Home Sweet Home - October 2008

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October 2008

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Welcome to the October edition of Women’s LifeStyle! After September, most of us have recovered from the always busy summer, settled back in to our fall routines and turned our focus to our homes and all the projects and improvements we’d like to get done before the holidays.

Inside and out, we always have projects and dreams we’d like to see accomplished. Fall also brings a multitude of activities that we enjoy.

As I write this column, I am sitting in a hotel room, five miles away from my home. While completing September’s edition, my home caught fire from a lightning strike -not once but twice!

We had significant damage to our living room and kitchen. I share this with you for several reasons. The first and foremost, is to tell you how truly blessed we have been. We could have lost the whole house, complete with contents; we could have been sleeping and not escaped, we could have lost our beloved golden retriever, Dakota. None of that happened! Yes, we loss some furniture, home decorations, computers and such, but those can and are being replaced.

We have received so much love and support from family, friends and even strangers. It started with the true heroes: fire fighters, police and more… who risked their lives for our safety. And continues with daily offers of home cooked meals, people opening their homes for our needs, family and staff going the extra mile to make sure the magazine stays on target.

I have even received gift certificates from my women’s leads group for grocery shopping and house cleaning when I’m ready to move back into the house. I thank God for each and every one of you! It is not easy to be forced out of our home, but you have each made it so much easier to bear.

That leads me to another blessing: fall home remodeling and decorating. While I would never have chosen this method for redecorating, we are seriously involved in this time honored tradition of home improvements! My husband’s response was seriously funny: “Look on the bright side, Honey, You said we needed new carpet!” So, we are busy choosing new flooring, cleaning out cupboards, and making lots of decorating decisions.

With that in mind, you’ll find great ideas in this edition for home improvement and decorating. I hope you enjoy each idea.

As we focus on our homes and prepare for fall, it’s a great time to think about “Shopping & Eating Local.” We have some great ideas for doing that in the Kalamazoo Area. It’s a great way to do your part to keep Kalamazoo growing strong. We have so much to choose from right here…why go anywhere else.

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Great strides have been made in the detection and treatment of this disease. With statistics showing that Breast Cancer strikes one out of every eight women, chances are each of us knows someone who has struggled with this disease. The good news is that right here in Kalamazoo we have a nationally recognized detection and treatment center. We also have upcoming Pink Saturdays, where many women can get the detection through mammogram. Have you had one recently? If not, why not? Please, I urge you…take the time and make sure your loved ones do too.

Our recipes this month are super yummy and include a wonderful Pumpkin Cheesecake from our own “A Food Affair” in Augusta. We hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful October – and don’t forget while you’re doing all those projects to enjoy the season! Till next month!

Darlene

Greater Kalamazoo

THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT HAPPEN: Publisher Darlene Clifford Layout and Design Jonathan Guinn, Guinn Design Business Manager Eric Clifford

Advertising Executive Ruth Ann Dibert Sales Manager Contributing Writers Madeline Zackery Andrew Domino The Kalamazoo Network

CONTACT US

By Phone: 269-569-1647

By Email: wlskazoo@provide.net

By Mail: Greater Kalamazoo Women’s Lifestyle P.O. Box 228, Portage, MI 49081-2284

Greater Kalamazoo

October Contents Home Sweet Home Secrets of Successful Collectors........................................................................ 8 Eat Local...Shop Local...................................................................................... 10 Safeguarding Your Family and Your Home...................................................... 11 Color 101........................................................................................................ 12 Halloween Tricks & Treats............................................................................... 14 More Halloween Ideas..................................................................................... 16 Making Time – and Spice – for Family Meals................................................... 23 Gather ‘Round the Table................................................................................. 24 Set Your Home Aglow with the Colors of Autumn........................................... 32 Looking and Feeling Good Fitness for the Family....................................................................................... 6 Beauty in the Eyes of the Beholder.................................................................. 20 Royal Blue Fashion........................................................................................... 21

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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the P m u ro

Broaden Your Horizons Be The Star for Your Next Interview................................................................ 4 Coffee & Candor with Jennifer........................................................................ 5 Good Manners: Holiday Get Togethers............................................................ 5 Trivia Teasers by KEY Media............................................................................. 22 Networking with the Kalamazoo Network....................................................... 22 Funny Bone – Whose Reality Is It Anyway?...................................................... 31 Financial Sauvé 101......................................................................................... 35 Reader’s Lounge.............................................................................................. 38 Look Who’s Talking Christina Jacobs, M.D...................................................................................... 19 Your Health Pink Saturdays for Kalamazoo.......................................................................... 28 Improving the Odds in the Fight Against Breast Cancer.................................. 28 Digital Mammography and Cancer Prevention................................................ 30 Recipes Candy Corn Freeze.......................................................................................... 14 Pumpkin Cheesecake from A Food Affair......................................................... 23 Host a Bewitching Bash Spiderweb Munch...................................................................................... 18 Easy Halloween Cookie Cups...................................................................... 18 Let’s Have a Potluck Hearty Sausage & Rice Casserole................................................................ 26 Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole.......................................................... 27 Country Chicken Casserole........................................................................ 27 Local Events and Other Hot Stuff Hot Stuff.......................................................................................................... 34 Calendar of Events........................................................................................... 36

Mission Statement: Our missions is to provide women with information that is essential, enlightening and entertaining, and to provide our advertisers with high quality service and an effective advertising medium. Our content is resourceful and sincere. We strive to maintain a high level of integrity as a positive, inspiring and progressive media presence.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Work It!

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Be the STAR of Your Next Interview

By Kimberly Monaghan

The goal of an interview is to demonstrate that you are all your résumé claims you are – the perfect candidate for the position at hand. Successful applicants understand that this includes projecting confidence, professionalism and good communication skills, which can be easier said then done. The pressure of landing the job, concerns about salary negotiation, and the anxiety that accompanies a formal presentation can often take their toll on even the most skilled interviewee.

When nerves threaten your confidence, keep in mind that the key to a successful interview is to perform like a STAR! State your Skills, Target the Bottom Line, Articulate an Amiable Attitude, and always Remain Positive.

H H H H S kills Can you effectively explain the

skills you possess and why they would be valuable to an employer?

What might sound like a simple task is often one of the biggest challenges in an interview. Take the time in advance to conduct a personal inventory of all your career attributes. In that way, you will be ready to market your skills to a potential employer and to demonstrate how they would successfully transfer to the position you are applying for.

Always remember to back up your stated skills with proven and demonstrable experience.

TThearget the Bottom Line employer is hiring you for a

reason – to help them save or make money – and it’s your job during an interview to delineate exactly how you will help them achieve that goal.

Prior to the interview, take a look at how the combination of your skills, experience and abilities will help their company move toward accomplishing their overall mission and back it up with concrete examples.

It’s always a good idea to do this type of planning prior to writing your résumé and cover letter.

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A miable Attitude Remain Positive It’s imperative to understand that the Regardless of how you feel once employer is in a position of authority, at least during an interview, and it’s customary to give them the respect they deserve. You should be friendly and genuine, appear confident but not arrogant, be honest but don’t prattle, and always make sure that you defer to them during the interview. Smile when you greet the receptionist, complete an application entirely if asked to do so, and always offer all company representatives a firm handshake.

the details of the position have been laid out, you should continue to project sincere interest. The position could still offer an opportunity for advancement, or if you impress the interviewer enough, they may consider you for something with higher pay or a more challenging position.

Most importantly, never say anything negative about anyone, especially a previous employer.

Jennifer, I am 18 and have started my first semester of college away from home. My mom and I have always been really close; in fact, she’s one of my best friends. But during my senior year of high school, things seemed different. We argued a lot about little things and just didn’t get along. It seems like things have really changed and now I’m not there to “work it out.” Will we just keep growing further apart now that I’m gone? I really miss the way things used to be. – L.B. Dear L.B., What you’re experiencing is difficult but normal. We must all, at some point, leave our family of origin (usually your mom and dad) and move on to pursue our own goals and dreams. This can be a difficult transition, especially for people who are as close as you and your mom are with each other. Because of this, there’s a very natural mechanism that comes into play as you attempt to leave the nest. The irritation and bickering you describe are a big part of this, and it’s probably coming from your mom as much as it’s coming from you.

To help you understand, let’s think about connections you have had with people in the past, whether they were friendships or dating relationships. Were there times when you needed to step back from that relationship and move on, but you didn’t really know how? You probably held on for awhile, not knowing quite what to do.

As you think back, did you notice that you began to notice the faults of the other person more? Did you become more irritated by the little things he or she did that didn’t seem to bother you before? This process gives you the strength to detach. In essence, it’s easier to pull away from a situation when things are not harmonious and happy.

It’s a way to protect ourselves and be reassured that detachment is the right thing to do.

Obviously, your relationship with your mom is different, and you will not move on without her in your life, but the process of detachment is much the same. You’re striving to be an individual and preparing to be in charge of your own life. Your mom is very much aware of this and is trying to prepare herself as well. The result is bickering about little things and feeling distant.

The distance helps you get ready to leave.

Your mind tells you it’s time to move on because it’s too hard to be in control of your own life and get along at home.

Please be assured that your close relationship with your mom isn’t over. If anything, your college years will likely bring you closer together. Keeping in contact with her on the phone and through e-mail and letters will reassure both of you that you are able to individuate (become your own person) and still have a close relationship.

Missing the way things used to be is a big part of life as we move from one season to another. Think about it, though. Would you really want things to be the same as they were when you were a young girl? You and your mom both grow and change.

What you really want to remain the same is the closeness and solid dependability. Our warm and wonderful memories of the past take care of the rest. They shape who we are and determine what we will pass on to our own children.

Your future is wide open in front of you.

Be happy and excited. Remember what your Mom has given you and equipped you with, and keep her in the picture as you move through the coming years. Your love and support for one another will always be something you can count on.

Dear Jennifer, With Halloween just around the corner, I have a question for you. My son is seven years old and wants to dress up with a hatchet coming out of his head and to look like his eye is hanging out. He thinks this would be “really cool.” However, I have a problem with that. What happened to ghosts and Spiderman? Is it bad for him to dress this way? – K.Z. Dear K.Z., I’m with you, my friend; I sometimes have my own questions about Halloween. To address your question about whether or not it’s bad for him, I would encourage you to think about his personality in general and how he responds to life. Is he frequently angry and defiant? Does he seem addicted to violence, either on TV or through video games? Has he ever purposefully hurt animals or himself? These questions may seem extreme, and Halloween only comes once a year, but if your answers to any of the above are yes, then I believe it would be bad for him to dress this way. It would encourage an already dark behavior pattern, which would require intervention.

If, on the other hand, he seems to be a normal boy who exhibits normal behavior patterns and just wants to impress his friends with how gross he can be, then I think it’s OK. Remember, though, that you’re the mom. If you’re uncomfortable with his costume of choice, think of alternatives to “the walking dead” and give him a few choices that are acceptable to both of you. This keeps him in the decision-making loop, but gives you the final authority. With this situation well in hand, you can turn your attention to more pressing matters, such as how many mini candy bars you can stuff into your pockets before they all “disappear.” v

Jennifer Scrogin, R.N., is a Communication Specialist and Certified Mediator. Through her extensive background in women’s health and education she has founded JIS Communications, a program that focuses on assertive and effective communication between women in the workplace and in their personal relationships. Have a question for Jennifer? She can be reached at Jennifer@womenslifestylemagazine.com.

Getting Through the Holidays with Family and Fun

By Madeline L. Zackery

As the days get shorter and the leaves turn a golden brown, families will be spending more time around the warm fire’s glow while making preparations for the holidays. As families plan for their visitors, I’d like to share a few ideas for getting through the holidays.

Whenever you have guest in your home, it means sharing. This is the perfect time to remind family members of the importance of sharing. Children may have to share their room with guests or even their bed. Encourage them to think of it as a sleep over with family! This is a great opportunity to learn about acting as host or hostess and how to make their guest’s visit enjoyable.

Getting ready to receive guests will also encourage family members to clean up their rooms and help prepare the entire home for the holidays.

