Inspire(d) Spring 2025

Inspire(d)

Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm

APPETIZERS to Entreés brewery tours

20+ TAPS & cocktails

Photo location: Impact Coffee, downtown Decorah

Inspire(d)

DRIFTLESS

AN EXPERIMENT IN POSITIVE NEWS

Interested in becoming a contributor? Email work samples to Aryn at aryn@iloveinspired.com, and we’ll chat! SPRING 25. #80 WHAT’S THE BEST THAT COULD HAPPEN? FINDING COURAGE IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Hooray for thesehumans!amazing

Aryn Henning Nichols / Editor-in-Chief + Designer

Benji Nichols / Head of Logistics + Advertising Sales

Sara Walters / writer

Steve Harris / writer

Renee Brincks / writer

Laura Barlament / writer

Olivia Lynn Schnur / mental health writer

Craig Thompson / conservation writer

Mary Thompson / conservation artist

Joni Welda / center spread photographer

Hannah Tulgren / cover artist

Gabbi TerBeest, Anya Volkmann, Lula McAbee / Future Focused submissions

COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOUNDERS

Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine is headquartered & created in Decorah, Iowa. We cover communities located in the NE IA, SE MN, and W WI area of the Driftless Region. Email aryn@iloveinspired.com to learn about Community Partnership opportunities in the future - we’ve got some fun ideas!

JOIN THE POSITIVE NEWS MOVEMENT

1. Buy local - We couldn’t make this magazine without our amazing advertisers and partners. Visit or shop with one (or many) of our advertisers, and let them know you saw them in Inspire(d)!

2. Become an Inspire(d) Member at iloveinspired.com/membership

3. Sign up for our Positive News Newsletter by scanning the QR code here ----- :

4. Visit us online – website and social – and share with your friends and family!

5. Listen to our “Rhymes With...” podcast at http://decorah.fun find the gnome...

G-Gnome is hiding somewhere in this magazine! The first five people (no previous winners please) to send us his page location through our contact form at iloveinspired.com/contact-inspired gets a free Inspire(d) 7-Year Pen in the mail!

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO CHANGE THE WORLD THROUGH POSITIVE NEWS, ONE COMMUNITY AT A TIME.

What’s the name mean?

Inspire(d) – pronounced in-spy-erd... you know: inspired – stands for inspire and be inspired. The idea is that person one inspires person two. That person is now inspired. Then that person inspires person three (or person one again), who is now inspired. Then the cycle continues! That’s what those arrows around the (d) are about! We’re here to remind folks that people are good! Our mission is, ultimately, to change the world… starting with our own community. We like to call it an experiment in positive news.

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Support Inspire(d)

Inspire(d) Magazine is published quarterly by Inspire(d) Media, LLC, 412 Oak Street, Decorah, Iowa, 52101. This issue is dated Spring 2025, issue 80, volume 18, Copyright 2025 by Inspire(d) Magazine. We want Inspire(d) to be accessible for all, which is why it is free on stands across the Driftless! But you can support Inspire(d) through Membership! We’ll send the magazine in the mail, to you or a loved one, for $35/year. Visit the Membership page at iloveinspired.com for details, or send a check for $35 to Inspire(d) Magazine, 412 Oak St., Decorah, Iowa 52101. Thank you for your support, and for joining the positive news movement!

Want to make a comment about something you read in the magazine? Email aryn@iloveinspired.com.

Tulips continue to grow, even after they’re cut. Did you know that?! I love this about tulips. I love that something that’s been literally cut off from its normal state of life and plopped into another still decides to reach for the sun, seeking the light. We, too, can keep seeking the light and growing in challenging times. Our theme this issue centers around this idea, and the question: What’s the best that could happen? Our mental health section delves into self-fulfilling prophesies, best-case scenarios, and facing fears. My hope is that readers will find courage in challenging times, and the bravery to believe in better days ahead.

In the ever-oscillating desire to be informed but not be overwhelmed, sometimes we just need to find things that make us happy. That’s a big goal for cover artist Hannah Tulgren: She wants her artwork to bring people joy. Goal achieved, because this cover is brightening my life, for sure.

Finding joy can be tough. People are feeling overlooked right now. Not heard. Like there’s no path forward. But community builders work to counteract that, giving folks a place to belong, and a place where their voice is not lost in the void. Ryan and Allie Palmer help instigate that community belonging at Paddle On Coffee and Maker’s Emporium in Lanesboro, Minnesota. And Bobbi Rathert in La Crosse, Wisconsin, tries to broaden perspectives – for herself and others – about marginalized groups, in turn, building communities for and within communities. Because supporting others is vital to a thriving society.

One thing I’ve been wanting to do is support the younger generation. As a parent to an almost-teenager, I’m seeing how wise these young adults can be, and how rare it is for them to have an outlet for their voices. So, last year, we started our new “Future Focused: Listening to the Next Generation” column. Our daughter, Roxie, was the first contributor (on recommendation of her then-fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Fromm). But the goal was always to open it up to other middle school students as well. Another goal achieved (woot!), because we have three new Future Focused writers in our pages in this issue! Huge thanks to Decorah Middle School Extended Learning Program teacher Dana Hogan, who coordinated and edited with the students who submitted their work to me earlier this year.

I had to laugh when one of those submissions pokes fun at parents using Gen Z slang, because our paper project this issue does just that. But it’s “Gen Z approved” by our kid, and I reserve the right to design Mother’s Day presents that fit my needs (a nice chocolate bar is always on the wish list).

In the turmoil, life carries on.

Writer Laura Barlament tells the tale of Spring Grove, Minnesota’s path through history, capturing hearts across generations.

A fun Sum of Your Business interview with Trisha Houlthaus of Market 52 just north of Decorah reminds us that inspiration can be found anywhere (even in a packed garage).

Conservation writer Craig Thompson jokes that a mushroom is a fun guy at a party…and teaches us about the Fungi Kingdom and the well-loved spring morel.

And our (super inspiring) probit this issue features 105-year-old Marge Costigan, who is still living at home and playing bridge.

Life will surprise you in glorious ways. Be on the lookout for wonder, generosity, and compassion out there, because you will find it, friends. Don’t let the darkness snuff out your light. Keep sharing the bright spots and speaking up for your community. Your voice is important, and we are glad you’re here. Together, we shine.

Looking forward,

Aryn Henning Nichols

It’s a region in the Midwest – Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Wisconsin, and a wee bit of Northwest Illinois – that was skipped by the glaciers in the last ice age, leaving the area “lacking glacial drift” – i.e. Driftless. The gist of that is we get to enjoy bluffs, valleys, coulees, and other fun geographical features that don’t typically occur in other parts of our states (the Mississippi River contributes greatly to the geography as well). It’s a lovely place to live and visit, and we’re happy you’re here!

is

HANNAH TULGREN

Our gorgeous cover art

by Decorah artist Hannah Tulgren. Read more about Hannah & her work on page 18.

What We’re Loving right now

A LITTLE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK IS AWESOME IN THE DRIFTLESS REGION THIS SPRING...

‘CROSSINGS’ + SISTERS MAKIN’ MAGAZINES!

The sloop (one masted) ship ‘Restauration’ set sail for New York Harbor from Stavanger, Norway, on July 4, 1825, with 52 Norwegians filling its cramped quarters.

Credited as the first in a massive wave of Norwegian emigration, the “Sloopers” would be followed by more than 800,000 Norwegians emigrating to the United States in the following century. The diverse groups came from all across Norway, seeking a new life in a new land, driven by social, economic, religious, and political factors, and contributed significantly to our own region’s culture and history.

A new exhibit at Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum, “200 Years of Norwegians in America,” celebrates the large stories that even small objects can tell about these Norwegian Americans and their journeys. The exhibit’s stories can be heard through special audio segments recorded by Luther College students in Dr. Anna Peterson’s Scandinavian Immigration History course.

Opening May 9 is another Vesterheim exhibit of special interest to us here at Inspire(d). “Pioneering Pages: Forming the New American Woman” shares the story of magazine publishing sisters Ida and Mina Jensen, who created “Kvinden og Hjemmet” (Woman and

Home). The first issue, edited by Ida and typeset by Mina, came out in May 1888. The magazine continued for six decades of success in the United States and beyond. Through the publication, the sisters advocated for women’s education, equality, and suffrage, hoping to spark readers’ intellect and make them aware of how they could use their knowledge, talents, and skills to benefit society. (We can get behind this at Inspire(d), for sure!)

Vesterheim invites everyone, whether you have Norwegian roots or an interest in immigration, to share the history and traditions, as well as this momentous anniversary in the coming year – from the “Crossings Bicentennial” to “Pioneering Pages,” Folk Art School classes, book club events, Language, Culture, metal working, and more. Details at vesterheim.org

SEED SAVER’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Since 1975, Seed Savers Exchange has connected farmers and gardeners to high-quality, historic, and open-pollinated seeds. That means 2025 is Seed Savers Exchange’s 50th anniversary as an organization! As one of the largest NGO Seed Banks in the United States, this organization holds an incredibly important part in preserving and sharing countless seed varieties across the nation and world! To celebrate 50 years, SSE will be hosting several special events throughout the year (In addition to the 2025 virtual conference) so mark your calendars now, and visit seedsavers.org for all the details!

Seed starting workshop - March 22

Virtual Apple Grafting Workshop - April 11-12

Heirloom plant sale - May 9-10

50th Anniversary Celebration and in-person conference at

Heirloom tomato tasting - September 13

Tour of the historic orchard and apple tasting - October 4

Virtual Seed School - September 29–November 3

What We’re Loving right now

A LITTLE LIST OF WHAT WE THINK IS AWESOME IN THE DRIFTLESS REGION THIS SPRING...

BLUFF COUNTRY STUDIO ARTISTS TOUR

Springtime in Minnesota can mean daffodils or snow, and sometimes both, but the last weekend in April has meant the Bluff Country Studio Art Tour for more than two decades. The 24th annual Bluff Country Studio Art Tour welcomes visitors Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 25-27, 2025. The scenic self-guided tour is an opportunity to enjoy spring in Southeast Minnesota’s Bluff Country and the hospitality of local artists in their studios.

This year’s event features 33 artists presenting their work in 20 different locations around the area as well as two galleries/ shops featuring the work of many regional artists. The weekend art adventure is a fun chance to meet the artists in their creative spaces, hear about their processes, see demonstrations, and shop for oneof-a-kind art.

“We’re excited to present two emerging artists, Kevin Reid and Donna Mili Otis, this year along with several other new artists and an amazing collection of artists who have participated for decades,” says Tour Coordinator, Sue Pariseau. “Visiting the studios is free and there is artwork priced for any budget.”

