Good Life Magazine August 2011 by The Good Life

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S #1 MAGAZINE

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om e

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August 2011

Making music for fun again plus Visiting dad in the heart of Africa June Darling: ‘Life is too good not to be happy’

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Meet our professionals: Front row (left to right) are Nannette Saint, Cindy Smith, Judy Waterhouse, Joni Pepperl, Laura Mounter, Rachel Murphy, Shaye Elliott and Shaunna Larson. Back row (left to right) Jeff Hallman, Lela Castro, Jan Widener, Joe Gamboni, Rachel Goetz, Jody Campbell, Amy Hauge, Kandi Wilson, Cheryl Duncan, Rica Insley and Keath Bennett. Missing are Vivian McAbee, Norma Jessup, Donna Pipkin and Judi Pennington.

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Year 5, Number 8 August 2011 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Marc Dilley, Joe Anderson, Ed Farrar, Bridget Egan, Susan Lagsdin, Wyatt Gjullin, Kurt Gjullin, Al Piecka, Donna Cassidy, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell and Rod Molzahn Advertising sales, John Hunter and Donna Cassidy Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Joyce Pittsinger Ad design, Rick Conant

Fire in the evening T

wo summers ago, outdoor photographer Marc Dilley of Leavenworth hiked the Boundary Trail in the Pasayten Wilderness in the eastern Cascades, taking 10 days to traverse about 100 miles, enjoying the beautiful country, bagging 11 summits and

shooting a few pictures. “My wife Margareta, friends and I hiked west, hitting the Pacific Crest Trail about a day’s journey north of Hart’s Pass,” reported Marc. “On the third evening, we camped at a delightful pond adjacent to the Cathedral Lakes. We had enjoyed mostly clear weather up to then, but the evening clouds slowly rolled in and the spectacular sunset color was the precursor to a day of very

unsettled mountain weather.” A case of worrisome weather making a beautiful photo. For more of Marc’s work, visit www. marcdilley.com.

On the cover Mike Bills practices comfort music on the back porch of his Victorian home. See his story on page 29. Photo by editor Mike Cassidy.

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Contents page 24

multi-generation reunions are good for your health

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Stranger in a strange land We usually associate cour-

Features

Riding the loop trail with ed

When Ed Farrar powers his handcycle around the loop, he is not riding alone

7 TELLING STORIES ABOUT SADDLE ROCK

Iconic ridge has many different personal meanings for local residents

8 PERU FROM THE CAPITAL TO THE BOONIES

East Wenatchee photographer Al Piecka takes a trip to South America — and brings back brilliant photos

11 LIving ON A BIG CANVAS

Writer Susan Lagsdin shares a lunch and conversation — with the help of a translator — with Russian artist Yury Konyshev who made a dramatic break with his past

14 A SON VISITS HIS DAD IN THE CONGO

Former Cashmere middle school teacher Kurt Gjullin was looking for a breath of fresh air — he found it in the troubled heart of Africa

19 At Home

with

The Good Life

• New green kid on the block • Good stuff — good vibrations from Spirals

Columns & Departments 18 June Darling: Get sassy to stay young 24 The traveling doctor: Reunions are good for you 25 Alex Saliby: Days for wine and rosés 26 Bonnie Orr: Stuffed grape leaves a tasty treat 27-31 Events, The Art Life & a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: Wenatchee’s first fruit shipper 34 Fun Stuff: 5 activities to check out

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age with a firefighter rushing into a burning building to save a tot, or soldiers on a battlefield. But bravery also happens in the decisions we make in our everyday lives. How many of us would have the nerve shown by Yury Konyshev, a baby boomer who left his home in Russia where he was a respected and successful painter to come to America, particularly to tiny Leavenworth where he and his wife Elvira had neither family nor friends, knowing only a limited amount of English? On the plus side, it probably is easier for a painter than, say, an architect, store clerk or journalist to move to a foreign land not knowing the language. Art transcends language. On the negative side, Yury went from being a national “somebody” to displaying his wares in a tent during Leavenworth art-in-the-park weekends, while also opening a secondfloor studio off main street. Good Life contributor Susan Lagsdin sat down with Yury and Elvira in his studio and with the aid of an interpreter asked what it’s like making art in a new land. Was moving here a good idea, or is it time for Plan B? See Susan’s story on page 11. People don’t only move here. Americans move abroad, too. At this moment, five millionplus Americans are living overseas — some retired on lovely beaches, others working. Kurt Gjullin is one of the workers. Kurt had been a longtime middle school teacher in Cash-

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mere when he decided he needed a life change. Now he’s a teacher at an elite prep school in the Congo. Example of personal daring? Perhaps… or not. When I suggested as much, Kurt replied: “The personal journey is not one of courage so much as one of change and fresh air from suffocation and late middle age angst.” Kurt is excited again — finding an intellectual adventure in his new environment — which reminds me of a favorite saying from a 70-year-old former nurse who once worked for me during a tumultuous time: “A change is as good as a vacation.” See a story by Kurt’s son, Wyatt, on visiting his dad in the Congo on page 14.

If being brave doesn’t appeal to you, how about being sassy? Good Life columnist and business consultant June Darling was in New Orleans for a Rotary International Conference (she’s the new president of the downtown Wenatchee club) when during a lunch break, she ran across Mrs. Brussard, a woman of 70-plus years who certainly could have reason to complain about the lot life has dished out for her. Instead, June — ever alert to a good story for her favorite magazine — found in Mrs. Brussard life lessons about how to thrive when life doesn’t seem so good. See June’s column on page 18 — be prepared to be inspired. Embrace and encourage the changes that come with living. Enjoy The Good Life. — Mike.

Riding the Loop Trail with Ed farrar By Joe Anderson

here are times in a person’s life where he stumbles onto a unique situation that just feels correct. I happened to find myself in one of those special groups of people in May when I decided to begin riding the Loop Trail with Ed Farrar. What I did not realize was the size of the entourage that accompanied him. The meeting place was at the parking lot behind Arlberg Sports in downtown Wenatchee every weekday morning. The surprising thing about riding with this team of cyclists, who call themselves “The B Team,” is their enthusiasm. There is a real sense of community the regular users of the trail share. When I arrive, I am excited to see who shows up and what new bikes they might be riding. Of course, the greetings and introductions start and increase as Ed arrives in his specially-designed van, lowers the off ramp, gets in his wheelchair and rolls into Arlberg’s. Three of the guys

Ed Farrar hand peddles around the loop trail, followed by a couple of the B Team riders.

get his handcycle bike ready and then help him from the wheelchair to the bike. Since he cannot move his legs, they must be placed in foot holders next to the front wheels. He is then belted in, and with gloves arranged, he is ready to leave the building and handpeddle to the wooden bridge that crosses over the railway tracks and onto the loop trail. With the B Team formed, the ride begins. There are usually a couple of cyclists leading the way to warn others on the trail

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and the rest of the riders follow. They will shift their position around Ed like ducks in the V formation. The loop affords people a place to walk, push baby carriages, hold hands with their lover or ride their bikes in relative safety. The beauty of the trail is a bonus. One might see a storm brewing in the mountains as the clouds gather their load of rain or snow; on the next day the early morning sun gives a person one of over 300 days of typical

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sunshine. Sometimes one is given the pleasure of seeing an eagle with its majestic white crown as it seeks prey along the Columbia River. On special days, one of the “Loopers” is given a glimpse of a beaver tail splash as it heads to its underwater home. The cadre of riders with Ed know and greet many of these regulars on a first name basis. You can hear people saying, “Hi, Ed.” or “Nice to see you today.” If Ed can, he will say their name and smile. It is surprising to see how many people know about Ed’s accident. But he has worked in Wenatchee as an orthopedic surgeon since 1983, and many have seen him as a patient. Ed was riding his two-wheel bike over Skyline Drive in Wenatchee in October 2008 when he was struck by a car, causing multiple injuries, the worst a T4 and 5 fracture dislocation and a broken neck. The spinal cord was severed with the outcome being paralysis from the chest down with the muscles of the chest being nonfunctional. He can only breathe by contraction of his diaphragm and that done with great effort. Although his legs no longer work, he remains an avid cyclist and now peddles a hand cycle with his arms. The loop trail has become central to his recovery. It is flat enough to allow even hand cyclists a place to cycle without the risks of automobile traffic.

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When the weather is warm, the rock marmots are whistling a greeting... }}} Continued from previous page As the group heads north, we quickly pass through the beautiful Riverfront Park. This is a great spot for people to visit and share a latté. It is also a place where we have to be aware of possible dangers as this is a congested area and we slow down. The B Team warns the upcoming public the cyclists are passing on the left. On leaving this section, it is downhill followed by a long uphill and many times there are walkers looking at the river. There is a constant banter among the ever-changing riding group — discussing issues facing our children or the govern-

Ed Farrar pauses with fellow riders Richard and Dolly Buckingham.

feeling the wind in my face Y

ears ago, I was one of many community members who pushed to make the loop trail a reality. Over the years, I watched it become the resource for enhancing our quality of life that we all had dreamed about. People of all ages and all walks of life have a beautiful place to get outside and enjoy the valley. However, I never imagined that it would become so important to me as a paraplegic! At present there are at least three of us who regularly ride the loop trail on handcycles, taking advantage of the traffic-free path. For some of us can no longer go for a daily walk, a daily ride means the world! The joy for me has to do with the physical and the mental effects of getting outside, putting the effort out to get the heart pumping, and feeling the wind on my face. Benefits range from the metabolic to the social. The harsh reality is that without the loop trail and the handcycle, this would be impossible for me. — by Ed Farrar ment or sharing a recent personal adventure. Since Ed cannot hold a conversation while riding, he will wait until our rest stops to put in his two cents. There is joking and laughing as the weekly events of the individuals are shared. Many of the riders are involved in local events from racing,

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coaching and civic involvements so there is no lack of topics for conversation. Training rides are planned as members get ready for upcoming trips. Sometimes a rider tries to solve world problems but so far, none of the solutions have been adopted. It is also during this time we try to keep track of Ed’s profes-

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sional bike racing son, Tyler, who competes in races such as the recent Tour de France. Once we cross Odabasian Bridge we enter the east side trail that is wider and makes passing easier. Still, however, sharp corners make for fast and dangerous turns. There are also nice views of the river and the snow capped mountains to the west as we head to the next rest stop among the trees. The last section of the ride goes across the pedestrian bridge and back onto the Wenatchee side. When the weather is warm, the rock marmots are whistling a greeting as we peddle back to the bridge over the railroad tracks and back to Arlberg’s. The trip is finished for another day. Once all the bikes are all put away, the group heads to Tastebuds to drink coffee, share a smoothie, or share a happening. Someone will say, “Did you see the eagle?” From that comment an Audubon Society type conversation will start and will move into animals that we have seen. Sometimes Ed will be quizzed for his medical challenges or just about medicine in general. He still sees patients three days a week for consultations and has a wealth of knowledge. The most important part of the coffee break is about planning the next ride. The B Team of cyclists has made a commitment to show up daily and share this experience with a sense of camaraderie. In fact, they are likely to ride almost year round, and will be seen out on the trail even when there is snow on the ground. Ed says he is not the “inspiration” for this, but just a good excuse to show up and get on the bike as we all peddle towards the good life. Joe Anderson is a retired Eastmont High School English teacher and wrestling coach, and is currently a Ballard EMT and ski patrolman.

