The Woman Today December 2022

WOMANthe today

Kit Davis

• Superior volunteer receives abundance of gratitude

• Matthew’s Point: Bovey woman honors son

• Classic holiday dishes get modern twist

• Holiday shopping: Hidden gems in the Northland

84-year-old legendary horse woman

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PROFILES

6 Kit Davis

Saginaw woman's love for horses keeps her young

10 Kathy Evered

Prolific volunteer finds purpose by helping others

14 Chelsa Nelson-Preble

Take your photos 'Out of the Clouds'

FEATURES

18 Angel of Hope

20 Holiday shopping hidden gems

24 Winter wonderland

34 Gifts of Christmas past

ENTERTAINMENT/ARTS

30 Arts and Events Calendar

FASHION

26 Fashions by Sam

HEALTH/MEDICINE

28 Essentia

How Essentia is helping one young girl navigate a lifelong disease

38 St. Luke’s Saved from stroke

KIDS KORNER

54 Sloane's Suggestions/Kids Korner

HOME TOUCHES

40 Family first: Hermantown couple designs new home

FOOD/NUTRITION

50 Celebrate the season with these updated holiday classics, brought to you by Mount Royal Market

DIY

56 Cookie cutter stamped tea towels

THE WOMAN YESTERDAY

58 Anne Van Derlip Weston

PHOTO COURTESY OF KACI JANE CREATIVE

WOMAN the today

GROUP PUBLISHER

Neal Ronquist

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rick Lubbers

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Megan Keller

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Ali Carlson

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kim Quinones

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Renae Ronquist

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Julie Schulz

CONTRIBUTORS

Abigail Blonigen

Andrea Busche

Chelsa Nelson-Preble

Comstock Creative

Debbie Davis

Duluth News Tribune

TO OUR READERS

The seasonal page has turned from fall to winter. Holiday music hums in the background of many stores, reminding us that the season is here, and it always comes a bit fast. This year, as I went to various stores for things, I noticed Christmas decorations filling displays well before Halloween. The Hallmark Channel started rolling out its Christmas movies a tad too early in my opinion, too. I refuse to watch them, until after Thanksgiving — though the temptation was there, as I do enjoy a good Hallmark Christmas movie. This made me think about how the world is moving faster and faster to get to a special date, and that we all need to slow down and take the days as they are and enjoy them.

Kathy Evered

Lisa Bourman

Missy Carlson

Molly Milroy

Prudence Truman

Samantha Roffers

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The Woman Today is published by Duluth News Tribune. Mailed copies available for $32 per year (eight issues). Send check to The Woman Today®, 424 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802

Every home has different traditions for celebrating the holiday season. For the December issue, we asked our readers to submit memories and photos of past Christmases. We truly enjoyed reading what was sent, and we hope that you do, too. This is a great reminder of why we gather and what is truly important to us.

Which leads to another story we got to tell, about a woman from Superior, Wisconsin who shared why it's important to her to volunteer. Kathy Evered gives the gift of her time … and not just during the holiday season.

After we met with Kathy, we had a chance to visit with Chelsa Nelson-Preble, owner of Out of the Clouds. I think most of us might have more photos on our phones and in boxes than we care to admit. It’s not an easy task to take on organizing and preserving photos. Nelson-Preble offers a solution to help people preserve those precious memories and get them organized so they can enjoy them more.

Another stop along the way was seeking some hidden gems for the holiday shopping season. You can explore the local shops we featured and find that extra special gift. We have many more stories lined up for you with this issue!

Thank you to all of our advertisers and readers who continue to support our magazine. If you have a story you want to recommend, or wish to learn how you can promote your business in our magazine, please email magazines@duluthnews.com.

Have a wonderful and happy holiday season. See you all in January!

ON THE COVER:

Kit Davis, 84, of Saginaw has loved horses since she was a toddler, and to this day, she credits the horses — and the daily chores to care for them — for keeping her in shape at her age.

Photo courtesy of Prudence Truman

Megan Keller

Group Advertising Director, Duluth Media Group Publisher, Cloquet Pine Journal

Saginaw woman’s love for horses keeps her young

By Abigail Blonigen

Kit Davis grew up on a farm in Duluth. She felt a connection with horses from a young age and always dreamed of owning one.

“From the time I can remember, we'd be driving in the car with my parents, and I was like 2 or 3 years old. If I saw a horse outside, my heart just leapt.”

Davis saved her babysitting money to buy her first horse, a little black mustang, at the age of 14. The horse was somehow accidentally delivered to the zoo with a load of buffalo, and Davis’ neighbor ended up with it.

Davis visited the horse at her neighbors often until she had saved enough to buy it for herself. She had this horse until she was 18: riding it, taking care of it and teaching it tricks.

After graduating from high school, Davis got married and started a family on a farm in Gnesen. She and her husband had six children before she decided to go back to school to become a teacher.

At the age of 30, Davis started college and she gave birth to her two youngest children while earning her degree in special education. Also while attending school, Davis and her first husband separated after 17 years together.

She remarried three years later to her second husband. She

taught for 29 years, from elementary school to high school special education, before retiring at the age of 64.

Throughout all that time, horses remained a constant in Davis’ life. Notably, she got into Norwegian Fjord horses in her 50s after falling in love with them on a trip out West.

“They’re a very nice breed to work with,” she said. “They're smart and they're hardy, and they used them in Norway for everything.”

Davis and her husband raised Norwegian Fjord horses for about 20 years, attending sleigh rallies as close as Lester Park and as far away as Montana. The couple showed their horses at these events, toting the animals, a two-team wagon and their own sleigh across the state and region.

Tragically, Davis’ husband passed away unexpectedly in 2004. His heart gave out while out for a walk. He was only 57 years old and the couple had been together 29 years.

At the time of his passing, the couple had about 20 horses. She couldn’t take care of them all on her own, so she had to farm them out.

One of the horses she kept was a special stallion that liked to goof around with kids at the Minnesota State Fair.

