Her Voice Magazine - Summer 2019

By Women. For Women. About Women.

A BRAINERD DISPATCH PUBLICATION

SONNENBLUME

FLOWER FARM + DESIGN

At just 18, Mary Schaefbauer prepares for another busy season running her own business

Summer 2019

PLUS!

+ Betty Harrison + Projectrevive

+ Shannon Wussow

Welcome home

“

The entire team at Lakewood anticipated our needs before we even knew them. The care we received was phenomenal.

-Caitlin Moore

0

Visit our website to read the Moore’s full pregnancy story and check out our new 360° guided virtual tour where you’ll learn all about the Lakewood OB experience. If you’d like to set up a personal tour, call 218-894-8525.

You have a home at Lakewood. lakewoodhealthsystem.com

!

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IR T U A L T O

OUR VOICE

HER VOICE By women. For women.

About women.

PUBLISHER

Pete Mohs ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Susie Alters Eller

CONTENT COORDINATOR

Sarah Herron COPY EDITOR

DeLynn Howard GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lisa Henry

PHOTOGRAPHER

Joey Halvorson (Lto R), Sarah Herron, DeLynn Howard and Lisa Henry celebrating award winner Ruth Gmeinder at the Women Making Waves event hosted at Arrowwood Lodge by the Brainerd Women's Fund.

BY THE HER VOICE TEAM

Lisa: When I started reading Michelle Oie's article about fear, I realized I too have become more afraid of trying new activities, joining new groups and basically anything that forces me to "put myself out there." Also notably, my list of once thrilling things has been shifted to the dangerous file. I like comfortable, but has it become boring?

Worse, is it holding me back from enjoying life more?

This summer DeLynn, Sarah and I will face our fears.

I will join a new group doing an activity I have never done and have no idea if I have any skill in it whatsoever kayaking! And, I will do something that was once thrilling, but am now scared to do — get on motorcycle. EEEK! Sarah: I don't have quite the level of skill that Betty Harrison or Mary Schaefbauer do, but I enjoy gardening...most of the time. Sometimes there is a creature in the garden that if seen, or God-forbid, touched, makes me throw my hands up in the air — along with any gardening tools I may be holding — as I shriek and run away. Although my fear of toads and frogs is a bit ridiculous, it does hold me back from doing something I enjoy. I think this is the summer I need to, or at least attempt to, overcome this fear...if for nothing else, so my children won't have to rescue me from them anymore.

DeLynn: Sadly enough, though I've lived in the Land of 10,000 lakes my entire life, I do not know how to swim. It's a fear that's held me back from many things. Namely, I don't really do boats. This summer, I hope to change that. One of my best friends has agreed to teach me the basics of swimming. I'm certainly not going to swim across Mille Lacs by the end of the summer, but I hope to learn enough to lessen the fear of being out on a boat with friends.

Follow us on Facebook as we post photos/videos of us facing our fears. Face your fear and post yours too!

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 3

Next Issue of Her Voice: Fall You can also find Her Voice Magazine in over 100 Discover Rack locations in the area or read it online at:

www.BrainerdDispatch.com

(Magazine Rack Tab)

Advertising: (218) 855-5895 Advertising@BrainerdDispatch.com Comments/story ideas:

(218) 855-5821

Sarah.Herron@BrainerdDispatch.com Mail: ATTN: Her Voice Brainerd Dispatch, P.O. Box 974, Brainerd, MN 56401 Quarterly publication of the Brainerd Dispatch. Printed by Forum Communications. copyright© 2003 VOLUME 16, EDITION 2 SUMMER 2019

CONTENTS Summer 2019

Your Voice Marshmallows

38

5

Her Passion Seeds of Yesterday 20

Her Table

By Kim Raboin

Citizen Water Monitor 36

By Ashley Marx

Going to the Lake Recipes

By Sue Ready

For Her You Minus Fear

24

By Michelle Oie

Her Travels Madagascar

26

By Susan J. Smith-Grier

Her Career Women in Business

31

Submitted

Shannon Wussow— Her Path to Leadership

44

By Meg Douglas

14

Her Health The Goods on Grains

By Cynthia Ransom

On the cover Flower Farmer

By Shawn Marie Brummer At just 18 years old, Mary Schaefbauer is an ambitious entrepreneur and owner of Sonnenblume Flower Farm & Design.

Her Passion

16 A Beacon of Positivity

Her Family

By Carissa Andrews Lexi Niccum, modeling contest winner and Lighthouse Project member, endured childhood bullying. She is passionate about helping others find positivity in their lives.

By DeLynn Howard Kelly and Jeremiah Erickson have dedicated years to rescuing dogs. Fostering rescues has proven to be life changing.

32 Rescued by Love

4 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

6

Her Community

10

Projectrevive

By Joan Hasskamp Meet the dedicated group of people behind the revitalization of the Cuyuna area.

The Perfect Marshmallow for S'mores Last month we shared Rebel Country's Facebook post asking readers which was the perfect marshmallow for S'mores.

Here's how our Facebook friends answered:

1.

Some Comments: 2.

Carey Rasinski 4 Kaari Kuusisto 2, for sure

3.

Final Results: 1 2 3 4

4.

Similar images.

l llllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllll lllllllllll

Marin Rose All but #1 Christine Andy Nelson 3 definitely

Isaac Novak In between 2 & 3. 2 looks good on the outside but the inside isn’t quite gooey enough!

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HER CAREER + flowers

FLOWER FARMER

BY SHAWN MARIE BRUMMER

M

6 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Mary

Schaefbauer is a remarkable young entrepreneur. At just 18 years of age, she is already entering her second year as the small business owner of an LLC, after graduating from high school this spring and simultaneously receiving her AAS degree in business management through the Minnesota Post Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) program at Central Lakes College.

She plans to put her business education to good use as she prepares for her busy growing season at Sonnenblume Flower Farm and Design, her self-started flower farm and floral design studio.

“I’ve always had a love affair with flowers..."- Mary Schaefbauer

The “slow flower” movement has taken America by storm in recent years, as it emphasizes flowers that are sourced from the local area, are ethically produced, and sustainably grown.

Sonnenblume is located just southeast of Brained, Minn. It’s part of the Schaefbauer family’s hobby farm, situated off a dirt road and surrounded on all sides by thick woodlands. This is where Mary grew up, and as far back as she can remember, she enjoyed gardening. But what she really loved was growing flowers.

“I’ve always had a love affair with flowers -- my earliest memories involve playing with blooms from my mother’s flower garden.” said Schaefbauer. By the time she was 7 years of age, she was making her “own” flower beds around the farm. She was harvesting seeds from her best performing plants to use as starters for the next season by the age of 9, and by age 15, she was getting quite serious about the science of botanicals.

“My first year of flower farming started in early 2016 when I stumbled across some of the leaders in a new group of florists and farmers celebrating local, seasonal flowers,” she explained. Mary discovered an entire movement, a descendent of the “slow food” movement which was a revolt against fast food and an emphasis on fresh food, grown and processed locally.

The “slow flower” movement has taken America by storm in recent years, as it emphasizes flowers that are sourced from the local area, are ethically produced, and sustainably grown.

Inspired by others who were combining her passion for farming, flowers and design, Mary decided to jump in that summer with two “small” garden rows in the Schaefbauer’s back hay-

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 7

“When done correctly, it is very rewarding and satisfying.”

