Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2B
I - FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, March 28,1999
THIGPEN from IB
intriguing the youngster, changed
Thigpen’s course.
“I didn’t have a quarter, so I asked
him if I could see the show and then
come back and help him pack things
up,” he recalled, reaching for a coin
and rubbing its smooth surface. “He
said, ‘Sure,’ and later showed me a
sleight of hand. I was back 30 min
utes later and said I’d learned the
trick. He didn’t believe me and said,
‘Son, I’ve been at that trick for 30
years, now I don’t want to see you
for another week.’”
The performer in Thigpen evident,
eyes lighting up at the memory, he
artfully flipped the coin through his
callused fingers until it disappeared.
Grinning, he produced it from
behind an unsuspecting ear.
Explaining silk handkerchiefs were
just a dime back then, he said he
bought a dozen and so began a
career which led him away from
school and into the riches of per
forming.
“Not hardly,” corrected Thigpen,
laughing. “When Daddy said I had
to go back to school, I said, ‘But
I’m making twice as much as you
were before you got sick!’ But
back in those days, you did what
your parents told you to do.”
It’s difficult to nutshell how
Thigpen went from sideline magic
shows in high school to become
one of the most highly acclaimed
psychiatrists of his day. Essentially,
he was opportunity aware.
“I’ve always had the capacity to
make adjustment,” he acknowl
edged. “I switched from magic to
hypnosis because the crowds loved
it. When I got to med school after
Mercer, Dr. Cleckley heard of my
hypnosis and asked me to help him
with a patient. She cleared right
up.”'
CROW from 1B
She recounts her first charity fund-raiser as a mem
ber of the Sawnee Woman’s Club, one which drew
400 people and raised SIO,OOO for the Sawnee
Community Center. She says it succeeded because of
many, rtiany individuals pulling
together to accomplish something
worthwhile.
Crow is somewhat dismayed to
find that times, and demanding
schedules, seem to be changing
somewhat that spirit of giving in
the town she calls home.
“Perhaps it’s from a personal
standpoint and I’m busier because
I wasn’t working then, but there’s a lot more intensi
ty in this community these days,” she says. “When I
look at projects we were involved in then, people
seemed to have a lot more then to give. Nowadays,
it’s a lot harder to get people to give up that precious
time. Now, we’re a lot more involved in survival.”
She credits her family as her own support team
when she has been knee-deep in volunteer projects.
“My niche is coming up with the ideas,” she says,
laughing. “I’m not really a non-conformist, but I
don’t like to be in a mold. I'm apt to be different, just
because I don’t want to be like everybody else. I
‘Perennial Combinations’ helps add flair
Perennial Combinations:
Stunning Combinations That
Make Your Yard Look Fantastic
Right From the Start
By C. Colston Burrell
$29.95
352 pages, 300 color photos,
200 color illustrations
Every year, I make the same
solemn vows. This year I promise
to plant flowers in that barren
earth around the mailbox, put in a
butterfly garden I’ve planned for
the last seven years and fill in the
flower beds with something more
adventurous than marigolds. Sure
you will!
For most of us, it’s only a matter
of weeks before plans for a fabu
lous backyard wildflower meadow
or a patio carelessly strewn with
fabulous pots of flowers are
plowed under by the same old
excuses - we don’t have the time,
the space, the skills. Don’t
despair! C. Colston Burrell
promises that this summer, all of
' us pan make our gardens look fan
»tastic right from the start with
’ "Perennial Combinations"
(Rodale Books).
• America’s most enthusiastic gar
deners are wild about perennials.
- But with so many colorful choices
of flowering plants and ground
covers to choose from, and so
many different climates and soil
types, choosing the right perenni-
Metabolite available
~BH — Tv —’ me —1
H 4 B fls
iB ~ Sb s
...... ■ _ •
Photo/submitted
Dr. Thigpen was the noted author of ‘The Three Faces of Eve,”
based on a case study of a woman with multiple personalities.
The rest, as they say, is history. So
began the collaboration between
the two men that led to their part
nership and ultimate fame.
But Thigpen took greatest pride in
his family; his sons, Wayne, Mark
and Lance were his pride and joy.