Visit the tour’s website for more information and a downloadable/ printable map at bluffcountrystudioarttour.org. Printed maps are also available at participating locations, Lanesboro and Winona Visitors Centers, and many area businesses.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Additional support provided by the River Arts Alliance.

RIDGES AND RIVERS BOOK FESTIVAL

Rivers and Ridges Book Festival turns another page this year as the festival looks to delight literary fans from across the midwest. The third annual celebration of reading, writing, creativity, and community will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at venues across downtown Viroqua. The festival brings community and visitors together face-to-face with authors in a variety of ways -

through readings, book-signings, workshops, and presentations. Opportunities to interact will abound, with visiting authors like Maggie Ginsberg, William Kent Krueger, Brian Reisinger, Erica Hannickel, Tamara Dean, Marcy West, Amy Pease, Dean Robbins, (Decorah’s own) Keith Lesmeister, and more. Event organizers hope to engage readers of every age in the exploration of ideas and the literary arts. here’s another fun connection to Decorah, as Dragonfly Books will be coordinating book sales and small/ independent presses at the onsite book fair from 9am-2pm in the lobby of the McIntosh Memorial Library. Festival authors will be available throughout the event to meet the public and sign books at the McIntosh Conference Room! Additionally, the Friends of the McIntosh Memorial Library will be holding a Buy One Get One Free book sale during the Festival at their used bookstore just inside the entrance to the library. Check out all the details, schedules, and more at ridgesandriversbookfestival.org

DRIFTLESS WATER DEFENDERS BENEFIT MAY 8

The Driftless Region is unique for many reasons, and its geology and geography are at the top of that list. Limestone, black dirt, and the beautiful terrain of our region create both bounty and beauty, but are also fragile players in the health of our water quality. The Driftless Water Defenders is a non-profit Iowa environmental law and advocacy organization founded in May 2024 that focuses on reducing farm-related water pollution and pollution-caused threats to public health in the Driftless Area of Northeast Iowa, and statewide as well. The organization’s actions are intent on changing public policy, engaging citizens, and, when necessary, litigating matters to protect and enhance Iowans’ access to clean water for personal, business, and recreational purposes.

Many notable Iowan’s have been speaking out about water quality in recent years, and the Driftless Water Defenders group is offering up some of those voices in support of their work by hosting a benefit concert May 8 at 7:30 pm at the Steyer Opera House in the Hotel Winneshiek in downtown Decorah. The concert will feature folk hero Greg Brown, as well as David Moore, Pieta Brown, Jeffrey Focault, Eric Heywood, and the Weary Ramblers.

Find out more about the Driftless Water Defenders as well as this special benefit concert at driftlesswaterdefenders.com

What We’re Loving right now

EWALU TO SPONSOR ADVENTURE RACE!

We know it’s springtime, but if you like to plan adventures, now is the time to check out the all new Wild Driftless Adventure Race taking place October 4, 2025 at Ewalu Camp & Retreat Center near Strawberry Point, Iowa.

With Soaring limestone bluffs, crystal-clear trout streams, fastmoving rivers, single-track mountain biking, and incredibly scenic gravel roads, The Wild Driftless Adventure Race will take you into some of the most scenic areas of Northeast Iowa. The event features trekking, biking, and paddling for teams of 2-4 (or soloists) on a course designed for all ability levels. But wait, what IS an adventure race, you ask?

From the kind folks at the US Adventure Racing Association: “Adventure Racing (AR) is a multisport, primarily off-road,

navigationbased sport. Put more plainly –adventure racing is a scavenger hunt with a clock. The course is not revealed until race time, and racers navigate to as many checkpoints as they can within a time limit. In AR, each race is uniquely designed to the local surroundings, sometimes with disciplines required multiple times over the course of the race. Racers navigate their own route between checkpoints, and may offer optional checkpoints; which means not everyone will have gone the same route and/or same distance/elevations by the end of the race.”

Sound like a fun outdoor adventure in Clayton County? Better act quick, as the Wild Driftless Adventure Race’s two options (9-hour or 4-hour cut-off) only have 125 slots for participants, and are expected to go fast. The event is being hosted at Ewalu Camp and Retreat Center, which will also offer overnight lodging options, awards after the races, and more. Mandatory gear lists as well as rules and all the details are available online for preview.

Ready to sign up with a team of friends or go solo? Find all the information and more at wilddriftless.com. Love the idea but too much for you to take on? Consider volunteering for the event to help be a part of the team that will make it all happen.

NICHOLAS C. ROWLEY COURTNEY ROWLEY DOMINIC PECHOTA

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND…

Brian Gibbs is a well-known and friendly face around our region. Our readers might also remember him as the photographer behind the beautiful Motor Mill rainbow image in the Spring 2024 Inspire(d). In addition to his “Timberdoodle Photography” work, Brian is one of the founders of the popular Cabin Concert Series in rural Clayton County and Elkader. He, his wife Emily, and their young family have roots in Northeast Iowa, but have followed Brian’s passion for National Parks on a path that included working at Glacier National Park, then a position at UW Stevens Point that was eliminated during the COVID pandemic, and most recently, a dream job at Effigy Mounds as a Park Ranger. It was a job that helped Brian and family feel settled back home again in Northeast Iowa.

But that position, along with one other at Effigy Mounds and many more nationwide, was eliminated with little notice by the Trump administration via sudden federal cuts on Valentine’s Day this year. Brian wrote an eloquent response to losing the position that struck a chord with readers. The post went viral, shared nearly 240K times across social media (as of this printing). The story was picked up by national outlets like CBS, CNN, the Today Show, and more. Raygun t-shirts of Des Moines even partnered with Brian to create two new t-shirts to support him. One features an upside-down ranger hat with flowers and butterflies growing inside, and part of a quote from Brian’s social media post: "Gratitude - Reciprocity - Abundance."

The second tee includes Brian’s full quote: "Gratitude and reciprocity are the doorway to true abundance, not power, money, or fear." Some proceeds of the shirts are going to support Brian. Readers can find them at raygunsite.com.

Brian and his growing family – they’re expecting their second child this spring – continue to live in Elkader and work tirelessly to make their rural community a great place to live. Make sure to check out The Cabin Concerts series, promoting regional and national roots music shows locally, with another season coming for Summer 2025. In the meanwhile, catch Kentucky folk cellist Ben Sollee April 5 (we love him at Inspire(d) HQ!), and additional Songwriter Sessions May 25 as part of a Weekend Songwriters Retreat in Elkader. Keep up with all the details at cabinconcerts.org.

See more of Brian Gibbs beautiful regional photography work at timberdoodlephotography.com

Brian Gibbs with son Oliver, at Effigy Mounds. / Photo courtesy Brian Gibbs

DOWNTOWN DECORAH DREAMING

The world can feel like a topsy-turvy place these days, and we’re not here to make light of that, but one of the most fun ways we know to ground ourselves is to appreciate the community we live in and the amazing people we are surrounded by every day. There are a lot of ways to do this – through friends, community outlets, service groups, and more – but one of the most accessible ways is appreciating and supporting the fantastic people who work to make our communities thrive. In Inspire(d)’s hometown of Decorah, we feel so lucky to have incredible folks sharing their talents and vision through their shops, eateries, services, and more.

As a designated Downtown Cultural and Entertainment District of Iowa, Decorah’s more than a dozen walkable downtown blocks offer many independent businesses that showcase a true sense of community, and so much more. In fact, new businesses continue to open, and traditional businesses continue to find new lives through transitions and ownership. Check out the listings of new or expanded businesses in Downtown Decorah highlighted on the opposite page via the Decorah Chamber of Commerce.

New businesses are offering old things, old businesses are offering new things, and fresh faces are popping up on every block to help connect you to a community of opportunities. After all, we can only control the things we can control ourselves, but with a community of committed people, we can accomplish much more together. See you soon in Downtown Decorah!

SAUNAS ARE SO NICE!

There may be nothing more soothing in the midst of a lingering winter (or early spring) chill than the deep heat of a sauna experience. Many may be familiar with the long traditions of sauna culture in Scandinavia and beyond, but until recently, these experiences were rather hard to come by in our region. Enter not one, but two regional businesses that are offering up sauna experiences for your wellness and enjoyment!

Cody and Katie Schweinefus of Decorah saw an opportunity to give people access to holistic wellness services that were not widely available, so in 2023 Salu Sauna & Wellness Spa was created, tucked into a cozy spot in downtown Decorah. The facility hosts multiple infrared sauna rooms, each equipped with added wellness

BLUFFSIDE GARDENS

benefits like red light therapy, halotherapy (dry salt therapy), and a cold plunge. With the mission “to make holistic health and healing services available and accessible to rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit,” Salu has added not just another spa to downtown Decorah, but a community of wellness users and a “warm welcome” for all. Check it all out or book a session at saluwellness.com

Dayna Burtness and Nick Nguyen had another vision of how to share sauna culture with our region that truly shines. The regenerative farming, sauna-loving couple were looking at ways to follow their passions and diversify their offerings to create more community. After enjoying many years of thermaculture and visiting different sauna locations that embraced the outdoors, the idea for Little Dipper Sauna Co was hatched. The couple have built two mobile sauna units (the “little one” and the “big one”) capable of operating anywhere, and are offering up both at special community sessions on their farm near Spring Grove, as well as rentals at your location (within the region). Sessions on the farm are currently about once a month, and weekend rentals are ongoing. Fees run on sliding scales, and you can find out all the details at littledippersauna.com.

DON’T MISS THESE DATES!

Get out in it this Spring! Here are just a handful of other fantastic community events happening in the Driftless.

March 7-9 - International Festival of Owls, Houston, MN

March 14 - Luther Center Stage Series, Irish ensemble Danú

March 14-16 - Cabin Fever Fest, Lanesboro

March 23 - Luren Singers, Cresco Opera House

March 29 - Other Country Ensemble, St. Mane, Lanesboro

April 4-6 - Decorah Women’s Weekend Out

April 5-June 1 - "Here in the World" exhibit, Lanesboro Arts

April 5, 8 & 11-13 - Ordinary Days, Elkader Opera House

April 11 - Luther Center Stage Series, string quartet ETHEL

April 12 - Songwriters in the Round, St. Mane, Lanesboro

April 25-26 - Surly Spring Pub Crawl, Lanesboro

April 26 - Ridges & Rivers Book Festival, Viroqua

April 26 - Philip Daniel – Composer/ Pianist, Cresco Opera House

Opening May 3 - Erik Jon Olson “Waste Not” exhibit, MN Marine Art Museum, Winona

May 8-10 - Sweet Science of Bruising, Luther Dance & Theatre

May 9-10 - Midwest Music Fest, Winona

May 9-10 - Heritage Plant Sale, Seed Savers, Decorah

May 17 - Syttende Mai at Vesterheim, Decorah

May 14-18 - Syttende Mai, Spring Grove, MN

Opening May 2 - Ava Shively “Fluorescent Pink, Golden Light” Exhibit - Doyle G Heyveld Gallery ArtHaus, Decorah

BRUSHES WITH

Cover artist Hannah Tulgren's original paintings, prints, and other items are available at The Perfect Edge (www.perfectedgedecorah.com), located at 107 W. Water St. in Decorah.