- Mary Schaefbauer field. She sold a few subscriptions for weekly flower deliveries and managed to pay off her expenses for materials.

Considering it a learning experience, the next year, in 2017, she expanded her garden size, and spent more time learning growing techniques and formal design. “Different flowers have different preferences for temperature, number of daylight hours and growing time. This all makes for a complex plan of planting schedules and flowerbed organization, but when done correctly, it is very rewarding and satisfying,” she says.

She spent hours poring through books and articles, scrolling through Instagram, and practicing with her flowers. She learned how the stems move, how colors blend and how to care for each different variety as she developed her unique design style. She named her flower business Sonnenblume, which means sunflower in German, after her family’s heritage. She then ventured out to the Cuyuna Range Farmers Market, where she began to see progress with brand awareness, and a fairly regular clientele.

In 2018, Mary took her small business to a new level, obtaining an LLC for the Sonnenblume brand and

Corner of 7th & Laurel • Downtown Brainerd • 829-7266 • www.elmenkjewelers.com 8 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

“My ultimate goal is really to share flowers with people — the best quality flowers possible.”- Mary Schaefbauer

investing in more sophisticated equipment. She added eight additional rows to her flower field, and reached out to the community by working with various nonprofits. She provided flowers and event décor for the Guiding Star Project’s fundraiser dinner at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, weekly arrangements to The Crossing Arts Alliance, and flowers to decorate the welcome tables at Lakes Area Music Festival concerts.

Then, she expanded into the teaching arena. Last August, she taught her first floral design workshop at the Crossing Arts Alliance, which she says was truly a life-changer. “Workshops give me the opportunity to supply people with flowers they might never otherwise encounter, and show them the skills and design techniques to create something beautiful. They can use those skills again and again, any time flowers come into their lives,” she stated. As the year progressed, she took the workshops down a seasonal path, holding several popular Christmas wreath workshops at the Backyard Greenhouse in Deerwood, and Cuyuna Brewing Company, using natural pine boughs responsibly foraged from her grandfather’s farm, and dried flowers and materials from the previous growing season.

This year, Mary plans to make floral designs available online for local delivery. She also intends to expand her outreach to hospitals and organizations that house and care for the elderly, as well as continuing her floral and seasonal workshops.

“My ultimate goal is really to share flowers with people -- the best quality flowers possible,” Schaefbauer continues. “Flowers have a special quality of bringing people joy and brightening up a space. Real flowers in a room have scientifically-proven benefits to boost mental health and social climate. I hope to foster a deeper appreciation for flowers, but also for the world in which we live. My flowers are grown in such a way that preserves and protects the environment, and the ecological

system of the farm. No pesticides or artificial chemicals are ever used, which keeps the soil, the surrounding plants, the water system and pollinating insects safe. Through these methods, I hope to inspire people to cherish the natural world around us, and to appreciate the complexity, interconnectivity, and beauty of creation.”

Shawn Marie Brummer works as a communications and media specialist for the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas located in Bismarck, N. D. When she resided in Bismarck, she was a guest columnist for the Bismarck Tribune.

She currently works from her home in Brainerd she shares with her husband and her beloved eightpound Papillon, Vincent Vega. She is the mother of two adult children and has one grandson.

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HER COMMUNITY + revive

Projectrevive Project Revive members (L to R), Johnna Johnson, Michelle LeMieur, Kerrie Erikstrup and Randy Evans.

BY JOAN HASSKAMP

How

many people does it take to initiate an entire community revitalization? Four, if you’re as motivated as Michelle

LeMieur, Johnna Johnson, Kerrie Erikstrup and Randy Evans. With the blessing of the mayor, council and city administrator, group members invited the Minnesota Design Team, a group that assists rural communities, to visit the Cuyuna Lakes. Through community meetings they engaged business owners and residents to determine their vision for the area.

“We saw a need and our group took initiative.”

-Johnna Johnson 10 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Based upon those community meetings, the Design Team made recommendations to create a regional vision.

Projectrevive has implemented those recommendations over the last nine years. “I joined this committee in 2012 because I like to do positive things for the community,” Erikstrup said. “And I like the community vision that we follow.”

Johnson, who was director of the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce in 2010, was able to coordinate project ideas between the Chamber and Projectrevive.

Their first accomplishment was to create two events, Christmas in the Park and Music in the Park, which remain popular today.

Next they secured funding to erect four Cuyuna Lakes gateway signs coming into Crosby, Deerwood and Ironton. The signs are welcoming and promote a regional vision.

In 2010 the group secured funding from the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership to build a community garden in Crosby. The 42 bed garden was constructed by the gardeners in 2011.

Additional beds have been added for a total of 54 currently. The fenced in beds are situated adjacent to the Hallett Community Center. The demand for beds has never been higher with a current waiting list.

The next phase of Projectrevive focused on the beautification of downtown Crosby.

An empty lot was transformed into a plaza with a water fountain, bike wash, bike

BIKING MURAL

A biking mural on an Ironton building highlights the mountain biking trails Cuyuna Lakes has to offer which has had national excitement. Photo by Kerrie Erikstrup.

*

PROJECTREVIVE PREQUEL When Laura Roberts moved to the Cuyuna area in 2006 she recognized the need for a new community playground. She teamed up with Michelle LeMieur to form Project Play. The duo formed a committee that raised $75,000 from the community for construction costs along with a matching grant from the Hallett Charitable Trusts. More than 200 community volunteers of all ages came together in September 2007 to build the playground in the Crosby Memorial Park. The 12,000-square-foot playground is a testament to what a community can achieve when everyone works together.

“After Project Play I knew we could accomplish anything we wanted to,” LeMieur said. And accomplish they did. The playground project paved the way for Projectrevive.

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 11

MINERS MURAL

Photo by Kerrie Erikstrup

repair stand, picnic tables, flower beds and murals. The multi-purpose spot hosts a farmer’s market and the city Christmas tree. Funding came from individuals, businesses and a matching grant from the Hallett Charitable Trusts. A new history board will be erected this summer.

For their next project the committee coordinated with the Cuyuna Lakes Chamber of Commerce to secure funding for an electronic billboard on Main Street Crosby.

Again, individuals, businesses and the Hallett Charitable Trusts joined forced to make it a reality. The billboard advertises community events.

“We’re happy to help out behind the scenes,” Johnson said. “We enjoy

54-BED GARDEN Photo by Joan Hasskamp

“We roll up our sleeves and get it done.”

-Johnna Johnson

12 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

working together with other organizations because we like everyone to succeed.”

With their varied skill sets, the four members of Projectrevive can take on a variety of projects. With his considerable construction knowledge, Evans took the lead on the plaza project. Erikstrup, with her mechanical and building mastery and Johnson with her interest in local history, took the lead on the Cuyuna Meets the World through Murals undertaking. And LeMieur makes it all possible with her grant writing skills.

In July 2018 two murals featuring the area’s mining and mountain biking history were completed in Ironton thanks to a grant from the Hallett

BIKE WASH

Kerrie and Randy next to the bike wash Randy built for the Main Street Plaza in Crosby. Photo by Joan hasskamp.

PLAZA An empty space now budding with

beauty in Crosby. Photo by Randy Evans.

At least not yet. But their hiatus will most likely be short. Projectrevive members exemplify the community volunteerism that has revitalized the Cuyuna Lakes. “When we identify a need we roll up our sleeves and get it done,” Johnson said.

Crosby resident Joan Hasskamp is a regular contributor to Her Voice.

