By Women. For Women. About Women.
A Brainerd Dispatch Publication
Christa Andersen — Child care for over 30 years
Spring 2019
PLUS!
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+ Diane
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+ DUI/Drug Courts
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OUR VOICE
HER VOICE By women. For women. About women.
MAGAZINE STAFF PUBLISHER
Pete Mohs ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Susie Alters Eller
CONTENT COORDINATOR
Sarah Herron COPY EDITOR
DeLynn Howard DESIGN & LAYOUT
Lisa Henry
PHOTOGRAPHER
Joey Halvorson
BY SARAH HERRON Everyone! Look how brave I am! This is my fifth ever watercolor painting. It has many mistakes, and I appear to have nearly no natural talent. BUT it is mine, and I love it. A few months ago my mom ordered a monthly subscription for a watercolor kit. It comes with a few projects for you to paint by watching video tutorials that teach you how to create your masterpiece! In turn my mom has been teaching me and my 9-year-old daughter, Eden, about all the things she is learning, like wet-on-wet and what a wash is. A few weeks ago we gathered our supplies and had a “painting day.” It was a little nerve-wracking to first put brush to paper, but at the end of the day, after many laughs and colors mixed, we each had three unique pieces finished. I have decided, even though I am not great at this, I would share it with all of you. I want to encourage all of you to also be brave and start something new this year. If you’re feeling super brave, tell us or show us what new thing you tried. Maybe it’s cooking a turkey for the first time, or changing a tire or maybe you have finally started that book you’ve wanted to write. Whatever it is, embrace the process and be brave! You can share your #2019newthing with us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Her-Voice-Magazine, or email me at Sarah.Herron@BrainerdDispatch.com Have I mentioned how much you all inspire me?!
Next Issue of Her Voice: Summer You can also find Her Voice Magazine in over 100 Discover Rack locations in the area or read it online at:
www.BrainerdDispatch.com
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Advertising: (218) 855-5895 Advertising@BrainerdDispatch.com Comments/story ideas:
(218) 855-5821 Sarah.Herron@BrainerdDispatch.com Mail: ATTN: Her Voice Brainerd Dispatch, P.O. Box 974, Brainerd, MN 56401 Quarterly publication of the Brainerd Dispatch. Printed by Forum Communications. copyright© 2003 VOLUME 16, EDITION 1 SPRING 2019
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CONTENTS Spring 2019
Your Voice 2018 Accomplishments
30
5
Her Table
Her Passion
Healthy Recipes
A Note of Encouragement
By Sue Ready
14
By Susan J. Smith-Grier
Bless Ya Bags
44
By Sue Sterling
Her Travels Tour of Daegu
24
By Ahna Otterstad
SuperShe Island Retreat
34
By Ahna Otterstad
Her Career Women in Business
27
For Her
Submitted
Her Family The Cabin Quilt
18
28
By Jan Kurtz
The Importance of Vitamin D By Cynthia Ransom
Her Career 20 30+ Years of Child Care By Kathy Sell Christa Andersen, Child Care Director at New Discoveries Child Care in the Brainerd Family YMCA, shares her memories over the years as well as her love of children and her community.
Her Story
6 Hope Finds A Way
Her Passion
38 Crosby Fire & Rescue Auxiliary
Neurofeedback
By Carissa Andrews Three women share their stories of success over addiction while voluntarily participating in a supervision program.
By Joan Hasskamp These women are on a mission to support the firefighters, their community and each other.
By Sarah Nelson Katzenberger What’s that? Diane Van Eeckhout explains how her high tech equipment can improve your brain waves and your wellbeing.
4 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Her Health
10
2018
ACCOMPLISHMENTS We asked our readers to share a 2018 accomplishment. Something they wanted to do and got it done! Congrats! Share YOUR VOICE with us on Facebook.
Carissa Andrews
Learning how to narrate and produce all of my books in audio format! (They’re now all available on Amazon, ITunes, and Audible, too!)
Julie Kemper Cori Reynolds
I supported a young woman as she gave birth. I held her when she was just hours old and I saw her baby girl be born - amazing! I also helped with a little referendum we held here in the community.
Karie Lynn
“Being nominated and receiving the award for the “best of the knot” for wedding djs.”
“Went to my first sweat lodge.”
Sarah Beers Taking on an additional 21 student workers to manage after someone retired. New learning curve, but I managed it like a rock star!
Chelsey Marie
Tried a new thing every month, including zip lining, performing in a play and getting a tattoo.
DeLynn Howard
Losing 100 pounds!
Lisa Henry
I quit smoking.
Brenda Billman-Arndt
Opened my own business!
Liesa Thill Coordinating the live music/ visual art event Seeing Music/Hearing Canvas in downtown Brainerd, part of deTOUR Downtown! Several events were held over the summer during the reconstruction of South 6th Street, encouraging people to go downtown despite the construction.
Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 5
HER STORY
PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON
+ addiction
HOPE FINDS A WAY
The Success Stories of 3 Women with a History Struggling to Stay Sober BY CARISSA ANDREWS
W
hen a person struggles with addiction, finding a silver lining can be next to impossible. Often, they find themselves at rock bottom and unless they’re ready for a change, hope seems like a long-shot. For three wom-
en in the Brainerd lakes area, finding themselves in DWI/Drug Court was the best thing that could have ever happened.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these ladies. They are an inspiration to me as I’ve watched them grow as women, and as they make their journey through our programs and beyond.” - Jill McKenzie, coordinator for DWI, Sobriety and Drug Court in Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties.
6 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Her Success Story
PEGGY O’NEIL
“Eventually I had to suit-up and show-up for the battle and fight for me.”
Across Crow Wing County and Aitkin County, there are three connected treatment courts for people struggling to stay sober for one reason or another. These three include: Aitkin County Sobriety Court, Crow Wing County DWI Court and Crow Wing County Drug Court. Each of them boasts some phenomenally low Recidivism Rates (the rate in which a criminal offender is likely to repeat offend). While the national average is roughly 25 percent for programs similar to ours — both Aitkin’s Sobriety Court and CWC Drug Court are sitting at 14 percent, and CWC DWI Court is even lower at only 4 percent. All three of the programs are voluntary in nature, which is part of the reason they’re successful. When a person has nowhere else to go but up, reaching for help becomes their hope bringer. However, it’s not easy to take on the 22-24-month commitment to one of these programs. Making it to graduation is a huge
her father’s death, she knew it was time to make a change and she asked to be placed in DWI Court. “Eventually I had to suit-up and show-up for the battle and fight for me,” Peggy said. Now happily sober for 3 ½ years, she added, “My sobriety is in honor of my dad.
Every day he prayed for me. He wanted me to clean up and here I am.” Peggy’s success with the program has led her to the point where she’s looking to start her own business in the near future.
accomplishment the women in this story all have in common. It’s far easier to just serve jail time than it is to take a hard look at your life’s trajectory and commit to making a change that will impact your life forever. Some offenders will turn it down flat, while others walk away when they hear what’s involved. But a few will take the life raft being offered amid an existence that’s become a sea of chaos.
All three of the programs are voluntary in nature, which is part of the reason they’re successful.