guest column // BRIDGET EGAN

Let me tell you stories about Saddle Rock S

addle Rock is Wenatchee’s most visible landmark and a destination for a diverse cross section of our valley — it provides a place for adults and kids alike to play king of the hill. Now it is a locally owned city park because of the generosity of our community members, near and far: 245 people donated enough to purchase Saddle Rock and ensure its perpetual stewardship. Memories and stories sometimes accompanied the donations and showed how Saddle Rock is woven into the lives of so many. The stories of Saddle Rock offer a glimpse into what makes living here so special. The connection starts early: each year, Wenatchee School District kids head to the Saddle Rock to learn about their local environment. Susan Ballinger was the science field coordinator for the school district and helped develop the Shrub Steppe’n up Saddle Rock program. She remembers how so many kids would get to the top, go to the edge, and say, “Wow! There’s my house!” This was the first time they had seen the valley from above. Sally Knipfer, the new science

field coordinator, is excited for kids to feel ownership of their local environment, and the Saddle Rock program achieves just that. Kids work with real scientists to get exposure to their natural world, and the result is a strong connection to the foothills that surround our city. Sally said, “Some of these kids are not really active, but they want to make it to the top; and almost every kid does.” She added that these kids at Saddle Rock excitedly explain to their families in Spanish and English that snakes live there, but not bears. These kids and their families are just a few of the diverse groups who use Saddle Rock regularly as an escape, an outdoor gym and a classroom. Saddle Rock means so much to many people here — but also to those who have moved away. Peter Houck, who grew up in Wenatchee and now lives in Seattle, was excited to learn that Saddle Rock is now a locally owned park. “Saddle Rock is not only an icon for the valley, but it is very special for me. It was one of the first things I remember that made me think ‘what is on the other side?’ and it was the first

August 2011 | The Good Life

‘mountain’ that I ever climbed. I cannot even estimate how many times I have walked up there... day, night, winter, summer.” Jake Lodato and his Bridget Egan lives wife Kathy in Wenatchee and are part of a teaches English group that composition at Wenatchee Valley typically hike College. She is Saddle Rock the membership each summer coordinator at the solstice to Chelan-Douglas watch as the Land Trust. golden moon rises over the valley and the sky is bright until 11 at night. Such romance! But Jake and Kathy also use Saddle Rock as a training ground for spring backpacking trips in the southwest. Strapping loaded packs on and hightailing it to the top each day for several weeks, they have learned to appreciate Saddle Rock’s less romantic side, too. Jake remembers, “By the 10th or 12th day, you feel you can handle hiking the Grand Canyon trails down to the river and back.” There are so many stories of Saddle Rock, some funny, some romantic, some tinged with a

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little danger, but my favorite is Clyde Laughlin’s, Wenatchee class of 1952. He and some of his classmates had the bright idea to leave the mark of their class and Saddle Rock seemed the obvious place. One Saturday morning found them dangling from an anchor — one father’s orchard jeep — carefully painting the number 52 twenty feet high. They were smugly proud of their work until they found the high school halls buzzing with talk about the job, not much of it favorable. They realized their mistake and the following Saturday did their best to blot out the misdeed by pouring several gallons of black and olive drab military paint over the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately, their efforts only slightly obscured the graffiti. Chastened, Clyde said, “Those numbers could be easily read from anywhere in the valley. Maybe I was imagining them, but I could still see them at least 30 years later.” This spring the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust raised the funds to purchase Saddle Rock from the State Department of Natural Resources and create a stewardship fund to care for the land. The City of Wenatchee owns the land, and it is permanently protected by a Conservation Easement held by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. Clyde Laughlin’s full story is transcribed on the Land Trust’s website, cdlandtrust.org.

Easter Sunday brought traditional dancers — and performers — from a variety of cultures out to the streets of Lima.

Peru – as I saw it Story and photos By Al Piecka

returned to my cabin after what seemed to be a mini Bataan death march in Peru’s upper Amazon Rainforest. I slumped into a chair in the candle lit room and began to remove my boots. Out of

the corner of my eye I noticed something next to the chair that wasn’t there in the morning when I left... a snakeskin three to four feet long. I ambled over to the bed, kicked it a couple times and turned down the sheets. No snake. I decided at this point I was tired enough that if he stayed out of the bed we could peace-

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fully co-exist for the night. It all started when Jerry Billingsley asked me to join he

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and Karl Snyder on an 18-day whirlwind photo trip through Peru. There was no way I could pass up an opportunity like this. The trip began with our taking a rest day in Lima trying to adjust to the 23 hours in airports

It is hard to describe the rainforest... it is hot, muggy, muddy, buggy, dark, dangerous and beautiful all at the same time. type of alligator), which all like to feed at night. We finally arrived at the Heath River Wildlife Center, which is located on the Bolivian side of the river. Except for two hours each evening, there is no electricity and we lived and ate by candlelight. The generator was big enough to allow us to charge our camera batteries and almost choked when I also plugged in my laptop. It is hard to describe the rainforest... it is hot, muggy, muddy,

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Macaws come to the clay licks every morning to eat the clay that detoxifies the seeds they eat in the jungle. If predators are not active there may be as many as a hundred or more in the trees and on the clay banks. They almost always come in pairs.

and planes. It happened to be Easter Sunday. We went to the square and it seemed as though every culture in Peru made an appearance dressed in their brightly colored costumes. The parades and traditional dancing went on for hours. As we watched the celebrations in the square, the Sunday mass at the cathedral ended and to our surprise out came Peru’s president and his wife amidst military guards toting automatic

weapons, guard dogs and police in riot gear. Fortunately there were no incidences that we had to Twitter back to Anderson Cooper at CNN. The first real leg of our journey began with an eight-hour motorized canoe trip down the river from Maldonado with one stop at a remote Bolivian checkpoint. When I say “remote,” Webster doesn’t do the term justice. The last hour or so of the trip was in the dark, guiding our way with flashlights... we ended up on a sandbar in the middle of the river and had to rock our way off to continue our trip to the lodge. Nothing to worry about though; the river only has piranhas, anacondas and caiman (a August 2011 | The Good Life

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PERU

number of scenes depicting the native culture and wildlife. Everything from }}} Continued from previous page thatch-roofed homes hacked out of the junbuggy, dark, dangergle undergrowth to ous and beautiful all women net fishing in at the same time. the river, gold dredgOne of the highing, washing clothes lights of this part in the muddy river, of the trip was our kids playing in the visit to the parrot clay river (caiman, snakes, licks. Each mornpiranha and all) and ing up to several families traveling up hundred parakeets, and down the rivers parrots and macaws in their canoes. come to a small, clay At one point durhigh bank along the ing the eight-hour river to eat the clay. trip our motor died The clay is used to — luckily they carry a detoxify some of the spare. seeds that they eat Once back in and each bird must Canoes wait along the bank for customers. The covered ones are the type Al Piecka and his group Maldonado, it was spent eight hours traveling down the river to the jungle camp where they stayed. The canoes are hand- a quick change of return at least every made by the natives from local trees for which they need to get a permit to cut. They can only build a other day. Predaclothes at the travel new one if an old one is taken out of service, which is the government’s way of controlling the cutting tors also know this agency office, repackof the specific tree used for the boats. and we watched the ing luggage as we drama from a floating had left most of our the food was exceptional — alblind in the middle of clothes there before we left for though the beer was warm — the river. the jungle and then off to the and you don’t drink the water. This is also where we went on airport. While there we spent most of the “mini death march” I menAs we drove through Malthe time either on short hikes tioned earlier. donado, a town of over 100,000 through the rainforest or in About four miles from the people, I began to appreciate canoes paddling along the lake Center, the rainforest abruptly more what we have and take for looking for the giant otters, ends, like in 20 to 30 feet, and granted. monkeys and birds. At night we you enter a radically different clothing on anyone when we There was, I believe, only a went out looking for caiman and small part of the road paved. ecosystem called the Lowland returned. an anaconda. We saw several Savannah. Our next leg of the journey The rest was dirt, almost like caiman but never the anaconda The savannah is essentially a was to another part of the rainwide paths rather than roads — except for a picture in the treeless pampas grassland that forest at Sandoval Lake. We left and the buildings are not what stretches on as far as we could Heath River by motorized canoe lodge of one about 20 feet long by our standards would be conkilled earlier. see and is reminiscent of East for the four-hour trip and dissidered comfortable. The majorOne afternoon we went out to ity of the markets are outdoors Africa. The trail to it through embarked at a trailhead where fish for piranha. Our equipment and along the streets. the jungle was a treat. Much we hiked through the jungle, consisted of a short wooden of the way was a two-foot wide in even more mud, for about an Luxuries by our standards slippery, water soaked, mud hour. From here we took a canoe stick with a seven-foot string, appear non-existent and neceshook and anything that resempath on which at times it was for a 30-minute paddle trip sities are at a minimum. bled meat for bait, including pihard to keep your balance and across the lake to the lodge. In much of Peru where we ranha skin. We had them served traveled, we found the same keep from falling into the mud. The canoes are all handmade Along the way we saw jaguar from trees in the rainforest. The for dinner that night — the fish conditions or worse and yet the not the skin. and a type of savannah wolf canoe rides were always a treat people are the happiest and They were a little boney but track in the mud but never because the breeze dried your friendliest you will find anywere really quite tasty. saw the animals. The trip back clothes. where. After six days in the rainforest, was even a greater treat... in Here we were a little more we headed up the river to Puerto Al Piecka is a freelance photographer the dark, through the jungle, modern and had electricity Maldonado where we caught our living in East Wenatchee who enjoys through the mud, using headtwice a day. I may have made it teaching photography and hosting flight to Cusco. lights and flashlights to see the sound very primitive, but the workshops. His work can be seen at Along the way I had the way. With the high humidity, accommodations were actually alpieckaphotography.com or alpieckaphotos.smugmug.com. opportunity to photograph a there was not a dry piece of very clean and comfortable and

One afternoon we went out to fish for piranha... They were really quite tasty.

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LIVING LIFE ON A LARGE CANVAS Yury Konyshev went from being a celebrity in russia to a street artist in America By Susan Lagsdin

e met in Leavenworth’s downtown park that bright morning with handshakes and big smiles all around. Yury Konyshev and I strolled ahead to his art gallery, with our interpreter, his friend former Kazakhstani Larisa Thorpe and her college-age daughter, Kristina Li, behind us. Small talk was out of the question. That’s when I realized that with little English in his vocabu-

Yury Konyshev with a scene he painted from around Leavenworth: “Everything here is much bigger.”

lary beyond “please” and “thank you” and nothing useful in mine except “do svidaniya” (goodbye in Russian) we would all be

August 2011 | The Good Life

inextricably connected for the duration of my visit. It turned out to be an extremely pleasurable connection.