Kit Davis walks down a trail on her property with her favorite horse, Lee, a 24-year-old Norwegian Fjord stallion, her all-time favorite horse she often refers to as her prince.

“He was the sweetest guy. He would pull kids' hair when he was in his stall and they would reach in to feed him stuff, and he had such a comical sense of humor,” Davis said. “He was a great horse.”

Davis also continued to do horse shows and weddings after her husband’s passing, learning how to drive the horse trailer and handle the team on her own.

She also got a riding horse after he died, and rode up until two years ago when she was thrown off in an accident, breaking several ribs and puncturing a lung.

“I've actually not ridden since then — not because I'm

Continued on page 8-9

Kit Davis has trained her mini horses Arizona, an 11-year-old mare, and Buddy, a 22-yearold gelding, to pull a cart or sleigh.

This page of a Bob Mischka calendar features Kit Davis in a Norwegian sleigh brought in from Norway, with a Norwegian harness.

Kit Davis brushes her horse, Buzz, in her barn.

Kit Davis walks her herd into the barn — two retired Andalusian horses named Zero and Lola, and Bug, a rocky mountain horse seen in the background.

Kit Davis brushes Buzz, a 21-yearold gelding she got a few years ago from South Dakota. He was a ranch horse but now lives the life of luxury.

scared or anything, but I love taking care of the animals as much as anything.”

Davis now has three of her own horses, and three of her daughters that live on her farm in Saginaw, in addition to two dogs, four cats and over a dozen chickens.

Aside from the accident, Davis credits the horses for keeping her in shape at her age.

“I go out every day and feed them hay and do stuff with them and clean the barn,” she said. “It doesn't matter if it's 30 below — I'm still out there doing that stuff.”

Davis said she takes 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day just doing chores. In the winter when the farm is less active, she goes to the Y a couple of times a week to walk and do some weight lifting.

Davis has also been able to go on several international trips in the last decade or so with her sister. So far, she has been to

Antarctica, Ireland, England and Iceland. She found Antarctica, in particular, to be amazing.

“It is so unique,” she said. “I don't even know how to describe it. The penguins were delightful. (My sister and I) still send each other penguin Christmas cards because they were so delightful.”

Despite being a caretaker of animals, children, students and others her entire life, Davis said she has never felt drained because she finds the work rewarding.

“I've been described as having super patience,” she said. “I am very patient with children and people.”

Davis’ family continues to grow with her eight children, 17 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

“I've had a very interesting life actually,” she said. D

Abigail Blonigen is a Minnesota-based freelance writer.

Kit Davis enjoys a cup of coffee after chores with Rosie, her 4-year-old half German shepherd, half golden retriever companion.

Prolific volunteer finds purpose by helping others

By Andrea Busche

Although Superior resident Kathy Evered is retired from work, she is definitely not retired from life. The former systems analyst has pivoted from a career in IT to giving back through volunteering.

Over the years, Evered has given back in numerous ways. She has distributed food. She has donated delicious items from her own garden and kitchen. She has served on a volunteer board to help her alma mater. She tutors students with dyslexia. She even volunteers her time as a dog walker.

“I like feeling useful,” Evered said. “I need to have a purpose. And I also needed the social interaction, particularly during COVID.”

Farm family

Evered grew up in Catawba, Wisconsin (population 110),

which she describes as “A tiny farm community in the middle of nowhere.” Her parents and grandparents were dairy farmers, and Evered and her two siblings were expected to pitch in.

“As long as I can remember, we always helped,” Evered said. “We milked cows, cut grass and baled hay. Work on the farm was never done. And we were paid, but it wasn’t thought of as an allowance — it was for working.”

After graduating from Phillips High School, she attended the University of Wisconsin-Superior and double-majored in data processing and economics.

“From the time I was quite young, I knew I wanted to do something with computers,” she said.

Career in tech

Evered’s first professional job was as a junior programmer for Cargill’s Minnetonka, Minnesota location. Later, she

Kathy and Bob Evered attend a murder mystery dinner at Cathedral School in Superior in 2018.

moved to Chicago.

“I wanted to work with new computers and advancing technology,” she explained. “But I didn’t know a soul.”

Evered worked for a few Chicagobased consulting firms before landing at MTI Vacations, a travel agency, as a systems analyst.

In 2000, one of MTI’s leaders left to work at a startup travel agency called Orbitz. Evered was recruited to join him. She remained a systems analyst at Orbitz until her retirement in 2014.

In 1992, Evered began dating her husband, Bob, who lived in Superior. While working for Orbitz, Evered mostly worked remotely from Superior, but occasionally traveled back to Chicago.

Kathy and Bob got married in St. Lucia on April 24, 2003. Interestingly, they were wed in a joint ceremony with their good friends, Amy and Dean “Mitch” Michelizzi.

Volunteering

Evered began volunteering as a way to meet people in her new home of Superior. But her hard work was also prompted by her upbringing.

“I was raised to appreciate what we had, and to give back and share,” she said. “I was raised in a very Christian household.”

During her working years Evered’s generosity was mostly in the form of financial donations. But once she retired she had free rein to volunteer as much as she liked.

“I always said that when I retired I was going to do some serious volunteer work, while helping my parents along the way.”

And she has honored that commitment.

As a UWS graduate, Evered was proud to serve on the university’s Alumni Association Volunteer board. She also assisted the city of Superior with their recycling efforts, distributing bins and information to residents.

Evered also gave back to her “church home,” Christ Lutheran, by helping them with fundraising efforts. She baked zucchini breads, pasties and many other scrumptious items to share in church bazaars.

Evered began volunteering for Second Harvest Northern

Continued on page 12

Celebrating a joint wedding ceremony in St. Lucia on April 23, 2003, are Kathy and Bob Evered, and Amy and Dean “Mitch” Michelizzi.

Lakes Food Bank right before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I really enjoyed it,” she said. “The people, the atmosphere. And I only had contact with my husband during the pandemic, so I wasn’t a big COVID risk.”

