Southwest Michigan Spark-December 2022

Expert Advice

Hearing Health

Q: Will hearing aids make me look old?

Funeral Services

Transitions

Kim Kragt, M.A., CCC-A

A. This is a concern we often address with patients getting hearing aids for the first time. Experience has taught us that the hearing loss is more noticeable than the hearing aids will be. People with untreated hearing loss may be perceived by others as not paying attention, incompetent, or confused. And the person with hearing loss may not realize this is happening. Hearing aids can bring you back into the conversation and help you realize what you’ve been missing. Stay vibrant, my friends, and see an audiologist for a hearing test.

Constance Brown Hearing Centers

1634 Gull Road, Ste 201 Kalamazoo, MI 49048 (269) 343-2601

4855 W. Centre Avenue Portage, MI 49024 (269) 372-2709

Roofing

Q: Should we be concerned about the amount of snow and ice accumulating on our roof?

A: Since the first week of January, our total amount of snowfall has been significant. Since the weight of snow and ice is substantial, we recommend removing as much of the snow and ice as possible. However, safety should be your foremost concern. Emergency room personnel can tell you many stories of unfortunate homeowners injured while climbing a ladder or getting onto their roofs to remove snow and ice. Therefore, we recommend purchasing a ‘snow rake’, a long handled shoveling device, designed to pull snow and ice off the roof while you stand safely on the ground. Please be aware, however, since a snow rake is made from aluminum, you must kept it away from any electrical power lines on your roof.

Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.

Since 1906 342-0153 800-950-1906

A: Grieving is a very individual process. There are many factors that impact the depth and the length of the grieving process. Journaling about your grief and loss may be very helpful in addressing this hurt and provide some relief. I encourage you to seek the support of an expert in grief recovery or join a support group to help you to navigate through this difficult time. As the Bereavement Care Coordinator I am available to help people in their journey through grief either individually or in our Grief Support Group. It is important that you do not isolate yourself in your grief.

Langeland Family Funeral Homes

“Quiet dignity with compassion” has meant so much for many people... for many years. 4 locations to serve you 269-343-1508 • www.langelands.com

Health Food

Q: Does Santa shop at Sawall Health Foods?

A: YES! We know Santa definitely does shop at Sawall Health Foods – for he knows everyone on his list wants to be healthy... Sawall’s has great ideas for gift baskets & unique stocking stuffers: • Local MI. Products • Teas • Coffees • Beers • Candies • Bulk Foods • Deli • Cheese • Wine • Gift Cards • Vitamins • Soap • Plants

Give the gift of health with a Sawall Health Foods Gift Card. It is the perfect stocking stuffer! Thank you for shopping locally! We appreciate your business (also Santa’s) Mon-Sat. 8am-9pm, Sun. 10am-6pm

Sawall

Health Foods

A: Many residents continue to travel after moving into senior living.  In fact, some communities provide discounts on monthly service fees if you intend on traveling for a month or more. Contact your community’s resident liaison or other staff member to understand your community’s policies on travel.

Friendship Village

“Where Connections Matter” 1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com

Insurance

Q: My agent at the time did not discuss enrolling in a Medicare Prescription drug plan. Now I am stuck with a horrible penalty. Is there someway I can get a plan that will help me avoid that Penalty??

A: Yes, I believe we can help you with this. We would look at the medications you take and see if we can work around the penalty. Call me at 269-323-7888 to discuss or arrange an appointment to go over your meds and the plans that might work for you.

Member

Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo

Oakwood Plaza • 2965 Oakland Dr. at Whites Rd. • 343-3619 • www.sawallhf.com

Charley Endres, CPIA Endres Insurance Agency 6660 S. Westnedge Ave., Portage • 269-323-7888 charley@endresins.com

Justin Reynolds Manager

Charley Endres

Q: May I still travel if I live in an independent living community?

Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing

Mark Sawall Owner

Audiologist,

Q: It has been almost a year since my wife’s death but I still am overwhelmed by the pain of her loss and I wonder sometimes if I am healing at all? Is this normal?

Dana L. Naumann MSW Bereavement

The Iceman Bike Race

In November 1990, a small group of bicycle enthusiasts, started a bike race from Kalkaska to Traverse City, through a wooded, gnarly 30-mile course, in early winter conditions. Since then, the Bell’s Challenge Iceman Cometh race has grown to over 5,000 riders, with participants from almost every state- from beginner racers to Olympians.

In 2015, I decided to sign-up at the ripe age of 58. I was familiar with running marathons, but this was a new challenge and I didn’t know what to expect.

