Silk - A magazine for women

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Table of ContentsEditor’s Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

A Weigh of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Pumpkin Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

All I want for Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Keeping on her toes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Decking the halls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

The Football Widow’s Cure . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Images Woven In Silk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Ask A Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Join the Zumba party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Social networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Covered In Silk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27-30

Shana Adkisson, Editor

[email protected]

366-3532

Cathy Hanselman, Account Executive

[email protected]

366-3563

Shana Adkisson, Editor

Julianna Parker-Jones, Writer

Nanette Light, Writer

C. Schudalla, Writer

Peggy Laizure, Writer

Michael Kinney, Writer

Cami Morris, Photographer

Kevin Ellis, Photographer

Marise Boehs, Designer

Jason Clarke, Webmaster

Saundra Morris, Advertising Director

David Stringer, Publisher

Silk is a publication of

The Norman Transcript

with offices at

215 E. Comanche,

Norman, OK 73069

A Weigh of Life - page 9

Join the Zumba party - page 25

Pumpkin perks - page 11 What kids want for Christmas- page 13



If you’re anything like me, you looked at the calendar in October and realized Christmas was right around the corner.

It seems like we hardly get the ghosts and goblins put away and it’s time to hang the tinsel and send your favorite loved one up

a ladder to string thousands of Christmas lights around the outside of your house.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the holidays. It seems like my family is so busy every year that November and December are

just a blur. It’s January before I have time to reflect on Thanksgiving and February before I get around to remembering anything

about that year’s Christmas.

I can’t tell you one thing I bought for any loved one last year. But I can certainly tell you one of my favorite stories of all time.

I’ve heard it enough to remember every detail. And my only wish is that I could

hear it again from my grandmother. She told it best.

Every year my grandmother would tell the same story about one Christmas

Day when she was a little girl. Of course it got to be a family joke after she told

it so many times. But I’m older now and grateful that she repeated it annually. I

think she realized if she didn’t we’d never remember it.

My grandmother grew up poor. She hardly ever expected much in the way of

Christmas presents. But one Christmas was different. Something told her this

year was going to be an exciting one. When she woke up early that Christmas

morning, before her siblings, she ran into the living room to see if Santa had

paid the family a visit. This year he had.

She stood in the living room, the story goes, just taking in all the beauty of the

presents. She looked for her name on all of the gifts and found hers attached to

a baby stroller. She was so excited by her new toy she couldn’t wait until the

rest of the family joined her. She had to celebrate.

The house her family lived in at the time this story took shape had a sloped

floor. So she spent the wee hours that Christmas morning pushing that stroller

up and down the sloped floor. She was so giddy but she never uttered a shrill

of excitement — she didn’t dare tattle on herself for getting an early start on the

holiday. She wanted this moment to herself.

She finally decided it was almost daylight and she had better get back to bed

before everyone else woke up. She parked her baby stroller exactly where she

found it and slid back into bed.

Sure enough, when her siblings awoke they were excited there were presents

left to them in the night. Everyone but my grandmother, who had already celebrated alone.

When she told the story her eyes would twinkle and the corners of her mouth curled up to the biggest smile I’d ever seen her

have. She’d tell the story, hoping it would give us kids the reminder that it’s not always how much you get, it’s being appreciative

that you have anything at all. I still remind myself of that story every year. It centers me now and is no longer a family joke. It

reminds me that I’m blessed with many things all year long and Christmas should be about the excitement of enjoying the small

things.

Here’s hoping that you and your family have a great holiday season.

Letter from the Editor


Think the average homeless person is just lazy or an addict?

East Main Place resident, one month old

East Main Place1100 East Main StreetNorman, OK 73071

Serving the Homeless for 17 years

Call 405-447-4663 or email [email protected]

Think again. One-third of Norman’s homeless are children. Please donate today and help us get families back to work to break the cycle of poverty.

When I was a little kid I was enamored with CuriousGeorge. Our local library had a film series that my Grannytook me to every Friday. We diminutives sat, feet dan-gling, poised for our own form of orneriness on grown upplastic chairs in front of a painted cinder wall. And myheart skipped a beat every single time the clickety clop ofthe projector signaled the arrival of that funny little mon-key. I can’t remember if there was music or even whatthe narrator’s voice sounded like, but I couldn’t wait forthe man in the yellow hat to stride across the screen,smooth the ruffled edges, and save George from himself.

