Health & Home 10/03/2022

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Give Away, Get Back

BY ANNE McGREGOR

Who doesn’t love a free gift? In our special section, Getting Organized (page 30), we take a look at ways to tame clutter and make space — and time — for things you’d much rather focus on, like a hobby (page 10). But there’s even more benefit to getting organized — a sort of “free gift” for the clutter-clearer. Giving away things you no longer need to help others can not only bring feelings of happiness, satisfaction and gratitude, but it can also deliver a “helper’s high” — releasing feel-good chemicals in the brain. While there are many organizations doing great work reselling items, consider donating to those that offer items at no cost to those in need, such as the Veteran’s Thrift Shop or Mission Community Outreach Center as well.

In that spirit of sharing, we’re happy to offer up a no-stress dinner party created by Wild Sage chef Elijah Crume (page 36). Three amazing recipes — make one and assign out the other two to friends or family — then relax and enjoy a sublime evening. And we also chat with Coeur d’Alene photographer Adam Schlüter (page 46) about his Monday Night Dinners, a simple yet innovative way to foster community.

Cheers!

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SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL is a staff writer for the Inlander, covering the environ ment, rural communities and cultural issues since 2017. Like Adam Schlüter (see interview on page 46) she enjoys the awe-inspiring con nections that can happen when strangers open up to you to share their stories, providing that sense that “we are not alone.” You never know what you might hear when you take the time to ask a few simple questions and listen to the incredible people around you.

DANIEL WALTERS is the Inlander’s senior investigative reporter, and also covers a wide swath of other topics including business, education and real estate development. But for this issue of Health & Home, he takes a little break from hard news to explore what makes four hobbies — including two of his own favor ites, cooking and photography — awesome, and probably even good for your health.

Health & Home is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $2.50 per issue: call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215 COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2022. Health & Home is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

EVENTS Happy Diwali: Festival of Lights

BY MADISON PEARSON

Here’s your chance to participate in a major cultural celebration this fall. Diwali is a Hindu holiday observed each fall celebrating the victory of light over darkness. Those who celebrate light candles and place them outside of their doors, giving the festival its nickname: The festival of lights. Spokane is hosting its very own Diwali celebration with a vegetarian food festival, a Diwali Rangoli art contest as well as cultural performances and demonstrations. Sat, Oct. 22 from 11 am-5 pm. Free. All ages. River Park Square. spokaneunitedwestand.org

Mel McCuddin’s Farewell

The Inland Northwest is chock full of talented artists who call our region home. Mel McCuddin is one of those gems, and he recently announced his departure from the studio in order to focus on his health. Mc Cuddin’s artwork is vibrant, unique and is well worth an excursion to downtown Coeur d’Alene. McCuddin’s last exhibit shows through October at the Art Spirit Gallery and features the final new works he has created. Oct. 1-31, Wed-Sat from 11 am-6 pm. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006)

Home Idea Show

Winter is on its way to the Inland Northwest, and there’s no better time to start redecorating and renovating your interior than when the weather gets too cold to bear. This three-day event features more than 300 exhibitors that are ready to help you curate the home you’ve always wanted. From kitchen and baths to closets and garages, this show has experts on-site who can give you advice and sweet deals on everything needed to turn your wildest dreams into a stunning reality. Fri, Oct. 7 from 12-8 pm, Sat, Oct. 8 from 10 am-7 pm and Sun, Oct. 9 from 10 am-5 pm. $8-$10. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, spokanehome shows.com

The Music of Harry Potter

Though not inherently scary, Harry Potter has its moments. Voldemort? Pretty horrifying. Dementors? They’ve haunted people’s dreams for years. Dolores Umbridge? Probably the scariest of them all. Show up to this celebration of the Boy Who Lived clad in your Hogwarts robes and ready to be blown away by the magnificent sounds of the Spokane Symphony as they play scores composed by John Williams and other composers. Take part in fun activities in the lobby and prepare your stomach for butterbeer galore. Sat, Oct. 29 at 7:30 pm and Sun, Oct. 30 at 3 pm. $25-$64. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. spokanesymphony. org (509-624-1200)

Blue Man Group

If you’ve never been to a Blue Man Group show, now is your chance for the experience of a lifetime. Not only are these cobalt-clad guys drumming their hearts out, but they’re also hilarious. Prepare for colorful moments, quirky comedy and some audience interaction. If participating in the show isn’t your jam, grab a seat a bit further back. There’s not a bad seat in the house when it comes to these little drummer boys. Ev ery show is unique, so even if you’ve seen the performance before it’s worth checking out the new material they’ve got up their sleeves. Mon, Nov. 14 and Tue, Nov. 15 at 7:30 pm. $45-$90. First Interstate Center for the Arts. firstinterstatecenter.org (509-279-7000)

Art School Confidential

Chelsea Martin’s new book explores coming of age as an artist and feeling like an outsider

hat makes someone an artist?

Is it simply the act of creating art? A talent recognized by others?

Making money off something purely intended to entertain

In Spokane writer Chelsea Martin’s humorous and candidly truthful new novel, TELL ME I’M AN , protagonist Joey seeks answers to these questions and more. As an art school student in San Francisco, she’s struggling with financial and family instability, and to feel accepted by her seemingly more successful artist friends.

Partly inspired by Martin’s own experience studying at California College for the Arts, the novel’s plot also revolves around Joey’s proclivity for procrastination, specifically on an assignment for an elective class.

“I definitely always wanted to write something from that setting, because it’s just such a weird

Lovely, Lively Libraries

place, and I thought class tensions were really heightened in that space,” Martin says.

For that final class project, Joey decides to make her own version of Wes Anderson’s 1998 film Rushmore, even though she’s never seen it. While juggling academic responsibilities, she tries to balance the burden of being poor among wealthy friends, and dealing with her dysfunc tional mom and sister, who continuously guilt trip Joey about art school, which they view as a frivolous and selfish pursuit.

Even while Tell Me I’m An Artist distills some of these heavy subjects, Martin does so in her signature breezy, humor-infused style. Joey is unapologetically self-deprecating, but complete ly relatable in her awkward attempts to fit in and discover her artistic purpose.

“I think being an artist takes a ton of confidence, like, you just have to really believe in yourself and think that what you’re doing is good and will work out and people will be interested in it,” Martin says. “That level of confidence is really, really hard to maintain.”

— CHEY SCOTT

What the new library branches have to offer — and what’s still to come

In 2018, voters approved a $77 MILLION BOND, which funded plans to renovate four existing Spokane Public Library branches and build three new branches. Without a doubt, the largest project that the bond tackled was the renovation of the downtown Central branch.

The renovated Central branch now houses 66 computers, a recording studio, a film studio, a space to record podcasts and nxwyxwyetkw Hall (pronounced inn-whiwhi-ettk, a Salish word that means “life in the water”), where Lilac City Live! takes place monthly.

The expansion of the Shadle Park branch, the relocation of the Hillyard branch and the new Liberty Park branch are completed as well. And The Hive, a

non-traditional library branch on East Sprague, hosts art programming and other activities weekly. The Indian Trail and the South Hill branches are currently closed for renovation, but plans are to have them up and running by 2023.

The oldest library in the Spokane County library system, the Spokane Valley branch, is also relocating to a spacious new building that’s already under construction. Plans include a large community room, an art studio, a children’s area and plenty of new computers. The building will expand into nearby Balfour Park and is set to open to the public in late spring or early summer of 2023.

— MADISON PEARSON

Chelsea Martin. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Downtown’s Central Library.

ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Riding Hobby the

Hobbies are good, actually — here’s how to pick up four fun, healthy ones

BY DANIEL WALTERS

You really need to get a hobby.

No, seriously, I’m not insult ing you. I say this out of love.