Holidays are also a great time to brush up on manners, making sure we are at our best and using good manners. During that Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, your family will want to use their best table etiquette. Make dinner time fun and exciting by having your children learn how to set a fancy table, or have a hand in selecting flowers for the center piece, design special placemats or cook their favorite dish. Let each person in the family have a responsibility, so everyone can feel that they contributed. If your guests are staying for several days, form an entertainment committee and put someone in charge of entertainment each night such as selecting a movie, playing a game or even having “family karaoke night. Sharing the load, can relieve your stress and make the holidays more enjoyable for everyone.

Every now and then you may have a guest that is a little “trying.” It seems every family has at least one! However, recognize that they are family and your goal is to entertain with graciousness. One advantage of playing host or hostess is that you can coordinate events that will help make things go smoothly. If you have rambunctious nieces, nephews or grandchildren, plan activities that will keep their interest, such as a good movie, playing games, putting a puzzle together or coloring. Teenagers will appreciate video games, interesting magazines and sporting events or going to the mall. Adult family members seem to appreciate just being together as family and having a chance to catch up on the latest family news. Some family members might even want to help out in the kitchen, give them the opportunity to show off their culinary skills if they desire.

The main theme should be “being together as a family”. Realize that every gathering won’t always be perfect. But the best part of family gatherings is that you are creating memories you will cherish a lifetime.

Madeline L. Zackery has been teaching Etiquette and Modeling for over 41 years. She has provided programs for: Kalamazoo Public Library, 4-H, Big Sisters, Girl Scouts, KVCC, WMU, and more.

She writes a column for Community Voices & contributes to the Kalamazoo Gazette. Madeline has written several children’s books on etiquette, her latest arriving this fall. Madeline is the owner of Madeline’s Modeling & Talent Agency.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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By Kimberly Monaghan

Fitness for the Family

Kimberly Monaghan is a certified yoga instructor and freelance writer.

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taying physically fit is often just another task we try to squeeze into an already busy schedule. It’s easy to put workouts on the back burner when family activities do and should take precedence. But spending quality time with the family can also be fitness-oriented. By introducing kids to a healthy lifestyle early, you’ll encourage them to appreciate fitness and continue to keep it an important part of their lives. So the next time you drive the kids to soccer practice, consider grabbing your own athletic equipment and getting in the game too.

Join In the Fun

Taking an active role in kids’ activities can be a great way to share in their enjoyment and playtime. Taking adult ballet classes alongside your child, coaching the soccer team, or jumping into the next pick-up basketball game in the driveway are all simple ways for you to get active and play together. Participating in school fitness programs such as bike-a-thons, the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award training challenges, and 5K fundraising walks are activities you can do as a team while instilling in your children the value of a healthy lifestyle and the importance of giving back to the community.

Fun for All

Carve out a regular weekly time together to participate in a fitness activity as a family. Make a list of sports and active games that everyone likes or is interested in trying. Experimenting and learning together can be great motivation to get off the couch and out of your comfort zone. Soccer, karate, horseback riding, canoeing, snowboarding, swimming, running and bike riding are just a few activities that family members of all ages can participate in together. Climbing classes, mommy and baby yoga programs, neighborhood kickball tournaments, and taking the dog for a daily walk or run are also opportunities for healthy bonding time.

Why not turn a family vacation into something that revolves around fitness? White water rafting, dude ranching, mountain biking and even yoga retreats are available for all ages and lifestyles and are often located in exciting and beautiful destinations.

Make Activities Active

The key to family fitness success is sticking to it, and finding something that is convenient and close by might be the best way to make the commitment last.

Daily walks, gardening, running errands on bicycles, or even cleaning up the neighborhood, beaches or your own home are all activities that are close at hand and can be turned into family fitness events. When all the chores and activities are completed, celebrate with a healthy meal and a movie to enhance and prolong your family time together.

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Share the Importance of Fitness

Children learn by example, and adopting a healthy and active lifestyle is an excellent lesson to pass down to youth. Getting children involved early in activities and eating a balanced diet, coupled with talking about how this behavior benefits their health, will not only instill in them the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, but will ultimately affect the choices they make.

Unhealthy food, alcohol and smoking can often be avoided once they understand the negative physical

impact these activities will have on their bodies and longevity. Point out role models such as professional athletes, celebrities, military personnel, professionals in the health industry or other career fields who live healthy lifestyles and whose success depends on adhering to a fitness regime. Share some of your own role models and with your children, and most importantly, be a role model as well. By demonstrating just how much emphasis you place on living a vibrant, healthy lifestyle, you are taking steps to ensure that you can share the fun together as a family for a long time to come.

Great Resources to help you get fit as a family: “Family Fitness Fun Book: Healthy Living for the Whole Family,” by Rose Kennedy, Haterleigh Press, 2005.

“365 Activities for Fitness, Food and Fun for the Whole Family,” by Julia Sweet, McGraw Hill, 2001.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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From Star Wars stamps to Pez dispensers, collectors all over the world scour everywhere from auctions to antique festivals in a search for the “holy grail” of their collectible category. What drives them? For some, it’s the thrill of the hunt. For others, it’s having the most prized possession in the palm of their hands.

For all, however, it’s the camaraderie among like collectors looking for that same big find.

Secrets of Successful Collectors Fiesta Dinnerware collectors share their secrets to building a fabulous collection.

Determine your goals

There are two possible goals for a collector: buying what you love and buying what will resell at a higher price. First, determine if you love to collect this item or if you plan to buy, sell or even trade. Then collect accordingly, says Wendy English. English is literally “driven” by her love of Fiesta. The vanity plates on both her vehicles are: FIESTA1 and LVDISHES.

Pick your passion

People start collections for as many reasons as there are items to collect – as a form of nostalgia, a means of investment or to carry on a tradition. For Harvey Linn of North Carolina, it’s personal. He ate off of a Fiesta plate (always Cobalt blue) at his grandmother’s house in the mid-1960s. With her passing in 1986, he found that same, now vintage, plate and became a collector of his grandmother’s beloved dinnerware.

Fiesta Dinnerware was designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead in 1936. As originally designed, the line featured art deco styling and bold, bright colors and is now among the most collected china products in the world.

Do your homework

If you don’t know much about the category you’re collecting, you might be duped when purchasing a coveted item. Know the value of certain items, how rare they are compared to others, and what conditions are acceptable for resale, especially if you plan to sell or trade.

Make friends

What better way to find the latest and greatest information about your collectibles than from your peers?

Join a club dedicated to your collection category.

You’ll find out everything you want to know and you’ll make friends that share your passion.

Don’t settle

Settling for a piece that is less than perfect is a big mistake. For instance, don’t purchase the sugar bowl sans lid – it will surely disappoint. Many novice collectors buy an item thinking they’ll find the missing lid or accessory, which is rarely the case. Purchase only intact, well-maintained pieces.

Show your stuff

Don’t make the mistake of storing items in a cardboard box in the garage. Maintain them by keeping them out where you and others can enjoy them.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

And it’s a great way to keep inventory of what you have and need. However, be sure to keep fragile and extremely rare items behind glass or in cases to keep them from being broken or soiled.

Display by theme, style or time period

To create an eye-catching display, look for commonalities like color or time period. Wendy English collects only vintage pieces and displays them by the place setting in her kitchen. “I have a set in every color except Sapphire,” she says. While shelving or cabinets are ideal, some collectors designate entire rooms for their collections. “It really depends on the size of your items and overall collection,” added English.

Look for limited editions

Linn collects for quality, not quantity. “I used to pick up odds and ends,” he says. “Now I only buy numbered or special edition items.”

What’s New

Ivory marks the14th and latest shade in the Fiesta color story for 2008. With the introduction of Ivory, Persimmon retires, making it the latest collectible Fiesta color.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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“Local food has ‘depth,’ an extra sweetness,” said Robb Hammond, a restaurant owner in Kalamazoo. “So much is lost in transport. The most important thing as a chef is flavor.” Jared Dellario agrees. He’s the owner and executive chef of A Food Affair, a lunch and dinner restaurant in Augusta that aims to offer 100 percent local food. It opened in late June, and so far Dellario said about 70 percent of the restaurant’s ingredients are from Michigan. Several meals are entirely made up of foods available within 50 miles of Augusta.

“The closer to the farm we are, the faster (food) gets to the table,” Dellario said.

SHOP LOCAL TOO

Eat Local...Shop Local

Local eating, as the name implies, involves eating food made near your own home – often grown in your backyard or harvested at a farm close by. Eating local food can be as easy as walking out your back door, into a summer-time garden full of tomatoes, berries and other fruits and vegetables. And you don’t have to worry if you don’t have a “green thumb.” Even people living in one-room apartments can eat locally, dining on peppers, peaches and corn grown in southwest Michigan and bought at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market.

From May to October, dozens of farms and bakeries sell their products in open-air booths. Most of what’s available is locally grown or made.

FARM TO TABLE “The taste, freshness and health benefits of eating locally – I think that’s largely ignored by ‘The Powers That Be,’” said Lori Evesque, a self-proclaimed “localvore” who made the move toward eating locally simply by setting up a garden.

Taste is something that’s hard to measure, but freshness is definitely affected by the distance food has to travel. You can pick an apple off a tree in Paw Paw and eat it immediately, or in less than an hour you could drive it back home to Kalamazoo. It will taste the same either place. It’s a very different experience buying a supermarket apple grown in, for example, Chile, which had to be picked, coated in a foodgrade wax, packed in plastic, shipped more than 5,000 miles to North America, then transported by truck across the U.S. That effort takes days and blends the flavor of the apple with preservatives and even odors like truck exhaust.

WHERE IS LOCAL?

There’s no official definition for “local food,” though one popular suggestion comes from the book “Plenty,”

by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon. They were in Kalamazoo in 2007, speaking as part of last year’s eating local events. Smith and Mackinnon kept their entire diet to within 100 miles of their home in Canada. Many cities and small towns are within 100 miles of Kalamazoo.

Muskegon is 90 miles to the north, Ann Arbor is at the very edge of that distance to the east, South Bend, Indiana, is well within 100 miles to the south, and Michigan City, Indiana, is 90 miles to the west along the Lake Michigan shore.

Gloria Tiller said there are five major requirements for joining the Buy Local Kalamazoo project. A local business is one that is privately held and has no national headquarters. It’s one where the owners can make their own decisions about the future of the business without having to ask for permission from someone else, and where all the advertising and marketing is paid for by the owners themselves. It also has to be an established business, not a way to pick up a few dollars on the side.

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Buying local products doesn’t end at dinner time. Vendors at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market also offer hand-made soaps, shirts and cloth bags. Other businesses operate year-round, many in stores through out Kalamazoo County. They are joining forces to spread the word about shopping locally, in a project called “Buy Local Kalamazoo.” “We don’t have the dollars to throw millions into advertising,” said Kazoo Books owner, Gloria Tiller. “As a combined voice, we’re an alliance of advertising.” Tiller defines a local business as one owned and operated by someone who lives in the same area as the store. That definitely eliminates “big box” chain stores like Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Meijer, which is headquartered in Walker, near Grand Rapids.

Local businesses are more than stores selling books or food – the roster in Kalamazoo includes real estate services RentThisRental.com and drug testing site Forensic Fluids Laboratories, among others. The real difference between local and big box business, Tiller said, is where the profits go. For example, Kalamazoo’s fast food restaurants are run by people who live in the area, but their bosses are from other parts of the country.

“When you’re buying local, you’re helping to sustain the economy,” she said. “(Money spent) at big boxes leaves the community.” Since the owners and operators of local businesses live here in southwest Michigan, the money they make stays in the Kalamazoo area, instead of going to Minneapolis (home of Target) or New Jersey (headquarters for Bed Bath & Beyond).

One big worry for consumers is price. It’s true that Wal-Mart, or an online retailer like Amazon.com, can offer a deal on a popular book that Kazoo Books can’t match. But it’s in the things you can’t pick up and take home where a local business shines. The staff at a local store can often give a shopper information about a particular product, while employees at a big box store are simply taking merchandise from the storage room to the display case. And local businesses spend their time on individual customers, not on advertising campaigns targeting the entire country at once, Tiller said. “When was the last time an online company offered to hire your son for the summer? When was they last time they donated to the Boy Scout troop?” she asked.

RESOURCES

Local eating is an increasingly popular subject. Some of the best resources are the old-fashioned kind: books. Donna McClurkan said she never goes anywhere without “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. The same author wrote another guidebook on good eating, “In Defense of Food.” Several local eaters say they were inspired by “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver, which follows Kingsolver’s own attempts to eat locally in Virginia. Several local eaters say they were inspired by “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver, which follows Kingsolver’s own attempts to eat locally in Virginia.