I loved all of George’s adventures - the one where he keptcalling the firemen, the one where he couldn’t say no tothe balloons, the one where he was supposed to be deliv-ering newspapers but just couldn’t resist making them intoboats to float down the stream at the park - and I knew,always, that he was headed for trouble. Even for a fiveyear old, the road he was about to travel down was neverhard to see. His unwillingness to obey made me antsy,yet I loved to watch his wide eyes question the newnessof his world. The little guy was an adorable handful, a liv-ing breathing conundrum whom you simultaneouslywanted to spank and hug. (Obviously, H.A. Rey was aparent.) George drew you in with his innocence, but itwas his unyielding curiosity that closed the deal for me. Iso admired his refusal to be denied the wonders of hisworld.

For all of the alive George was, it was the flatness of theman in the yellow hat that made the sto-ries work. He was smart, that much wasobvious. And he was kind - he took ina monkey for heaven’s sake. Butbeyond that, the man in the yellow hat didn’t have muchgoing on. He just slipped in and out to cage the taleswithout ever getting too much in the way. When peo-ple ask me about my mentors, I’m always inclined toinclude the man in the yellow hat.

George was my first crush of the curious and I’ve been asucker for it ever since. I like people who ponder, espe-cially out loud. I like folks who test the waters and whoaren’t afraid to go to the trouble to figure things out.Grappling gives us dimension, and color and shape.That’s how the wrinkles of experience get carved. Butnobody seems to have much time for wondering any-more. Why think when you could Google and skip thestretching entirely? It makes me sad to realize that think-

ing’s not that vogue anymore.To this day when I walk into the Great Reading

Room at Bizzell Library, I breathe in and think ofGeorge. The smell of cold books sandwiched

between tin shelves reminds meof all I used to wonder about andall I still don’t know. And itreminds me of the job I have

daily, to encourage curiosity in my children andmy team. I yearn for them all to ponder, and ques-tion, and dig, and search. And I get downrightgiddy thinking about the pickles they might findthemselves in when they do. Because that’s wherelife is: right smack dab in the middle of the mess.

Sometimes as teachers and parents we think we’resupposed to have all the answers. But I’m notsure that’s really our most important job. Maybewe’d be better served to urge curiosity and fadeinto the background to subtle safety patrol whilethose for whom we are responsible twist andsquirm and learn. Like George, and the foil whomade him famous, the man in the yellow hat.

Monkey Business

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Pumpkin meat is very high incarotenoids. They’re what give pumpkinstheir orange color. Those who consumehigh amounts of carotenoids are foundto be healthier.

Pumpkins also can help your eyesight since they are high inlutein and zeaxanthin. What doesthat mean for your peepers?Well, pumpkins could actuallyhelp prevent the formation ofcataracts and reduce the risk ofmacular degeneration, a seriouseye problem that usually resultsin blindness. Pumpkins also havea lot of common nutrients, likeiron, zinc and fiber. Iron, of course, is needed by red bloodcells.

Why not get to the seed of the matter? Pumpkin seeds also aregreat for prostate protection and improved bladder function.Pumpkin seeds contain L-tryptophan, a compound that naturallyfights against depression and since pumpkin seeds have a highzinc content, they make a good protector against osteoporosis.Other powers of the pumpkin include: Natural anti-inflammato-ry; prevention of kidney stones; treatment ofparasites; a source of magnesium; andpumpkin seeds contain physos-terols, a compound that hasshown to reduce cholesterol.Sourceswww.associatedcontent.comwww.divavillage.comwww.healthdiaries.com

Pumpkin perksPumpkin perksPumpkin pie is the staple of almost every holiday table. It makes the

perfect companion to a holiday meal. Top it with whipped topping and a

nap is sure to follow.

But did you know that pumpkin also has other benefits? Benefits that

won’t lead you to the treadmill for an hour burning off the extra calories.

But why stop putting the power of pumpkin to use on theinside of your body? Put those pumpkin perks to use on youroutside, too. Pumpkin works as an accelerator for other ingre-dients, helping the skin absorb vital nutrients and vitaminsquickly. If you have sensitive skin, it’s even more importantto use ingredients that can fortify and nourish. Other nutri-tious ingredients that combine well with pumpkin includecranberry, orange and pomegranate.