Hobbies may have the connotation of archaic or nerdy pursuits — putting ships in bottles, collecting stamps, writing Star Wars fan fiction — but pick the right hobbies and they don’t just improve your life, they make you healthier as well. And that’s not just true of hobbies like cycling or hiking, which have exercise as the main goal. Many hobbies can train fine-motor skills and help relieve stress and depres sion. They can tap into entirely unexplored pools of talent you didn’t know you have. Just because you’re a libertari an-minded director of a small town Parks and Recreation department doesn’t mean you can’t pick up woodworking in your spare time.

And crucially, they give us new sources of friendship and community — a resource rarer than ever in our world of social isolation.

In this article, I’ll give you an example of four such hobbies. Two, cooking and photography, are hobbies I can speak about from personal experience. For the other two, pottery and needlework, we found amateur fans to speak to.

So if you want to learn how to cook a dish, snap some pics, take the wheel or thread the needle, read on.

COOKING

Cooking is maybe the only hobby to use all five senses. The feel of ripe produce at the farmer’s market. The sight of a perfect mince. The smell of the garlic, onions, and bell peppers sauteing and the sound of them sizzling in the pan. And, of course, taste — a sense society frowns upon using for most other hobbies.

There are other benefits too. Other than “handsome-being,” maybe no other skill helps your online dating profile. And unlike its cruel sister, baking, cooking is generally forgiving with your mistakes. Even your failures will (mostly) be edible.

Also, you need food to live.

Why It’s Healthy

To be clear, cooking doesn’t have to be healthy, as anyone who follows Paula Deen recipes can tell you. But the best part is that it puts the control of health totally in your hands. Want to switch to a healthier oil? Skimp on salt? Reduce the fat? Nix the meat? Add more veggies? If you’re a skilled enough chef you can do that without sacri ficing flavor. Or you can do what I do and just cross out any reference to “peas” in the ingredient list.

Dip a Toe

Two words: Blue Apron

I first started teaching myself how to cook with the amateur magic of AllReci pes.com, but Blue Apron — or whichever alternative is endorsed on your favorite respective podcast — is probably a better introduction, what with their simple ingre dient lists and pre-made spice packets. Your equipment doesn’t need to be fancy.

Get a sharp big chef’s knife ($20-$50,) a big cutting board (wood or plastic, none of this knife-dulling glass stuff), and a cheap insta-read digital thermometer — I like the version with a magnet on the back so you can stick it to a refrigerator. Forget those people who say you can detect the precise temperature of a steak by comparing it to the palm of your hand. That takes experi ence.

YouTube is full of guides for the basic stuff like peeling garlic. But remember, expect your prep time — at first — to be literally quadruple what the recipes say. (Also recipes straight up lie about how fast it takes to caramelize onions.)

Become a Pro

Branch out to more ambitious recipe sites like Serious Eats. Make that weird salad on Food 52. Take a cooking class at the Kitchen Engine. Spend three days making a 29-ingredient molé. Debone an entire chicken — while leaving it as one single piece — then stuff it, roll it and try to cook it as a ballotine. Buy the “Flavor Bible” to have a better sense of which flavors pair with which ingredients (even strange ones, like black pepper and strawberries). That’s when you can get creative, upgrading the professionals’ recipes and even designing your own. Finally, take pride in showing off. Design your own three- to seven-course menu and invite some friends over.

This summer I threw a Princess Bridethemed dinner party for my foster sister, complete with “Fire Swamp Soup with Croutons of Unusual Size” and a butter scotch “Princess Buttercup” pudding for dessert.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Think of it like the painter where the painting is already 90 percent complete. You just have to put the finishing touches on it. Best of all, these days, you already have your rudimentary equipment in your pocket. Anytime you post an iPhone photo to Instagram, you’re an amateur photogra pher. But when you upgrade your skill to truly thinking like a photographer — finding the angles to communicate story and beauty — you’ll be able to capture memories that double as pieces of artwork.

Why It’s Healthy

As an accomplishment-oriented person, I struggle to get exercise for the hell of it. But

most photography forces you out of your comfort zone — a great shot may require hiking up a mountaintop while lugging around a heavy lens.

And even mentally, it shifts your think ing. It lets you see the world through a dif ferent lens — literally — and teaches you to pay attention to the beauty we’re surround ed by constantly, whether on a gorgeous landscape or an urban streetscape.

Dip a Toe

Wanna get beyond iPhone photography?

Buy a used crop-frame DSLR— and two or three just-above-entry-level lenses. Better to buy a better lens used than a cheapo lens

“RIDING THE HOBBY HORSE,” CONTINUED...

new. The prime lenses — which don’t zoom, but are typically better crafted — are the best bang for your buck, and give you practice moving around for the best angle. Start with a basic lens (35 mm), then add a solid big prime lens (200 mm or 300 mm) for the full paparazzi experi ence. If you can spare the cash, throw in a versatile zoom lens for the in-between distances.

Figure out the dance between the scene’s lighting, your aperture (how deep or shallow your focus is) and your shutter speed (how fast your camera snaps the photo).

Read up on basic principles of com position, like the rule of thirds: Put your subject on the side of the photo instead of the dead center. Buy Photoshop Elements to tweak RAW files and fix your mistakes in post, just like they do with Marvel movies. Practice your sports photography

at Bloomsday and Hoopfest. And for goodness’ sake, use that telephoto lens to take some glorious marmot photos, for everyone’s sake.

Be a Pro

Add a full-frame camera — which can take wider shots at lower light levels — to your repertoire, and branch out to other lenses, like a macro lens for super closeup shots or a wide-angle lens that can make even your apartment’s kitchen look spacious.

As you up your photo game, photog raphy can become a hobby that can be maddeningly expensive, as the best lenses run many thousands of dollars. And that’s not even including the other photography accessories, like lighting equipment.

Still, Dean Davis, a professional local studio photographer, cautions that just like the coolest camera can take garbage photos, a great photographer can take a

disposable point-and-shoot and create a masterpiece.

“You could hand a dime-store guitar to Stevie Ray Vaughan, and he could wail on it,” Davis says.

POTTERY

Remember Dean Davis, the photographer we quoted up above? That’s just his day job. But after collecting all sorts of art for the past quarter-century — including a ton of pottery — he tried out the potter’s wheel himself.

“Right away I just said, ‘Wow, I don’t know why I didn’t do this 20 years ago?’” Davis says.

Some of the appeal is how physical it is. It’s dirty, but it’s tangible — almost primal. Almost like drumming.

“I jokingly say I’m ready to quit my job and become a potter, I love it so much,” Davis says.

DEAN DAVIS PHOTOS

Why It’s Healthy

There’s a reason that art therapy is a thing.

According to the New York Times, one pottery studio has even modified pottery wheels to help those with ampu tated limbs, cerebral palsy and paralysis hone their mental and fine motor skills — all while creating artwork.

And even for those of us who are perfectly healthy, the ritual of it has a lot of benefits.

“When you’re throwing on the wheel, there’s a very meditative quality to it,” Davis says. “It’s almost impossible to be throwing on the wheel and think ing about something else.”

Dip a Toe

Davis got his start by joining the Urban Art Pottery Co-Op on Monroe Street.

It’s $45 a month, but after that every thing but the clay — the kiln, the wheel, etc. — is totally free. And they’ll help train you too, Davis says.

“They offer classes pretty much year-round,” Davis says. “They’re aimed at a beginner.”

Be a Pro

True, there are a lot of ways to bone up on your skill.

“I’ve watched a boatload of You Tube videos,” Davis says. “I signed up online and took a [pottery] class from a material scientist who teaches at Alfred University. I’ve been really throwing myself at it.”

He even takes private lessons from more experienced artists at the co-op. But nothing matters as much as time.

