A state-funded Regional Infusion Center has been established in Fort Worth for those individuals with COVID-19 who are 12 years of age or older. The Fort Worth Infusion Center is located at 815 8th Avenue.

Antibodies attacking SARS-CoV-2 virus

To qualify for COVID-19 therapeutics, a patient must be referred by a health care provider.

The goal is to limit the number of COVID-19 patients that need to be hospitalized.

The Infusion Center uses the monoclonal antibody treatment Regeneron.

Patients must be scheduled for an appointment. No walk-ins are available.

Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. There is no cost to the patient or the health care provider.

“The opening of the Infusion Center is a great tool to help reduce the load on the over-burdened hospitals across Tarrant County and DFW,” said Dr. Catherine Colquitt, Tarrant County Public Health Authority.

Dr. Colquitt added that the best option is to get vaccinated and encouraged everyone to wear a mask and using social distancing as important measures to reduce the spread of the virus.

Patients must meet at least ONE of the following criteria:

• Older age (for example, age ≥ 65)
• Obesity or being overweight (for example, BMI > 25 kg/m2) • Pregnancy • Chronic kidney disease, diabetes, or immunosuppressive disease • Currently receiving immunosuppressive treatment • Cardiovascular disease or hypertension • Chronic lung diseases • Sickle cell disease • Neurodevelopmental disorders • Having a medical related technological dependence • High risk Ethnicity Groups (Latino or Black)

The Fort Worth Infusion Center can handle up to 90 patients a day.

Doctors must call the Infusion Hotline at 800-742-5990. The required forms for physicians are also available online.

https://ncttrac.org/programs/healthcare-coalition-hpp/tsa-e/covid-19/

This article has been republished, by permission, from the Fort Worth Business Press.

The post COVID-19 Infusion Center Opens in Tarrant County first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The free COVID-19 testing sites will operate on a rotating schedule throughout Tarrant County.

If a Tarrant County resident feels they have been exposed to COVID-19 or feel sick, it is important to get tested.

“Testing remains an important tool in our efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “The county’s testing is free and easily accessible, so there is no reason not to get tested if you suspect you may have COVID-19.”

Tarrant County is currently at the High Community Spread Level, meaning that more than 100 cases per 100,000 have been found in the past seven days.

Previously the Texas Division of Emergency Management had operated testing sites across Tarrant County but reduced their operations due to slowing demand and closed their last sites in June.

These COVID-19 testing sites will remain open as needed. Additional sites and times may be added. COVID-19 testing information is posted online. 

Testing locations

• Monday, 8 a.m. to noon, Northeast Subcourthouse, 645 Grapevine Hwy., Hurst.
• Tuesday, 8 a.m. to noon, Southwest Public Health Center, 6551 Granbury Road.
• Tuesday, 1-5 p.m., Bagsby-Williams Public Health Center, 3212 Miller Ave.
• Wednesday, 8 a.m.-noon, Northwest Public Health Center, 3800 Adam Grubb Road, Lake Worth.
• Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon, Southeast Subcourthouse Arlington 700 E Abram St., Arlington.
• Friday, 8 a.m.-noon, Mansfield Subcourthouse, 1100 E. Broad Street, Mansfield.

Published with permission from the Fort Worth Business Press.

The post Tarrant Co. Public Health Offers Free COVID Testing first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Where were you when you first heard about the “novel coronavirus,” as it was known last year? If you’re like most people, you may recall early reports of the mysterious pneumonia that was affecting citizens in Wuhan, China. But you probably cannot pinpoint the first news story you heard about it last January (or was it February?).  

Where were you when you heard that Tom Hanks had contracted COVID-19? Or when the NBA had halted its season around the same time that same evening? You can probably picture that exact moment vividly. The pandemic was real, the virus was here, and it was going to impact all of us. For Walter Kinzie, CEO of Fort Worth-based Encore Live, and his team of 15 people, the flashbulb memory moment had already come during the prior week when South by Southwest (SXSW), the seminal music and culture festival in Austin, was canceled.  

Photo courtesy of Walter Kenzie

“By March 12, we had lost the business,” Kinzie recalled this week via Zoom from the Fort Worth home he shares with his wife and two children. “But the concern really started growing in February when projects were being called into question. By March 6, when South by Southwest was canceled, we were already losing millions of dollars a day.”  