The temperature was in the low 30’s, with a light rain and snow mix. I finished the race towards the end of the pack, but felt a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

At the end of the race there is a huge Celebration Zone, with beer, food and thousands of racers and their families enjoying a celebratory party.

I did the Iceman race a few more times, but had a hip replacement a few years ago and was advised to slow down on extreme activity.

I slowed down on running, but continued to do a decent amount of biking, mainly on rural roads.

Back in September, I read something about the Iceman that said I could still sign up but 350 bikers had too drop out in order for me to participate.

I put my name on the list, not expecting to get in. However, at the

beginning of October, I received an email confirmation that I got into the race.

I spent the next month preparing for the race, riding in the woods at the Ft. Custer Recreation Area in Augusta. I realized that I had my work cut our for me because I was much older (65) than the last time I did the race.

FROM THE EDITOR

It was a gorgeous fall, and I truly enjoyed the many hours I clocked riding through the woods and I enjoyed the colors as the leaves began to change.

In early November, Jackie and I headed up on a Friday to our friends, Rodger and Jayne’s place, in Kalkaska. It could not have rained any harder all night long.

Saturday morning was very gloomy and there was a light rain as we headed to the starting line at the Kalkaska Airport.

There were several large puddles, but all of the rain miraculously packed down the sandy ground and I was able to discard my rain poncho 10 miles into the race.

The hills seemed higher than I remembered and I had to push my bike up the toughest ones, but I persevered and finished the race.

I was greeted with a thirst quenching, Bells Two Hearted Ale at the finish line, which never tasted so good!

We stayed to watch the professionals finish their race, averaging an unbelievable 20-MPH through the challenging 30 miles of trails through the woods.

I’ve been bitten by the Iceman bug and will definitely ride the race again next year!

Steve Ellis, SPARK Publisher steve@swmspark.com

Gilmore Car Museum. Provided by Steve Ellis.

Where did that half-century go?

Lee A. Dean screendoor@sbcglobal.net

Fifty years ago, at right about this point in the calendar, my peers and I were embracing the achievement of a lofty status, one which we had worked for a dozen years to achieve.

We had arrived: we were high school seniors, the rulers of all we surveyed (or so we surmised).

For all those years we had been looking up to the seniors and now we were the seniors.

We had status. We had clout. We had confidence. Our photos in the next yearbook were going to be larger than anyone else’s — read ’em and weep, you sniveling freshmen. We even had a sanctioned skip day on the horizon. How much more privileged can a group of students get?

Yet, there was a shadow. In June, we were going to be spat out into the world. The young men had apprehensions about the future, especially in 1972 with a war still raging in Vietnam and a draft lottery in place.

One year left, and then…what?

Some of us had our next moves mapped out. The first necessary step was college. We were dashing toward our mailboxes each day in search of acceptance letters from institutions of higher learning.

A few guys had the military in their plans, betting that Vietnam would wind down. The working world waited for some of my classmates, and a chance to get out there and earn actual money.

Others didn’t have a clue or a plan, and that was by design. They saw the magic word “FREEDOM” in neon, and their goal was to sprint toward that magic light.

But the majority sentiment was the desire to hang on to our exalted senior status for as long as we could.

The athletically-inclined were embracing that last opportunity to be a hero, and not just the guys — girls’ basketball was coming into its own. We hungered for one more chance at scoring the winning touchdown or nailing the buzzer-beater basket that would have earned us a sentence or two in the Kalamazoo Gazette.

But not me. Football was out of the question for a guy who was pushing 6-2 and weighing only 155 pounds. My position would have been “fresh meat.” One of

my classmates still wonders why I didn’t come out for basketball, but my game night status would have been butt on bench, not Chuck Taylors on the floor. My not-so-athletic physique also put me at a disadvantage with the opposite sex. I was quite unlikely to be among the couples in the hall leaning up against the lockers and playing tonsil hockey.

I was blessed in other ways. Even in a small school such as ours, there were plenty of other avenues to pursue for those of us who were not athletically or romantically gifted. I chose theater, journalism, debate, and forensics as ways to shine, even if captaining the debate team or editing the school paper never translated into “chick magnet.”

Being a senior came with accessories, none of which I particularly wanted. First, there was the senior picture. Today’s photos are in color, many in unique outdoor settings. Our pictures looked as if they were inspired by mortuary science. I helped enhance that perception by not smiling. My class ring left my finger the day I left high school, never to return.

There was so much left in our year to anticipate. We were fundraising for our senior trip. Most of the other classes went to New York City, but only two of

us wanted to visit the Big Apple. The majority wanted fun in the sun. Daytona Beach, here we come.