“If you go up and sign up for class es and it’s one day a week and it’s all you do, you might have a wobbly little pot that looks like a third grader made it,” Davis says.

So what’s the secret to making ode-worthy pottery? There’s no hack. It’s just about practice.

“Time on the wheel,” Davis says.

Holy Family Medical Building 235 E. Rowan, #102, Spokane, WA 99207-1251 509-489-2101

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“RIDING THE HOBBY HORSE,” CONTINUED...

The animal Mark Cuilla won a blue ribbon for at a recent Spokane Interstate Fair was a rhinoceros. A stuffed rhinoceros, to be clear. A dozen years ago, Cuilla discovered the magic of crochet.

Whether it’s a Harry Potter scarf, a Footsteps poem cross-stitch, or a French Revolution hit list, needlework is always a great way to communicate a message, whether in words or with sartorial semiot ics. And for us ADHD folks who constant ly need something to do with our hands, we might as well end up with a knit sweater at the end for our trouble.

Why It’s Healthy

OK, so crochet and needlepoint may not raise your heart rate, but there have been researched health benefits. According to the

Washington Post, occupational therapists use knitting to combat depression and lessen the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

And knitting, quilting or cross-stitching doesn’t have to be a solitary pursuit.

“I’ve gone to crochet parties — you hang out with people, and everybody is making something different,” Cuilla says.

Dip a Toe

Cuilla started teaching himself to crochet through the magic of reading.

“I got a silly little book called I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting,” Cuilla says. “Learned that way, taught myself.”

Early on, get used to making mistakes.

“It doesn’t have to be perfect,” Cuilla says. “If you do make a big mistake it is really not the end of the world to pull out

all of the stitches and start the row again.”

Start out small, with something like a washcloth.

“Kids can do it. It’s a skill that anyone can learn.”

Be a Pro

Eventually, you can transition to begin making your own patterns and designs. But the key, Cuilla says, is patience. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And a Roman toga isn’t knit in a day, either.

Eventually the basic actions will be so embedded in your head you’ll be able to do other things while you’re at it, like listen to audiobooks or plot your next Spokane County fair-winning design. Next year, Cuilla says, he plans on doing a stuffed ver sion of the Spokane County Fair logo.

PETS Achy Joints

Telltale signs and how to manage joint pain in pets

BY JESSICA BELL

Osteoarthritis won’t kill your pet, but the pain it brings can affect quality of life, which is why it’s one of the most common reasons owners pursue humane euthanasia.

The disease is the most prevalent of any arthritis affecting dogs and cats and is character ized by pain from inflammation of the joints due to aging or traumatic injury. In fact, if you have a cat older than 10, it’s likely they have osteoarthritis.

Some studies estimate up to half of all dogs and cats will experience pain from osteoarthritis in their lifetime. Large breed cats and dogs that bear more weight on their joints are most likely to struggle with the disease. Some specific shortlegged dogs, like dachshunds, corgis and bulldogs, are also known to experience osteoarthritis due to

their bone structure.

While the daily wear and tear on joints is unavoidable in our pets, there are measures an owner can take to help their pet live their best life. For both cats and dogs, it starts with weight control, and the sooner the better. Keeping weight off joints can significantly increase a pet’s quality of life in their later years, and it is the No. 1 thing an owner can do to avoid osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is essentially irreversible and should be managed accordingly. While dogs can regularly take pain-reducing medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as NSAIDs, it’s important to note a cat’s kidneys and liver are more sensitive to these drugs and cannot tolerate them for long periods. Drug protocols for cats are more selective and should be prescribed on a case-by-case basis with your veterinarian.

Other alternative therapies, such as massage, acupuncture, underwater treadmill, laser therapy and other rehabilitation, can be beneficial for cats and dogs.

Owners who train dogs for canine compe titions and other dog sports should be limiting how much exercise their dog undergoes on hard surfaces. Too much strenuous exercise can strain joints before they are fully developed and cause osteoarthritis earlier in dogs.

Some studies show some dog breeds that are spayed too early may also be prone to osteoar thritis, as their joints are less developed and are lacking the hormones to fully develop. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, dogs weighing less than 45 pounds should be neutered at six months of age and spayed before the first heat or at about five to six months. Large breed males should be neutered between nine and 15 months, while females should be between five and 15 months.

More research and studies are still needed for stronger recommendations of when to spay or neuter for joint health.

In addition to managing pain and taking pets — especially seniors — to the veterinarian regu larly, owners should know how to recognize signs of osteoarthritis. Cats are known to hide signs of the disease as part of their survival instincts, but cats not jumping as high or struggling to get in and out of their litter box are signs of joint pain. Dogs and cats may also be hesitant to climb stairs, chase toys or get on the couch.

Jessica Bell is an assistant professor at WSU Col lege of Veterinary Medicine and a small animal veterinarian in community practice at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Sweet Talk

BY STACEY AGGARWAL

There’s been a lot of talk about the quality of sugars over the years. While we’ve all heard that we should reduce our intake of heavily processed sugar, such as refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, not all unrefined sugars are created equal. Although the best way for your body to consume sugar is from whole foods like fruits and berries, our daily coffees and homemade

choices about which sweeteners work best for you and your family.

The history of HONEY dates back as far as written history, with records older than 2100 B.C. across many different regions and cultures. Honey is often considered the oldest sweetener used by humans. Additionally, honey is packed with benefits including a high antioxidant content with phytonutrients that may help lower inflammation and boost immunity. Some have hypothesized that raw local honey can help with seasonal allergies due to local pollen content, which in turn could reduce reactivity to similar antigens. However, studies have shown contradicting results for the benefits of honey for allergies.

F) can decrease nutritional contents and active enzymes in otherwise raw unpasteurized honey. However, others argue that the harms of heating honey are minor. Either way, consider using an alternative next time you reach for honey to add to your hot tea or cake, or reserve your honey for drizzles on baked goods and cooler drinks. If you do need to heat honey, to dissolve crystallization or for better flow, it’s best to keep it below body temperature (37 C/98.6 F) and avoid direct heat.

AGAVE nectar also has a long and rich history, rooted in Mexico. There are more than 100 varieties of agave plant that are either farmed

cookies are still begging for some sweetness. So it’s good news that there are a lot of options on the shelves for natural, unrefined sweeteners. If you are looking to avoid sugar altogether, the leaves of the STEVIA plant are just about as natural a sugarless sweetener as you can get. Stevia can even be grown right here in the Inland Northwest. However, if you want the sweet richness of sugar but in a less processed form, some good options are honey, agave and maple syrup. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each of those options so you can make more informed

It’s worth noting that heating honey is a de bated topic, with chemical studies and Ayurvedic text both warning of the potential increases in tox ic compounds such as hydroxymethyl furfuralde hyde (HMF). Additionally, heating above 37 C (98.6

or native to the region. Juice is extracted from the agave plant, filtered, and concentrated to its final form that we see on grocery store shelves. A serving of agave has about 20 percent of the daily value of both vitamins B6 and C. Agave is also quite low on the glycemic index, but is often considered dangerously high in fructose (dis cussed more below), which can be a deal breaker for many searching for health benefits of natural sweeteners.

In the Northeastern Americas, MAPLE SYRUP has been used as a sweetener for centuries. The legend goes that Iroquois leader Chief Woksis once threw his tomahawk at a maple tree in wintertime, then the next day when the sun came out it warmed the tree and covered the tomahawk with sweet maple sap. Much like agave nectar, maple syrup is the concentrated

form of the sap of the maple. Maple syrup is very high in zinc and manganese, with 28 percent and 165 percent of the recommended daily intake, respectively. It is also very high in antioxidants. Maple syrup is graded by color (Grade A is lighter and often used directly as a sweet drizzle, while Grade B darker and often used in cooking/baking). Be sure to read labels carefully when buying maple syrup, since there are arguably more companies selling maple-flavored high-fructose corn syrup than those selling 100 percent real maple syrup.

