‘Oh, I can do this.’” The moves were simple, easy. They didn’t even feel like exercise. “And then about two more moves and I’m thinking, ‘Lord, I hope this is going to be over soon,’ because sweat was pouring. I was tired. I was finding parts of my body I’d forgotten I had,” she says.
A year and a half later, Johnson and her daughter recruited their husbands, too, and the four have been commuting from their shared duplex near the Austin airport to practice together ever since. All four cite dramatic, quantifiable health benefits including improved blood-sugar levels (three of them are diabetic), in addition to reduced stress and lower blood pressure, plus a better overall sense of well-being.
Their progress isn’t just evident in their health, though. It’s also chartable in their colorful sashes. At Master Gohring’s studio, students wear uniforms and start with white sashes, then earn new colors from gold to black, plus stripes at intermediate levels, as they master skills. Terry Johnson-Growden leads her family in a brown sash, her mother sports purple, and the two men wear green sashes.
The sash program is just one of the ways that Tom Gohring, the studio’s owner, establishes the culture of his school. When Gohring, a native Austinite, started teaching tai chi twelve years ago, his approach was informal. Students wore whatever made them comfortable and addressed him by his first name. “It didn’t work,” he recalls. “People didn’t take it seriously.” Without a formalized structure, he found that students floundered, whereas the structure he now imposes provides leadership and direction that he feels helps his students learn. “If you don’t get the culture with it, then it’s just an exercise,” he says. “So for us, it’s not just an exercise.”
Students bow in greeting to others when they enter and exit the school, address each other by formal titles and Gohring as “Master,” and incorporate formal hand gestures and bows into their interactions, such as before and after sparring, when elements of kung fu are introduced for more advanced students. “Formality and tradition,” says Gohring, “that’s the fun part.”

The differences in style between Master Gohring’s school and Austin Tai Chi are huge, but they do, indeed, both teach the same discipline. While Gohring adds elements of the lesser-known Chen style of tai chi for intermediate and advanced students, both schools teach Yang to beginners. Their differences are important, though, and something prospective students should consider in choosing a path for their own tai chi experiences.
Marjorie Jackson of Austin Tai Chi says that different traditions of tai chi are only the beginning of the differences in instruction. Much as with yoga, she says, even within a single tradition—the Yang style, for instance—teachers’ styles vary widely. And finding a teacher who feels right is key. “I really encourage people to maybe go to five different teachers,” she says, before choosing one. “What matters is that you find somebody you’re crazy about. That you feel that it would be fun to come back here every week.”
Jackson also recommends starting with a buddy. “Find a relative, a neighbor, a coworker,” she says. “And come to class together.” It’s a strategy that has worked for the Johnson family at Gohring’s school. Juanita Johnson is sixty-five now. “Sometimes I think I’m too old to do this,” she says, “but the more I do it, the younger I feel.” She has more energy, an improved outlook, a renewed sense of strength. “It’s kind of an addiction, in a way. But it’s a good addiction.”

Beth Goulart battled unbearable cravings for chai tea while reporting this story on tai chi. Fortunately, the two are not mutually exclusive. You may e-mail Beth at bgoulart@goodlifemag.com.

Saving Some Lives, Confusing Others
Health Screenings Provide Lots of Information,
But Not All of It is Helpful