Unfortunately, Evered had to step back from her work at Second Harvest when Bob developed some health issues, but she hopes to start again some day. She also served for a time on the All of Us Advisory Council — a research program through

the National Institutes of Health.

Currently, Evered is volunteering at the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Upper Wisconsin-Superior, which is sponsored by Scottish Rite of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction Freemasons. There, she has become a Certified Dyslexia Practitioner I, and helps elementary-aged children with dyslexia learn to read. Ultimately, she would like to continue her studies and earn a Practitioner II certificate.

Evered also volunteers to walk her friend Amy’s dog, Murphy, five days per week.

Hobbies and interests

When she isn’t volunteering, Evered enjoys gardening, landscaping and reading. She also loves to bake and cook.

Although she spent a career in IT, her computer interactions of late include playing solitaire and the uberpopular web-based game Wordle.

She and Bob love to travel, and have visited many allinclusive resorts over the years. They also enjoy taking cruises.

Bob has two adult children, Katie and Brian, who both live in the state of Virginia. The family gathers together as often as they are able.

Appreciation

For those interested in volunteering, Evered has a couple of suggestions.

“The first thing to think about is how much time you want to devote to it,” she said. “And also think about how flexible you are, and find something that fits into your schedule. But it’s equally important to find something you’re passionate about.”

Evered shared that the abundant gratitude she has received over the years is one reason she loves volunteering so much.

“At Second Harvest, they would always tell the volunteers, ‘We’re so glad you’re here.’ And we’d have children tell us they love all the food.”

One of Evered’s reading students, a child with dyslexia, recently gave her a beautiful gift of a handwritten poem. It reads, “Roses are red, violets are blue. I can read better thanks to you.”

“Things like this are what make it so worthwhile,” Evered noted about volunteering. “You just know you are so appreciated.” D

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

Kathy Evered is a Certified Dyslexia Practioner 1 and tutors students with dyslexia.

Home-made treats by Kathy Evered await distribution. Evered has donated baked goods to a variety of church bazaars over the years.

Above: This food distribution by Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank was held at Wessman Arena in 2020.

Left: Kathy Evered volunteers at Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank in 2020

Front Row: Kimberly Powell, Jessie Erickson, Brenna Fahlin, Madison Hawkins, Ayla Dougherty, Deanna Bennett. Second Row: Eric Sams, Carly Gosar, Carol Carlson, Jody Tucker, Lia Sobiech, Beverly J Van Alstine, Madria Kuberra, Jeanne Tondryk, Alicia Lokke, Amanda Bromen, Matt Privette. Third Row: Lindsay Pantsar, Karen Reed, Lucy Sinkkonen, Cheryl Ekstrand, Abby Wilkin, Frank Messina, Deb Messina, Michelle Kuntz, Carrie Dittmar, Julie Carlson, Tanya Templer, Christi Pionk Slattengren Back Row: Jarett Mickelson, Camden Berger, Steve Carlson, Jim Gruba, Jeff Smith, River Rockenstein, Justin May, Jeff Leusman, Michael Messina. Not Pictured: Anna Malay, Brian Rud, Casey Scrignoli, Chad Jones, Darrin Young, Dee Furo, Gage Hartman, Gigi Maxwell, Jason Wall, Jason Watters, Julia Shepersky, Kevin O’Brien, Mary Beth Nevers, Nicole Conrad, Scott Buckingham, Shelly Coda, Valarie Lake.

Take your photos ‘Out of the Clouds’

Chelsa NelsonPreble

By Andrea Busche

Take a moment to think about your old photos and where they are stored. Chances are, you have boxes of loose photos in your basement or attic. Old family albums that would be devastating to lose. And smart phone images; so many smart phone images.

How do you feel when you ponder these pictures? For most of us, simply thinking about them is stressful. For those who want to preserve and digitize their images, it’s

www.outofthecloudsduluth.com.

difficult to know where to begin.

Duluth resident Chelsa Nelson-Preble is helping her clients solve this problem. She founded her photo organizing and photo book design business, Out of the Clouds, in spring 2020.

Nelson-Preble culls, scans and organizes all those old pictures — including electronic images — so you don’t have to. Ultimately, she hands her clients a tidy external hard drive or photo book. She also sets up secure backups, so their images are safely preserved for a lifetime.

Chelsa Nelson-Preble organizes and digitizes photos and creates photo books through her business, Out of the Clouds,

Preserving and organizing memories is a highly fulfilling endeavor for Nelson-Preble.

“The most rewarding thing about my work is seeing my clients have that look of a weight being lifted off their shoulders,” she noted. “I do the hard work, and they get to enjoy their memories.”

Why photos?

In addition to being a naturally organized person, NelsonPreble discovered she also had a knack for creating photo books.

“I had been making photo books since my husband and I got married in 2013,” she explained. “My friends saw them and said, ‘We need you to do this for us.’”

And just like that, a unique business idea was born. NelsonPreble made her first appearance as a vendor at Duluth’s Birth and Baby Fair in 2019. Her business officially launched in 2020.

The clever moniker Out of the Clouds is a nod to modern vernacular.

“The name speaks to this generation that has photos stored in the cloud,” she said. “But we all have ideas and dreams of how we want to hand our photos down to the next generation. It’s our visual heritage.”

Nelson-Preble’s business motto is “Where We Bring Your Memories to Light.” This aptly describes the process of literally uncovering — and rediscovering — those old images.

Unique childhood

Nelson-Preble is originally from Madeline Island, Wisconsin. For those familiar with the area, her grandfather, Harry Nelson, helped start the Madeline Island Ferry Line. Her uncle, Tom Nelson, is the owner of well-known island hotspot, Tom’s Burned Down Café.

Her mother, Dr. Dawn Dixon, is a child psychologist. Her father, Wayne Nelson, is a land developer and the owner of

Bayfield Dirt. Nelson-Preble has one sibling, a younger brother, Robin.