Finally, looking at the levels of fructose in sweeteners is important, as high fructose sweeteners increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, high cholesterol, and fatty liver

disease. As a raw animal product, honey varies the most in fructose content from batch to batch but generally falls around 50 percent fructose. Agave is the highest of the three, with around 85 percent fructose. Conversely, maple syrup is the lowest with just around 4 percent fructose. Keep in mind that all three of these sweeteners are still pure sugar, so they should be consumed in moderation regardless.

Stacey Aggarwal received a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington. She writes about biology, health and nutrition while running a lavender farm in North Idaho. 2.375”

PILL BOX

Getting Rid of Leftovers

When was the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet? If you are like many Americans, you likely have unwanted, expired or unused medications lying around. Maybe you had a dental procedure but ended up not needing the pain medication pre scribed by your dentist, or you have some expired over-the-counter medications that you haven’t had the time to get rid of. I would recommend sorting through and cleaning out your medication storage since these medications might not work as well and can pose a potential safety issue.

Unwanted medications in the house pose a risk to both children and pets in the home. Pain medications in particular are concerning as more than half of non-prescription opioid users report getting them from friends and family; using these drugs may result in overdose.

Luckily, there are a number of ways to dispose of medications. The best way would be to do so through a drug takeback program. The DEA hosts a National Prescription Drug Take Back twice a year, and the next scheduled Take Back Day is October 29, 2022, from 10 am to 2 pm. Many

pharmacies also have medication drop-off boxes for safe disposal. You can visit the DEA website to find specific collection sites for Take Back Day and to find local pharmacy locations for disposal.

As a last resort, you can consider home disposal. The FDA recommends that some medications be flushed down the toilet. I would recommend checking in the medication leaflet and at FDA.gov. Other medications should be mixed with something undesirable like coffee grounds or cat litter, sealed in something you can close like a Ziploc bag and then disposed of in the garbage.

As we transition into longer and cooler evenings this fall, take some time to go through and safely dispose of any expired or unwanted medications in your home.

— LEXIE POWELL

Big or Small, We Care for them All

From ingrown toenails to warts and at feet, our physicians employ kind and gentle treatment for even the most troublesome feet.

Lexie Powell is an assistant professor in the Pharmacotherapy Department at the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences based in Spokane.

FearlessDesign

STORY BY ANNE McGREGOR

PHOTOS BY LISA PRINS

It’s an August morning of the most perfect sort — a gentle breeze flutters through the deep green leaves of late-summer trees as the day’s still-soft sunshine bathes Diane Holm’s petite front stoop.

Stepping into the 112-year-old house is at once cool and calming — soft music fills the room, plants abound and a filmy curtain lofts at an open window. A collection of copper plates lends pleasing

symmetry and a soft patina to the dining room wall, and intriguing vignette displays call for closer inspection throughout the living area.

But it’s the colorful walls — painted in red-to-orange ombre fashion in the dining room progressing to blues and greens in the living area that are most arresting. It’s all quite a contrast from when Holm bought the house about two years ago. “The whole house was gray,”

...continued on next page

Artist Diane Holm embraces color and creativity in her vibrant, ever-changing home

she says. And so were all the other houses she looked at during her house hunt after going through a divorce and landing in a “depressing” colorless apartment. “Every house I went to was gray. And every flip was gray.”

Holm, owner of White Picket Fence, a product styling company that specializes in still life and set design, bought the West Central house in part because of its ample lot and wonderful outdoor entertaining possibilities, but also because she could see it held potential. “This came on the market, and I think I was the first one to come here, and I was like, ‘I’ll take it,’” she says.

Then she set about making it her own.

Crafting a Home

Using small bottles of craft paints, Holm transformed those on-trend gray rooms into a more personal and fulfilling space, all at minimal expense. “I wanted the colors to be warming and fun and like a healing area, where people can come and feel like they can be themselves.”

When Holm showed photos of the walls to a fellow artist, she immediately put a name to the effect Holm had created: lazure painting. Actual lazure painting is a fairly elaborate process most often associ ated with Waldorf schools, which feature luminous lazure-painted walls with different colors assigned to each grade level — start ing with peach for the youngest children

— all with the goal of enhancing well-being.

While Holmes didn’t go through the exhaustive lazure process, she understands the theory behind it. “Color makes you happy!” she says. “I think people are worried for the resale, but it’s going to cost me what, 30 bucks, to repaint this?” And in the meantime, “This is totally different and exciting. I just am not a gray girl.”

And the colorful walls help liven up the accessories and furniture left over from her previous married life, which was full of more-acceptable creams and beiges. “I lived the life of being neutral forever because, you know, you’re catering to your mate, or you’re doing what everybody else is doing. And then it’s like, ‘Why?’” she says.

Indeed her home now reflects her unique creativity and reveals a sly sense of humor as well. Holm’s bedroom incorpo rates vintage furniture and abundant plants, but it’s the room’s gallery wall — featuring sometimes cheeky pieces — that’s the focal point. “It’s playful,” laughs Holm. Much of the art and displayed items were gleaned from thrift stores, as well as the garage sales that Holm prefers to estate sales, which she finds overpriced. “I really don’t go that often, just when I’m out and about,” she

“FEARLESS DESIGN,” CONTINUED...

An art-filled gallery wall is a focal point in Diane Holm’s bedroom (above), while the bathroom’s dramatic black walls play backup to practical storage shelves, enlivened with a touch of whimsy.

“FEARLESS DESIGN,” CONTINUED...

notes. “You can actually buy one item and change your whole room.”

Her talent for recognizing a “find” is something she happily shares with friends. “I’m inspired through decorating on the cheap,” she says. “I had a friend of mine, she met me at TJ Maxx and I was

like, ‘We’re going to redo your house for spring!’ We had a whole cartful of stuff, and we went to pay for it and she was like, ‘This is how much my lamp cost!’”

Throughout her own home, Holm finds ways to unite disparate objects — often things that could be found in an average

junk drawer — in careful compositional har mony. White paper doilies are transformed into three dimensional floating spheres in a wall hanging over the fireplace. Glass globes Holm found at Art Salvage — she thinks they were used to mold decorative grapes in the ’70s — now hold tiny plant cuttings as they dangle from a wire wheel she got at the dollar store. Spools of thread and buttons reside in a big glass canister on a shelf next to a sewing ruler and a thumb nail sketch of a shirt pattern. The effect of all these little vignettes is both mesmerizing and invigorating — a bit like being invited to a carefully curated treasure hunt.

Plants are ever-present in Holm’s design.

You can actually buy one item and change your whole room.

Want a Refresh?

Taking the leap to a bolder space requires courage. Diane Holm has some advice:

My Golden Rules

1Incorporate things that can enhance your sensory system and boost your mood. Think of layering shapes, pat terns and textures. Consider getting bolder with color, as well as using plants and other elements of nature, including things that create movement. And don’t forget to incorporate lighting.

2Your home should reflect your passions and years of built-up collections and treasures by telling a story to your visitors. Building a colorful space takes thought, time, and creative artistic energy. Take risks, be daring, go beyond the cookie-cutter ideas and think way outside the box.

3There is a fine line between a streamlined space and a messy or cluttered space. I think it really depends on the flow of your room and furniture placement. And then the power of threes. If you have an area that needs details, having three items is plenty. It’s nice to add tall, short and medium height items together in placement of threes.

— DIANE

Breakfast in bed? Two dreamy bedrooms invite lingering under the sloped ceilings in the second story of Holm’s farmhouse.