OPPORTUNITY

For Decorah-based painter Hannah Tulgren, creative success starts with saying yes—even if something seems daunting.

BY RENEE BRINCKS

Confidence comes from tackling new challenges. Decorah artist Hannah Tulgren has found this to be true, even if moving in new directions sometimes sparks moments of self-doubt.

“There’s always a reason to not do something, right? It’s not the right time, or I need to wait until this moment, and once I get that mural done then maybe I can do another one,” she says. “I’m just putting more trust in myself, and putting more trust into the art that I’m creating, and feeling good about it.”

Hannah’s creativity unfolds in the form of pencil drawings, watercolor projects, acrylic and oil paintings, graphic design work for brands, and even large wall murals. Each experiment expands her portfolio and clarifies her artistic vision.

For example, Hannah remembers her first largescale mural project as “a huge learning process.” Set against a pale backdrop in the mezzanine of Impact Coffee, a busy downtown gathering spot, the artwork echoes Hannah’s whimsical floral watercolors with delicate white outlines, distinctive layers of gold and black, and a kaleidoscope of leaves and pastel blossoms.

“I’d never painted on a wall that big. I was up on scaffolding for the first time. It was a really big undertaking,” she says. “I love that mural. I grew a lot from that one.”

Lately, Hannah has tackled plenty of new growth opportunities.

In October 2024, she joined the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce after five years with Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. In the months before that move, she helped organize an art market for the city’s Live on Winnebago event. The free music and art festival returned in September, after being paused for nearly 20 years. Hannah has also unveiled two downtown Decorah murals, including a 24-foot commission depicting a red fox weaving through a field of flowers.

Each accomplishment moves her forward.

ARTISTIC ROOTS

As a child, Hannah took every art class she could. She grew up in River Falls, Wisconsin, parented by a mother who involved her in craft projects and a father who was a proud Luther College graduate.

“He always wanted one of his kids to go there, and I took him up on the tour,” Hannah says. Luther’s art program and Decorah’s small-town energy prompted her to enroll, and a Norwegian class encouraged her to learn more about her Scandinavian heritage. Hannah ultimately double majored in art and Nordic studies. Along the way, she studied at the University of Oslo.

Hannah Tulgren in front of her red fox mural in downtown Decorah. / All photos courtesy Hannah Tulgren

Scandinavian themes weave through much of Hannah’s artwork.

That semester abroad – including the opportunity to explore the Lofoten region, north of the Arctic Circle – influenced Hannah’s artistic style. She started painting abstract landscapes and sketching trees reminiscent of those she saw on her travels. After graduating, Hannah further immersed herself in the culture while working as an administrative assistant at Luther’s Nordic studies center.

Today, Scandinavian threads weave through much of her work.

“The digital stuff is heavily inspired by Scandinavian folk art, but I put my own twist on it,” she says, pointing to things like clean lines, rudimentary shapes, and sprightly animals.

Nature plays a starring role in many of Hannah’s paintings. The leaves and wildflowers she notices while walking with her dog in the Decorah Community Prairie might show up in pencil drawings. From there, she washes the shapes in watercolor and later adds white highlights and ink accents.

“In some of my paintings, I’m not focused on that structure. I love the whimsy of it, and I’m not necessarily striving for this perfect line. I’m thinking it through, but I also am not as careful,” Hannah says.

Her floral watercolors and Scandinavian-inspired pieces have proven popular at The Perfect Edge in Decorah. The frame shop gallery was packed when it showcased Hannah’s work as part of a December 2024 art crawl. Residents and visitors alike love her well-priced, locally made artwork.

“She really provides a type of art that people are searching for. It’s like a modern twist to rosemaling, almost, or Scandinavian art,” says shop co-owner Jerita Balik-Burreson.

The Perfect Edge team has framed several commissions that Hannah has painted, too, including portraits celebrating treasured pets. Custom designs might incorporate local flowers or portray a pup running along a riverbed. Hannah listens to each family’s stories and chooses elements that make the paintings more memorable and meaningful.

Customers appreciate Hannah’s kindness and attention to detail.

“She’s so nice. She’s just modest, and people are drawn to that,” Jerita says.

A CAN-DO ATTITUDE

Top: In her work at Pulpit Rock, Hannah created bottled works of art for special releases, placing things like tiny wrapped presents, balloons, and pinecones atop bottles. Bottom: Hannah also paints whimsical pet portraits. / Photos courtesy Hannah Tulgren

Beer enthusiasts might recognize Hannah’s positive vibe from the social media videos she made as Pulpit Rock’s marketing manager. In addition to hosting weekly “What’s Up Wednesday” updates, she handled wide-ranging design and branding projects for the business. Hannah shot product photography and designed stickers, apparel, and merchandise. She also turned special-release beers into playful works of art. She poured wax into the bottom curve of beer cans to create candles for an anniversary release. Some holiday-season bottles were topped with miniature gift boxes that she wrapped meticulously. (“I hid seven gifts inside of the presents on top, so people actually had to unwrap them,” Hannah says.)

Continued on next page

GIFT SHOPPING:

Made in Decorah

Other releases were adorned with petite pinecones or itty-bitty balloons. One year, Hannah topped 125 bottles with tiny, hand-made party hats.

“I hot glued my fingers together so many times,” she laughs. Hannah mostly worked in watercolor, oil, and acrylic before joining the Pulpit Rock team, and some of her brewery designs reflect that background. But the job also took her down a new creative path.

“At Pulpit, they said, ‘If we buy you an iPad, can you design our labels?’ And I said, ‘Sure. I’ll figure it out,’” she remembers.

To learn the ins and outs of digital design, Hannah experimented with new tools and watched videos by other artists. In the process, she created logos and labels that established a more cohesive visual brand for the business. She continues to support those branding efforts through freelance projects for Pulpit Rock.

Embracing digital art helped Hannah rethink how she approaches her personal artwork, too.

“I’m still learning a lot. I’m still figuring things out, because I’m self-taught. But mocking up murals is so much easier, and I’m able to convey my ideas a bit faster when people are looking for something,” she says. “I owe a lot of that to Pulpit trusting me with their label design. It opened up so many doors.”

In 2022, Hannah painted this colorful mural for The RAW Project in Miami. Above, Hannah’s work on labels for Pulpit Rock inspired her to try many different styles. / Photos courtesy Hannah Tulgren

A GROWING AUDIENCE

Robert de los Rios, founder and president of The RAW Project: Reimagining Arts Worldwide, learned about Hannah’s art when he first visited Pulpit Rock several years ago.

Robert’s Miami-based nonprofit brings professional mural artists into schools, where they lead projects that beautify walls, inspire students, and engage communities. In late 2022, Robert invited Hannah to create a mural at a Miami elementary school. Her painting puts a folk-art spin on Florida nature, with simple blooms surrounding a brightly colored pelican, alligator, and grouper. Each is embellished with flowers.

“What I love the most about the artists that I work with is that they understand the environment they’re painting. Hannah wanted to do fun, playful work at the school. The kids are obsessed with her mural. It’s one of their favorite ones,” Robert says. “It’s wonderful, colorful, beautiful, and simple. She uses the negative space very well. And the animals are adorable.”

“That was such a wonderful experience. The kids got to hang out

and talk with us, and I got to meet some incredibly talented artists that do murals as a profession and travel the world,” Hannah says. Closer to home, Hannah recently worked on a large mural in the new Sunflower Discovery Center. Designed to teach children about local agriculture and watersheds, the images include local crops and common prairie flowers, along with intricate root systems and a scattering of butterflies, ladybugs, earthworms, and other creatures.

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The leaves and wildflowers Hannah notices in nature often show up in pencil drawings. From there, she washes the shapes in watercolor and later adds white highlights and ink accents. / Photo courtesy Hannah Tulgren

Hannah also created the first piece in the Empower Decorah Postage Stamp art series, a public art initiative that’s bringing small displays to downtown alleyways. Her floral mini-mural hangs on the exterior of the Impact Coffee building.

Hannah’s classmates in Empower Decorah, a chamber program for young local leaders, chose her to create the mural on behalf of their class. Now, as a member of the chamber staff, she hopes to help expand the postage-stamp mural program.

In addition to shining a light on other artists, Hannah is excited to continue refining her own artistic style.

“The more you learn, the more you change,” she says. “My style is always going to change, I think. But at the root of it, I just want people to feel happy when they look at my stuff.”

Sometimes, when she takes her coffee to an upstairs table at Impact, Hannah sees customers snapping selfies in front of her first big mural. The moments are always joyful.

“If I can continue giving people that happiness, or I can make something pretty for someone’s dorm or house, then that makes me very happy,” she says. “I’m figuring it out still, but I think I’m doing okay.”

Renee Brincks (reneebrincks.com) writes about travel, nature, nonprofits, and small businesses.

To view more of Hannah Tulgren’s artwork, visit @HannahJeanStudio on Instagram.

Located in the mezzanine of Impact Coffee in Decorah, this was Hannah’s first big mural project. It brings customers joy on the regular. / Photo courtesy Hannah Tulgren

Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Norwegian Emigration!

In October 1825, a 54-foot sloop called the Restauration sailed into New York Harbor. It arrived after a grueling 14-week journey from Stavanger, Norway. This small ship had set sail on July 4, 1825, jammed with 52 passengers.

Most Norwegians immigrated to America for economic opportunity, but these were religious dissenters. The Restauration’s arrival in New York was the first in a huge wave of Norwegian immigration. Within a century, more than 800,000 Norwegians followed these “Sloopers” to the United States.

This year, we commemorate the 200th anniversary with special programs, exhibitions, and classes here at Vesterheim! You can find more information at vesterheim.org.

200 Years of Norwegians in America Exhibit

December 6, 2024 - January 31, 2026

Even small objects can tell larger stories. To commemorate this bicentennial anniversary, Vesterheim presents a special exhibition focusing on Norwegian immigration, by featuring important objects, photographs, themes, and stories from 200 years of Norwegians in America. In Scenic Decorah, Iowa (563) 382-9681

BY STEVE HARRIS

RRyan and Allie Palmer at Paddle On Coffee & Maker Emporium. / Photo by Renee Bergstrom

Ryan & Allie Palmer

Lanesboro,

MN COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Lanesboro’s Community “Instigators”

yan and Allie Palmer have been “building” things together for 30 years. They met as teenagers, helping to build an orphanage on a mission trip to Africa. Ryan, originally from Missouri, and Allie, who grew up in Maple Grove, Minnesota, got married in 1998 and started building their life together. They called Washington state home during Ryan’s service in the Navy as a nuclear electrician, then later returned to Allie’s home state of Minnesota to raise their two children – Elliot, now 21, and Nadia, now 18 – and build successful careers: Allie as a “Jill of many trades” with a background as an interior finisher and handy(wo)man; Ryan as a real estate agent and commercial appraiser.