Kalamazoo localvores have made a home at the discussion group EatLocalSWMich (groups.yahoo.com/group/ EatLocalSWMich/join). You can follow Donna McClurkan’s local eating efforts at www.publicradio.org/columns/splendidtable/locavore_nation_central/Fair Food Matters, the sponsors of Eat Local, Kalamazoo! are online at fairfoodmatters. org/index.html Buy Local Kalamazoo’s web site, listing its member businesses, is at buylocalkalamazoo.org

community, and to enjoy the freshest food. It doesn’t have to be a punishing requirement. “Don’t treat it as a diet,” Hammond said. “Get a little bit at a time. (Learn to) bake one thing, can one thing, get good at that.”

EAT LOCAL, KALAMAZOO! McClurkan isn’t alone in Kalamazoo, as several restaurants, including Food Dance, A Food Affair, and the Water Street Coffee Joint, offer dishes made with local food. A major resource for many localvores is EatLocalSWMich, a Yahoo Group offering online advice and a list of places to find local food in the Kalamazoo area. September is when “Eat Local Kalamazoo” swings into action. It has a series of discussions, garden tours and, of course, dining opportunities hosted by the non-profit organization Fair Food Matters. This year, participants in the Eat Local campaign picked up a “passport” to collect stamps when they purchased local food from restaurants, health food stores and other locations. Organizers say the movement is beginning to grow in southwest Michigan, and there’s been some discussion of offering local eating events every month.

The biggest change for McClurkan wasn’t in her diet – it was in the way she thought about food. In the past, if her family wanted something to eat, they simply went to the supermarket and picked up the ingredients. Thanks to a distribution system that sends food around the world, you can buy fresh peaches in January, “fresh” from some other place on Earth.

But if you want to eat food that was growing just minutes before you touched it, you’ll have to approach your meals differently. “This is a mirror image,” McClurkan said. “We’re taking what we have on hand and making it into a meal.”

HOW TO EAT – AND SHOP – LOCALLY

BUY LOCAL KALAMAZOO

“Everyone I run into is talking about local food,” said Kalamazoo mom Donna McClurkan. She took an enormous step into the world of local eating in January, signing her family up as part of NPR’s “Localvore Nation” project. It tracks volunteers over the course of 2008 as they eat as much locally grown food as possible. About 80 percent of the family’s food has to come from a distance of 100 miles or less. In the summer, that’s easy, since so many things are growing, and the Kalamazoo area features several farms that sell beef, chicken and other meats. There are also several beekeepers in the greater Kalamazoo region who collect gallons and gallons of honey every summer. Finding local food is tougher in the winter, though freezing and canning food during in July and August can make things easier in January and February. Some exceptions have to be made – there is no local source for coffee or chocolate in southwest Michigan, after all. Evesque said farms that grow wheat and other grains are hard to find in the region, and McClurkan said her family eats pineapple and cooks with olive oil, both foreign to Kalamazoo soil. Eating locally should be a way to help your

Buy Local Kalamazoo isn’t holding discussion sessions yet, but the group is planning a directory of locally owned businesses to be released at about Christmas time. So far, Buy Local Kalamazoo has about 25 members, and organizers hope to have 80 or so by the time the directory heads to print – using a local printer, of course. The ultimate goal is to offer the directory to visitors to Kalamazoo, so they’ll know where to shop even if they’ve only been in town for a few minutes.

“You can think globally but you have to act locally,” Tiller said. “We’re not trying to alienate the chains; we’re trying to make our voices heard.”

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Andrew Domino is a freelance writer, and local eater from Kalamazoo. He has written for local publications such as Encore Magazine and MiBiz. You can find more of his work at: dominowriting.com

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Safeguarding

Being prepared for emergencies can help keep you and your family from becoming a statistic.

Your Family And Your Home (NAPSI)- According to the Yale Medical Group, about 45 percent of unintentional injuries occur in or around the home. But Debra Holtzman, an acclaimed safety expert and author of the best-selling book “The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety,” says you don’t have to be a statistic.

“Simple steps can help keep families safe,” Holtzman said. “The key is to plan ahead and be prepared for emergencies.”

While some of her tips may be familiar – multipurpose fire extinguishers, for example, should be on hand in the kitchen, basement and workshop area – others help protect against household hazards that aren’t as obvious.

Healthy Idea

If you haven’t done so already, assemble a first-aid kit.

Essentials include latex gloves, antiseptic wipes and bandages. Another useful Holtzman suggestion: Everyone in the family should take a first-aid and CPR class.

Smart Phones

In addition to your cell phone, keep your land line, a hardwired phone that plugs into a phone jack. Hard-wired phones get their power from the phone company and unlike cell phone networks, often continue to work during power outages.

You might also post a list of emergency numbers, including out-of-town friends and relatives, since it’s often easier to connect with a long-distance number outside the emergency area than a local number within it.

Caution In The Kitchen

Just like your favorite dish, a safe kitchen requires the right ingredients and steps. Store knives and other sharp utensils in drawers or cabinets secured with safety latches to keep hands from accidentally landing on a blade.

Keep your fresh fruit and veggies free from disease-causing bacteria by washing them thoroughly, even when the package says the produce has already been rinsed.

Keep waterproof bandages which stay on when washing produce, dishes and hands, near the sink.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

11

Interior Ideas

Courtesy Pratt & Lambert

Every color has a certain personality and impact on the mood of a room. Is there a color you have always wanted to integrate into your home, but weren’t sure how or where to use it?

Here are some ideas and quick reference points for you to better understand the impact of certain colors and to inspire you to go ahead and try them out.

An inherently calming color, a crisp hue of blue can transform a room into a serene oasis that reflects the tropical waters of the ocean or the grandeur of a beautiful clear skyline.

Blue Red

• Strongest color in the spectrum • Has the greatest emotional impact • Resonates with passion, romance, energy and courage • Known to stimulate appetite and conversation

Brown • • • •

Associated with taste and sophistication A sensual color Seen as confident, yet restful and quiet The comfort of brown will work for just about everyone

Always dramatic, reds are ideal for dining rooms and entryways where the colors can provide a regal yet welcoming feel.

Purple

• Has a powerful connection with our romantic, sensual and introspective sides • When slightly redder, purple is vivacious and exciting • When slightly bluer, it’s as restful as a sunset

• Creates a sense of calm and tranquility • Associated with spas, vacations and the many ways to pamper a hectic lifestyle • Beautiful way to add clarity to any color scheme • Blues with a little more yellow are as soothing as a seaside retreat

Green

• Soothing because it reminds one of nature and health • A darker green has been said to promote concentration • A light green is a fresh neutral • Popular color for the home beecause it’s warm and cool at the same time

Orange

• Popular oranges today are described as red, metallic, brown or spicy • Paired with blues or purples, a spicier orange can be dramatic • Exotic when paired with reds and deep warm greens • Exuberant, extroverted, active and always cheerful

Yellow

• Works in almost any room, but don’t underestimate its intensity • Brighter and stronger yellows are said to increase attentiveness • Brightens areas with little sunlight • Radiates warmth and energy

Neutrals • • • •

The true neutrals are white, gray and black Can be any color in a low-intensity shade There are warm and cool neutrals Use neutrals to accentuate color or texture in your decorating

12

Bring the great outdoors into your home by using mossy mid-toned greens or “smudged” brown-greens. As a soothing color or a dramatic contrast to lighter furnishing, green holds universal appeal.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

13

Halloween!

Tricked Out Treats for

courtesy of Matthew Mead, stylist and author of “Matthew Mead Halloween Tricks and Treats”

Turn your home into a haunted house filled with ghoulish delight with the help of Matthew Mead, stylist and author of “Matthew Mead Halloween Tricks and Treats” (Time Inc Home Entertainment, $19.95). This colorful and festive book has everything you need – recipes, decorating ideas and patterns, complete with full-color photographs – to make this Halloween a hit for all ages.

See more on Matthew Mead’s Web site at www. matthewmeadsstyle.com.

White, orange, and yellow stripes are one of the unofficial symbols of Halloween. This candy corn–inspired ice cream parfait is the perfect ending to any autumn party.

candy corn Makes freeze 9 servings 1 quart orange sherbet 1 half-gallon vanilla ice cream 3 disposable decorating bags 9 clear 10-ounce glasses Yellow paste or gel food color Orange nonpareils, for garnish

1. Let the sherbet and ice cream sit at room temperature until softened, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the sherbet to a decorating bag.

Transfer 4 cups of the ice cream to another decorating bag. Place them in the freezer.

2. Adding a few drops at a time, mix some yellow food color into the remaining ice cream. Transfer the yellow ice cream to the third decorating bag. Pipe some yellow ice cream into the bottom third of each glass. Put the glasses in the freezer.

tapered terrors

Skinny carrots with quirky shapes and intense black-eyed pea eyes only look like creepy orange candles, and any visitor will be sure to give them a second glance. Wash and peel the carrots first if you think your guests will want to nibble. With a paring knife, cut two little notches where you want the eyes to be and firmly press the peas into them.

14

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

3. Remove the decorating bag with sherbet from the freezer to soften. When it is soft enough to pipe, remove the glasses from the freezer and pipe an even layer of sherbet into each. Return the glasses to the freezer.

4. Remove the decorating bag with the white ice cream from the freezer to soften and pipe it into each glass. Return the glasses to the freezer. Remove them about 15 minutes before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle each parfait with nonpareils.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

15

toothy grin plate

Who would expect the plates to be screaming for their dinner? Set the table with these gaping maws; when ready to serve your meal, top them with clear glass plates. Create from black construction paper; you will needs two sets of teeth for each plate. Affix the teeth to plain white paper or china plates with double-stick tape.

squeamish napkin rings

How inviting – a spider web or staring mummy to keep napkins under control. For both, start with some plain muslin. For the spiderweb wrap, snip and then tear a 2 x 10-inch strip; wrap around a rolled napkin and tape to secure. Add a spiderweb trinket affixing with a loop of tape if it is not self-adhesive. For the mummy wrap, snip and then tear two 1/4 x 18-inch strips and two 1/4 x 10-inch strips. Wrap the two longer strips around the rolled napkin, taping to secure. Use hot glue to attach two candy eyes in place. Wrap the shorter strips around, partially covering the eyes; tape to secure.

chalkboard pumpkin

Transform fresh pumpkins or squash into quirky decorations by painting with chalkboard spray paint and adding a freehand motif or spooky message. Clean and dry the pumpkin before painting; then apply two coats of paint, allowing it to dry after each. Rub the painted pumpkin all over with chalk and then wipe with a dry cloth to create a smudged surface.

With chalk, draw your chosen image. But don’t touch the image—it will smudge.

spirit raisers

For decorated glasses, cut jack-o’-lantern shapes from black electrical tape. Press the tape cutouts onto balloon-shape wine glasses or brandy snifters.

Look who’s turning 1 and having fun!!

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

17

Conjuring up a ghostly good time for family and friends can be easy and fun.

Courtesy of Family Features

Tips

Gather ghouls and boys for a Halloween spread of spooktacular goodies and graveyard fun: • Make it a BOO-fet, setting the table for serve-yourself ease.

• Finger foods make it easy: try deviled eggs, crackers and cheese, veggie dippers with favorite dips, Spiderweb Munch and Easy Halloween Cookie Cups.

• Blow up orange balloons and offer felt-tip markers for guests to decorate them as jack-o-lanterns.

Spiderweb Munch

Makes 12 servings

2 cups (12-ounce package) Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided 1/3 cup powdered sugar

3 cups toasted rice cereal HEAT morsels and 3/4 cup peanut butter in small, heavy-duty saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth; remove from heat. Add sugar; stir vigorously until smooth.

PLACE cereal in large bowl. Add 1 cup melted chocolate mixture; stir until evenly coated. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Using small metal spatula, shape into 10-inch circle with slightly raised 1-inchwide border. Pour remaining chocolate mixture in center of circle; spread to border.

FOR SPIDERWEB: PLACE remaining peanut butter in small, heavy-duty plastic bag. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to pipe concentric circles on top of chocolate. Using wooden pick or tip of sharp knife, pull tip through peanut butter from center to border. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into wedges.