Lofty Dreams

It’s upon venturing past a misty rainbow-hued wall near the living room and up a squeaky wooden staircase — decked out with glass lanterns dangling from the handrail — that a true surprise awaits. A flowery fantasy bursts into bloom at the top of the stairs as giant paper daisies fairly dance around a soft white bed tucked under the room’s slanting dormers. Sunflower-gold curtains only attempt to tame the morning sunshine as it streams into the magical space. Meanwhile, steps away is yet another cozy place to sleep featuring a wall of delicate “hives” Holm crafted while she lived in the apartment, now arrayed on the back wall, under arches of gently swaying fabric scarves. The effect is dreamy.

With so much creativity on display at every turn, is Holm satisfied with her home? Yes, and no. Because for Holm, dec orating is, just like the summer sunshine, ephemeral. In fact, by the time you’re reading this, her space will be completely

revised. “Oh yeah, I’ll change this up when it cools down. I like to do different things. I like change,” she says. In fact, changing it all up is one of her favorite things to do. “When it’s time to dust, then I’ll just take a day. I’ll

work from 6 in the morning until 10 at night. I’m like, ‘Oh gosh I didn’t eat!’ It’s my passion, and so once I get started, that’s the best day ever. Because you’re out of your head, living in the moment. Then you wake up the next day, and it’s like you’re in a hotel or somewhere totally different. … You feel different. It does feel like you’re getting rid of your past and starting a new life.”

It does feel like you’re getting rid of your past and starting a new life.

“FEARLESS DESIGN,” CONTINUED...

Crafting an Organized Space

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

Get Organized!

The disorganized artist is a myth, and Helen Parsons is living proof.

“I can tell you exactly where everything is,” says Parsons, a Spo kane-based textile artist who creates lots of artwork, much of it large-scale, from her very small South Hill home studio.

She offers a wealth of knowledge for others pursuing a craft or art hob by. First, the space doesn’t have to be particularly large, but it is nice to have a location where you can leave work in progress. Parsons operates out of a roughly 10-by 20-foot space with every inch utilized for both efficiency and comfort, and enough attention to the overall aesthetics to feel well-organized.

Next come the basic essentials: a central worktable and good lighting. Then it’s time to consider how to store the materials related to your hobby. Parsons organizes a lot of her materials by color — whether it’s stacks of fabric, thread on a spool rack or cubbies of

paints. That fits how she works, cut ting fabric into small strips to lay them into shapes so that they flow together like paint.

Other artists might have different types of materials and strategies, but the principle is the same. “The key to getting organized is lining up clear pri orities of how you need your space to function to maximize efficiency,” says Parsons, who was recently featured on Quilting Arts TV, which will air on PBS stations nationwide and the cable channel Create.

“The tools and supplies that you use most need to be the most accessi ble,” she adds, “easy to get, easy to put away.” Less-used items might be still accessible but out of the way, and high er up or down low versus at eye level.

Like many artisans and artists, Parsons has lots of little things, such as buttons and other fabric notions, which she stores in portable bins she can take to her worktable. She likes collapsible bins that take up less space.

Quilter Helen Parsons’ well-organized home studio makes it easier to focus on the fun.

Call to Order

A professional organizer offers tips to get — and stay — organized

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

If you find yourself opening a drawer, closet or door to the garage and saying, “I need to get organized,” you’re not alone. And if you’re also feeling short on time, unsure where to start or over whelmed, you’re not alone there either.

“The best part of my job is being able to help people find more joy in their lives,” says Kristy Mylroie, who turned her passion for organizing into a full-time venture called Sort and Order. “Life is too short to be frustrated every day by those piles on the counter.”

A key part of getting organized is decluttering, which Mylroie acknowledges can include an emotional component.

“I’ve heard clutter defined as ‘postponed decisions,’ which is a nice way to think about it,” says Myrloie, who adds that people have many reasons for hanging on to things longer than is necessary. I might need this, or I spent so much money on it, or it was a gift are all opportunities for discussion, she says.

“It’s not my job to make people get rid of things, but to help them find a way to reach their organization goal, and hopefully be surrounded by the things that make them feel happy.”

Mylroie is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals or NAPO.

“[NAPO] provided professional development, tools for getting started, and instant connection to a community of thousands of incredible organizers who are supportive, encouraging and eager to share

“CRAFTING AN ORGANIZED SPACE,” CONTINUED...

Another feature Parsons recom mends is having some kind of space where you can step back and look at your work — she added a floor-toceiling design wall close to the large window. “It’s a game changer for pulling together ideas and auditioning layouts for my designs,” she says. “I don’t know why I waited so long to have a design wall, but I’ll be sure to have one from now on.”

Not everything in Parsons’ studio is a tool or supply though, there’s a vintage Mickey Mouse phone and other collectibles. “The items on the back counter are primarily for inspiration, and studio visitors really like to see the objects that inspired artworks I’ve done in the past or am currently working on.”

Visit Helen Parsons’ studio as part of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s annual studio tour on Dec. 3 (northwestmuseum.org/ programs/special-events).

Get Organized!

Hobby Space Tips

Containers

Often time is limited for working on a hobby project, and frustration builds when supplies are hard to find. Creating homes for various implements helps you get working on your project faster. It doesn’t have to be expensive — in fact, check your recycling bin for some no-cost options. Cereal boxes are perfect for holding inspirational magazines or canvas boards, while shoeboxes and jars can corral small er items. Stow these inside larger bins or boxes — which you can customize to enhance your decor by covering them with sturdy, washable contact paper.

Labeling

You’ve got your gear stashed, now make it easy to identify. White stickers or masking tape work fine as labels, but another more elegant option is using a small, self-adhesive label holder and writing the important info on paper cut to size. When you change the contents of the container, remove the old label and slip in a new one.

Vertical storage

Too often we ignore vertical storage, like hanging things over the back of the door or using hooks. It might seem old-fashioned, but pegboard is ideal to create an easy-access storage system that changes with your needs.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

their knowledge,” Mylroie says.

That’s especially important in dealing with more delicate issues related to organization, like when the lack of it impacts people’s ability to function.

“I have worked with clients who just wanted better organization in their kitchen or storage clos et, and others whose level of clutter was disrupting their daily life,” she says.

Through NAPO, Mylroie found out about and joined the Institute for Challenging Disorganiza tion, which provides training and resources related to helping people affected by chronic disorganiza tion, ADHD and hoarding disorder.

For most projects, however, Mylroie follows a similar process (see Organizing Tips, right).

“For a closet, we might start by clearing ev erything out,” she says. “Then we sort by creating groups of like objects — all the short-sleeved

shirts, all the jeans, all the sandals, etc. — and then deciding which things should stay, and which should go.”

For items that are staying, Mylroie helps each client repurpose things they already have to keep their belongings organized and in a designated place like using boxes, bins, hooks and baskets. Sometimes a trip to the store is in order.

Things marked “go” can be donated, recycled, sold or disposed of.

“It’s great if [clients] know of someone who is genuinely excited to receive the item,” says Mylroie, adding that Spokane has plenty of places willing to take items.

The final part of the organizing puzzle is maintenance, Mylroie says, noting that knowing things are going to get disorganized again is just part of life.

“Life can be really messy, and so organizing, like many things, is cyclical.”

ORGANIZING TIPS

Gather your courage and just get started

Choose one project, and focus your energy there: one drawer, one book shelf, one closet. Chances are, you’ll discover something out of place, like … a hammer in with the shoes! Have an empty box handy for these items (rather than jumping up to put things away as you find them). This will help keep you focused.

Sort items by keeping similar items together, and also divide them into piles to keep, donate, recycle, sell, and dispose.