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Yury’s big gallery was easy to find, right off Front Street, up a staircase with a brightly handlettered sign pointing the way. Two steps inside and I stopped short — the walls were filled frame to frame, top to bottom with hundreds of watercolors, all colors, tone moody and spirited, landscapes peaceful and dramatic, faces lovely and harsh, objects surreal and whimsical. Much of the collection was variations on Leavenworth, the adopted community he’s grown to love, nature scenes of river, sky and trees in all lights. My sudden elation, almost tears, needed no language — Yury had been hearing those gasps and complimentary phrases in many languages for 30 years. On a summer weekend at Art in the Park you’ll find Yury in a booth dazzling downtown tourists with his lightning quick (30 minute) watercolor portraits. While honest work, this is definitely a major change of pace and place for him. He graduated with a master’s degree in art from the University of Kostroma in 1976 and the prestigious Union of Artists promised a good future with, he recalls, “five times the salary my mother made at my age.” In Communist Russia, teaching art at the metal college and creating state-sanctioned commissions were his choices. Yury chose the

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“We cannot speak the languages together; maybe a little wine would help us communicate.” }}} Continued from previous page former, developing his own work in private. By 1988 with Soviet perestroika (reform) and glasnost (openness), Yury was invited to exhibit his decadent westernthemed art in galleries, private collections and exhibitions first in Bonn and Munich, and then around the world. He was part of a national Russian watercolor exhibit as early as 1992, and his former university was pleased to purchase 12 of his works. Yury was an artist of note for 30 years in and out of Russia. For a full five minutes we were all content to stand in front of his paintings, dutifully conducting a rather stilted interview. Then the word came from Elvira Konysheva, Yury’s artist wife (and former student) who had politely absented herself behind a screened half wall at the window end of the gallery. The message, translated, was “We cannot speak the languages together; maybe a little wine would help us communicate.” Lo and behold, a vast repast was spread on the big worktable:

Yury tells a story about painting a church, over a lunch spread at his Leavenworth gallery. Among the listeners are Kristina Li, daughter of the translator, and Yury’s wife, Elvira Konysheva.

a wheel of French brie, Baltic sardines, crackers, chips, dips, a fresh fruit and vegetable platter and bottles of good wine. We tucked into our refreshments happily (“It’s 2 p.m. somewhere,” I decided) and raised a few glasses in old toasts. Then for a few leisurely hours we talked and listened to each other, Larisa working hardest, Yury and I enjoying eye contact, pantomiming, airing out his school German and my school Spanish to see if they’d match. The reason Yury emigrated to the United States in 2010 was simple. His wife’s mother, ill and living in Everett, needed fam-

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ily in her late years, and so they came. The La Conner and Mukilteo arts scene drew him in, but something about the mountains of Leavenworth reminded him of his homeland near Suna, Russia (“Only bigger, everything here is much bigger.”) and after trying a summer of Art in the Park, they moved here this spring. That took a certain brand of courage. Leavenworth proper does not have a critical mass of Russian-speaking people. So, Yury’s daily life when he ventures from the studio is curtailed by lack of language. (He jokes that he’s finally learned to

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parrot, “Yes, I have painted all of them,” and “Just $500.”) Tapes, dictionaries, and headphones litter the table — he and Elvira are valiantly studying English, and it’s clear they relish the opportunity to talk with new people, even in translation, in a setting with soft sofas, good food and wine, humor and interest. That doesn’t happen in most weeks. Yury seemed blissfully oblivious to the challenges that made me wince. Being an unknown Russian in a small U.S. town, trying not only to make a living but to shop, drive, find a house, stay safe, make friends… communicate. Anonymity by choice is one thing; being a total cipher and 98 percent dependent on reading body language is quite another, and maybe easier for a younger man than a 60-yearold who’s enjoyed a measure of wealth and fame. (“Respected and respectable,” Larisa called him. “Everyone loves him in Russia.”) In a year he’s gone from celebrity to street artist, but it hasn’t diminished his energy or his optimism. Past glories make good stories. Yury says he’s “guilty of the sin of pride“ for his well-regarded murals inside the century-old Saint Nicholas Cathedral in San Francisco. Snapshots showed the same bright, luminous abstraction that characterizes many of his gallery works. It seems the Orthodox priest,

“I love to paint but I am older. When the passion is not there, I have the experience to make up for it.” somewhat of an artist himself, had insisted on two complete redo’s. He had commissioned Yury for the joyous, vibrant light in his watercolors, and felt his first mural (whole ceiling, all walls) was too somber. The second version was better. The third time? “Luminous.” Another art moment he enjoyed recalling: On break from an exhibit in Germany, Yury was painting a plien air watercolor of a sumptuous, castle-like hotel and vineyard when the owner wandered by, “bought the painting right off the easel,” and invited him in as a guest. (Chancellor Helmut Kohl had also stayed there recently.) They toured the owner’s art collection of “old masters — fabulous museum quality European masters” and Yury felt self-conscious about his work fitting in. But three years later, he received a gift of a case of wine from the vineyard. The label artwork, exquisitely reproduced, was his own small watercolor picture of the castle. Making art now as a mature artist is decidedly different than in his youth, Yury says. “Then I was all passion, emotion — I painted everything, any way, all I wanted was to paint.” Now, he says, the balance has tipped. “Now I have technique, am expert… I love to paint but I am older. When the passion is not there, I have the experience to make up for it.” Emotion is always in the painting, he says, no matter what the subject, and the perspective is always fresh. He held up a wine glass to illustrate a point. “You see this? There are

Yury painted this picture of his wife, Elvira, in 60 minutes just for fun.

unlimited ways to represent it — the glow of the glass itself, the wine inside, the shape, the color. I could paint the scene it’s in, or just show the ambience. I could paint joy or sadness.” Joy or sadness seem to be tug-

August 2011 | The Good Life

ging at his life at this juncture — Yury loves the whole Leavenworth area and the village atmosphere, but he also feels the lure of the Seattle area’s lively art scene, and the comfort of its established Russian community.

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He gestured toward the town. “This is a good place for me — the art, the beautiful mountains.” But he alluded to the tough choice he may need to make — as a working watercolorist he may need to re-enter the more urban art scene and just keep the Leavenworth year in his memory. When I rose to leave, Yury pulled a small landscape painting off the wall, insisting, “For you. For you. Yes. Yes.” Somehow it seemed right to accept the gift, along with the unexpected and convivial meal, the heartfelt stories, laughter at our situation and a few riffs of favorite Beatles tunes hummed together. Somehow through art and no language, through actions rather than words, we’d learned the struggle to communicate was no struggle at all. Pure pleasure.

All ready for a day hike: packs, water bottles, walking sticks... and a heavily armed guard. Kurt Gjullin is at the left, son Wyatt at right and a couple of Kurt’s colleagues and the soldier are in the middle.

Visiting dad in the Congo Where the living isn’t easy, but life is oh so interesting By Wyatt Gjullin

I had been warned about

Kinshasa’s airport, where my father told me I was almost sure to pay a bribe and jump through useless administrative hoops before I could see him, let alone get my baggage. But all went well as a “protocol” — a Congolese man hired by my father’s school to weave effortlessly through the myriad bribes required — stuck out his hands to show me a piece of paper with my name on it. He motioned for me to follow him out of the small, hot, chaotic baggage claim of N’djili Airport. As I exited I saw my dad standing on the curb waiting. As we made our way through the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in our four-by-four, I got my first glimpse of the city. Barely running passenger vans

| The Good Life

screeched by, the woefully inadequate public transportation system for a city said to be home to 8 million people, the largest French-speaking city on earth. Women wearing immaculate, tailored dresses of bright fabric decorated with those distinct, unmistakable geometric African designs clashed with the dust and grime of the streets where they walked. Others, dressed in simple western t-shirts, walked serenely on the shoulder of the road with bananas, baguettes and almost anything else one could reasonably expect to sell, effortlessly balanced on their heads. Young boys came up to the car as it was stuck in the frequent traffic to sell bottles of water, a welcome relief as we baked in the tropical sun. These women and children are like the vast majority of folks in Kinshasa, eking out a living in the informal sector. The ride seemed to last for-

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| August 2011

ever, but I didn’t mind as my dad and I began the long process of catching up after eight months. We had both experienced so much, he in Africa and I in Latin America, and our infrequent phone calls had not done our adventures justice. We had left the Wenatchee Valley in late summer of last year, I to volunteer and travel in South America. My father, after 19 years teaching seventh grade humanities at Cashmere Middle School, had decided to take a high school position with the American School of Kinshasa in the DRC. He now teaches advanced placement economics, world history, U.S. history, and next school year, African history. A man with a thirst for knowledge and a passion for ideas, the new position seems to have unleashed years of pent up intellectual energy, and with it has come an almost cathartic satisfaction.

The Congo is actually one of the most resource-rich countries on the planet, home to large amounts of diamonds, copper, tin and cobalt... Though he admits it has been challenging, especially the economics, he frequently paused and asked me, textbook in lap, hands in the air, “I mean, what kind of job pays you to learn like this?” Eventually, we made it to a surprisingly wide and smooth boulevard that the Chinese had just put the finishing touches on. My father informed me that the Chinese were heavily investing in Congolese infrastructure all over the country. As we passed some of their ongoing road projects, I saw dozens of Congolese men laboring to remove dirt from a deep ditch along the side of the street and the occasional Chinese supervisor standing on the ground above dressed in baggy blue clothes and a straw hat. Questioning my dad’s colleagues later about Chinese investment, they voiced the concern that this type of investment still left the Congolese without the knowledge or means to maintain the roads or build new ones, meaning they will continue to be dependent on the Chinese and other foreign nations. The Congo is actually one of the most resource-rich countries on the planet, home to large amounts of diamonds, copper, tin and cobalt, along with several valuable metals important in the manufacturing of cell phones and other electronic equipment. It is also the third largest

Driving through the capital city of Kinshasa.

country in Africa with a population of nearly 71 million. The Congo River, the country’s namesake, is the deepest in the world and drains the world’s second largest rainforest. Strad-

August 2011 | The Good Life

dling the equator, this massive green country is truly the heart of Africa. Sadly, its development has been stunted by misrule and two incredibly complex and

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vicious wars beginning in 1996 and ending in 2003. The first of those wars toppled the dictatorship of Mobutu, an autocratic leader who took power shortly after the Belgians pulled out in 1960. He enjoyed American support for most of his 32-year reign, in which he deliberately undermined state institutions to keep them weak, viewing them as a threat to his hold on power, and used state resources to buy political support and the military’s loyalty rather than invest in his country’s economy. As we drove along, the old dictator’s personal zoo came into sight, a hillside of trees and grass with empty cages overlooking the Congo River. Just up the hill and across the road, we swung into the American School of Kinshasa. The campus covers several lush and green acres and is completely surrounded by a wall topped with barbed wire.