by Karen Branz Leach
Photography by Barton Wilder Custom Images

Irene Cyphers is sixty-nine years old, though she says she sees herself as being much younger than that. She’s been a vegetarian for the past thirty-five years, and she thought the lack of meat in her diet would help protect her heart. She wasn’t much worried about her health, but last April she decided to do a Life Line Screening.
“I had seen their ads many times, but people said it was just a waste of money. But then I read about a man who found a tumor during one of their screenings and decided I might give it a try,” says Cyphers. She signed up on-line to reserve an appointment at a convenient location, and paid one hundred and twenty-nine dollars for a package of tests.
Life Line and its many competitors offer a package of preventive screenings aimed at those over fifty years of age, though they also have customers in their forties, or even thirties. The standard package includes screenings for carotid artery blockages, abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease and osteoporosis. Depending on the company, you might also be able to purchase blood tests and a screening for atrial fibrillation. (See accompanying article, “The Tests and What They Mean,” for a detailed description of each.) The mobile screenings are done at a variety of community venues, including churches, YMCAs and recreation centers. You don’t have to bring a doctor’s order to get these tests. Though the state requires a doctor’s order, the companies all have doctors on staff who can generate an order for each participant.
From the screening, Cyphers learned that she had peripheral artery disease, specifically plaque in the artery of her right leg. Though she has no symptoms now, the disease could progress and lead to decreased blood flow in her leg, which could cause pain when she walks. Also, plaque in a peripheral artery, such as a leg or an arm, may indicate the presence of plaque in other arteries, including those that feed the heart muscle.
The results of the test sent Cyphers to her doctor, who did a stress test and further blood work. “He was concerned about the plaque, and also told me that my cholesterol was too high. I now take cholesterol pills and aspirin to keep the plaque from getting worse. If I hadn’t done the screening, the plaque could have kept growing,” says Cyphers. Her doctor also advised her to modify her diet. “I am a cheese-aholic,” Cyphers admits, saying that she now substitutes almond cheese for milk cheese to avoid getting too much saturated fat.
According to Austin cardiologist Jonathan Sheinberg of Texas Cardiovascular Consultants, Cyphers is a perfect example of the value of these screenings: getting people to pay attention to their risk factors and seek out their doctor’s advice.
“The fact of the matter is that if you have a good physician, you can get all this done at your doctor’s office. That said, there’s a couple of problems with that. Number one, not everyone goes to their doctor. Number two, reimbursement rates have cut the average office visit down from twenty minutes to ten minutes. If you go in to see your doctor for back pain, you’re not going to address that and everything else in ten minutes. You can’t do it all,” says Sheinberg.
Sheinberg says that he believes the quality of the testing at these mobile screenings is good. “The technology is good, and I assume that the technicians know what they are doing and that the person reading the tests is good,” he says. The results of a small study done by Life Line in conjunction with the Cleveland Clinic bear out his expectations. That study found that Life Line produced test results that were as accurate as tests done at that world-renowned clinic. Since the screening programs all use essentially the same technology, the results from these tests should be reasonably accurate.
The problem with screening programs, says Sheinberg, is in the interpretation of the tests. While some of the information clearly requires follow-up, such as cholesterol that is too high or the presence of plaque in an artery, other results fall into a gray area that may cause patients to go through unnecessary and risky follow-up testing.
For example, he says, what do you do if the tests reveal a slight widening of the abdominal aorta, which might be the beginnings of an aneurysm, or might not? (An aneurysm is a weak spot in the artery wall, which can cause the artery wall to become thin and eventually rupture. Because this is a large artery, a ruptured abdominal aneurysm can quickly lead to massive bleeding and death.)

“There are those people who will get on the Internet, where they will be bombarded by information, and they can’t differentiate between the accurate information and the bogus. So they’ll decide to treat their high cholesterol with unproven ‘natural’ food supplements, which are not studied, not regulated and are potentially dangerous,” he says. “You have to interpret the information accurately. That’s where I come in.”
In fact, even the screening staff doesn’t always understand the meaning of test results. I went through a Life Line screening as part of my research, and the nurse who gave me the results of my blood tests pointed out that my HDL (the good cholesterol) was eighty-five. While that is good, she told me, you don’t want that number to go over one hundred.
“That’s completely wrong,” says Sheinberg. “We want the HDL as high as we can get it.” Also, the LDL (bad cholesterol) is deemed acceptable, according to the Life Line information, if it is less than one hundred. The most recent research indicates that number should be below seventy, especially if a patient has other risk factors, says Sheinberg. “National guidelines often lag behind current research and clinical practice,” he says.
So what’s the bottom line? The tests are generally safe to do, and may be useful, especially for people who have risk factors but are reluctant to go see their doctor. If you are over fifty, or if you are over forty and have other risk factors (obesity, smoking, family history of heart disease or stroke), getting a screening may be a reasonable choice.
Also, these screenings are less expensive than the more definitive tests you might get at your doctor’s office, because they are screenings, not diagnostic tests, and may save you hundreds of dollars if you don’t have health insurance, or if these tests are not covered by your insurance. However, before shelling out one hundred dollars or more for these screenings, check with your health insurance company to see if you are covered for these tests through your doctor’s office. In that case, you may only be responsible for a small co-pay.
“The primary benefit of these screenings is to raise awareness and get people to consult their doctors. If you have any abnormal results, see your doctor,” Sheinberg says.