After her parents divorced, the entire family moved to Bayfield, and Nelson-Preble attended Bayfield High School. She was the class president, an active athlete and musician, and salutatorian for her graduating class. She played the baritone saxophone, and participated in soccer and track. She also

Continued on page

became certified as a scuba diver while in middle school.

Education and career

Nelson-Preble initially attended the University of North CarolinaWilmington, where she studied marine biology. Ultimately, she switched both her major — and her school — and she graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“I wanted to learn about our systems and how they affect other people,” she noted of this pivot. “And I also just missed the lake.”

After graduation, she worked as an advocate for PAVSA (Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault), and later at the Women’s Health Center. She then jumped into local politics and was hired by Mark Dayton to work as the 8th Congressional District’s field director during Dayton’s first run for governor.

“I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “I

was very interested in economic justice, social justice, racial justice and gender justice.”

Later, NelsonPreble worked for AFSCME Council 5 for nine years and held the titles political organizer, field representative and she was also the youngest female field director. Along the way she also became trained as a doula.

“I never worked professionally as a doula, but I have attended several births for close family and friends,” she said.

Nelson-Preble is also the treasurer and website manager for Feeding Hearts for the Holidays, a nonprofit that provides a hot breakfast and gifts on Christmas morning to residents of the Steve O'Neil apartments in Duluth and those who are utilizing services at CHUM.

Business logistics and awards

Out of the Clouds started as a home-based business. After some success, Nelson-Preble opened an off-site office located in Duluth’s Arrowhead Place Building. Her business address is 211 W. Second St., Suite 333. In addition to in-person visits, Out of the Clouds offers Zoom meetings, phone visits and e-mailed interactions.

Most Out of the Clouds clients are individuals.

Chelsa NelsonPreble works with client Sarah Steinbach, reviewing her print photo album collection.

Chelsa Nelson-Preble scans a photo album from the 1930s with a flatbed scanner.

These print photos are waiting to be scanned for a client. Chelsa Nelson-Preble, founder of Out of the Clouds, creates photo books and digitizes photos.

Using a flatbed scanner, Chelsa Nelson-Preble transforms images from this 1930s photo album.

“My biggest demographics are photo books for vacations, weddings and memorial tributes,” Nelson-Preble said.

However, businesses and other organizations have used the business, too.

“Ulland Brothers, North Country Ride and the town of Cotton are a few of my business clients,” she added.

Nelson-Preble is a certified professional for The Photo Managers, an international group of photo organizers. She also was honored with a “Best of the Best” award from the Duluth News Tribune, where she earned second place in Best Customer Service for 2022.

Civic duties

In addition to her career, Nelson-Preble volunteers her time for a variety of organizations. She is board president for the Duluth YWCA and a co-leader for her daughter Mara’s Brownie troop. She is the past secretary/treasurer and the current events coordinator for Business Networking International.

She also holds a contract (paid) position for Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative as a Circle of Security parenting class facilitator.

Family

Nelson-Preble met her husband, Matthew Preble, through a mutual friend. The two were married in 2013. Preble is an electrician by trade and works as the organizer for IBEW Local 242.

The couple have two young children — Mara, 8, and Jonas, 5 — who love biking, riding scooters and hiking. The family lives in Duluth’s Piedmont neighborhood.

When she isn’t working, Nelson-Preble enjoys running, and returning to Madeline Island regularly to visit family. Her future goals include hiring an employee (Out of the Clouds is currently a one-woman operation) and doing more traveling with her husband and children.

A great gift

Photo organizing services — and the peace and calm they bring — make a great holiday gift. Pricing varies by project, but Out of the Clouds gift certificates of many denominations are available.

Consider this testimonial provided by Out of the Clouds client, Laura J:

“Chelsa helped us consolidate years of old photos into a compact flash drive that will take up much less storage space in our new house. Her attention to detail and our specific needs was personal and professional. I would recommend her services to anyone looking to preserve precious photos and save space.”

For more information, visit outofthecloudsduluth.com. D

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

Angel of Hope

STATUE IS A PLACE OF HOPE FOR GRIEVING PARENTS

By Andrea Busche

It’s difficult to imagine a grief more profound than that of a parent who has lost a child. Members of this most unfortunate “club” often feel completely lost and alone.

The Angel of Hope statue is a nationwide effort to provide a quiet, healing place where parents and other loved ones can gather to remember the children they’ve lost — from miscarriages in early pregnancy to adult children. The statue is a bronze rendering of an angel, modeled after the Richard Evans novel, “The Christmas Box,” where a mother grieves for her daughter at the base of an angel statue.

The first statue was constructed in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1994. Today, there are over 150 angels across the United States, with one right here in Duluth.

The Angel of Hope Memorial in Leif Erickson Park is roughly 4 feet tall and made of bronze. She is perched on a large stone that was donated. Benches and engraved bricks surround the statue. Visitors are welcome to sit, gather, reflect and pray at the memorial.

grief and organized a community fundraising campaign to raise the $15,000 needed to construct an Angel of Hope statue in Duluth.

The statue was erected in 2013 and was the 101st statue in a national series. The statue is located within Leif Erikson Park (1301 London Road).

“The statue is about 4 feet tall, and on the angel’s wings it says ‘hope,’” Davis said. “She sits on a large stone. There are benches around the statue, and bricks around her, too. People can have the name of their child engraved on the brick or another message of their choice. It’s a place where people can linger and connect with each other. They realize they aren’t alone, and aren’t the only one who has lost a child.”

Duluth statue

Dan Ansello and Kelly Hamilton’s daughter Gabriella died unexpectedly of sudden infant death syndrome at 6 weeks of age. And Debbie Davis lost her son, Luke Hylden, to an accidental drug overdose when he was a senior in high school.

These parents experienced unimaginable losses. Together, along with several other local families, they bonded in their

The city of Duluth has been a helpful partner in the initiative since Day One. The city helped select the best spot for the statue, and the city’s Parks and Recreation Department also handles engraving and installing the bricks.

Luke

Davis herself is a licensed professional clinical counselor with an extensive background in grief and loss. Losing her own son, Luke, however, was completely different.