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Peggy was an emotional drinker. Her past DWIs were around situations with significance: divorces; and the anniversary of her father’s death. When her first husband left, Peggy struggled with the undertones of “she wasn’t worth it.” Yet, on the anniversary of
Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 7
Her Success Story
SHAR GORDON
“I just want to do right by my friends and family...”
When Shar Gordon started in DWI Court, she was at the lowest point in her life. She was living in her car, hadn’t had a good paying job in five years and wasn’t allowed to be a part of her three kids’ lives because of her drinking. Shar insists that while people think it was easier to go into treatment, simply going to
“Watching our participants as they are successful, is like watching the ripples of a pebble thrown into the water. Their success affects their families, friends, employers and society in general,” Jill McKenzie, coordinator for the three courts, said.
While the three courts are a bit different, they have three requirements in common which must be met in order to get in:
1. The participant must be over 18 years old. 2. They must be a resident of the county. 3. The offense must have taken place in the “home” county.
jail would have been the easy way out. At least for her. “I would have learned nothing,” she said. It took Shar two years to complete the program, but she believes they were the best two years of her life. During her time with DWI Court, Shar clung to her friend Tina, who was her biggest support.
“Their success affects their families, friends, employers and society in general.” - Jill McKenzie
The basic mission statement of the three courts focuses in on enhancing public safety through increased supervision of drug and DWI offenders to reduce recidivism rates and increase their success of treatment. Restoring contributing members of society, full of self-worth, is the result each court strives toward. When someone enters one of these programs, they are
8 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Now, Shar’s focused on helping her friend get through the program. “I just want to do right by my friends and family. I want to enjoy them and cherish my time with them,” she added.
highly supervised by Community Corrections. At any time, they can be called upon to submit to a drug and/or alcohol test by their probation agent or law enforcement. Participants are required to attend court sessions (one to two times per month depending on where they are in their program). Prior to graduating, they are required to either be in school or employed, undergone community service, and in most cases, they are required to obtain a valid driver’s license.
The basic mission statement of the three courts focuses in on enhancing public safety...
Her Success Story
KAYLYN COLLETTE
“I want to be the person I didn’t have until I went into Drug Court.”
For Kaylyn, she grew up with a family history fraught with drug and alcohol addiction. Her first experience getting drunk was at seven years old. From then on, she was a repeat offender who proved to the county she couldn’t stay sober.
The team includes: • District Court Judge • Prosecutor • Defense Attorney • Probation Agent • Chemical Dependency Professional • Law Enforcement • Mental Health Professional • Coordinator In addition to very clear and specific expectations toward reaching their goal of sobriety, participants have a team they can lean on. Treatment courts like those in Crow Wing and Aitkin County are designed to break the cycle of repeat offenders. They also save the community money. For every
“Like all addicts, I had the ‘me versus them’ mentality. Drug Court took that wall down so I could realize they were all here to help me—and that I wasn’t unsaveable,” Kaylyn said. She graduated from the program in March of 2017 and is now a Certified Peer Specialist,
Certified Family Peer Specialist and Recovery Coach for Northern Pines’ Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). “I want to be the person I didn’t have until I went into Drug Court,” she said.
$1 spent on Treatment Court, the savings is $10-27 when it comes to incarceration and court costs. “I couldn’t be more proud of these ladies. They are an inspiration to me as I’ve watched them grow as women, and as they make their journey through our programs and beyond. Taking on these programs is not an easy task, but the rewards are priceless,” Jill McKenzie said. “What these pro-
grams offer is hope. Hope to live a sober lifestyle. Hope to reclaim their families. Hope to find stable housing and employment. Hope to grow and flourish in all aspects of life.” Carissa Andrews is a freelance writer and graphic designer, as well as the young adult science fiction author of the Pendomus Chronicles. You can learn more about Carissa at her website: www.carissaandrews.com
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HER HEALTH + alternative
NEUROFEEDBACK BY SARAH NELSON KATZENBERGER
D
iane Van Eeckhout’s office lights are always on. Tucked in
the upstairs of the Lakes Area Pregnancy Support Center (LAPS) building in Brainerd, she sits in front of three computer screens intently reviewing the information in front of her. It looks like a pretty normal office setting, but Diane Van Eeckhout is out to change the world.
PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON
10 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Van Eeckhout provides neurofeedback for clients using a program called BrainCore. Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback is a non-invasive, drug-free method used to balance and health to a person’s brain function. Through guided-exercises a previously imbalanced brain suffering can be regulated to help an individual find relief from symptoms for everything from ADHD to depression, insomnia, drug addiction, migraines, anxiety, and memory loss. When a client first meets with Van Eeckhout they go through an initial “brain-mapping” session to find possible dysregulations in the brain that may be causing any number of symptoms. “A well-regulated brain can shift gears easily,” Van Eeckhout said, comparing the brain’s function to the gear shifting of an old pick-up truck. “When the gears stick, it’s time to look at cause.” Van Eeckhout is not a doctor. She doesn’t “treat patients.” At heart, she’s a farm girl from Northern Minnesota who spent the first part of her adult life working as a personal chef before she and her husband married and settled in Brainerd to start their family. She has one daughter, Rachel, 3. “If you would have asked me a year ago — this is the last place I thought I would be sitting,” Van Eeckhout said. “Now I’m just where I’m meant to be.” In an overwhelming
number of cases, by the time a client shows up at Van Eeckhout’s door, they are desperate and feeling out of options. “It feels really helpless,” Van Eeckhout said. She knows because she has been there. A few years ago, her dad, a lifelong forestry worker and farmer, suddenly became very ill. He saw doctor after doctor, was prescribed medication, but nothing seemed to help, and no one had any concrete answers. With her dad on the verge of a complete breakdown in health, Van Eeckhout and her family sought a more natural alternative. “That eventually led us to BrainCore,” Van Eeckhout said. The journey led them to the discovery that that dad was exposed to a toxic chemical used in potato farming — one that caused an alarming dysregulation in his brain, manifesting as a health breakdown. After a series of BrainCore exercise sessions, and other natural health methods Van Eeckhout’s dad was himself again. “It was nothing short of a miracle,” Van Eeckhout said. “We got our dad back.” Van Eeckhout herself has struggled with the effects of tick-borne illness. Her husband, Greg, was diagnosed and recovered from lymphoma. But it was her tireless effort to uncover the trigger of her dad’s symptoms unearthed a passion in Van Eeckhout to help others. She said it wasn’t until her sister called her one day
Ginny Rogers watches a video while electrodes record her brain activity while Van Eeckhout analyzes problem areas.