Karen Branz Leach has been writing about healthcare for more than twenty years and is addicted to taking her blood pressure at those free machines at the drug store. You may e-mail Karen at kleach@goodlifemag.com.

If the shoe fits, leave it in the closet
by Carla Birnberg

We’ve previously established there are innumerable things I’ll attempt in the name of journalism. I willingly super-slowed my workout and, last month, awkwardly swung a kettlebell for the sake of research. This month, however, I’m letting you down. While I’ve selected a topic I find exceedingly intriguing it is one, at this moment anyway, which I’m too fearful to attempt.
What fitness endeavor turned this intrepid writer squeamish? Barefoot running. Yep, you read that correctly. There’s a contingent of runners regularly exiting their homes barefoot—and not to jog to the mailbox and back. In addition, if you buy into the group’s motto: one foot at a time, one sole at a time, one hell of a good time, then I have deprived myself of an enjoyable escapade by refusing to give this one a try.
According to its practitioners, the notion of barefoot running starts at the beginning. The beginning, they contend, of us. They correctly point out we all commence our lives barefoot and, in many cases, spend our entire first year that way. The fact we also spend the majority of this same year crawling seems not to lessen their passion for this point.
Barefoot runners also like to remind us, the great shoe wearing masses, that many of us spent the bulk of our childhood shoeless as well. These devotees simply continued on this path and never bought into the notion humans require shoes. In their minds the very reason our ancestors survived was the fact they were frequently shoeless. Those who escaped from predators ran swiftly, according to individuals like Ken Saxton, editor of the web site runningbarefoot.org, because their healthy, bare feet enabled them to learn to run properly.
If you’re anything like I am, your reaction to Saxton’s words is one of confusion. His thought is the discomfort that can at times accompany barefoot running is, in fact, a gift because of what it tells the runner. Pain can be a signal for us to change our gait or tweak our stride. In Saxton’s mind, only through serving as your own foot whisperer (my phrase not his) will you ever learn to run properly and pain free.
This assertion baffled me. My feet throb after wearing shoes for twelve hours. How badly might they ache if I jogged barefoot for a mile or two? The barefoot running community would answer a resounding: far less. They believe our feet were designed to keep us moving upright, at varying speeds and do so in total comfort. Feet weren’t created, in their opinion, to be swathed in leather or canvas without being sore later. We think we need shoes, they’d contend, as a reaction to skilled marketing campaigns and a desire for money making by shoe companies.
I’m nothing if not a skeptic, but I felt my anti-barefoot running resolve weaken. Why did I love my running shoes? Was it the support they provided or had I bought into the notion they’d make me faster, stronger and lighter on my feet?
Grab a sneaker and plop it on it on a flat surface. See how the front of the shoe curves slightly upward? This curl is added to encourage a heel-to-toe rolling movement when the wearer walks or runs, yet a rolling motion has been shown to cause potential injury to the wearer’s knees and back. Now stand barefoot and check out how your toes are positioned. Are they naturally curving upward or gripping downward against the floor? Barefoot running made much more sense after I completed this little experiment.
My shoes firmly on stance was further weakened when I read that Ethiopian runner, Abebe Bikila, won the 1960 Olympic marathon sans shoes. This, added to the fact I’d known five-thousand-meter world record holder Zola Budd of South Africa trained and raced barefoot, almost had me yanking off my Nikes for a short, barefoot jog around the block.
And then I dug deeper. I found that Bikila ran shoeless because his only other option was a pair of ill fitting sneakers. He won, but I wondered if given a choice he’d have donned a pair of comfy shoes without hesitation. (It should be noted that in 1964 he won the Olympic marathon wearing running shoes.) I’d imagine that, unless you’re the lightest of runners, stress on knees and back normally absorbed by shoes can aggravate or trigger an injury.
I also couldn’t get past what I deemed the ick factor of potential disease. While this isn’t a much discussed topic I’m convinced it poses a rather large danger that my shoes prevent. Barefoot runners do acknowledge the need to be hyper vigilant with regards to roadside debris. Puncture wounds, even on soles thickened over time, pose a real and frequent threat.
One irrefutable fact is the need to start slow no matter your shoe-clad fitness level. It’s suggested one walk before running to allow the soles of the feet to thicken properly. Sites such as runningbarefoot.org encourage newbies to stroll barefoot at every opportunity before carefully progressing to a run and, only after time, should one attempt longer barefoot running sessions. Foot acclimation can vary, but the consensus is it takes three or four weeks to prepare the feet to pound the pavement.
In the end I was firmly in the middle of the road with regards to barefoot running. Left with one shoe on and one shoe off, if you will. The promise of running barefoot, imagined as childlike frolicking whist birds weave garlands in my hair, was quite compelling. Yet my older, wiser, wet-blanket self really had zero interest in risking injury easily avoided by covering my feet.