“I was lost,” she said. “I saw parents in pain through my

work, but I never really recognized it until I went through it myself.”

Davis enjoys talking about Luke, who died in 2009.

“Talking about Luke keeps him here with me,” she said. “He was very easygoing and an old soul. He’d give you his last dollar. He was very artistic, loved animals and had a great sense of humor. I miss him every day.”

In addition to finding a new purpose through helping erect the statue, Davis continues to honor her son by raising funds for places like Animal Allies and Amberwing. In fact, Amberwing’s pet therapy room is named after Luke and his beloved dog, Johnny Cash.

Davis has one other child — daughter Hannah — who is 27 years old and works as a registered nurse. The two speak fondly about Luke and bond over their shared memories.

Connecting with other grieving parents has been healing for Davis.

“It’s important to make sure you have a good support system surrounding you,” she said. “You need to be able to tell your story as many times as you need to, without judgment. You never get over it, but eventually you just learn to live with it.”

Candlelight vigil

Each year on Dec. 6 there is a candlelight vigil/memorial held at the site of the statue. Typically, about 50 people attend.

Participants are given a battery-operated candle, and a pastor is invited to provide a nondenominational prayer. There are meaningful readings and someone sings a song or two. Attendees are invited to speak their child’s name into a microphone.

Looking ahead, 2023 will be a significant milestone for the Duluth statue.

“We are hoping to do a Walk to Remember in 2023 for our 10th anniversary,” Davis said.

vigil.

“This includes parents who have had a miscarriage, all the way through losing an adult child,” she said. “For people who have had a miscarriage, or their child has been cremated, they may not have a place to go. Everybody is welcome here.”

Bricks

As noted, parents or loved ones can purchase an engraved brick and have it placed at the site of the Angel of Hope statue. Bricks are $85, and all arrangements can be made through the city of Duluth’s Parks and Recreation Department.

The purchase of a brick could be a meaningful holiday gift for a grieving parent. Financial donations are also accepted; money raised is used for families who can’t afford to purchase a brick.

Reach out Davis and the families behind the Angel of Hope statue want grieving parents to know there are others out there who can relate. Although there isn’t a formal support group in place, people are welcome to reach out and connect through the Angel of Hope Statue’s Facebook page.

“The statue brought together a group of people who probably felt pretty alone,” Davis said. “I welcome people asking about it and reaching out to us on Facebook.

“I would also recommend that grieving parents make sure and take care of themselves. Reach out to others to help you with your journey.” D

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBBIE DAVIS

Area residents gather for a candlelight vigil at the Angel of Hope Memorial in Duluth’s Leif Erikson Park in October 2021.

A plaque at the Duluth Angel of Hope Memorial, shown in 2011.

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Holiday shopping?

TRY THESE HIDDEN GEMS

By Molly Milroy

Finding that perfect gift for someone can sometimes feel like a chore, but it doesn’t have to. There are multiple shops across the Northland that offer unique gifts for the holidays. From beard oils to beaded moccasins, something special can be found for everyone on your holiday gift list.

Shop Superior

Once Again Used & New is a quaint store that specializes in home décor. Located on Belknap Street near the University of Wisconsin Superior, the store is set up with curated themed rooms to shop in.

“We have five rooms that touch on different areas of the home and change for the seasons and holidays,” said owner Twila Uotinen.

For example, in the kitchen area you’ll find various soaps, towels, washcloths and an assortment of other products. The store also carries a good variety of rugs, prints, valances, table toppers, candles and an assortment of wood products.

Cindy Telega and Brianna Lorenze, the product buyers, also provide homemade items.

“Cindy is our local professional painter,” Uotinen said. “She paints on vintage windows, chairs and a variety of other things. “Brianna came on recently bringing her sewing skills and woodworking skills.

She has embroidered tree ornaments and has made wood candy canes.”

The shop also has a large variety of snowmen and light-up prints. And if you’re looking for gift wrapping, you’ll find that here as well.

“If you are looking for a gift, we are a one-stop shop that you can buy a small gift, a card, and have it gift-bagged for free,” Uotinen said.

Website: https://once-again-used-new.business.site/

The Bee’s Knees Gifts and Crafts

“Our shop first opened up April 2019,” Louise Fransen said.

“We are a large gift shop located in Two Harbors. We are attached to Agate City Rock Shop.”

Fransen, who co-owns The Bee’s Knees with Jackie Carlson, said the shop carries a wide variety of items.

“We specialize in bee décor and gnomes of every size — especially Christmas gnomes.”

The shop has a plethora of T-shirts, ceramics, soaps, and home décor, too. It’s the perfect spot to find a Minnesota gift or souvenir.

“We have Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish items, hats, gloves and mittens,” Fransen said.

There are also a variety of gifts for those who like to bake or cook.

“We have aprons, pot pads, and lots of cups and mugs,” she said.

If you’re looking for neat homemade items, The Bee’s Knees has it. Both shop owners make items. Fransen quilts and Carlson finishes off hand towels with crochet hangers. The shop also has plenty of holiday supplies, including boxed Christmas cards, holiday candles and other Christmas adornments.

“We feel it is unique in that we have a never-ending inventory,” Fransen said.

Website: https://www.thebeeskneesgifts.co/

Continued on page 22

Made

Indigenous First: Art & Gift Shop

Located in downtown Duluth at 202 W. Second St. in the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) building, Indigenous First: Art & Gift Shop displays a wide variety of gifts and goods.

“We have some wonderful blankets that are perfect for the cold weather, many teas and coffees to pick from, shirts that honor the resiliency of Indigenous peoples while also bringing awareness to social causes, original art, jewelry, and so much more,” said co-coordinator of the shop, Khayman Goodsky.

This store includes work from more than 80 regional Indigenous artists and businesses.

“Shopping here means supporting authentic artists,” Goodsky said. “We have so many beautiful products to choose from, whether it's original art, birch bark wall pieces, a multitude of authors, clothing designed by Indigenous fashion designers, Indigenous foods, and our many homemade bath and self-care products.”