At-Home Pumpkin FacialWhat you need:2 teaspoons canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon honey1/2 teaspoon milk1/4 teaspoon cinnamon spiceHow to make your own pumpkin masque:Mix together ingredients into a paste, and brush onto freshlycleansed skin. Let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off withwarm spring water. Use a pumpkin-infused moisturizer for an imme-diate glow.

Pumpkin Body Mask1/2 cup pumpkin puree1/2 cup solids from a can of coconut milk1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamonMix ingredients. Apply generously to clean skin and gently workinto skin.Leave on for 10 minutes, rinse with warm water and pat dry.

Pumpkin Hand Mask4 tablespoon pumpkin puree2 figs1 teaspoon green tea4 teaspoons cornmeal2 teaspoons aloe vera gel1 teaspoon jojoba oilPuree figs with green tea in blender and place 2 tablespoons pureein medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix in pumpkin and aloe. Stir in jojo-ba oil and cornmeal.Apply small amount of pumpkin mask to face, avoiding the eyes.Gently massage in circular motions gently buffing skin. Leave on for15-20 minutes. Rinse with tepid water and pat dry with soft towel.Store remaining mask covered in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

11



All I want for Christmas

Dainece'yea, 7, Norman — Brat Doll, “Real Brat Doll

Movie,” makeup in a box

Aaron, 6, Norman — LC helicopter

Ckyeesa, 6, Norman — Teaching supplies to play with

Jasmine, 6, Norman — lots of Barbies

Phillip, 7, Norman — Gameboy

Jancey, 6, Norman — Cheerleading outfit with pom poms,

dog

Zain, 7, Norman — Police car

Zane, 8, Norman — Microscope and money

Kaden, 7, Norman — Phone

Hernandez, 7, Norman — Xbox 360

Crystalin, 6, Norman — Cheerleading outfit

Lillian, 7, Norman — stuffed animals and books

Elleona, 6, Norman — Camera, makeup, phone

Donivan, 7, Norman — Xbox 360, bike

Jacob, 6, Norman — Xbox 360

Silk polled several area children from Kennedy Elementary to see what was at the top

of their list for Santa this year.



Social networking sites have taken off in the lastfew years. So much so, that people who five yearsago never would have expected to have a Facebookaccount, now check it at least five times a day.So maybe you’ve joined Facebook or Twitter, butyou don’t really knowwhat else to do besidescreate an account. Ormaybe you haven’t joinedyet because you don’t seethe point. Here are a fewsuggestions on ways tomaximize the social net-working sites.

• One word — birth-days. What ever did we dobefore Facebook conve-niently reminded us aboutall our friends’ birthdays?Pay attention to that list onthe right side of the homescreen, and you could saveyourself some embarrass-ment. A quick wall post onsomeone’s special day canmake all the difference inthe world.

• Want coupons, freestuff or to be the first toknow something? Becomea fan or follow yourfavorite company. Withmany large companiesmaking the push to con-nect with new customerson social networking sites,following them on Twitteror becoming a fan of theirs on Facebook can lead tofree stuff or discounts. Starbucks gave coupons forfree ice cream this summer and Eskimo Sno postedpromotions on Twitter such as “Say ‘twee’ whenyou’re in line and get a free snow cone today only.”

By being an iTunes fan on Facebook, you can snagfree sample CDs occasionally.

• Become a Norman Transcript fan and find outwhat’s going on now, not on the 10 o’clock news orin tomorrow’s paper. True, no Facebook post or

Twitter feed can coveranything as thoroughly asa newspaper article, butthere’s something to besaid for knowing what’sgoing on now, and whatpeople are really thinkingand caring about. Thetrending topics on the rightside of Twitter’s page oftenlink to popular topics.Friends on Facebook postlinks to interesting videosor articles that can keepyou up to date on whatpeople are talking about.

• Buy and sell things.It’s amazing how quicklyyou can get a responsefrom a post requestingsomething or offering tosell an item. Football tick-ets are a popular com-modity during the fall sea-son.

• Event planningmade easy. Facebookevents are convenient,because they let yousend to anyone on yourfriend list as well as any-one whose e-mail

address you may have who is not on Facebook.They keep track of RSVPs and allow friends topost comments or pictures on the event page.