“A well-regulated brain can shift gears easily... When the gears stick, it’s time to look at cause.” -Diane Van Eeckhout and encouraged her to pursue this path that it really clicked. “At first I told her she was crazy,” Van Eeckhout said. After many conversations, heart-searching and researching, Van Eeckhout decided to take the leap and pursued the education needed to become a neurotherapy provider with BrainCore. BrainCore has 215 offices around the world. Most providers are doctors or chiropractors, but a medical degree is not required for certification. Neurotherapy is not a new concept. It has been around for more than half a century but has not been accessible outside of clinical studies or expensive rehabilitation treatment. “BrainCore makes the same concept more reasonably accessible to anyone,” Van Eeckhout said. Since opening her doors in September 2018, Van Eeckhout said she
is already starting to see tremendous results with her clients who are taking proactive steps for their long-term health. “We’re at a time in health and wellness where people are looking for well care as opposed to sick care,” she said. There is no ideal candidate or target demographic for her practice. She sees clients of all ages, life stages, symptoms, and diagnoses. Van Eeckhout’s youngest client is four. For Ginny Rogers, seeking out Van Eeckhout’s services were really rooted in curiosity. “I really just wanted to see what it could do,” Rogers said. Rogers, director of LAPS, shares a building with Van Eeckhout and felt like before she could refer others, she would need to try out the services herself. Five months later, Rogers has been pleasantly surprised with what she has found. Her brain
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“We are not trying to cut out disease or cover up symptoms — this is about intervention.” -Diane Van Eeckhout
mapping showed her she naturally resists facing negative emotions, something she was unaware of. “I more thought I was just kind of an unemotional person,” she said. “I’m retraining my brain to cope with emotions I would normally resist feeling.” After meeting with Van Eeckhout to do brain-training exercises twice a week for the last several months, Rogers said she can’t quite put her finger on real concrete physical change, but she feels it in everyday activities. “I can make decisions more quickly,” she said, noting she tends to win a strategy game she plays with her adult son more often than she used to, much to his chagrin. “Suddenly, I’m more a challenge to play against,” she said. “I don’t quite understand how it works, but from my experience — I know it does.” Van Eeckhout said she hopes that as others have positive experiences with their own brain training, her practice will continue to grow. She hopes to build partnerships with other providers in the area — physicians, chiropractors, even schools. Van Eeckhout compares neurotherapy to going to
Rogers inside the SOQI bed which releases small amounts of infrared rays creating a vibration that releases toxins into the bloodstream for the body to remove naturally.
the gym. “You don’t just go twice and expect to be fit, she said. “It takes a while.” After reviewing the results of a client’s initial brain-mapping, Van Eeckhout helps develop a set of exercises that the clients will do for 10-12 weeks. Exercises used range from fairly mundane to eyebrow raising. Some exercises include watching a favorite TV episode on Netflix while being hooked to amplifiers placed on the ears and top of the head. It feels
12 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
fairly uneventful to the client, but Van Eeckhout is busy watching brain activity on another screen, taking notes of issues and progress. The Electro Reflex Energizer (ERE) and SOQI into the eyebrow raising category. The ERE works on premise of reflexology machine provides a low frequency through the feet providing body balancing and revitalized energy. “It’s basically like a bug catcher for the entire body,”
Van Eeckhout said. Using Far Infrared Rays, the machine looks like a tanning bad, but Van Eeckhout said it provides powerful healing and detoxification for the entire body. The SOQI bed releases a small amount of infrared rays into the body creating a vibration that releases toxins into the bloodstream that are naturally removed from the body. The SOQI bed can be used for a few minutes up to 65 hours straight. “It feels like snake
high from my feet all the way up to my shoulders. If I had optimal circulation, it would have gone up to my head. I had a slight headache the next day which is normal and that response changes with use.) Van Eeckhout is quick to acknowledge neurotherapy of any kind does not claim to cure disease, but those who use it are overwhelmingly satisfied. “It’s a totally different way of thinking,” she explained. “We are not trying to cut out disease or cover up symptoms — this is about intervention.” Van Eeckhout explained the human brain maintains neuroplasticity for its entire life. “When a dysregulation occurs, it creates a dead end, but the brain can cre-
ate a new, healthy pathway — it just has to be trained to do so,” she said. In addition to regular exercises, Van Eeckhout stresses the importance a clean and healthy diet void of processed foods and dyes. “It’s so important to look at all of the aspects that affect our health,” she said. “What we put into our bodies has a huge impact on how our brains function.” While she believes deeply in the benefits of neurotherapy and has truly loved the reports from her clients who have had success, this new path has been about that than that for Van Eeckhout. “I really want to just help people,” she said. “Regardless of what they
are here for, I do my best to get them what they need — that’s why I’m here.”
Sarah Nelson Katzenberger is a displaced Californian who had no idea there were four seasons until she moved to Minnesota. She is a former missionary, law school drop-out, high school teacher and award-winning journalist with the Brainerd Dispatch. She continues to write for local and national publications and provides unsolicited grammar correction as needed. Sarah lives in Brainerd with her husband Chad and their three baby Vikings, Ellis, Meredith and Truett.
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oil — I realize that,” Van Eeckhout laughed. “I have researched it. I’ve watched it. I’ve done it — it’s very real.” The SOQI bed is used with a Chi Machine. The Chi Machine looks like a leg massager but instead of massage it uses pressure to move the body like an actual fishtail at 144 beats per minute creating an increase in oxygenation. “The idea is for regular use of the Chi machine improves overall circulation of the entire body,” Van Eeckhout explained. (**Writer’s note: OK, so I tried it. For writing purposes, obviously. I used the SOQI bed with the Chi for 7 minutes. It was very warm, super relaxing and when it ended it was like a runner’s
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HER PASSION + kindness
A Note of Encouragement —
Margo Neva (left), and Luann Rice. Photo by Mary Lynn Gibson
BY SUSAN J. SMITH-GRIER
Who inspires you? Think about that person who brings light into your life, the one who brings out the best in you, makes you want to be a better person. Many of us have at least one such a person in our lives. A couple of years ago Margo Neva had a chance to write about one of those people in her life.
One of many notes to Margo Neva from Luann Rice.
14 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Luann sat there shaken to the core and grateful for her life which had been spared. Margo is a member of the Divas writing group and in August of 2016 the prompt was to “write about someone who you feel has made a difference in your life.” The first person Margo thought of was Luann Rice. Through the years Margo has been inspired by Luann’s encouragement. But, she isn’t the only one. Many people have been encouraged, inspired and uplifted by the
simple but meaningful service Luann provides out of the goodness and gratefulness of her heart. Luann was an elementary school teacher and her kindness and encouragement no doubt influenced many of her students. However, it was a close encounter with death that led Luann to be even more of an encourager which is now her life’s work.
Luann sat there shaken to the core and grateful for her life which had been spared. Realizing she had been saved from certain death, she made the decision to do something to help others. That was her defining moment. Soon after, her hobby of card making became her life’s work.
One defining moment
Margo and Luann belong to the Nisswa Women’s Club. Each month someone reads an inspirational piece to the group. Margo has written many. She wrote one in particular that stood out. It was called “The Yellow Sweater Club,” a story about rejection and how adversity can be turned around for good, build character and make a person stronger. Luann gave Margo a card expressing her appreciation for the moving story. Luann’s act of kindness and appreciation in turn touched Margo deeply. Margo has many
One winter day Luann was driving home from the Brainerd post office. She turned north by the courthouse and saw a train approaching. The train crossing arms were coming down and when Luann stepped on the brakes to stop the car, it slid forward heading toward the train. She frantically cranked the wheel to the right as the car continued to slide. At the last moment the car turned, crashing into the cement base of the crossing arm.
Be kind to others
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encouraging cards from her friend. On one of them Luann wrote: Do something nice as often as you can, kindness is free. Indeed, Luann lives out those words on a daily basis.
