Edmond Life & Leisure

Information may not be reliable

By Emily White
Year after year some of us are faced with the same task of decorating for the holidays. And each time we push ourselves further to ensure our homes look stunning for our friends and family.
Sometimes it can be hard deciding how to decorate, especially using the same decorations in new ways. And not everyone has the money to go towards a holiday designer.
The Edmond Womens Club has solved the problem with their fundraiser Holiday Home Tour.
Our second annual Holiday Home Tour is an Edmondmust seethis year! proclaims EWC President Katie Taylor. We have eight stunning homes on the tour that will be exquisitely decorated for the holidays by our community's most talented interior designers.
Each home will have a charity booth set up inside of it. The money raised at this event will go towards these charities and grants for other local needs. Not only will you be getting great design tips but you will be helping a great cause.
All eight homes are owned by residents who have opened their houses to the public for the purpose of helping further the community.
I can't think of a better way to spend the day with friends:touring the beautifulhomes, having lunch and getting inspired to decorate for the holidays! ensures Taylor.
Pita Pit will be providing a delicious lunch. And everyone will have the opportunity to purchase Edmond Womens Club holiday recipe books.
After all decorated house means little without the succulent aroma of delicious food simmering on the stove or goodies baking in the oven.
Christmas ornaments decorated by Cavetts Kids from the OU Medical Center will also be for sale at the event. Homemade decorations add a unique and inviting look to the home.
This event will be held in the Lakeside at Oakdale edition on Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21 from noon-5 p.m. p.m. Tickets are currently on sale for $15 each or can be purchased the day of the event for $20.
For more information on this event look online at www.ewc.org. Dont miss out on this great holiday experience; nothing beats food, fun, creative ideas and helping your community.

By Mallery Nagle
Ann Jayne is a typical Edmond mom who faced one of the typical challenges of motherhood in a typical manner she made up her own bedtime stories when her young sons did not want to go to bed. What makes this tale not so typical is that one of her stories was published earlier this month.
Released on Nov. 2, Korys Jungle, is a childrens chapter book published by Tate Publishing in Mustang. This is Jaynes first book.
Its a story about Ian, who is about to start third grade, Jayne explained. His family has just moved and hes going through some changes. Hes nervous and worried.
To personalize his new bedroom, Ians mother paints a jungle scene on the walls, alive with a menagerie of wild animals. And what jungle would be complete without a leopard? Ians favorite stuffed toy also happens to be a leopard named Kory.
Ians new school turns out be somewhat of a jungle, too. And what new school is complete without a class bully?
Doug, the bully, makes Ians days miserable. So at night, Kory and his friends come to life and take Ian on all kinds of adventures in the jungle. Of course, there is a bully in the jungle as well. A nasty water buffalo seems to take delight in making the jungle, well, uncivilized.
Ian learns to deal with some life issues through his adventures in the jungle, Jayne said. To find out if Doug is ever tamed, you will have to read the book.
Jayne decided to write down her bedtime stories about two years ago. Her sister, an English teacher, encouraged her to seek a publisher about one year ago as the issue of school bullying became hotter than the jungle itself. Its always been around, but unfortunately it seems like it has escalated.
Jaynes older son, who is now in high school, faced some bullying issues of his own in middle school. The character of Ian is based on him.
If it just helps one person, it will have been worth it, Jayne said. She believes that most people will face a bully at some point. Adults can be bullied at work, she pointed out. There is always a way out; an escape. It doesnt have to be suicide.
And although her sons experience was unpleasant, she feels he, like Ian, learned some life lessons, too.
You have to look at where others come from, she said.Bullies are jealous or scared. A lot of kids (victims) are scared to say anything.
She added that her family eats together, goes to church together and prays together. Not every childs family is like that.
When her sons situation persisted, Jayne said she talked to school administrators who were helpful in resolving the issue. Kids do need to learn to stand up for themselves, she said. I told him I would not go up there every time someone says something. Kids do need to able to handle this, but they also need to know when to tell adults. She added that her sons situation never turned physical. Ive always told my kids that no one has the right to hurt you.
Valerie McMahan is Jaynes sister and a 27-year veteran teacher with Oklahoma public schools. McMahan encouraged her sister to find a publisher for her book because she feels that while bullying is nothing new, it has taken on a harder, meaner edge in recent years.
I think it is a reflection of our society, said McMahan. Many families do not instill a code of ethics and morals in their young children, so they grow up saying and doing whatever it takes to get by. We have always gone to church in my family, so I think the religious aspect of Kory's Jungle plays an integral role. She added that technology had added yet another dimension to the bullying problems that many students face
McMahan said Ian handles to situation properly when he tells adults about his plight, before it gets out of hand. She said she would recommend the book to teachers in the primary grades.
In Kory's Jungle, the author, Ann Jayne, takes the main characters of her book on adventures that will tickle the imagination of any child, said Shirley Maxey, superintendent of Oklahoma Christian Academy who hosted a Korys Jungle book signing.
You are lost in the world of make-believe - thrilled and aghast at the behavior of the animals, the characters, Ian meets along the way. You learn to deal with everyday life as well, as Ian encounters a bully in his classroom. Child and adult, alike, will find this book a fascinating read, Maxey said.
Because this is Jaynes first book, she said she wants to see how this goes before she makes any decisions about her literary future. Ive left it open for a sequel, she said of Korys Jungle. I have some short stories and some ideas in the works, but I have enjoyed the process.
Korys Jungle is available at Barnes and Noble and amazon.com. In addition to the book signing at Oklahoma Christian Academy, she has also had one at the Downtown YMCA. A signing event is planned are planned at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Edmond on Nov. 13.