Kinzie’s event management company regularly produced multi-million-dollar celebrations and events around the world. It had taken him years to build the business to where it was in early 2020. But it took mere days for it all to be washed away. “It was in a four-day span that we lost everything,” Kinzie said.  

From a farm in Kansas to the Presidential Inauguration  

Kinzie was born on a small farm outside of Edna, Kansas. He started his first business at just seven years old when he took out a loan to buy a hog for his family’s farm, which he later grew into a successful cattle operation.  

While the cattle business grew, Kinzie became interested in live entertainment. “I actually got my first experience in the industry watching my father manage the acts for the local county fair.” At just 18 years old, he put on his first concert, a charity event that raised more than $70,000 for a friend with a terminal illness.  

Later that year, his own bout of ill health derailed Kinzie’s entrepreneurial plans for the first time. “I was in my freshman year in college and became ill with a rare kidney condition that forced me to drop out. I had to sell my cattle operation to help pay the medical bills.” That experience was crushing, but it renewed Kinzie’s desire to build a lasting business that also did good in the world. After he recovered from his illness, he accepted a job at Mattress Firm where he went on to become National Sales Manager in charge of 350 stores and revitalized the company’s events series. 

After seven years at Mattress Firm, Kinzie paid off the rest of his medical debt and made another change. “I had $500 to my name after paying off the hospital bills and that’s the money I used to create Encore Live.”  

Over the next ten years, Encore Live produced large-scale, highly customized projects around the world. Just a few of the company’s notable projects included the launch of Pokemon Go in New York City, the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. as well as groundbreaking events for the Academy of Country Music, Facebook, Capital One, and many others.  

L-R: Walter Kenzie, Chris Stapleton, Dean Dillon, Cory Ludens
Photo courtesy of Walter Kenzie

While its resumé working with major corporations and world–class music venues has received significant attention, it’s Encore Live’s work with some of the world’s highest net worth families that really excites Kinzie. “Our boutique projects were always my favorite because you could really be incredibly creative for the audience,” Kinzie explained. Those events first opened the door for Kinzie and his team to work with some of the country’s biggest stars, including Garth Brooks, George Strait, the Eagles, Ellen, Bon Jovi, and others. 

Over the years, Encore Live also worked with a long list of politicians, including Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Joe Biden, and the Trump family. “Not many folks can say they have worked with every living President!” Kinzie said. These relationships ultimately led to Kinzie playing a key role in the 2017 Presidential Inauguration, where he served as co-producer and oversaw the televised transition of power from President Obama to President Trump 

“Our entire industry was crumbling.” 

All businesses have been forced to overcome challenges related to the pandemic. From remote work to drops in sales or necessary furloughs, no company has been spared. However, the event and live entertainment industry has been hit particularly hard.  

In a matter of days at the start of the pandemic, $30 billion worth of events had been canceled in the United States, and over 12,000,000 people in the events and hospitality industry were laid off or furloughed. 

“Ironically, the very nature of live events – where something always goes wrong and needs to be solved in real time – actually prepared us relatively well to overcome the challenges of remote work,” Kinzie said smiling, holding his two-year-old daughter Poppy. “But it’s one thing to come up with a solution for a microphone that’s not working or a caterer who prepared the wrong food than it is to figure out how to save the business in the middle of a pandemic!”  

Encore held its first Zoom meeting on March 13 to announce that the office was being closed indefinitely and that the company would be focused on identifying ways to pivot the business and sign clients for new revenue streams. “We put on events, but there were no events happening. and other businesses were equally worried about the future. That required sending a clear call to action to our entire team that it was time to get creative.” 

“We can lick our chops or lick our wounds – it’s your call,” Kinzie said on that call. “I choose to lick my chops.” Kinzie shared with his team how he believed that today’s most successful businesses have all found opportunity to evolve or gain market share during recessions. He also explained that the company would be putting resources toward supporting the North Central Texas community and the entertainment industry at-large. 

“Our entire industry was crumbling,” Kinzie noted. “Businesses might go away, but we felt compelled to do our part to help the industry bounce back.” The Encore Live team quickly started a fundraiser for contract employees in the industry, which gained the support from musicians like Billy Gibbons, Pat Green, and Randy Travis, who donated guitars to be auctioned off. Garth Brooks and the Grammys signed on to help promote the fundraiser, and the donations came pouring in. The fundraiser was a massive success, and grants were paid out to nearly seventy entertainment industry employees who were out of work.  

