June 2021
Dreamcometrue time ROBIN FISH/ENTERPRISE
Twice retired, Kathy Wood now works part-time at the Military Entrance Processing Station at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, giving exams to people who want to enter the military.
Wood challenges retirees to find their passion ry of her father, a former U.S. Marine who later served in the North Dakota National Guard, that Kathy Wood has retired twice, inspired her to pursue the MEPS more or less. Yet she still works job. “He always had this love of the two jobs – one in the medical field, and another as a small busi- military, till the day he passed ness owner in downtown Park away,” she said. “He was a Marine for life.” Rapids. Giving health exams to mostly Ask her about it, and she may open a discussion about pursuing 17- and 18-year-olds has been a your passion and staying mentally different experience, compared to and physically active, even after Wood’s previous medical work. “We’ve had some 50-year-olds your first career is over. A medical doctor, Wood cur- try to get into the military, too, rently works part of each week at but most of them are younger the Military Entrance Processing kids,” she said. “They want to Station (MEPS) at Fort Snelling serve their country. It’s been an in Minneapolis, providing exams inspiration to work for them. It’s to people trying to enter the mil- a job I thoroughly enjoy.” itary. She also owns Truly Vintage, an Changing specialization antique shop on the third block of For the first 35 years of her Main Avenue South. medical career, Wood specialized Wood said it was the memo- in radiology, working at a variety By Robin Fish rfish@parkrapidsenterprise.com
of hospitals in North Dakota and western Minnesota – including the Park Rapids hospital, about 20 years ago. She also served as the first woman president of the North Dakota Medical Association. Then she decided to make a change, partly because her parents were in ill health and partly because she was getting burned out. “It was difficult being on-call, especially,” she said. “The medical field has changed a lot since I first went into medicine, and sleepless nights were just not my thing anymore.” She added that a radiologist tends to spend a lot of time sitting in dark rooms, looking at backlit images. “Not much physical activity at all,” said Wood.
DREAM: Page 3
Art Beat Quarterly Regional Guide
Inside this issue... 2 Pep up your pesto 4 Talking about money with their kids 5-8 Art Beat 9 Long-lived houseplants become heirlooms 10 Moving our bodies every day has many benefits 11 How to downsize your home for a move 12 The many symptoms and stages of grief
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J u n e 2 02 1
Pep up your
PESTO
Embrace fresh herbs and veggies with this sauce I love everything about pesto. This simple, chunky sauce can be enjoyed in myriad ways — spread atop crostini, tossed with pasta, mixed into tacos and salads, eaten by the spoonful… you get the idea. A traditional Genoese pesto is made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt and extra-virgin olive oil, but by altering the herbs and nuts, you can create a whole repertoire of differently flavored pestos with ease. For this occasion, I swapped out the basil for fresh cilantro and jalapeno and opted for walnuts as their neutral flavor will enhance the other ingredients without overpowering them. So that the bright, fresh flavor of the green ingredients can really shine, I skipped the cheese altogether and added a punch of acid with fresh lime juice. Making pesto is an easy process as everything can be quickly mixed together by using a food processor or blender. You could also make this in the traditional way, using a mortar and pestle if desired, but I much prefer the ease and speed of modern technology. For this recipe, I use one bunch of fresh cilantro and remove the long, thick part of the stems so that it is mostly just the leaves being used (this yields about 3 packed cups of cilantro). I love spicy foods, but my family does not, so to appease their timid palates I use just half of
Home with the Lost Italian BY SARAH & TONY NASELLO
Columnist
one large jalapeno and remove the seeds and veins inside. However, If I were making this pesto just for me, I would use the entire jalapeno and even some of the seeds. To make the pesto, blitz the cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, walnuts and lime juice together by pulsing in a food processor or blender until a thick paste is formed. Next, turn the processor or blender on and add a quarter-cup of extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, steady stream until fully incorporated. Because the oil is an important flavor component in pesto, it is important to use a good quality, extra-virgin olive oil. Once the oil has been added, blend in a small amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning and flavors as desired. This recipe yields about one heaping cup of pesto, which I have served as a dip with hearty chips, as an appetizer atop crostini, and in the pasta salad recipe I am also including here today. With graduations, vaccinations and celebrations upon us, we are entering the season for big-batch salads, and this bright and flavorful pasta salad will easily
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serve 10 to 12 guests. The recipe can be doubled or tripled and made one or two days in advance of serving. This Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto is fresh, versatile, easy to make and filled with the bright color and flavors of the season. Enjoy!
Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed (about 3 packed cups) 1 large clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1/4 cup walnuts (pistachios, almonds or pine nuts also work) 1/2 to 1 jalapeno, seed-
ed and roughly chopped (start with half and add more as desired) 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper In a food processor or blender, add cilantro, garlic, pistachios, jalapeno and lime juice. Pulse until a thick paste is formed. Turn processor on and run continuously as you add olive oil through feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Once all the oil is added, continue to process for an additional 30 seconds. Taste and add more salt, pepper, lime juice and jalapeno as desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
tie) pasta, cooked to al dente and rinsed with cold water until no longer hot 3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided 3/4 to 1 cup Cilantro Pesto 3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed 3/4 cup sweet corn 1 orange bell pepper, small diced 1 to 2 Tbsp. lime juice 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds or halved 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled Salt and pepper, to taste Thinly sliced or finely chopped jalapeno, to garnish Toss cooked pasta with 1 tablespoon of canola oil, adding more as needed until evenly coated. Add 3/4 cup of the pesto and stir until fully incorporated. Cilantro Jalapeno Add black beans, sweet Pesto Pasta Salad corn and bell pepper. 1 pound farfalle (bow
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“Home with the Lost Italian” is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello’s in Moorhead and lives in Fargo with their son, Giovanni. Readers can reach them at sarahnasello@gmail.com.
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Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to mix vegetables with pasta. Add more pesto at this stage, if desired (I use 1 cup). Drizzle 1 tablespoon of lime juice over salad, then add sliced tomatoes and feta cheese; toss to combine. Taste and add more lime juice, salt and pepper as needed. For best results, refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour before serving, or even overnight; the salad may be prepared up to 2 days in advance of serving. Toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil and garnish with thinly sliced or finely chopped jalapeno before serving. Serves 10 to 12.
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June 2021 DREAM From Page 1
“Since I’ve gotten out of that field and pursued all of these other different vocations, I’ve been much more active, physically, too. I used to have a lot more aches and pains than I do now.” She said working in her store provides a variety of different types of activity, from arranging items in the store to pulling things out of storage units and pricing them. “Not only is it keeping me mentally alert and active, but also physically, it’s helped an enormous amount,” she said. Wood’s first career move, after leaving radiology, was to become an administrator with the Indian Health Service. “I had never done administrative medicine before, but I had had some graduate training in medical administration,” she said. Starting with a year in Lawton, Okla., she spent the next eight years rotating from one position to another, including stints in Kayenta, Ariz.; Fort Yates and Belcourt, N.D.; Sisseton, S.D.; and, toward the end of that career, as deputy chief medical officer for the area office in Aberdeen, S.D. “It was a real interesting experience,” she said, “different from what I had ever done before.”