Looking for a special gift for your mom or sister? Stop in and find the perfect earrings. Made with intricate beadwork, this gift will be sure to impress. Is there a nature lover on your gift list? Try one of their handmade birch bark designs. For the foodie on your list, there is wild rice, specialized coffee, maple syrup and more. If you haven’t already visited this shop, it is definitely one you will want to stop by this holiday season.

Website: https://www.indigenousfirst.org/

63 Moose Lane

Want to stay inside and shop online but also locally? Try 63 Moose Lane, which specializes in bath, body and home products, all handcrafted in Duluth.

Owner Cyndi Burley said she started making the lotions and creams after friends and family were asking for better products to help combat their dry winter skin.

“We specialize in what’s good for our bodies and what supports us and finding that balance between modern medicine and ancient remedies,” Burley said.

Check out the all-natural lotion bars made with essential oils ranging in scents from patchouli to lavender, or the unscented, Bare Moose.

“There’s always a purpose behind the blend we do, whether it’s supporting emotions or a headache,” Burley said.

For that special man in your life, there are a variety of beard oils available.

“The blends we’ve come up with and created in the North Shore collection have scents that reflect the local area,” she said. “Cascade Falls is refreshing and meditating, while Palisade Creek is woodsy.”

Gift sets make the perfect holiday gift and 63 Moose Lane offers a wide variety of them. Shop online and either have your gifts shipped or arrange for local pickup within the Twin Ports area.

Website: https://www.63mooselane.com/s/shop

Shop local

There are so many places in the Twin Ports to shop for unique gifts this holiday season. Browse the stores in person or online and find unique holiday hidden gems, items which will surprise the lucky recipients. At the same time, you will be supporting local small businesses and entrepreneurs — a holiday win for all. D

Molly Milroy is a Duluth freelance writer.

winter wonderland Bovey woman honors son with community

By Abigail Blonigen

Freshsnow on the ground. A smooth, shiny skating pond. Cozy warming shed. Twinkle lights. Free hot cocoa. Children's laughter ringing through the air. It sounds like a scene from a Christmas special on TV, but for Lisa Bourman, it’s just her backyard.

Bourman lives just outside of Grand Rapids on the Swan River. Her farmstead includes a small pond, named Turtle Pond, and a peninsula that juts into the river, called Matthew’s Point.

Matthew’s Point is named after Bourman’s son who passed away in 2020. The point was his favorite place in the world, so Bourman decided to honor his memory by sharing it with others.

Each year since his passing, Bourman has decorated the point for the holidays, complete with a Christmas tree and free presents for children in the community. Matthew would also make the pond into a skating rink each year, so Bourman has opened that up to the community as well.

“Matthew would literally give you the shirt off of his back,” Bourman said. “He wanted, one year, to give all his Christmas presents to the homeless people. When we used to build the skating rink, Matthew would invite everybody

he knew to come skating.”

For the past two years, Bourman has had the point and the pond open almost every night through the season, as long as the ice holds up. She has turned her “she shed” into a warming shack, and provides free hot cocoa and s’mores for the families who come out to visit.

“Hearing the music play and the laughter of the children and stuff down there is amazing,” she said. “It's funny because I think I got as much joy out of it as the people that came to skate.”

Bourman is working on rebuilding her ice skate collection so that she can offer free skates for the children to use as well. Her main prerogative is to offer everything for free so families in the community can have access to fun winter and holiday activities.

Overall, she wants to honor her son by bringing life and joy to the place he loved most.

“I really want people to come and see what Matthew saw down there,” she said.

To learn more about events on Bourman’s property, check out her Facebook pages, “Matthew’s Point” and “On Turtle Pond.” D

Abigail Blonigen

Samantha Roffers, a Moose Lake writer, believes it’s important to shop for things you love and feel comfortable in. Everyone’s style is unique and that’s what makes it so special.

By Samantha Roffers

Hello, dear readers!

If this is your first time checking out The Woman Today or Fashions By Sam, welcome! We are so glad you are here.

This month’s issue is all about holiday outfits.

I’ve always been a lover of all holidays — Christmas and Thanksgiving have especially always held a special place in my heart. There is something so comforting about entering a warm home filled with the aroma of a big holiday meal and familiar faces on a brisk and wintry day, sharing a meal, laughing and exchanging gifts with people you don’t see nearly enough. And who can forget that extra-long Minnesota goodbye where we wander from the door back to the couch a minimum of 10 times?

One of my favorite holiday experiences is dressing up. There is no right or wrong way to dress on a holiday. Some families stay very casual, while others are more formal. Some families go all-out with large holiday-themed accessories, ugly sweaters, formal wear and even Christmas pajama themes.

I like to keep a “just in case” bag when I go to a big event. Even if I don’t need something, chances are someone else might. I’ll bring a small hairspray, a small brush, a stain-removing pen, lipstick and a lint roller. Keeping a few small items on hand gives you some extra peace of mind that you’re protected from dog hair, food stains and flat hair.

I’m also a big fan of layers for holiday parties — you never know if a house will be warm or cold, so it’s good to be prepared. I’ll show you a few of my own outfits and how I styled them for warmth, and how I removed layers for comfort when necessary.

As always, the best way to look amazing is to dress in something that makes you feel happy, comfortable and confident! D

by Sam

For this first look, I paired some cozy yoga pants with an oversized, sleeveless cowl neck sweater. The beauty of an outfit like this is you can wear long sleeves for warmth, or you can ditch the long sleeve for a tank top or short-sleeved shirt for a cooler option. A scarf serves as the perfect belt around the waist if you get too warm and it adds a little extra flair to the outfit. This look could easily be replicated using your favorite patterns and colors —I went with red to stick with the holiday theme.