That trip, the prom, the yearbook, baccalaureate, and graduation all generated memories that may come up for discussion at the reunion. Some of those tales begin with the ominous opener, “Do you remember that time when you….”

As a senior, I never wondering what our fifth-year reunion would be like, let alone the fiftieth. We wanted to make it to graduation in one piece, which we all did. But by the time the fifth-year reunion came, we had lost three from our class o 62.

When we gather for the big 5-0, I hope to talk about what has happened in the intervening years. I want to hear about successful careers, good families, and challenges conquered.

More than anything, I want to hear about the future. To quote the title of Parker Palmer’s latest book, we’re on the verge of everything – just as we were a half-century ago as seniors.

A few more of us have experienced the ultimate graduation to the next world. There may be a few others who won’t show up, with the feeling of, “Why do I want to see those people?”

But I do want to see those people – every last one of them.

am only one…but can do something”– Pete Mills

By Jim Coppinger, Milestone Senior Services Volunteer

When Peter (Pete) Mills came across a quotation by Edward Everett Hale, Pete says it perfectly captured his personal philosophy about volunteering; it reads, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

Well, fortunately for Kalamazoo (where he’s lived all his life) and its surrounding communities, Pete Mills is able to do many things. Building is probably one of Pete’s greatest talents.

When he was twenty-two, he decided to build and fly his own airplane. He had already been a pilot for a few years and it turned out aviation would become his lifelong career.

The plane he built from scratch was a biplane and it took him seven years to complete its construction. Pete flew that plane along with his wife Gail as “co-pilot” for thirty years before donating it to Lansing Community College as a training aid to teach students.

Pete retired from Duncan Aviation in 2020 as chief inspector, overseeing aircraft maintenance and repair. His professional career began there in 1978 when the business was Kal Aero.

Over the year’s Pete has been an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity both in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. He says he really enjoys building ramps for people with disabilities. He also says while build-

ing or refurbishing entire homes is rewarding, it only helps a relative handful of people over a year; but building ramps with a team of volunteers in a day, has a significant impact on the life of that resident— and better yet, many people over a single year—111 to be exact last year.

Pete is now part of a terrific team of twenty-two volunteers here in Kalamazoo at Milestone Senior

Services. He says the teamwork and fellowship they experience is gratifying and rewarding. But, they can always use help to keep up with demand.

No matter what someone’s building and construction experience is, there’s always a spot to fill and for the opportunity to learn on-site with fellow team members. The construction team has tools and materials—it just needs the people to put them to good use. And, many of the construction volunteers prefer to use their own basic tools and that’s more than welcome. All Milestone is looking for is someone with the desire to contribute their time at least once a week.

So, it you would like to see what this is all about or to volunteer, Pete would love to welcome you to the team. Just call Milestone at (269) 382-0515. As Hale stated, “I cannot do everything, but I can do something.” Your “something” matters.

Milestone Senior Services (previously known as Senior Services of Southwest Michigan) is an AmeriCorps Seniors grantee. AmeriCorps Seniors empowers people age 55 and older to serve their communities. Milestone helps people find a volunteer opportunity that fits their passion. There are currently opportunities in Kalamazoo County and a few in Calhoun County. Volunteers are needed with Meals on Wheels, Companionship Calls or Visits, Transportation, Home Repair and Ramp Builds and more with area nonprofits. Regular, flexible schedules available. Contact Milestone’s Volunteer Services at 269-382-0515 or apply to volunteer at www.milestoneseniorservices.org.

“I

How Birds Survive Winter

Winters are brutal enough for humans, so how is it that some birds manage to endure the harsh elements during Michigan winters, especially since so much of their food source, basically insects, and daylight are in short supply.

Of the 650 species of North American breeding birds, more than half are migratory. This leaves a good many such as the northern cardinal, the Dark-eyed Junco and woodpecker braving the worst of the cold, wind and snow.

To maintain body heat for survival there are a few strategies birds utilize. John Brenneman, Senior Avian Biologist with Kalamazoo Nature Center said “The most common way birds survive a cold winter night is by shivering to keep warm.” He added, “even the smallest species like the GoldenCrowned Kinglets, that stay in this area during winter, huddle in groups to keep warm. Bluebirds and woodpeckers stay in what’s called roost holes.”

Communal roosting in a sheltered spot greatly improves a birds’ chances of surviving a winter when Michigan plummets into a deep freeze.