Easy Halloween Cookie Cups

Makes 2 dozen cookie cups

1 package (16.5 ounces) Nestlé Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough

1 cup (6 ounces) Nestlé Toll House Swirled Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

PLACE squares of dough into prepared muffin cups; press down to make a deep well.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are set.

Remove from oven to wire rack(s). While still warm, fill cookie cups with morsels. Morsels will soften and retain their shape. Cool completely. With tip of knife, remove cookie cups from muffin pan(s). * NOTE: 1 cup (6 ounces) of any flavor Nestlé Toll House morsels can be substituted for the Swirled Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels.

Frighteningly good ideas for tricks, treats and eats are at your fingertips: www.VeryBestBaking.com.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

LOOK TALKING WHO’S

WHAT STEERED YOU TOWARDS MEDICINE? A close family friend who is a physician encouraged me to pursue a career in medicine and served as my mentor early in my career. I was attracted to the profession by a desire to help others, the intellectual challenge, and exciting scientific advances being made. I have not been disappointed. We continue to learn more about how the body works and how diseases affect the body as well as find new ways to diagnose and treat disease. It is exciting to be a part of the dynamic, ever evolving field of medicine.

TO YOU, WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE JOB RELATED EVENT? Spending 4 years working as a radiologist for the US Air Force stationed at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. I was blessed to work with a wonderful dedicated group of professionals and to live surrounded by incredible natural beauty. I vividly remember one time when I was called into the hospital in the middle of the night. As I headed down the highway, I was treated to a brilliant colorful display of Northern Lights dancing across the sky.

TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS? My husband, Tony, has been a constant source of support and encouragement my entire adult life.

My parents, who literally arrived in this country penniless, were a living example of the American Dream. They inspired me to set high goals and instilled in me a strong work ethic which helped me to achieve my goals.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION ABOUT YOUR JOB? The biggest misconception is that a radiologist is not a physician. Radiologists are medical doctors that are highly trained in the interpretation of medical images, and in some cases, to perform procedures or treatments using imaging for guidance. This requires an additional 4 - 6 years of training following medical school and internship.

Much of our work is behind the scenes providing interpretations and consultations to other doctors. Because we have less direct contact with patients than most other doctors, many patients are not aware of what we do.

Christina Jacobs, M.D. From the Publisher: I met with Dr. Jacobs at her busy downtown office located in the Bronson Medical Complex. Her compassion and concern for women and their health related issues was inspiring. I want to personally thank Dr. Jacobs for taking time out of her very busy day, to share her knowledge. May life always treat you well!

HOMETOWN: Gowanda, NY PERSONAL: (Family of origin, family now etc.)

I am a first generation American born to Polish immigrants. I grew up with three brothers in a small town. I have been married for 22 years and have a 15 year old daughter, 13 year old son, 2 dogs and a cat.

RESIDES: Texas Township PROFESSION: Radiologist specializing in breast imaging and intervention.

EDUCATION: BS in neuroscience- University of Rochester, NY MD from New York University School of Medicine, NYC Internship at St Vincent Medical Center, NYC Radiology Residency training at University of Rochester,

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS. American College of Radiology Radiological Society of North America Society for Breast Imaging Board member, Kalamazoo Radiology, Division of Advanced Radiology Services Kalamazoo Academy of Medicine WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK? Read, garden, yoga, hike DESCRIBE YOUR “PERFECT” DAY OFF Doing something that allows me to be surrounded by nature. A perfect day would be a hike with my family, preferably up a mountain trail, on a cool, sunny day.

MOST RECENTLY READ BOOK: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield Currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH ON TV? Comedies - because we could all do with more laughter and less drama in our lives.

Nature and science shows because the subjects fascinate me.

WHAT’S IN YOUR REFRIDGERATOR? .

Several different cheeses, salsa, fresh vegetables, eggs, cold cuts, milk, gourmet sausages, homemade jam and lots of condiments.

WHICH CHARITY OR FOUNDATION IS CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART? Hospice of SW Michigan. I recently became directly acquainted with this organization after my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The support they provided during and after her illness was invaluable to her and our family.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

19

A

s women seem to do everything they can to fight aging, it’s interesting that nearly 90 percent of women don’t use an eye cream. Because the tissue around the eyes is thin and delicate and is subject to influence from facial expressions and environmental factors, the eye area is where the signs of aging first appear. Follow these tips to help prevent damage and restore a younger look to this sensitive area.

• Never pull on the skin around the eyes. Apply eyeliner in short, choppy strokes and then gently blend. Dab, don’t wipe, the eye area as needed.

• Although dark circles can be hereditary, they can be minimized or avoided by drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep and avoiding alcohol.

Beauty in the

of the Beholder

• Puffiness, too, can be difficult to avoid due to heredity or allergies. But by avoiding too much salt in the diet and getting enough sleep, you may be able to stave some of it off. A good eye cream can also help minimize puffiness. Storing eye cream in the refrigerator can prove even more effective while acting as a good “wake-me-up.”

• Wear sunglasses with UVA/UVB protection.

• Apply eye cream every morning and night to help nourish and protect the skin. Regular face creams and body lotion applied to the eyes are not developed to be used around that area and can cause irritation and problems such as sties, clogged pores and burning.

• Apply a pearl-sized amount of eye cream, using the ring finger in a dabbing motion around the orbital socket and avoiding the lid and lashes (getting cream on the lashes can hinder mascara and promote smudging/flaking). Only apply directly to the lid if the eye cream indicates that you should.

Eye cream will heat up with the body’s temperature and

By Marianne Bockheim spread to where it needs to be on its own.

Simply Flawless Anti-Aging UnderEye Gel $34.95. Available at www.simplyflawlesso2.com.

With the use of patented oxygen complex, this eye gel promotes moisture and firming by replenishing the oxygen to the skin.

DHC skincare Concentrated Eye Cream $29. Available at www.DHCcare.com or order at (800) 342-2273.

Perfect for prevention, this silky smooth formula will hydrate while promoting elasticity and keeping the eye area looking young and brightened.

Basq Cucumber Eye Gel $24. Available at www.basqnyc.com.

Basq takes skincare to a new targeted level by acknowledging that many ingredients are not safe to be used by women who are pregnant. This is the perfect eye gel if you are expecting, not only because it is safe, but because it will make you feel better by supplying powerful antioxidants that help with the puffiness promoted by sleepless nights.

Colorescience My Favorite Eye Cream $17.50. Log on to www.colorescience. com for store locations nationwide.

A unique two-in-one product, this natural eye cream will cover dark circles and improve their appearance with key ingredients beta carotene and vitamin K.

Desert Essence Organics Age Reversal Pomegranate Eye Serum $14.99. Log on to www.desertessence.com for store locations nationwide. Go green with Desert Essence! Vitamin C will help fend off environmental aggressors while pomegranate and cucumber promote healthy, firm skin. Good for you and the environment!

O c t o b e r SPECI A L S

Back Facial & Massage $55

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

IPL Treatment- Buy One, Get Second Treatment ½ Off

Frayed

Picture Courtesy of: Madeline’s Modeling Model: Rebecca Betting Gray High Waisted Skirt- $24.40 Blue Mock Turtleneck- $12.20 Black Belt- $18.80 Blue set of 3 bangles- $8.80 Blue and Green Bangle- $14.40 Peacock Bangle- $12.20 Earrings- $6.60 Purse- $54.40

Lana’s Boutique

Picture Courtesy of: Lana’s Boutique Model: Marcia Miyagawa Citizen’s of Humanity Jeans: $165.00 Knitted Vest: $44.00 Cami: $8.00 Shoes: $42.00 Necklace: $48.00

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Sireka Designs

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

21

“What resources and/or organizations, in the Kalamazoo area, are available to provide me with information or assistance to start my own business?”

“The Small Business Coaching Center LLC provides “hand-in-hand success” through business coaching. The SBCC can help start-up companies write a business plan, develop a marketing calendar, create your vision and mission statement, brand recognition, determine who your target market is & focus on the areas that are a challenge to you. Call the SBCC today at 269-370-9453 for a complimentary 1 hr consultation”.

— Lisa Bredahl, Small Business Coaching Center “Kalamazoo Network offers various women-owned and women-inleadership roles for almost every area of your business. The business directly is especially beneficial for networking and reciprocating great working relationships.”

— Sue Fritz, Fritz Financial & Insurance Services

“Resources that I’ve found to be valuable are: • Small Business Technology and Development Center (GVSU_WMU) • SCORE • Hayworth Business College Marketing Dept.

• Kalamazoo Public Library – downtown and online • KVCC and Bronco Jobs listing for employees • The internet, for research of anything and everything (that can be located from anywhere)” — Robin Hall, Senior Move Assistance, LLC “The very very best for starting your own business is the SCORE office located in the Chamber building!! SCORE = Service of Retired Executives. They are great, from bookkeeping, accounting, finding space, helping with business plans, financing advice, etc.

Please call them and ask. They also give cheap courses on all of the above, including sales and marketing. They are the best I’ve run into in Kalamazoo, and I’ve tried them all! Also, Lisa Carriveau at National City is the Small Business banker that has helped me the most. She is the most supportive of women business owners.

(I’ve been to 12 different banks in town that have turned me down, and we are now a $1 million dollar business!!” Bridget Lorenz Lemberg, Forensic Fluids Laboratories Sandy Derby owns her own financial agency: Derby Financial.

She is currently serving as President of the Kalamazoo Network.

“SCORE has very good classes and counseling services available.”

— Jane Baley, Prudential Preferred

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??

Trivia Questions Test Your “Woman” Knowledge!

October Trivia Questions

?

1.

What is the world’s oldest surviving recipe for?

A) bread B) beer C) cake

?

2.

Do you know how many Barbie Dolls are sold on Ebay every hour?

A) 5 B) 60 C) 100

3.

In 2004, what publication passed the Bible as the most distributed print item in the world?

4.

In Paris 1778, can you guess what fashionable women never left home in bad weather without?

5.

According to Greek mythology, who was the first mortal woman?

Check Your Answers on Page 30.

Kalamazoo Women’s LifeStyle is the Corporate Sponsor of the Women’s KEY Media Trivia Sections throughout Kalamazoo & VanBuren Counties.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Do You Know A Remarkable Woman?

We’re looking for women with remarkable stories for future editions of Women’s LifeStyle. Tell us in 75 words or fewer what makes a women you know remarkable. Also include: Remarkable Woman’s Name Her Phone Number Her E-mail Please include your name and phone number Nominations accepted by e-mail at: wlskazoo@provide.net Subject Line: Remarkable Women

D e l i c i o u s F o o d F r o m A F o o d A ffa i r

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Chiffon Cheesecake with maple sugar fudge and ginger snap cookie crust.

PUMPKIN CHIFFON: 1 (16oz.) fresh pumpkin ½ c. sugar (filling) ½ c. milk 3 eggs, separated 1 tsp. Cinnamon ½ tsp. allspice ½ tsp. Salt 1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin ¼ c. cold water 1/3 c. sugar (chiffon) ½ c. heavy cream 1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar ½ tsp. grated lemon rind Mix together pumpkin, sugar, milk, egg yolks, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring until thick (approx. 10-15 minutes). Soften gelatin in cold water for five minutes. Add to pumpkin mixture while stirring to dissolve gelatin. Allow to cool. Beat in egg whites until frothy. Add 1/3 cup sugar slowly, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into pumpkin mixture. Allow to chill overnight.

CRUST: 10 whole ginger snap cookies

6 tbsp. unsalted butter

CHEESECAKE FILLING: 2 lbs. softened cream cheese @ room temperature 4 lg. Eggs 3 tsp. pure vanilla extract 2 Jack B. Little pumpkins, roasted

1 sweet potato 1 tsp. ground dry ginger 2 tsp. MI maple syrup

1 ½ c. granulated sugar ¼ c. sifted flour ½ tsp. salt 1 c. pumpkin butter (from Gene the pumpkin man @ M89) 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. fresh nutmeg 7-9 c. boiling water

While crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in flour, 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla, and salt just until blended. Add in the pumpkin and sweet potato at the end, making sure the mixture is fully incorporated.

Pour in the pumpkin mixture into the baked crust. Spoon in dollops of the maple mixture onto the pumpkin mixture, while swirling in vanilla, maple sugar fudge, syrup, and mix again thoroughly. Repeat spooning of the dollops and swirling until all of the maple mixture is used.