The Card Lady Luann creates between 400 -500 cards a year which she shares with a variety of people and organizations. These are cards of encouragement, inspiration, thanks and appreciation. She supplies the cards many area nonprofits use in their silent auctions. She crafts cards for the Brainerd Library’s Wine & Words fundraiser, the Pink Tie Dinner for breast cancer and The Legacy Chorale, just to name a few. Last year, Luann made 150 cards for the musicians of the Lakes Area Music Festival. This year she will make 160. The cards are used by the musicians as thank you notes to give to the host families the musicians stay with during the festival. Cards are not the only creations Luann and Scott Lykins, Executive Director for Lakes Area Music Festival
Those notes of encouragement can change lives.
16 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Luann offers to others. For years she’s made hundreds of bookmarks for the Brainerd Library. She also created medallions for the Nisswa Women’s Club Fashion Show. The life work Luann has chosen to pay it forward keeps her busy every day of the week. At least five hours every day, except Sunday, Luann is creating. When not creating cards for special events and fundraisers, she sends cards to individuals for encouragement and uplifting. Any time she notices something good an individual has done, she gives them a card. This Christmas Luann made cards and bookmarks for everyone in her building. Luann lives in a retirement community; most of the people are in their 70s and 80s. She commented on the joy her neighbors feel when they receive a card or letter in the mail. “In this digital age, receiving snail mail is almost like a gift! … Most of the grandmothers in my building complain about the fact that their grandkids don’t write thank you notes. It’s really important that people receive a handwritten note; it’s something that they treasure.” The world is a better place because of people like Luann Rice. Those notes of encouragement can change lives and sometimes a note may even save a life. Luann is making the best of the life she’s been given – a lesson we can all take to heart. Margo summed it up well in
one of her writings: “I recently read a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson which reads, ‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us.’ Luann shares what lies within her for all of our benefit.”
Susan J. Smith-Grier, mother, grandmother, writer, storyteller, blogger, and Reading Corps tutor of early elementary kids, enjoys the changing seasons of Minnesota lake country. She lives for those moments when the possibilities light up the eyes of her awesome school kids and delights in the power of words and story.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF
Vitamin BY CYNTHIA RANSOM
More than a vitamin It’s not just for strong bones: Most diseases have a link to low Vitamin D. The list is long and so are the studies showing the major importance of optimal Vitamin D.
Don’t be SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression have been linked to low levels of vitamin D. Make sure you have adequate blood levels of D3. 18 her voice | Spring 2019
Many consider Vitamin D a master hormone because of its cascading effect influencing hundreds of other hormones, organs and genes.
What is your level? Fifteen years ago when the information of Vitamin D was making headlines I thought I was covered. I would get about 10-20 minutes of sunshine a day and supplemented with 2500 units of Vitamin D3. Test results showed my D levels were severely low: 17. Levels under 25 meant I was at high risk for conditions such as cancer, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s and more.
50,000 IU compares to 1.25 mg. The dosage is different:
Many people don’t take enough Vitamin D because the dosage number seems so high. Vitamin D is measured in IUs whereas most other vitamins are measured in mg. 50,000 IU compares to 1.25 mg. Don’t let the high number scare you into taking less.
Recommended dosage:
My holistic world recommends supplementation between 5,000-10,000 IU per day in order to achieve healthy vitamin D levels.
Food sources are not enough
Get Fat
Don’t forget your kids!
Protect your brain
Get fat: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. All fat-soluble vitamins are better absorbed when taken with food containing fat.
Newer studies have shown vitamin D3 to support growth of new brain cells and helps clear the brain of amyloid (the toxic protein that can build up and contribute to Alzheimer’s).
Sunlight is the source
Studies show up to 70 percent of children are lacking in vitamin D. Vitamin D is critical for brain development and so much more. Tooth decay, eczema, allergies, diabetes, all can be positively affected with proper levels of vitamin D. Cynthia (Schmid) Ransom is a Traditional Naturopath who keeps busy at her Brainerd based, national skin care company, Good Karma Skincare. Her book, The Blue Sheep Movement contains stories from her private practice, encouraging people to create health using both holistic and medical care. A BHS graduate, she is delighted to be back in Brainerd with her husband and furry children.
Bring on the sun! You can’t get enough Vitamin D through the foods you eat — only tiny amounts are in a few foods.
Create your own ‘sun’ When the seasons fall short; full spectrum light includes all colors in the electromagnetic wavelength, mimicking the rays of the sun.
D3 not D2: Vitamin D3 is from natural sources such as lanolin (from wool) or lichen (plant based). D3 is the type produced by your body in response to the sun. Vitamin D2 is from synthetic sources — steer clear from this. 001819368r1
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After 30 years, Christa Andersen (center) has watched well over a thousand kids grow up. PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON 20 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us 20 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
HER CAREER
30+ YEARS OF
+ child care
BY KATHY SELL
For anyone who has raised kids, you know it can be both rewarding and draining. Christa Andersen knows that times a thousand; she’s not only raised her own kids, but has raised a village having spent the past 30 years as the Child Care Director at New Discoveries Child Care in the Brainerd Family YMCA. Her YMCA career actually started nearly 35 years ago as a child care coordinator at the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties in Fargo. Andersen recalls her journey to the Brainerd Family YMCA. “I loved working in the child care, so my then-CEO checked and found that Brainerd had a “small” YMCA with child care. I called Carol Miller (Brainerd Family YMCA CEO) and was told the director in the center would be leaving when school started that fall. We set up an interview. I had a swollen mouth from wisdom teeth surgery and my car broke down on the way. I literally ran two blocks to get there on time. It was very warm that day and I
remember the front desk gal fanning herself — poor gal looked miserable — and pointing to Carol’s office. Then I saw the children wading in pools of water, right in the middle of our current weight room. There were 44 children in that room! My soon to be office was right in the middle of the chaos. The rest is history.” Spending time with kids often leads to some interesting stories. Andersen recalls one afternoon when two sets of parents let her know their sons were missing camo jackets. She recalls that she and the staff searched EVERYWHERE for the next five days. It rained during that time, so one of the kid’s parents even bought a new jacket, giving up on the search. Then late on that Friday afternoon they were out on the playground, and a 5-year-old came running up to her holding two jackets in his hand, covered in sand. She immediately knew they were the
missing ones. She asked where he found them and he said “They were buried in the sand!!” He told her the name of the child who had done it. When she talked to that child, his response was that “an invisible bad guy buried them!” Of course HE was the invisible bad guy trying to avoid trouble. She remembers that all parents involved cracked up when she told them that story. Andersen could write a book with all the crazy, wild and hilarious things children have done, said and come up with. She says, “Kids never cease to surprise you with what comes out of their mouth! One show and tell session around Father’s Day, we asked the children what their dads like to do. One little girl said “My dad likes to wear my mom’s underwear!” I could never quite share that with the parents. If only these parents know what they tell us sometimes, they would be appalled.”