An overlooked survival challenge is enduring twelve or more hours of darkness. Keeping warm during the day is hard enough, but it’s especially challenging at night. According to Audubon.org ‘when temperatures drop, birds must rely on every adaptation they have to survive their sleep. One of those adaptation’s is called torpor. Brenneman ex-

plains that torpor is, “like hibernating, but for only a short period. Where the animal will slow its heart rate and use less energy.” Overall, winter birds adapt by utilizing their fat reserves for fuel. Birds have been known to consume up to 35% of their body weight every day to survive bitter winters. Translation: For a 150-pound person, that’s the equivalent of eating 600 granola bars a day.

One of the biggest questions that remains is what we as humans can do to increase a birds’ chance of surviving a harsh winter. A good start is helping to provide food and shelter. A backyard bird feeder is not only contributing to their well-being, but it can also be a visual treat to see the variety of species that come to feast.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on wild bird seed to fortify their winter diet. Birds actually can benefit

from a variety of nuts including peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds. Typically, they contain essential vitamins, fat and protein.

Just remember bread is not a good nutritional choice to offer your backyard guests. Giving wild birds bread can be a contributing factor that leads to a condition called angel wing, which deforms the tip of the wings.

Even helping our feathered friends with shelter can get a tad complicated. You might think they snuggle away in a nest during winter months, but nests are for egg incubation, leaving many birds finding winter rest or shelter in a protected perch or a tree cavity.

Along with food, humans can contribute to shelter. A typical backyard birdhouse is not the best. A rooster house, however, is far more accommodating with thicker walls and a lower opening that conserves heat.

As we’re about to turn a corner toward winter, it’s blustery days will find so many of us hibernating ourselves. We can find some respite by gazing from our windows discovering brilliant hues from so many snowbirds gracing us with their presence. If you enjoy watching birds at your feeders, join the community science project Winter Feeder Count! Michigan resident can submit their information about the birds visiting their birdfeeders from November through April through a simple protocol. The information gathered is valuable for the protection of birds and the habitats they utilize. For details and to sign up, visitNatureCenter.org/WFC.

Kimberly Zewatsky Kalamazoo Nature Center

Book Reviews

The Christmas Bookshop

Jenny Colgan

This feel-good Christmas story follows Carmen Hogan as she finds herself unemployed and back in Mom and Dad’s Edinburgh home with no other choice but to a dying bookstore for the Christmas holiday. Through her work in the shop, Carmen knows and loves the customers, other shopkeepers on the street, and even her sister’s children. This book is a love letter to sisters, Edinburgh, and a celebration of joy and friendship.

Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter Lizzie Pook

This debut historical novel by Pook follows Eliza, a pearl catcher’s daughter, in 1880s Australia. Her father has mysteriously disappeared while out at sea. Eliza knows her father is not dead despite what the townsfolk suggest and starts asking questions no one else dares. Weaving through corruption, prejudice, and blackmail, Eliza must decide how much she is willing to pay to discover the truth. Pook tells of an essential but not well-known time in British history in a gritty, lyrical, and breathtaking way.

The Christmas Train David Baldacci

Even though this book was published in 2002, we wanted to highlight it as a great holiday read. Having to get from Washington to Los Angeles in time for Christmas, journalist Tom Langdon boards a train, not knowing of the adventure he has started. He rediscovers the goodness of people and finds some others he’d thought he lost. This novel is packed with memorable characters and Baldacci’s excellent writing. During this season of miracles, people do get second chances.

To the Last Bite: Recipes and Ideas for

Alexis deBoschnek

Food waste warriors are going to love this collection of recipes from deBoschnek where you’ll learn resourceful skills like infusing oils, pickling cucumbers, drying fresh herbs, and using every ingredient for what it’s worth. Learn how to make recipes like Pasta with Tomato Confit, Celery Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan, and Spatchcock Paprika Chicken with Carrot where you’ll save the bones for stock.

Making the Most of Your Ingredients

Book Reviews by the Portage District Library staff

Christmas Cookie Comfort!

by Laura Kurella

Laura Kurella is an award-winning food columnist, recipe developer, and home cook who loves life in Michigan.

She welcomes your comments at laurakurella@yahoo.com.

Jamaican Rum-spiced Butter Pecan Snowflakes

1 cup pecans

1 cup powdered sugar, divided use

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

1 teaspoon 100% fine Jamaican rum* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working 1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground Saigon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

*= The use of a higher quality, 100% fine Jamaican rum (such as Myers’s) is preferred over traditional cooking extracts because of the quality and flavor they impart. However, you can make this recipe without rum, or extracts, by using my Non-alcoholic Jamaican Rum recipe (found at the end of this recipe).

In the bowl of a food processor, process pecans and 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute.