She recently completed work on her humorous book, “We Don’t Care Who Wins as Long as Joan Loses” and has begun work on her second book.

*

Charitable Trusts. Hallett will fund two murals in Crosby this summer and two murals in Deerwood in 2020. The committee is gathering suggestions from the community as to what the murals will depict. All of the murals will represent the community’s history and progress. The muralists will also freshen up the artwork on the park playground and will produce some fun picture cutouts and place them around town.

The group has nothing planned after the murals are completed.

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 13

The Goods on Grains

HER TABLE + grains

BY CYNTHIA RANSOM

Many people have gone gluten free, avoiding the main gluten containing substance — wheat. Is this a good thing? Let’s get into the good and bad sides of this trend and discuss options available to all.

Why Gluten Free Now?

Percent o ft

People with this ailment are intolerable to gluten. They must avoid wheat and wheat additives in all forms.

1

You are Amazing

%

se

Celiac Disease

Celiac Dis ea as th

Wheat has been a staple in civilizations for thousands of years. Fabulous bread in France, pasta in Italy, not to mention the wheat grown and eaten in Biblical times. ulation t ha po p e h

A healthy body is constantly detoxing substances that are not good for us. When we take in more toxins than our body can process, they can be stored in fat and organs, leading to disease in the body.

The "New" Wheat For me, the issue isn’t the gluten, it’s the glyphosate used on wheat grown in our country. It’s a chemical used for weed prevention and more. This is the reason I avoid or limit my wheat intake.

What about the other 99 percent?

If you notice ANY food giving you discomfort after you ingest it, of course, avoid it. As for wheat, the main issue is Americans in general eat too much wheat in a day. Wheat really doesn’t provide a plethora of nutritional benefits. It is a carbohydrate, just like sugar.

14 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Organic

My kitchen is stocked with a big bag of organic, nonGMO wheat flour. I use this when nothing other than wheat will do. I recommend doing the same for bread and cereal — buy organic.

Eating healthier at home means I can enjoy a meal out now and then, without adding a burden to my body.

Good Grain Options: Pure Oatmeal: does not contain gluten.

Spelt: An ancient grain, a kind of wheat that has a rich nutty taste. There are other ancient grains you can experiment with: Kamut and Einkorn wheat, Farro, and Amaranth are a few to look into.

Organic Wheat Pasta: contains protein, minerals and folate.

Almond Flour: My go-to substitution for wheat flour. I’ve also found crackers made with almond meal; you would never know -— crunchy and delicious.

New to cooking grain free?

Try this!

A protein-packed recipe! Your family will never know they are grain free — it will be your secret.

Coconut Flour: Look for recipes specifically made for coconut flour. It’s tricky to cook with; you can’t substitute this 1 to 1 for regular flour. Great fiber content.

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Grain Free Granola: Yes it exists, and the two brands I’ve found I love.

Quinoa: Contains protein, fiber and nutrients — a great grain! The quinoa pasta contains rice flour yet is a much better option than plain rice pasta because of quinoa’s nutritional value.

Wild Rice: It's actually a seed and a great

alternative for limiting or cutting grains.

Substitute this for any rice in a recipe.

Not So Good Options: Gluten Free Flour: Usually a combi-

nation of very high carb flours with little nutritional value.

Rice Crackers and Pasta: Rice has the same carb count as wheat flour, yet it lacks in nutrients including protein.

Gluten Free Pre-made Foods: Read the ingredient/nutrition panel and judge for yourself. Many are sugar/carb rich.

Cynthia (Schmid) Ransom is a Traditional Naturopath who is re-opening her practice. She also founded the national skin care company, Good Karma Skincare and is author of The Blue Sheep Movement. The book contains stories from her private practice, encouraging people to create health using both holistic and medical care.

A BHS graduate, she is delighted to be back in Brainerd with her husband and furry children.

Makes approximately 12-15 in pancakes Ingredients:

Directions: • Using a stick/immersion blend-

• 1 cup cottage cheese • 1 cup almond meal • 6 eggs • 1-1/2 Tblsp. psyllium husk powder* • 1 banana mashed (approx. 1/2 cup) • Dash of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg • 1 cup organic blueberries *Psyllium husk powder is a popular thickener when cooking grain free. Available at most natural food outlets.

Variations: Use walnuts or pecans for banana-nut pancakes. I like to add a bit of water and make this version thinner.

er, put all the ingredients except blueberries in a bowl and mix till smooth and well blended.

• Fold in blueberries • On a hot skillet, melt a dab of coconut oil, pour batter into pancakes.

• Don’t get your skillet too hot.

They need a bit of time to cook all the way through.

• Top with real butter (avoid processed margarine products) and real maple syrup. Enjoy!

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PHOTOS BY DEB MITZEL PHOTOGRAPHY

HER PASSION + support

n o c a A Be vity i t i s o of P

BY CARISSA ANDREWS

It’s

not every day a high school student goes in to take senior photos and goes on to win a modeling competition because of it. But that’s exactly what Brainerd High School senior Lexi Niccum did. More than that, she won not only for her outer beauty, but because of the beauty radiating from the inside, too.

16 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Last year, Lexi was asked by her photographer, Deb Mitzel, to be a part of the Seniors Ignite Group — a national modeling competition that uses their platform to share their story of triumph over adversity. Lexi was excited to give it a try because it meant she could share her story in a bigger platform and hopefully shed some light on what’s really going on with mental health and kids.

Mental health awareness and suicide prevention is something ingrained deeply into Lexi’s being.

Originally from Texas, Lexi was bullied from third to fifth grade, which was difficult because she lived in a neighborhood where all of the kids walked to school together. Between fifth and sixth grade, her family decided to move to Brainerd. During that time, one of her friends from Texas committed suicide and as a new student, she didn’t have anyone she could talk to about it who would understand.

By the time she reached high school, the bullying began again.

“We’re all trying to find ourselves, so we don’t always realize who we’ve surrounded ourselves with aren’t necessarily positive people,” Lexi said.

At the end of her sophomore year, her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. While she was fighting the battle, Lexi was amazed at the amazing attitude her grandma held onto. Rather

than being worried about the cancer, she was more concerned about how others were doing with the news. That’s when it clicked for Lexi that she wants to be a similar beacon of light so she can be uplifting to others.

“The happier we are, the better it’s gonna get,” she said.

Her grandma lost her battle with cancer a year ago in February and at the same time the community was rocked by the loss of Jake Haapajoki.

A month later, Lexi got involved with the Lighthouse Project -- a local nonprofit that raises funds and aware-

Lexi surrounding herself with positive people at the 2018 Family Fun Night hosted by The Lighthouse Project. (Left to right), Noah Sundberg, Kat Perkins, Lexi Niccum, and Noah Ebinger. See details about this year's Family Fun Night on page 19.

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Lighthouse Project Upcoming Event

Family Fun Night May 18, 5-9 p.m.

At Forestview Middle School

Games, prizes, food, silent auction and raffle, and mental health speaker

If you or someone you know is considering suicide or needs someone to talk to, you can reach out to the Crisis Line and Referral Services at:

218-828-HELP (4357) or 800-462-5525

All calls are free, anonymous, and confidential, and are answered 24/7 by a local, trained volunteer.