‘My retirement didn’t last’ At age 66, Wood decided to try and retire. “In 2007, I actually built a lake home up on Boot Lake, here in Park Rapids,” she said. “Never had really lived there full-time before. So, I moved to Park Rapids, and then my retirement didn’t last very long because I was getting bored. I just needed to keep busy.” Looking around for other options, she first hit upon a company that serves people on Medicare and supplemental insurance, doing
ROBIN FISH/ENTERPRISE
Kathy Wood, at age 71, pursued her lifelong dream of owning her own antique shop when she opened Truly Vintage last September in downtown Park Rapids. in-home, annual exams. “I worked in Fargo and Grand Forks, primarily,” she said. “That’s kind of what got me thinking about retirement and the next stages of people’s lives.” Wood recalled encountering a lot of people on that job, people who had retired and “had just kind of given up on life. They were content with just sitting in their homes and watching TV all day long, and had no interests. “I tried to encourage them to look at different options. Asked them if they had hobbies.” She said a lot of them seemed, to her, to have lost interest in life. “But then, there were other people that, on the converse, really inspired me,” she said. “There were 90-year-olds that were just going and going, doing things. They had sparks in their eyes. They had things they were interested in. They continued to learn.” Watching her father suffer from dementia, Wood said, reinforced her belief that activity, especially mental, can slow the progress of mental decline. “The more active your mind is,” she said, “with whatever you’re doing, whatever dream you’re trying to fulfill, it helps to prolong a worthwhile retirement.” She saw evidence of this in her in-home
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exam patients, including a 78-year-old lady who took up painting and another lady who was writing her memoirs. “That got me thinking,” said Wood. “I had a great-grandmother who I never met. My grandmother told me – it was her mother-inlaw – that I looked very much like her. But there was nothing left of her. I never saw a picture.” The lost great-grandma grew up in Paris, France, reflecting an interest that led Wood to major in French in college and to develop a love of visiting France. That client who was writing a memoir inspired her to think about doing something similar, so her grandchildren and beyond will know more about her. Wood also cited golf, pickleball, cycling and
k s A the
other exercise as activities that she has known people to take up after retirement, “a whole variety of things that people were doing that was a real inspiration.”
Lifelong dream comes true “A long time ago,” Wood said, “a dear friend of mine who was dying from cancer advised me to never give up my dreams.” In a voice filled with emotion, she explained that since she was a little girl, she has always wanted to have an antique store. “I think part of that came about with interactions with my grandmother, who lived in Wisconsin,” she said. “She had a house full of what I thought were absolute treasures. Mohair furniture, lace
curtains, all these little knickknacks, just wonderful, vintage furniture. I’d walk around her house when we would visit, and just get excited and wanted to learn the history of things, and she was very dear to me. “Since then, it’s always been in the back of my mind that someday, I wanted to have my own store.” After renting space in different antique malls over the years, Wood finally found the ideal space last fall, when she opened Truly Vintage. “I know there’s a lot of people that thought I was absolutely crazy for opening up a store in the midst of COVID,” she said, “but I decided, I’m 71 now. If it wasn’t now, it wasn’t ever gonna be. Sometimes you just have to take a leap and figure it out as you go along.” She said she has had no regrets. She enjoys hearing visitors to the store tell their stories as they look around and see things that remind them of where they grew up. Some of them have even come back after making purchases to tell her about the new memories they made, having a family gathering around the big dining room table or using the special place settings. “This isn’t just stuff. It’s memories. It’s people’s lives, things that they’ve collected,” she said. “Things that have
been important to them.” She said this is what prompted her to try to inspire people to think about the legacy they leave behind, the memories they want to create. “It’s really easy, when you retire, just to sit and relax and think, that’s what life has come to. But to me, that’s sad,” said Wood. “I would encourage people to find their passion, whatever it is. Or try and realize their dreams, things they’ve had in the back of their minds for a long time. Just do something that inspires them, that gets them off the couch, that keeps their minds active. “Yeah, there’s a lot of people that have physical limitations when they get older, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use their minds, be interested in things. There’s so many things that people could do.” In conclusion, she urged, “When you retire from your careers, don’t retire from life. Stay connected with family and friends and start making new connections. Leave your mind open to possibilities, step out of your comfort zone and try new and different things. “Retirement presents an opportunity to find your passion, to rekindle the dreams that you might have had when you were younger, give purpose to your final years, leave a legacy and make a difference.”
Why do my eyes always feel tired?
Murry D. Westberg, O.D.
r o t c o D
100 Huntsinger Ave, Park Rapids 732-3389 107 6th St., Walker 547-3666 Murry D. Westberg, O.D. Jen Keller, O.D. R.W. Helm, O.D.
1-877-700-3389 www.prweyeclinic.com
This is a very common question, and there are MANY possible causes for tired eyes. I’ll go over three of the more common causes and some solutions for each. Many people work on computer screens all day. While focusing on a screen, we don’t blink our eyes as often as we think. As a result, our eyes tend to dry out, which causes eye fatigue. There are many types of artificial tear products you can use throughout the day to moisten your eyes. There are dozens of different brands on the market - some are good and some can be harmful, so talk to your eye doctor about which ones are best for you. Blue light emitted from our digital devices can cause dry eyes, fatigue, eyestrain, and headaches. It affects your body’s release of melatonin, and can have a negative effect on sleep patterns. It can also have long-term effects on the retina, contributing to macular degeneration. Blue light filtering computer glasses can block this harmful light and help your eyes feel more comfortable throughout the day, and less tired at the end of your work day. Our work environments are typically not ideal for our eyes. Many people work at desks or cubicles where they focus at near for most of their day. This adds to eye strain and fatigue. Remember the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes, take a 20 second break and look at something further than 20 feet away. Get up, move around, look out a window or down a hallway. Your focusing muscles need a break just like other muscles, so give them a rest about every 20 minutes….and remember to blink your eyes! These are just a few of the most common causes of eyestrain and fatigue. If you haven’t had an eye exam in over a year, I recommend getting an exam sometime soon. Changes in your glasses prescription can also cause a great deal of fatigue and strain! Hopefully these suggestions will help your eyes feel better and perform their best!