Walter Kenzie & Mick Fleetwood
Photo courtesy of Walter Kenzie

“We felt really driven to have this impact. It helped the team remain focused and gave us an amazing outlet to use our creativity for good,” Kinzie stated. He heard from others in the industry who were shocked that Encore Live was not simply raising money for its own business. “I knew we would find a way to get us back on track. We just had to survive long enough for that moment to arrive.”  

Encore Live also focused on helping the local community. Immediately the team began reach out to educational foundations and nonprofits on ways to evolve their fundraising efforts digitally. The company also found itself advising governors, the National Guard, and hospitals on how to quickly scale outdoor emergency facilities to safely activate mobile testing sites equipped to handle the masses, work that Kinzie is clearly very proud of today. “In one minute, we were assisting a struggling musician, and the next, we are huddled up with a governor giving our advice for remote hospitals, morgues, and testing facilities.”  

While fundraisers and pro-bono nonprofit work inspired Encore Live’s team, it didn’t pay the bills. “We still needed to figure out how to save the business,” Kinzie recalled.  

The “Crazy idea” that redefined entertainment in the COVID era 

By May, Encore Live’s cash reserves had run out. Kinzie had sold his home and was working day and night on ways to get the business going again when he set out to create a guide map that would both serve the industry and pivot the company during the pandemic. This was built around the singular goal of providing the American people something to look forward to. “In my mind the goal was clear,” says Kinzie “we were not going to think small, and we would build something special.” It was during a cross-country road-trip that Kinzie had the idea that he thought might actually be what the company needed.  

“Thinking back, it might seem obvious now, but this was actually a pretty crazy idea. And we didn’t know if it would work!” Kinzie said, referring to the company’s plans to create an entirely new form of entertainment that would allow musicians to perform for millions of fans in a safe way.  

The company would stream world-class musical acts at drive–in theaters around the country.  

Kinzie and his team first began discussing the idea for what became the Encore Drive–In Nights concert series in early May. “We were 15 people, and we had to sign up venues, reach agreements with the talent, and pull off these massive shows in just weeks,” Kinzie recalled. “It was a huge endeavor.” 

Walter Kenzie & Shaquille O’Neal
Photo courtesy of Walter Kenzie

The company set out signing agreements with hundreds of drive–in and outdoor theaters around the country to stream musical performances. The idea was that fans would be able to pay a set fee for a vehicle with up to six passengers to watch exclusive musical performances on the same night across the country.  

The first musical act to sign up for the company’s drive–in shows was Garth Brooks. “I’ve known Garth for a long time, and he’s one of the most innovative, smart, and forward–thinking artists there is,” Kinzie said. “He got it immediately.”  

“This is old–school, new–school and perfect for the time we are in,” Brooks said at the time. He appeared on “Good Morning America” to promote the show, and there was a crush of interest from fans. Ticketmaster’s site actually crashed as a result of ticket demand. 

“We always knew this would be big, but the demand [of] that first on–sale day surprised all of us,” Kinzie shared. “We quickly got to work signing other acts because the phone was ringing off the hook from artists who wanted to take part.”  

Encore Drive–In Nights would later host shows by Metallica, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, and Kane Brown. Nearly one million people attended one of the company’s shows last summer. Earlier this year, Encore Live also expanded into sports by livestreaming a recent UFC match.  

Planning for the next season of Encore Drive–In nights is well under way, and Kinzie says he expects this year to be big for the company. “We are creating a new way for fans to experience music, not only in the COVID era, but also beyond. There are millions of fans who don’t usually attend live shows, whether it’s because they live further away from the big touring arenas or because of the cost. Artists can now connect with these fans in a completely new way,” Kinzie said.  

Help is on the way for the entertainment industry 

Despite Encore Live’s success in pivoting its business, the overall entertainment industry continues to struggle. While Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding provided a Band-Aid to many businesses in 2020, companies are seeking a critical lifeline as the pandemic stretches into its second year. “I hear from colleagues in the industry every day who are continuing to struggle,” Kinzie said. “We have had some movement in Washington to help the industry with the recent stimulus packages, but it’s not enough yet.”  

In December, Congress passed, and President Trump signed the Save Our Stages Act to establish the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which is meant to provide critical funding for the entertainment industry. Three months later, the grant program is yet to open, and Kinzie is taking a leadership role to help his peer businesses understand and access the funds when the program does open.  

Photo courtesy of Walter Kenzie

“The one driving force for our entire team since last March has been supporting our community. Of course, we are focused on our own business, but we also are committed to our local communities and the entire industry. We’re truly all in this together,” Kinzie said. 