Lexi (center in green), with her family's support at the Stomp the Stigma 5K bubble run/walk. The event was held at Forestview Middle School by The Lighthouse Project to raise money and awareness for mental health.

ness for mental health related support. Lexi’s family had donated to the Smiles for Jake GoFundMe after Jake’s passing and Noah Ebinger and Noah Sundberg invited Lexi to be on the board as they transformed Smiles for Jake into the Lighthouse Project.

She considered it a sign from her grandma, nudging her to where she could best help others.

Within four months, the Lighthouse Project raised over $75,000 for voluntary mental health screenings and payment support for kids in the Brainerd area who need therapy or medicines but cannot afford them. They’ve donated more than $40,000 to Northern Pines and kids who are in need of the grants they provide simply need to mention the Lighthouse Project when setting up their appointments.

“Lexi is an amazing young woman who has experienced the loss of a friend to suicide and bullying first hand, and is determined to be a beacon of positivity and hope for others.”

- Deb Mitzel

18 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Lexi at work volunteering at the Stomp the Stigma 5K.

Additional funds go to the Brainerd High School to bring in mental health speakers and support services. Lexi and the rest of the Lighthouse Project team are currently looking for ways to take what they’ve done and expand it out to other school districts in the area.

While Lexi is stepping down from the Lighthouse Project at the end of this

“The happier we are, the better it’s gonna get.”

-Lexi Niccum

Kids can get involved with the Lighthouse Project by…

The way the project is run right now, the baton of operating the Lighthouse Project will be passed on as teens graduate from high school.

There is an application process from December to January each year and the team will choose their successors based on the answers they feel best suit the organization.

Resources: The Lighthouse Project: https://lhpmn.org/ Undiscovered: https://www.undiscoveredinprint.com/2019-undiscovered-national-winners/ lexi-niccum/ Carissa Andrews is a freelance writer and graphic designer, as well as the young adult science fiction author of the Pendomus Chronicles. You can learn more about Carissa at her website: www.carissaandrews.com

school year, she is excited to take her experiences with her as she moves on to get a degree in business and marketing. She directly contributes her successes and positive mentality to her family’s support.

“Without the love, support, and guidance I’ve received from my whole family I definitely wouldn’t have been able to have had all the amazing opportunities in my life.

They are constantly encouraging me to do better and are with me every step of the way through my journey,” Lexi said.

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 19

HER PASSION

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

+ gardening

Seeds-of-

YESTERDAY

BY KIM RABOIN

20 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

W

ith hair wild enough to match her personality, Betty Harrison doesn’t

need anything extra to stand out in a crowd. Catch one glimpse of her doing yard work, however, and you’ll see why she’s an extraordinary singularity. Clad with colorful Crocs, baggy capris, an oversized

A butterfly stops at one of the many blooms in the Harrison yardscape.

shirt and straw hat, she blends into her eclectic landscape like a “Where’s Waldo” book. Look closer and you’ll find something else that stands out in Betty’s yard ­— her father’s prized impatiens.

GARDEN LIFE Jess Belfiori, the son of Italian immigrants, was an avid horticulturist. Betty recalls her dad growing vegetables for the family kitchen every summer.

Meanwhile her mother, Jean of French and Swedish heritage, used those savory offerings to cook for their large family. Betty’s parents embodied the “farm to table” lifestyle way before it became the culinary mantra of today.

Their fusion of skills provided the rich soil for some deeply rooted family traditions.

Betty Harr ison, share the s and her father, Jess ame passion B for gardenin elfiori g.

Another passion of Mr. Belfiori’s extended beyond the borders of his edible garden. He loved growing flowers.

Impatiens were his particular favorite.

He painstakingly harvested their seed pods every fall. Placing them in a jar for the winter, he’d germinate them anew each spring and plant them for a summer’s worth of pleasure. Betty shares her dad’s insatiable appetite for gardening. She eventually inherited a jar of his seed pods, estimating they’re at least 65 years old. She lovingly calls

them her “Jessamino seeds.”

Each year Betty follows in her father’s footsteps, germinating and planting her impatiens seedlings throughout the Harrison yardscape.

They’re nestled amid a menagerie of quirky signs, rusty metallurgy, a grapevine arbor, broken pavers and trickling water pond. Adjacent to the pond is a bench that bids wandering souls to contemplate the peculiar surroundings with its equally quaint owners. If you’re lucky, Betty might even offer a

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 21

Impatiens line a path through the garden up to the Harrison home.

“I’m not a fan of white picket fences, but your house is screaming for one!”

- Sharon Schirmer

glass of wine, a taste of her latest gastronomic concoctions, or her expertise on Minnesota flora and fauna.

Her father’s influence awakened her love of gardening, but Betty credits her dear friend Sharon Schirmer for the inspiration to expand the use of her green thumb. Years ago Betty was bicycling when she stopped to admire one of the most beautiful perennial gardens she’d ever seen. An older woman sitting in the garage approached an apprehensive Betty, who thought she might be asked to skidaddle. On the contrary, Sharon was pleased to have an admirer and kindly offered to

help her plan a perennial bed.

She hopped on her bike, orange safety vest in place, to accompany Betty home. Sharon’s first words as they arrived were: “I’m not a fan of white picket fences, but your house is screaming for one!” Betty laughed at her candor and a lifelong friendship was born. Sharon has shared many gardening tips since, along with dozens of perennial plants and life lessons. She could not have bestowed herself on a more grateful subject than Betty.

The Harrisons’ outdoor playground is home to much more than flowers. Betty’s ideas, along with her husband Scott’s artisanship, can be seen everywhere

22 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Betty Harr ison, (lef enthusiast, t), with friend and ga rden Sharon Sch irmer.

The edible side of the garden.

GARDEN LOVE

Birds are frequent visitors to the garden.

The playhouse where Betty and husband Scott "lived" while building their house.

- from the fieldstone front stoop (embedded with hand painted stones from grandchildren) to the miniature Roman capstone arch at the base of the elevated playhouse (where they “lived” while building the house). Scott and Betty’s home also boasts one of the most elaborate Halloween displays in the lakes area. Each year, the ghoulish event always includes some new trick to treat the masses.

Add Betty’s vegetable garden to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for some extraordinary fare from her kitchen as well. A few of her specialties include homemade bread, pasties, chokecherry wine, and of course her family’s famous Italian meatball recipe. Above her stovetop you’ll see the words “Mangia!

Mangia!” on the backsplash. The custom tiles heralding this well known edict were meticulously installed by Scott as a nostalgic nod to Betty’s heritage. It means “Eat! Eat!” in Italian - a credo her family takes very seriously.

Betty recently retired from teaching middle school science.

Now that she has more free time the neighborhood watch better up their imp alerts. She and Scott are notorious pranksters, known for dangling hubcaps from a neighbor’s tree to plopping a “flower” pot dubbed the Golden Commode Award in various yards. You can’t help but smirk a little when you see Betty coming. Smirk or not, once you see the fruit of Betty’s many labors, you can only marvel that those seeds of yesterday are still producing such a bountiful harvest.

Kim Raboin is a bread baking, recipe sleuthing, sugar eating, coffee drinking, Bible studying, book reading junky. Oh, and a lefse rolling Norwegian. Uffda! Writing combines her love of words with her desire to communicate accurately – and humorously. She also believes everyone has an interesting life story to share, even if they don’t know how to tell it. Kim lives in Brainerd with her husband Jim. They have seven grown children and four grandchildren to date.