His eyes misted each time he men
tioned his dear wife, Mary, her
quiet rustlings comforting him
from the next room.
It was an affection richly returned.
“He was a very loving person,”
said his widow after his passing. “A
simple person, in so many ways. It
didn’t matter if he were in coveralls
or a tux, he didn’t have to be
have the ideas and then my daughters - Cecily, 27,
Allyson, 23, and Leigh, 16 - have always pitched in
and figured out how to make it happen.”
Another interest near and dear to Crow has been the
66
My niche is com
ing up with the
ideas...
99
“It’s the heart of the community.”
That, in her opinion, defines the essence of volun
[ teering.
: “Volunteering in a community directly affects the
, quality of life of what we do,” she says. “If we did
; not have volunteers, imagine what it would be like.
No social service networks like The Place, Boy
i Scouts, Girl Scouts. Imagine the negative things that
would be going on in our community. No one to man
, the hotlines for Family Haven. Even churches are
[ just a body of volunteers.
t “It’s those good things that make Forsyth County
such a wonderful place.”
als for your own garden can
become a daunting task. So why
not let one of America’s leading
gardening authorities help?
In the lavishly illustrated book,
C. Colston Burrell makes creating
your own backyard paradise fool
proof and fun. He shows how to
create great color and height com
binations; how to plan your gar
den so that it blooms from early
spring to late fall or even at your
favorite time of day or night; how
to use tough perennials to rescue
nasty spots where nothing grows;
and which perennial combinations
attract butterflies and humming
birds.
Packed with no-nonsense advice
and tips, garden plot plans, mail
order sources, a hardiness zone
map and even a color wheel,
“Perennial Combinations” is the
combination to unlock your natur
al green thumb.
Photographer, garden designer
M VSSAGI Illi R \l’\
LaQi i ri \
Ri mmi i r, I MT
•I It Hill • Bl Isi DC ss-
770-245-7389
showy.”
She tells of the letters he contin
ued to receive through the years
from those he helped, saying it
meant a great deal to him for peo
ple to go ahead and tell him while
he was living how much he had
helped change their lives.
“Our youngest son told him last
week, ‘Dad, I don’t want to inherit
your body, but I sure wish I could
inherit your mind,”’ she says.
“Everyone is going to miss him so
much. If he lived to 180,1 wouldn’t
want to turn him loose.”
It is a sentiment likely shared by
all who knew him.
United Way, for which she served
as campaign chairman and is now
president.
“Day in, day out, counseling
youth, abuse programs, medical
assistance - it’s just mind-bog
gling that what they do may be life
and death for some people,” she
i says of United Way volunteers.
and lecturer, C. Colsten Burrel, is
also the author of the award-win
ning “Gardener’s Encyclopedia of
Wildflowers” and co-author of
two of the volumes in the
“Successful Organic Gardening”
series; “Perennials” and
“Landscaping with Perennials.”
C. Colston Burrell will be heard
locally on WSB Radio and on
Good Day Atlanta. He will be
autographing books and speaking
with the public at Humpus
Bumpus Books on Tuesday,
March 30, at 5 p.m.
Book reviews are coordinated by
Paul Cossman of Humpus Bumpus
Books.
■ Your Dental not
HEALTH 9
by Dr. Kevin Short 4 ~ ■
General Dentistry
SEALED AND DELIVERED
Sealants are composed of a thin plastic film that the dentist brushes onto biting sur
faces of molars and premolars. After they harden, sealants provide a barrier against
decay-causing bacteria. In fact, when properly applied and maintained, sealants are
one hundred percent effective in protecting tooth surfaces from decay. They last
between five and ten yean. And, according to an American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry survey, children who had just a single application of sealants on their
back teeth had half the amount of tooth-decay and tooth restoration as children
without sealants. While sealants may be applied to the teeth of patients of any age,
they provide the most potential benefit to children.
Sealants have an important role to play in the fight against tooth decay. When prop
erly applied and maintained, they can successfully protect the chewing surfaces of
teeth. And, when combined with a program of regular brushing, flossing, smart
snacking, and dental visits, the risk of decay can be reduced and perhaps even elim
inated. Do you remember when your last dental checkup was? Now would be a
good time to call CUMMING DENTAL ASSOCIATES, 781-8650,t0 schedule an
appointment. We’re located at 306 West Main Street.