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We touched down on an airfield littered with the carcasses of old aircraft from better days, kind of like an airplane graveyard. I silently let out a deep breath. }}} Continued from previous page Teachers such as my dad live on campus and because of this he and his colleagues sometimes resemble a group of intelligent, adventurous and well traveled summer camp counselors. Their students, as you may guess, are generally privileged, apart from students of the missionary community who live on campus. The American embassy pays for its employees’ kids to attend the school. Congolese president Joseph Kabila’s daughter and niece also attend, as well as the children of many business moguls and government ministers, including that of education, ironically. His son says he’s embarrassed about it but the minister wants his child to get a good education. My time to settle into this new city was short-lived. My dad had arranged a trip

to Goma, a city in the eastern Congo on the border with Rwanda, to climb a volcano and see the endangered Mountain Gorillas made famous by American biologist Diane Fossey. However, this area is now known for its central role in the beginning of a conflict involving eight foreign countries and dozens of armed groups that consumed a nation. Hutu refugees set up camp along Goma’s periphery after the Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which members of their ethnic group were responsible for killing around 800,000 Tutsi people in a little over three months. With the rise to power of a Tutsi government, they had feared retribution and fled. This event helped to trigger years of conflict, claiming the lives of more than 5 million people, many from war-related diseases that sprung up in refugee camps. No other conflict has claimed more lives since World War II, yet many don’t know about the conflict and its complex underlying causes. Anxious to visit Goma, we took our chances and flew on a Congolese airline called Hewa Bora. It was quite comfortable, though Congolese airlines are known for being unsafe. We touched down on an airfield littered with the carcasses of old aircraft from better days, kind of like an airplane graveyard. I silently let out a deep breath. My dad and I then spent a day or two exploring Goma. We

| The Good Life

Homemade wooden bikes coexist with ads for luxury products.

set off walking through its dirt streets without a destination, in my opinion the best way to introduce oneself to a place. We wound our way deeper and deeper into dense neighborhoods of small wooden houses with metal roofs, tightly spaced along dirt roads built more for walking than for cars, and saw the occasional shack selling something advertised with a handwritten sign. It began to rain a little after midday and the busy street emptied immediately as people took cover, apparently well accustomed to this seemingly

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| August 2011

daily ritual. The one exception was the naked and barely clothed children playing in the mud puddles, happy as ever. We spent another day walking down to Goma’s port on Lake Kivu, the gigantic body of water along the border with Rwanda, where large and dilapidated boats make the journey to Bukavu, on the south end. Along the road to the port, children were swimming in the huge lake in close proximity to piles of garbage on the shore. Some creative young men had made their own pinball table out of wood and springs.

One striking feature of Goma is the omnipresent homemade wooden bicycle used for transporting goods through the city. With a long slanting ramp and handlebars like the Y shape of a slingshot, the Tchukudu as they are called, seemed to be owned by any enterprising young man. Without a load, Congolese men sail downhill standing upright on the long slanting seat, or push the bike along with one leg, the other knee resting on the seat. When the bikes are loaded the men have to not only keep the contraption from falling over, but push it forward, even up a hill. There are a few trucks, motorcycle taxis and four-by-fours belonging to the alphabet soup of aid organizations operating in Goma. Other than that, the Tchukudus rule the roost. Eventually the time came to scale the Volcano Nyiragongo with my father and two of his young, fit female colleagues. The volcano lies just outside the city and its lava flows have inflicted considerable damage on Goma in the last decade. Our guide, Norbert, was a friendly guy who could speak English fairly well, heads and shoulders above my French. As we set off through the jungle with Norbert and his soldier friends toting their Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, I felt oddly safer for the extra firepower. For the past week the mountain had been closed because a ranger had been shot and killed by a rebel. We were the first group to ascend since its opening, a slightly disconcerting role. As the trail became steeper and turned into sharp dark volcanic rock, and we emerged above the tree line, a view of the massive Kivu lake appeared and I could make out the long thin shape of Goma stretching along its shore. After six hours of hiking, we were approaching the rim and there seemed to be even more soldiers who had joined us.

Kurt Gjullin: From Cashmere to the heart of Africa.

Looking for a better way in the Congo F

orty years ago I lived in Africa for a year when so many newly independent countries were full of promise and energy. Since then I have watched the continent with sad interest devolve into shambles with only a few bright spots. Certainly centuries of the slave trade and brutal colonial regimes took an unimaginable toll and left a model of heavy hand autocracy siphoning off the fruits of the land to the autocrats, a path that new governments have seemed to follow almost universally. As well, the cold war was in full swing upon independence and sucked most into the vortex of that conflict with billions for weapons and aid supposedly as a bulwark against the other bogeyman ideology of either east or west. It stirred a pot rife with old and new land, tribal and political conflicts and fostered corruption and graft. Today millions are dead, more millions are displaced and starving and the elite live and seem to think like the former colonials. I often ask myself if I am pessimistic, and I have to say not entirely. It will likely take generations and new approaches I have no idea about but it can happen. Driving or walking the crumbling streets of cities and villages, one encounters masses of everyday people engaged in the business of survival, working and sweating, pushing and pulling loads manually balancing everything imaginable on their heads, traveling to work in rickety minibuses, held together with wire and ingenuity, and selling everything and anything from local produce, to Chinese knock-off plastics, to bush monkeys. They seem proud and determined and can smile and laugh as they eke out an existence. When you talk of substance with them, they are realistic about the situation and know it should be different but haven’t lost hope. So I must not lose hope and find myself committed to making some small difference teaching this new generation of African and American elite to find a better way. — by Kurt Gjullin August 2011 | The Good Life

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As my dad labored up the last pitch, fighting dizziness induced by the more than 11,000 feet in elevation, he said, “I don’t mind a challenge, but I have never had quite the audience.” I glanced behind him and said, “What, you mean the five Congolese soldiers with Kalashnikovs bantering in Swahili behind you?” It wasn’t exactly a trek up the Icicle River. But the hard work was worth it. We stepped up to the rim of the volcano and something completely novel came into sight. Below, at perhaps a thousand vertical feet, was a circular lake of lava, bubbling, bursting and flaming red. Some of it was hardened and gray, and these parts were crisscrossed with cracks and fissures that shined red, illuminated by the molten lava below. We sat and stared for several minutes, feeling the heat on our faces, before we retreated down to camp for dinner and bed. After a cold night in two-man huts, we started back down the mountain in the morning and arrived at the base a little after noon. Our guide from the tourist agency who had arranged the outing, a 60-year-old Congolese man and an ardent supporter of Congolese tourism named Daniel, interviewed my dad about the recent accomplishment, handling his cell phone as if it was a microphone. Daniel’s most common refrain, always followed by a deep hearty laugh, was, “Please, tell Lonely Planet to stop saying, ‘Don’t go to Congo. It’s not safe.’” Well, it’s not exactly safe, but it doesn’t seem all that dangerous either. What I can say after two months in the country is that it is beautiful, its people are friendly, and the resilience of their spirit is humbling. The heart of Africa continues to beat. And for now, it’s where my dad calls home.

column moving up to the good life

june darling

Get sassy — life’s too good not to be happy Sometimes life doesn’t seem

so good. Our health declines. Loved ones die. We feel like we’re in the eye of a hurricane. We need a role model like Mrs. Brussard to show us how to thrive. “I know I can always find something to do. If I wasn’t doing this, I’d do something else. I have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. My son died, my husband died, and I take care of a mentally ill son who lives with me, but I’m happy. Life’s too good not to be happy!” ends Mrs. Brussard with a saucy lip pucker. Mrs. Brussard is a Cajun, female maitre d’ in New Orleans. We watched her as she adjusted her menus, swayed her hips and hummed to the rich jazz playing near the outdoor patio of Montrel’s in the French Quarter. She obviously enjoyed life. As we departed we struck up a conversation about Hurricane Katrina. Mrs. Brussard was one of those plucked from her rooftop by a helicopter six years ago in August. She was taken to Texas and later spent a month with her large family and wide circle of friends in a makeshift shelter that still stands in her backyard. Mrs. Brussard flaunts the fact she’s nearing her 72 birthday. She’s active, confident and happy. Resilience refers to the ability to bounce back after a stressful experience, to overcome adversity and even thrive under traumatic conditions. Growing interest in recent years has led to much more research into the lives of people like Mrs. Brussard. Researchers believe that

Mrs. Brussard: Four lessons for a happy life.

resilient people often have four things going for them. We can increase our own psychological strength by incorporating more of these four into our lives. First and foremost, hardy folks have many good relationships. These relationships buffer them from tough times. Mrs. Brussard maintains close friendships with most of her family members and fellow church members. She knows many of the people who live and work in the French Quarter. Good relationships can be developed in a number of ways. We can get to know our colleagues at work. We can also connect with those who share similar interests in sports and hobbies. Service clubs and religious groups also offer opportunities for friendships. We can make a more concerted effort to get to know our neighbors. Second, resilience is fostered through engagement, activity and growth. When we are involved with life, we stay psychologically fit. We become more confident when we continue to use and develop our skills. Mrs. Brussard told me she used to “take care of old people,”

| AT HOME WITH The Good Life

but as she grew older she began to do jobs that didn’t require as much physical strength. Her current job allows her to continue to take care of others by greeting them and seating them at the restaurant. Work, volunteering, being involved with family are all ways of continuing to grow and be active. Third, we can become more psychologically tough by having more positive emotions. Even though Mrs. Brussard suffers from a number of physical ailments, has experienced the anguish of losing very close family members, and watched her home be flooded and bashed, she sees life as good. The way Mrs. Brussard talks to herself, the way she views life, and her enjoyment of music provokes her positive emotions. The best way to increase your positive emotions is very simple. Start observing what sort of thoughts and actions uplift you and do more of them. Exercise helps to lift emotions, so does being with good friends. Getting outside for a 20-minute walk in the sunshine boosts our spirits. Listening to our favorite music, like Mrs. Brussard does, can also increase some people’s positivity. Fourth, researchers believe meaning or purpose increases our grit. When we believe our lives are significant, we are more able to be strong. Mrs. Brussard says attending one of the historic Catholic cathedrals in New Orleans buoys her up. Her religion tells her she’s here for a reason. She’s able to live out her purpose especially at work. We can bring more meaning to our lives by looking at the larger picture. Dr. Amy Wrzes-niewski, a www.ncwgoodlife.com

| August 2011

researcher at Yale, maintains in every occupation about a third of the people see their work as a job, about a third see their work as a career, and about a third as a calling. The work itself does not make it more meaningful, it’s the attitude of the worker. One third of janitors see their work as a calling, while one third of the physicians she studied saw their work as a job! Mrs. Brussard’s job is greeting people, handing them menus, and seating them. Mrs. Brussard, however, brings much more meaning to her work because of her larger view. She’s serving others, lifting them up, and helping them see that “life is too good not to be happy.” Adversities can make life seem pretty bad. We don’t have to succumb. We can become stronger people who are able to deal with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Actions aimed at building good relationships, staying engaged, increasing positive emotions, and enlarging our purpose help us bounce back. In memory of Hurricane Katrina and in honor of Mrs. Brussard, let’s get more gritty and sassy this August. We can adopt her creed, “Life’s too good not to be happy.” How might you move up to The Good Life by becoming more resilient? June Darling, Ph.D., is an executive coach who consults with businesses and individuals to achieve goals and increase happiness. She can be reached at drjunedarling@aol.com, or drjunedarling.blogspot.com or at her twitter address: twitter.com/ drjunedarling. Her website is www. summitgroupresources.com.

The three-car garage, big yard and stylish exterior touches may be expected — an added amenity is the short drive to downtown Chelan.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy

The young couple has their

Craftsman touches like the enhanced baseboard trim, closet doors, counter braces, and cabinetry add a warm note to this easy open floor plan.