This second look is perfect for the casual family gathering. Cozy, thick socks are paired with comfy yoga pants, a soft long sleeve, an oversized flannel and a down vest for added warmth. One of my favorite parts about winter fashion is switching from my summer baseball cap to a soft winter hat. You can easily ditch the vest, tie the flannel around your waist and lose the hat in the event someone's home is warmer than expected.

For the third and final look, I paired my favorite jeans with a soft longsleeved top and an oversized scarf. You can wear an oversized scarf in so many different ways. I personally love to throw it around my shoulders and knot it in the front or just simply leave it open for a shawl style. You can also knot it up and wear it around your neck for extra warmth and throw on an additional layer, like this faux fur vest. You can even unfold the scarf and use it as a blanket to snuggle in for a post celebration nap.

I hope these looks gave you some inspiration for your own holiday outfits. I also hope that no matter what you do, where you go or who you’re with, your holiday season is filled with joy, comfort and love. At the end of the day the holidays are a time when we can focus on giving to those around us. We get the chance to slow down, take a break from work and school and soak in precious time with our families and friends. We get to reflect on all that has happened in the last year, good and bad, and make plans for the new year that will be here soon. I will be thinking about you all during the holidays and how grateful I am to be able to write this fashion column for all of you. Take care dear readers, until next time!

Lena’s battle:

By Anthony Matt

"Fun,”

How Essentia is helping one young girl navigate a lifelong disease

“nice” and “caring.”

Those are just a few words Erin Ballance uses to describe her 7-year-old daughter, Lena.

“She loves drawing, painting, coloring … anything creative is really fun for her,” Erin said. “She’s helpful with the cooking and loves playing with her siblings.”

In 2020, Lena, then 5, was experiencing stomachaches, rashes and headaches. It’s something Erin said had happened before, but it seemed to be occurring more frequently. During a well-child visit at the Essentia HealthLakeside Clinic, they talked with Lena’s primary care doctor and explained that something more serious appeared to be going on.

“We wanted Lena to take a gluten test because my sister has a gluten intolerance,” Erin said. “The test came back positive and showed elevated numbers. From there, we knew we were going to have to make some big changes.”

Big changes, indeed. Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. If not managed, over time it can cause long-term medical complications.

Managing the disease is difficult. It requires a lot of label checking on food, things like ChapStick, toys and hygiene products. Not to mention being careful to avoid crosscontaminating household items.

“She is going to have this for her entire life and my goal became to document as much as possible and make it manageable for her going forward,” Erin said.

Mom immediately started researching the disease. She learned her primary care doctor could refer Lena to Dr. Amy Garcia, a

pediatric gastroenterologist at Essentia Health.

“Dr. Garcia is wonderful,” Erin said. “She is very knowledgeable and explains things to Lena in a way that she can understand easily.”

It’s not just Dr. Garcia that Erin is pleased with; it’s Lena’s entire care team at Essentia. Even after having to switch primary care doctors in the middle of establishing a treatment plan, Erin said the whole process was seamless.

“Our original primary care doctor took a new position with Essentia during the pandemic,” Erin explained. “But finding a new one was so easy. I used Essentia’s website to find doctors that were accepting new patients, watched their bio videos and settled on Dr. Anne Skadberg, who checked a lot of boxes for what we were looking for.”

Erin is thankful that the providers have been responsive, informative and helpful.

“Dr. Skadberg’s team is receptive to my questions; I always get

Lena Ballance, 7, was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2020, when she was 5 years old.

the answers I’m looking for,” Erin said. “Even when they don’t know the answer right away, I know they will find it.”

Both Erin and her husband, Elliot, have been really impressed with the way Essentia has handled Lena’s treatment, not only in the present but setting her up for future success.

“Dr. Garcia gave us a care plan so we know what we need to be doing going forward,” Erin said. “We know how to manage it, that we need to do blood tests annually and a bone scan every five years. It tells us everything we need to know about Lena’s numbers and areas we need to be checking.”

The comprehensive care makes it

easier for everyone to plan for the future. Perhaps just as importantly, Erin said Dr. Garcia truly cares about Lena.

“She is so nice and really listens to Lena, which is really encouraging and empowering for her,” Erin said. “Lena has worked really hard, and Dr. Garcia acknowledged that.”

“Lena and her family are a true pleasure to work with,” Dr. Garcia said. “Lifestyle changes are the hardest changes I have to ask of patients. It's really inspiring how they have worked so hard in the face of this lifelong diagnosis.”

Erin is proud of her daughter for taking this seriously and advocating for herself at home, in school and at

restaurants.

“She likes to think of it as something that makes her special and unique,” Erin said. “For the most part, she is really positive about it and knows what’s best for her, even if that means passing up a cupcake at a birthday party.”

While it’s a lifelong disease that Erin and Elliot are helping their child manage, they believe the care they are receiving now will make it much easier for Lena to navigate when she’s older. D

Anthony Matt is the media relations specialist at Essentia Health.

FROM ASPARK GREW GREATLOVE

Celebr at ey our marriage in thet imeless eleganc eo fCly de’s ev en tv enues. Spaces cr eat ed to da zz le andfi ty our st yle, ca tering tha tf ea turesw ood -fired fla vors,anew on -sit ebre wery wi t huniquefligh ts,and an ex perienced ev en t st aff help to igni te aday to be remember ed fore ver.

Trains run from the Depot

NOVEMBER 25DECEMBER 18

It’s the story of a young girl traveling by train to visit her grandparents in Duluth on Christmas Eve. The story is performed in the Railroad Museum at the Depot starting with live music and carolers against a backdrop of decorated trains and storefronts. Then take a train ride past the lights of Bentleyville and along the edge of Lake Superior with hot cocoa and cookies.

A special guest will visit and have a magical gift for every passenger!

Chosen one of the “BEST Christmas Train Rides in America” by MSN www.duluthtrains.com for tickets or call 800-423-1273

Sponsored by:

Arts & Events Calendar

Christmas City Express

Now through December 18

Performances begin in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum for a reading of the new Christmas City Express story, carolers, and a visit from a special guest! Then board the train for a 30-minute ride. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate, cookies and holiday tunes. Visit www.duluthtrains.com/ event/christmascityexpress.