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In the midst of all the laughs, sometimes there’s painful sadness. Her life was forever impacted by one situation in particular. “We had a 4-year-old stop breathing at home one night. He was in the hospital for two days when they found out his brain had suffered from the oxygen deprivation and he would never walk or talk again. Our entire center was in a sad funk over
“When you know a family like this for seven years and care for their babies, they are like family to you.” - Christa Andersen
Learning to swim is a big part of the curriculum at New Discoveries. “It’s so important in our area with all the lakes and rivers we have.” - Christa Andersen
Christa with YMCA swimming instructor Nancy Smith. 22 22 her her voice voice || Spring Spring 2019 2019 •• Share Share your your voice voice with with us us
all of this. We cried together and tried to hang in there. Updates on his health were posted for everyone on CaringBridge throughout that week. My daughter and I went to visit this child in the hospital. When I walked in to the room, the dad was holding his son and said ‘Look who’s here! Wake up and say hi! Christa loves you as much as we do, you need to say hi!’ I gave him multiple kisses from his teacher all the while I was sobbing. He died the next day. When the day of the funeral arrived, 50 parents, teachers and YMCA employees walked together to the funeral. The support was so amazing! We had past employees call and volunteer their time so my teachers could attend the service. I gave a eulogy and played Lorie Line’s “Jesus Loves Me.” When I sat down afterwards between my own teenage children, I was shaking so hard my son put his hand on my knee to stop the shakes. When you know a family like this for seven years and care for their babies, they are like family to you. This was truly the case. It has been eight years since this happened and it feels like yesterday at times.” After 30 years, Andersen has watched well over a thousand kids grow up. Now they’re lawyers, den-
port the Y. She’s especially thankful for the donations they gave to build what is the current Kid Kastle structure that’s been well used for 15 years, serving MANY happy children. She’s also proud of the recent 3-star rating from Parent Aware, Minnesota’s child care rating and improvement system. “I am a strong supporter of this community. I joined Kiwanis and the Salvation Army Board of Directors 26 years ago. I rarely miss a meeting. Legacy Chorale is about to start its 17th season, and I am a founding member of this great group. The beautiful music we share in this community spreads just like love! For 19 years, I taught Sunday school and was the youth choral pianist. I guess you could say I stick with the things I enjoy. I believe in giving. It comes back in multiple ways!” Andersen has taught kids a lot. But they’ve taught her too. “Not a single child is alike. Parents, be consistent and be in charge. Love your child more than yourself. Love spreads and grows beyond any emotion we have and it is endless. Be forgiving and look to the future, not to the past. These kids are our future!”
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tists, doctors, physical therapists, mechanical engineers, teachers, a pro football player, a priest and so many others who got their start in the childcare program at the YMCA. “I just got a huge hug from a 22-year-old that started in our infant room and is now going on to become a dentist. The hug made my day! Most of these children stay with our program for years and years, and move in to the school age and day camp programs. I get to see them years later and the hugs keep coming! I am proud of them all! One year we had five students go in to the enrichment program at the school. The average class for that program has 18-22 students. That is a high percentage from the Y! When I look in the Dispatch and see kids I had in child care mentioned in sports and honors and Athlete of the Week, I feel like a proud aunt!” she beams. What has been the most rewarding part of her career? “Watching families and children change, grow and become involved in what the Y is really about. Having the second generation tell me they want their children to have the great care they got. They pursue having their own kids come here and can’t believe I am still here! The thank you cards and generous gifts they shower on me and the center. The staff here in our center is great. Without those dedicated hard working people, I could never do this. Some of them have been with me for 13-18 years!” Christa has seen a lot of growth at the Y over her years there. She spent three years as Executive Director, and appreciates all the community has done and continues to do to sup-
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HER Travels + South Korea
Tour of daegu BY AHNA OTTERSTAD
Before embarking on my adventure to a new city, I decided to take a tour of Daegu. When I originally accepted an offer to work here, I went for the opportunity to teach at a university, not because of its location. Daegu didn’t seem all that exciting for being the fourth largest city in South Korea. On the surface, Daegu seemed sleepy compared to Seoul, but I soon found out it definitely has its own charm and gems.
24 24 her her voice voice || Spring Spring 2019 2019 •• Share Share your your voice voice with with us us
Mrs. Chae’s tea house with wares for purchase. Photo by Ahna Otterstad.
Stock photo of Kim Kwang Seok Memorial Street in Daegu, South Korea.
Daegu has some of the most unique places and festivals to visit like the Lantern Festival where thousands of lit lanterns drift in the night sky. It’s so magical! Another unusual tourist site near Daegu is the persimmon winery located in an old railroad tunnel. It’s nothing like Napa Valley, but if you have an open mind, you can enjoy the artsy tunnel and assorted persimmon wines served with soda crackers and a mixture of sliced and cubed cheese. And not too far from the winery, there’s even an arena for bullfighting. Korean bullfighting is not like Spanish bullfighting - there are no matadors. The bulls basically push each other back and forth and for additional fun you can make a bet. I actually won. My $1 turned to $4. I was rich! It was quite thrilling. And finally, my favorite alley in Daegu is Kim Kwang Seok Memorial Street. It’s an art alley paying homage to its local musician who made it big in Korea. It’s a fun, quirky street full of cute cafes, restaurants and shops. I also met many angels, the everyday people who spread random acts of kindness, asking for nothing in return. I have been gifted by these random acts of kindness from the strangers who I randomly met throughout my travels in Daegu. First is Mr. Song. He was the tourist information guy who worked in the booth that Thursday. I needed his help to call for a taxi, my phone had overheated and I was in the middle of nowhere. Mr. Song invited me inside his tiny booth to cool off. It was quite small but was grateful to get out of Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 25
Snacks and desserts at Mrs. Chae’s tea house. Below: Mrs. Chae. Photos by Ahna Otterstad.
the blistering sun. Once inside he gave his chair, a glass of water, and re-directed the fan so it was literally blowing on my face. It felt so good. Because I was in the countryside of Daegu far from the subways, there were limited buses and difficulty getting a taxi. We had waited for 20 minutes and no taxi. He called again, but no taxi wanted to come this far. So Mr. Song motioned he would drive me back. He locked his booth and drove me 30 minutes to the nearest subway. I was so grateful. I offered to pay him money, but he refused. Then I just bowed deeply to show my gratitude. I will never forget Mr. Song. Finally I can’t forget the tea house lady, Mrs. Chae, who had injured her foot the night before but only opened her café just for me. We literally had a private tea party along with her son, Doo, who spoke English well. Mrs. Chae demonstrated the art of tea making. I had no idea it was so technical. I not only tried different tea samples, but she also made me soup and dessert. It was much more than I expected. When leaving, I was ready to pay my bill, but she refused payment and instead gave me more snacks for the road. She was such a kind soul. Again, I have been blessed and these are only two of the many kind and generous people that I’ve encountered along my travels in Daegu. Ahna Otterstad, a Brainerd native, is working abroad in South Korea as an Assistant Professor at Woosong University. She currently resides in Daejeon and loves to travel around the world.