A decade ago, they discovered Minnesota’s bluff country as biking and kayaking tourists. “There’s so much to do and enjoy here beyond the trail and river,” says Allie. “Fun outdoor activities, the arts and theater, the restaurants. Ryan is a talented musician and stone sculptor, too, so the area’s art and music opportunities fit him like a glove. We decided to buy something where we wanted to be.”

About Community Builders

A community is defined as a unified body of individuals. You can build community in a neighborhood, city, region, state, nation… world, at any level. But it doesn’t have to be big to have a big impact. Building community is one of the most important things we can do in this life. Connecting with others helps us connect with our humanity, and realize we’re all in this together. Read more Community Builder stories at iloveinspired.com, and send us a note if you know someone we should feature here in the future!

After relocating to Lanesboro three years ago, they took community building to new heights.

“First we bought the former Red Hotel and renovated it into the Root River Inn & Suites,” says Ryan. “In 2023, we opened Paddle On Coffee & Maker Emporium, a combined coffee shop and handcrafted marketplace that gives local artists a platform to showcase and share their creativity.”

Spend some time in Paddle On and you quickly learn the Palmers care about much more than commerce – for them it’s all about community. On Sunday mornings, there’s a brunch and Bible Study. Mondays offer special discounts for medical and military personnel. Their website promotes a fun mix of monthly smallgroup gatherings like Fiber Fun, Puzzling Fridays, Crafters Workspace, Fillmore County Entrepreneurs Peer Group, Talking Philosophy, and more.

Group size doesn’t matter. Some may have as few as two or three attendees, others comfortably fill the big back room. “We’re willing to try things to see what sticks,” says Allie. “Not everything does, but we always welcome ideas for new groups.” Just as special are countless spontaneous connections that happen as people drop in for coffee and end up chatting with friends old and new.

Ryan and Allie aren’t eager to call themselves community builders, though. “We’re more like community ‘instigators,’” says Allie. “We see ourselves empowering others to build the communities they want in our space. Our role is to listen, ask questions, discover needs, and encourage ideas. The slogan for our coffeehouse is “at the confluence of conversation & connection.” That describes what we want to happen here – providing a place for deeper connections.”

They do this because they enjoy people, but also because they know what it’s like to sometimes struggle to find your place in a community. “We’ve traveled and moved a lot; we know what it feels like to be people ‘on the outside,’ to not fit in or have a ‘place,’” Allie says. “That can even happen for people in small towns who have lived there for years but still feel alone. We want to create places where people feel welcome and comfortable.”

A perfect example of these efforts was on display at Paddle On last New Year’s Eve. “We invited people to an ‘early’ celebration instead of ‘let’s make it to midnight,’” Allie says. “We called it ‘I Like My Sleep New Years Eve Party.’ We figured it would be easier for families and people of all ages to join in. But we weren’t sure if people would come.”

Show up they did. From late morning on, the coffee shop was filled with dozens of people playing Bingo, Scrabble, Pictionary, crafting, listening to music, hanging with old friends and making

Paddle On is located in downtown Lanesboro, MN. / Photo by Steve Harris

“Our

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new ones. People just being together. A disco ball fell at noon, with help from a fishing pole and celebratory countdown. “It was a fun mix of people,” said Allie, “all connecting, laughing and playing together, a nice way to start the new year.”

Instigating new projects takes commitment and creativity. Hard work, too. Running multiple hospitality businesses – the Palmers recently assumed management and did a design refresh of the rooms at the former Iron Horse Inn –can be a lot of pressure. Allie and Ryan have implemented some personal strategies to handle it all.

“We’re intentional about taking one day off every week,” says Ryan. “We schedule longer times away when possible but also find that taking a break for a few hours for a walk or bike ride can be just as refreshing.”

Allie agrees. “We’ve learned what recharges us. For me it’s putting my feet up to watch a sunset. When we get tired, we also do the parts of our jobs we really enjoy, like spending extra time visiting with guests or working the Paddle On counter.” Ryan, still a realtor, gets jazzed working with clients. “I love talking with people contemplating a move to Lanesboro or starting a new business here. That’s fun for me.”

“We don’t look at what we do as ‘jobs,’” Allie continues. “It’s all about relationships; that’s where we find our energy.”

Steve Harris (www.steveharrisauthor.com), a freelance writer and author of two books (“Lanesboro, Minnesota” and “Dads Like Us”), thinks few places in Lanesboro (on earth?) are more comfortable than sitting in front of Paddle On’s fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate.

Allie Palmer (right) recently joined the board of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce led by Executive Director Joe Goetzke (left). / Photo by Steve Harris

A variety of community groups gather in the back room at Paddle On Coffee. / Photo by Renee Bergstrom

Don’t miss these upcoming events!

CABIN FEVER FEST WEEKEND

MAR 14-16

Fight the winter blues and get out of the house by visiting Lanesboro for shopping, dining and entertainment.

GET SQUIRRELY WITH SURLY

APR 25-26

Join your friends for Lanesboroʼs eighth annual Spring Pub Crawl. Participating bars are serving Surly. Crawl on!

BLUFF COUNTRY STUDIO ART TOUR

APR 25-27

Begin at the Juried Sales Gallery at Lanesboro Arts, then travel scenic back roads to the studios of the areaʼs artists.

SPRING BOUTIQUE & BUSINESS CRAWL

MAY 10

Savor a day of local shopping where you will find deals, prizes, and more!

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Bobbi Rathert

La Crosse, WI

BY SARA WALTERS

For author and activist Bobbi Rathert, adventure is always on the brain. She’s been a self-proclaimed “wonderer and wanderer” her whole life, traveling all over the world and exploring wherever she landed.

One thing about wandering is that it makes you appreciate the feeling of home even more.

Twenty years ago, after many years of living in Chicago, and before that, her hometown of Cresco, Iowa, Bobbi wandered to a ridgetop farm near La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was just the home she was looking for.

Bobbi has loved living in La Crosse for many reasons – its big city services with smaller-city access; its abundant and beautiful wildlife; the willingness and friendliness of its residents; its rich arts community; its biking and paddling options; and its college-town energy.

“I also love the geography here, the rivers that run through it, the barges and other river traffic, city bus system, mobility features, maintained parks and recreation areas, and easy access to travel whether air, rail, or interstate,” explains Bobbi. “It is a city that is easy to navigate by car, bus, bike, or on foot. Some say it is because La Crosse is boxed in by ridges and the river, making it a long and narrow geography easy to decipher. I agree totally. I love to navigate through the neighborhoods and ridges alike. La Crosse has made the riverfront accessible to everyone, too, which many waterfront cities do not always accomplish.”

But Bobbi saw that La Crosse was not always accessible and welcoming in other ways, especially for members of its Black community and folks experiencing homelessness. As she neared retirement, she began to wonder how she could give back to her community.

In 2020, Bobbi watched a local film called Amplifying Black Voices.

It featured Black youth and their parents in La Crosse, telling their stories of discrimination in the community. Bobbi was heartbroken and wanted to do something.

She watched the film again, wrote down the participants’ names, and proceeded to build meaningful relationships with them. “I witnessed the strength of the people in the Black community who frequently felt demoralized and discouraged when just getting groceries, going to school, applying for jobs, or accessing local services,” Bobbi says.

By then, she had started volunteering at Hope Restores, a La Crosse-based community organization that “supports, advocates, listens, and bridges the gap between the African American community and local services.” As she planned her next adventure, a solo kayaking trip the length of the Mississippi River, Bobbi couldn’t help but think of the folks served by Hope Restores. She wondered if she could use this trip as a tool to raise awareness and money for the organization.

“One thing led to another when eventually a committee was formed and a name for the initiative was given: Paddling for Hope. In the end, there were so many pledges and much support that we raised $30,000,” Bobbi says.

In May 2022, Bobbi set out from the headwaters of the Mississippi in northern Minnesota. She paddled a total of 650 miles before succumbing to heat exhaustion and ending her journey. “I did not die on the river. I lived,” she writes in “The Truth on Water,” the book she authored, chronicling her experiences.

Writing a book and kayaking the Mississippi, both solitary and deeply personal, proved to have many similarities that one finds in uncharted territory. “Both required awareness of precise details and rapid learning and presented very steep learning curves with no one watching out but me,” says Bobbi. “Someone on my river trip said that a kayaker did not need to train to paddle the Mississippi because the trip itself was the training. The

Christian Books & Gifts

paddle, as well as the writing, proved this to be true. I was left with a deep sense of fulfillment from both even though I am not an expert in either.”

After being on this kayak trip where she slept in a different place every night, Bobbi was relieved to return to La Crosse. “I felt the peaceful experience of being back home, belonging,” she explains.

“Then I noticed the difference between me and those living unhomed.”

“It’s Time. After loading my kayak on the car and a loving send-off early today, I traveled with family and friends the nearly 400-miles to our lodging in northern Minnesota. Along the way, I watched the Mississippi River move. Swift and bulging each time we crossed over it, the river was rushing south as I was racing north just to get on it and ride downward. Of course I thought, WHAT am I doing!? Still, launch time creeps closer every second. I myself have set this time, early tomorrow morning, but I want to cancel it as if someone else has forced this. It is natural to resist what we love, to want to give into fear and discomfort by staying home. But I keep going toward it as it pushes me against gravity. That is what I’ll do before dawn. Pray, eat a meal with friends, go,” Bobbi writes on her Paddle for Hope Facebook page

On a walk along the river park in downtown La Crosse, Bobbi passed a large, active tent encampment, full of unhoused people going about on foot, riding bicycles, and carrying provisions from one tent to another. The contrast between her rooted experience and that of the people there was profound.

The idea to interview these unhomed community members was born. She wanted to learn their stories, hear their disappointments and dreams, and understand where they came from before they began living outside. Bobbi had a hope that sharing their stories may aid in the effort to find solutions for chronic homelessness.

Once she went out to actually talk to people, her resolve faltered.

“When I started to hear stories, I felt clumsy,” she writes in the introduction to her book, “Where’s Home,” the culmination of these interviews. “A voice in my mind kept asking me, ‘What are you doing!?’ I was so embarrassed of myself that I was even out there and obviously over my head. I didn’t understand any part of it and felt awkward and ill-prepared.”

Bobbi thought frequently about ending the project but reminded herself that she needed to finish what she started. For five months, she listened to people’s stories, feelings, and dreams and goals.