“So, Walter, where were you when you heard Tom Hanks had COVID,” a Madeworthy reporter asked over Zoom. Kinzie grinned slightly and looked off briefly, his daughters squealing in the background. “You know, I don’t think I quite recall where I was,” he said.  

The post A Crazy Idea: Redefining Entertainment in the Age of COVID first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The Post Recovery Clinic, which operates every other Tuesday of each month, serves as a one-stop shop for COVID-19 positive patients to receive care, said Dr. Steven Davis, pulmonary and critical care physician and Chairman of Internal Medicine at JPS. Patients at the clinic receive both COVID-19–related treatment and care for unrelated health needs that their positive diagnosis precludes them from receiving elsewhere. 

“In the beginning, if you came to any doctor’s office or hospital and said you had COVID, it would be really difficult to get in the door,” said Davis. “At that point, we also had no idea how long you were infectious for or whether you were immune. So, putting everyone under one roof seemed like the right thing to do.” 

On staff at the clinic are a pulmonologist, internalist, dietician, and behavioral health specialist so that patients can get the breadth of their needs taken care of in one place, at one time. In addition, social workers and financial assistance advisers are available to help patients gain access to any resources they may need. 

“We identify that it’s really tough,” said Davis. “Frequently, the entire household will be infected, so if the one breadwinner in the family just got COVID, they’ve just lost their income. We’ve seen a lot of financial insecurity, a lot of food insecurity, so in an effort to tackle as much as we could there, too, we’ve been getting resources to people and identifying needs.” 

Although the JPS Health Network was lucky to have a stockpile of personal protective equipment like masks and gowns leftover from preparations for the possible Ebola outbreak in 2014, nobody was anticipating an emergency event quite like this.  

“Originally, when we planned for disasters, we were thinking about a tornado hitting a town or a mass shooting where the event itself is relatively short-term,” said Davis. “The other flavor of disaster which is much harder to plan for is what we’ve got now, where it’s an ongoing event with ongoing needs. It’s tough because it puts strain on staff, it puts strain on patients, it puts strain on the community, as everybody saw.” 

Still, when preparations for the clinic began in April of this year, JPS was able to mobilize quickly. A number of clinic closures meant that space away from noninfected patients was available, and physicians from across disciplines volunteered their services. By May 26, the clinic was up and running at the JPS Polytechnic Health Center at 1650 Beach Road. 

“The meetings to plan to have meetings kind of evaporated, and what used to take up to a couple years to plan we had ready in a couple of weeks,” said Davis. 

Once the clinic was in operation, staff members had to become familiar with working so closely with patients infected with COVID-19. Davis credits much of the clinic’s success to the staff’s consistency over the past several months. 

“There’s been a lot of personal growth and comfort with the disease and its care,” said Davis. “It was a lot of coaching and reassurance on our part, but I think there was a lot of fear there initially. After the first couple of clinics, folks got used to it, and the patients were very gracious.” 

With over 200 patients having visited the Post Recovery Clinic, one of its main payoffs is the amount of knowledge it has allowed physicians to gain about COVID-19. 

“We can start telling patients and their families with more reassurance that we have been able to care for lots of folks, and that yes, you may be short of breath now, but bear with us for the next couple of weeks or months and you will get better,” said Davis. “This kind of clinic is really the only way we could’ve done that to give people that sort of reassurance.” 

For those working on the frontlines, too, the clinic has helped restore a sense of hope. 

“Unfortunately, being a hospital provider for COVID, I have witnessed a lot of folks not survive their disease,” said Davis. “It’s reassuring and rewarding to see folks on a path to recovery.” 

Davis anticipates that the Post Recovery Clinic will be operating at its current capacity for a while. Once COVID-19 cases subside or a vaccine becomes available, the clinic will cut back operations until it can eventually scale back altogether. In the meantime, he urges Fort Worthians to continue wearing masks and social distancing. 

Maggie Kelleher is a senior at SMU. She is double majoring in journalism and marketing, as well as minoring in history.

The post Restoring Hope: JPS’s Post-Recovery Clinic Helps COVID-19 Patients on the Road to Recovery first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

I struggled with how to answer her.

Since Easter Sunday of this year, I have lived with COVID-19 symptoms but have never tested positive. As I write this on Day 87, I’m still struggling with shortness of breath, fever, fatigue, tachycardia, and a cough. Plus some unmentionable symptoms I am too delicate to share.