By Julianna Parker Jones

Social networking

Photo by Cami Morris

Keeping on her toesBy Nanette Light

www.silkthemagazine.com16

Yulia Zhmutski, standing, works with student Adelyn Woods at her studio. Photo by Kevin Ellis

17www.silkthemagazine.com

Yulia Zhmutski never rests from choreographing ballet in herhead.

Every trip to the grocery store, walk along a sidewalk anddinner at her home is a performance for the professional balle-rina.She dances almost everywhere she goes, most of the time noteven realizing it until she is pulled away from the ballet in hermind to notice her husband staring at her while she’s cookingdinner.

Zhmutski, a 21-year-old ballerina originally from the formerSoviet Union, can’t help it.

If she hears a song, she has to compose a dance to accompa-ny it. Her latest are a slew of routines to the “Moulin Rouge”soundtrack.

And now, after marrying her husband Peter and moving tothe United States last year, this ballerina is teaching the “royalballet” in Oklahoma.

“I’ve wanted to dance since I could remember myself,” saidYulia to Peter who translated her Russian for the interview sinceher English is still elementary. “It just stuck with me. It ate withme. It walked with me. It breathed with me. It’s a part of me.”Scenes of tutus and pointe shoes, weren’t always twirling in themind of this ballerina, who made dance her life’s spotlight aftershe was denied acceptance into a vocal school.

But entrance into an artistic dance school, like the NationalSchool of Dance and Choreography in Tashkent, Uzbekistan,came with a hefty list of prerequisites, relying on God-given tal-ent. Out of 500 prospects, only 23 were accepted, and Yuliawas one of them.

Unlike the United States, Russian children cannot learn an artunless they possess an innate ability, which is why they arerequired to undergo rigorous pre-screening. During the audi-tion, Peter said few performed even a single step, pointe orplie before being either accepted or rejected.

So in the fourth grade, she left public school andher family to study ballet at the National School ofDance and Choreography, where life was a never-ending competition.

“If one person could do three pirouettes, no oneshould do less,” Yulia recalls.

After eight years, during which she danced for sixhours every day, learning ballet and folk dancing, withno weekends off, working in two theatres and touring withthe school’s company, her childhood diversion grew intoa professional career.

Out of 250 dancers to graduate from the school in afour-year period, Yulia was one of 10 dancers hired todance with the National Theatre. She didn’t spendher career waltzing with the chorus but dancingin principal roles like The Doll in one of herfavorite ballets “Coppelia,”. She harbors lovefor that production because of its difficultyin mastering the doll-like movements,said Yulia, as she ran to the center ofthe studio and began performing asegment of the ballet.

As she bent over from thewaist, with her legs apart andarms hanging firmly out, herhusband “wound” her up,and she rose robotically

from the waist, slowly, as if she were a toy coming to life.Unlike the grace and fluidness of a ballet waltz, her feet wereturned in and her movements were choppy, giving the illusionher arms and legs were made of wood.

“There are no little things. Everything means something,whether it’s a look or wink. Nothing in ballet is easy.Everything is difficult, even to hold our leg up,” she said asshe walked to the barre and demonstrated, explaining thatafter a practice she looks like she came from the sauna.

But Yulia’s dance expertise doesn’t conclude with ballet.She also is professionally recognized as a traditional Uzbekdancer and Slavic and Russian folk dancer.

“A professional ballerina should know how to dance any-thing,” Peter said. “That’s the way they were taught.”

In fact, through the years, Yulia has devised her own formof dance, an eclectic mix of modern dance and ballet thatrelies on emotional expression through movement.

“Dancing is always altering, and change is good,” said Yuliathrough Peter. “I believe in that.”

Now Yulia is more concerned with passing the art form tochildren, like her daughter Julia, who Peter is already calling“our little ballerina,” as he downloaded pictures from the com-puter of the smiling baby.

Yulia understands that for some there’s a financial obstacle tolearning dance. So with their own money, she and Peter havecreated three scholarships for children with a passion for dance.Peter said scholarships provide unforeseen opportunities, keepdancers disciplined and enforce attendance, since they arebeing held to a standard not only by their own will but some-one else’s dollar.