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J u n e 2 02 1
Some parents are uncomfortable talking about money with their kids
D
Minding Our Elders
though, have tried, but they’ve either lost savings or never were able to accumulate savings because of late-life layoffs, devastating health events or health care costs in general. They struggle in ways they don’t want to reveal to their children, so they BY CAROL resist sharing information. This will backfire, but BRADLEY BURSACK it’s human. Columnist How do you convince reluctant older parents to start sharing needed information? I’ve found that to worry their kids, so some who struggle financially news stories can open potentially uncomfortable may be even less likely to share information than dialogues because sharing a story that you read or heard in the news can plant the seed without seemthose who are well off. Older adults who have financial challenges may ing confrontational. Another approach is that if you hear about a friend also fear judgment. The current jargon implies that older adults without deep financial resources or acquaintance of your parents who left their kids didn’t plan ahead. That’s true for some. Many, a financial mess when they died, bring this up when you’re chatting with your parents. What happened to this family is sadly common when parents don’t arrange legal access or share essential information, so use this opportunity to tell your parents that Service-enriched you’re grateful for what they’ve done. Again, conAssisted Living versations like this plant a seed that may encourage 218-237-8345 your parents to be more open. Another favorite of mine is to be more open about your own finances. Share your victories, but also Individualized let them know when you’re concerned about your Memory Care 619 W. 6th Street, Park Rapids, MN 56470 401(k). Tell them about the time you caught credit Managed by Ecumen 218-237-8345 card fraud or a bank error because you do the management online and check your accounts weekly. I’m not saying that you should worry them (parAffordable ents do worry), but if you open up about your own Senior Living Skilled Nursing Care finances during casual conversations, that might 218-237-7275 218-732-3329 help normalize the idea that sharing financial information is good. Visit our web site for more information www.heritageparkrapids.org Remember that you’re unlikely to convince parents who are reluctant to share information with you to immediately change their views. The idea is to alter the dynamic in your family to make talking about financial ups and downs not just acceptable in a crisis, but a normal part of a wide-ranging casual conversation.
ear Carol, My parents, both 83, preached that talking about finances is rude. They’ve made wills and powers of attorney for health and finances, so I’ll give them that, and I’m the designated POA. The problem is that I don’t have any idea if they have enough saved for something like assisted living or in-home help or even if their bills get paid. Years back, they struggled because of job layoffs, so money has always been a problem. Since I will be the one to handle things eventually, I think I need to know more now. How do I approach this taboo subject? ~ GL Money is a hard topic for many families. Why? Often, the reluctance stems from just what you mentioned. Other people’s finances seem too personal to talk about. Additionally, parents don’t like
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Carol Bradley Bursack is a veteran caregiver and an established columnist. She is also a blogger, and the author of “Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories.” Bradley Bursack hosts a website supporting caregivers and elders at www.mindingourelders.com. She can be reached through the contact form on her website.
Art Beat
Summer 2021
Quarterly Regional Guide
Art Calendar
2nd Street Stage has become the great community get-together in downtown Park Rapids.
2nd Street Stage kicks off June 24 It’s back! 2nd Street Stage will start June 24 and run through Aug. 19. The Park Rapids Downtown Business Association’s 2nd Street Stage committee and Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber staff met frequently this winter and spring planning for the worst and hoping for the best. The ninth year of the great community get-together will be shortened from 10 to nine Thursday nights. Every year, people have said they look forward all year long to these special nights that celebrate summer. Now it’s been a two-year wait and many of us are anxious to reconnect with friends or just settle into our chairs and enjoy the music. As excited as everyone is for 2nd Street Stage to bring some normality to our lives and regain a sense of community, please be aware COVID-19 guidelines will be followed and pay attention to announcements, volunteers’ instructions and signs. And remember to bring a chair. The beer garden opens at 5 p.m. for a social hour, time to meet social hour sponsors and buy this year’s collectible button for $2 off all beverages at the beer garden. The 2nd Street Stage concerts run
Heartland Lakes blue 173963
from 6 to 8 p.m., except on Aug. 12 when the concert will follow Water Wars. Social hour and band sponsors offer a variety of activities and giveaways as well as a prize at the end of the evening to someone with a lucky ticket. Bands are chosen for their musicianship and stage presence and to represent various musical genres (soul, rhythm and blues, rock ’n roll, folk, bluegrass, hillbilly and swing). Many of the bands have played at First Avenue and other venues in the Twin Cities and/ or are part of the Duluth music scene. The 2021 line up is: ► June 24 Boss Mama and the Jebberhooch ► July 1 the 4onthefloor ► July 8 Pat Lenertz Band ► July 15 New Salty Dog ► July 22 Rich Mattson and the Northstars ► July 29 Mae Simpson Music ► Aug. 5 Everett Smithson Band ► Aug. 12 Corey Medina & Brothers ► Aug. 19 Joyann Parker For more about all the bands, go to www.parkrapidsdowntown.com. For weekly updates, go to 2nd St Stage on Facebook. Weekly major sponsors are Enbridge, R.D. Offutt Farms and TruStar Federal Credit Union.
JUNE June 1-July 17 T.L. Solien: See the Sky at Nemeth Art Center June 1 Community Ed: Itasca Photograph Workshop June 7 Community Ed: Denim Apron sewing class June 8: Community Ed: T-shirt Quilt Workshop June 9 & 14 Community Ed: Toothbrush Rug sewing class June 12 T.L. Solien: See the Sky opening reception at Nemeth Art Center June 12-18 Workbench New Play Workshop June 13 Sites ’n Bites in Nevis June 17 Noon Hour Concert: North Wind Clarinets at Calvary Lutheran Church June 21-26 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “At the Hop” Song & Dance theater camp June 24 Noon Hour Concert: organist Angie Doty at St. Johns Lutheran Church June 24 2nd Street Stage: Boss Mama and the Jebberhooch June 25-27 Akeley Paul Bunyan Days June 28-July 16 NLOKids Theater Camp June 28-July 2 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “The Ugly Duckling” theater camp JULY July 1-17 T.L. Solien: See the Sky at Nemeth Art Center July 1 Noon Hour Concert: violinist Timothy Pinkerton and pianist Sarah Carlson at Calvary Lutheran Church July 1 2nd Street Stage: the 4onthefloor July 8 Noon Hour Concert: Brass group at Calvary Lutheran Church July 8 2nd Street Stage: Pat Lenertz Band July 10 T.L. Solien: See the Sky Closing Reception at Nemeth Art Center July 12-17 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “Dancin’ to Disney” Song & Dance theater camp July 15 Noon Hour Concert: Eric Haugen, cello, and Claire Gunsbury, flute at Calvary Lutheran Church July 15 2nd Street Stage: New Salty Dog July 19-30 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “The Jungle Book” theater camp July 22-23 Crazy Days in Downtown Park Rapids July 22 2nd Street Stage: Rich Mattson and the Northstars July 23-24 Nevis Muskie Days Festival July 29 31 Northern Light Opera Company: “PIPPIN” July 29 2nd Street Stage: Mae Simpson Music AUGUST Aug. 1, 5, 6, 7 Northern Light Opera Company: “PIPPIN” Aug. 5 Noon Hour Concert: Matthew Lorenz, piano at Calvary Lutheran Church Aug. 5 2nd Street Stage: Everett Smithson Band Aug. 12 Noon Hour Concert: vocalist Evan Boyle and pianist Sarah Carlson at St. Johns Lutheran Church Aug. 12 2nd Street Stage: Corey Medina & Brothers Aug. 13-15 Blank Canvas Gallery Reunion Show at The Armory Arts & Events Center Aug. 16-20 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “Chicken Little” theater camp Aug.19 2nd Street Stage: Joyann Parker August 21 Rachel Collier: Soft Landing and Alec Soth: Paris, Minnesota Artists Reception at Nemeth Art Center Aug. 21 & 22 Art Fair at the Winery at Forestedge Winery Aug. 23-27 Community Ed-Long Lake Theater: “Sizzlin’ Broadway” Song & Dance theater camp Aug. 26 Noon Hour Concert: Bob Madeson, euphonium, Sarah Carlson, piano and Tyler Bublitz, drummer at Calvary Lutheran Church SEPTEMBER Sept. 7 Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning season starts Sept. 25-26 Art Leap 2021 Sept. 25 Northern Light Opera Company 20th Anniversary Celebration
Proud sponsor of Noon Hour Concerts and Art Leap 2021 Many Heartland Arts activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to legislative appropriations from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the States General Fund.