Time with child yields a masterpiece
“The Grapes of Wrath” has been
dethroned as my all time favorite
volume.
This morning, I joined my 6-year
old daughter, her first grade class
mates and their families for her
school’s annual publishing party.
Each of the students had crafted,
alone, an original story of their
choosing and illustrated its pages.
Last year, Savannah’s kindergarten
tome centered on dear Fluffy, her
kitty, and it was hailed by all as a
masterpiece (OK, I admit parental
prejudice there).
But this morning, to my surprise,
her literary attention was devoted to
“My Mommy.” It tested the limits of
my mascara’s waterproof claims.
As I read her assertion that “My
mommy is the best mommy in the
whole wild world,” she was beaming
and I was beaming and the whole
wild world was beaming.
We spend half our time as moms
hoping we will grow up to be friends
with our daughters and the other half
surely undermining that goal with
our shortcomings.
It’s different with moms and sons.
Somehow, we just know that our
pedestal, deserved or not, is secure
for life, the standard by which all
women to come must compare.
But daughters see right through us.
Our angst is their angst is our angst.
Because we are cut from the same
cloth, we must wrestle for separate
ness, even as we crave unity. Oh, to
return to the safety of mother’s
Library connects world via Internet
A few months ago, a man called the Forsyth County
Public Library and said he needed the name and
address of a Catholic hospital in Adria, Italy. A member
of his family had been treated in the hospital during
World War II and had recently died. The man calling
wanted to make a donation to the hospital in memory of
his relative. “Where do we start looking?” he asked.
This is only one time in a month when more than
3,000 individuals have visited or called the Forsyth
County Public Library information desk, seeking
answers to their questions. With the technological revo
lution that has occurred in just the past decade, the
Forsyth County Library and other libraries have
become increasingly popular places to access the
Internet and other online databases. The information
specialists at the reference desk are needed more than
ever to help individuals navigate and choose the most
reliable sources of information for their needs.
“Customers will always be able to find their favorite
books at the library. Technology can never replace an
afternoon curled up with a good mystery novel.
Computers, supplement books, magazines and newspa
pers provide a depth that is often impossible online,”
said Docia Blalock, information services supervisor.
“And the Internet supplies an immediacy and timeliness
that the publishing process does not allow.”
“Libraries have always embraced the technology at
hand,” Blalock added. “From teaching someone how to
use the mouse, to locating reliable journal articles from
GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online), we are
information providers. We have books and videos for
people wanting to study about the Internet, too, before
they get online.”
“When the majority of people walk through these
doors, there are often too many choices. It is our job to
make them aware of the full range of resources we have
to offer. For years, information librarians have steered
customers toward books. Now they are serving as their
Community events
Ninth annual Tour of Homes
...to benefit The Place of
Forsyth County Inc. is sched
uled for Mother’s Day weekend,
May 7-9. All cruise tickets
include the tour of homes on
Saturday, May 8, from 9:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Ticket options include:
ticket A, May 7,7 p.m. at SSO
each; ticket B, May 8, 11:30
a.m. at $35 each; ticket C, May
8, 2 p.m. at $35 each; ticket D,
May 8,7 p.m. at SSO each; tick
et E, May 9, 2 p.m. at $35 each;
Cheryl wHg-
Vaughn
womb, where all is warm and com
forting. But, no, even as we were
ejected at birth into a budding inde
pendence, so must we each make our
own way, sometimes distant from
those we love most.
And so I relish today. For this
moment, she tells the world in Wack
and white that “My mommy loves
me very much and I love her too.
She is my very best friend” and it is
so.
Her stick figure drawings are enter
taining, depicting us throughout the
nearly seven years that we have
shared. .Missing was the one she
couldn't possibly remember, that
sweet second in Northside Hospital
that she pressed from my body and
into my arms, claiming my heart for
ever. It was at that moment that I first
learned unconditional love and per
manent attachment.
It was then that I became wholly
vulnerable and necessarily strong.