Peter said eventually the duo would like to find sponsors forthe company that would help pay for performance and compe-tition fees and costumes.

“To learn dancing, it’s pretty expensive, if you want to doit seriously,” said Peter. “We’ve seen a lot of talented stu-dents, and we want to give them an opportunity, likeYulia was given.”

Yulia and Peter see opportunities of their own, too. Upnext for Yulia is a creative collaboration with her hus-

band. The couple, which shares complementing pas-sions — his is music and film — evenutally

plan to produce a rock opera together. Peter will compose and Yulia will chore-

ograph.Shouldn’t be too hard. Besides, in

keeping with her daily obsessive chore-ographing, if Yulia hears the music,

she’ll begin impromptu dancing any-way.

“It’s a dream for us,but it’s still in our

heads,” Petersaid.



arthur court designs

Hob Nob Rob’s GiftsHob Nob Rob’s Gifts2201 W. Main • Norman, OK

(405)364-3777

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To advertise here callCathy Hanselman @ 366-3563


Each holiday season brings new trendsand style ideas for the decorative soul, butlocal craft and design stores know theirclients are no slaves to fashion.

“To re-dress an entire tree just forone season’s trend is an expense mostconsumers are not interested in,”said Kathy Cop of ChristmasExpressions.

“Color themed trees dependmuch more on the customer’s per-sonal taste and the existing décorin their home,” Cop said.According to online craft net-workprofessionalcrafter.com,this season’s trendy colorsare purple with white,cream or beige. The gener-al motif is sophisti-cated and feminine,with cloths like satin,silk and chiffonbeing dominant.

For ornamentsthe trend isglazed, crystal-like, sugaredand metallic.Large flowersand pearlstrand accentscontinue to befavored frompreviousseasons,with this yearadding a rise inmore organic textur-

al accents like wood grain.“I did see lots of purple at the market

expos,” said Sally Elkin of In Your Dreams.“We did a purple tree window display a cou-

ple years ago but, after 13 years of dress-ing trees for display, I find that the tradi-tional colors are still the most popular.

“Spending lots of money on what Iknow isn’t a great seller just isn’tfeasible, but we will be offering

some non-traditional colors.”These “traditional colors” are

any variations on red, white,green, gold and silver. But,as Elkin and Cop say, that

doesn’t mean that moreunconventional tastes

are out of luck.“We’re doing one tree

with a very anthropologyfeel to it. The colors are

hot pink, turquoise andbright green and theaccents are verystripey, bright and

ornate,” Cop said.While the trendsmay say purpleand white,

local designstores are stickingto the mostly tradi-

tional looks their cus-tomers want,but will stilloffer some funand funky

new styles for theedgier tastes.

Decking the hallsIt’s not always about red and green for Christmas decor

By C. Schudalla

21

In many households, Saturdayholds great excitement for one mem-ber of the family. Football can be athrilling sport, but the fact of thematter is that men tend to like sportsmore than women. Often, that leavesthe wife or girlfriend fairly bored ongameday Saturdays, Sundays andMondays. There’s a term for that:Football widows. But these widows-for-a-day have an alternative to pre-tending to be interested in the game.

The hours taken up watching thegame also can be used for some-thing else, something that appealsmore to the woman. Because yourhusband’s doing something fun forhim, it’s only right that you shoulddo something for yourself as well.And if it includes other women, allthe better.

Shopping. There’s something tobe said for a shopping day with girl-friends or other female family members. It’s also the perfectway to spend time with other women, said Kenna Stephens,salesperson at In Your Dreams, 2109 W. Main St. She said shelikes to get away sometimes and meet up with friends toshop, even if they don’t end up buying anything.

“It’s kind of like your time,” Stephens said. “You get to bewith your friends and catch up.”

If you wear outeasily shopping,try adding a movieto the day. Pick achick flick orother movie yoursignificant otherwouldn’t want tosee with you.

Spa Day. Nowoman in herright mind wouldturn down a mas-sage, mani/pedi,facial or mudbath. It may seemdecadent at first,but you’ll soonrealize what a dif-ference it makesin your quality oflife. A recent dayof relaxing spatreatments atUltimate Realm ofSerenity, 3750 W.Main St., Suite 3,

Park B, made all the difference to this writer and her friend.We were the only customers of the day shortly after the

spa had opened, and we were treated excellently with bathrobes and limes in glasses of water between treatments. Thedecor reminded us of a lush Middle-Eastern palace. After themassage, facial, sauna treatment and mud bath, we wereamazed that four hours had flown by.