www.heartlandarts.org Facebook: parkrapidsarts
Art Beat Quarterly Regional Guide
Hubbard County Historical Museum welcomes visitors As Park Rapids parks and businesses welcome returning seasonal visitors, the town’s outstanding public attraction (at least on rainy days) has opened its doors for the MaySeptember season. The Historical Museum’s new hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Tuesday through Saturday; please call 732-5237 for further information about group visits or donations. The Hubbard County Historical Society’s events also will continue with some changes, and our online presence will expand to new posts daily. Instead of the traditional roast beef dinner fundraiser, an outdoor ice cream social and silent auction might bring more guests to explore the museum in the century-old courthouse shared with the Nemeth Art Center. Evening programs are being scheduled, so please give a call if you have expertise or an interest that our speakers could pursue. The board hired local businesswoman and former teacher Tami Hensel as seasonal director. Her sister, Val Crawford, will staff half the museum hours and provide publicity support since Hensel continues to run Cattail Creek Framing, a supporter of local arts and cultural programs since 1998. Hensel has loved Park Rapids since growing up at Potato Lake’s Kozy Kove resort, settling here while she pursued teaching qualifications and a degree in technical illustration with a minor in commercial design.
Hensel’s ideas for expanding visitors and funding include a downtown architecture tour and a historic sites geocaching project. These can build supportive partnerships with local businesses, while sending their customers to pick up free postcards at the museum and see the collection while they’re there. Museum visitors will be invited to pose or post their own pictures on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter sites. These daily online posts will focus on people as well as the museum’s fascinating and extensive collections. The building is an eight-vault marvel that invites further video exploration and posting as well. Crawford recently retired from a university public relations and teaching job and worked for both Twin Cities major newspapers, so she will expand the museum’s media and online presence, hopefully year-round – because most grants and planning are pursued in the long season when the unheated courthouse building must be closed. President Jan Rumpza and longtime society leader Russ Brown agree the top priority is protecting the collection with more up-to-date museum technologies. The collection’s touchable nature and extensive collections are great resources. Deciding what should go behind glass and what treasures should stay forever in an online collection are enjoyable puzzles for the board, volunteers and directors to solve. Stop by to explore or say hello – you might be our online “visitor of the day.”
Val Crawford and her sister, Tami Hensel, are making plans as the new public relations coordinator and seasonal director, respectively, at the Hubbard County Historical Museum.
HCLL programs return to Armory this fall In March 2020, when the entire world came to a halt because of the mysterious COVID-19 virus, Headwaters Center for Lifelong Learning (HCLL) in Park Rapids was also forced to cancel the remainder of its spring session. Thanks to modern technology, our programs are all recorded, which made it possible to post past presentations on YouTube for both fall 2020 and spring 2021, but many people agree that hearing live speakers is still more enjoyable than watching a video. In April, the HCLL board voted to return to live programs in September. A news conference with Governor Walz and medical personnel from the Minnesota Department of Health on May 6 confirmed that it should be safe to resume public programming by fall, and the board hopes our faithful followers will agree. All of the speakers whose presentations had to be postponed in 2020 have agreed to return to Park Rapids, along with a couple of local residents. One major change is the programs will return to the
Armory Arts and Events Center, rather than the Park Theatre where they have been held. This will allow for more physical distancing, if it should become necessary during the eight-week season. Kicking off the season Sept. 7 will be a program by Mary and Bill Bailey, voted 2015 Tree Farmers of the Year, introducing us to the conservation practices that permeate their professions of farming and “bluebirding.” The following weeks will include Connie Lounsbury on Sept. 14, speaking on “Hobos of the Great Depression;” Marcie Rendon, Sept. 21, author of a novel-Murder on the Red River-speaking on “The Land Feeds Us, Body and Soul;” and Laurel Hed on Sept. 28, speaking about warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s. On Oct. 5, the audience will meet Geri and Darby Nelson, aquatic ecologists who recount their journey of paddling the entire length of the Minnesota River; Oct. 12, Tom Chapin will recall some dramatic and often humorous experiences from his 30-year career in poaching
enforcement with Minnesota DNR; Oct. 19, join local photographer Lowell Wolff for his collection of stunning photos taken during his winters in Mexico. Finally, the season will end Oct. 26 with Marilyn Dreessen, who talks about her experience on Sept. 11, 2001, when the plane she was on had to be diverted from its original destination to Canada when air travel was shut down after the terrorist attack on New York City. The HCLL board is excited to welcome you back to Lifelong Learning. Watch for a brochure in August and more information in the Park Rapids Enterprise as we get closer to September. See you soon.
Try something new through community ed classes The Park Rapids Community Education’s summer schedule includes art classes and theater opportunities. Song & Dance theater camps with Long Lake Theater are offered, as follows, with performances on Saturdays: At the Hop – June 21-26 (ages 4-18, times vary), Dancin’ to Disney – July 12-17 (ages 4-18, times vary) and Sizzlin’ Broadway – August 23-27 (ages 4-18, times vary). Other musical theater camps with performances on Fridays will be: The Ugly Duckling – June 28-July 2, 9 a.m. to noon for ages 5-7, The Jungle Book – July 19-30, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for ages 7-18 and Chicken Little – Aug.16-20, 9-a.m. to noon for ages 5-7.
Individual or group string Instrument lessons for all ages are available throughout the summer. Sing up for an Itasca Photography Workshop for those with some camera knowledge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2. Sharpen your skills at sewing classes: Denim Apron on June 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., T-shirt Quilt Workshop on June 8 and 15 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and Toothbrush Rug on June 9 and 14 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There are no fees for any of these programs. Check the Community Education website, www.parkrapidscomed. com, and Facebook page (Park Rapids Community Ed) for the most up to date information on classes and instructors.