(Korean for “thank you.”) 26 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
inESS
HER VOICE
BUS
An Opportunity to Showcase Business Announcements and Celebrations In Her Voice Magazine. 218-855-5898 | Sarah.Herron@brainerddispatch.com
For the Love of the Job Cami Haberman
Cami Haberman began her career with First National Bank North over 22 years ago with hopes to become a loan officer. One short year later, her hopes became a reality. With over 21 years as a loan officer, Cami says helping first time home buyers is the favorite part of her job. “It’s a big purchase and I try to make the process as smooth as possible for them so they are comfortable, know what to expect and are ready for home
ownership.” Making the customer #1 is priority for First National Bank North. Cami demonstrates this daily as she puts the customer’s needs first and strives to help every customer as well as she can. Thank you Cami for loving what you do and for providing top notch customer service for the past 22 years! On a personal note, Cami has a 2nd degree black belt in both Karate and Tae kwon do. She
enjoys spending her free time with family and friends and especially loves boating on our area’s many lakes!
www.fnbnorth.com MEMBER FDIC
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Brainerd--A Place to Call Home Liesa Thill, Business Development Manager
Liesa and husband Bruce Archer landed in Brainerd in 2002 when she was offered a marketing position at Widseth Smith Nolting. The couple was seeking a cohesive community to raise their family in, and Brainerd fit the bill! As Business Development Manager Liesa draws on her experience to create content, marketing strategies, and communication
plans. Liesa and her family have embraced the community and their love for the arts. This past summer she and Bruce coordinated “Seeing Music/ Hearing Canvas.” Part of deTOUR Downtown, the event was held to drive foot traffic to downtown Brainerd during construction. Liesa also shares her creative flair by volunteering graphic design services to St. Francis
Catholic School/Church and Northern Family Programs. Brainerd has become a place where Liesa’s family and her creativity can thrive!
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HER FAMILY + cabin
BY JAN KURTZ
Mom and I spent the morning pumping water into pails, heating the dish water, dipping the breakfast dishes into the suds, then the near boiling rinse before placing them in the rack by the open window. Steam rose off the flat pancake plates, fruit saucers and coffee mugs. Zen housework. I surveyed the interior of the cabin that became mine when my father died two summers ago. Since then, Mom and I bought a new sleeper-sofa, removed faded calendar pages of loons from the porch wall and took down several sets of deer antlers. The latter felt like treason. Even those bright yellow outhouse toilet seat lids he painted with smiley faces were difficult to discard. Maintenance and minor esthetical changes were emotionally easier. Like the quilt I found at the neighborhood garage sale where my mother lives. We had just returned from the cabin and wondered about all the cars blocking her street when she remembered: ‘The Annual Block Sale’. I edged between parked cars and inattentive pedestrians before reaching her driveway. While I unpacked the car, I noticed a variety of toys and children’s shoes
28 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
The abandoned quilt Jan found at a yard sale made by “Grandma Lian”
just one door down. I am not a shopper, but I do have grandkids and collect shoes for Guatemala. “Hey, Mom,” I yelled out from behind the car. “What do you think of this toddler basketball hoop for James?” Then added, “Wanna help me shop for shoes?” Soon, we had a dozen pair for only $9.50! The buying bug bit and we walked on, in case something else might ‘call our name’. And, there it was. Alone in the corner, folded nicely and smelling of fresh laundering, a blue and red quilt smiled at me. I pretended not to notice, but found my feet shuffling in its direction. Why would such a beautiful thing be abandoned to a garage sale? Unfolding it, the pattern emerged revealing red hearts, multiple blue squares and golden edging. I gently ran my fingers over the swirled stitching and asked the owner about its size. “A queen,” she responded. “And, the price?” I asked. “$10.” A voice inside my head screamed, “Only $10 for a quilt? Is this for real? How can you not spend $10 on such a fine piece of work?” Then, its contrary twin chimed in: “You don’t need a quilt. What will you do with it? Followed by: “But, $10 for a queensized, hand sewn quilt? You’re kidding. Buy it!” “What is the story behind this quilt,” I asked, hoping to block out my mind chatter. “It was left here when we moved in last year. There is a patch inside with the name of the lady who made it. That’s all we know.” I checked for the patch. Oh, my. Ashley and Dan, June 18, 2011, Made by Grandma Lian. That was only four years ago. Have they divorced already? But, wouldn’t you keep something Grandma made even if you didn’t keep the spouse? Was this quilt unlucky? Impossible. It was made by a grandma. Clearly, it needed to be loved. It would go to the cabin. It could go in the guest bedroom and that bedspread and curtains could be bumped into the loft. Then, that bedspread would move to. . . well, I’d figure out something. For sure, I’d have to find different curtains to match. Next trip north, I stopped at The
“Oh, it is perfect!” she exclaimed. “The color, the light, it is so perfect!” Cabin Store’s sale corner and, for 50 percent off, discovered lace valances patterned with pine branches and pine cones. Not the cheery red or blue curtains I had envisioned, but why not airy cream-colored valances? Two for the price of one, only $20. No more head debates. Before lunch, I snuck in and hung them without Mom noticing. After the quilt and valances were in place, I called her out of the kitchen and into the side bedroom. With a flourish and a ‘ta-da’, I opened the door and let her in. “Oh, it is perfect!” she exclaimed. “The color, the light, it is so perfect!” Then, we both looked down at the
orange shag throw rug and simultaneously said, “That will have to go.” The family arrives tomorrow. The water pails are full and the orange rug replaced by a new blue rag rug Mom found at a craft fair. The little brown Styrofoam owls still cling to their plastic perch over the corner clothes rack, but we’ll deal with them another day.
Jan Kurtz pivots between her family cabin in north Wisconsin, her mother’s in Eau Claire and her son’s family in Otsego, coming home to do bills and touch base with area friends. She continues her interest in cultures and languages locally (festivals, powwows, celebrations) and globally, through Whatsapp chats and trips abroad.
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HER TABLE + healthy meals
Italian Spinach Orzo Soup An easy fresh, healthy and delicious
Healthy Recipes BY SUE READY
Ingredients:
vegetarian soup with lots of options. Kale or collards can be substituted for
torn spinach leaves. Pieces of cooked chicken can be added for protein. Orzo
(Italian pasta) soaks up a lot of liquid
so to reheat, add more chicken broth. A puff pastry appetizer makes a great side for the soup.
Sue Ready is a freelance writer for several local publications, a poet and former middle school teacher. She is the president of the Northwoods Arts Council in Hackensack, MN and chair for the Annual Northwoods Art and Book Festival in August. She blogs at http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/ with recipes, travel adventures, book reviews and The World According to Bella stories. Sue writes a food column for the Pilot Independent, Walker, MN, Great Northern News and Lakes Area Living Magazine.
30 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup each diced: 1 small white onion (peeled), carrots, celery, mini sweet yellow and red peppers 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 32-ounce box low sodium chicken or vegetable stock 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, diced fire roasted tomatoes with chilies or diced fire-roasted tomatoes with chipotle peppers 1 cup dried orzo or whole wheat orzo 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 4 cups loosely-packed torn spinach leaves, stems removed
Optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, seasoned croutons
COOK LIKE YOU DON’T HAVE TO
CLEAN
Directions:
Prep veggies and set aside. Heat oil in a stock pot or soup pot.
Add onions, celery, peppers and carrots. Saute for 3 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and sweat mixture for 8 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, orzo (pasta), spices and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed.
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Serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings.
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Puff Pastry Appetizer There’s magic in puff pastry. Start with something thin and flat and end up with something flaky, high and delicious without much effort at all. Just like a bakery treat. Puff pastry can be wrapped around veggies, fruit and meats and it’s a flavorful side for a bowl of soup. Creativity knows no bounds using your cookie cutters.