I didn’t know this before, but when you have a mysterious illness, you are immediately required to attend Internet Medical School.

About a month into my top-tier Google education, I joined a Facebook Group called Long-Haul COVID Fighters. When I joined, there were 862 members. Now there are 5,133. People all over the world are suffering for more than 80 days with COVID symptoms. The members commiserate and share insights from doctor visits along with tips for, well, not dying.

We also share articles.

We share articles from medical journals, major news outlets, and top researchers. For the first six weeks, when all I could do was lie on the couch trying to breathe, I read. I read and read and read. I read about T cells, ACE2 receptors, and cytokine storms. It dawned on me that my doctors were spending all their time treating patients and didn’t have bandwidth to research this novel virus as it was unfurling its awful feathers in real-time. Was I so arrogant as to believe I knew more about it than they did? I knew enough to be dangerous, that’s for sure.

I also knew enough to advocate for myself.

People in the Facebook group reported that cardiologists were finding heart damage in some COVID patients. I therefore sent a message to my PCP asking for a referral to a cardiologist, and the tests from that visit led to medication that has helped my tachycardia immensely.

When I found an urgent care place that offered antibody tests for both IgG AND IgM antibodies, I got myself an appointment. This led to an immediate CT scan, which led me to a pulmonologist. This led to an inhaler, which means I can now walk around my house without gasping for air.

In every one of these doctor’s offices, I have gently suggested that perhaps it would be prudent to assume I have COVID-19 after all, given my symptoms. I spent 45 minutes in bed one morning crafting a diplomatic email to my primary care physician outlining the research showing how problematic the testing is, linking helpful articles and news stories. I sent the first draft to my mom to make sure it didn’t sound too know-it-all or desperate before I sent it to my doctor.

My doctor never wrote me back.

However, I’m grateful for my PCP’s referrals to specialists. And I’m grateful for some symptom relief.

Internet University should also offer Diplomacy with People Who Have Real Diplomas as part of its core curriculum.

Back to my mother and her email about the nebulized budesonide. What could I even say to my pulmonologist? “I know I’ve tested negative for COVID, but could we try this method a guy out in Midland swears by just in case? I saw it on YouTube.” I may not be a doctor, but I can feel his skeptical and emphatic eye-roll from afar.

But you know what? Maybe I’ll send the email after all. Maybe if I decide I’d like to be able to jog again, or not run afternoon fevers again, or take a deep breath again, I’ll send the dang email. I’ll send it because I’m not too proud to appear a wee bit batty if it actually might work.

This is what our friends in the COVID community are up against all over the world, gentle reader — even those who have tested positive, even those who have “recovered” on paper but are still symptomatic weeks later. It’s a constant battle for information, an ever-present burden to be a pleasant and reasonable COVID-19 Ambassador of Goodwill to doctors, and, of course, a daily fight to feel better and maybe even heal.

Please be kind to us when you meet us.

And if you become one of us, well…welcome to the Class of 2020.

Julie Rhodes is a freelance writer and actor in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She writes regularly for Madeworthy magazine and the Tanglewood Moms blog.

The post The Education I Never Wanted: My B.S. in COVID-19 Studies first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The post Fort Worth Music Academy Chats with a FWISD Teacher and Mom first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

With so many North Texas schools starting the year virtually, everyone is feeling additional stress and pressure to transition back into school as smoothly as possible. ACH counselors have partnered with local educators to assist by providing actionable tips and training.

Uncertainty is Real: Tips for Heading Back to School During the Pandemic is a live Zoom class that is held in the afternoons and evenings until August 26. Classes are free and open to all parents.

Real Help for Real Life also has a video series, Real Tips for Trying Times, where counselors discuss various parenting tips in English and Spanish. Topics include the importance of check-ins, calming anxious children, and other mental health tips.

With over a century of experience, ACH, a Fort Worth-based nonprofit agency, brings needed resources and skills to children and families struggling with life’s challenges. Some of our 17 programs and services keep children and families together while others provide a healing home for children who can’t live with their families. And through the Our Community Our Kids division, ACH is leading the way in Community-Based Care in seven counties of the Texas foster care system. Our vision is for families to thrive and children to experience safety, hope, and love.