July 27 - August 4 Armory Arts & Events Center
Presents:
The Musical
203 Park Ave S, Park Rapids
for more info, go to: www.northernlightopera.org “This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.”
Art Beat Quarterly Regional Guide
NLOC season includes two new events
2021 is the year the Northern Light Opera Company (NLOC) celebrates 20 years of bringing musical theater to the Heartland Lakes Area. NLOC will be hosting three projects this summer. A 20th Anniversary Celebration is planned Saturday, Sept. 25 at the Park Rapids Area High School Auditorium. Reserve the date! Workbench New Play Workshop Have you ever wanted to write a play? Do you have a story you want to tell? Then, check out the Workbench New Play Workshop. Created by playwright/teacher Greg Paul, the Workbench is intensive and designed to guide a group of local writers through the process of writing their own, original, short play. Participants will be led Greg Paul through a series of writing exercises facilitated by Greg and guest playwright/poet Melanie Goodreaux. In the span of just seven days, participants will go from a blank page to seeing their short play presented before a live audience. The workshop is free and is open to any and all interested writers. No playwriting experience is Melanie Goodreaux needed! The Workbench will meet in the Park Rapids Armory and will run June 12-18. For more information and an application go to www.northternlightopera.org.
NLOKids Theater Camp Calling all active 8-13 year olds who love to sing, dance and create stories to tell to family and friends June 28 through July 16. Led by NLOC staff and assistants, 2021 will be the 11th year creating, but the sixth year collaborating with the kids of Pine Point and the Park Rapids area. A school bus will pick up and deliver kids to Pine Point School and the Armory where the days will be spent having fun playing and creating an original musical that will be presented for family and friends at both locations. Comments from past campers and parents have been very positive and supportive. Find the application form on Page 4 of the Park Rapids Community Education summer brochure. NLOC’s 2019 production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the For more information or an application form, Armory remains memorable. Watch for more about “PIPPIN,” with contact info@northernlightopera.org or performances planned July 29-31 and Aug. 1, 5, 6 and 7. jdickinson2@parkrapids.k12.mn.us. PIPPIN is the story of a young man’s journey to be PIPPIN Summer 2020, NLOC’s family was devastated when extraordinary, to find the secret of true happiness and their planned production of Big Fish had to be cancelled fulfillment. Pippin is a prince, heir to the throne of because of Covid-19. NLOC’s director spent much time Charlemagne and his search for happiness leads him to the educating herself on how to make a Virtual Concert glories of battlefields, temptations “of the flesh,” intrigues happen and former cast members from across the globe of political power and in the end, he finds that happiness is were able, via ZOOM, to present a Virtual Concert not in extraordinary endeavors, but the unextraordinary streamed live Aug. 21 and still archived on Facebook, moments that happen every day. By July, you will find more information in news releases, Northern Light Opera. In July and August 2021, NLOC plans to present PIPPIN posters or NLOC’s website: www.northernlightopera.org. Hopefully by then, we with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Auditions have been held and cast chosen. Plans are to present PIPPIN in will all be able to attend NLOC’s productions again. These activities are made possible, in part, by the voters the Armory Arts & Events Center, mindful of Covid guidelines. One of the reasons PIPPIN was chosen is of Minnesota through a grant from the Region 2 Arts because the show is adaptable and could be scaled up or Council, thanks to legislative appropriations from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. down, depending on Covid restrictions.
Noon Hour Concerts begin June 17 The Noon Hour Concert started playing organ for summer series will commence worship services at Grace after being postponed last Lutheran Church in Sebeka summer because of Covid-19. when she was in junior high The first concert will feature school with the help of her the North Wind Clarinets mother, Alice Gronlund, who is a performing a variety of music piano and organ teacher. from classical to Latin to jazz The remaining summer and swing from 12:15 to 12:45 concert schedule is as follows: p.m. Thursday, June 17 at Calvary ► July 1: Timothy Pinkerton, Lutheran Church in Park Rapids. violin, and Sarah Carlson, Members of the quintet are Beth piano, at Calvary Hahn, Park Rapids; Deane Lutheran Church Johnson, Park Rapids; Vicki ► July 8: A brass group at Magnuson, Bagley; Peg Rickert, Calvary Lutheran Church Organist Angie Doty will perform Bemidji; and Sarah Sundeen, Thursday, June 24 at St. Johns with musicians Craig Bemidji. Swartz, trumpet; Ryan Lutheran Church. On June 24, organist Angie Webber, trombone; Doty will perform at St. Johns Lutheran Church, Brennan Paulsen, tuba; presenting an organ concert titled “Pulling Out the Eve Sumsky, horn; and Stops.” It will feature grand works by Buxtehude, Kyle Riess, trumpet Karg-Elert, a delightful arrangement of “Count ► July 15: Eric Haugen on cello and flautist Your Blessings, by Dan Miller, and other organ Claire Gunsbury at Calvary Lutheran Church pieces sure to delight. ► July 22: Matthew Lorenz, piano, at Calvary Doty holds an organ performance, vocal Lutheran Church performance and K-12 vocal music education ► Aug. 12: Evan Byler, vocalist, and Sarah degree from the University of Minnesota, Morris, Carlson, pipe organ, at St. Johns Lutheran where she studied organ under the direction of Church Kay Carlson. She has held various Director of ► Aug. 26: Bob Madeson, euphonium; Sarah Church music positions throughout her career. Carlson, piano; Tyler Bublitz, drums, at She also has been the principal organist at Faith Calvary Lutheran Church Lutheran from 2009-17, and again from 2019 to All concerts are from 12:15 to 12:45. Covid the present time. She teaches elementary guidelines will be followed and there will be no classroom music in Anoka Hennepin, ISD 11. She social time.
State Arts Board continued pandemic relief The Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB) has provided grants to artists and arts organizations allowing them to remain viable during the pandemic. New grants are being made available to continue those efforts even as the Covid-19 guidelines are changing. One of these grants is for Creative Support for Individuals with a maximum award of $6,000. These MSAB grants have two application deadlines: June 4 by 4:30 p.m. and August 6 by 4:30 p.m. These grants are flexible and meant to help artists and culture bearers adapt to a changing and challenging environment in which to work. By using their creativity and connection to community, this grant program will help Minnesota artists and culture bearers maintain their visibility and financial sustainability. Grantees will be able to use funds to sustain their practice and stay relevant and connected to audiences, participants, students or communities now and in the future. Visit the MSAB website for details [http://www.arts.state.mn.us/ grants/csi.html. Another grant round is available for Creative Support for Organizations with a maximum award of $25,000. Application deadlines are June 4 by 4:30 p.m. and Aug. 6 by 4:30 p.m. These grants are designed to support arts organizations and nonarts organizations that regularly offer arts programming as they rebuild, reimagine and continue to adapt their arts programming in response to the changing environment caused by the global pandemic. Grantees will be able to determine how best to use funds to stay connected to audiences, participants, students or communities that participate in their regular arts programming. Visit the MSAB website for details: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/grants/csi.html.