Directions:
Ingredients:
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (one sheet), thawed makes 8 depending on the size of the cookie cutters used Sesame seeds Egg wash Finely grated Parmesan cheese (Optional) mixed dried herbs or parsley flakes Cooking tip: If sheets reach room temperature, return to the fridge to rechill (but not refreeze). The quickest way to thaw puff pastry is to separate the sheets, cover each with plastic wrap and leave on the counter (away from the oven) at room temperature for about 30 minutes. You can thaw puff pastry in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
With cookie cutters cut out shapes.
Whisk one egg with 1/4 teaspoon water.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad.
If needed use a small paring knife to help pull pastry away from cutter. I rerolled scraps to get two more shapes.
Brush each shape with the beaten egg washsprinkle with sesame seeds, herbs and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.
On a cutting board sprinkle a little flour and roll sheet slightly. Avoid pressing too hard and overworking the sheet.
Transfer shapes to a baking sheet.
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Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze pastry until firm about 5 minutes. Bake until puffed and golden about 9 minutes.
Corned Beef Puff Pastry The filling is enough for 12 puffs so you will need one pastry sheet plus half of another sheet. The puff pastries can be served as an appetizer or as a side with soup. Ham could be substituted for corned beef. Recipe inspired by pamperedchef.com
Ingredients:
1 1/2 puff pastry sheets 6 oz. deli corned beef chopped 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese 3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip 3 tablespoons pickle relish, drained 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water Sesame seeds and dried parsley flakes (Optional) 1/3 cup drained and patted dry sauerkraut
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a pastry wheel cut one sheet into nine equal squares and three squares from another sheet.
Use a food processor to combine filling ingredients.
Fold pastry over filling by bringing up corners diagonally.
Add 1 1/2 tablespoons filling into each pastry square.
Press corners together to meet in center. Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds and parsley flakes on each pastry.
Place in medium sized muffin pans. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 18-19 minutes. Let cool in pan for a few minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving.
Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 33
HER TRAVELS + retreat
SuperShe Island off the coast of Finland on the Baltic Sea. Photo: SuperShe.com
SuperShe Island BY JEN SALVEVOLD
One simple email took a dramatic twist in Kristi Westbrock’s summer. She received that email from her “Women in Telecom” networking group with an attached article about SuperShe Island with the words “Maybe we should have our next meeting there? Photo: Kristi Westbrock Ha ha!” Intrigued, Westbrock looked into it and found out SuperShe Island was a week-stay on a private island hidden away in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland. Invite was exclusive to 10 chosen accomplished women per week stay during the summer months with women from all over the globe. On a whim, she applied for an invite. SuperShe Island opened for its inaugural season this past summer. Owner Kristina Roth’s big plans were to bring together groups of women from around the world who are looking to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. So she sold her successful consulting business that landed her in Forbes magazine as top 10 fastest growing women owned businesses, and started her journey with SuperShe Island. 34 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
The island is a gorgeous 8 acres of land covered by a forest, green moss, lichen, tall pines, rugged rock formations, lush ferns, juniper and blueberry bushes. There are also views of the Baltic Sea all around you. It hosts four newly renovated cabins equipped with spa amenities, Finnish saunas and facilities. After her application was reviewed and she was interviewed, Westbrock received her invitation to the island. Trepidation set in and she asked her husband, “Can I do this?” Westbrock had never traveled internationally alone and also never been away from her family for a week. Her husband looked at her and replied with, “If you don’t do this you’re going to wonder for the rest of your life what it would have been like.” In that moment she said, “I’m
going to SuperShe Island!” Westbrock’s trip in July began with a flight overnight to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam to Helsinki. Once in Helsinki, Finland, an employee from SuperShe Island picked up Westbrock from the airport. She spent the first night at the St. George Hotel, which Westbrock called “a masterpiece” though being so exhausted from her air travel that all she did was sleep. The next morning someone once again came from the island to get her and they went on a walking tour of Helsinki. Next was a 1-1/2 hour drive through the rural roads that wound the backwoods of Finland to a boat that took her out to SuperShe Island. Westbrock’s roommate on the island was from Togo, Africa; she explained that it was fascinating living with someone for a week from another country. Others were
from Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and Greece, to name a few. Language barriers were at a minimum as the women all spoke English. There was a feeling when you stepped foot on the island like, “I’m just fine.” All her apprehensions just left when she met these women. Activities ran from 7 a.m. until bedtime. Mornings were tea, yoga, breakfast, a powerhouse boot camp and a rest period to shower, nap or read and such. Afternoons were lunch and activities such as kayaking, swimming or hiking. Westbrock says, “Kayaking for me was like I found myself in the world. The inlets in the sea were breathtaking. You were with others, but alone in your kayak, alone in your thoughts. It was a cathexis experience.” Her mind brought her to the thought that, “I’m alone “doing this for/by myself, in the middle of the Baltic
Photo: SuperShe.com
Yoga tent. Photo: SuperShe.com
Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 35
Sea on a complete journey.” It was in that moment she felt she knew what a SuperShe was. Before dinner you were able to have about an hour to do as you please, then speakers and guided activity concluded the evenings. You never went a day without being in a sauna or taking time to journal.
“Kayaking for me was like I found myself in the world.”
“The luxury is in the natural habitat and the connection with the other women.”
- Kristi Westbrock
- Kristi Westbrock
Kristi explained the experience as life changing. “It’s all very natural, but it’s not for the faint of heart. No one is pampering you. The luxury is in the natural habitat and the connection with the other women. The cabins are small, the bathroom was an outdoor incinerator and the physical exercise was hard. “Eating food like that for a week was amazing.” Westbrook said “No one would have weight or health issues if you could eat and exercise like that every day. The most valuable part was just learning from the other women. I have 10 great friends
Photo provided by Kristi Westbrock after leaving. No one was there for anything else but themselves. When women aren’t competing with each other for anything, it’s a whole different experience. All we wanted to do was make sure everyone else had the best experience. The kindness and warmth was incredible.”
Jen Salvevold is married, with twins in college and a junior in high school. She resides in Brainerd and her photo studio operates in Pequot Lakes. She is the owner and photographer of {Photojenic} Photography Studio & Photo Gallery, which was established within her first year of college in 2012.
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HER PASSION + support
CROSBY
FIRE & RESCUE
Auxiliary
BY JOAN HASSKAMP
The Crosby Fire Department Auxiliary exists to support the firefighters. Established in 1971, their mission is to provide food and drink to firefighters on long calls in the cold of winter and heat of summer. But that’s only part of their mission. Made up of spouses and significant others of firefighters, the 20-plus members also raise money to assist in purchasing equipment, pay for upgrades to the fire station and regularly sponsor community events.
Crosby serpent photo by Kelly Humphrey 38 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
“It is our mission to support the firefighters and the community.” - Lee Russell
Some of the auxiliary members taken after turkey bingo November 2017: Seated L-R, Kendall Nelson, Melissa Knutson. Middle Row: Jessica Dietz, Jodi Christopher, Cindy Nelson, Tena Chamberlin and Jill DeCent. Back Row, Nikki Knutson, Tanya Jacobs, Nicole Starry, Amy Dwire and Mindi Werner.