“The people started expanding, no longer in my periphery like paper dolls,” she writes. “They began to take shape and dimension. I began to remember names and their deepening stories…I was receiving phone calls asking if I was coming out, or informing me that their friends wanted to speak with me….stories poured out…sorrows and strengths, memories of moms, brothers, and school, obvious faith and ideas, jobs, hopes, and memories of grandparents, their children, and desires for home.”

In 2024, “Where’s Home: People

Experiencing Homelessness In La Crosse County Share Their Stories On a Quest for Understanding, Belonging, and Stability” hit the shelves. The first four pages that encompass the introduction are the only part of the book that includes Bobbi. The rest features powerful stories of these local people living unhoused and tells of agencies and services that are working to help those experiencing homelessness.

Bobbi’s engagement in social justice efforts is a heartfelt one. “I run on a belief that, if humans, particularly those privileged, are shown or can gain a better understanding, they will want to do good and contribute more toward the wellbeing of others – to be part of making that difference,” she says. “While my belief is not necessarily true in reality, it is in me to always hope for it.”

Bobbi’s love of the Driftless helps keep her hopeful as well.

“The Driftless Region is a wonderfully spiritual place to live. I feel blessed to know it has been my home since birth in Northeast Iowa and now in Southwest Wisconsin,” she says. “Of all places on earth, this has always been the most satisfying and enriching place for me to return. It is a deep joy to live here.”

As for her next adventure, for Bobbi, it’s just one of self-reflection. “I am on an adventure right now, one of finding my own self and what I need from my world. I have had an external outlook much of my life, regarding others and what I can do to be most helpful. So, nurturing a self-focus is a real adventure and time of discovery.” She adds, “I long for more kayaking and sleeping outdoors, so we’ll see!”

Sara Walters is a writer based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She has been a contributor to Inspire(d) since 2018. LEARN MORE

Hope Restores: hoperestoreswi.org

Paddling for Hope: paddlingforhope.com

Amplifying Black Voices film: laxwakingupwhite.com/amplifying-black-voices-film.html

Fudge 1930s Soda Fountain • Ice Cream, Chocolates, Candies, Fudge

PHOTOGRAPH BY JONI

WELDA

Joni writes, “This image is of Como Falls in Hokah, Minnesota. The Falls is always a treat with the sounds of the water constantly flowing off the rocks and that day supplied just the right angle to get the sunburst as well while it sat just above the large rock.” See more of Joni’s work on Instagram @the_variegate_lens or at thevariegatelens.mypixieset.com

We have a Gen Z kid in the house at Inspire(d) HQ, and she consulted on this maybe dorky, maybe cool Mother’s Day project. Either way, chocolate is definitely a Mother’s Day favorite around here. Download these printable chocolate bar wrappers and let your mom know she slays!

With a constant stream of lightning-fast news, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and fearful these days. The fear that grips me most is for the future that’s currently being shaped for our daughter. Sometimes that fear is debilitating, sometimes it’s motivating.

I’m trying my damnedest to lean into the latter.

That doesn’t mean my goal is to stop feeling fear entirely. Fear is a normal – even necessary – emotion, and it would be impossible to cut completely out of our lives. We need to feel our fears, our anger, our dread. Burying these feelings can allow them to fester and grow stronger. We must allow them to exist. Feel free to scream about them. Vent to loved ones. Cry in the shower. Blast angsty music and dance it out. And then what?

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

8 FIND COURAGE Ways to IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Take a deep breath. Look within. See what you have control over. See what you can do. And then do.

Take action. Rise to the challenge in any way you can. Repeat to yourself: You are strong, talented, and smart. You are unstoppable (this is, coincidentally, my affirmation every morning as I take my first sip of coffee, superhero pose in place).

Challenges give us experience and build our resilience. Research suggests that after going through a difficult time, a person can find a greater sense of self and purpose, gratitude for life and loved ones, and an increased desire to act for the greater good. How can we create positive change for the greater good of our communities? How can we inspire action amidst complacency?

Every step you take is an act of optimism. You are moving forward in the belief that a better outcome is possible. What’s the best that could happen? How can we help make it true?

Remember, though, you are not responsible for fixing everything. And being positive and optimistic doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It just means you acknowledge the possibility of better days ahead. Sometimes the best that can happen is that you agree tomorrow is a new day, with potential for positive change. New life arises from an old way of being. Hope is courage, and action is bravery, especially in a time of transformation. Keep believing in possibilities. Together, we can make this future better for our daughters, our neighbors, our grandkids, ourselves. Let’s do this, friends.

XOXO - Aryn

INTRO & INFOGRAPHIC BY ARYN HENNING NICHOLS

• Give yourself the pep talk you’d give your best friend • Journal about potential positive outcomes • Make a habit of saying Affirmations or Acceptance statements

1. Try Positive Self-Talk

2. Do a Power Pose

Place your hands on your hips or out in the air like a starfish. Set your legs shoulder width apart, lift your chest, and hold your head up high. Hold this position for two minutes while taking deep breaths. Research shows that this dominant upright position increases self-confidence. Testosterone increases (allowing for assertive behavior) while cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases.

A la Rebecca from Ted Lasso, make yourself bigger to feel braver.

3. Find support, inspiration, or a mentor

• Model the bravery of someone you admire • Read authors who inspire you to action

4. Embrace Failure

Doing something you fear could very likely result in failure. Keep at it. The more you fail, the more you’re trying, the more likely you’ll succeed one day.

8 FIND COURAGEWays to IN CHALLENGING TIMES

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”Nelson Mandela Take care of yourself, too.

• Take a self-care time-out

• Find a healthy outletExercise, book group, volunteering, focusing on personal health goals

• Engage in something that makes you laugh

• Get some fresh air

• Write out what you’re grateful for

• Consult your priority list. Take one action step to support that list

Focus on how you can help in your own community, neighborhood, family, school district. Look around for folks that might need your help. Ask for help when you need it.

Mental health counselor

Olivia Lynn Schnur helps us look for best-case scenarios.

BY OLIVIA LYNN SCHNUR

Spring brings a promise of nature awakening. Migrating birds reappear, bees start buzzing their wings, and germinating seeds begin to stir.

And as the days grow warmer and longer, some humans become more energized too. The prospect of blue skies and blooming flowers brightens our moods. The heightened energy generates excitement, and we start to plan for positive change.

Yet for others, the new energy can feel jarring. Life ramps up, as does a sense of overwhelm. Change can signal fear, especially if we have a habit of expecting the worst. Even if we chastise ourselves for letting our worries or fears overcome us, we can’t seem to escape the pattern of doom-and-gloom.

If the latter sounds like you, you’re not alone. The good news? Your mindset is never set in stone. Even if you don’t believe it (yet), there are better days ahead.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

THE WORST (AND BEST) CASE SCENARIO

You can take solace in the fact that there’s a very good reason your mind gravitates toward negativity: Your brain is not designed to make you happy. Your brain is designed to keep you alive. It is primed to scan the environment for danger… and when danger is not immediately present, it tends to create it. Many people live with worry on constant circulation. Our brains ruminate because we want to feel in control. Worriers often believe that rehearsing for the worst (sometimes most unlikely) scenario can help us better prepare for it. However, that is often not the case.

Worry chases you down a dark alley of repetitive thinking and fear. That “worst-case-scenario” keeps you trapped there, over something that will likely never come to pass.

Here’s how you get out: Ask yourself, “And then what?” What happens if your worst-case-scenario comes to fruition? Let your brain find a solution. Maybe more than one. Continue asking yourself, “And then what?” until you feel a sense of completion. Once you’ve finished working through your worry, the job is not done. Now, you need to ask yourself another very important question: “What’s the best that could happen?”

That worst-case-scenario shouldn’t get to live rent free in your head. Make room for a best-case-scenario and see what happens when you decide you deserve the best possible outcome.

SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES

Do you tend to think humans are altruistic and compassionate by nature? If so, when you look around, you’ll likely find examples of humans going the extra mile to care for one another. Think the opposite? You’ll find plenty of folks who seem to show the worst of humanity.

This phenomenon is often referred to in psychology as “confirmation bias.” Whatever you expect to happen will likely happen. Our minds are conditioned to look for experiences that confirm our beliefs about others and the world.

The good news is that a confirmation bias is not fixed. We can work to train our brains to become more optimistic using a positive psychology idea called “learned optimism,” developed by American psychologist Martin Seligman, PhD.

Start by identifying times when confirmation bias is causing you to see the worst in a situation. Once identified, you can try putting positive thinking strategies in place. Mindfulness, gratitude, and positive self-talk are all tools that can help shift your mindset toward greater optimism.

Think about the last time you felt optimistic or connected to others. What was your mindset during that time? What allowed you to see the best in the situation? Try to replicate that mindset by practicing what you did at that time. If you aren’t sure, implement one of the positive thinking strategies from the list above, or create your own.

It’s important to remember that learning to be more optimistic requires insight and repetition. At the outset, it will require effort. Over time and with practice, though, your brain can learn to automatically adopt a more positive mindset.

EMBRACE 'WHAT IS' (ESPECIALLY IF IT SCARES YOU)

We only truly have control over (some) things in the present moment. Instead of “what if?” we want to land on “what is.”

Practice by noticing what is true for you right now. First, recognize what you cannot control: Other people’s actions, feelings, and decisions; the weather; the past. Let those things go. Next, acknowledge what is within your control: Your reactions, choices, mindset, and future. These are ripe with potential for growth and change.

Acknowledging “what is” can require facing hard truths. Sometimes, we fixate on the past or the future because we don’t want to face our current reality. We may avoid the present for a myriad of reasons: finances, health, relationships, career aspirations, or anything else that we are afraid to confront.

Fear is an emotion that instinctually propels us into action. Our bodies are designed to fight or flee in response to fear. When we run away, though, we are powerless to change our reality. We must face our fears. Avoiding them can cause a mental paralysis that keeps us perpetually in an uncomfortable situation.

Taking action releases the emotional charge of fear. Action might look like initiating a conversation, making an apology, admitting that something is not working, asking for help, or making a change.

You likely already know “what is” true for you. So now you need to make the next right decision. One next right decision at a time can move you from the paralysis of living in “what if” into the action of facing “what is.”

When you feel your fears, and take action anyway, you reclaim power over your life and the present moment.

THE POWER OF THE MIND

It’s important to note that while this may all seem simple in theory, it’s quite difficult in practice. We can expect roadblocks whenever we attempt to re-route brain circuits designed for detecting danger.

Instead of attempting to work against deeply ingrained mental patterns, we can learn to work with them. Worry and fear are natural emotions and they each have a place in our lives.

However, we do not want worry and fear to have total control. We need strategies to interrupt these cycles and bring us back into “what is.”