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 23

FOR HER + motivation

you­ minus fear

BY MICHELLE OIE

I’ve been in this body my whole life so I know myself pretty well. I am very familiar with my likes, dislikes, goals and aspirations. But about two years ago I realized I didn’t know myself as well as I thought.

What happened?

Over many years I had started doing less... and less... and less.

I wouldn’t go places and wasn’t willing to try anything new. My world became very small. Instead of endless possibilities there were no possibilities.

I finally got tired of my world being small and started asking “why?” Why won’t I look for airline tickets? Why won’t I go for a walk with friends in a big city? Why won’t I sign up for a mission trip?

It was the answer to these questions that made me realize it wasn’t my personality or past experiences that were keeping me from life. The answer started with, “What if...?” I can’t get on a plane,

what if it crashes? I can’t go in the big city, what if I get mugged? I can’t go on a mission trip, what if I can’t adjust to the unfamiliarity?

These answers made it painfully obvious: FEAR WAS RUNNING MY LIFE. I decided to challenge myself to do things I had always believed I didn’t like. Turns out I loved them.

Do you know how strange it is to believe your whole life that you don’t enjoy something only to find out you do?

There are things I haven’t tried yet, but the thought of doing them now minus some fear is a lot more appealing than it used to be.

Flying and traveling was always

Your Voice — “What would you do if fear wasn’t holding you back?”

Join the conversations and find Her Voice magazine on Facebook!

24 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

WHO ARE YOU if you don’t let fear convince you of who you are?

“Get on a plane.”

“Learn to swim.”

“ Travel out of the country.”

“Love more.”

“ Get on a motorcycle.”

“Trust more.”

“Finally write that novel.”

“Climb a mountain.”

“Build something with power tools.”

“Become myself again.”

“Open my business.”

“Work out in the gym.”

“Ask for help.”

“not for me” but I realize now that’s fear talking. Minus fear, I would love to travel the world and meet everyone I could. I also would love to drive really fast on a race track.

Fear keeps us alive, which is a good thing, but it also prevents us from being our true self. By getting fear out of the picture (or at least off to the side) we can get excited about life possibilities.

We will never be totally without fear.

I’ve heard it said that courage is not the lack of fear, it is moving forward despite fear. I am a lot more adventurous than I ever thought I was and it’s exciting! I like the me that challenges fear instead of listening to it.

Are you challenging fear or listening to its every word? I challenge you to challenge fear and find out who you really are.

Michelle Oie is a motivational speaker, blogger, freelance writer and soon-to-be author whose passion is letting people know how awesome they are. She loves Jeep Wranglers, peanut butter and hitting all green lights driving through Brainerd.

Learn more at www.michelleoie.com.

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“Dye my hair fun colors.”

“Scuba dive.”

“Let my hair go gray”

“Skydive.”

“Ride in a hot air balloon.”

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“Take more time off just to relax, have fun and be me.”

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HER TRAVELS + Madagascar

The Madagascar terrain can turn a hike into a grueling task.

BY SUSAN J. SMITH-GRIER

Imagine a place where people reach out to shake your hand and smile even though they don’t know you; a place where people are generous, friendly and full of joy. Many would say that place is Minnesota where we are known for being “Minnesota nice.” Jada Olivier, a beautiful young lady from Pine River, was introduced to a place on the other side of the globe where Minnesota nice pales against the friendliness of the people there.

Madagascar 26 26 her her voice voice || Summer Summer 2019 2019 •• Share Share your your voice voice with with us us

A typical Madagascar village.

“When I was starting 7th grade or maybe a little before I just, out of nowhere, had this interest in nursing and just getting to help people and see all the different things that can happen,” Jada said. Her interest in nursing was put to the test last summer with a mission trip to Madagascar where she and other teens helped hundreds of people.

Boot Camp The summer started with a two-week boot camp at Teen Missions International (TMI) in Florida. Through video calls and texts leading up to the training, Jada and the other first-timers were told what to expect: The training would be a challenging preparation for the environment and circumstances ahead.

Boot camp was a grueling experience with physical and mental challenges. Not only were the days long and tough, Jada had to fight unexpected bouts of homesickness. “I got homesick a lot. I thought I could be away from my family for a long time.” The Olivier family has always been close, but with training, communication with families was kept to the bare minimum. The young people needed to stay focused.

“She hated it!,” chimes in Marika Olivier, Jada’s mom, “We would get a letter here or there, because she could write a couple of times and say that she hated boot camp because it was very hot and very hard. She would question should she have done this.”

Although the realities of boot camp preyed on Jada, causing her to question why she was there, she was soon to learn that everything she was going through had a real purpose.

New Land, New Experience One of the first things Jada noticed in this

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 27

The mission group made daily treks to villages.

foreign place was the joy and friendliness of the people. “Once we got in Madagascar I was shocked at how welcoming everyone was. Even though I didn’t know them, immediately they were extremely welcoming. They loved having us around and just wanted to shake our hand at the very least.”

Once settled in home base, their work began.

Each day at 6 a.m. the team would get up, make breakfast and start their day by dividing into three groups: passing out eye glasses, helping with minor medical issues and playing with the children. Team members would rotate between groups so everyone had experience in all three areas. Next, they would ready their packs and hike to the village of the day. Some were only a ten minute hike, others were two hours away.

Their work lasted all day. By 11 p.m. they’d go to bed exhausted. Jada now understood the value of boot camp.

Learning to take off your boots and socks without letting your feet touch the floor may have seemed strange in Florida, but here it was the difference between having healthy feet and picking up parasites that could make you very sick. The obstacle courses in the hot Florida sun made them ready to traverse the hilly country walking for miles carrying supplies.

Lessons in Gratitude Helping the villagers was not a given. Each time the team had to seek permission from a government official before entering a village to help. When permission was granted, they proceeded with their work.

Jada noted how grateful the people were.

One little girl had lived with a broken arm for a 28 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

“Going to Madagascar changed my perspective on the way we live here. It made me realize the things that people take for granted here."

- Jada Olivier

Jada was surprised at how welcoming and excited the people of the villages were when she and her group arrived.

year. A four-inch piece of bone protruded from her thin arm and miraculously there was no infection. Jada and her team took a special offering which provided means to have the child’s arm properly mended.

The people in the villages expressed gratitude for the little they had, always willing to share with others. Occasionally a village would butcher a chicken to add to the team’s meal for the day. The living conditions of the least of Americans surpassed those she saw in this place; still the people there seemed wealthy in joy despite their physical poverty.

“Going to Madagascar changed my perspective on the way we live here. It made me realize the things that people take for granted here.

In Madagascar I realized how loving and open and caring people can be. I’ve never been able to help so many people and see so much appreciation like that in my life. Doing that really changed my life.”

Culture Shock After two months immersed in Madagascar culture, coming home had its challenges.

“When I first got home I had a big culture shock.

The two months I was gone, I didn’t have anything handed to me. We had to work hard for the things we were doing.”

Toilets, when they were available, had been

(Top), a 10-15 passenger tractor that drove to and from villages that were not walk-able. (Bottom), inside the medical tent helping a child.

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A gathering to welcome the American mission group.

“bucket flushed” all summer. Now, not only were they conveniently located, they were easy to use. Luxuries such as going to a restaurant, even sleeping in a bed, Jada now saw with new eyes.

Team members had five days of debriefing in Florida when they returned, yet there were still hurdles to settling in. Jada’s mom Marika said, “It was very difficult for her to transition. Once she got home it was very challenging. She almost felt guilty for having the luxuries we have.”