The post The Uncertainty Is Real: ACH Offers Support to Parents During COVID-19 first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

“The key is Synchronous Learning,” says Mellie Joiner, M.Ed., Curriculum Director for Key School in Fort Worth. Key School is a private school for grades K-12 specializing in educating students with learning differences, such as dyslexia and is part of the Key Center for Learning Differences. “Also known as ‘live instruction,’ Synchronous Learning, along with a small group environment that encourages critical thinking is essential for students with learning differences,” adds Joiner.

“All students, but particularly those who are struggling, need a consistent schedule with clear expectations, and measured ways to know when they are successful,” suggests Joiner. “The school day should begin with immediately active and engaging activities that offer multiple response options. The struggle to write or type answers can be stumbling blocks, so having multiple ways to respond is a necessity,” adds Joiner.

The use of appropriate technology is one of the most important components of distance learning. Curriculum with embedded technology and assessments is helpful during face-to-face instruction, but crucial during distance learning transitions. “Studies show that the act of listening to fluent reading accesses the same parts of the brain as reading independently. So, it’s important that students with learning differences have access to technology where a variety of texts can be read to them,” says Joiner.

Equally important to listening/reading texts is the student’s ability to engage in thinking about what they are reading. Text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and other applications help students deepen their level of understanding and link them with the thinking of others. “These programs, with the support of the teacher, allow students to listen to text as needed, highlight and annotate the text digitally, and then form responses to engage in discussion with their classmates just as they would in a live, in-person class,” concludes Joiner.

Key Center for Learning Differences Executive Director, Kerri Benson, M.Ed, highlights the importance of meeting the needs of all children while distance learning. “According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, 1 in 5 children in the United States have learning and attention issues. 78,000 children in Tarrant County school districts are affected by learning differences and need Synchronous Learning in order to experience academic success.  As the educational landscape continues to change for all our students, focusing on the best teaching practices and strategies for our learning differences community must not be overlooked.”

The post Students with Learning Differences Can Thrive While Distance Learning first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

“What all gardeners know, and the rest of you may discover, is that if you have even the smallest space, a pot on a window ledge, a front step, a wee yard, there is no balm to the soul greater than planting seeds.”
– Charlotte Mendelson, The New Yorker

Lately, our days spent in quarantine have created both the time and opportunity to try our hands at something new. Whether it is baking bread, home schooling our children, or raising chickens in the backyard, there is no time like a pandemic to sharpen your survival skills. One popular trend that is on the rise is the planting of victory gardens.

Also known as war gardens, victory gardens began during World War One and gained momentum during World War Two to reduce the strain on public food supply and supplement rationing. Private yards and public parks were turned into gardens to grow produce of all kinds. Civilians were called “soldiers of the soil,” and the American people successfully grew over 40 percent of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States between 1942 and 1945.

While the coronavirus pandemic may not be as dire as a world war, growing your own food can give you a rewarding sense of hope and self-sufficiency in these unprecedented times. Not only do you have the benefit of tasting something that is as fresh as it comes, there is a special kind of joy that comes from rolling up your sleeves and working in the soil. If you have children, there is no better way to soak up some sunshine by getting out of the house and enjoying a hands-on project together.

While we’re in the middle of harvesting spring-planted gardens, it is never too early to start planning your very own victory garden! Start with thorough research and become familiar with your planting zones. This is a crucial first step to help you determine the hardiness of what you are planting and its prime planting season. Next, choose a location that gets adequate sunshine, has well-balanced soil, and easy access to water.

If you do not have a spacious plot for planting, do not let that dissuade you! A lot can be grown with container gardening. You can grow plants such as tomatoes, peppers, micro-greens, herbs and so much more in raised garden beds, pots, or salvaged paper and plastic receptacles that you would otherwise discard. Egg cartons and pint containers used for produce like cherry tomatoes make excellent seed starters and are also the perfect growing environment for flavorful sprouts and micro-greens. Certain lettuces, colorful chard, carrots, and edible flowers can easily be grown in pots and planters and they look beautiful as well.

Two of my favorite resources for gardening are the Old Farmer’s Almanac guide and Texas horticultural legend Neil Sperry. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is available in most farm and ranch stores and nurseries, and Mr. Sperry has written numerous books dedicated to Texas gardening. However, both have websites and podcasts to help you explore everything you need to know about gardening in your area. With endless resources right at our fingertips, you can also order gardening kits online or utilize YouTube tutorials on how to build a DIY container garden yourself. Your local nurseries will also serve as a great way to glean more knowledge and familiarity with what to grow — so start planning and get planting!