August 2011 | AT HOME WITH The Good Life

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hands full — literally. Their little girl squirms in anticipation of swimming, their toddler son explores a neatly stacked debris pile. Vendors, laborers, Realtors all vie for cell phone time. And for an hour John and Niki Kobs of Chelan host a walkthrough of the ready-togo Craftsman style house they have designed, built, staged and are actively marketing, knowing that there are 89 more to be constructed. That’s the number: 89. Supported by their parent company in Nevada (again, literally — Better Green Building’s longtime owner is Niki’s father) they are pioneering in the great Northwest, and that means constructing over the next few years every new home in the SunCrest development on the edge of Chelan. North of town and sharing highway access with Walmart, SunCrest is a few easy turns up the hill past newly greened ball

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ABOVE: The vaulted great room leaves space for a cozy dining nook. Color schemes throughout the other homes can be mixed and matched. RIGHT: Niki and John Kobs are working partners in the family business.

}}} Continued from previous page fields. Now mostly wide-open space surrounded by bold hills,

its curved streets are sided by quarter-acre lots with a few completed homes clustered on

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the crest. With alterations to three basic floor plans and many choices of upgraded features, the homes will range in price from $260,000 to $460,000. This one-level home ($319,000) features lots of easily usable space and luxury touches. It feels light and airy — more spacious than its 1,796 square feet with four bedrooms, an open plan vaulted great room and nine and 10-foot ceilings. It benefits from design decisions like tall paned windows, Shaker style maple cabinetry and quality trim work and fixtures. Included in the North Central Home Builders Association home tour on Sept. 22-25, this is the signature home for “the new kid on the block,” Better Green Building. The green in Better Green isn’t just a trendy catchphrase — John is a nationally certified energy consultant, and is adamant about the role of heat gain and loss in all phases of home construction. His energy audits involve pumping air into a house, or using an infrared sensor, and caliwww.ncwgoodlife.com

| August 2011

Tour new local homes in September

The 2011 NCHBA and Sangster Motors Tour of Homes is Sept. 22-25, featuring homes in Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Chelan, Sunnyslope, Malaga and Peshastin. Tickets are $11 for an adult and $5 for children ages 2 to 12. Coupons for $1 off will be available at various local locations and on the website, www. nchba.cc More information on the sponsors, builders and the event can also be found on the website.

brating the leakage. He does the same for the maze of ductwork behind the scenes. “That’s where a majority of air loss happens,” he said, “People don’t realize how much of their electric bill is spent on inefficient ducts.” This home’s footprint in relation to the sun, the trussed roofline and cement plank siding are all considerations that save energy. He installed lowE windows, a high efficiency furnace, and thick insulation in

“Things need to happen at a certain pace so the homes are economical. Every new setup costs money, every half-day wait costs money.” the walls constructed of two-bysix studs to combat Chelan’s hot summers and cold winters. Paint and flooring have low toxicity. Appliances are highly rated for efficiency. John is building multiple homes, but each one will meet his standards for saving the homeowner’s energy money. Niki, who’s the brains behind the beauty of the interior, is even now thinking ahead to the other homes that will accompany this one, pointing out future adjustments: “We’re going to make the galley kitchen one foot wider… we’re probably going to turn the closet in this office room to floor space… ideally all the front yards will have landscaping at move-in.” John and Niki moved up to Chelan at Christmas time from Reno, a booming area with an equally lovely lake and mountain setting. John’s background in the family business ranges from fine carpentry, to purchasing, to eventually overseeing construction of up to 225 new homes a year. Now things are a little different, he explains, “Many of the builders around here are excellent — they are used to doing really good work, although they aren’t used to the ‘production home’ system we’ve learned from a busier area. Things need to happen at a certain pace so the homes are economical. Every new set-up costs money, every half-day wait costs money.” He cites a flooring issue as an

higher quality flooring throughout,” he grins, happy to have made that choice. The project consumes the Kobs family’s time (with a few exceptions like taking the kids swimming) and maximizes their combined skills in interior design and large-scale building. They realize SunCrest is under informal scrutiny — some Chelan residents, now accustomed to multiple mega mansions on lakeshore and hillsides, wonder what a “housing development” will mean for the community. Oversized master bedroom windows and a slider to the patio let in plenty of sun and The Kobs hope the views of surrounding hills to the south and east. energy efficient development will add to Chelan’s sive vinyl in the prototype’s appeal by attracting not example. Kitchens, baths and laundry room took a different only local buyers but westside utility areas will all have fired workman a different time to weekenders, who will trade ceramic tile. Not a startling install it. “We’ll actually save the expensive waterfront dreams for choice, until you realize the buyer money by putting in that this rolling hills view. originally planned, less expen-

NCW Home Professionals

August 2011 | AT HOME WITH The Good Life

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good STUFF // Ideas for the home

GOOD VIBRATIONS “If when you go home — even if you are living in a beauti-

ful place — but you are worried about work or have stress about what’s going on in your life, who cares about the décor?” asks BeverLi Joi, in explaining the “home” side of her store she runs with business partner Patti Caputo. “What we provide is the ability to really relax and bring de-stressors into your home. We provide that through textual therapy, visual therapy, aromatherapy. And, we offer workshops and classes.” Spirals in downtown Chelan is the outgrowth of BeverLi’s and Patti’s love of traveling and love of learning about choices in ways of balancing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. A quick walk through the store reveals Buddhist, Christian, Native American, Egyptian and Hindu statuary almost side-by-side, bowls that when tapped vibrate with soothing resonance, Chinese herbal sticks for burning, wall hangings with peaceful pleasing designs, books and CDs for exploring alternate ideas for healing and more. Much more. Calling the store a healing center, BeverLi said the one measure she has when adding a product to the store is: “Is it good for the spirit?”

BeverLi Joi taps a quartz crystal singing bowl to set off a soothing vibration.

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TOP LEFT: Reclining Buddha. LEFT: A money candle for “when you are trying to make things happen in the material world” — with cassia, clove and nutmeg. ABOVE: BeverLi and Patti like to travel and find unique visuals to bring back to the store. This piece of a man and a woman from Barcelona, Spain is made from leather that was molded over a wooden carving. ABOVE RIGHT: Early Greek Christians portrayed the feminine face of God as Hagia Sophia, or Holy Female Wisdom. RIGHT: Gaia — A mother earth goddess.

August 2011 |

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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Family reunions are good for your health When I was growing up in

South Dakota as an only child, our family never was able to have family vacations together. My folks owned a “mom and pop” shoe store where they worked until they retired. For many years it was a constant financial struggle. One or the other had to take care of business so family vacations were out. Most summers I went to a weeklong Methodist camp on Lake Poinsett where my mother was also a counselor. On two occasions I remember driving with my dad to Detroit to see his ailing father while my mom ran the store. I once saw an old photograph of me and six cousins from my father’s side of the family taken at a lake near Detroit, from where we had moved to South Dakota. We were all sitting on a log in our swimsuits, and we looked like we were around 7 or 8 years old. After we moved I had no idea what happened to these cousins or even what their names were. That is a sad thing for me to think about. This all changed for me when I married Lynn and into the Wright family of Lincoln, Neb. Immediately, I had three terrific brothers-in-law. Around 1980, as their kids had scattered from coast to coast, Lynn’s mom and dad decided they wanted to sponsor a Wright family reunion every two years to keep the family ties intact. Our first reunion vacation was at the Spotted Bear Ranch in Montana. We returned there two more times. Since then we have gone to dude ranches in Oregon and

Colorado plus once at Sun Mountain resort in Washington. As the Wrights got older, we started going to places more available to them in Nebraska. When they were in their late 80s they set up a trust fund to help defray the expenses in order to keep this reunion going after their passing. What we love about these reLynn Brown dances with her grandson, Eli, at the family union vacations reunion of several generations. is that everyone looks forward to them and the cousins can’t wait lack of social ties are at risk for to see each other again. increased depression, cognitive Unlike my case, all these cous- decline and premature death. ins — first and second generaThey also showed how deprestion — know each other very sion and stress increase the risk well. If there is a marriage in the of heart disease, suppress the family, everyone tries his or her immune system, and affect insubest to attend no matter when lin regulation and gut function. or where it will be. In speaking about socializaSome of us are even looking tion, I do not include Internet forward to attending a family social networking. wedding in Australia in March Two Oxford researchers of 2012. reported that online social Multi-generational family networking actually has advacations have become increasverse health effects because it is ingly popular in recent years. more isolating and can increase From my perspective they have depression and loneliness when many positive medical benefits. it becomes the virtual substitute The song about people needfor face-to-face interaction with ing people is more than a casual others. statement. We know that our At our recent family reunion physical and mental health is vacation, the teenagers (with a improved through socialization little help from their parents) and family support. Everyone decided to take a vacation from needs to feel loved and support- their cell phones, texting and ed, especially as we age. lap tops. Several told me that A recent Harvard study this made it even more fun for pointed out that people with a them as they realized that there

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| August 2011

is life in being “connected” with their entire family rather just being “connected” online. Time spent in face-to-face discussion, group activities and family support is what has positive health benefits. Sharing with friends and family can multiply joys and divide the sorrows. Multi-generational family reunions are great for young children too, allowing them to become better acquainted with their relatives — cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It helps all of us to realize our common bonds and shared roots that give us a sense of self. When Lynn’s folks started this, we had 15 people who came the first time. This year that number had grown to 40. This was our first reunion without either of the senior Wrights, who died in their 90s. We had a memorial dinner and slide presentation in honor of them during the reunion, and everyone had a chance to share their thoughts and memories. Of course you don’t have to go for a week to a dude ranch for a family reunion. Multigenerational family vacations can occur anywhere. A weekend gathering in a park would work. The main thing is to do it as a family, and do it with some regularity. Be sure to bring Nana and Papa along when you get together. There is no greater satisfaction when we get older than to see family gathered together enjoying one another. Jim Brown, M.D., is a semi-retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.

column ALEX ON WINE

ALEX SALIBY

How about a bottle of rosé instead? A few days ago on Facebook,

Stemilt Creek announced a new wine, a Rosé blend of Merlot and Syrah that they named Grandma Nettie. The Rosé is, for me, a welcome addition to their offerings of red and white wines. But Rosé? Why Rosé? I hear this often. Wineries have whites and reds, so why Rosé? “It’s just sweet pink wine.” My reply is, “Not anymore. You’re thinking of early days in California, and Pink Chablis and White Zinfandel. Those are not Rosé. Most Rosé wines today are made in the French fashion: fruity, crisp and dry or off-dry.” All grape juice, when it flows initially from the grape, is white, even the juice of red-skinned grapes. Red wine gets its coloring from being in contact with the grape skins during fermentation. The longer the grape juice is kept in contact with the grape skins, the darker red the wine will be… to a point. That’s because the grape skin has a limited amount of the coloring agent that it can provide. Rosé wines are lightly colored, mostly pink, because the grape juice spends only a small amount of time in contact with the skins, typically from 24 to 72 hours. There are two principal reasons for making Rosé wines. First, Rosé wines, because they haven’t been on the skins, seeds and possibly stems for long, are far less tannic than deeply colored red wines. That appeals to many wine drinkers. Also, Rosé wines are marketable far sooner than fully extracted reds made from the same kinds of grapes. Keeping red wine in oak barrels is expen-

sive, not just because of the cost of the oak, but because of the time value of money. Rosé wines can be bottled and sold very soon after the juice has fermented and the wine made, so they are potentially good cash-flow products for a winery. A second reason for making Rosé wines has more to do with the process of making red wines. The French call the process, Saignee, or “bleeding.” In this process, the Rosé is a by-product of the making of the red wine. The purpose of bleeding off some of the juice from the skins of the red wines is to increase the richer, darker color of the wine that remains in contact with the skins. Think of it in simple terms of the numbers: 75 percent of the juice kept in contact with 100 percent of the skins of the grapes from the harvest means that the 75 percent can extract nearly 100 percent of the color pigmentation from the skins, thus creating a richer, darker red wine. The bleed-off 25 percent of the juice that was kept in contact with the skins is fermented, bottled and sold as Rosé wine. Here too, the Rosé can be bottled and sold fairly quickly,