Cut butter into small pieces (hard-boiled cutter makes it easy). Add to the processor with vanilla then process again until smooth, about 1 minute. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamon, coriander, and cayenne, then process until combined, about 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove dough to a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Place another sheet on top of dough and, using a rolling pin, roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness.

Place paper-covered dough onto a cookie sheet and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper then, using floured snowflake-shaped cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place on prepared baking sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Cool on a baking sheet on a wire rack. While cookies are cooling, but still warm, place remaining powdered sugar into a sifter or small screen strainer and dust cookies evenly.

*=Non-alcoholic Jamaican Rum

2/3 cup boiling water

1/4 cup raisins

2 tablespoons butter

4 teaspoons molasses

pinch of natural sea salt

1 tea bag filled with black tea

In a heat proof, 2-cup bowl, combine boiling water, raisins, butter molasses, and salt. Stir well then add tea bag and submerge. Cover and let steep on the counter for 5 minutes then place in the refrigerator to let flavors develop for 1 hour. Strain solids out, placing liquid into a sterile 8-ounce bottle or jar. Store under refrigeration.

The Gilmore Car Museum’s “Winter Wonderland,” a drive-through holiday lights display at its Hickory Corners location, is returning for a second year.

“The Gilmore Car Museum celebrates both cars and history on an exceptionally beautiful 90-acre campus in the Michigan countryside, so it’s truly the perfect place

to host a drive-through and walkthrough holiday lights experience for our community,” museum executive director Josh Russell said in a news release.

The attraction, combined with the museum’s “Christmas Through the Decades” event, will be offered 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays from Friday, Nov. 25, through Friday,

IT’S A WINTER WONDERLAND AT GILMORE CAR MUSEUM

Dec. 30, plus other select days, at the museum, 6865 W. Hickory Road. The museum will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“This spectacular Christmas and holiday lights show will bring our Michigan winter wonderland to life, and create lasting holiday memories for our guests in the museum, in their family car, or perhaps taking a ride through the lights in one of our classic automobiles,” Russell said.

Nationally recognized lighting specialists have been working with museum staff this year to provide new outdoor lighting, which includes motion, animation and sound.

Visitors also can explore a maze of

holiday inflatables, a 1960s fresh Christmas tree and wreath lot that includes a vintage Shasta camper trailer, Santa’s hot-rod workshop inside the 1930s Shell station, classic cars displayed inside snow globes and artwork by automotive illustrators.

Participants also will have the option of riding through the lights in Ford Model A’s, a Checker cab, a 1963 Cadillac convertible and several other vintage cars from the museum’s collection. The rides are free with the cost of admission to the event.

In addition, there will be indoor Christmas tree displays throughout the classic car galleries at the 400-

plus vehicle museum.

Hot chocolate, adult drinks and holiday-themed food and sweets will be offered and holiday gift shopping will be available.

Santa Claus will be there to greet the children.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for children at the door. There is a $2.50 discount per ticket if purchased

ahead of time online at GilmoreCarMuseum.org. Children 4 and under are free.

The event is presented by Hagerty, provider of specialty insurance for classic vehicles.

More information is available by calling the museum, (269) 671-5089, emailing info@gilmorecarmuseum. org or on the website.

Ziki Japanese Restaurant

By Richard Martinovich

College students who survived on ramen probably never want to see another ramen noodle again, but they would be missing out! Those cheap instant noodle packs are foreign fare compared to a steaming bowl of ramen served at Ziki Japanese Restaurant. A heaping bowl of ramen with meat and vegetables on a wintry day warms the soul!

There is much to love at Ziki Japanese Restaurant in Portage. You might say Ziki has been on a roll since opening in 2014, with an almost endless selection of sushi rolls. Just scrolling through the menu on sushi is fun with names like Sexy Girl Roll, Out of Control Roll, Oh My God, Mama Roll, and Sex on the

Beach Roll! Sushi is a big draw, but so is chicken and pork katsu, a pankocrumb breaded cutlet, served with shredded cabbage.

Hibachi means “fire bowl.” Meat and vegetables are flamed on a grill, and flavors seared in to bring out the taste. Specials include shrimp, New York Strip Steak, chicken and calamari.

Yakisoba is a Japanese stir fry of noodles, vegetables and thinly sliced meat. Udon soup is a flavorful broth with thick noodles made of flour and wheat.

Start your meal with “kitchen appetizers.” Gyoza, dumplings stuffed with ground meat and vegetables, are found on many menus in Japan, and are delicious!

In Japan you might see a “bento box” at a convenience store: a box container with compartments of different foods. At Ziki they have a Bento Lunch, with meats, rice and vegetables neatly separated. There are other Asian influences at Ziki including Thai food like Pad Thai.

