< Previous50 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 CURRENTS | MUSIC “I made it happen in Dallas and then in Vernal, Utah,” she said. “This was what made me happy. The bug had hit me and I was focused on being a singer/songwriter.” When they moved again to New Mexico, once more she had to start all over, meeting local businesspeople and booking dates. She doesn’t employ a manager, so all the footwork is on her, she said. And then the Covid pandemic hit. She was forced to cancel all her performances and sit back for a year. During that time, she and Dan took a trip to Texas and while at the beach in Galveston, they decided to move again. That was four years ago. Her career has blossomed along the Gulf Coast. She does regular gigs at T-Bone Tom’s in Kemah, Waterman’s Restaurant, 3 Doors Down Bar and Brewchachos on The Strand in Galveston. She does three-hour sets and heads home by 10 p.m. “My career has really thrived here,” she said. “There are so many places that want live music.” During the slower, non-tourist season, she works less, but once spring comes and patio bars reopen, she’s booked every week, she said. She rarely creates a set list, instead choos- es her songs based on the audience. “I can read the crowd and select music for them,” she said. She has paid for two EP recordings of five original songs each and is planning a third. Her music is on all the streaming services — Spotify, Pandora, Apple, Google. “I’ve learned that the music doesn’t have to be perfect, but it has to be heartfelt,” Auld said. “It has to sound real, with many layers. “I didn’t get into this business to be rich or famous. I just love singing and song writing and this makes me happy.” www.melissajonesauld.com Melissa Jones Auld plays the Martin guitar, which she named Lee- lee after her father, at her home in Texas City. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 51 BESTTITLECOMPANY 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 BEST LAW FIRM 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 BEST ATTORNEY 2024 | 2023 | 2022 BEST ACCOUNTING 2024 YOU WANT YOUR INBOX THE NEWS DELIVERED TO scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit galvnews.com/ newsletters52 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 YOU WEAR IT WELL WELL SUITED story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T ailored suits, pocket squares and cufflinks usually are associated with men’s fashion, but for Galves- ton Realtor Caroline Spagnola, they’re key to her personal style. “When I’d walk into suit shops, they’d often make me feel awkward, as if suits were only for men,” Spagnola said. “But I wasn’t taking that for an answer. I embraced the challenge and made it a point to own that space, proving that suits are for anyone who feels empowered by them. It was about more than just the clothing, it was about claiming my confidence and creating a style that was undeniably mine.” Influenced by Italian fashion, her style includes slim-cut, pin- striped or dark-hued suits for winter, and cashmere T-shirts and linen pants, with white leather sneakers for summer. Date-night any season is a moto-style leather jacket over a simple undershirt and pants with silver jewelry by David Yurman or John Varvatos. Spagnola’s wardrobe includes 10 custom suits, many tailored by Sterling Woerner and made in Europe. She appreciates being able to choose her own fabric and thoughtful details such as her name embroidered on an inside pocket. It was working for a local hospitality company in her early 20s that helped crystallize her personal style, Spagnola said. Female employees were expected to wear dresses and high heels and she rebelled with suits and loafers. Now five years into creating her own luxury real estate consultancy, the suits are custom, the loafers are Prada, and her daytime watch is a vintage Cartier. But Spagnola believes style doesn’t require designer labels or blindly following fashion trends. “Personal style isn’t about wearing what’s popular,” she said. “It’s about wearing what feels like you. Even the simplest look can make a powerful statement if you own it.” Each month, Coast Monthly puts the spotlight on some of the most stylish people on the upper Texas coast. Island Realtor creates a personal style tailored to her “Personal style isn’t about wearing what’s popular. It’s about wearing what feels like you.” CAROLINE SPAGNOLA COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 53 SEATURTLES.ORG/TA T ScantheQRcodetotaketour #TurtlesAboutTown|@tirn.gulf SELF-GUIDEDTOUR SELF-GUIDEDTOUR AcommunityartprojectthathighlightstheCityof GalvestonandtheconservationeffortsofTurtleIsland