Going out to dinner for the first time after being away was not the experience everyone expected. “We didn’t realize how difficult that would be for her until we were doing it. She felt guilty having someone wait on her, and that kind of food. So it was quite a transition.”

The Most Important Lesson Jada’s experiences have taught her many things. Through it all she was brave enough and strong enough to meet challenges without giving up. When asked about the most important thing she gained from her trip, she replied, “I think I would say, trusting that God knows what He’s doing in my life and He’s telling me that I should care for people and help people. I’ve been listening to that and that’s what’s made a difference in my life – going to Madagascar.”

Susan J. Smith-Grier, mother, grandmother, writer, storyteller, blogger, and Reading Corps tutor of early elementary kids, enjoys the changing seasons of Minnesota lake country. She lives for those moments when the possibilities light up the eyes of her awesome school kids and delights in the power of words and story.

30 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

"Labaogna. The strongest 9-year-old girl I have ever met in my entire life." - Jada Olivier.

Jada enjoyed seeing the smiles and laughter as she showed the Malagasy children pictures of themselves.

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Pam Nelson’s first job was washing dishes for a family-owned business.

And that’s where she learned about the many aspects of a business - an experience that helped when she eventually established her full-time career as a loan officer with First National Bank North of Walker.

“It was a family-owned business that taught me all parts and people of a business are important to success,” she said.

Pam, who graduated from WalkerHackensack-Akeley High School, attended Bemidji State University.

“I am dedicated to continuing my education through ongoing learning opportunities,” she said. “I’m also a

veteran and I learned some great life lessons while serving.”

And what is the favorite part of her job at First National Bank North?

“Getting to know the people, and helping my customers understand and achieve the most favorable financing available for their home purchase,” said Pam, who added that her proudest career moment is “every time I help a customer finance their home.”

And why does she like working at First National Bank North?

“I’m proud to be part of a team that gives back in so many ways to the community that we live, work and play in,” she said.

Pam, along with her husband, Chad, have two sons, Cole and Clay, plus a dog and cat. Their family enjoys the outdoors. In the Winter, they go ice fishing, snowmobiling or traveling to basketball games while the Summers are spent on the water going boating and fishing or enjoying a good read.

Fall brings plenty of hunting and hiking for the family.

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Businesses who benefit most from her services have multiple checking accounts, a high volume

of transactions, complex payroll, or complicated accounts payable.

Kera has more than a decade of experience in banking including being recognized for outstanding service and knowledge with the “2015 Personal Banker of the Year Award” while at First Security Bank in Bozeman, Montana. She lives in Crosslake with her husband and personally understands the complexities of running a business as they are entrepreneurs creating custom wood storage solutions.

Kera would like to learn more about your business and how her expertise can serve you, 218-316-7200 or kera.porter@ riverwoodbank.com. Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Like us on Facebook • Summer 2019 | her voice 31

HER FAMILY + love of dogs

Jeremiah and Kelly with two of their five dogs, Pixie Marie and Rico Alexander.

PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON

RESCUED BY LOVE

BY DELYNN HOWARD

When you visit Kelly and Jeremiah Erickson’s house in rural Merrifield, you’re given a strict order -- don’t wear black. Unless you don’t mind the dog hair, of course.

The Ericksons have rescued four dogs (they had one to start out — Pixie Marie, a chihuahua mix who’s 9 years old). They almost always have a sixth dog in their home as a foster. Sometimes those fosters turn into what Kelly calls “foster fails,” meaning they come in as temporary dogs only to make themselves at home in the Ericksons’ hearts and become permanent fixtures. That’s happened three times now.

32 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Kelly and husband Jeremiah with their boxer, Knox James (left) and their German shepherd, Saint a.k.a. "foster fails" because the couple ended up adopting them.

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Kelly stumbled upon a post on Facebook from Ruff Start Rescue, a non-profit animal rescue based in Princeton. She loved the rescue’s passion for all animals and wanted to be part of it, so in 2015, she became an internal volunteer.

“I have always had a love for animals and finding a rescue who stands for everything I believe in has been life changing,” said Kelly.

It didn’t take her long to get her first foster — Rico Alexander, a 5.5-pound chihuahua. He was also her first foster fail.

“The minute I picked him up from transport, it was love at first sight,” Kelly said. “I just knew I couldn’t let him go.”

Four years and 23 foster dogs later (including two additional fails), the Ericksons, along with countless others, continue to open their homes to the dogs no one else wanted, the ones who were thrown out, mistreated and unloved.

Sometimes they know the dogs’ stories and other times they’re a complete mystery — dogs who are primarily found in the swamps of Louisiana and Texas. Ruff Start Rescue partners with a Louisianabased rescue called Villalobos Rescue Center.

While Kelly’s love for animals has been consistent throughout her entire life, her husband, Jeremiah, has been more along for the ride.

“It’s her passion,” Jeremiah said. “I do whatever I can to support her passion.

Whether it be fostering or just tagging along for the ride, I’m here to support her on her journey.”

Let’s be clear. Jeremiah is a dog lover, too. He’s owned his own dogs and expressed an interest in German Shepherds. Kelly was totally on board and they began researching the breed and searching shelters for one to adopt.

As their luck would have it, Nova Jean, a purebred German shepherd, was available for adoption at the Tri-County Humane Society in St. Cloud.

“We drove to see her. When they took her out of the kennel she was in and they were walking ahead of us down the hall, she looked back at us as if she was checking to see if we were coming,” said Jeremiah.

“And that was all it took,” Kelly said.

While Nova Jean was handpicked, Knox James was not.

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“We never planned on getting a boxer,” said Jeremiah, with a smirk. “Knox came to us as a ‘temporary’ foster.”

Kelly said, “He came up from our Louisiana rescue partner and went right into his Foster-to-Adopt home, but was returned six months later for some behavioral issues. We agreed to foster him not knowing what to expect. Turns out, he needed some structure and boundaries.”

“Once Knox was in our home, we fell in love with him,” said Jeremiah. “His attitude and demeanor fit in perfectly.”

“He’s been our right-hand man for helping with our fosters,” Kelly added.

Is there such a thing as a right-hand dog? Because if so, that’s Jeremiah’s dog, Saint.

“Our intake coordinator at the time messaged me and said, ‘I know you have a foster currently but our Louisiana partner has a shy German Shepherd that needs a foster. Are you interested?’” Kelly said.

“Our rule of fostering is don’t take in dogs you want to keep, but I texted Jer and asked his thoughts,” explained Kelly.

“We agreed to foster,” Jeremiah said, with a smile.

"...finding a rescue who stands for everything I believe in has been life changing.”

- Kelly Erickson 34 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Kelly said the moment Saint got off the transport van, it was an instant love connection and he immediately bonded with Jeremiah.

“He paces and whines when Jer leaves for work and until he gets home,” said Kelly.

“Yeah, Saint constantly feels the need to hug and be near me at all times,” said Jeremiah. “Kel jokes he’s definitely MY dog.”

“I’m chopped liver,” Kelly said with a laugh.

It’s quite a process to introduce a brand new foster dog into this established pack.

Once the Ericksons get home with a new foster, they walk the dog around the yard to smell and give them a chance to become familiar with the surroundings. They take them downstairs to an area set up for them to eat. Kelly or Jeremiah will give the new dog a chew bone to keep them busy and distracted since the dogs are typically overwhelmed in a new environment.