Carla Birnberg would love to hear about your experiences with barefoot running. She can currently be found running around Lady Bird Lake, both shoes firmly intact. She can be reached at cbirnberg@goodlifemag.com.

Simple answers seldom solve complex problems

by Karen Branz Leach

SKIING

Thursdays Oct. 2-30 5-7pm free Austin Skiers Happy Hour: Come mingle, socialize & have fun with old & new friends who are ski & sports enthusiasts. Enjoy Oktoberfest celebration with appetizer & drink specials. The Bakehouse International Restaurant, 5404 Manchaca at Stassney. Details: 317-0014 <info@austinskiers.org> www.austinskiers.org.

Oct. 14 Tu 6:30pm Austin Skiers General Meeting: Come join the Austin Skiers learn about the new trip selections for the 2008-2009 ski season. Meet the trip leaders who will coordinate & provide information about the new trips & sign up to reserve your spot. Meet friends & enjoy free appetizers & door prizes. Free parking available. Visitors welcomed. Sun & Ski Sports, 2338 W. Anderson Ln. Details: 317-0014 <info@austinskiers.org> www.austinskiers.org.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Daily: Heart of Texas Overeaters Anonymous: 12-step program for compulsive overeaters, bulimics & anorexics. No dues, fees, or weigh-ins. Multiple meetings every day thruout Austin. Details: 327-2802 www.main.org/hotig.

Wednesdays 6:30pm free Hepatitis C Support Group: Patients & their families welcome. Hyde Park United Methodist Church 4001 Speedway. Details: Pam Seboldt 894-0646.

Fridays-Saturdays noon Al-Anon: Help for Families & Friends of Alcoholics: Why be alone? 601 Braker Ln. Details: For other meeting locations & times call 441-8591 www.texas-al-anon.org.

Fridays 6-8:30pm free Navigating Breast Cancer Together: Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin provides this orientation program to give women newly diagnosed with breast cancer & primary support partners the information, tools & support needed to successfully navigate the breast cancer experience. Details: 472-1738 ext. 100 for reservations.

Saturdays 9am Compulsive Eaters Anonymous-HOW: 12-step program to help individuals recover from food addiction. Faith United Methodist Church 2701 S. Lamar, Alpha classroom. Details: Ana W. 912-7872.

Adult Dyslexia Support Group: Usually meets 6:30-8:30pm 3rd Tu each month. The Scottish Rite Learning Center of Austin, which provides therapy at no charge to children with dyslexia & training for educators & therapists in Central Texas, formed this support group. The purpose is to share ideas, experiences & resources. Meetings will be facilitated by a clinical psychologist or clinical social worker. 1622 E. Riverside Dr. Please RSVP: Details: 472-1231 www.ScottishRiteLearningCenter.org.