Think about who you are today. Give yourself permission to let go of items that no longer serve who you are now. Recog nize that those items did what they needed to do for you, and now it’s time for them to serve someone else.

Take regular breaks and stay hydrated. If you need a hand — someone to just get you started, or a cheerleader — ask for help!

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

You’re not buying a house, you’re buying a lifestyle.

“CALL TO ORDER,” CONTINUED...

Piece of Mind

Kerry Whitsitt’s whimsical, colorful mosaics combine her interest in nature and human expression

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

The joy Kerry Whitsitt gets out of the mosaic process is evident in every mosaic she makes.

She loves, for example, when she cuts “a perfect piece, and it fits just perfectly the way you wanted it to,” Whitsitt says. “There’s just something really satisfying about that.”

Mosaic, or the artform of making a larger image out of small pieces of some thing — traditionally shells, pebbles and

glass tiles, but also broken pottery — dates back about 5,000 years. Once the small pieces are adhered to a surface, they’re filled in with grout. Made of liquidy, sandy cement that hardens as it dries, grout helps make the overall artwork more durable — most of Whitsitt’s mosaics can go outdoors — and makes the image created from the mosaic pieces more cohesive.

Nature and human figures, typically female, are recurring motifs in Whitsitt’s

work, with titles like Elements of Life, Peace Offerings, and Transformation - Creating Con nections.

“I’m all about trying to just create imag es of empowerment,” Whitsitt says.

There are few surfaces Whitsitt hasn’t mosaiced: She’s made wall hangings, trivets, birdhouses, light switch covers, mirrors and figurative pieces she exhibits, as well as furniture, signage and other items for her Moran Prairie home.

“I like to do small items that are afford able for people, gift-type items, and just, you know, items that I like,” Whitsitt says. “It’s kind of fun to have a little coaster set that’s a little bling-bling.”

Like many people, Whitsitt was interested in art as a youngster, and although she took a few art classes at the community college, she didn’t pursue art with any seriousness until 10 years ago. At age 59, Whitsitt retired from Community

Minded Enterprises, where she worked in community outreach. She’d taken a trip to Barcelona with her twin sister a few years prior, marveling at the masterful mosaics of Antoni Gaudí.

“And so I just kind of told myself, ‘It’s time,’” she recalls. “I need to get back to exploring my creative juices.”

Mosaics also appealed to her in part because of her background in quilting, says Whitsitt, who got her start in the artform

following a class at the former Reflections Stained Glass shop in Spokane Valley.

Her “dolls” are a fairly new addition to her lineup, resulting from a trip to the Southwest and a request by New Moon Art Gallery’s Michele Mokrey to create a doll for an upcoming exhibit. Whitsitt’s hus band had just bought a lathe and was mak ing salt and pepper grinders, so he milled her an amorphous figure sturdy enough to stand on its own and durable enough to have glass and other bits glued to it.

Whitsitt works in a small, tidy space the size of a laundry room in her basement. She does most of her work on a central standing-height table covered with plastic. A sturdy bookshelf behind her is loaded with stained glass — full and half sheets arranged vertically by color, but also in stacked tubs full of scraps. An apron hangs at the ready with the words New Moon Gallery on it, the only gallery at which Whitsitt’s work can be found.

She’s thought about doing more exhib its, yet doesn’t want making art to become “work,” she says, adding “It’s important that it fills me up and it feels joyous.”

Visit Whitsitt’s Facebook: In Flow Mosa ic Design or New Moon Art Gallery at manicmoonandmore.com.

EasilyEntertaining

Wild Sage Bistro’s Elijah Crume enjoys cooking for others, both at home and at work

STORY BY CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

Going to the dentist or throwing a dinner party? Some people might choose the dentist because the latter option presents an altogether different kind of discomfort. For Wild Sage Bistro’s executive chef Elijah Crume, though, the kitchen is his happy place, both at work and at home.

“I find it very relaxing and therapeutic,” says Crume, who knows not everyone feels that way, however. “A lot of people stress out because they’re probably following the recipe to a T and then like, ‘Oh, I need this certain pot,’” he says.

For Crume, recipes are more like guidelines, he says, although he has the advantage of abundant culinary experience. In high school, he attended culinary classes at a Tri-Cities skill center. Then he worked in catering while saving money to move to Spokane. Even though he was accepted by such places as the Culinary Institute of America and Seattle Art Institute, Crume chose Spokane Community College’s Inland Northwest Culinary Academy. He’s never looked back.

In Spokane, Crume worked in kitchens with compelling concepts — Café Neo, Bin 9820, Café Marron, and Santé — that have since closed.

“I was at the wrong kitchen at the wrong time,” says Crume, who found the right kitchen at Wild Sage, where he’s been since 2010.

When he’s not cooking, Crume enter tains frequently in his downtown Spokane

space, so he’s a natural to provide Inlander Health & Home readers with an easy-yet-el egant approach to a three-course dinner party. Crume’s inspirations include seasonal ingredients, especially produce, as well French cuisine.

In 2019, for example, Crume and his partner — she speaks fluent French — ate their way across France. A highlight was meeting celebrated French chef Alain Passard, whose Arpège restaurant has con sistently ranked in the top 50 worldwide. The French chef invited Crume to visit the restaurant’s gardens outside of Paris and cook alongside him the next time he was in the area, but the pandemic squelched those plans, Crume says.

“Passard ran a vegetarian menu for sev en years in Paris and kept three Michelin stars the entire time,” says Crume, adding that a place in New York, Eleven Madison Park, tried to go all-vegetarian but ran afoul

of diners for its alleged food waste.

It’s just a bit of culinary trivia but within five minutes of sitting down with Crume, he’s mentioned prominent chefs, trends or restaurants in France, Atlanta, New York and Seattle. This is classic Crume, who stays current on what’s happening elsewhere through both read ing and travel. Upcoming trips include San Francisco, Mexico City and Japan.

Crume thinks some of the food in the Northwest is as good as one-star spots he’s visited overseas, he says. “We just don’t have that representation or that whole structure [of] Michelin stars. But we do have the James Beard, which is nice.”

Maybe someday Crume will be among the growing list of local James Beard Foundation honorees, but until then, Crume and his culinary skills are ours to enjoy at Wild Sage.

...recipes on next page

TRY IT YOURSELF

Shareable Feast

Many hands make light work, right? Dole out a couple of these recipes to your guests and then set the table for six. Wild Sage executive chef Elijah Crume has created a fabulous meal for home chefs — and most of the work can be done ahead of time. Note that the pork belly should be started the day before the party. As guests arrive with their contributions, final plating and garnishing can be done. Bon appetit!

Zucchini Squash and Sundried Tomato Romesco and Balsamic Reduction

Romesco is a colorful sauce originating in Spain. It’s made of tomatoes, roasted peppers, bread crumbs and pureed almonds. Make plenty and keep extra in the fridge to put over toasted bread, pasta or roasted veggies. Balsamic reduction is a garnish here and can be purchased, although it’s easy to make by simply cooking balsamic vinegar over very low heat in a nonreactive pan until the liquid thickens, then storing in the refrigerator until needed.

ROMESCO

• 2 ounces sundried tomatoes (dried, not in oil)

• 2 dried ancho peppers

• ¼ cup almonds, toasted

• 1 roasted red bell pepper, diced (can roast fresh or use preserved)

• ¼ teaspoon garlic, chopped fine

• ¾ cup tomato paste

• ¼ cup parsley, chopped fine

• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

• 2 ounces bread crumbs

ZUCCHINI

• 2-3 large zucchini

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients for the romes

co, except for the oil, in a food processor or large mortar and pestle.

2. Mix well, then slowly add the oil and continue mixing until smooth.

3. Wash, trim and slice zucchini in half, pat dry then lightly season with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. To cook zucchini, grill for 2-3 minutes on oiled grates to maintain firmer texture, or broil on oiled pan roughly 6 inches from heat 4-5 minutes each side.