Jeremiah said, “We then just leave them be for a few hours.”

“Most of the time they are exhausted and want to sleep after their travel day,” Kelly said.

“It’s quite the process but once we have a routine

Kelly said, “We crate and rotate for the fosters who may take longer to adjust to a houseful of dogs (such as their current foster, Blake).”

The dogs are crated and the foster is out with Kelly and Jeremiah and then the foster dog is crated and their dogs are out with them.

“We have two gates in our house which allows them to see and smell each other, but the barrier creates safety,” said Jeremiah.

“It’s quite the process but once we have a routine down, it’s much easier,” Kelly said.

But what doesn’t get easier is the goodbyes.

“I ugly cry with nearly all of them,” admits Kelly.

“I always ask for updates and have been lucky that most of the adopters send me pics or texts. The updates are what keep us going to continue to fight the good fight,” she said.

This would seem like an impossible task to many -- to love a dog enough to let them go (or not, sometimes) but there’s one thing Kelly knows for sure.

"The updates are what

keep us going to continue to fight the good fight.”

- Kelly Erickson

“The rescue not only rescues animals, but it rescues humans, too. I was in a dark place and fostering gave me a purpose,” Kelly said with a confident smile.

DeLynn Howard is copy editor for Her Voice and a member of the content team as well. She has worked in the Brainerd Dispatch newsroom for 20 years.

Two of her biggest accomplishments in her life thus far are having a miracle baby after trying for 10 years (she’s now 8) and losing 100 pounds in 11 months and keeping it off for a year.

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The Ericksons take them out for walks and allow them to decompress as well.

“We don’t allow the new foster dog to meet our dogs for at least three to four days, sometimes longer,” explained Kelly.

“When we introduce, we start out with walks with each dog separately and continue that over multiple days/week and then begin with indoor meetings,” Jeremiah said.

They take everything slowly to make sure they’re not putting any of their own dogs or the foster dogs in a position to fail.

HER PASSION + nature

CITIZEN

Water Monitor

BY ASHLEY MARX

Water is an essential and sacred element, especially in a state so well known for its many water resources and natural beauty. It is our responsibility to help protect and preserve the quality of this natural resource not only for ourselves, but for nature and future generations yet to come. This, in conjunction with my passion for the natural world around me and the desire to make a difference, is why I chose to become a Citizen Stream Monitor for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – MPCA. This last year (2018) was my first year becoming a volunteer, and will begin again in April of this year (2019). For myself, my son, my close friend Jen (who also accompanies me on our weekly excursions), and her two young daughters, it has been a memorable and educational experience. We have the responsibility of monitoring two separate sites, which are about 20 miles from home and within 10 minutes of each other about once weekly from April-October.

My interest in water monitoring began after seeing a post about the need for volunteers in the area via Facebook. After the registration process online, a few weeks later we received an instruction manual and other handouts and materials needed.

After stopping at the first location and collecting our data for the day, we

stroll down the gravel road and help teach the kids to search for the state gem – The Lake Superior Agate. We also take the time to point out native plants and animals if we see them, from the milkweed abundant along the roadside, to the Ebony Jewelwing dragonflies hovering near the water’s edge.

Citizen water monitors are volunteers who provide data to the MPCA on the health of area lakes and/or rivers. Often, sites are only monitored every 10 years other than the data volunteers provide, making this work immensely helpful. This is a great example of how big of a role citizen science projects such as this can play.

The information gathered is used to identify problem areas for further investigation, and to ensure water quality standards and regulations are

36 her her voice voice || Summer Summer 2019 2019 •• Share Share your your voice voice with with us us 36

Ashley and her friend's children learning about nature and the walk to check the water.

being met, and if needed, to help implement measures to conserve and further protect our waterways.

There are several fields which are required to be recorded each

Monarch caterpillar

visit, starting with transparency. This is vital because the transparency of a lake or stream greatly aids in determining the health of it and what contents the water may contain. A Secchi Tube is sent to you shortly after registering, which is a tube with a weighted disc attached with a string, and is used to measure transparency. Two more areas which are to be

assessed are Recreational Suitability and Appearance. This is how likely you feel you would be to engage in recreational activities with the water based on the initial appearance.

Ranging from Dry to High, also required is a Stream Stage Estimate -- an estimate on the amount and height of the water flowing through the stream channel. This is important because this measurement is used to help correlate the impact of rainfall events and stream runoff in surrounding areas and the influence on water clarity. Temperature and pictures/ comments are optional. I do choose to take a temp reading each week as well as pictures to show the changes observed over time. In the comments field I like to note any species of fish I can confidently identify within the stream, or if there is anything unusual worth noting in the immediate area of my sampling.

We are all in this together and it is our role as citizens to help conserve and enhance the natural resources that we all have been given to enjoy. If anyone would like more information on becoming a Citizen Water Monitor, or more information on the MPCA and what they are working to accomplish, visit https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/citizen-water-monitoring.

Ashley Marx was born and raised in the Brainerd lakes area and currently is a stay at home mother to her young son. She enjoys time outdoors and volunteering her time to participate in citizen science projects. This is her published article.

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HER TABLE

Going to The Lake

+ lake picnic

BY SUE READY

Foil Wrapped Dinners

Keep in mind:

There’s no reason to wait to break out the camp fire because foil dinners are so incredibly easy to make heated in the oven or over a grill. And there’s minimal clean-up.

Each recipe serves 4. Prepare a stack of foil sheets 12 x 12.

Pre-cut parchment paper for cookie baking sheets works well as liners for the foil packets. Cut each parchment sheet into fourths. Place one of these cut sheets in the center of a foil piece which keeps the food from sticking to it.

Fat/oil is a must so the raw ingredients don’t stick to the foil as it cooks.

Add ins include: Protein • Veggies • Seasonings

Chicken Fajitas Foil Packets

Cook’s notes: Recipe adapted from tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 2 cups mini sweet red, yellow and orange peppers 1 cup red onion, diced 1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, diced 1/2 packet dry fajita seasoning Flour or corn tortilla Rice

38 her voice | Summer 2019 • Share your voice with us

Directions

In a bowl, toss together oil, chicken, pepper, onions, tomatoes and seasoning mix.

Place in center of foil on parchment.

Fold foil (long sides) so edges meet.

Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again on short sides allowing space for heat circulation.

Gas grill or oven: place over heat at 400 degrees for 20 min. Rotate packets 1/2 turn after 10 minutes.

Serve with tortillas and rice.

Beef Nacho Cheese Foil Packets

Cook’s notes: A loaded nacho recipe that’s addictive and oh, so good. Be sure to make extra packets as they will disappear fast.

Recipe adapted from the cookierookie.com Ingredients 5 cups tortilla chips 1 pound ground beef 1 cup sweet onions, diced 1/2 package taco seasoning mixed with 1/3 cup water 1 small can green chiles, drained and patted dry with a paper towel 1/2 can (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 can (14.5-ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 can (11-ounce ) Steamfresh Mexicorn 2 cups Mexican blend cheese

Directions

In a large fry pan cook ground beef with onions, crumble meat and drain. Wipe pan free of grease.

To the pan add meat with taco seasoning and water, chillies, tomatoes, black beans and corn. Cook and cool completely.

Place crushed chips in center of foil piece lined with parchment. Top with 1 cup meat mix and sprinkle with cheese.

Fold foil (long sides) over foods so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again on short sides allowing space on sides for heat circulation.