The Oklahoma City chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis announces that Avatar and Titanic film maker James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron will serve as the Honorary Chairs for the local 2010 Breath of Life Gala Nov. 19.
The couple will assist in hosting the fund raising evening and share in honoring the following outstanding leaders in this cause:
James Cameron was recently named by Forbes as the most powerful man in Hollywood. Their website states, There have been few movies that have fundamentally changed Hollywood like his recent blockbuster, Avatar. It revolutionized computer-generated images with new motion capture techniques and, most importantly, it paved the way for a true 3-D revolution. The film's incredible success has helped catapult director/writer/producer James Cameron to the top of our list of the Hollywood's Top-Earning Men.
Suzy Amis Cameron left Oklahoma to pursue a modeling and acting career. In addition to her success in the entertainment industry, she is the Founder of MUSE school A progressive, independent, non profit school in the Topanga hills of Los Angeles.
Our nephew has cystic fibrosis. We have witnessed first-hand the daily challenges each person with CF has to overcome, commented Suzy Amis Cameron. He is now in his 20s. But when he was born, people with cystic fibrosis did not live to graduate from high school. The medical advances funded by the CF Foundation are remarkable. They are giving people with CF the hope that they can have full adult lives. We are honored to come to Oklahoma and be part of ensuring that the progress moves forward, she concluded.
Mrs. Oklahoma, Alyssa Siler of Edmond, will also be on hand for the evening.
Her passion for the cause is personal as her 4-year old daughter has cystic fibrosis. Ryan and Alyssa Siler have served in key leadership positions for this event and in the Oklahoma City CFF chapter since she was born. In the blur of the initial news that our daughter had CF, I remember my physician saying that the median age of survival was in the mid-thirties. Everything in me stood on edge and I said to myself, That is not OK with me. At that point I vowed to do everything in my power to give our daughter hope for a long life, Siler explained.
Chesapeake Energy Corporation will be honored for their involvement in supporting CF research.
At last years gala Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman and CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation spoke to the crowd and shared fond memories of his cousin who bravely fought CF throughout their childhoods. McClendon echoed Camerons hope. As scientific advancements in treatment for cystic fibrosis are rapidly progressing, it is a privilege for Chesapeake to partner with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
This will be the third year that the chapter has presented the Breath of Life Award. Jeannette and Dick Sias have faithfully supported our chapter since we opened the office in Oklahoma City, noted Mark Harvey, MD, President of the chapters Leadership Board.
To date this office has raised more than $3 million for medical research and care of CF patients. That would not have been possible without the foundational friendship of the Sias and their willingness to be a part of our cause. It will be our joy to publicly honor them. Harvey said.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus.
In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend elementary school. Today, advances in research and medical treatments have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF. Many people with the disease can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond.
Benefactors and friends of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will gather Friday, Nov. 19 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for the annual Breath of Life Gala. Following the award program a live and silent auction will feature hard-to-find items that will raise critical funds for medical care and research. Souled Out of Edmond will entertain the crowd for the remainder of the evening. Proceeds will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Sooner--Oklahoma City Chapter.
For more information about the event or to purchase tickets go to www.cff.org/Chapters/okc/breathoflife or call (405) 787-0056.