Cindy Nelson has a long history with the auxiliary. Married to firefighter Barry Nelson, she has been a member for 42 years. It’s been a family affair as her dad, Gene Foote, was a firefighter for 41 years and her mom Joan was one of the charter members of the Auxiliary. Her son Brian is a firefighter with 16 years of service. “I know that when my husband leaves to fight a fire he may not come back,” Cindy said. “We support each other and it feels good to be part of an or-
ganization that’s doing something that’s so important.” Currently the department is composed of a lot of younger families. When babies are born, auxiliary members present the newborn with a handmade fleece blanket. It’s adorned with a picture of a fire truck with the words, “Welcome to the CFD family.” Other members prepare and deliver meals to the family. That sense of family was very important to Jim and Nancy Goshey
“We will always have a connection to the department and auxiliary and be eternally grateful for all that this organization has done for us and our family.” - Nancy Goshey
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Photo was taken July 4, 2017
“We support each other and it feels good to be part of an organization that’s doing something that’s so important.” - Cindy Nelson and their three small children when they moved to Crosby in 1999. “We had a special needs daughter so we were a bit nervous about all the changes we would be encountering but Chief Rocky Valentino and Assistant Gary Erickson and their families and the department took us under their wings and made us feel welcome right from the start,” Nancy explained. “We will always have a connection to the department and auxiliary and be eternally grateful for all that this organization has done for us and our family.” According to Amy Swensen, a 22-
year member, the sense of community is one of the aspects she enjoys most about the group. “The sense of family and service that this organization has is so strong and you don’t always get that in other organizations,” she said. “We are a family, ready to band together to help one another and it is truly a blessing and honor to be part of it.” The Auxiliary has been a big part of the Fourth of July celebration for many years, coordinating the kiddie parade, securing food vendors for the Crosby park and selling raffle tickets. According to 26-year member, Lee
40 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Russell, the days starts at 6 a.m. and doesn’t end until after 10 p.m. But she and the other members are happy to devote their time and energy to the very popular Crosby celebration. “It is our mission to support the firefighters and the community,” she said. The Auxiliary members sponsor turkey bingo at Thanksgiving, hand out cookies and hot chocolate at the fire station on Halloween and participate in roadside cleanups which are a family affair with a big barbecue for everyone afterwards. With funds raised the members put on a picnic for retired and active
firefighters in the summer and hold a retirement dinner every winter. Last February the Auxiliary selected Swensen as their Member of the Year. The award goes to the person they feel has contributed above and beyond. “It was such a sweet honor that they thought I was worthy of such a title,” Amy said. “I love this group of women.” When one of the current or former members die, the firefighters and Auxiliary members dress in uniform and come together at the funeral to pay their respects. Once a member,
always a member. “Friendships are started and grow over the years and we do become one big family and support each other in any way we can,” Nancy said. When members see a need in their organization or in the community, they step up to the plate and get it done. “When we all work together in a community, amazing things happen,” Amy said.
FEEL GREAT ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT DON’T LET ANOTHER YEAR GO BY.
Crosby resident Joan Hasskamp is a regular contributor to Her Voice. She recently completed work on her humorous book, “We Don’t Care Who Wins as Long as Joan Loses” and has begun work on her second book.
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HER VOICE is Lakes Proud Buying local goods and services an investment in our lakes area communities. Like us on Facebook • Spring 2019 | her voice 43
PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON
HER PASSION + sewing
Bless Ya Bags
BY SUE STERLING
Meet Melanie Johnson. She lives in Nisswa. Her house is filled with love and life—and two cats, and she wants to share that love with everyone she meets. Her success story came after a long, hard struggle -- as so many do. She won’t talk about the hard times. She just focuses on the blessings she’s received with each lesson that came her way.
44 her voice | Spring 2019 • Share your voice with us
Every bag she makes has prayers and personality built into it stitch by stitch.
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Melanie has been blessed with unbounded creativity. She began her career as a K-12 Art teacher in Sioux Falls, but found the restraints of teaching were inhibiting her creativity. Fate intervened and she left teaching to be a wife and mother to Steve Johnson and his two children, Dana and Katie. They left South Dakota and moved to Minnesota in 2004. She then put her whole heart into her painting. For years she painted on wood and sold her creations at craft fairs. Then one day her friend, Kerry, introduced her to crazy quilt embroidery and a new passion took over her art room. She donated all her painting supplies to Blue Sky Support Services, a day center in Brainerd that provides services to people with disabilities. She met Mary Wohl, the director at Blue Sky, just by chance when they were both shopping at Weise’s store in Nisswa, and was thrilled to learn there was a home for the materials she no longer used. That chance meeting was a great blessing for both Blue Sky and Melanie. (You can check out their art pieces and crafts at 302 Fifth Ave. NE, No. 2, in Brainerd, or their Facebook page at www.facebook. com./BlueSkySupportServices.) She put her whole heart into the new sewing skills her friend taught her. Her first projects were patchwork cats. With ideas and patterns found on Pinterest she developed her own style. Her fine attention to detail in her machine embroidery manifested itself into creating beautiful bags.
Dr. Jackie McCall
u Thank yo
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Each one developed its own personality as it was pieced together. (That’s kind of like people, don’t you think? We are each created piece by piece and day by day, developing our own personality.) Each day for Melanie starts with prayer and meditation. In the stillness of the morning God touches her heart and mind with ideas and thoughts that guide her needle and thread on how to create each bag. Every bag she makes has prayers and personality built into it stitch by stitch. As each new creation is finished she prays for the person who she will bless with that bag. Each one takes her three days to build. When asked who benefits the most from doing this work she replied, “Me. It makes me happy; it’s a fun learning experience. I feel blessed with the material and an imagina-
tion, and I want to share it with the community.” Melanie gives away most of her bags or donates them for fundraising purposes. She does not have a website or use an online outlet, nor does she take specialty orders. The Blue Paisley Boutique in downtown Nisswa has some of her creations for sale. She and Lindsay Topp, owner of the Blue Paisley Boutique, both want to share these bags with the community that inspires them. Complications from cataract surgery have left Melanie blind in her left eye, but she doesn’t dwell on her lack of perfect vision. Instead she takes each day as a gift and doesn’t worry about what tomorrow may bring. Her Bless Ya Bags are a work of pure joy for her and she plans on staying in Nisswa to share her blessings with
whomever the Lord puts in her life. The beauty of her bags will bless everyone who touches them. She’s truly an inspiration to everyone she meets.
Sue Sterling is a resident of Brainerd and currently works as a VISTA Outreach Specialist at The Center. Besides writing, her other passions are calligraphy, photography, watercolor painting, singing and sewing. She is a member of the Brainerd Area Art Guild, a volunteer at Woodland Good Samaritan, and past president of Lakes Area Singles. She is also the mother of three sons and seven beautiful grandchildren.
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HELPING FAMILIES FOR OVER 25 YEARS. Accra provides support to families that need help in their homes for a loved one with a disability. We’ll help you navigate the different services available to you. One of our services, PCA Choice, allows you to choose a family member or friend to be your paid caregiver.
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