Alamo Celiac, Gluten Intolerance Group: A support group for those with celiac disease & those on a gluten-free diet. Cambridge Towers, 1801 Lavaca. Details: Francie Kelley 301-2224 <fkelley@austin.rr.com> alamoceliac.org.

American Cancer Society helps people with cancer & their families in every Texas community via a toll-free number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Details: 1-800-ACS-2345 www.cancer.org.

Austin Lupus Support Group: Usually meets 6:30-7:30pm 1st Tu each month to provide support to patients & families. Also works to educate community & fund-raise. Gateway Church 7104 McNeil Dr. Details: Patti 217-6826 www.freewebs.com/austinlupus/home.htm.

Phone Training for Speech-Disabled: Speak Up Texas!: Outreach program sponsored by Public Utility Commission of Texas. Increases awareness & use of Speech-to-Speech relay services. Training shows how to use operator to give as much help as necessary during a phone call when at least one person has speech disability. Overcome the fear of not being understood while using the phone & learn how to communicate more effectively. Works on communication strategies, skills & articulation. Services provided under contract with the PUC. Details: 1-8-SPEAK-UP-TX (1-800-325-8789) toll-free <speakuptexas@taicenter.com> www.speakuptexas.com.

WALKING

Oct. 4 Sa 9am NAMI 5K Walk: For the Mind of America: NAMI Walks benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness & the mental health awareness programs & services for thousands of families around the country. NAMI programs include support, education & advocacy involving schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder & severe anxiety disorders. Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake, Riverside Dr. & S. 1st St. Details: 420-9810 www.namiaustin.org/namiwalks/TX/Austin.

Oct. 18 Sa 8am-noon free 2008 Austin Start! Heart Walk 5K: Noncompetitive walking event designed to bring public awareness to physical activity & a heart-healthy lifestyle, while at the same time, raising the critical dollars needed to fund the life-saving mission of the American Heart Association. Front of Texas State Capitol, 11th & Congress Ave. Details: Emily Torres 433-4022 <emily.torres@heart.org> www.americanheart.org/austinwalk.

Oct. 18 Sa 6pm free Light the Night Walk: A unique evening event for the whole family to celebrate & commemorate lives touched by cancer. Participants carry illuminated red balloons while survivors & patients carry white balloons. Proceeds benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Central Texas. Dell Children’s Medical Center, 4900 Mueller Blvd. Details: (512) 491-6610, ext. 30 <Whitney.Musitano@lls.org> www.lightthenight.org.

Oct. 19 Su AIDS Walk Austin: This year’s goal is to raise $175,000. Each year thousands of Austinites participate to show their support for HIV-AIDS organizations & their friends & neighbors these organizations serve. This year’s walk features a new route beginning & ending at Austin City Hall. Cross Lady Bird Lake, walk Auditorium Shores, cross the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, head into the heart of downtown Austin & return. You can register on-line, form a team, create your own web page & manage your fund-raising efforts on the site. We can make a difference. Go Walk. Details: 406-6157 www.aidswalkaustin.org.

Volksmarch: The Colorado River Walkers web site lists several self-guided walks you can take year-round in Austin, Georgetown, Pflugerville & Round Rock. All start at prominent public places & cover well described routes. Details: Stephanie Menteer 832-8546 <zenteer@io.com> www.io.com/~zenteer/crw & click on the link for “Year Round Events.”

WOMEN

Tuesdays & Thursdays 8-9am free Women’s Walking: Women’s walking is part of the Las Mujeres program. We will warmup at the studio, go for a little walk & then stretch. Low-impact, slow workout. This class is geared toward ladies of all ages. If you feel out of shape or haven’t worked out in some time, this is the class for you. EsquinaTango, 209 Pedernales St. Details: 524-2772 <info@esquinatangoaustin.com> www.esquinatangoaustin.com.

Saturdays 10:30-11:30am $12 Salsa Aerobics: Move to the fun beat of Salsa Aerobics. Learn sexy footwork & flirty hips while you sweat. Available to all ages & all levels. $40/month. EsquinaTango,209 Pedernales St. Details: 524-2772 <info@esquinatangoaustin.com> www.esquinatangoaustin.com.