Bubble tea, a drink developed in Taiwan made of tea and milk, and topped with chewy tapioca balls, has become a popular national beverage. Ziki has many flavors and toppings.

Don’t forget to try the Mochi ice cream, disc-shaped ice cream coated with sweet rice dough!

HEALTHYLIVING:

Enjoy the Holidays

Just Don’t Go Crazy

Written by Vicky Kettner, Marketing and Communications Director, YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo

Name the month of the year in which people are most likely to fall off their proverbial wagons when it comes to health and exercise, and bets are that it’s December: the last 31 days of the year when every single day seems to be filled with obligations and temptations nudging us to forgo discipline and routines that otherwise have helped to keep our weight in line or blood-sugar levels in check. Yes, the holidays can be a whirl-wind and they go by quickly, but 31 days is a mighty long time (to give in to all the temptations.) Calories add up, fast. Bad habits form, quickly. Poor choices are easier to make. It’s enough to make us go nuts! But, I’m here to tell you. It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s something else:

Stepping off the wagon with a holiday plan in place. Here are some tips:

RE-ADJUST YOUR WORK-OUT SCHEDULE: Carve out a temporary new time to exercise if your holiday commitments will bump your normal routine. If for example, you’re used to heading to the gym after work, but instead, you’ve been invited to a pub crawl, or Suzie wants you to watch the grandkids so she can pub crawl, plan a morning workout so you don’t sacrifice one thing over the other.

BUDDY UP: Team up with a friend who you can be accountable to during the month and check in with each other on your eating choices and physical activities. You’re NOT on your own!

PLAN YOUR MEAL TIMES: Look ahead to your holiday meal gatherings and plan your other meals around them. If you know that on Tuesday there’s an office pot-luck, eat a healthy breakfast and dinner. Don’t “bank” your calories – in other words, don’t starve yourself in advance of a holiday meal so you can gorge. Plan to eat smart before and after. It will help you make better choices.

SET A SPECIFIC GOAL FOR YOUR SUGAR INTAKE: Figure out a reasonable plan that lets you experience your favorites and stick to it. It might mean identifying a particular day (Christmas Day? Hanukah?) that you will partake of a specific cookie, bread, or dessert. Just stick to it.

DON’T LOAD UP ON THE CARBS: It’s easy to talk yourself into a plate full of Aunt Gertrude’s famous mashed potatoes, because let’s face it, nothing’s better than family comfort food in December. You don’t have to completely pass over them, but eat them in moderation. There won’t likely be any purple bananas, but diversifying your plate with fruits and vegies is a smart way to combat over-doing it on the carbs.

WALK, WALK, WALK: Always opt to use your legs instead of some other mode of transportation. Are the neighbors having a progressive dinner party down the street? Walk. Can you find a parking space at the Mall far away from the entrance? Walk. Is the holiday work party on the fifth floor? Walk.

Don’t let the elevator break you down!

Following these tips is not a promise of the after-world, but hopefully, they’ll make New Year’s Day on the scale a little easier to bear.

If you have pre-diabetes, are diabetic, or have dietary restrictions, always check with your doctor, healthcare provider, or dietitian when you make plans to deviate from your prescribed diet and exercise routine. SPECIAL NOTE: What song(s) and or artist are referenced throughout this article? The first two people to email vkettner@kzooymca.org with the correct answer(s) will get a free month membership at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.

WARRIORSWednesday

Growing Up Together

As the Wednesday Warriors look back on their 20th season of volunteering for the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, we realize we are almost the same age as Chipman Preserve. At the time, it was one of our biggest preserves, and as such it offered new challenges. So much to do! Like eating an elephant (one bite at a time), some sections were “adopted” by individuals as their own project. And to this day we refer to these spots as Jason’s Triangle, Bob’s Barrens, Paul’s Hill. But even with monthly Saturday workdays, it wasn’t enough. Enter Stan who suggested we start working more often, and the Wednesday Warriors was born. We ranged far and wide across many of the 50 preserves in the nine-county area (we still do), but Chipman always got a lot of love. We collected

lupine seeds and scuffed them in, we teased out miles of oriental bittersweet that choked the oaks, we hunted down non-native Amur maples. Along with the hardworking staff, continuing Saturday workdays, a group called the Pluggers who collect, sort and sow seeds, and even the Chipman family, and sheep! we have slowly but surely transformed this charming landscape into rolling prairies, peaceful savannas, and many inviting trails. In fact, you are almost guaranteed to see someone walking their dog any day or time that you come out here.