August 2011 | The Good Life

while the red wine made from the same grapes ages in those expensive oak barrels. How rosy is a Rosé? Some producers pull the juice off the skins after a slight 24 hours contact, creating a very light pink wine. Others allow skin contact for as long as 72 hours, creating deeper colored wines, some of which look more like anemic reds than Rosé wines. All are wines made from red wine grapes, possessing the flavor and aromatic components of those grapes, and all are very approachable and drinkable very early after bottling. There is one other process for making Rosé wines — a process greatly discouraged just about everywhere, with the possible exception of the Champagne district in France. The process simply involves tinting white wines by blending into them some red wine. This brings to mind a short tale I’ll tell, leaving out names of people and places. A few years ago a restaurant we knew had a customer who requested a Rosé wine with her lunch. The customer was told there was only Chardonnay and Merlot on the menu at the time, but she insisted on a Rosé, and

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complained loudly about the lack of this wine on the menu, so the proprietor said, “Let me look and see what I can find.” He went to the kitchen, put a couple of tablespoons of Merlot into a glass of Chardonnay, brought it to the table and presented it to the customer. After lunch, the customer complimented the proprietor on the excellence of his Rosé, and left, happy. Changing the subject: I want to apologize to Rob and Diana Mellison for my blunder in calling their wonderfully Alsatianstyled Gewurztraminer a Riesling last month. Shame on me! Mea culpa, as my grandmother used to exclaim whenever she felt she had erred. If you are looking for some excellent wines from a new winery, please call Mellisoni Vineyards (509-293-1891) and make an appointment to taste their wines. You’ll be glad you did. Alex Saliby is a wine lover who spends far too much time reading about the grapes, the process of making wine and the wines themselves. He can be contacted at alex39@msn. com.

column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Stuffed grape leaves make a tasty treat This week, I am cut-

ting grape vines to make wreaths. When they are dry in three weeks, I will tie various herbs onto the wreath. Hanging in the kitchen for the winter, the wreath will provide dried herbs ready to crush. I tie on bunches of basil, thyme, marjoram, savory, parsley, and I add some small red peppers and garlic bulbs for accent. And as long as I am cutting vines, I clip off the tenderest leaves near the Rolled up grape leaves (on the white plate) can contain a tasty mixture of green vine ends. olives, mushrooms, garlic greens, cilantro and toasted almond, and then served with These leaves are about garnish of plain yogurt. as large as my palm, and cuisine. NCW would be heaven I know they are still tender mint, parsley, onion and garlic. because they have not developed if we could grow olives. We do grow grapes. And fuzz on the backside nor lumpy, To make the grape leaf engrapes and grape leaves were side veins. velop, packet or roll: often featured in the dishes I ate Every year, I promise myself Prepare the leaves by cutting that I am going to preserve some in North Africa. I have created off the stems. I leave a one-inch a recipe that highly resembles grape leaves to cook in the fall stub to use as a latch for the roll. what I ate in Tunisia and feaand winter, and this year I have Blanch by simmering in water tures olives. accomplished that. I love the for five minutes. Drain and cool. Stuffed grape leaves can be grape leaf packets served by They are now ready to fill or to eaten hot or cold. Mediumcooks in the Mediterranean. preserve for the winter. Dolmades, grape leaves stuffed sized leaves can be used for hors First, personally solve the d’oeuvres, and larger leaves can with meat and rice, are a wellissue of the innie or the outie. be filled with ground meat and known dish. Some people insist that the rice or cous cous and served as a veins are on the inside of the The food in Tunisia especially main dish. appealed to me. Any culture roll; others say they are on the Common Mediterranean that serves olives for breakfast, outside. So do 50/50 and make flavorings include lemon, dill, lunch and dinner is my kind of an informed decision. I do outies. Lay the leaf out flat vein side down on the counter. Place about a tablespoon of filling in the center of the leaf in a cigar shape. Turn up the stem end of the leaf to the center of the leaf. Turn the left side of the leaf to the middle. Turn the right side of the leaf to the middle. Turn down the top of the leaf to the base of the envelope and poke a hole in it. Put the stem

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stub through this section as you fold it down. This will secure the roll.

Grape Leaf and Olive Rolls

1. 30 small palm-sized grape leaves, blanched, drained and cooled. 2. 2 cups chicken stock heated to simmering in a large flat pan 3. In a blender chop finely the following ingredients: • 1 cup sliced mushrooms, sautéed in 1 tablespoon of butter and cooled • 4 tablespoons toasted almonds • 2/3 cup chopped cilantro, leaves only • 1 cup chopped green olives • 2 tablespoons lemon zest or preserved lemon • 2 tablespoons Garlic greens 4. Put a scant tablespoon of the mixture in the center of each leaf and make the envelope 5. Simmer in stock for 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place the rolls on a plate 6. Mix a tablespoon of wine vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil into 3/4 cup of plain yogurt and serve as a garnish on the grape rolls (Here is another take on grape leaf rolls. Instead of simmering the rolls, lightly fry and then bake them until they are crunchy.) These rolls can be prepared a day ahead of time or can be frozen and thawed before serving as cool treats. Preserve leaves by freezing them. Cool and drain after blanching the leaves. Stack 30 of them vein-side down, stem stubs all facing the same direction. Cover with plastic wrap and roll up tight. Place each rolled stack in a freezer bag. They will keep for about a year. Make more stacks than you think you need, so there will be no regrets in February! Bonnie Orr gardens and cooks in East Wenatchee.

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The Sound of Music, 8/2, 8/5, 8/10, 8/12, 8/16, 8/19, 8/24, 8/27, 8/28, 8 p.m. A Leavenworth and Washington State classic, now in it’s 17th season. Set in one of America’s most beautiful amphitheaters overlooking the spectacular Enchantment Peaks. Ski Hill Amphitheater, Leavenworth. Cost: $14, $22 & $28. Info: leavenworthsummertheater.com. Farmers Market, every Wednesday in Wenatchee at Columbia

Street, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., every Thursday at Methow Park 3 p.m. – 7 p.m., every Saturday at Columbia St. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., every Sunday at Memorial Park 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Fresh local fruits and vegetables in season. Bakery items, cold drinks and more. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 8/3, 8/6, 8/9, 8/13, 8/18, 8/20 & 8/25, 8 p.m. Live and outdoors under the stars. Rollicking Western fun returns with the singin’, dancin’, fightin’ Hatchery Park Stage, Leavenworth. Cost: $14, $22 & $28. Info: leavenworthsummertheater. org.

August 2011 | The Good Life

Mission: Improv, 7 p.m. every Thursday. Free open workshop, theatre games for novice and experienced players. Fun and casual. Riverside Playhouse. Info: www. mtow.org. The Tempest, 8/4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 7 p.m. and 8/13, 1:30 p.m. The Short Shakespeareans theater troupe celebrates its 33rd year under the direction of founder Sherry Chastain Schreck. This romantic comedy is filled with magic, laughter and lots of action. Riverside Playhouse. Cost: $12 adults, $10 seniors, $8 kids. Tickets at door or Pak it Rite. Wine and Cigar Social, 8/4 &

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9/8, 6 – 8 p.m. Pick your perfect cigar to pair with award winning wine. Saint Laurent Estate Winery, Malaga. Info: stlaurent.net. Wenatchee Blues Jam, 8/4, 8 p.m. Open blues jam every first Thursday of the month. Grizzly Lounge in the Red Lion Hotel, 1225 N. Wen. Ave. Info: Tomasz Cibicki 669-8200. Ohme Gardens Summer Music Series, 8/5, 6:30 p.m. Tour the gardens enjoy live music by Ok 2 Botay steel drum band, wine and dine. Cost: $12. Info: wenatcheevalley.org.

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}}} Continued from previous page My Fair Lady, 8/4, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/23 & 8/26, 8 p.m. Travel to London-town for one of the all time great Broadway musical classics. Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $14, $22 & $28. Info: leavenworthsummertheater.org. Tech Stomp, 8/4, 5 – 8 p.m. Membership appreciation event. Network with GWATA members and attendees while enjoying two complimentary glasses of wine from Bella Terrazza Vineyards and appetizers. Sleepy Hollow Nursery, 1260 Lower Sunnyslope Rd. Cost: $15 members, $20 non-members. RSVP: info@gwata.org. Giant Puppets, 8/5, 5 – 8 p.m. Eight puppets represent characters important to Wenatchee’s history: David Thompson, Lumberjack, Miner, Native American Woman, Pioneer Woman, Apple Blossom Queen, Coyote and Beaver. Puppet production was coordinated by Martha Flores, Bill and Cindy Rietveldt. Creating these bigger-

than-life characters and bringing them to life was the result of more than 600 hours of volunteer labor by 29 students from Wenatchee High School and 24 adults. The exhibit will include the giant puppets, information and photographs. On display through 8/27. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wenatcheewa.gov. Jan Cook Mack, 8/5 through the end of the month. The Wenatchee artist will show her paintings, on the theme of Fruits of the Farm, at the Clymer Museum on Pearl Street in Ellensburg. Reception 5-7 p.m., Aug. 5. The Drifters, The Coasters & The Platters, 8/5, 7 p.m. Live concert at Deep Water Amphitheater, Manson. Cost: $35 - $75. Info: colvillecasinos.com. Ultimate Journeys, 8/5, 7 – 9 p.m. Everyone has a journey they must take which ultimately defines their lives. Author Bruce Taylor explores journeys through the psyche in Mountains of the Night, while graphic artist Roberta Gregory shares Follow Your Art, a richly humorous depiction of her journeys through Europe, Asia, America, feminism and more. Book signing.

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Barn Beach Reserve. Cost: free. Info: info@abookforallseasons.com.

forming Arts Center. Cost: $6. Info: pacwen.org.

First Friday, 8/5, 5 – 8 p.m. Start the weekend in historic downtown Wenatchee where participating galleries, museum, coffee houses, bookstore, Performing Arts Center, business and public art displays are open each first Friday of the month. Info: linda@wendowntown.org.

Live Music, 8/5, 6 – 9 p.m. Free live music. BBQ food and wine menus available. Lake Chelan Winery. Info: www.lakechelanwinery.com.