“Almost every night, my mommy
and I have mommy-daughter time,”
she writes. “This is my favorite time
of all.”
It is mine as well. Until Corey was
bom, my time with Savannah was
our own, the only intrusions into our
guides through cyberspace.’’ ' -iuo/
A recent MCI study shows that Americans are
accessing the world wide web more than'ever. For
most users, the public library is the number one alter
native point of access outside the home, office or
school. The Forsyth County Public Library has had
Internet access since July 1996.
“Kids know no fear when it comes to computers. But
we’ve learned through one-on-one training'and from
holding world wide web classes that the Internet use is
by no means limited by age. In fact, more than half of
those attending our web classes are over 60 years of
age. -,,<4
“People also value the personal resources we have,”
Blalock added. “It’s nice to know that there’s a friendly
information specialist at the desk to ask questions of.
We see a lot of people again and again, and they value
the social exchange. Whether they’re
to look for a site, want a new book to read-or want to
introduce their child to the world of reading, these are
reliable people who can help.” *■’ VP.M
Some questions involve sensitive issuer, such as
death, divorce or medical topics. “The trustworthiness
and confidentiality are even more important in these
situations,” Blalock said, “whether we’re using the
Internet or other sources.”
What about the Catholic hospital in Adria, Italy?
After searching the world wide web, ajmysician’s
name was located from the Veneto region where Adria
is located in Italy. An information speciaFrSt*faxed him
a question (in English and Italian using thd Internet's
Alta Vista search engine) regarding thejname and
address of the Catholic hospital. She also ipfluded her
e-mail address.
“The next morning, the physician e-mailed her back
saying he was the administrator of the Catholic hospi
tal in Adria! He included an informative message in
English with his address and phone number?;
and ticket F, May 8, 9:30 a.m. to
4 p.m. at sls each. Proceeds go
to The Place. For information,
call Fran Eaton at (770) 889-
8067.
Relay for Life
The Forsyth County chapter of
2 Great Thrift Stores
I 2
on the Square in Cumming North of Sawnee RAH i U
Store Hours M-F 10am-Ipm Store Hours M-F
Closed Sun Sat 9am-2pm Closed Sun ' •
© ATTENTION SHOPPERS
tdfe or BARGAIN HUNTERS
ram DON’T MISS OUR CLEARANCE SALE!
Only al The Place. T
JIR Bag Sale Days
on As many bags as you lifer
■ lIW 1 ’NEW & RESALE CLOTHING
lU I 1\ • COLLECTIBLES OF ALL KINDS
’'' 11 J ’ FURNITUR E • ELECTRONICS
M •JEWELRY •APPLiAN£ES K r
This is a Bargain Hunter’s Paradise!
tight-knit cocoon those of our own
choosing. With our expanding fami
ly, however, came divided attentions;
school soon stole more. Divorce and
its delicate balance of shared rela
tionships conspired to do the same.
And so we came up with Mommy-
Daughter time. Each evening at 7:30,
as her little brother is tucked into
bed, Savannah gets to peruse the
game closet, deciding whether she
would like to challenge me to
Boggle or Mancala or read a book or
watch a few last moments of televi
sion. For 30 minutes, we play togeth
er, relishing our “just girls” reserva
tion. Sometimes we simply snuggle.
We live in a busy world and
demands on our time, energy and
psyche can be draining. It is so easy
to become distracted and over
whelmed and often the ffet casualty
becomes the little peolfrfb getting
under our feet. And do it all
for them. J.
Pointless, if we overlook them,
isn’t it? jfl'l
Today Savannah reminded me that
the little things we do to simply
show them they matter H what cap
tures their imagination and builds
their internal nest. Not buying out
Toys ‘R Us or living in the Taj
Mahal or trips to
Thirty minutes of quiet time
together, carved out of each day’s
frenzy, could build the framework
for 30 years. Times two.
Time will tell, and, this morning,
Savannah did.
the American Cancel Society
has begun its annual‘{Relay for
Life” campaign to bejefit can
cer research efforts. Teams are
now being organized. For more
information, cail'Chrisi or Diana
Buntin at (770) or
Eddie Taylor at (77Q) ( f44-8558.