Chipman is one of the Conservancy’s many preserves where you are welcome to visit year-round. The trees after a snowfall are beautiful. You’ll see expansive views of snow-covered prairies against the crisp, blue winter sky and busy cardinals, woodpeckers and nuthatches searching for the

to see how a group of nature

can make a difference, come join the Wednesday Warriors. Attendance is week by week as your schedule permits. There is also a spin-off group, the Privateers who meet on Mondays. For more information, contact the Conservancy and ask to get on their email list. Their website is also kept upto-date with details of each week’s workdays.

Kristi Chapman, volunteer, Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy

last seeds and berries of the season. Come spring, enjoy the bloom of lupines, the trill of prairie warblers, the hush of woodlands. Details and maps are on the website conserveland@swmlc.org. And if you really want

lovers

Perennially problematic director Woody Allen slid back into American theaters earlier this year with his latest film, originally completed back in 2020. Rifkin’s Festival treads familiar territory in what certainly appears a standard Woody Allen tale of a neurotic American on vacation, but also proves to be a serviceable homage to international cinema. Wallace Shawn (My Dinner with Andre, The Princess Bride) is Mort Rifkin, an aging former Film Studies professor accompanying his publicist wife, Sue (Gina Gershon) to the San Sebastian Film Festival in northern Spain. Mort, taking notice of Sue’s palpable interest in her rising-star director client, retreats inward, focusing instead on his doomed efforts to complete his first novel while simultaneously nursing an infatuation with a young Spanish doctor in lieu of meaningfully addressing his marital woes. Being an academic with a focus on classic European films, his dreams parody notable scenes from directors François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Ingmar Bergman, among others. All of this is very bizarre and charming, especially Christoph Waltz in the role of Death from Bergman’s Seventh Seal (1957). Being Allen’s 50th feature film, it’s these scenes which lend Rifkin’s Festival just enough of an eccentric edge to stand apart

Movie Reviews

Nope

Filmmaker Jordan Peele’s Nope solidifies his reputation as one of modern cinema’s most thought-provoking writers and directors. His movies subtly explore multiple facets of history, sociology, and psychology without encroaching didacticism. As in his first two films, Get Out and Us, Nope’s protagonists’ lives are altered by situations that baffle them (and viewers) at first, until connections are made between seemingly random incidents. Introverted OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and extroverted Em (Keke Palmer), heirs to their father’s horse ranch after his inexplicable death, struggle to keep the business going. Their dilemma attracts the attention of former child star Jupe (Steven Yeun), who runs a local theme park exploiting a bizarre event from his sitcom past. The crossings of their multiple paths lead to an out-of-this-world discovery, at once profound, diverse, and ridiculous. What does Eadweard Muybridge have to do with all this? Is that a Brunswick LP label? Who’s “Kattan”? Nope lets its players - and usunpeel the layers of meaning these collective movie moments present to all participants.

saying something. – Submitted by Patrick Jouppi

– Submitted by Karl Knack

Reviews submitted by Ryan Gage. These great titles and others are available at the Kalamazoo Public Library.

Edward B. Desenberg and the Pretty Lake Fresh Air Vacation Camp

by Keith Howard, Kalamazoo Public Library

Music was clearly Edward Desenberg’s first love. Formally educated in Kalamazoo and abroad, “Eddie” grew to become an instructor, composer, and entertainer of substantial merit. Desenberg was also an astute businessman with an ability to make things happen. His immense talent and inherent drive clearly helped awaken Kalamazoo’s growing cultural awareness.

Born in Kalamazoo in 1867, Edward B. Desenberg became an accomplished musician at an early age and performed for many societal and literary functions. He played a solo piano piece during the Kalamazoo College commencement exercises in 1886 and gave a xylophone performance during the Kalamazoo High School commencement in 1889. It was said that Desenberg was the first person in Kalamazoo ever to play such an instrument.

While music was undoubtedly Ed Desenberg’s first love, his compassion for children—especially those who were less fortunate—was a close second and would indeed prove to be his lasting legacy… to create a place that would help make life a little bit better for the “kiddies” of Kalamazoo.

Ed’s mother, Bertha L. Desenberg, was instrumental in bringing the Fresh Air School

movement to Kalamazoo. The idea of open-air schools originated in Great Britain around 1907 and came in response to illness brought on by malnutrition, poor living conditions, and tuberculosis. To improve the health of children who were too sick to attend school, the movement emphasized the importance of education in an environment of fresh air, exercise, and adequate nutrition. As part of her effort, Mrs. Desenberg arranged a two-week encampment for some twenty-one needy children during the summer

of 1915 at West Lake near Kalamazoo.