On top, cut a small rectangle so chips won’t get too soggy.

Gas grill or oven: place over heat at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

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Provencal Walleye Foil Packets

Cook’s notes: The packet gets its French flair by using the spice herbes de Provence and lemon zest. Optional add in 1/2 pound fresh shrimp, uncooked, rinsed and deveined. Recipe adapted cuisineathome.com

In a bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, salt, herbes de Provence, pepper and lemon zest.

Add in fish, onions, potatoes and onions.

Divide among foil pieces.

Place ingredients in center of foil piece lined with parchment.

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Ingredients:

1 pound fish fillets 2 tablespoons olive oil or lemon olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence 1 teaspoon parsley flakes 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or lemon pepper Minced zest of one lemon 2 small red potatoes, sliced thin 1 cup each: zucchini, sliced and quartered and broccoli, cherry tomatoes, halved, and red onion, diced

Fold foil (long sides) over foods so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again on short sides allowing space on sides for heat circulation.

Gas grill or oven: Place packets over heat 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Rotate packets 1/2 turn after 10 minutes.

Serve with saffron or Jasmine Rice.

S’more Cookies Cook’s notes: No need to have a campfire to enjoy this cookie dessert.

Served warm it’s gooey, chocolatey and tastes just like the traditional s’more.

Maybe even better as the marshmallows don’t get burned. Recipe adapted from BHG and makes 20 cookies

Ingredients: 1 16.5-ounce roll of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (I used Nestles Chocolate Chips) 1/2 cup finely crushed graham crackers, divided 10 whole regular marshmallows, halved crosswise 2 large 4.4-ounces Hershey’s Chocolate Bars (there will be some left over for the cook)

Directions: Bring roll of cookie dough to room temperature for easier handling.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl stir together cookie dough and 1/3 cup crushed graham crackers.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 8-9 minutes.

Place a marshmallow half, cut side up, in the center of each cookie.

Top with a piece of chocolate.

Return pan back to oven until marshmallows are softened.

Watch carefully not to over bake.

Sprinkle cookies immediately with rest of graham cracker crumbs.

Let cookies set for a few minutes, transfer to a wire cooling rack.

BECAUSE WE ARE ALL

Sue Ready is a freelance writer for several local publications, a poet and former middle school teacher. She is the president of the Northwoods Arts Council in Hackensack and chair for the Annual Northwoods Art and Book Festival in August. She blogs at http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/ with recipes, travel adventures, book reviews and The World According to Bella stories. Sue writes a food column for the Pilot Independent, Walker, Great Northern News and Lakes Area Living Magazine.

UNIQUE Dr. Jackie McCall 7870 Excelsior Rd., Baxter Brainerd Office: 218.828.9545 • 877.338.3957

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HER CAREER + leadership

Shannon Wussow, (left), with her mother and role model, Karen Wussow.

Her Path to

PHOTO BY JOEY HALVORSON

Leadership Writer’s note: I met Shannon Wussow working at PORT Group Homes in 2007. A personable, effective Gen Xer, she seemed destined to lead. In 2016, Shannon became executive director of the Mid-Minnesota Women’s Center, Inc., (MMWC) a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to keep families safe from domestic violence.

BY MEG DOUGLAS

Mothers can be role models for their daughters. Shannon Wussow says her mother, Karen Wussow, continues to be an inspiration. Surviving poverty and abuse as a child, Karen raised three children, earned a college degree as a single mom and became a social worker. Now a single mom herself, Shannon says, “I watched her go back to school and work nights. She taught us to value education.”

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Shannon graduated from Little Falls High School, earned an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a paralegal certificate from St. Cloud State University in 2002, then took a paralegal position upon graduation. Wanting still more education, she returned to SCSU, receiving a master of science degree in criminal justice.

Degree in hand, Shannon found work at PORT Group Homes in Brainerd, a residential treatment placement for adolescents. First she collected numbers required by the Department of Human Services, but after several months became program director for Boys’ PORT. When a probation position opened with Central Minnesota Community Corrections in 2008, Shannon had a resume with the appropriate degrees and a managerial skill set. She worked first with low risk offenders, later moving to medium and high risk offenders, including domestic violence offenders.

The year 2016 proved challenging for Shannon. At work, Crow Wing County dissolved their partnership with CMCC, bringing probation under the management of different leadership while at home her marriage was coming apart.

Other counties came calling with potential job offers, but Shannon, with a son, 8, and a daughter 5, wanted to stay in the area. “It was a tough time,” said Shannon, “but I grew personally.”

That same year Mid-Minnesota Women's Center (MMWC) experienced their own challenges. They’d lost legendary director, Louise Seliski in 2011 after 33 years of service and several post-Louise hires didn’t work out. Through networking organizations, Shannon knew about MMWC and their mission. Applying for the position as executive director, she said, “I wanted to believe in what I do.”

The MMWC first opened in 1978 with grant monies from the Department of Corrections acquired by then graduate student, Louise Seliski. Shannon says, “She was ahead of her time,” recognizing the need for a safe place for victims of domestic abuse. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence says one in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence, and/or intimate partner stalking.

This is commonly considered “domestic violence.”

“Women set their own goals while here... including housing, jobs, transportation or all of the above.”

- Shannon Wussow Leaders in a movement, the MMWC was the fifth shelter to open in the state (now there are about 27) and the second outstate facility. “I started with $249,” says Louise, a budget that now runs over a million dollars.

Shannon says she spent the first year listening, not wanting to make changes until she’d learned about the organization from her Board and staff. Garnering more education, she completed the University of St. Thomas Institute for Executive Director Leadership in 2017. Reaching out, Shannon will call Louise for feedback, not afraid to learn from the

For information about the MMWC for yourself or information on how to help others:

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legend. Louise says Shannon is a good fit for the organization. “She listens to other people, works well with her staff, is good at raising money and knows resources in the community.”

The Women’s Shelter programming includes advocacy and referral, support groups, community education and a 24/7 crisis line. “Women set their own goals while here,” says Shannon, “including housing, jobs, transportation or all of the above.” In 2018, the Shelter provided residential services to 284 individuals and non-residential services to 4,792.

In 2000, MMWC built the Alex and Brandon Child Safety Center, raising funds through donations, providing safe visits and child exchanges for the community. Pioneers

again, this was the first safety center constructed in outstate Minnesota. There are two entrances so children and one adult can come through one door, and a non-custodial parent through another. In 2018 the Child Safety Center facilitated 1,457 supervised visits, 233 exchanges and processed 202 new intakes.

A new program at the Shelter is a parenting group called Circle of Change. Still involved in helping others, Shannon’s mom Karen, now an outreach worker at Bridges of Hope, is running the group.

Mother and daughter continue to inspire.

Retired Her Voice editor, Meg Douglas can now be found at the YMCA, the library, Gregory Park tennis courts, her garden or playing with grandchildren.

Support Groups at the Shelter

Every Tuesday 6-8 p.m.

Open to the community No cost, childcare provided

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VOICE “When Her Voice came out, I had more than a hundred people congratulate me the very first day. Three weeks later, I am still hearing from friends, past families and, at the Y, total strangers make comments!! It has been unreal.

Two days after the magazine came out, every spot in our center was filled. I had a minimum of eight calls and had to start a waiting list in both age groups...

I want to thank all the professionals and friends from Her Voice. You made my 30th year here one of the most memorable! And I mean that from the bottom of my heart!”

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