Oct. 16 Th 7-8:30pm free Impact Women’s Self Defense Informational Session: Come learn more about the program that has been the leading innovator in personal defense for over 30 years. RegainYourTime.com is joining forces with Houston’s premiere defensive training company, Professional Defense Solutions International, to host a women’s self-defense course, called Impact, on the weekend of Nov. 21-23. RSVP. Details: 693-8530 <impact@regainyourtime.com> www.impactpresentation.eventbrite.com.

Oct. 28 Tu 6:30pm Texas Outdoor Women’s Network Austin Chapter: Meets 4th Tu each month. Open to women of all ages interested in outdoor activities. Fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking & more. This month, Sue Whisenhunt, the Volunteer Services Manager from Girl Scouts of Central Texas will present a knots-tying workshop. LCRA Red Bud Center, at the corner of Red Bud Trail & Lake Austin Blvd., Rm. 225. Details: June Appril 922-5718 www.townaustin.org.

Women’s Self-Defense Classes: Turn fear & reactivity into an effective survival response. Simple & powerful movements help you learn awareness & avoidance skills, mental & emotional conditioning & escape strategies. Contact for dates & times. Austin Martial Arts Academy at The Hills Fitness Center, 4615 Bee Cave Rd. Details: 327-2900 www.austinmartialarts.com.

YOGA

Monday-Thursdays $10-$15 Integral Yoga Hatha Classes: Classes consist of asanas (yoga poses), deep relaxation, pranayama (breathing practices), chanting & meditation. integral Yoga is suitable for complete beginners & is taught in an easeful, highly meditative manner. Students are guided to a deep level of physical & mental well-being, vitality & relaxation, promoting flexibility, strength & health. Instruction by Karly Branch, Karuna Kreps & Vimala Devi at ATMA Studio Centre, 1700 Ashby. Details: Vimala Devi 797-0018 www.netingenuity.com/yoga.
• M 5:30 & 7:15pm
• Tu-Th 5:30pm

Tuesdays-Saturdays: Hatha Flow & Vinyasa Yoga: With Pamela Brewer. Free with a purchase at the café. All levels. Bring a mat, some provided. Ruta Maya Café 3601-D S. Congress. Details: 707-9637 www.rutamaya.net.
• Tu & Th 9am
• W & F 8am
• Sa noon

Wednesdays 7-8:15pm $15 (or pay what you can) Yoga for a Healthy Back: Yoga exercises to strengthen & stretch the low back. Remedy Center for the Healing Arts, 4910 Burnet Rd. Details: 452-6623 <austinyogahealth@aol.com> www.austinyogaforhealth.com.

Wednesdays & Saturdays W 6pm, Sa 4:30pm $8 Yoga Classes with Nina Perales: Stretch, bend, breathe, sweat & smile. Nina will open your body & open your soul as she shares epiphanies of her day & challenges you to some strengthening yoga. Classes accessible to any level of experience & tends to be more movement & flow. Drop-ins welcome. All levels, all ages, all hearts, all minds. EsquinaTango, 209 Pedernales St. Details: 524-2772 <info@esquinatangoaustin.com> www.esquinatangoaustin.com.

Thursdays 11am-12:15pm $15 (or pay what you can) Yoga for Strong Bones: Yoga exercises to benefit those with (or at risk for) osteoporosis. Remedy Center for the Healing Arts, 4910 Burnet Rd. Details: 452-6623 <austinyogahealth@aol.com> www.austinyogaforhealth.com.

Thursdays 6:30-7:45pm Hatha Yoga: Emphasizes building strength, increased flexibility & developing balance. Students of all levels are welcome. Breath, flow & adaptation of asana are emphasized to bring ease & a challenge to your asana practice. The Hills Fitness Center, 4615 Bee Caves Rd. Details: 327-4881 www.thehillsfitness.com.

Sundays 6-7:15pm pay-what-you-can to $15 All Levels Yoga & Meditation: Beginners welcome. Remedy Center for the Healing Arts, 4910 Burnet Rd. Details: 452-6623 <austinyogahealth@aol.com> www.austinyogaforhealth.com.