Set the cheesecake in a large roasting pan; place in the oven. Carefully ladle boiling water into the large roasting pan until the water is about 2 (two) inches deep, or about halfway up the side of the foil wrapping the cheesecake After baked and cooled, add a dollop of the pumpkin chiffon over the top of the cheese cake. Fresh whipped cream, and candied walnuts serve as a garnish.

PREPARATION: Heat oven to 350F. Set a 10” spring form pan on a large sheet of heavy duty foil and wrap the outside of the pan up to the rim.

Process the cookies in a food processor until crumbs are fine. Or, put the cookies in a large food storage bag and roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed. Put the cookie crumbs in a bowl and work in melted butter with a fork until well blended. Pat crust mixture into the bottom of the spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Then boil sweet potatoes and bake the pumpkins (halved and cored) with nutmeg, butter, and sugar for 25 min. @ 375F. Mash sweet potatoes with the brown sugar and mash the roasted pumpkins without their skins.

Conquer Your Clutter

Making Time – and Space – for Family Meals

By Alexandra Fix

M

ake your way through the clutter of activities in your daily life and tap into one of the secret weapons of communication in your home – the family meal. Sit down together, turn off the television and let this be a time to relax, refresh and converse. Work hard at guarding these family mealtimes, whether your children are little or grown. If family meals are not part of your life yet, start today and see the difference it makes. As soon as your baby can munch on finger food, add him or her to the mealtime camaraderie. Shared mealtimes provide a strong link for communication and remind each member of their significance within the family.

Here are some easy steps you can take today to establish or reestablish the family meal:

Clear the table

Has the kitchen island or dining room table become the dumping ground for your family’s belongings?

No wonder it’s hard to have family meals. After all, a table (or island) is essential for sharing a meal, so your first step is to clear the table, counter or island where you want to eat.

The influx of items ordinarily dumped onto that space won’t disappear just because you wish it would, so you’ll have to designate a new space as your household “garage.” Maybe it could, in fact, be your garage. Just outside the back door. Could you create hooks and Remember that it cubicles for each person’s stash? If that space works, create a small resting place takes 21 days to just inside the house for keys, phones and develop a habit, iPods. If the garage is not an option, maybe each family member simply needs to be so persist in your retrained to put their things in a designated reminder for just spot in their bedroom or home office.

While it might not be their ideal choice, it 3 weeks and is possible. Remember that it takes 21 days their brains to develop a habit, so persist in reminding them for just 3 weeks and their brains will will recalculate. recalculate. Remember the goal here and the prodding will be worthwhile.

As children grow older and fill their lives with activities, it gets tougher, but the quest for the family meal is not an impossible dream, and especially not if you want it badly enough.

During the busy parenting years, it’s actually of critical importance. Research at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University consistently showed a connection between frequent family dinners and positive teen outcomes. The more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs.

It may seem too simple to mention, but it’s critical to place a chair or stool for each family member around your eating area. Buy placemats and a centerpiece and set the table for supper in the morning as breakfast items are cleared. It’s a lot

harder to dump your mail, car keys and book bag there when it looks like the table is set for special guests: you and your family.

Set some ground rules

First and foremost, no electronics are allowed—no television, iPods, radios or electronic games. Instead, listen to each other as you share your day’s experiences. This is not the time to dredge up problems, but rather a time to chat about the people, places and events that have touched your lives that day. Ask your spouse and children about the best things that happened that day. Did they notice something unusual?

Did they learn an interesting fact? Share thoughts and opinions gently. Conversations that occur over the course of the meal help build lifelong relationships with your children and help you to understand the challenges they are facing today.

Keep it simple

Save complicated recipes for weekends or your days of leisure. Reduce the time stress factor too often involved in weekday meal preparation by drawing from your standard dozen family favorites. Place the value of the meal on the time spent together, not on the number of ingredients.

Compromise

If the goal of daily family meals seems unreachable, target instead a few particular nights of the week that seem possible. Aim for full participation, but enjoy a family meal on these designated nights even if a member or two cannot be there. Let them know they were missed. Maybe save them some dessert and a morsel of the conversation. Then try again tomorrow.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Home Design

Editor’s Note: This month, we welcome interior designer Julie Hogan, who will help us make our homes into the havens we long for – for our friends, for our families and for ourselves.

Gather ‘Round the Table

By Julie Hogan

T

he kitchen, it is often said, is the heart of the home. This is the room that keeps up with your fast-paced family and pumps life into each member on a daily basis.

If you happen to be in the market for a new kitchen table, then the counter-height or gathering table may be an option worth considering. As the fastest-growing segment of dining table sales in the past few years, this 36”counter-height dining table surrounded with barstools is similar to a

standard dining table, only taller. More and more families lead a grab-and-go lifestyle, and the counter-height dining table helps to maintain the best of a traditional family dining experience with the feel of a quick counter meal.

Don’t be intimidated by the size of these tables.

Creative and fun touches are easy to apply in the kitchen and gathering tables are the perfect height to accessorize. Just don’t overdo it. Since these tables are already tall, your centerpiece needn’t be.

Gathering height tables are available in a wide variety of materials and styles from almost every manufacturer.

A versatile choice is the Sterling Park Gathering Table from Zocalo. This is a 54” x 54” cherry finished table that includes one 18” self-storing leaf. Complement this table with Sterling Park Stools. These 24” barstools, also in a cherry finish, are available with a micro fiber seat cover. If a sleek, contemporary look is more your style, then the Renzo counter table from EQ3 is a nice choice. This 36” tall table is a generous 56” x 56” and is available in a walnut, bark, day or night finish with a charcoal metal base. Surround the table with beautiful Open Back counter chairs, available in similar finishes.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

A colorful bowl of fresh fruit might be just enough. A low vase filled with fresh flowers or a basket full of pinecones from the yard and a few cinnamon sticks would smell wonderful and look great. By keeping your centerpiece simple, your new table will become a welcoming place for you and your family to gather, even between meals.

Enjoy your family and keep your kitchen design fun and functional by expressing your individual sense of style with a gathering height table.

An interior designer and artist, Julie Hogan has more than 20 years experience in retail and residential design. Her artistic spirit and open mind provide her clients with creative perspectives and fresh ideas for their projects. To contact Julie with a design question or to check out what she is currently working on, visit her Web site, www.

JHDesignStudio625.com.

(269) 207-3286 or Zackeryinc@aol.com

holiday open house OCTOBER 9 • 9am - 7pm

Holiday inspiration awaits!

Kick off the season with Sofiaʼs designs, decorating tips and trends, and our favorites for your gift list.

Cocktails & tidbits for your pleasure.

100 west michigan avenue • kalamazoo, michigan sofia at the radisson • phone: 269.567.7676 • sofiafloral.com

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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P

otluck parties are a great way to have a party and keep work to a minimum.

When everyone brings their favorite dish, it is a wonderful way to taste each other’s much-loved recipes. If you use a recipe with a quick prep time, you’ll be all set! Cindy Ayers, vice president of the Campbell’s Kitchen, has spent more than 30 years in the culinary world and has operated her own restaurant and catering company. Cindy offers a few quick tips for hosting a successful potluck party: • As the host, provide the main dish and beverages, and guests can supplement all the extras.

• For a menu with variety, assign every guest a type of dish to bring.

• Keep things simple by choosing a recipe that can be made with ingredients you can frequently find in your pantry and fridge.

• Quick heat-and-serve dishes are best and require little last-minute fussing.

• Make sure that there are plenty of plates, cups and utensils — the non-cooks in your crowd will be happy to bring some.

• Ask your guests to each bring ten copies of their recipe to share with others at the party.

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Hearty Sausage & Rice Casserole

Makes: 6 servings

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms

2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large red pepper, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves, crushed 1 3/4 cups Swanson Chicken Broth

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 box (6 ounces) seasoned long-grain and wild rice mix

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4

ounces)

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

1. Cook sausage in 12-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat until sausage is well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat.

2. Add mushrooms, celery, pepper, onion, thyme, marjoram and seasoning packet from rice blend to skillet and cook until vegetables are tendercrisp.

3. Stir sausage mixture, broth, soup, rice blend and 1/2 cup cheese in 13 x 9 x 2-inch shallow baking dish. Cover baking dish.

4. Bake at 375°F 1 hour or until rice is tender.

Stir rice mixture before serving. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Easy Substitution: For an extra-special touch, substitute 1 package (8 ounces) baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced, for sliced mushrooms.

Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Makes: 4 servings

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked

and drained 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

1. Stir soup, milk, black pepper, vegetables, chicken, noodles and Parmesan cheese together in 1 1/2quart casserole dish.

2. Bake at 400°F 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken mixture. Top with Cheddar cheese.

Golden Onion Chicken & Noodle Casserole: Substitute 1/2 cup crushed French fried onions for Cheddar cheese.

Hearty Chicken Casserole with a Twist: Substitute 2 cups cooked corkscrew-shaped pasta for egg noodles.

Country Chicken Casserole

Makes: 5 servings

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Potato Soup

1 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut-up vegetables*

2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

4 cups prepared Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing 1. Stir soups, milk, thyme, black pepper, vegetables and chicken in 3-quart shallow baking dish. Top with stuffing.

2. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown. *Use a combination of cut green beans and sliced carrots.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Pink Saturdays For Kalamazoo

Right here in Kalamazoo, we have some confusing statistics. While Kalamazoo has one of the top breast imaging and diagnostic service providers in the country, we also have a remarkably low percentage of women who get annual mammograms.

This year, Bronson Center for Women was named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). As one of only five centers in Michigan to receive this award, and with only 187 awards given nationwide, Bronson has been recognized for providing outstanding breast imaging and diagnostic services. Despite this wonderful community resource, however, the number of women in Kalamazoo County who actually have breast examinations done is significantly lower than the national average. Across the nation, the percentage of women (40 & over) receiving mammograms annually is 70%, while in Kalamazoo County the number drops to an alarming 27%.

According to Christina Jacobs M.D., a breast imaging radiologist with Advance Radiology Services, Kalamazoo Division, “Breast Cancer is 100% curable – if found early enough.” She believes fear of the unknown, lack of education, related stories of discomfort or pain, and lack of time could account for the low number of women who seek services. Dr. Jacobs attributes the ACR Award to the scope of services and attention to detail that Bronson Center for Women gives to all of their patients. She is also pleased to be affiliated with the Annual Susan G. Komen For The Cure Pink Saturdays in Southwest Michigan. She fervently hopes Pink Saturdays will encourage women to seek the early detection that can make all the difference in their treatment outcomes.

The Southwest Michigan Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is sponsoring the second annual Pink Saturdays program. The program offers free mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women who qualify throughout southwest Michigan on all four Saturdays in October. The program found such high demand for free mammograms and delivered such a positive impact for women in 2007, that this year, the program is more than doubling in size.

Last year, nine medical facilities participated in Pink Saturdays. This year, 23 local facilities have volunteered to give free mammograms.

To discuss eligibility and schedule a mammogram, call toll-free 1-800-873-0649 The participating facilities in 2008 include: Advanced Radiology Services, PC - Kalamazoo Division, Allegan General Hospital, Battle Creek Health System, Borgess Medical Center (Kalamazoo), Borgess Westside (Kalamazoo), Borgess Pipp (Plainwell), Borgess Lee Memorial (Dowagiac), Borgess Woodbridge (Portage), Branch Medial Imaging, Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP), Bronson Center for Women (Kalamazoo), Bronson Vicksburg Hospital (Vicksburg), Bronson Lakeview Hospital (Paw Paw),Coldwater Radiology, Community Health Center of Branch County (Coldwater), Community Hospital Watervliet, Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies –Michigan State University, Lakeland Community Hospital Niles, Lakeland Center for Outpatient Services St. Joseph, Oaklawn Hospital (Marshall), Orange Cross Radiology, Premier Radiology (Kalamazoo), Radiology Consultants, South Haven Community, South Shore Women’s Health Care (St. Joseph), Sturgis Hospital, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Three Rivers Health Hospital and West Michigan Cancer Center. .

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Improving the Odds

in the Fight against Breast Cancer An online video stresses theimportance of early detection.

Courtesy ARA Content In a matter of seconds, most people can think of eight women who are important in their lives, whether they are mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, friends or coworkers.