Salon de Beauté owner Kerry Etter said many womencome in for salon and spa treatments on game days at thesalon at 2308 N. Interstate Dr.

“They tend to spend a couple hours more here than theynormally would, just to get away,” she said.

Guests can even ask about Salon de Beauté’s Game DaySpecials, Etter said. Some women come in by themselves, butothers bring friends or female family members to get a cutand color, spray tan or other treatments. Etter said she hasdone that herself.

“My mom and I, we used to do stuff like that, shoppingand lunch while the boys watched football,” she said.Other places in Norman to pamper yourself are Le Visage,Elements and Chimera or Back In Touch in Moore.

Day Trip. Hard-core football fans can spend an entire daywatching games. On those days, it can be a fun retreat totake a day trip with a girlfriend or two. Head to the big cityfor a change of scenery. The most fun method would have tobe the train. Tickets for the Heartland Flyer, which takes youfrom the train depot in Norman to Fort Worth and back, areonly about $50 per person round trip.

You can board the train Saturday morning and make it toFort Worth by lunch time. A full afternoon of shopping, din-ing or museums awaits you, then you just get back on boardat about 5:30 p.m. and you can be back in Norman beforethe final football game ends (about 9 p.m.).


The Football Widow’s cure



22

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IMAGESWoven In Silk

Do you have a picture of a gloriousOklahoma sunset? How about a flowerthat is in beautiful bloom in your yard?Why not share your picture with Silk?Send your 8X10 (2400 X 3000 pixel)photo to [email protected] forfuture publication. Please include yourname, location of photo and a brief storyabout the location. If you would like tomail the photo send it to P.O. Drawer1058, Norman, OK 73070, AttentionSilk editor. If you would like your photomailed back please include a self addressstamped envelop.e.



Question: Why are certain holiday traditions like food andfootball important to men?

Answer: The holidays are a time of traditions that havebeen handed down from generation to generation. Familymembers get serious when it comes to many of the traditionsthey use during the Thanksgiving and Christmas months.

However, depending on what genderyou are, some of these traditions canlook downright insane. Females tend tosway toward things that have emotionalties to the family or memories of the past. Such as having theirgreat-grandmother’s place setting on the table for Thanksgivingor having the family sing Christmas carols before opening gifts.

For men, it’s not that complicated. Most traditions are usuallysomething they were taught and it worked so well they calledit a tradition. Here are a few examples of legacies men mayhave that their female counterparts just don’t understand.

• Cutting food with a specific knife. In some families, theyhave carving knives that have been passed down from fatherto son, generation after generation. Men will make a big dealabout how important they are and how the food must becarved with these specific utensils.

But in actuality, almost any knife will do as long as it is deadlysharp and they can attach some story to it. Whether it’s acleaver that came from the first pilgrim to kill a wild boar orhow your father had to drive to the other side of town onChristmas looking for a can of corn and happened upon acarving set that was on sale. As long as it has a personal story

they can retell every year at the dinner table, they will use any-thing.

• Watching sports all day. This isn’t so much a tradition as ahard fast rule. For many of us, the second best thing aboutThanksgiving and Christmas is that football is on all day andevery game must be watched. This means more kitchen timefor the women as they prepare the main course, side dishes,

drinks, deserts and clean up afterward.It’s a sacrifice men have found they arewilling to live with as long as nothinginterrupts their sporting events and the

arguments that ensue from it.

• Turning back the clock. This can be anything a man doesthat makes him feel young again. From wearing their old highschool football jersey that is two sizes too snug or making thefamily watch the old vacation videos of the trip to the world’slargest corn maze.

The greatest example of turning back the clock comes in theform of the annual Thanksgiving tackle football game. Whetherit’s just family members or men from around the neighbor-hood, these games can be found everywhere. Men try to relivepast glory and show the womenfolk that they still have the ath-letic ability they had as kids. It’s all fun and games until thefirst ACL is torn, a back is thrown out or they can’t get out ofbed the next morning.