5. To plate the dish, place a generous amount of the romesco on the bottom of a plate or bowl.

6. Place cooked zucchini over romesco and garnish with balsamic reduction.

Merlot Poached Pears and Goat Cheese Crostini

This recipe is a two-fer, resulting in a brilliant, fruit-forward appetizer plus a side of delight fully mulled wine.

PEARS

• 2 each firm Bartlett pears, whole, skin on

• 1 bottle Merlot

• ⅓ cup brandy

• 6 tablespoons raw or cane sugar

• 1 orange, sliced in halves

• 4 whole cloves

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 3 star anise

CROSTINI

• 1 baguette French bread

• Light olive oil

• Salt

• 4 ounces soft goat cheese

• ¼ cup toasted pistachios, crushed

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients for pears in a nonreactive saucepan and simmer on low for 7 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and cool the pears in the poaching liquid, allowing flavor and color to seep thoroughly into pears. Can also be placed in refrigera tor to chill/steep until needed.

3. Strain the liquid, which can be served warm as mulled wine or cooked down over low heat to reduce the liquid to make a flavorful, syrup-like garnish for the crostini.

4. For the crostini, cut baguette on a diagonal into half-inch pieces.

5. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and pinch of salt.

6. Toast in an oven at 350 degrees for eight minutes or until slightly crisp.

7. Remove from oven and let cool.

8. To assemble, spread goat cheese onto cooled, toasted bread until completely covered.

9. Slice chilled poached pears length ways, avoiding seeds, and lay slices on top of the dressed crostini.

10. Garnish with crushed toasted pista chios (optional) and reduced mulled wine (also optional) and serve. ...recipes continue on next page

Roasted Pork Belly with Spiced Plum Glaze

PORK BELLY

• 2 pounds pork belly, uncured

• 1½ tablespoon salt

• 2 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

SPICED PLUM GLAZE

• 1 cup apple juice

• 1 cup water

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 cups plums, fresh and pitted -or- 1 cup dried plums

• 2 ounces apple cider vinegar

• Dash of cayenne pepper (dry)

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ⅓ teaspoon pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground allspice

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix brown sugar and salt and set aside.

2. Place pork belly in nonreactive dish and spread sugar/salt mix on both sides of pork belly to help bring out flavor and tenderize the meat.

3. Wrap in plastic (or seal in bag) and refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, remove pork belly from any accumulated liquid and pat the meat dry. Discard liquid.

5. Heat a rondeau or shallow, wide pan over medium heat.

6. Add oil and sear both sides of pork belly until crispy (Tip: wait until meat releases from pan before flipping).

7. Remove seared pork belly from pan and cook uncovered at 275 degrees for 3 hours or until tender.

8. While the pork belly is cooking, make the plum glaze by combining all ingre dients into a nonreactive saucepan and simmering for 20 minutes.

9. While still warm, puree glaze liquid with an immersion blender, then con tinue cooking over low heat until the liquid has reduced by one-third.

10. Remove pork belly from the oven, let rest for 15-20 minutes, and slice into small squares.

11. Place the cubed pork belly on a plate and coat with warm spiced plum glaze.

— Recipes courtesy of Elijah Crume, Wild Sage Bistro

TOGETHER, WE

This is Jade. She battled Wilms Tumor, the most common type of kidney cancer in children. For over a year now, she has been cancer-free. Your donations help Community Cancer Fund support local programs and Inland Northwest organizations providing tremendous care and critical support to patients like Jade and so many others. We are committed to investing donated funds in local programs that benefit cancer patients, their families, and the Inland Northwest organizations that serve them.

JONATHAN HILL ILLUSTRATION

Taking a Stand

Kids targeted by bullies need help from grownups;

here’s what to look for and how to help

BY E.J. IANNELLI

Withschool now back in full swing, K-12 students can find themselves busy with all sorts of activities — science projects, sports, band and clubs — on top of their core academic work, and socializing with friends. But for students who are bullied, the return to school can feel like an impossible burden. And that burden may be more common than we realize.

According to a 2019 report from the National Center for Educational Statistics, as many as one in five students between the ages of 12 and 18 said they had person ally experienced bullying in the prior year.

“Bullying is defined by delib erate behavior that occurs over time,” says Sherryll Kraizer, founder and director of the Coalition for Children and creator of the anti-bullying Take a Stand program. She emphasizes that the starting point for any discussion about bullying is to identi fy it as such.

Unlike playful teasing or an isolated aggressive interaction, bullying is characterized by two elements: power and patterns.

In other words, bullies create or leverage a power imbalance — one that can stem from things like phys ical size or social status — to control or harm their victims. They then engage in that behavior over weeks, months and years. That persistence is what makes bullying so emotion ally and psychologically draining for the victim, sometimes driving them to self-harm or, in dire cases, even suicide.

Although children can be good at hiding the fact that they’re being bullied

and may even be more determined to do so out of a sense of shame, Kraizer says that there are usually warning signs.

“The first thing for a parent is to recognize that changes in your child matter. For example, if you see that your child is not hanging out with people they used to hang out with. Or that they don’t want to go to school, with an increase in headaches and stomach aches. Or they’re isolating themselves from the family. Or they have any unaccounted-for injuries. Their backpack disappears. Their phone is cracked,” she says.

“All of those are things that are a basis for parents to say, ‘I noticed this. What’s going on?’”

Reaching Out

To get to the truth, parents and educa tors shouldn’t shy away from pressing the issue. At the same time, they should be prepared to listen in earnest and have some grasp of the basic dynamics of bullying — such as the fact that it’s often learned behavior on the bully’s part, or that advice to shrug it off can actually make the victim feel even worse.

It’s also important for adults to recog nize that the nature of bullying changes as students get older.

“In elementary school, it tends to be one-on-one,” Kraizer says. “As you get into middle and high school, bullying often occurs in packs of kids, so there’s no getting away from that. Or it occurs on social media, which then involves multiple people very rapidly. It’s more likely to be sustained when you get more people in volved, because the bully leader is getting lots of approbation from their peers.”

Stephanie Fredrick, associate director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, New York, says that social media also has the potential to turn in-person bullying into a relentless ordeal for its victims.

“If you have a child or a student who is having some challenges with being a

Anti-Bullying Programs and Resources

Online resources abound for parents, caregivers, teachers and bystanders who want to help stop bullying.

safechild.org — Entirely free programs created by Sherryll Kraizer, founder and director of the Coalition for Children to assist parents and teachers in dealing with bullying, including role playing exercises.

stopbullying.gov – Federal government website aimed at “creating a communi ty-wide bullying prevention strategy.”

cfchildren.org/resources/bullying-pre vention-resources – Focuses on creating social and emotional well-being for chil dren, including the podcast Grow Kinder.

pacer.org/bullying – Offers resources for teaching kindness, acceptance and inclu sion including “Create a World Without Bullying” resource kit. Order a free poster.

stompoutbullying.org – Website with the goal of promoting “civility, diversity, in clusion, equity and equality,” offers a “Get Help Now!” tab for parents and educators.

— ANNE McGREGOR

bullying target at school, it’s most likely also happening online. A lot of times we tend to separate them, but they’re all pieces of the same puzzle. These online spaces tend to be an extension of what happens in person,” she says.

Cyberbullying can also be “particularly tricky,” according to Fredrick, because the victim’s reaction is typically to engage or retaliate online. That only fans the flames. Meanwhile, the parental response is often

It’s Snowing!