The ease with which most people can come up with this list reinforces the reality of the prevalence of breast cancer in this country.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

“We estimate that more than 180,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, while approximately 40,000 women will die from the disease this year,” said Robert Smith, Ph.D., director of cancer screening for the American Cancer Society.

According to Dr. Smith, encouraging woman to have annual mammograms is one of the primary ways to increase early detection of the disease. Breast cancer is more treatable the earlier it is discovered.

The importance of early detection is the main reason that Aetna, an insurer based in Hartford, Conn., worked with the American Cancer Society to develop an educational video entitled “Mammograms Matter.”

The video, which can be viewed on the American Cancer Society’s web site (www. cancer.org/aetnamammo), emphasizes the significance of mammograms for women 40 and older by showing several women – including breast cancer survivors – describing their feelings about breast cancer.

Education Helps Overcome Fears Before creating the video, Aetna worked with members who had never had a mammogram or who had not had one in the past five years. These meetings helped the company identify the main reasons the women did not undergo screenings, such as perceived pain and discomfort of the screening, fear of the unknown or finding out the

results, and false confidence or misperceptions if they had no family history of breast cancer.

“We tried to address some of these points with statistics, such as the fact that 70 percent to 80 percent of breast cancer patients have no family history of breast cancer,” said Joanne Armstrong, M.D., a senior medical director at Aetna who is also featured in the video. “However, this video is mostly about the voices of the women who participated, trying to explain how important it is to get annual screenings.”

According to Dr. Armstrong, this video is just one way that insurers like Aetna are trying to educate women on the importance of mammography screenings. Through a separate program, Aetna makes targeted phone calls and sends mailings to Latina and African American women who have not had their annual mammogram. This type of outreach, which is made available in both English and Spanish, stresses the importance of screenings and can even help women find a local mammography center.

“Early detection of breast cancer is important for all women, but is particularly critical for African American and Latina women, who are less likely to receive mammography screenings and more likely to die from breast cancer because the condition is not identified early enough,” Dr. Armstrong says.

As this type of information and similar programs become more readily available to women, Dr. Smith is hopeful that the spread of the message will result in some tangible changes.

“If more women realized the true significance of regularly scheduled mammograms, we could reduce the pain and death associated with breast cancer,” Dr. Smith said.

“Hopefully, videos like this one will help women overcome any fears they may have and get the appropriate screenings.”

Make a life saving appointment today Comprehensive Breast Health Services at Bronson*: • • • • • • • •

Yes, you can make your own annual screening mammogram appointment. Bronson does not require a referral as long as you’ve seen your primary care provider within the last two years.

State-of-the-art digital mammography Breast MRI Same-day results for diagnostic mammography Breast ultrasound, stereotactic, and ultrasound-guided breast biopsy Continuum of care for diagnosis and treatment DXA bone densitometry technology — the most accurate and advanced Education and counseling with specially trained nurses Patient navigator service

Regular screening for breast cancer is an important step you can take to detect any early signs of the disease. The American Cancer Society recommends for early breast cancer detection that women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year, and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.

Screening mammography offered at FIVE convenient locations: Bronson Advanced Radiology Services 524 S. Park Street, Kalamazoo (269) 341-8700 Bronson LakeView Hospital 408 Hazen Street, Paw Paw (269) 657-1440

* Call to find out which services are available

Bronson Vicksburg Hospital 13326 N. Boulevard, Vicksburg (269) 649-9107

at the various locations. in Now ge! a t r o P

Bronson Center for Women (at Bronson Methodist Hospital) 601 John Street, Suite M-515 Kalamazoo (269) 341-8700 Bronson Diagnostics at Woodbridge 2640 W. Centre, Portage (269) 341-8700

bronsonhealth.com

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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they are basically the same in terms of detection of breast cancer, with a few exceptions.

Digital mammography was significantly better in screening women who fit any of these three categories: • Under age 50 • Of any age with very dense breasts • Pre- or perimenopausal women of any age (defined as women who had a last menstrual period within 12 months of their mammograms) There is no apparent benefit for women over age 50, who do not have dense breasts, and who are not still menstruating. Since I am under 50, I chose to get a digital mammogram last year.

The truth is that it feels the same (squeezes hard), it takes the same amount of time (5-10 minutes usually), and it is usually reimbursed by your insurance company. So if it’s available, and you fit the above picture, ask for digital.

What about using MRI for breast cancer screening?

Digital Mammography and Cancer Prevention

By Dr. Robyn Hubbard, M.D.

B

reast cancer is the most common nonskin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death for women in the United States. The good news is that death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1990. This is thought to be due to earlier detection and improved treatment over the past 20 years. When surveyed, most people falsely believed that breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women in the United States when it is actually heart disease.

What are screening mammograms?

For 30 years, screening mammograms have been recommended as a primary way to screen for breast cancer. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breasts that is read (interpreted) by a radiologist (doctor trained in x-rays). The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommend that every woman over age 40 get a screening mammogram every 1-2 years (earlier if you are at high risk).

What are clinical breast exams?

Clinical breast exams are examinations performed by your health care provider on a yearly basis with your annual exam. They are also recommended as an important screening for breast cancer. Sometimes lumps can be felt that cannot be seen on a mam-

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mogram, just as sometimes, mammograms can show small cancers that cannot be felt.

What is different about the new digital mammogram?

I have many patients ask me about digital mammograms and whether they should be utilizing this newer technology. Here’s the scoop: Digital mammograms do the same thing as conventional mammograms only using digital technology. An analogy would be using your old film camera versus your newer digital camera. Both have pros and cons, but both work well as screening tools for breast cancer.

Digital mammograms are available in about eight percent of centers in the United States, but they may not be where you live. (That is OK, keep getting conventional mammograms!)

Digital images have the advantage of being manipulated on the computer to focus in on certain areas or to change the density of the picture to see certain areas of the breast better. This may reduce the need for additional tests that are often used with conventional mammograms. Radiologists can store data more easily and can send images electronically to physicians in other locations for consultation and assistance.

The Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) studied more than 49,000 women with conventional and digital mammograms and showed that

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has found a growing role in the screening and treatment of breast cancer over the past 10 years. MRI uses magnetic energy (no radiation) to take hundreds of images of the breast (in slices) that the radiologist can then interpret. The test takes about an hour to do. MRI has not been shown to be cost effective for the routine screening of women, it is very expensive, and gives too many false positive results (meaning the test shows something suspicious for cancer that turns out to be negative).

MRI is recommended for routine screening for young women at very high risk of breast cancer. This is based on personal and family history and can be determined with the help of your health care provider.

MRI is also recommended for the evaluation of breast implants for leaks or ruptures, or to look further for cancer in a patient already diagnosed with breast cancer.

MRI is not recommended as a regular screening tool for most women.

What is the best method to detect breast cancer as early as possible?

According to the NCI, getting a high quality mammogram and having a clinical breast exam on a regular basis are the most effective ways to detect breast cancer early. Digital mammograms or MRI may have a role in screening, but are not for everyone. Talk to your health care provider about the best screening program for you.

For information on low cost or free mammography screening programs contact the Center for Disease Control at 1-800-CDC-INFO, or the NCI at 1-800-4-CANCER.

Robyn Hubbard, MD is a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist with the practice Grand Rapids Women’s Health. She has three children: 12-year-old Hailey, and 9-year-old twins, Christopher and Allison.

Funny Bone

This Fall’s TV Lineup . . .

Whose Reality is it, Anyway?

Bug eating, crocodile punching and rat wrestling must be going on at my neighbors’ houses. I’m so disappointed; I thought I knew these people and yet never once have I been invited over to swim in a tub of electric eels.

he fall line-up of quality television programming is upon us. Nightly doses of reality TV are planned yet again for our viewing pleasure. But whose reality is it? Where have I been that I missed all the reality that other people surely must experience in their lives?

T

they know my gut-wrenching aversion to spiders, and to play reality well, there must be arachnids around to eat, wear or generally anger. I suppose if they’re shaving the hair off tarantula legs for a prize and have forgotten me, I can forgive them. However, I do find it strange that I don’t see more ambulances stopping by the neighborhood.

I’ve been around a lot of men in my life: my husband, brothers, sons, friends and cowboys (OK, not really cowboys), and I can honestly say that I never knew they had 24 hot babes just waiting to be their special someone. I thought they were lucky if they pulled a date once a month with a friend of a friend of their cousin Norma. I had no idea all these bachelors had hot tubs filled with inebriated women just outside their doors. Seeing these girls pine away for the love of their lives is saddening.

From what I can tell, all these gorgeous women fall deeply in love in a matter of hours and will just die if they have to leave the hot tub without being given a rose.

I tried to call my mom today, and when she didn’t answer, I became concerned.

She may be living in a Big Brother House by now. Everyone else seems to be. This means she’s doing creepy, underhanded things and then taping herself, explaining all the ways she’s wonderful and not really underhanded or creepy at all. If she learns this level of self justification she may never be the same. No more homemade cookies or gifts of time simply for the sake of being together. I don’t know if I’m more afraid she’ll vote me out of her life or show up covered in whipped cream sporting a Mohawk. If you see my mom out there, tell her I said to come home soon.

Bug eating, crocodile punching and rat wrestling must be going on at my neighbors’ houses. I’m so disappointed; I thought I knew these people and yet never once have I been invited over to swim in a tub of electric eels. Perhaps it’s just kindness because

And please don’t tell my kids about all of the other 16-year-olds having one-milliondollar “Sweet Sixteen” birthday parties. I saw one episode in which the family flew to New York to hand-pick strippers with their son for his special day. After the party

By Roxanne O’Neill they gave him a new Mercedes for being such a fine boy. Cars seem to always end the night with this reality show. Custom pink leather Hummers with jukeboxes and theater systems obviously are the perfect gift for any princess who has just received her license. Rappers, shopping sprees in Paris, and temper tantrums abound.

Frankly, this is one where I don’t care if everyone else is doing it. Yikes.

By the way, I do know several families whom the Nanny hasn’t yet visited but probably should. Then there’s Biggest Loser, Survivor, Cops, Animal Cops, Animal Nation, Kid Nation, Extreme Makeover, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, something about some really nasty housewives in New York, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, and just too many more to mention.

With this much reality on the airwaves, I sure do find myself wanting to scream “Get Real!” at my television a lot.

Roxanne O’Neill is working on a script with Hollywood producers for a reality show called “Extreme Makeover of the Biggest Loser with Cops Who Think They Can Dance.” If the show doesn’t pan out, she’ll continue her stint as media manager for Women’s LifeStyle Magazine.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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The fiery reds and deep golden tones of fall add warmth and coziness that no other season can. Borrow tips from Mother Nature to add the elegance of autumn to your home.

Set Your Home Aglow with the Colors of Autumn 1. Borrowing from the shades of nature is one of the easiest ways to transform your home – both inside and out – into a beautiful fall scape. Take advantage of hardy mums in bold yellows, russets and oranges to give flowerbeds a festive fall look. Arrange a bouquet of burgundy dahlias in a vase and surround it with fresh pears and pomegranates for an easy table centerpiece.

2. Involve your children in a fun project that can be used to display fall foliage.

Gather good specimens of fallen leaves in bright autumn colors. Place a few leaves between two pieces of waxed paper and seal together with an iron set to a low temperature. Frame the artwork and display.

3. Wreaths aren’t just for the winter holidays. Wind evergreen boughs around a grapevine wreath and dot with small gourds and faux or real garlands of leaves and pine cones. Hang your fall centerpiece on the front door or over the fireplace.

4. Autumn often evokes visions of forests and woodland retreats. Transform any home into a cozy cabin by placing a checkered tablecloth on the kitchen or dining room table. Wooden ducks or bowls full of pine cones, as well as rustic wood accents and gathered twigs, can add some country charm.

5. Even if you haven’t fired up your fireplace for the season, make sure it’s a focal point of the room. Place fall-colored candles right in the hearth and drape a garland on the mantle.