Gallery 4 South, 8/5, 5 – 8 p.m. Light and Color an exhibition of oil paints by Idaho artist Mary Maxam. Meet the artist. Cost: free. Info: 470-7714. Two Rivers Art Gallery, 8/5, 5 p.m. The Western Experience is the first theme show at Two Rivers Gallery located at the bottom of First Street in Wenatchee. Over 40 local artists exhibit art of the West & Northwest. Noted sculptor Larry Gay presents some of his award winning bronze pieces. Saddle Rock contest winners will be presented along with their paintings. Live music by harpist Suzanne Grassell. Wine and complimentary refreshments. Info: www.2riversgallery. com. Friday Funnies, Mission: Improv, 8/5 & 8/12, 7 - 8 p.m. Per-

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8th Anniversary Party, 8/6, 4 – 8 p.m. Live music by the Lake Boys. Fresh seafood, roasted pork and jerk chicken, complimentary wine, games, prizes and new wines. Vin du Lac, Chelan. Cost: $40. Info: vindulac.com. Community Garage Sale, 8/6, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Performing Arts Center. Buy and man your own space - $30. Or donate items for sale. All proceeds benefit the PAC. Info: Sarah Wilkins 665-9096. Chelan to Africa Benefit Concert, 8/6, 6 p.m. Food, fun, music and wine. Fourth annual benefit concert featuring the Kevin Jones Band. All proceeds benefit Touching Tiny Lives Foundation. Benson Vineyard Estate Winery. Info: www. bensonvineyards.com. Yoga in the Park, 8/6 & every Saturday through Labor Day weekend, 9:45 a.m. Centennial Park, Chelan. Info: yogachelan.com.

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Feasts and Journeys, 8/6, 1 – 3 p.m. A feast of five authors. Prized, surprises and more. Mary Pelzel shares laughs, adventures, and high-tea in the Wenatchee Forest; Joe Fitzpatrick offers his richly wonderful Strictly Sundays cookbook; best-selling author Sandra Byrd presents delicious French Twist Christian romance; Bruce Taylor explores soul journeys; and graphic artist Roberta Gregory shares the laughter of a life-long journey. A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: info@ abookforallseason.com. Yoga at the Winery, 8/8 & 8/22 9:45 a.m. Tsillan Cellars, Chelan. Info: yogachelan.com. Get Grilling 8/9, 5:30 p.m. Sliders with shallot-Dijon relish, grilled chicken with sriracha glaze, grilled romaine with blue cheese dressing, brown sugar and mustard salmon, spiendidi (Italian for “little skewers”) of chicken and zucchini with almond salsa Verde, grilled vegetable salad. Ivy Wild Inn. Cost: $40. Info: theivywildinn@mac.com. Light Sport Fly In, 8/12 – 8/14. Open flights, discovery flights, spot landing competition, beach day for kids, ladies event, wine tasting and lunch. Saturday night BBQ potluck and live music. Dancing on Sunday. Lake Chelan Airport. Info: lakechelan.com. Dierks Bentley, 8/12, 7 p.m. Live concert. Deep Water Amphitheater, Manson. Cost: $35 - $75. Info: colvillecasinos.com. Ravenwolf, 8/12, 6 p.m. Live music. Lake Chelan Winery. Cost: free. Info: lakechelanwinery.com. Ian McFeron, 8/13, 7 p.m. Concert at River Haus in the Pines Bed and Breakfast. Info: 548-9690. Thunder Swamp, 8/13. Extreme boat races in East Wenatchee. Info: www.thunderswamp.com. Bread, Cheese and Cured Meat Festival, 8/13, 6 p.m. Vinman’s Bakery from Leavenworth, Cured by Visconti’s meat from Leavenworth, and Alpine Lake Cheese, dancing tunes and wine. White Heron Cellars, 10035 Stuhlmiller Rd, Quincy. Cost: $10. Info: whiteheronwine. com.

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The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

Mike Bills: Adding a little spice to his music It sounds like a philosophical

contradiction, but guitarist Mike Bills, 47, is a happy realist. Not foolish, not cynical. He knows what’s important in his life and revels in keeping the balance just about right. As a psychologist (20 years with the Eastmont School District) with a wife and child and a rambling Victorian heritage house south of Sunnyslope, he knows that making music can occupy only its allotted portion of his time and energies. He says, “I know if I were to put in lots of time — playing constantly, learning constantly — I could be really excellent, but then,” he gestures at his young daughter, who nods affirmatively (she’s heard this), “without these other parts of my life, it would be a sad, narcissistic existence.” Mike wasn’t always this reasonable about music. When his high school buddies formed a rock band, somebody needed to play lead guitar, so at 18, untrained and star struck, he picked up his first instrument, and then, he says, “Playing guitar was my job all the way through college.” Stretching his style while he listened to guitar world greats like Mark Knofler, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Pass, Sonny Landreth, Bonny Raitt, Santana and Ry Cooder, Mike continued plucking and strumming for another decade. He played professionally and he played well, though he admits his agent sometimes booked him into imperfect venues like cowboy bars and formal weddings. Making money with music became drudgery and burnout was August 2011 | The Good Life

Mike Bills performs at a hoppin’ backyard party.

inevitable, so Mike abandoned it for outdoor pursuits like kayaking and multisport racing. A decade later, refreshed, he picked up the guitar with gusto and now plays gigs around the region with his group Velvet Elvis. New challenges energize him (he experiments with alternate tunings and now plays with a “slide”) and he loves that people respond to his music with evident pleasure. As lead guitarist, he enjoys the improvisational freedom he experimented with in a University of Montana jazz group. And the mix of two or three musicians suits him better than solo — it takes the pressure off, lets people swap jobs, and “there’s thrill when you’re playing with others… sometimes it seems like you’re pulled into something magical.” Velvet Elvis plays Delta Blues, Reggae, Classic Rock, Folk Music and more. You may have heard them at a variety of regional venues — it’s music you know, tunes you can tap to, hum to www.ncwgoodlife.com

and dance to. Mike’s eclectic experience gives him a big cupboard full of musical techniques to draw on, and he makes this analogy: stylistic “spice” means he can dress up any dish, enhance any flavor. “To me it’s like cooking: if you like paella, you add saffron. If you like spaghetti, you add oregano.” And sometimes you just try new flavor combos. Demonstrating, he grins as he plays a recognizable riff of rocker Keith Richards’ “Wild Horses.” Then he switches guitars, does a Django Reinhardt-esque rendition with a “gypsy slide,” and finishes with a cool ’50s jazz sound. Now that he’s perfected the technique, gathered the group, gained the local reputation — and is savvy about how the best parts of his life fit together — Mike is making music for fun again. To learn more about Mike Bills and his music, see www.reverbnation.com/anothervelvetelvis. — by Susan Lagsdin

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}}} Continued from previous page Working with High Risk Youth: The Case of Curtis Jones, 8/14, 1 – 3 p.m. Wenatchee Valley College professor Alex Taub, with over 20 years experience in the field, releases Working with High Risk Youth: The Case of Curtis Jones, which portrays existing social programs from the at-risk youth’s point of view. Book signing. A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: info@abookforallseasons.com. Historic Wenatchee Buildings, 8/18, 2 – 3 p.m. Historic preservationist Kris Bassett will present Part Two of a slide show showing the development of early downtown Wenatchee. Illustrating her remarks with historic photographs, she will explain the significance, background and architecture of many businesses and apartment buildings — many of which are still standing today. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: free to members, $5 adults, $4 seniors/students, $2 kids. Info:

wenatcheewa.gov. Fine Arts Festival, 8/19 – 8/21. Art show, food vendors and entertainment. Riverwalk Park, Chelan. The Streamers, 8/19 & 8/20 6 p.m. Live music. Lake Chelan Winery. Cost: free. Info: lakechelanwinery.com. The Conscientious Gardener: Cultivating a Garden Ethic, 8/19, 7 -9 p.m. Surprisingly, common gardening practices too often damage the environment. In her inspiring Conscientious Gardener, Sarah Hayden Reichard explains how to ensure gardens are sustainable, lively, and healthy places. Book signing. Barn Beach Reserve, and 8/20, 1 – 3 p.m. at A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: info@abookforallseasons.com. Blake Shelton, 8/20, 7 p.m. Live music. Deep Water Amphitheater, Manson. Cost: $35 - $75. Info: colvillecasinos.com. Apple City Roller Derby, 8/20, 6 p.m. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival, 8/20. Sleeping Lady

Mountain Resort. Cost: $30 per person or $50 per couple. Info: visitwashingtonfarms.com. Pipes, Camera, Action!, 8/20, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Brad Miller will play the 1919 Liberty Theater Pipe Organ accompanying two silent film comedy classics. The event is open to participants in the Super Summer Sleepover at the museum as well as the general public. Popcorn and drinks are included. Pre-register: 888-6240. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $10 adults, $8 kids. Info: wenatcheewa. gov. Super Summer Sleepover, 8/20. Explore museum displays, enjoy crafts and activities, take a flashlight tour, watch two short silent films and camp out in the museum. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Pre-register: 8886240. Info: wenatcheewa.gov. Night at the Museum, 8/20, 6 p.m. Enjoy local wine and cheese and guided tours given by the Nutcracker Lady, Arlene Wagner as seen on the Conan Show. Live music. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum. Info: nutcrackermuseum. com. Salmon BBQ, 8/20, 4 p.m. Salmon, coleslaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, roll and soda. Riverwalk Park, Chelan. Tickets through Rotary member. Info: lakechelan.com. You For Me for You and The Whale, 8/20, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Two plays. Icicle Creek Music Center, Leavenworth. Cost; $12 or $20

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for both. Info: iciclearts.org. Slam ‘n Jam 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, 8/20 – 8/21. Don Morse Park, Chelan. Team fee: $80. Interesting Indian, 8/23, 5:30 p.m. Tamarind Martinis, Indian spiced roasted nuts, curried rice noodles in lettuce wraps, cuminscented samosas with mint raita, Chai-brined shrimp skewers, green beans, potato in chunky tomato sauce and lime-coconut granita. Cooking class at Ivy Wild Inn. Cost: $40. Info: theivywildinn@mac.com. Wild and Scenic Music Fest, 8/26 – 8/27. Barn dance Friday night at Canyon Wren Recital Hall, Leavenworth. Saturday at outdoor Meadow Stage at Icicle Creek Music Center will feature, Pickled Okra, Hot Cider, Atlas String Band at the Meadow Main stage; Spare Rib and the Bluegrass Sauce, Fog horn Trio, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands. After party at Canyon Wren features Buzz Brump, a Seattle based party band. Info: www. wildandscenicmusicfest.com. The Lake Boys, 8/26, 6 p.m. Live music. Lake Chelan Winery. Cost: free. Info: lakechelanwinery.com. Rustique Divas, 8/26 & 8/27. Vintage market – a place where you can expect the unexpected, find rustic elegance and old treasures with a touch of sassy cowgirl and a pinch of gypsy flair. Pioneer Park, Waterville. Info: wenatcheevalley. org.