Some of these traditions may sound idiotic, but are a must.

Once you try to take them away, the holidays turn into justanother day at home.

By Michael Kinney

A s k A M a n

Holiday traditions

To advertise call

Cathy Hanselman @ 366-3563

25

The room pulses with the Latin beat and the women sway,kick and twirl to the rhythm. The dance leader changes movesand the group follows with a few cheers and whoops as thewomen shimmy forward.

No, this isn’t a club thumping in the early hours of themorning. In fact, it’s 10 a.m. in the brightly lit room at theCleveland County YMCA. This is the new fitness sensation,Zumba.

Zumba brings international rhythms and dance moves to thefitness class, producing an hour-long cardio workout that’smeant to feel like a dance party. The Zumba tagline is “Ditchthe workout, join the party!” and that’s exactly why many peo-ple have leapt on the bandwagon.

Norman resident Tina Greene said she attends Zumba classesbecause it’s fun. “It makes you work out, but it doesn’t feellike a workout ’cause it’s fun,” she said.

But while many have embraced Zumba, its popularity hasstill largely been limited to the regular gym-going crowd. Otherswho hear the name “Zumba” are confused or disinterested.

Zumba was begun in 1999, but it only made its way toNorman this year. The Cleveland County YMCA was the first intown to offer Zumba classes beginning in February. They start-ed with one class, but quickly realized the demand exceededthe single offering, said Stacy Bruce, Cleveland County YMCAsenior program director. “We got into some situations where wehad like 125 people coming to class,” Bruce said. This fall andwinter, the Y is offering 13 Zumba classes that draw 40 or morestudents to each.

“It has rejuvenated our group exercise participants,” Brucesaid. “It’s loud, it’s fun.”

The YMCA thinks Zumba is so much fun that they will offera free class to those who mention they saw this article.

Zumba also is available at many other health clubs and dancestudios in the area. Zumba instructor Dawna Hunter said one ofthe reasons Zumba is so popular is because it’s accessible to somany people.

“It doesn’t matter how old and how fat you are or howyoung and how thin you are — anybody can do it,” she said.At a fall class at the YMCA, there truly were people from manywalks of life and every size and shape. The crowd of about 40even included a token male.

The thing that seemed to unite everyone was their love fordancing. The hour-long class certainly would not have beenfun for those opposed to the art. As the first song started blar-ing, it was clear this was no ordinary fitness class. Bruce, wholed the class this day, did not use a microphone to speak overthe music. Instead, she danced in the front of the group, usinghand gestures to cue the participants as to what move wentnext. Bruce said this was to make the class seem more like adance party than a workout.

The music and moves were a mix of salsa, reggaeton,merengue, hip hop, cumbia, soca and quebredita. Bruce usedshort sequences of dance moves repeated throughout a songso that it was easy to pick up even for a first-timer. The movescould easily be traded down or up for a less or more intenseworkout, depending on the exerciser.

The workout is great for one’s heart, but doesn’t includemuch in the way of other fitness. Bruce said Zumba is greatcardio, which is great for getting people who don’t work outat all into better shape. However, she added that it’s best topair Zumba with other strength and flexibility training.

Bruce said she’s excited to see people catching on toZumba.“It’s nice to see workouts be fun again,” she said.

Zumba party

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Mary Abbott House Executive Director Jeannine Baker, is presented with a teddy bear from the Norman Chamber ofCommerce's Scott Christian. At center is Abbott House

Board President Sean Crandall.

Venita Macgorman, Liby Walden and Marci Corey

Cindy RosenthalAnn WayDon Sherman

George Moen, JoAnn Terrell, Jack Shilling, George Langley, Sean Crandall,Jeannine Baker, Lannie Puckett



Full Circle Adult Day Center“Purse-Onality Fundraiser”


Ann Carlson, Lolly Frank and Catha Block.

Patricia Grasse, chairman of fundraising committee

Susan Hoffman, Michelle Rosati and Tammy Vaughn

Megyn Price from Rules of Engagement, right, her daughterGrace and mother Emilie

Karen Booze from Brockhaus Jewelry

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“The Soiree at Embassy Suites”


Kyla McMoran, Anna-Mary Suggs, Angie and Steve Drury

Standing L to R - James and Jane Roane.

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