6. Venture to your local market for gourds, fruit and vegetables. Fresh fruit and seasonal items add easy color outdoors or inside. Orange pumpkins, speckled gourds, Indian corn and even yellow squash are quick and inexpensive decorations that add a splash of color where you need it. WL

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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t o H ff u t S Multi-Light Canopies Mouth-blown glass Pendants available in 3, 4, 5 & 7 lights

Lyman Lighting & Accessories 4231 Portage Rd. 269-345-0967 www.lymanlighting.com Mon. & Wed. 9 – 9 Tue. Thurs. & Fri. 9 - 6 Sat. 9 – 5

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Navigating Risky Waters:

How You Can Protect Your Retirement Assets

S

aving for retirement cannot take place in a vacuum.

Whether you are just starting out, nearing retirement, or already enjoying those golden years, it’s important to be aware of the risks we all face. That’s where a retirement plan comes in—it helps you identify risks to your retirement assets and formulate strategies for addressing them.

Risk is usually defined as the potential for loss. When most people think of financial risk, they focus on investment risk and the potential for loss due to downturns in the economy, changing interest rates, inflation, or poor management of the companies in which they invest. These risks are typically addressed through diversification of one’s assets—selecting different types of investments across several industry sectors. Please note that diversification cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses.

But risk of loss also arises from life events such as illness, disability, or death.

HEALTH RISKS

Health care costs have far out-paced inflation in the last several years and the trend is likely to continue.

Workers’ average monthly contribution to premiums for family coverage rose significantly from $226

in 2005 to $248 in 2006. (Source: “Worker and Employer Contributions for Premiums1,” Employer Health Benefits: 2006 Annual Survey, The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005.) While most people look to health insurance to pay for health care, finding adequate insurance is increasingly difficult. Rising premiums have forced many employers to shift a greater share of the burden to employees and to discontinue health coverage for retirees. Although the new legislation extending Medicare to prescription drugs became effective in 2006, the extent of the relief still remains uncertain. The answer is to be prepared for the unexpected. Many experts recommend health insurance with high deductibles and co-payments as a way to keep premiums down, yet protect against catastrophic loss. This suggests keeping a portion of your retirement assets in cash to pay for doctor and emergency room visits, routine physicals, tests, and prescription drugs.

LONG-TERM CARE RISKS

Another risk is chronic illness or disability that requires not only medical treatment but also ongoing custodial care. Whether the care is delivered in your home or at a nursing facility, it can be expensive. It is estimated that the average annual cost of nursing home care in the U.S. will rise to as much as $190,000 a year in 30 years, and that’s just for one person.

(Source: Is Long-Term Care Worth the Price?

Christopher Oster, The Wall Street Journal. Sept. 16, 2004, p. D4) While Medicare covers most medical procedures and treatment for retirees, it is not intended to pay for extended or long-term custodial care. Although Medicaid, a program sponsored jointly by state and federal governments, pays for long-term care, eligibility depends on meeting strict guidelines. In general, Medicaid is intended for the poorest of the poor, and if you already have assets and income, you may be forced to “spend down” to qualify. Even if you do qualify for Medicaid, there is a limit to the number of “Medicaid beds” available, and the quality of care may be less than expected.

A possible solution for middle-income individuals to consider is long-term care insurance. As more and more people live longer lives, the risk of requiring long-term care increases. After the age of 65, Americans have more than a 70% chance of needing some form of long-term care. (Source: Living long has its benefits, and its costs, San Diego Daily

Transcript. Sept. 26, 2003).

DEATH AND DISABILITY RISKS

The financial loss due to the death of a wage-earner can be devastating. Sometimes overlooked is the impact on a surviving spouse’s retirement. Assets that had been earmarked for retirement including IRAs, mutual funds, and 401(k)s may be tapped for immediate needs. Life insurance can be an affordable way to provide generally income tax-free death benefits to survivors at the time they need it most.

(See IRC Section 101(a)). Death benefits can be used to settle outstanding doctor bills, funeral expenses, and other death-related costs. The balance can be used to help pay off mortgage and other debts, fund college education tuitions, and provide income for survivors, leaving retirement assets intact for the purpose for which they were intended.

Many individuals find that life insurance needs diminish during retirement as mortgages are paid off and children become financially independent. On the other hand, increasing estate values and the potential for increased death taxes can increase life insurance needs during retirement. Life insurance can also be a good solution for retirees who wish to provide a bequest to a favorite charity or create a legacy for their heirs.

A long-term disability results in a financial strain that is similar to the death of a breadwinner. With a wage earner unable to work or earn at the same level, it is easy to divert retirement savings to more immediate needs. Individual disability income insurance is a good solution, for self-employed professionals and other high-income individuals.

CONCLUSION

While risk cannot be avoided, it can be managed. It’s important to keep in mind that in a world with many risks, you’re not alone. *This article provides general information for the subject matter covered. Prudential Financial, its affiliates and representatives do not render tax or legal advice. An individual’s particular circumstances should be discussed with a personal tax or legal advisor.

For Non-Financial Planners: Life insurance and long-term care insurance are issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ and its affiliates. All are Prudential Financial companies. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Our policies contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms for keeping them in force. I can provide you with costs and complete details.

Availability of health, disability income and longterm care insurance varies by carrier and state.

Robert “Bryan” Burkey, Financial Planner, CFP®, CLU, offers investment advisory services through Prudential Financial Planning Services, a division of Pruco Securities, LLC. He can be reached at Robert.

Burkey@prudential.com and (269) 324-1160.

IFS-A133279/Ed. 05/2007, Expires 11/14/2008

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Calendar events

of

It’s easy to get listed in our Events Calendar. Our deadline is the 10th of the month prior to publication. Email us at: wlskazoo@provide.net Please type Calendar in the subject line. Or you may mail your info to P.O. Box 2284, Portage MI 49081-2284 October 1-19 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Marc Chagall: The Early Etchings (Arts), TueSat 10 -6 Sun 12-6 65 early monochromatic etchings by Russian-born artist Marc Chagall.

269-349-7775 www.kalamazooarts.com October 1-January 25 Great Lakes Native Quilting Kalmazoo Valley Museum Exhibition of quilts made by Oneida, Odawa, Potawatomi, Ojibwa, Mohawk, Cree, Winnebago & Menominee quilt makers living in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, and Ontario.

Free. 269-373-7990 October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Richland Area Community Center Yoga 9:30-10:30 am. $7 per person, all experience levels welcome, visit www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Richland Area Community Center Richland Farmer’s Market, Wednesday afternoons in October from 3:30-7:00 pm. Visit www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

October 2 Kalamazoo Valley Museum Music at the Museum:Mark Duval (Musical)7:30 P.M. . Local singer-songwriter Mark Duval performs. $5 per person. 269373-7990 www.kalamazoomuseum..org October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Richland Area Community Center Tai Chi, 9:30 – 10:30 am. $6 per person.

Friday mornings in October. Ongoing. All experience levels welcome. Visit www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

Oct. 3 Art Hop Downtown Kalamazoo New art exhibits in a fun, casual atmosphere. Galleries and businesses host the shows. Meet the artists and make new friends at the Art Hop. Download a map & schedule at kalamazooarts.com. 5-9 P.M. 269-388-2830. www.kalamazooarts. com.

October 3 & 4 Main Street Revue visits “Arctic Foods” 19th annual variety show set in a “Mom & Pop” grocery store somewhere in the midwest, with singing, dancing, and slapstick vignettes by wild & wacky employees and customers! 8:00 P.M. 501 E. Highway, Vicksburg, MI 49097. $8 & $10. 269-3211193

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Greater Kalamazoo

October 3 & 4 Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Epic Evenings with Fall Evening The Epic Center O’s Burdick-Thorne String Quartet and Artists in Residence. 8:00 P.M. $20, $8 Students. 269-349-7759 ext 205. www.KalamazooSymphony.com

October 7, 14, 21, 28 Richland Area Community Center Jazzercise. Tuesday evenings in October (ongoing) from 6:30-7:30 p.m. All experience levels welcome. Learn more at www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

October 3-18 Cyrano Parish Theatre, 426 S. Park St. Fri. & Sat. 8 pm, Thurs. 10/9 - 7:30 pm, Sat. 2 pm 269343-1313. www.kazoocivic.com.

October 8 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts The Kalamazoo Art League kicks off its 200809 lecture season with “Viktor Schreckengost and The Jazz Bowl,” featuring guest speaker Henry Adams. The lecture will take place Wednesday, October 8 at 10 a.m. at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Free to Art League Members and $10 for non-members.

269-349-7775. www.kiarts.com.

October 4 Richland Area Community Center Flu Shot Clinic and Mini Health Fair. 10 a.m.

– 2 p.m. Visit www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

October 4 & 5 Olde Tyme Harvest Festival Presented by the Scotts Olde Tyme Power & Equipment Assoc. Activities include blacksmithing, farming, flea market, pumpkin patch, & concessions Sat. 9 –5, Sun. 9-3 Scotts Mill County Park. Adults $5, Children 12 & under are free. 269-626-8503 October 4-January 4 Kalamazoo Valley Museum From G. I. Joe to Barbie, Cootie to Monopoly, “Kid Stuff: Great Toys from Our Childhood” - a bit of nostalgia & flashbacks to the 1950s and 60s. Free. 269-373-7990 www.kalamazoomuseum.org October 4 Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Observing Session Telescopes of all shapes & sizes will be set up near Owl Observatory, at Kalamazoo Nature Center. Adult: $4 Child: $3 269-381-1574 www.kasonline.org.

October 5, 19 & November 2 Richland Area Community Center Ballroom Dance. 2-5 p.m. $7 per person, no partner required, all ages and experience levels welcome! visit www.richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 October 5 Share the Harvest 1-5 P.M. W.K.Kellogg Biological Station Open House. Help replenish local food banks by bringing non-parishable food items to donate. Tour the W.K. Kellogg manor House.

Stroll through Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, make a bird feeder, enjoy cider & donuts. Bring a food item & receive a free bag of corn bird seed. Visit the milking center to see how cows are milked. A wagon tour of the agricultural research areas at the KBS Farming Systems Center, last tour begins at 4:30pm.

Pick a pumpkin & decorate. No charge but non-perishable food item donations are encouraged. 269-671-2263 www.kbs.msu.edu October 6 Art Bayou Kika Paprika Trunk Show Open House 5-8.

Come try on some hip & flattering “Organic” clothes. 3306 Stadium Dr.269-2600. www. artbayoustudio.com.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

October 9 Art Bayou Diva Night 6-9 Ladies Night, adults only.

Door prizes and refreshments served or bring your own favorite.

October 9-19 “Moon Over Buffalo” Oct 9-11 & Oct 16-28 - 8 pm, Oct. 19 2pm, The University Theatre, Gilmore Theatre Complex Ken Ludwig’s giddy farce celebrating the turmoil and zaniness of life on the stage.

Miscommunication and madcap adventure provide a wonderful evening of comic invention. $20, $15 Seniors, $5 Student.

269-387-3227. www.wmich.edu/theatre.

October 10-November 8 “Murderers” Fri. & Sat. 8:30pm. New Vic Theatre.

“MURDERERS is a delight ... a very funny comedy with some biting satire and terrific storytelling.” $23. 269-381-3328. www. newvictheatre.org October 10 Beginning With Bach Concert Light Fine Arts Building, Kalamazoo College, 8:00 P.M. Music of J.S. Bach presented by area vocalists & instrumentalists. $15 adult, $5 student. 269-337-7407. www.kzoo.edu/ bach Oct. 10 & 31 Unwindings.

Integrative Breathwork Workshop, a musical meditation for insight, emotional healing & creativity. Fridays, 7 pm - 9 pm. 5464 Holiday Terrace. $30. Pre-registration is needed. Call (269) 388-2988 or www.adamczassociates. com.

October 11 22nd Annual Chemistry Day: Having a Ball 12-4 P.M. Kalamazoo Valley Museum Costumes, awards, records, photos, video and audio celebrate the involvement of southwest Discover the connection between chemistry and sports as well as our yearly favorites! Free admission. 269-373-7990 www.kalamazoomuseum.org October14-March 25 Kalamazoo Indoor Flea Market 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairground, Room E. Popular event featuring great bargains from area dealers.

Tuesday & Wednesday. Free admission. 269383-8761

October 14 ARTbreak: “The Art of Failure,” with Joshua Diedrich 12:15 p.m. Kalamazoo Institute of Arts The image of the artist’s life as one of failure, betrayal, obscurity, suicide, or dying young is prevalent. KIA Sculpture Department Head Joshua Diedrich examines the nature of success through art, exploring why we expect artists to confront issues most spend their lives trying to avoid. Free admission. 269349-7775. www.kiarts.org October 14 New Day Family Medicine and Medical Spa Join us for a fun evening and learn ways to improve your appearance. We will introduce you to our newest services and products that are available. Take time to meet with our skin care representatives in a relaxed environment.