Art Beat Quarterly Regional Guide
Nemeth exhibit represents artist’s long career The Nemeth Art Center is excited to open their 2021 season with a full-gallery show presenting T. L. Solien: See the Sky. The exhibit is on display through July 17 with an opening reception June 12 and a closing reception July 10. T.L. Solien is one of the region’s most prominent, well-respected and prolific artists and this exhibition, curated by Christopher Atkins, is a compact survey of Solien’s career. The exhibition will be organized around overlapping themes, such as literature, art, landscape and autobiography. These themes are familiar to many artists but Solien has a distinct NeoSurrealist vocabulary that is accented with illustrative exaggeration, multi-colored layered collage, and a sometimes-furtive sense of humor. See the Sky includes significant paintings, sculptures and works on paper that have not been displayed before. See the Sky will show some of Solien’s long-term engagements with classic and contemporary literature, such as MobyDick; Or the White Whale and Sena Jeter Naslund’s Ahab’s Wife, or the Star-Gazer. His work is inspired by novels in which societal norms are destabilized, such Flannery O’Connor’s Good Country People and Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. Like other post-modern artists, Solien gleans details and mixes sources from each book and his own creative journey. He is careful not to illustrate them though, focusing instead on inspiration, selfdiscovery and creative journeys. Solien’s work is also where he shows his deep knowledge of art history, especially the influence of his favorite artists. Some of the most recognizable artists he has borrowed from over the years are the Sienese painter Duccio and modernists such as Pablo Picasso and Winslow Homer. Similar to his interest in narrative and storytelling, Solien’s recent paintings are a means by which to connect with the past through still-life painting, as in Theorem, or religious stories and allegories that mark significant moments of transition like The Renunciation. His work also includes pop-culture references to sports heroes and illustrations that echo Disney cartoons, and painters such as Peter Saul. From the beginning of his career until
now, the landscape of the upper Midwest has left an indelible mark on Solien’s work. “The land is flat, the space is so deep that it seems shallow, and the sense of scale is often distorted.” Landscape is often the setting for and stage upon which Solien’s characters experience significant changes or depart on life-changing journeys. And this knowledge of the evocative power of the landscape has stayed with him as he explored the legacy of Westward expansion and religious journeys such as Carpet Bag and Wasteland. Similar to the German Expressionists that he admires, Solien’s work is selfreferential; an auto-biographical construct that is both painfully mundane and mythologized. “What I value as content is a kind of confessional. It’s a retelling through symbols of one’s experiences.” It’s in these works he shares some of his deepest concerns; life-changing moments, the performance of masculinity and parenting, not to mention the sacrifices he has made to live a creative life. Shit Ride and The Husband Lost at Sea represent inter-studio dialogues with himself while driving on road trips with his family. In each, a moment of being lost in thought becomes an example for how artists distill familiar experiences into “a larger sense of human experience.”
Solien has had a long career in Minnesota and the upper Midwest region, with prominent solo and group exhibitions at the Plains Art Museum and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Local audiences will appreciate how Solien’s real and fictional landscapes have more than a passing resemblance to the forests of northwestern Minnesota and North Dakota, the area he was born in in 1949 and where he and his wife once lived. Solien is known to many artists as an influential professor. He has taught at The Ohio State University (1990), University of Iowa (1991-1995), Montana State University (1996-1997), and finally, at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he just retired after a 23-year career (19972020). About the artist T.L Solien (b. 1949, Fargo), received a BA degree in Art from Moorhead State University in 1973 and an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1977. Solien has been included in numerous prominent one-person and group exhibitions including, the 1983 Whitney Biennial (Whitney Art Museum, New York), the 39th Biennial of American Painting (Corcoran Museum, Washington, D.C.); Avant-Grade in the 80s (Los Angeles
County Museum of Art); The American Artist as Printmaker (Brooklyn Museum NY); Images and Impressions (Walker Art Center, Minneapolis); and Contemporary Drawings (High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA). Solien was the subject, recently, of a 25-year retrospective at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art titled T.L. Solien: Myths and Monsters, as well as a touring exhibition organized by the Plains Art Museum of Fargo, titled Toward the Setting Sun, comprised of 65 works and supported by a 200-page catalog published by the University of Minnesota Press. Solien is also represented in numerous corporate and public collections including, The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Art Institute of Chicago; The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; High Museum of Art, Atlanta; The Metropolitan Museum, New York; The Tate Modern, London; Smithsonian Museum ,Washington D.C.; Frederick Weisman Foundation, Los Angeles; National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C.; Milwaukee Museum of Art, Milwaukee; and Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI. Solien is represented by Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee. About the curator Christopher Atkins is an independent curator, write, and photographer who lives in Minneapolis. For more than 10 years, he has curated dozens of one-person and group exhibitions, site-specific installations, and artist-in-residence programs as Minnesota Artist Exhibition Coordinator (Minneapolis Institute of Art), Curator of Exhibitions (Minnesota Museum of American Art) and as guest curator at other local and national venues. He holds MA and MRes degrees in Visual Cultures from Goldsmiths College, University of London and a BA in Art History from the College of Wooster. For more information, contact Tessa Beck at director@nemethartcenter.org or go to www.nemethartcenter.org. Nemeth Art Center is located in the original Hubbard County Courthouse, 301 Court Ave., Park Rapids. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through the end of September.
Blank Canvas Gallery reunion show planned Blank Canvas Gallery (BCG) opened its doors in June 2010 on Main Street, Park Rapids. The initial effort provided 20-plus artists an opportunity to exhibit in the Gallery. Subsequently, more than 80 additional artists were included. After a successful five years, BCG closed its doors in September 2015. Staying in contact, several artists determined that June 2020 was an
excellent opportunity for a BCG 10-year Reunion Art Show. Meanwhile, the pandemic caused major disruption. Plans remain intact and the old BCG group has an Aug. 13-15, 2021 reservation at The Armory Arts and Events Center. Watch for the 11-year Blank Canvas Gallery Reunion announcement. And, thanks to all patrons for their continued support.
Heartland Concert Association DON’T WAIT TO BE ASKED. JOIN NOW!
HEARTLAND CONCERT SERIES FOR 2022 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Duo Baldo SUNDAY, MARCH 6 Chipper Experience SUNDAY, MARCH 13 Barron Ryan SUNDAY, MARCH 20 Ball In The House WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 Crocodile Rockin’
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www.heartlandconcertassociation.org This activity is funded in whole or in part by a Region 2 Arts Council Grant through an appropriation by the MN Legislature, and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by MN voters on Nov. 4, 2008
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June 2021
ALYSSA GOELZER / THE FORUM
Left: Botanists agree that most houseplants, like these at Baker Garden & Gift in Fargo, have no predetermined lifespan, so they can live for centuries. Right: Types that often become long-lived houseplants include snake plant, rubber plant, ZZ plant, ferns, jade plant and Philodendron. Local establishments, such as Baker Garden & Gift in Fargo, have many types of houseplants available to choose from.