RestorationNetworktoprotectendangeredseaturtles ontheupperTexascoast. BRINGINGTOGETHERART,AWARENESSANDADVOCACY. Lady Gem’sTea bytheSea Un named - A l o h a H o n u T i m m y C o a c h M e l v i n M o o d y Scoo p U n n a m e d Ohana Mystique TouristTed Lucky B ig L ou i e S e r e n i t y N o w C h e f M a m a c it a W A G S R i d l e y Imagine your home, totally organized! Custom Closets Garage Cabinets Home Offices Wall Beds Wall Organizers Pantries Laundries Wall Units Hobby Rooms Garage Flooring Media Centers and more... Call for a free in home design consultation and estimate CM Follow us SPECIAL FINANCING FOR 18 MONTHS With approved credit. Call or ask your Designer for details. Not available in all areas. 409-904-0787 www.closetsbydesign.com Locally Owned and Operated! 2024 © All Rights Reserved. Closets by Design, Inc. 40 % O ff Plus Free Installation Terms and Conditions: 40% off any order of $1000 or more, 30% off any order of $700- $1000 on any complete unit of custom Closet, Garage or Home Office, and any other products. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any unit order of $850 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Not valid at all franchise locations. Offer expires in 30 days.54 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 reanne Jenkins, who has lost 129 pounds, takes kick-boxing and yoga classes, as well as does some weight training at McGuire-Dent recreation Center in Galveston. (Opposite) Jenkins before her weight loss. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 55 SHIP SHAPE ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ Islander’s weight loss journey leads to better health and a Bathing Beauties Contest story by LAURA PENNINO | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS W hen registered nurse Reanne Jenkins stepped onto the scale in October 2018, she saw a number approaching 300 pounds and she wasn’t happy. Seeing that number was one of the factors that inspired Jenkins to make critical lifesaving and life-changing decisions, she said. At that time, Jenkins, who lives in Galveston, had 12 life-threatening health conditions — a high body mass index, high blood pressure and high blood sugar being just some of them. And she was taking more than 10 medications. She had had enough with being unhealthy and overweight. She was “tired of being tired” and tired of having trouble going up and down stairs and feeling depressed about her weight, she said. These days, Jenkins is pleased to report she weighs 168 pounds — an im- pressive loss of 129 pounds since March 2019. She’s down to her high school weight and takes only one prescription medication in addition to vitamin sup- plements. Jenkins is still coping with lupus, which she says is in remission. She also has Type 2 diabetes, but instead of taking any diabetes medi- cations, she regulates her blood sugar levels through her food and beverage choices, she said. Jenkins also is planning to compete for the fourth consecutive year in the Galveston Historical Foundation’s pop- ular Bathing Beauties Contest, which is part of the Galveston Island Revue Weekend June 6-8 this year. This event includes a swimsuit competition. Jenkins reflected on her journey to weight loss, health and happiness. “I lost my dad to renal failure when he was only 64,” she said. “He died two days before he was scheduled to start dialysis. I was depressed, and my mental state was not good. My health was getting to where I had to do something if I wanted to continue to live and enjoy a long life. Every time I went to see my doctors, I was either dealing with a new illness or they were adding more medications.” When Jenkins was advised to begin insulin shots in September 2018, she decid- ed she wouldn’t go that route. She took a cruise and returned with a new mind- set. She consulted with bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Trahan. Because her health was at risk, Jenkins’ health insurance provider approved 100 percent coverage of her medical costs for gastric bypass surgery and for her maintenance program. PHOTO: CO ur TESY r EANNE JENKINS56 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 SHIP SHAPE “I had spent years trying different diets and fads, and my weight ‘yo-yoed.’ I would lose some weight and regain some,” she said. “So, I opted for gastric bypass surgery in March 2019. With that decision came consultations with nutritionists, psychologists and support groups. Seeing psychologists was important because my behavior had to change.” After the surgery, she had to learn to eat smaller amounts of food and drink smaller amounts of liquid. “Due to the smaller size of the stomach af- ter gastric bypass surgery, if you eat or drink too much, you will throw up,” she said. “And I have been there.” Jenkins enjoys eating lean chicken, sea- food and fresh vegetables, she said. When she dines out, she typically orders from the appetizer menu or kids’ menu. Other times, she splits meals or takes half of her entrée to go. She also prepares meals at home and takes her lunches to work at Memorial Her- mann Southeast Hospital. Sometimes, Jen- kins will enjoy healthy foods from the hospi- tal cafeteria. To make sure she consumes at least 64 ounces of water daily, Jenkins adds Crystal Light to her insulated cup, which is her constant companion, she said. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021 threw her a curve ball, temporarily closing the gym and facility where she took kick-boxing classes. “Covid hit right in the middle of my transfor- mation,” she said. “During that time, my weight did go up and down again. I gained a few pounds, but after all of the work I had done, I was not giving up. I got back on track. Once Covid ended, I joined a Mardi Gras krewe. And I got involved in other activities that would keep me motivated and going.” To stay fit, Jenkins goes to McGuire-Dent Recreation Center in Galveston for yoga classes, kick-boxing classes and weight training several times each week. She also is dancing about six hours a week during Mardi Gras parade season practices with two new krewes — the WhoDah Krewe and the Krewe of Les Minous. “I have not felt this good in years,” she said. “My current goals are to work on build- ing muscle strength, endurance, a healthier diet as far as meal planning and prepping and mental wellness. “A lot of people don’t understand the men- tal transformation and wellness you have to achieve when you have had a negative body image for most of your life. That part is about being OK and happy with your new self.” Jenkins offers this advice for others who might be struggling to achieve their health and fitness goals. “Never give up on yourself,” she said. “Don’t weigh daily. If you fall off your routine, remember that tomorrow is a new day. Set realistic and achievable goals. You can always change them. Celebrate each ac- complishment. Also, surround yourself with family and friends who will support you and stick by you on your journey.” reanne Jenkins throws a punch at a kick-boxing bag at McGuire-Dent recreation Center in Galveston. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANUARY 2025 5758 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 HOMEPORT ‘BUILT TO LAST’ Hitchcock family hopes to continue legacy of more than century-old property story by BARBARA CANETTI photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS F or five generations, Lee Selman’s family has lived on land her great-great-grand- father settled near Highland Bayou in Hitchcock. Her hope is for the legacy to continue. And although the house on the prop- erty, built in 1890, has been updated, expanded, renovated and improved, it still stands in the middle of a grove of oak trees planted in the mid-1800s. Forty years ago, the property was deemed a Texas Century Ranch, under the state’s Land Heri- tage Program and certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture, which states the property has been maintained in continuous operation by the same family for more than 100 years. “The house is old but there is always something happening,” said Selman as she walked through the original living room and into the kitchen. “But it was built to last.” George M. Volk, who was born in 1821 and emigrated from Germany in 1839 and first lived in Calhoun County, purchased 100 acres of land from D.H. Requin. It was part of a land grant created by Stephen F. Austin. Volk, Selman’s great-great-grandfa- ther and his wife, Louiza, moved to the land in 1867 and built their home on the bayou. The house later burned down but remnants of the cistern are still intact. His son George Martin Volk, born in 1864 and who was a constable in the area, built the existing house in 1890 where the family lives today. “It had been a bare-bone farmhouse,” Selman said. The family farmed the land and raised cattle on the acreage and built several barns and smaller struc- tures that stood for more than 100 years. After the 1900 Storm that killed more than 6,000 people in the Galveston area, the Volks expanded the three-room COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2025 59 Oak trees planted in the mid- 1800s surround Lee Selman’s home in Hitchcock. For five generations, her family has lived on the land her great-great-grand- father George Volk settled.Next >