When asked to deliver an extra tent to the cottage they had rented for the children, Ed was aghast when he saw that the pump for drinking water was located just a few feet from the outhouse. Realizing for the first time the importance of his mother’s work, Desenberg immediately set out to solicit financial help from able community members with a goal to build a safe, permanent camp for the children.

Within six weeks, Desenberg was able to raise $6,000, enough to establish a fresh air camp, complete with suitable sleeping quarters and proper water and septic systems. A five-acre site was chosen on the north side of Pretty Lake, a few miles southwest of Kalamazoo.

Opened in 1916, the Pretty Lake Fresh Air Vacation Camp initially provided 15 children with six weeks of summer camp away from the dirt and heat of the city. Within two years, the facility grew to accommodate 35 children during each two-week period. By 1923, more than 500 needy kids were able to stay at the camp each summer. After more than a century of operation, the Pretty Lake Vacation Camp has provided a costfree summer camp experience to more than 50,000 at-risk youth from Kalamazoo County.

Edward Desenberg left Kalamazoo in 1930 and moved to Chicago, although he always identified himself as “a Kalamazoo man.” Ed retained a close association with the Pretty Lake Camp and spent each summer there until his death in 1940 at the age of 72.

More at kpl.gov

This past fall, I visited Nashville, Tennessee, for a wedding with Jackie and her family.

Our lodging was in Franklin, a gorgeous historic city, about 20 miles, south of Nashville.

Franklin was founded in 1799 and named after Benjamin Franklin. The area prospered before the Civil War with the farming of tobacco and hemp.

During the Civil War, Tennessee was occupied by Union troops, In 1864, after the fall of Atlanta, the South launched a offensive to retake Nashville. The one day battle, which took place in Franklin,

Tales road

FROM THE

~ franklin, tennesee ~

By Steve Ellis

resulted in almost 10,000 casualties, the majority by the south.

While Jackie and her daughter helped with wedding arrangements, Lucas, Emmett and I visited the site of the battle and the large McGavock Confederate Cemetery. The cemetery contains 1,500 graves and is the largest private Confederate cemetery in the U.S. The graves are separated by states with a large memorial for each state with number of soldiers who lost their lives on each state memorial. The boys were fascinated as we quietly walked down the rows of headstones in the middle of the battlefield. They asked why Michigan was not included and I explained that it was only for the Confederate states. The boys noticed that Mississippi had the highest number of casualties with 424 and Louisiana the least with 19.

We also stopped into the 1826 Carnton Antebellum mansion that was was used as a hospital during the Battle of Franklin, with its wood floors still showing blood

stains from the more than 300 Union and Confederate soldiers brought in during the battle.

mon roll on the front porch two mornings in a row!

The classic Franklin Theatre that originally opened in 1937 was getting ready for a film festival.

The Rare Prints Gallery housed a wonderful collection of old maps, prints and other pieces of ephemera. The owner gave us a tour and opened an old wooden curio cabinet and gave each boy a fossil.

The Philanthropy store was full of cool home decor, clothing and antiques. There was also a barn wood sided room that offered slips of paper to fill out and leave prayer messages on the wall.

We also explored the grounds of the Carter House and surrounding buildings that hold more than 1000 bullet holes from the battle.

The historic downtown is like stepping back in time with its old brick buildings, full of unique stores and eateries.

The boys and I asked around for a good bakery and we were directed to the Triple Crown Bakery, in a colorful old house with a variety of scratch made breakfast pastries, cookies, individual desserts, sandwiches and full size cakes. We split a tasty cinna-

One evening, I browsed a local guidebook and noticed a handful of annual events the looked like fun including: The Main Street Festival every April that attracts over 100,000 visitors and offers a wide variety of art, food and beer. Another event, The Pilgrimage Music Cultural Festival occurs every September and attracts some of the top acts in the country.

The Dickens of a Christmas, held in December attracts 50,000 visitors to enjoy a variety of musicians, dancers and Dickens characters filling the streets.

Our trip was full of history, rolling farmland and of course love, which is the reason that we stumbled upon this wonderful area. Franklin was a wonderful town and we hope to get back again soon.

Signature Artists LLC Celebrates the Season With Their 42nd Annual Exhibit

This Kalamazoo tradition of locally made works, will take place from December 1 – 27, 2022. An artist’s reception will be held from noon-5 on December 4th.

The gallery is located in the Carillion Center, South Westnedge, near Qdoba.

This year, they welcome three new artists to their gallery: Amy Culp – jewelry, Mary Baggerman – fiber arts and Shannon Dion – fiber arts.

For more information on this year’s Signature Gallery please visit www.signature-artist.com