Long-lived houseplants become heirlooms How long do indoor plants live? A gardening magazine recently wrote that houseplants typically last two to five years, after which the author suggested it’s best to invest in a new plant. I’m afraid the writer vastly underestimates the power of a grandmother with a watering can and a little potting soil. Long-lived houseplants are more common than we might think. A few years ago, I asked readers to comment on houseplants that were in their families for many years. My mailbox was filled with reports of Christmas cactuses, snake plants and ivies that were decades old, some over a century. The average lifespan of houseplants is difficult to determine because their birth and death dates aren’t recorded in plant obituaries. The oldest currently living houseplant of record is located in the conservatory at London’s Kew Gardens. The 246-yearold Eastern Cape cycad has been growing in a pot since 1775. People take their houseplant seriously. In 2014, a lady in Pittsburgh left a sizable inheritance to her Philodendron, so the 42-year-old companion plant would be well cared for after she
Growing Together BY DON KINZLER Columnist was gone. The lives of humans, pets and other animals span an average number of years, and there’s pretty much a maximum life expectancy. Indoor plants, on the other hand, have no predetermined lifespans, and botanists generally agree there is no definite end point. The longevity of houseplants doesn’t depend upon whether they drink, smoke or overeat, but rather on care and growing conditions, including light, humidity, watering, soil, insects and diseases. Theoretically, in the absence of adversity, most houseplants can live forever — that is, until we kill them. Some plants lend themselves better to indoor conditions than others, and their growing habits contribute to long lives. The following • FULL SERVICE CONSTRUCTION • CONCRETE/MASONRY
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houseplants tend to be long-lived, making them valuable heirloom plants to be passed from generation to generation. ► Christmas and Thanksgiving cactuses: Becoming more elegant with age, these flowering plants are commonly passed along to children or grandchildren of the original owners. ► Jade plant: Members of the succulent group, they continue to grow into miniature trees, becoming larger as decades pass. ► Boston fern: The ease of dividing makes it easy to perpetuate ferns, even if they become crowded. ► Sansevieria snake plant: The sturdy plant simply keeps adding new
sprouts to the clump’s perimeter, becoming wider and taller with age. ► Rubber plant (Ficus elastica): The largeleaved tropical native has a treelike nature, contributing to its longlived tendency. ► Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina): Another treelike houseplant that will live for many decades under proper conditions. ► English ivy: Because it’s a tough outdoor vine in milder climates, it enjoys a long life indoors, if its susceptibility to spider mites or other pests is kept in check. ► Philodendron: The large family of plants includes vining members and large-leaved tropical forms. ► Monstera: Nicknamed split-leaf Philodendron or Swiss cheese plant with its huge rounded leaves, the plant becomes like a tropical tree with age.
► Bird-of-paradise: The bird-shaped orange and blue flowers don’t appear until plants average 20 years old, so patience is definitely a virtue. ► Aspidistra cast iron plant: This nearly indestructible plant gained its nickname during Victorian times when fumes from gas-fueled lights killed many indoor plants, but left this one untouched. ► Hoya: The trailing plants get better with age, rewarding patience with fragrant flowers. ► Spider plant: This classic can be perpetuated by propagating “spiders” or by rejuvenating an aging plant with a drastic cutback. ► ZZ Plant: Thankfully, its name was shortened from Zamioculcas zamiifolia. Although it was only introduced into the houseplant industry in 1996, it has all the characteristics of longlived species. ► Cactuses and suc-
culents: The slow-andsteady growth of cactus species and succulents like aloe and haworthia encourages longevity. The following tips can increase the lifespan of any houseplant: ► Develop proper watering technique. ► Fertilize monthly or every other month March through September, discontinuing during the short days of winter. ► Provide the amount of light each plant type needs. ► Check for pests often and treat at earliest signs. ► Provide well-draining, high-quality potting mix. ► Upgrade pot size gradually when needed, but most houseplants are comfortable being slightly pot-bound. Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, is the horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County. Readers can reach him at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu.
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J u n e 2 02 1
Moving our bodies every day has many benefits accomplishments so you can celebrate them. Does anyone notice that it takes your joints As we age, we often longer to start working think there is no benewhen you stand up? Not fit to moving our bodies BY CONNIE TROSKA only does it take a few every day. Columnist seconds for the joints However, that is simto kick in, but they also ply not true – the older But you can reverse mean we are less able make more noise! How we get, the more critical loss. Regu- to fight off diseases. about your bones? Are it is that we move every muscle set- they as strong as they lar exercise is vital. To Microorganisms day. Studies have shown maintain or rebuild tle into the lungs, and used to be? Our bones and joints that, as we age, our abil- muscle tone, focus on without a good strong ity to develop muscles strength or resistance coughing mechanism, truly benefit from movdeclines, which means training. Eating healthy those microorganisms ing. But other things can we should be sure we are can also help increase can cause problems like also help supplement healthy bones and joints. pneumonia. doing something to keep muscle tone. You can help both the Speak with your primary Moving every day our strength up. It does not mean we have to be offers benefits to more heart and lungs by par- care provider about your power-lifting weights than just our muscles. It ticipating in an aero- options. Take vitamin D. Our or running five miles a helps other body systems bic activity on a regular basis. Again, that does body’s ability to absorb day (but if you are doing as well. The cardiovascular not mean running on Vitamin D decreases with these things, kudos to you!). It does mean we system benefits from a treadmill for a half- age. Vitamin D helps need to make an effort moving every day. As hour. It means start bones from becoming to do something for our people age, they may where you are and work weak and brittle. Mainexperience arteries that your way up. Perhaps it tain a healthy weight and body every day. Here is a fun fact become rigid, high blood is a stroll outside (it is take part in weight-bear(enter sarcasm here): pressure, fluid backup, getting nice out). Can ing activities to increase We start losing muscle or other cardiac prob- you walk to the end of bone density. The cartilage in our tone somewhere around lems. It is essential to the block (or halfway)? age 30. What? 30 years remain physically active Try that daily for one joints goes through a lot week. Then next week, of wear and tear during old!? But, according to for heart health. As we age, our lungs can you go a little fur- our life. The cartilage Medline Plus, an information service of the become weaker or less ther daily? Record your becomes thin and can United States National elastic. When this hapLibrary of Medicine, loss pens, we take in less of muscle mass due to oxygen, which every aging is about 10 to 15%. cell in our body needs to The rest is lack of activi- work efficiently. Weaker lungs also ty and poor diet. By Connie Troska BOOMERS ON THE MOVE
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cause pain, and eventually can cause osteoarthritis. Consider nonweight-bearing activities, like a stationary bike or chair exercises. If surgery is the only option left to reduce joint pain, be sure to plan on moving as soon as the doctor allows. As we age, we have to pee more. That means getting up more often at night. Ugh! Our urinary tract continues to work normally, barring illness or injury, but our bladder cannot hold as much liquid. Urinary incontinence can be debilitating for people, as they choose to stay in their home rather than get out and about for fear of urine leakage. This becomes part of a vicious cycle that causes the rest of our body systems to get weaker. Doing pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercises) and training your bladder can help. Visit with your primary care provider if you are having issues with inconti-
Are you turning 65? Call your local licensed Humana
nence. If you are interested in learning more about ways to build your strength, the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging (AAA) works with a variety of programs to help you stay healthy and keep moving. Carol Bye is the Dancing Sky AAA Healthy Aging Coordinator. She can help you identify your needs and class availability. To contact Carol, call 218745-9104. Connie Troska is a program developer with the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging. This article is made possible with Older Americans Act dollars from the Land of the Dancing Sky Area Agency on Aging. Call the Senior LinkAge® One Stop Shop at 800-333-2433 to speak with an information specialist, or check out our website at MinnesotaHelp. info. MinnesotaHelp.info is an online directory of services designed to help people in Minnesota find human services, information and referral, financial assistance, and other forms of help.