WHAT TO DO

We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com

Camp Erin, 8/26 - 8 /28. Camp for grieving children ages 6 - 17. Children are comforted knowing that there are other children who understand exactly what they are feeling and experiencing. YMCA Camp, Lake Wenatchee. Cost: free. Info: Good Grief Center 662-6069. Stevens Pass Railroad History Tour, 8/27, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Bob Kelly, collections manager for the Skykomish Historical Society, will lead an auto tour to points of interest along the Stevens Pass Highway. The tour will begin at the Upper Valley Museum in Leavenworth, with participants forming carpools and driving to five historic railway sites. It will end at the site of the 1910 Wellington Disaster, where 96 people lost their lives when an avalanche swept two trains from the tracks into a ravine. Bring water and a lunch and wear walking shoes. Pre-register through Upper Valley Museum, 548-0728. At the final stop at Wellington, participants may elect to hike on the Iron Goat Trail. The tour is co-sponsored by UVM and the Wenatchee Valley Museum. Cost: $20. Info: wenatcheewa.gov. Kenny Rogers, 8/28, 7 p.m. Live music. Deep Water Amphitheater, Manson. Cost: $35 - $75. Info: colvillecasinos.com. Wenatchee Wine Country Wineries, 9/9 – 9/11. Wine garden, educational exhibits, and wine tasting Friday and Saturday nights. Chelan County Fairground. Info www.wenatcheewines.com http:// www.wenatcheewines.com. Healthy Living Expo, 9/11, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Seminars and vendors relating to staying healthy and active for life. Wenatchee Convention Center. Taste of Harvest Wine Garden, 9/17. Street fair offers wine garden 12-6 p.m., Battle of the bands live concerts, food booths, farmer’s market, kids activity area, Fun run, and much more. Downtown Wenatchee. Info: www. wenatcheedowntown.org or www. wenatcheewines.com. Sarah Sample, 9/17, 7 p.m. Live music. River Haus in the Pines B & B. Cost: $35 includes dessert from Homefires Bakery and The Gingerbread Factors. Info: riverhausinthepines.com.

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

A love affair with horses — cast in bronze Some little girls who love

horses are lucky enough to have a pony to ride, some just make lists of names, some read Misty and Black Beauty and dream. As a child, Wenatchee artist Suzanne Grassell drew them — always in similar poses, standing alone, facing the same way. She admits now that the appeal of sculpting might be that she doesn’t have to “fool around with backgrounds.” She does, however, fool around with the painstaking myriad detail involved in the creation of bronze sculpture. Suzanne’s bronzes, some commissioned, come from her own childhood connection with horses, and that helps her recreate that emotional tie for the buyers. She includes with each piece the text of the personal back story: her mother’s horseback courtship, the birth of her own filly, an older sister’s mentoring. She explains, “Western art mostly depicts cowboys — I want to capture moments that show the love affair women and girls have with horses. That’s a huge part of the western scene.” This sensuous art is a relatively new experience for her. At Wenatchee’s Art on the Avenues fundraising event in 2005, she played with a lump of clay which was later cast into bronze, and that first hand-sized foal started a career that fits perfectly into her very full life. At 36, her full life involves work as the governmental affairs program manager for the Chelan PUD. It also involves her husband and two children (ages 2 years and 5 months). And it involves other arts: August 2011 | The Good Life

Suzanne Grassell — Western art from a woman’s point of view.

Suzanne is a professional musician who has played her vintage pedal harp since childhood. She’s written a few rough drafts of novels, maybe heading toward publication. She also finds time to ride her three horses, boarded at nearby Appleatchee. “One of the nice things about working with clay is that when I’m busy I can start, stop, put it away and come back. Nothing changes — it waits for me to get back to it.” Her only regret in working with bronze is the cost — $1,500 is a typical price. Limited editions — never more than 20 — keep the value strong but the price high. “I wish I could sell them for less, especially when I see a little girl who loves my work.” With her very first projects, www.ncwgoodlife.com

she blushes to recall, she babysat each piece at the foundry, terrified of mistakes at every step from clay to rubber, wax, and plaster molds to the finished bronze piece. “I’ve relaxed a lot since then,” she says. A surprising aspect of this medium is through five volatile processes the details stay exactly the same. What Suzanne sculpts at home makes its way at the foundry through rubber, wax and plaster molds, and finally becomes molten bronze. “Every shoelace, every eyebrow, all the expressions — everything I tool onto the clay comes out perfectly.” For more about Suzanne’s work, see www.suzannegrassell. com. — by Susan Lagsdin

column those were the days

rod molzahn

Conrad Rose – Wenatchee’s first fruit shipper In 1913 Wenatchee Valley or-

chardists had a choice of 28 fruit shippers vying for their crops. The list included a local cooperative, the Wenatchee Valley Fruit Growers Association, but it was Conrad Rose’s Wenatchee Produce Company that outshipped them all, moving over 700 cars, twice the tonnage of the second place Growers Association. By the late 1920s the Wenatchee Produce Company was trading several million dollars in fruit annually. Rose had constructed a complex of buildings for storage and shipping with 400 feet of frontage along north Wenatchee Avenue that stretched east to the railroad tracks. Nine freight cars could be loaded or unloaded at a time. The complex also housed sales rooms for a multitude of other products including orchard supplies, Studebaker cars, trucks, spraying machines and all manner of stock feeds. Annual sales from these non-shipping businesses reached $1,000,000. John Gellatly, early Wenatchee mayor, said Conrad Rose was known for frugality, integrity, loyalty, square dealing and community service. Local historian Bruce Mitchell, who knew Rose, called him “one of the five most important people in the development of Wenatchee.” In 1906 Rose and his wife Elizabeth built a new home for their growing family. The imposing two-story, red brick edifice featuring white trim and six white columns along the front porch still stands at 21 S. Chelan, across from Memorial Park. The Rose’s first home in Wenatchee was not nearly so grand.

Conrad Rose, 1906. Photo from Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center

The Rose family, with twoyear-old Thomas C. and sixmonth-old George, came from Ellensburg over Colockum Pass in a lumber wagon, arriving in Wenatchee July 7, 1888. They were part of an early wave of settlers into the valley in the late 1880s. Conrad had visited Wenatchee a year earlier and had bought 160 acres with a house along Miller Street including the site of the old Wenatchee High

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School and the present Columbia Elementary School. He paid $900 for the land. When he brought his family to Wenatchee the next year, Elizabeth, raised in England, was not impressed with the sun-baked, dusty flat. She later recalled, “Then I saw the house. Two rooms. A kitchen and a bedroom. And the farm! I couldn’t believe it.” They cleared the sagebrush off several acres and Conrad

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| August 2011

hauled lumber from Ellensburg to build an addition to the house. The lumber was green and soon warped making holes for the dust of summer and the cold wind of winter. They survived that first year by selling the east half of their land for $1,500 to the Wenatchee Development Company, the company that had initially platted the town. In the spring of 1889 the Roses planted a garden along with wheat, oats and potatoes. There was no source of irrigation water and nothing grew, but that year the Wenatchee Development bought another 50 acres of Rose land, this time for the unheard of sum of $5,000. The “Hard Winter” of 1889/90 began with a heavy snowfall in November followed by more snow and sub-zero temperatures into May. The Rose house was hardly a match for the wind and cold, but a third son, Philip, was born on Feb. 17. In the spring the Wenatchee Development Company made an offer for the remainder of Rose’s land. Rose refused until neighbors convinced him he would be a fool to turn it down. The Roses got $1,000 plus 40 acres one mile southwest of town with a good water supply. They called it “Shell Rock Farm” and built a two-story house surrounded by lawn, alfalfa and 30 acres of peaches. The current Wenatchee High School occupies part of that property. The first crop of those peaches, in 1893, was one of the first fruit shipments to leave Wenatchee on the new Northern Pacific Railroad. That success spurred Rose to organize ship-

Conrad Rose was straight talking and sometimes blunt. He also had a reputation for “colorful” vocabulary. ments the next year including fruit from his neighbor’s newly bearing orchards. Conrad Rose was on his way to becoming the valley’s first shipping magnate. But he was trusted and respected in the community for much more than that. In February of 1900, Rose was appointed by the governor to serve as a commissioner for Chelan County, just formed from parts of Okanogan and Kittitas counties. In the November general election, running as a Democrat in a strongly Republican

county, Rose was elected to remain a commissioner. He was re-elected in the following race as well. He also served on the Wenatchee School Board and as one of three members of an Irrigation Board to oversee operation of the Highline Canal. Conrad Rose was straight talking and sometimes blunt. He also had a reputation for “colorful” vocabulary. Vocal in his opposition to organized religion he was also adamantly against prohibition. He believed the only way to be happy was to make others happy and his generosity was legend. He was owed several hundred thousand dollars in personal loans when he died in 1938 at age 78. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@frontier.com. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.

August 2011 | The Good Life

Marketplace Accounting/bookkeeping

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ADVERTISE IN THE MARKETPLACE Reach the adventurous readers of

who are willing to try something new. Donna Cassidy donna@ncwgoodlife.com John Hunter jhunter@ncwgoodlife.com

We love to hear a good story!

Life needs a little adventure. Whether you are finding yours around the corner or at the ends of the earth, The Good Life readers want to share in your passion. Tell us what you are doing and we’ll help you tell a good story.

editor@ncwgoodlife.com

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FUN STUFF // check out these activities

5 reasonS to venture out Long days and warm nights

create lots of opportunities for fun. Here are a few items that caught our eye from this month’s What To Do list (starting on page 27) — and made us mark our calendar.

Good eats —

Sure, you meant to start a garden this year, but with the late spring and cool weather, you never got around to it. Local farmers markets are a fabulous way of eating fresh and local foods without having to actually grub around in the dirt. In Wenatchee, the markets are every Wednesday at Columbia Street, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.; every Thursday at Methow Park 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.; every Saturday at Columbia Street 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., and every

Sunday at Memorial Park (by the courthouse) 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Go for the healthy food, then enjoy the bakery treats tucked away between the stands of local fresh fruits and veggies.

Old stories — Un-

like some medium-sized cities that have hollowed out because of box stores locating on the periphery, the heart of Wenatchee is still in its downtown. Historic preservationist Kris Bassett will present a slide show showing the development of early downtown Wenatchee and explain the significance, background and architecture of many businesses and apartment buildings — many of which are still standing today. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. 2-3 p.m., Aug. 18. Cost: free to members, $5 adults, $4 seniors/students, $2 kids. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.

(Everett) Rain of Terrorvs vs. the B-52’s. At half time the Apple City rollergirls will be introduced and are tentatively planning a minibout.

Scenic Institute, an organization dedicated to providing environmental education and outdoor recreation to disadvantaged youth. Aug. 26-27. For times, prices and locations, visit www.wildandscenicmusicfest.com.

Wild music — Just

the name of the musical groups at the Wild and Scenic Music Fest makes you want to bounce

Go, girls — Now for

something completely different, Wenatchee will have its first roller derby bout Aug. 20 at the Town Toyota Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., event starts at 7 p.m. with entertainment, light shows and more. The bout will feature Jet City’s

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on your feet and sway your hips: Pickled Okra, Hot Cider, Atlas String Band, Spare Rib and the Bluegrass Sauce, the Foghorn Trio and Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands are among the draws. And, the cause behind the festival is upbeat too: the money raised supports the Wild and

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| August 2011

Railway ways — Bob Kelly,

collections manager for the Skykomish Historical Society, will lead an auto tour to points of interest along the Stevens Pass Highway. The tour will begin at the Upper Valley Museum in Leavenworth, with participants forming carpools and driving to five historic railway sites. It will end at the site of the 1910 Wellington Disaster, where 96 people lost their lives when an avalanche swept two trains from the tracks into a ravine. Bring water and a lunch and wear walking shoes. Pre-register through Upper Valley Museum, 548-0728. Aug. 27. Cost: $20. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.