This is a delicate balance that may require the help of a medical or mental health professional.

23: Luren Singers – 3pm

26: Philip Daniel – Composer / Movie Scorer / Pianist – 7pm Starting March 1: Showing movies in Spanish on Tuesday nights A partir del 1 de marzo: Mostrando películas en español los martes por la noche

&

If you find yourself stuck in patterns of worry or fear, give yourself grace. Remember that you’re doing exactly what your brain is asking of you – surviving. Keep trying to make the next right decision when you can, and remember to pause and occasionally ask yourself: “What’s the best that could happen?”

Olivia Lynn Schnur is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR Certified Therapist, Reiki Master, and Certified Yoga Teacher. She writes about mental health and wellness with the goal of educating, inspiring, and uplifting others. To learn more, or to book a yoga

Going above & beyond behavior to create community, foster success, & give life-long encouragement.

FACING FEARS & REFRAMING CONFIRMATION BIAS

Sometimes, writing things out can make them seem more approachable. This is a great exercise in acknowledging, and then facing, your fears. Make a list of all the things that are bothering you – your worries, fears, dread. As you do, sort them into two lists: controllable and uncontrollable.

CONTROLLABLE:

UNCONTROLLABLE:

When uncontrollable worries crop up, practice letting them go. Try saying “I have no control over this, but I can shift my focus toward what I can control.” “I cannot change this outcome.” “This too shall pass.”

Look at the rest of your worries, and try stopping the cycle of rumination by asking “And then what?” Instead of using mental energy to rehearse worry, try to visualize the best possible outcome. What does it look like when the best that could happen, happens?

Next, you can begin to work on solutions. Write out action steps that will allow you to face your fear and take charge of the situation. Action steps:

LISTENING TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Wanting to give the next generation an opportunity to share their voices, we have expanded the Future Focused section of Inspire(d) to include new writers! Partnering with Dana Hogan, the Extended Learning Program teacher at Decorah Middle School, we offered up a variety of prompts like, “What are your predictions for the future?” “What do you wish adults understood about you?” and also shared the issue’s theme of tackling challenges and facing fears. Students submitted work, did edits, and three were chosen for this print issue of Inspire(d). Others will be featured online as well. Go to iloveinspired.com/category/future-focused to check them out.

Here’s to Listening to the Next Generation! - Aryn

To the Adults in My Life

By Anya Volkmann, 13 years old

I want adults to understand that dad jokes aren’t as funny as they think

Using our Gen Z language isn’t cool

That when they say words like rizz and pookie

They aren’t being funny

I wish adults understood that when we stay in our rooms all day

It’s not because we are staying away from them

Not because we are mad

I mean sometimes it is

But sometimes we just need quiet

WHAT DO YOU WISH ADULTS WOULD UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOU?

WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE?

The Threat of Pollution to Our World

By Gabbi TerBeest, 11 years old

The future could be phenomenal. It could also be a complete failure. This is our decision; your decision. Will we work together to relieve pollution, global warming, and how judgmental we as people can be to other citizens in society? Or will we keep the world how it is, or possibly make it worse?

I wish adults understood that school is crazy

It’s stressful

Sometimes we want to just go home and take a nap

But we have after-school activities

I wish adults understood that for some of us, sports are a world

And for some, they aren’t even something we do

But we get teased for how we play

How we do

It’s not fair

But in the end, life isn't fair.

And there are so many things I wish adults knew

But there are so many things adults actually do know, too

In fact, the adults in my life have taught me most of what I know today

Like the golden rule

How I should act

Treat others

Have a positive attitude

Be myself

And so much more

So in the end,

Thank you adults for everything you taught me

Because currently, the CO2 levels are way too high. Sea levels are rising, and while that may benefit some species, it makes it nearly impossible for some other species to survive; I mean, consider how the polar bears are doing.

Anya Volkmann is a seventh grader at Decorah Middle School. She loves riding horses, playing basketball, playing soccer, and hanging out with her friends. She loves to stay busy with her little free time.

Let’s think about the positives of the future. If we can think about what we do before we act – like don’t throw that Mt. Dew plastic bottle into the garbage – and instead recycle, compost, and persist, the future could look bright. If we accept each other and cooperate, we could live in harmony, in a beautiful world that’s good for all human beings. We could make sure that we aren’t driving everywhere. We could walk, bike… possibly even roller skate, for Pete’s sake, to places that we can get to without a car.

Lots of companies are making electric cars now, too, which are much better for the CO2 levels. Our air could be so much cleaner. Hopefully other companies go along with this brilliant idea and lower the price of these vehicles so people can afford them. I for sure do not want to grow up and live in a world that isn’t healthy or sustainable to be living in. I pray that we are able to shape this world into a better place before it turns out to be too late.

If we don’t work together to build a better world, a better life for us and our future generations, this globe and future we have carefully put together, piece by piece, could dissolve into a trillion pieces. Literally and figuratively. These gas levels, global warming, sea levels, and anything you could think of will tear our civilization as we know it apart, and eventually, it won’t look good for us and devastating things could happen to animals, plants, and our environment.

This future we have could be phenomenal. It could also be a complete failure. This is our decision. So, make it a good one.

Gabbi TerBeest is a sixth grader

School. She’s passionate about many things, including food, (especially tacos,) reading, music… and writing!

at Decorah Middle

HOW DO YOU FACE FEARS?

The Chance for a Choice

By Lula McAbee, 13 years old

My arms cling to the dirty metal rails, the gravel stabs my feet.

Nothing waits for me up here, and the melody of the rippling water below sounds all too sweet. Behind me is the bridge and the road.

Everything is safe and familiar.

Everything boring but everything calm

Everything I have ever known

Below awaits the cold rush of Mississippi waters

Everything else.

Everything scary but everything new

Everything I wish to know

The wind picks up, tangling my hair and an empty metal pipe belts out a tune

A boat’s approaching much too soon

The girl beside me lets herself free she falls without a care and I can ‘t do this.

I’ve never done this before and I don’t know how deep the water really goes and what if I miss the safety of these rocks and dusty roads?

This railing is my only tether It’s warm from sitting in August weather It’s holding me here and I feel safe But so entrapped and out of place

Needing to be free in a world where everything says I can’t

That boat is getting closer If I don’t do it now, the chance is over.

What if I really can ‘t do this?

I breathe in but don’t breath out, my fingers loosen on the rails

My feet take a step forward onto nothing

And I’m falling but not failing, I’m so much more than I’ve ever been and my fingers do not miss the touch of the railing, nor my feet the pain of the gravel, nor my mind the safety of the bridge.

Lula is an eighth grade student at Decorah Middle School who greatly enjoys writing poetry as a form of expression. Besides writing, they like crocheting (and a multitude of other crafts) and doing various forms of theater from being in the spotlight to making sure things run smoothly behind the scenes.

Illustrations by Roxie Nichols

INTRODUCTION & INTERVIEW BY ARYN

HENNING NICHOLS

Market 52 owners Trisha and Mark Holthaus love a good auction. But in 2017, when they found they were running out of space for their treasures, they decided to hold a pop-up sale in a shed on their property. Folks showed up, big time (turns out, lots of other people love the hunt as well). Trisha and Mark continued with the popular sales, and it eventually snowballed into the decision to expand Market 52 with a brand new 2000-squarefoot building in 2022.

Located on…you guessed it…Highway 52, just north of Decorah, the shop is filled with vintage, modern, and unique home decor. Shoppers can spend hours perusing everything from rehabbed and antique furniture to pillows and candles to seasonal decorations and, of course, fun finds in the original “Pickin’ Shed” nearby.

“We try to blend a lot of styles together. When grandma, mom, and daughter come in, they each usually find something they are excited about,” says Trisha. “If there is a single product people come to purchase it is our battery-operated candles. Everyone loves them ‘cause they are so real looking!”

The finds in the Pickin’ Shed come from auctions, markets, and people contacting them directly to downsize their households. “Mark handles finding the antiques and collectibles,” says Trisha. “He watches online auctions almost every night, and we enjoy going to flea markets throughout the summer searching for items.”

People visit Market 52 from all over, with customers sometimes driving hours to make the trip. They have regulars from Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Des Moines, and even a couple from Ohio who stop every time they travel through.

Those who can’t make it in-person can shop online as well. Trisha and Mark have recently added a team member to handle all of the shipping. “We have shipped to 48 states, the only two we haven’t are Alaska and Hawaii,” says Trisha. “This past year we also shipped to Canada and Guam!”

Continued on next page

Top: Mark and Trisha Holthaus, owners of Market 52. Bottom: Realistic artificial flowers, like these tulips, are a popular item at the shop as well. / Photos courtesy Market 52

There are Iowans living just a little too far to make the trip frequently who have their orders shipped as well, and locals can shop online and choose to pick their purchases up at Market 52 whenever it’s convenient.

It all equals a lot of work created with a lot of love. Trisha is inspired by fellow female business-owners and is grateful for her amazing Market 52 team that helps her find balance through challenging times, and fun times too. Together, they work to create a shopping experience that customers truly enjoy.

The Basics:

Name: Trisha Holthaus

Age: 56

Business: Market 52

Year Business Established: 2017

Business address: 3220 Highway 52, Decorah Website: www.shopmarket52.com

Tell us about the “leap” moment. When/ how did you decide to jump in and become your own boss?

I don’t think there was a defining moment as I have pretty much always been my own boss. My former husband and I opened a pizza restaurant when we were 25. Shortly after, I started a career in real estate as both a realtor, then broker and finally running my own

Shoppers can find vintage and rehabbed furniture in addition to new housewares. Opposite page: The ‘Pickin’ Shed’ is where Mark collects treasures from auctions, markets, and more. Bottom: Cute scenes are pocketed throughout the shop. / Photos courtesy Market 52

Empty Nest

appraisal office. I then purchased an antique, gift, and collectibles store in 2013. Mark and I got married in Decorah in 2015, but I didn’t move here until 2017 when my son graduated from high school. I sold my store that year and started working in the Decorah area as an appraiser again. We did look and look for a downtown store to possibly start something but there were none available that really fit our needs.

So, starting Market 52 was sort of by accident. We had lots of inventory left from the sale of our store and also combining two households as we both loved antiques and couldn’t fit it all in my husband’s small home. We decided one day to have a weekend sale, it was called “Shop our Shed Sale.” We

A family-run business, from berries to bottle

Like us for details!

Dave Nachmanoff

There’s a great variety of items to be found at Market 52.

Was there ever a hurdle where you just thought, “I can’t do this?” How did you overcome it?

I have my days from time to time where it just seems overwhelming to be running our business. We have been continuing to grow since we started. Luckily, when I have my down days, I have a great team behind me, and they really keep me going. This past year was really a rough year as we all had things personally that took us away from the shop – one having a baby and maternity leave, one having hip surgery, one planning a wedding and getting married, and my dad breaking his hip and my new grand baby. It was a lot to navigate.