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June 2021
How to downsize your home for a move
D
they provide bulk curbside pickup services. Or, depending on where you live, you could hire a company like 1-800-Got-Junk (1800gotjunk.com, 800-468-5865) or Junk-King (Junk-King.com, 888-888-5865) to come in and haul it off for a moderate fee. BY JIM MILLER Another disposal option is Bagster (TheBagster. Columnist com, 877-789-2247) by Waste Management. This is a dumpster bag that you purchase for around $30, fill it to a limit of 3,300 pounds and schedule a pickDonate it If you itemize on your tax returns, donating your up, which costs anywhere between $100 and $300 belongings to charitable organizations is anoth- depending on your area. er way to downsize and get a tax deduction. The Salvation Army (SAtruck.org, 800-728-7825) will Get help actually come to your house and pick up a variety of If you want or need some help, consider hiring household items, including furnishings and cloth- a senior move manager. These are professional ing. Goodwill (Goodwill.org) is another good option, organizers who help older adults and their fambut they don’t offer pickup services. ilies with the daunting process of downsizing Sell it If your deductions exceed $500, you’ll need to file and moving to a new residence. To locate one in Selling your stuff is one way to get rid of your possessions and pad your pocketbook at the same time. Form 8283, “Noncash Charitable Contributions” your area, visit the National Association of Senior Selling options may include consignment shops, a (IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf). You’ll also need Move Managers at NASMM.org or call 877-606a receipt from the organization for every batch of 2766. You can also search at Caring Transitions garage sale, estate sale and selling online. Consignment shops are good for selling old items you donate and will need to create an itemized (CaringTransitions.com), which is a large senior clothing, household furnishings and decorative list of the items donated. To calculate fair market relocation and transition services franchise comitems – they typically get 30 to 40 percent of the value for your stuff, use the Salvation Army’s dona- pany that has more than 200 franchises nationtion guide at SAtruck.org/home/donationvalueguide. wide. sale price. A good old-fashion garage sale is another option, Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, or for large-scale downsizing you could hire an Toss it Norman, OK 73070 or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a estate sale company to come in and sell your items. If you have a lot of junk you want to get rid contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy See EstateSales.net and EstateSales.org to locate of, contact your municipal trash service to see if Senior” book. options in your area. Some estate companies will even pick up your stuff and sell it at their own location – they typically take about 35 percent of the profits. Selling online is also a great option and opens you up to a wider audience. The OfferUp app (OfferUp.com), Facebook Marketplace (Facebook. com/marketplace), Craigslist (Craigslist.org) and the CPlus for Craigslist app (Yanflex.com) are great options for selling locally, which can eliminate the packing and shipping costs and hassle. These websites and apps also don’t take a cut of your sales, but you’re responsible for connecting with your buyer and making the exchange of money and goods.
ear Savvy Senior, What tips can you offer for downsizing? My husband and I would like to relocate from our house into a retirement community condo near our daughter but need to get rid of a lot of personal possessions before we can move. ~ Overwhelmed Willa Dear Willa, The process of weeding through a house full of stuff and parting with old possessions is difficult and overwhelming for most people. A good place to start is to see if your kids, grandkids or other family members would like any of your unused possessions. Whatever they don’t want, here are a few tips and services that may help you downsize.
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The many symptoms and stages of grief I
n 1969, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published her “Five Stages of Grief.” They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. What has been discovered over the years is that people may very well experience some or all those emotions, but there is no timeline and there is no right or wrong way to grieve. There is no checklist to use. Grieving is messy and unpredictable. Just when you think you are doing “better,” you hear a song, run across a picture, watch a home movie, and you turn into a puddle once again. Some of the feelings a person may feel are anger, agitation, betrayal, despair, emptiness, fear, guilt, numbness and thankfulness, just to name a few. Some of the mental reactions may be low self-esteem, trouble concentrating and trouble making decisions. There can also be both physical as well as spiritual reactions, such as changes in your sleep, fatigue, weight changes, feeling anxious, feeling angry, lost or questioning your relationship with God. At times, a person feels driven to get everything taken care of but find they don’t have the energy. Some may need to have time alone, and others may be afraid to be alone. All these symptoms and feelings are normal. Don’t listen when people say, “You should…or when my spouse/loved one died I did this.” Remember, we all grieve differently. There is no right or wrong way
The Family Circle BY LAUREL HED Columnist to grieve. People are well meaning, but often can cause more discomfort. Listen to your heart and give yourself permission to laugh, cry, be still, be busy, whatever you need at the time that works for you. There may come a time when you feel like you could use some help. There is a grief support group available at CHI St. Joseph’s Health in Park Rapids and one offered in Detroit Lakes. It helps to share time with others who are also going through the roller coaster of grief. But, how do you know if you need more than a support group? Allow yourself a year of just getting used to life without that person and learning what your “new normal” will be. Try to not make any major changes during that year, like selling your home and moving. If after a year, you still feel like you just can’t move forward, you may want to connect with a counselor. Some people jump into life without that person and then find out six months to a year later
that they have not completed the grief work. Year two becomes much more difficult than the first year. If after several months, you find you are still unable to function at work, or even at home, you may want to seek counseling. It is important at this point to rule out depression, which with treatment, is very manageable. The main message is to take care of yourself and allow yourself to be the unique and special person you are, grieving in a way that works for you. Laurel Hed is a licensed social worker and geriatric care manager for Thomason Swanson and Zahn Law Firm.
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