Finally, it is important to remember that you might not be immediately successful. Embrace the process of trial and error. Get creative, experiment, and have fun!  It takes work, but just like persevering through difficult times, maintaining a garden is all about patience, persistence, and building a tangible legacy. However, if gardening is not your forte, you can still support your local farmers. Along with small businesses, they depend on our help to continue doing what they do so well. Find a local CSA or go to farmers markets that do not allow reselling. [Editor’s note: both Cowtown and Clearfork farmers markets do not allow reselling.]

So, whether you are cultivating the ground yourself or shopping regularly at your local farmers market, in your own way you are declaring victory over these difficult times. It is times of stress and unrest that show us the things that matter: living and loving with more intentionality, choosing resourcefulness over panic, and carrying a spirit of hope and victory amidst uncertainty. Declare your own victory by celebrating the simple things – planting seeds in faith and supporting your local community.

This article was written for Madeworthy by Gretta Rebstock Hendricks.

The post Growing a Modern Victory Garden first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Carrington

A native of Fort Worth and a graduate of Fort Worth Country Day School, Tracy has pursued an impressive career path. A natural athlete, after high school Tracy cut her chops initially as an All-American and SEC champion pole vaulter at the University of Tennessee, after which she participated in the 2000 Olympic Trials. She coached pole vault for 6 years, she’s run the Boston Marathon, and as a member of Team Elevate Women’s Cycling, she has garnered such honors as 2019 USA Masters National Champion in Criterium Racing, 2019 Texas State Champion Category 2 Criterium Racing, and 2019 Texas State Champion Masters Criterium Racing. While she continues to compete in cycling, she spends most of her time helping others unlock their potential and achieve their highest aspirations.

We recently sat down with her to talk about mental skills training, achievement, and working with high performing clients during an international quarantine.

Madeworthy: How did you get started in sports psychology?

Tracy Carrington: As a collegiate athlete, and it wasn’t by choice. I was under-performing in competition, and I couldn’t understand how to fix it. I then saw first-hand how mental skills training could transform my performance, and I wanted to help others in this way. I have been doing this for over 20 years, and I still meet with my own sport psychologist because even with everything I know as a professional, as a performer it is easy to lose perspective. I find it extremely helpful having that person outside of my performance arena who can offer perspective and insight.

MW: What sorts of things do you help your clients overcome?

TC: To cover a few: effective communication – learning how to deliver your message so that people are willing to accept it; maintaining focus – learning how to keep your focus on what you want, when you want it; self-talk – understanding how the things you say to yourself influence what you see, the energy you bring to a situation, and your overall performance; stress management – learning how to manage your own and other people’s stress in high stress situations; goal setting – creating a plan and then creating a map of how to get there; dealing with set-backs and failure; and learning how to maintain confidence in the face of failure.

MW: What’s a common theme amongst your clients? Does that differ with age?

TC: Often the stress, lack of confidence, and anxiety expressed by clients can be linked to trying to control things that are outside of their control. So, a common focus is learning how to identify the controllable and developing strategies to let go of the uncontrollable.

MW: How is COVID affecting your clients?

TC: There is a great sense of loss and grieving… Much like the injured athlete who grieves the loss of their season and dreams that were suddenly ripped away from them, COVID has had a similar effect… In the beginning, many were still in shock or avoidance, saying things like, “This isn’t happening, they won’t really cancel.” Now I am beginning to see some clients moving through the grieving process, from anger to depression, and some are working through learning how to accept this new reality. I believe that how we respond to a situation is something that can be learned. The reason I pursued this line of work was to teach others coping skills to manage the many curve balls thrown our way.

MW: Do you have any advice for those who are feeling the negative effects of social isolation. How do we cope with not being able to be around friends and family?

TC: We must learn to adapt. Many clients have expressed feelings of loneliness because of not being able to connect the way they always have. But, if my 96-year-old grandmother can learn how to FaceTime, we can all get creative with how we connect.

Tracy has shared some ideas for dealing with isolation and loneliness.

• Find healthy sources of comfort. Listen to music, focus on your pet, read a good book, spend time in nature, or learn how to cook a new recipe.
• Stay Active. The type of activity isn’t what matters; there is a sense of comfort gained from action, rather than being a deer frozen in the headlights.
• Often what keeps us stagnant are our current expectations, comparison to others or our past selves, so start small. Do something that interests you. This is a great time in life to try something new.

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