Any mentors/role models you look to/have looked to?

I really look up to all strong female business owners. I had a close female broker/boss/co-owner that I really looked up to when I was a realtor. Since being out of the business, she has become one of my best friends. She was always supportive and sometimes had more belief in me than I had. Watching her in a man’s world and succeeding, when I was in my late 20s, was a great thing for me.

How do you manage your life/work balance?

That is a hard thing. With having our business on our home property, it does feel like I am always working. I do make it a point to

leave the shop around 5-6 pm. So, I feel like I have regular hours, although I am still on my computer while in the house! When I take a day off, usually Tuesdays, I do not go out to the shop for anything unless absolutely necessary. My husband works with me and handles the antique side of the business, so we actually do get to spend a lot of time together. We are empty nesters, so it makes that part of family life a little easier. All of our kids live within a three-hour drive. Sometimes it is tough to see them when they work during the week, and we work weekends.

What keeps you inspired? Any quotes that keep you going? I love positive and motivational quotes! A mentor in one of my early sales jobs once said to me, “If you don’t continue to grow, you ripen and rot.” That has always stuck with me. I try to continue to learn all the time, whether it’s reading, taking classes, going to market, or talking with other business owners. I think one of the most inspiring things is our customers! We love their positive feedback and comments. It is so fun to see first timers walk through the door, as their reactions are priceless. We hear over and over what a big surprise this is! Those reactions over and over again really motivate the whole team to do our very best and give it our all.

/ Photos courtesy Market 52

THE FUNGUS AMONG US

Why was the mushroom invited to the party? Because he is a fun guy!

BY CRAIG THOMPSON • ARTWORK BY MARY THOMPSON

Fungi are among the most widely distributed organisms on earth. Despite their importance to people and the environment, they are also among the least understood. Since the 1700s, any type of fungus, including yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms, was considered a mysterious member of the plant kingdom, somehow able to grow without light. By 1969, taxonomists (professionals who classify living organisms) assigned them to their own biological kingdom, the Fungi, after which they assumed their rightful place alongside the plant and animal kingdoms.

Mycologists (profoundly patient people who study fungi) have identified more than 144,000 species of fungi. Found in nearly all terrestrial and aquatic habitats, they range in size from microscopic to “say what?” The world’s largest organism, a honey fungus, has spread across almost 2,000 acres of western Oregon. It is thought to be thousands of years old, a fungal Methuselah.

In terms of impact, fungi run the gamut from helpful to harmful. We wouldn’t have bread, wine, or beer if not for the fermentative magic of yeast. Penicillin, the world’s first and bestknown antibiotic, is derived from Penicillium mold. Decomposers par excellence, fungi are vitally important for soil health.

On the flip side, plant rusts, identified by visible orange smudges on plant leaves and stems, cause billions of dollars of damage to crops annually. Since 1970, chytrid fungus, an infectious fungal disease in amphibians, has decimated tropical frog populations across the world, resulting in the extinction of some species. White nose syndrome, a disease that afflicts hibernating bats, is caused by a cave dwelling fungus.

While most fungi exist in relative anonymity, mushrooms are a notable exception. Some have achieved near celebrity status as trendy food items: “The chef recommends the Shiitake sandwich.” “Would you prefer grilled portobellos instead?”

If there was a mushroom Hall of Fame, the original inductee would likely be the renowned morel. There isn’t another mushroom that generates as much excitement as this furtive fungus. Its mild, nutty taste certainly contributes to its popularity. But the clincher is the inability of anyone, even seasoned “shroom hunters,” to predict exactly when or where they will emerge.

Like robins and trilliums, morels are harbingers of spring. While relatively common in the Driftless Area, they can be notoriously difficult to find. Knowing when and where to look is critical to success.

Morels emerge when the soil temperature reaches 50 to 60 degrees, typically late April to early May. A wet spring may increase their abundance. Woodland edges are typical habitat, especially those with dead or dying trees. Word spreads after the first morels are discovered, causing morel enthusiasts to drop what they’re doing and head to the woods. Once found, they are collected and consumed locally or are bundled and sold, often at farmer’s markets. Be careful, mushroom hunters – there are inedible look-alikes. Know before you pick.

The popularity of morels has spawned numerous attempts to grow them commercially. None were successful due to the mushroom’s enigmatic biology, making their mystique even more powerful. It’s clear the unassuming, rumple-headed mushroom has become a fungal luminary, shining a light on the fascinating world of fungus. Morel soup, anyone?

Craig and Mary Thompson live in the bluffs north of La Crosse. Craig considers the age-old question of whether to pick mushrooms or not to be a morel dilemma. Mary doesn’t give a Shiitake one way or another.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER

How Spring Grove captures hearts across generations.

BY LAURA BARLAMENT

Syttende Mai Barnetoget, or Children's Parade, in Spring Grove, Minnesota. / Photo courtesy Giants of the Earth Heritage Center

Spring Grove has a vibrancy that’s easy to see but kind of hard to explain. With a population of about 1,200, the Southeast Minnesota town is not an industrial center, and not on a major highway. Yet it has an amazing energy and spirit, consistently outperforming its modest town motto: “Pretty. Neat. Small Town.”

“We gotta fight a little bit harder to get people to come to our town,” says Patrick Longmire Jr., co-owner of Fat Pat’s Brewery, which opened in a freshly renovated space on Spring Grove’s Main Street in 2024. “You see so many people that wanna see this town succeed in many different ways. There’s not one person that is able to make it happen on their own. It literally takes the entire town.”

Explore the fields at our family-owned farm where we grow more than 600 varieties of peonies. Shop at the farm or online.

Pick-your-own Peonies

Fresh-picked Bouquets

Picnic at the Peony Farm

Photo Shoots Workshops Farm Tours

Indeed, Spring Grove folks have come together to foster innovation across the community. Main Street is home to a cinema, an art gallery, a craft distillery, a microbrewery, an opera house, and more. Spring Grove Soda Pop has been bottling beverages for 125 years. The Norwegian Ridge Birding and Nature Trails provide hikers and nature lovers paths to wander in peace. Annual events like Uff Da Fest in the fall and Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day, which is just around the corner, May 14–18), bring people together to celebrate the town’s heritage. There’s even a town-wide “Homecoming” event every 10 years, which has been going strong for 100 years. And on top of all that, there’s a full-service grocery store, a medical clinic, great K-12 schools, and a popular swim center.

Is there something in the water?

“I’ve been on road trips around the country,” says Joseph Grodahl, executive director of Spring Grove’s Giants of the Earth Heritage Center. “I’ve been to 49 states and through a lot of small towns. It is not common to have a town of its size have the kind of vitality that Spring Grove has.”

COMMUNITY ANCHORS: ‘CONNECTION & ROOTEDNESS’

David Storlie has lived in Spring Grove since he was just two years old. His wife, Rachel, grew up nearby in Caledonia, Minnesota, so they both understand that small town commitment.

“We’ve got a lot of friends that say, ‘Wow, when we moved to Spring Grove, we ended up being busier than we even were living in a city,’” says Rachel. “So, I think that’s kind of the exciting, but also kind of exhausting part of things.”

David and Rachel have both served on many local committees and boards. Interested in music ever since he sang on Sundays at the vibrant downtown Lutheran church, David’s one of the main driving forces behind Ye Olde Opera House, a community theatre that puts on five or six shows per year. David has directed 65 of them. Rachel is also involved in the opera house, is a Spring Grove Chamber board member, and even did a stint on the city council.

Top: David and Rachel Storlie. Bottom: A mural by artist Kaley Cross adds color and creativity to a once-closed-off alleyway near Ye Olde Opera House that converted into a parklet in 2022. / Photo courtesy Kaley Cross

“I’ve tried very hard not to get involved with anything other than the theater, but with Rachel in my life, it’s impossible,” David says with a laugh.

About 12 years ago, Rachel started volunteering at Giants of the Earth, where she continues to be a board member and volunteer outreach coordinator.

Ye Olde Opera House puts on five or six shows a

the Opera House downtown and

outdoor barn location in the summer. / Photos courtesy Rachel and David Storlie

Unique Lodging

The outdoor patio and garden located behind Spring Grove’s Giants of the Earth Heritage Center features a mural by Sally DeReus and Doug Eckhart, and a bronze sculpture of late artist Sigmund Aarseth, created by sculptor Craig Bergsgaard. When the sun hits just right, the sculpture’s shadow looks like it’s painting the mural.

Opposite page: the Heritage Center as it was in the past, and as it is now.

/ Photos courtesy Giants of the Earth Heritage Center

Painted a cheerful, bright yellow, the poetically named Giants of the Earth Heritage Center occupies a fully renovated historic inn, now equipped with an elevator and a recording studio for preserving oral history. Incorporated in 2009 as a non-profit educational institution, it’s steeped in art and stories, with beautiful murals, gardens and outdoor seating, local history exhibits, and a Norwegian-themed gift shop. Giants of the Earth has been run solely by volunteers until Joseph Grodahl’s hiring as the organization’s first-ever executive director this spring – a milestone the board is extremely excited to have finally achieved.

Joseph, who recently moved to Spring Grove from the Twin Cities, connected with Giants of the Earth through his previous work as the programs and operations director for Minneapolis’s Norway House, which seeks to be a hub for Norwegian-American groups and cultivate ties with today’s Norway.

As a self-proclaimed history buff, Joseph is in his element in Spring Grove. Many people throughout this region have strong historical connections to Spring Grove because of the role the town played in Norwegian immigration in the late 1800s, he explains. Spring Grove was “a portal community,” where immigrants could start their new lives in America. Typically, these immigrants would work on Spring Grove-area farms for a couple of years before moving on to other locations. Joseph’s own family members were early Norwegian immigrants to Minnesota as well, and he loved hearing old stories from his grandparents.

“I’m deeply aware of the role and the importance of that intergenerational connection. That’s really a big part of the values of Giants of the Earth – and it spoke to me because it’s been a major part of making me who I am,” Joseph says. “That’s what Giants is about to me: a sense of connection and rootedness in a place and in a community and in stories there. Something we all universally need.”

SOMETHING IN THE WATER: JOYFUL ENERGY

Just as Spring Grove maintains its deep roots, it also has always had a bent toward innovation.

“It’s got an entrepreneurial spirit to it. It’s got a risk-taking spirit to it,” Joseph says. “It feels like it has that American dream energy.”