Spokane Artist Candace Rowe’s first book, Rami’s Snow Day, will warm the hearts of parents and kids

When lifelong artist Candace Rowe and her husband found themselves weathering part of the pandemic at a remote cabin in Montana, Rowe realized, “I needed a pandemic project… something to entertain myself.”

And so while her husband fished, Rowe decid ed to try her hand at writing a children’s book. “I just kind of mocked something up and started do ing the paintings, and I thought even if this is just a vanity project or something that I self-publish,

it would still be a worthwhile thing and fun to do.” And that’s how Rami’s Snow Day, her first chil dren’s book, was born. “[Rami’s] a real little boy. He’s my muse,” she

Rowe both wrote and illustrated the book, which recounts Rami and his parents’ joyful day reveling in a new snowfall. “The children’s books that I loved had beautiful illustrations and they just had a feeling — just like a mood — and that’s what I was going for,” says Rowe. “Since I was writing it and illustrating it, I could really get the mood that I wanted.”

A friend who’d published children’s books introduced Rowe to her publisher. “I sent it in, and I didn’t hear anything for a long time. It turned out they had responded and it went to my junk mail!” she says. No matter, because the publisher loved it. “I actually got it published by the first person I sent it to, which never happens.”

Rowe has another children’s book in the works, and in addition to doing commissioned paintings, she can also be found helping others experience the satisfaction of creating art as an instructor at Spokane’s Pinot’s Palette.

— ANNE McGREGOR

Rami’s Snow Day will be available starting Oct. 25 at major retailers, in hardback ($17) and paperback ($10).

CANDACE ROWE PHOTO

Candace Rowe wrote the story and painted each illustration for her first children’s book. CANDACE ROWE PHOTO

Sponsored by

Cheney and Mary Cowles Cheryl Westerman Carl M Hansen Foundation

to take away the victim’s smartphone, which is like grounding them for being bullied.

If there’s an upside to cyberbullying, it’s that it can be easier for the victim to substantiate.

“One thing that we tell kids to do is that if you see this bullying happen ing online, screenshot it immediately and document it. That can really help with the problem-solving. A lot of the platforms are also getting better about blocking people who are engaging in harassment and bullying. With Insta gram, for example, you can now block someone without them knowing,” says Fredrick.

Just as with in-person bullying, cyberbullying is best addressed with the help of a compassionate, supportive adult. That can involve encouraging bullying victims to take a break from the hostile environment — in this case, their social media apps — and reporting the activity to those responsible for the space

where bullying is happening, whether that’s an online platform or a school administrator.

And for both bullies and their vic tims, there is hope. As part of anti-bully ing programs like Take a Stand, Kraizer says she’s seen bullies — individuals as well as groups — and their targets gain better self-awareness through role playing and thought exercises. In her ex perience, the solution lies in helping all parties to develop better abilities to com municate and process their emotions.

“You can’t stop the behavior by punishing them. You stop the behavior by understanding the underlying costs and benefits and then teaching them and rewarding them for more appropriate be havior,” she says. “We’re better off when we look at all of them as children who need to learn better life skills. It doesn’t work to blame the victim or the bully if they’re just doing the best they can.” A STAND,”

Finding Real Connection

Photographer Adam Schlüter says connecting with strangers saved his life; he hopes others can find the magic in being vulnerable

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

By the time 36-year-old Adam Schlüter decided a few years ago to take what money he had left and travel the world, he wasn’t sure if he even planned to be alive by the end of the trip.

After a difficult breakup, months of depression and isolation in his new city of Coeur d’Alene, Schlüter says he was having suicidal thoughts and was ready to have one last hurrah.

“I decided to just say, ‘F— it, I’m gonna die here, so I might as well use every penny that I have to book a trip somewhere,’” Schlüter says. “I didn’t have a plan really, but … I was taking pictures

and the idea was just to go rejuvenate some creativity or some inspiration and maybe something would, like, wake me up.”

He booked the cheapest one-way ticket to Europe he could find, landing in Co penhagen, Denmark. He planned to push himself to do something that sounds simple but strikes fear into the hearts of many: He would go up to total strangers, say hello, learn about them and ask if he could take their photo.

Exhausted from his travels and still struggling with depression, Schlüter says the process opened up a vulnerability in him that he’d been scared to allow.

“The more vulnerable I became, the more people opened up to me,” he says.

Inspired by the book and the blog Humans of New York, Schlüter says he was shocked at how quickly complete strang ers on the other side of the planet shared things with him that they had never even told their wife or son or parents.

“I started to kind of understand vulnerability and connection, and it made me feel less alone,” Schlüter says. “It truly saved my life.”

One time, Schlüter approached a man at a train station in Milan, where refugees were congregating. The man was skeptical

At his 60th Monday night dinner in August, photographer Adam Schlüter greets Brenda Cheney. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

when this stranger asked to take his pho to, but Schlüter says he explained what the project meant to him, got permission to capture the frame, then showed the man the image. The man took the cam era, held the image close to his face and started crying.

“I’m like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?’ and he looks up at me with all these tears in his eyes, and he says, ‘No one has ever asked to take my photograph before,’” Schlüter says. “That’s the purpose of this magic, is to show people we see them, and to feel seen, too.”

One of Schlüter’s favorite stories came from an old man he found standing in some tall grass near the Canadian border. Schlüter told the man the grass blowing in the wind made for a beautiful photo and asked what he

man’s truck. Soon he slowed and said, “Look up ahead.”

“On this country road, with pine trees around it, there’s his home, where he’s lived with his wife for the last 35 years,” Schlüter says. “You can’t make this stuff up. He came home and made that dream happen.”

Since that first “Hello From a Strang er” trip, the photo project has become a television series that’s still in production and could be released soon.

In the meantime, Schlüter has contin ued to travel, meeting people all across the country, the world and even in his own backyard, as he hosts family-style “Monday Night Dinners” for people at his Coeur d’Alene home.

The dinners quickly grew from small groups of maybe a dozen people to as many as 150 people crowded into his backyard for live music, good eats, cold beer and community.

Schlüter recently hosted his 60th Monday Night Dinner on a warm August night. People slowly trickled in through the gate to his backyard, carry ing trays of appetizers and cold salads, some packing camp chairs. As the pho tographer sat on his front porch talking to this reporter about his photo series, several people came up to ask if this was the right place, and each was greeted with “Hi, I’m Adam, what’s your name?” before being told to head on back to the gathering in the yard.

did for a living. The man said he was a standup comedian who got into come dy after serving as a combat veteran in Vietnam.

Schlüter says he asked the man if he could share what his first night in Viet nam was like, if he didn’t mind.

The man told Schlüter he remem bered it like yesterday, going into the trenches as a bunch of kids who were surrounded by Claymore mines and fences: Everyone was terrified.

“He said, ‘I laid down in the trench and drifted off to sleep and had this cra zy dream. I was in a country setting with a home and a driveway lined with pine trees, and it took me out of that hell for a minute,’” Schlüter recalls.

The man then asked if Schlüter could spare a few minutes, and he said yeah, so they drove down a back road in the

Schlüter encourages those who attend the dinners to invite a stranger or some one they’ve run into recently who could use some time connecting with others. Several people at the 60th dinner said they’d come to dozens of the communi ty-building evenings, while others drove from as far away as Spokane, Nine Mile Falls and Cheney to participate.

“This isn’t a party, this is not like me having friends over to the house, this is a community thing,” he says. “I’ll get emails from people like, ‘Hey, we started this in our neighborhood.’ And that’s all I really want to do with this. Everybody can do this. Invite your neighbors, sit around a table, no politics, no business, like, just old-fashioned connection.”

Learn more about Adam Schlüter’s projects at hellofromastranger.com or find more on the dinners on Facebook.

ADAM SCHLÜTER PHOTO

Schlüter with guests Krystin Vens, center, and Amy Jelsm. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

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