Refreshments will be provided. 6-8 pm.

3600 Capital Avenue S.W. Suite 201, Battle Creek. 269-979-5100. www.newdaymed. com October 15 Fall Bird Walk 9-10:30 am. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary . Walk the grounds and learn about migration. 269671-2510 www.kbs.msu.edu/birdsanctuary October 16 Film Movement Series: Grocer’s Son 7:30 p.m. Kalamazoo Valley Museum Subtitles. $3 per person. 269-373-7990. www.kalamazoomuseum.org October 17 Pianist Horacio Gutierrez Performs Rachmaninoff’s Second with the KSO 8:00 p.m. Miller Auditorium, $19, $29, $39, $49 (students half price) Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the KSO. The audience also will enjoy works

by Debussy and Elgar. 269-387-2300. www.

KalamazooSymphony.com October 17 Art Bayou 6-9 pm. Twilight/Halloween Party. Wear a costume and get 1/2 off your studio fee.

Door prizes and refreshments served. 3306 Stadium Dr.269-2600. www.artbayoustudio. com.

October 18 Smartshop Artist’s Tea Series Artist’s Tea with Painter Patrick Ryan Trimbath. Spend some time with the artist and his art! Please join us for a social afternoon tea with goodies, a short lecture by the artist, and a question/answer session. 3-5 p.m. Smartshop Art Gallery. Admission by donation. 269-345-7285. www.smartshopkalamazoo.com.

October 18 Kalamazoo Reptile & Exotic Animal Show 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. A Kalamazoo County Expo Center & Fairground, Room A. Vendors with many exotic animals to buy, sell or trade. $4 Adults, $2 Children 6-10, Under 6 free. 269779-9851. www.KalamazooReptileShow.com

October 18 1st Annual Fall Family Festival A family friendly featuring fun activities with the abundance that Fall has to offer. Includes hands-on activities (featuring Art Bayou), crafts, games, information, and much, much more. Glowing Embers Girl Scout Building. (corner of West Maple and Crosstown, across from Channel 3 News).

October 18 Galesburg Lioness Club “Dessert with Deanna House” Humorist & Cook Book Author 1:00 City Hall Tickets $10.00 Donation October 19 Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Music Director Raymond Harvey Explores The World Of...Debussy $25 (students $8) (H). 3 p.m. Light Fine Arts Center (Kalamazoo College Campus) 269-387-2300. www.KalamazooSymphony. com October 19 Miller Auditorium Big Band musical In The Mood brings the sounds of Benny Goodman, The Andrews Sisters, Tommy Dorsey and more to life with a full orchestra and authentic 1940s-era costumes and choreography.3 p.m. Miller Auditorium 269-387-2300. www.millerauditorium.com October 21 Kalamazoo Institute of Art ARTbreak: “The Fine Art of Pastels,” with Alec Hall of the Kirk Newman Art School, will discuss the history of pastels in fine art, its resurgence today and some of the techniques used to create a work of art in this medium.

Free admission. 12:15 pm. 269-349-7775. www.kiarts.org October 21 Beacon Club After Five Women’s Connection of Kalamazoo -Sack’s Fifth Avenue Evening 6:30-8 p.m. Keynote speaker Pamela Alderman: “Portrait of a Woman: Finding Hope in the Storm.” Prizes RSVP by Oct. 16, 269-323-7311. Please also call if you have a business that you would like to promote--free of charge--at our networking table.

October 23-November 2 The University Theatre, Gilmore Theatre Complex “Our Lady of 121st Street”. In this uproarious dark comedy, a beloved nun’s body is stolen from a funeral, bringing together a diverse cast of characters to meditate on life, death, and love. Oct 23 - 25, Oct 30 - Nov 1 - 8 pm, Nov. 2 - 2 pm. $20, $15 Seniors, $5 Student (H). 269-387-3227. www.wmich.edu/theatre October 24 Air Zoo Haunted Hangar Party. Join the Air Zoo for spook-tacular fun at our family-friendly Halloween Party. With fun arts and crafts and a safe place to trick-or-treat, you and your family will have a howling good time! 269382-6555. www.airzoo.org October 24 W.K. Kellogg Manor House Murder Mystery Dinner at W.K. Kellogg Manor House Something diabolical has happened at the Manor, and we need your help piecing the clues together to uncover the events leading up to an old-fashioned “Who done it.” www. kbs.msu.edu/manorhouse $60 per person, reservations required. 6:30 pm. 269-671-2400.

October 24-26 Parish Theatre “Senior Class Sock Hop” Featuring all the songs that you remember, this tune-filled musical review is gonna be more fun than a stack of 45’s. Fri. & Sat. 2 & 7 pm, Sun. 2 pm. Parish Theatre, 426 S. Park St. 269-3431313. www.kazoocivic.com.

October 25 Wings Stadium Kalamazoo Wings vs. Fort Wayne Komets.

7:30 pm. Wings Stadium. Halloween Orange Ice Game/ Home Opener. 269-345-5101. www.kwings.com October 25 Richland Area Community Center Mary Kay Open House and Clearance Sale.

8:00 .m. – 5:00 p.m. Learn more at www. richlandareacc.org or call 269-629-9430 for more information.

Unwindin GIFTS FROM THE EARTH gs S.W. Michigan’s Largest Crystal Collection Saturday Nov. 8 Noon – 5:00 PM A Festival of Healing Arts for Planetary Change

Hawthorne Suite 5464 Holiday Terrace 11th St. Off Stadium Dr.

269-353-8821

• Gallery Channeling With Antoinette –$40.00 • Free Seminars on Metaphysical Topics: • Palm Reading • Breath Work • Feng Shui • Spiritual Healing Earth Friendly Vendors: • Style Show of Organic Clothing • Soul Food • Jewelry Gifts • Artwork

For Additional Activities & Events Visit Our Website at www.unwindings.com

October 25 Air Zoo Super Science Saturday - Spooky Science.

Annual Haunted Hangar celebration. Ghosts, ghoulies & beasties, be a mad scientist: making slime, secret invisible ink & much more.

Geared toward children of all ages (and their parents) but targeted specifically toward upper elementary and middle school students. 11 am, 1 pm & 3 pm. 269-382-6555. www.airzoo.org.

October 25 North Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo Valley Museum Safe Halloween. Free Trick or Treating, Costume Parade and contest, and family activities. 269-344-0795. www.central-city. net.

October 25 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Teen Halloween 2008 . 7:00-9:00 pm.

Free Halloween fun for teens (ages 13-18).

Costume contest, dance party, performance

by Crawlspace Eviction. Free tickets available at the KIA or Kalamazoo Public Library. 269349-7775. www.kiarts.org.

October 26 Miller Auditorium “Magic Tree House” 3:00 pm. $35-$15.

269-387-2300. www.millerauditorium.com.

October 26 Kalamazoo Valley Museum “Sunday History Series: Murder Most Foul Free 1:30 pm. 269-373-7990. www.kalamazoomuseum.org.

October 28 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts ARTbreak: Degas in New Orleans: A Creole Sojourn. Free 12:15 pm. 269-349-7775. www.kiarts.org.

October 30 Kalamazoo Valley Museum Film Movement Series: “Noise” 7:30 pm. $3 per person. 269-373-7990. www.kalamazoomuseum.org.

Kalamazoo Animal Rescue 1/4

October 31 Dalton Center Recital Hall TUBAween: A low brass Halloween spectacular. 8:15 pm. Free admission. 269-3874667. www.wmich.edu/music.

Nov. 8 Unwindings Gifts from the Earth. A celebration of earth friendly products, gifts & service for the holidays. Vendors, break out session and entertainment. 8 noon - 5pm Hawthorne Suite, 11th St. off Stadium Dr. Call 353-8821 for more info.

Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

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Conversation Starter:

By Alexandra M. Fix Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man’s Attempt to Understand the World’s Most Mystifying Nation

By J. Maarten Troost Broadway Books, 2008, $22.95

Anticipating this new book by the author of two other travel adventures, I expected to laugh out loud. And truly, I did laugh, but I am also shocked by some of the facts in J. Maarten Troost’s Lost on Planet China. More than a third of the pollution in California originates from China, a distance of more than 4,000 miles away. One third of all fresh water in China is considered unsafe, even for industrial use. There are some definite environmental problems to address in this new land of opportunity.

Alongside startling, eye-opening facts are funny facts – the little things that remind us that the world is a big place with an abundance of cultural variety.

Dining in China, in particular, offers quite a mix.

There’s Starbucks, of course, with China as its second-largest market. But out front, there one can find men selling tiger pelts. An eagerly anticipated restaurant visit to try spiced hotpot reveals that goose intestines and cow veins are among its ingredients.

And, yes indeed, there is the eating of live squid to ponder along with the author.

Troost also shares some history lessons and linguistic nuances. He gives his impressions of everything from pandas to the Great Wall; from child beggars to Meow Meow, a take-out girl; from karaoke bars to caves on the Silk Road. With sardonic humor, Troost lives his life in China, picks out what we might find interesting and puts his golden pen to it.

You’ll come away from this book with new insights and questions, and you will never think of China the same way again.

The Fiction Class

By Susan Breen Plume Books, 2008, $14 This novel begins with a simple premise. Arabella Hicks teaches an adult creative writing class for would-be authors. As a result, you’ll read some of author Susan Breen’s actual writing advice. Breen does, in fact, teach fiction writing for Gotham Writers’ Workshop in Manhattan, and some of the information and assignments scattered throughout the book are actually drawn from her class handouts. It’s a clever technique, and aspiring writers will enjoy the course as well as the novel.

The students in Arabella’s evening class form a diverse group. As the story unfolds, so does each of their individual stories, as well as Arabella’s own. Forty and single, she is wondering if life and love have passed her by until she meets a handsome older gentleman and considers taking a chance on love. Another important layer of the story is Arabella’s love/hate relationship with her mother, Vera, who is in a nursing home. Arabella is a regular and faithful visitor, but the tug of elder care pulls on her emotional and physical energy, as it does for so many of us at some point in our lives. As Arabella strives for resolution with her dying mother, writing begins to play a significant role in their relationship, leading to a special kind of healing.

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Greater Kalamazoo Edition• October 2008

Oxygen

By Carol Cassella Simon & Schuster, 2008, $25 Without a doubt, this is the most absorbing novel I have read this year. Provocative, compelling and page-turning, this book was almost impossible to put down. Until the final sentence, I thought the outcome of the plot might change. I hoped it would change. I won’t tell you if it did or not. This is first-class storytelling, and the subject matter is certainly not easy to tackle. Under the hands of an anesthesiologist, an eight-year-old, the only child of a single mom, dies during a routine surgery. What follows include self-doubt, recriminations, fault-finding, a malpractice suit and criminal charges. The patient’s mother, medical colleagues, attorneys and the doctor herself all question their actions. The anesthesiologist at the center of these questions, Dr. Marie Heaton, has faithfully excelled in her medical career at Seattle’s First Lutheran Hospital – until today.

Outside of the hospital, Marie’s teenage niece is eagerly in need of advice from her “golden” aunt, and Marie’s aging father is reluctantly in need of advice from his “golden” daughter. Her gold has tarnished; another layer to a fascinating story. Marie is single and dealing with her choices.

Joe Hillary, a fellow anesthesiologist, reignites the sparks of the past as he eases Marie’s emotional distress. What a vibrant story of relationships – fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, sisters, doctors and patients, men and women. Carol Cassella has truly captured the dynamics of our connections with each other. If you choose this novel for group discussion, anticipate conversations comparable to those when discussing Jodi Picoult and Chris Bohjalian.

As if the story didn’t wow me enough, the author amazes me, too. She is a practicing anesthesiologist, a medical writer, a wife, and the mother of two sets of twins, yet found time to produce this first novel and is working on a second.

Alexandra M. Fix is the author of the children’s book, “All Around Michigan: Regions & Resources” (Heinemann Library). She is a librarian, a registered nurse, a freelance writer and an avid reader. Returning to college one class at a time while her children were growing up allowed her to explore her interest in literature and creative writing.

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