One of the striking ways this entrepreneurial spirit has manifested itself is in the area of beverage production. As the town’s name indicates, Spring Grove was originally sited at a good water source. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that the town is noted for good drinks, from Spring Grove Soda Pop, bottled in glass with old-fashioned flavors like lemon sour and cream soda, to RockFilter Distillery, which opened in 2017 in a former creamery, serving completely homegrown craft whiskey and bourbon. Literally, the ingredients are “planted, tended, milled, and distilled in Spring Grove.” They even serve some cocktails that mix in Spring Grove Soda to create drinks truly rooted in place.

Joseph Grodahl, Giants of the Earth’s first-ever executive director. / Photo courtesy Joseph Grodahl

The most recent beverage newcomer is Fat Pat’s Brewery. Co-owner Patrick Longmire Jr. calls his family “technically transplants.” They moved to Spring Grove in 1989 when they bought the grocery store, Red’s IGA, named for Patrick’s father, Patrick “Red” Longmire Sr. The grocery store has offered local groceries and a community-caring spirit ever since.

In Patrick Jr.’s early 20s, he decided to migrate south to Austin, Texas, to become a professional bass player. (He still performs with the La Crosse-based band El Caminos.) While touring around the Lonestar State, he fell in love with Texas-style BBQ and started experimenting with smoking ribs, pork butt, and brisket. He and his wife (Fat Pat’s co-owner and dessert chef), Jayme, returned to Spring Grave to raise their kids – and bring the Austin vibe to Southeast Minnesota. They started with a BBQ food truck in 2017.

“We got to see how a bigger city like Austin, Texas, works, all the awesome things that can happen in a town,” he says. “Fat Pat’s is us just bringing a taste of Austin to Spring Grove. We wanted to create something that you don’t see in a lot of rural America.”

Patrick’s vision for the microbrewery came about when he saw the success of RockFilter Distillery. He was looking to grow Fat Pat’s, and figured the town could grow their craft beverage tourism as well. “So, I dove in headfirst to learn how to brew,” he says. When the former auto garage building went up for sale, he took his chance.

Patrick calls it a “pretty typical brewery restoration building,” with a look that’s “a little bit industrial” with an open-concept kitchen. But he acknowledges the wow factor for people who see it for the first time: “Anybody who comes through Spring Grove, they just can feel that presence of ‘holy crap, you don’t see this just anywhere.’”

Photos from top left: Fat Pat’s co-owners Chelsea McManimon-Moe, Jayme Longmire, and Patrick Longmire Jr.; Fat Pats offers a great “wow factor” on Main St; Texas-style BBQ is served on Fridays and pizza on weekends. / Photos courtesy Fat Pat’s Brewery

Opened in May 2024, the brewery has eight of their own microbrews, plus two guest taps. They offer burgers and wings every day, with Texas style BBQ on Fridays, and a broad array of “New YorkNeapolitan-style” pizzas on weekends, made by co-owner Chelsea McManimon-Moe.

A Caledonia native, Chelsea connected with Patrick a few years ago at a mutual friend’s bonfire. They share an artistic bent (Chelsea is a Viterbo theater grad) and are both inspired by how the Spring Grove community welcomes entrepreneurs and risk-takers.

In the Spring Grove tradition of bringing something special and unique, Chelsea searched long and hard to find her perfect tool: a rotating-floor, wood-fired, gas-assist pizza oven, which allows her to flex the pizza-making chops she learned in Brooklyn, New York, and Silver Lake in Los Angeles.

“I’ve always felt close to Spring Grove,” says Chelsea. “It’s the community. Across the board, everyone shows up for the people that are out there doing stuff.

“Something I’m proud of here at Fat Pat’s is that we really do find joy in the work, and laugh – maybe more than we even should, because we get distracted,” she adds. “But that energy makes waves. People feel it and want to be a part of it. Everybody wants to feel they are a part of something and wants to feel seen.”

Spring Grove, given historical bragging rights as Minnesota’s first Norwegian settlement, is in for an especially exciting 2025. It’s the year of “Crossings,” marking the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration to the U.S., and communities across the nation are celebrating. In Spring Grove, “Sailing into Spring” is Friday April 4 at 6 pm in Spring Grove’s Fest Building. There will be a special Crossings banquet, and a Luren Singers concert to also honor the 50th anniversary of Dr. David Judisch leading this NorwegianAmerican male chorus. Details and sign up available at giantsoftheearth.org. / Photo courtesy Giants of the Earth Heritage Center

THE ARTS, CREATIVITY, & COLLABORATION

Besides good food and drink, the community supports the arts and other specialty businesses in a big way.

Spring Grove Cinema was opened 15 years ago by the town’s telecommunications cooperative, Spring Grove Communications. The first company to provide all-fiber optic services to this area of Minnesota, Spring Grove Communications is a critical business and community asset. In January, the telecom sold the cinema to yet another entrepreneur, Luke Hall, who moved to Spring Grove from the Twin Cities a few years ago. Luke is expanding the cinema to include a versatile community gathering space, with room for games and e-sports, a coffee shop, and treats from the nearby Caledonia Bakery. They’ll be adding concerts, craft events, and other community activities, too, and screening both first-run and classic movies as well as film work of local students.

Just down the street, Bluff Country Artist Gallery has connected Spring Grove to the regional arts community for close to 20 years. More than 75 professional artists who have ties to the Driftless Region display their original work there.

“We have a rich history of producing musicians and artists, actors, historians, chefs,” says Lara Wold-Mendez, board president of the non-profit, membersupported gallery. “I couldn’t begin to tell you what ignited the love for arts here – it may go back to whomever first settled in this area. But the amazing thing is, the passion is still there. It’s remarkable and so lovely.”

The Gallery's non-profit board enjoys supporting artists through their work. / Photos courtesy Bluff Country Artist Gallery

When Laura Kubes moved with her family to the Spring Grove area to take over ownership of Hidden Springs Peony Farm, she noticed this same dynamic.

“I think everyone gets the theory that when our town does well, our businesses do well and our people do well; we all need each other,” Laura says. “When we support each other, it makes us all succeed.”

Hidden Springs Peony Farm features a glorious abundance (600 varieties) of the beloved flowering plant. The public is welcome to visit the peony fields in season (mid-May through June), to shop or to just admire the peonies’ many colors and scents. The farm offers select fruit trees and berries, and other perennials and shrubs as well. The farm also has a thriving online business of shipping bare root peonies, thanks to the excellent Internet service provided by Spring Grove Communications.

Laura has found multiple creative ways to collaborate with fellow Spring Grove business owners. She made a peony simple syrup for a spring cocktail at RockFilter Distillery. Fat Pat’s serves BBQ when she holds events at the farm. She refers her farm visitors to nearby Big Raven Farm retreat center, where her peonies seasonally adorn the rooms. And she has new partnerships in the works for this year, including one with Gardner Farm, a local producer of chicken and eggs. “The collaboration possibilities are endless, and to me that’s a win-win situation,” Laura says.

‘BUILDING AND GROWING’

In this spirit of creativity and collaboration, even disaster can turn into opportunity. In December 2022, a devastating fire struck downtown Spring Grove, destroying Mulqueens Ace Hardware Store as well as six apartments. Today, blue birds adorn a wooden fence where the building once stood, symbolizing the community’s commitment to bringing the site back to life.

“There are so many people that keep stuff like the brewery, the distillery, Spring Grove Pop, and the nature trail going, and keep stuff looking really nice,” says Patrick of Fat Pat’s. “Even the sad parts of town aren’t so sad, because you know that one day something’s gonna go in there.”

Everyone echoes this mindset of love, hope, and faith in Spring Grove. “It’s just a really clean, nice little town,” says Laura Kubes. “And I really do feel like it’s building and growing. We’ve had a couple of retirements, where there are some businesses that closed in the past few months.

“But looking at that, it’s like okay, now what can this space be? Who has had in the back of their mind, ‘Well, maybe I’ll do that someday?’ And, now is their time.”

Laura Barlament works in marketing and communications at Luther College. As a former resident of New York City, she was thrilled to sample Chelsea McManimon-Moe’s pizzas at Fat Pat’s.

Laura Kubes / Photo courtesy Hidden Spring Peony Farm

Marjorie (Marge) Costigan

At age 105, Marjorie (Marge) Costigan is a real treasure for Elkader. You might think that Marge would live in a nursing home or assisted living facility. In fact, Marge lives in her own home near the Turkey River. She is a slight woman who walks around freely, is up-to-date on politics, reads, plays bridge, and entertains others. Marge even likes to make up fun little poems like the one in the last question below. Her children are all retired and able to visit often, and a niece in town is very good help to her. Most notably, she is people-oriented and fun to be around. Her friends consult her when they have questions about bridge rules or how to play a hand. She is one of few surviving World War II veterans, having served in the US Navy Reserve’s WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

What did you want to be and do when you grew up?

At first, I wanted to be a dancer. As I got older, I would have liked to have gone to law school. But I was the youngest of four children, and it was during the Depression; so that was not possible. What I did do was teach school a year in Colesburg, Iowa, and a year in Northwood, Iowa. Then my sister Elizabeth and I thought our life was boring, so we decided to go out West. We moved to Tacoma, Washington, and I taught there for a year.

What other things have you done?

After teaching in Tacoma, my sister and I decided to join the service (the WAVES). I went to Hunter College in New York and then was sent to Milledgeville, Georgia, and from there to Pasco, Washington. It was about 30 miles from Hanford, where there was a nuclear production facility. There were big fences and wires where they had the plutonium.

What came next in your life?

Do you know someone you’d love to interview for this page? Let us know! aryn@iloveinspired.com

In 1945, I married John Clark Costigan at the air base in Pasco, Washington. We returned to Elkader, and I have lived here ever since. Clark was a contractor, and we had four children. Heidi lives in Minneapolis; John lives in Florida; and Colleen lives in Seattle. Dan (Dino) divides his time between Washington state and Elkader. Clark and I traveled all over the world. We went to Europe, to Russia, to Morocco, and flew over the Himalayan Mountains. Our most exotic trip was to China; we went up the Yangtze River on a Chinese boat. Our last trip was to Australia.

What hobbies and interests do you enjoy at this point in your life?

My big interest is in the Carter House Museum in Elkader. I go there on Thursdays in good weather and help maintain the museum and work on displays. I have done research with David Beck of Elkader and wrote up a history of the house. I have a Kindle and read books on it and also listen to books provided by the Iowa Commission for the Blind. All my life I have read the newspaper while having my morning coffee. I like to play bridge and go out for pizza on Friday night. In the past I loved playing golf. I am interested in the history of religion.

What is the best advice anyone every gave you?

My mother always said, “This too shall pass.” That has helped me get through difficult times. I was born in 1919, when the flu was rampant, and I have lived through the Dust Bowl, the Depression, and World War II.

Describe yourself in one or two sentences:

“I’m weary, I’m old, and my feet are cold. I’m ready to fold.” I’m a realist and a people person.