FalalalaLocal Downtown Duluth

Now through December

Celebrate the holidays downtown! Don't miss out on the local shops, holiday pop-up markets and more! For more details go to: https://www.downtownduluth.com/holidayseason/

Bentleyville Tour of Lights

Now through December 26

Duluth's mega Christmas-light spectacular is the largest walk-through display of lights in America. Children 10 and under receive a new knit hat and a bag of cookies from Santa. Visit www.bentleyvilleusa.org.

The West Theatre Events

Thursdays in December

Dec. 1 - Mason Dixon Line: A Kickin’ Country Christmas; Dec. 7 - Sherwin

Linton: Christmas Times A Coming (country rock); Dec. 8 - The Jimmys (blues). Visit thewesttheatre/events.com.

218.728.0884

The magic of the Holiday Season rides on the Christmas City Express

CSS Spotlight Performing Arts

December

Events held at the College of St. Scholastica’s Mitchell Auditorium unless otherwise noted. Dec. 3 - O Holy Night at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary; Dec. 7 - Lorie Line; Dec. 10 - Joyann Parker Presents The Music of Patsy Cline; Dec. 14 - Holiday Concert with CSS Music Ensembles. Visit www.css.edu/ about/events.

Little Women, The Musical

December 2-18

Based on the life of literary powerhouse Louisa May Alcott, this soaring musical follows the adventures of the March sisters who are growing up in Civil War America. Performances are at the Duluth Playhouse. Visit www. duluthplayhouse.org/norshor-theatre.

Sounds of the Season Choir Concert

7:30 p.m. December 2

Join the UMD choirs and vocal jazz ensembles for a festive journey through the season, presenting traditional holiday favorites and new selections from around the world! Concert will be at Weber Music Hall, UMD. Visit www.tickets.umn.edu.

Holiday Spectacular: Pops I

2 p.m. December 3

Enjoy your favorite holiday tunes performed by the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra at the DECC’s Symphony Hall! You can even join the orchestra in a singa-long.

Visit www.dsso.com/concert/holidayspectacular-2.

Holly Jolly Craft and Direct Sales Christmas Market

9 a.m. December 3

This fifth annual event features about 45 vendors selling mostly handmade items. Lunch is available. Free to attend, this event will be held at the AAD Shriners Center. Visit www.facebook.com/ events/514367469876119

beer, carol singers, live animals, children’s activities, campfires by the lake, s’mores and more, all on Harbor Drive behind the DECC. Visit www.duluthwintervillage.com.

Glitterati’s Christmas Shopping

December 4

Over 75 local crafters and vendors will showcase their work at this event at Clyde Iron Works. A $5 suggested entry fee will benefit the Ronald McDonald House-Northland. There will be two live performances, kids activities and raffle items. Visit www.facebook.com/events.

Arrowhead Ice Fishing and Winter Show

December 9-11

Duluth Winter Village

December 3-4

This twoday outdoor winter market features local vendors selling holiday gifts out of more than 25 wooden cabins, plus food,

This annual show features a wide variety of new products and accessories, held at the DECC. Visit www. arrowheadiceshow.com.

The Nutcracker: A Duluth Tale

December 9-11

This fresh, new version of the family favorite captivates in new ways as a holiday treat. Performances, hled at the DECC, features live orchestra and students from the School of Minnesota Ballet. Visit www. minnesotaballet.org/the-nutcracker.

A Don’t Hug Me Christmas Carol

December 9-18

This Minnesotainspired spoof of the Charles Dickens classic will have you laughing!

Convenientmorning andevening hours

Easy onlinescheduling

We have threelocations in your area:

Hermantown 218-722-7770

BlueStone (nearUMD) 218-606-1040

parkdental.com

Downtown Duluth 218-722-3679

Performances are held at Fitger’s Spirit of the North Theater (The Boat Club). Visit www. boatclubrestaurant.com/productions#adont-hug-me-christmas-carol

Mistletoe Market

December 10

This Traders Village of Douglas County event, at the fairgrounds in Superior, will feature food vendors, crafters, direct sale vendors,

junkers and pickers, as well as a petting zoo, hot chocolate and a fire… fun for all ages! Visit www. facebook.com/ events.

An Evening with George Winston

7:30 p.m. December 15

Winston has inspired fans and musicians alike with his singular solo acoustic piano songs for more than 40 years. Enjoy this performance at the DECC’s Symphony Hall, Entrance D. Visit www.decc.org/event/ an-evening-with-george-winston.

Santa’s Market Craft & Gift Show

December 16-18

Find handmade crafts, collectibles and direct sale vendors at Miller Hill Mall. Visit www. facebook.com/ events.

Holiday on the Hill

5:30 p.m. December 22

Kolar Duluth hosts this fundraiser to donate gifts and money to the Boys & Girls Club of the Northland. Enjoy beverages and appetizers, with music by the world's best young Elvis, Travis Ledoyt. Bring a gift donation or suggested $10 cash donation. Visit www.facebook.com/events.

New Year’s Eve Party

7 p.m. December 31

Raise your glass to 2023 at Pier B with live music from Whiskey Trail and Bo Allen. Tickets are $40 at the door or $35 in advance. Enjoy champagne, light appetizers, and party favors. Visit www.pierbresort.com/events/ new-years-eve-at-pier-b.

sie NOMINATIONS OPEN!!

The women of our community are a driving force and we recognize them each year for what they bring to our unique culture. We’re looking to you, our readers, to help us celebrate those among us who drive us forward.

Nominate a special woman you know today by sending us a short summary describing their contributions to our community.

We will honor winners in the following categories:

Most Engaged Volunteer: A woman who goes above and beyond and works tirelessly in the region for the good of us all.

Mentor Award: A woman among us who has acted as an experienced and trusted adviser to those around her.

Trailblazer Award: A woman who is willing to step out and blazes a new positive path for others to follow.

Leadership Award: A woman who demonstrates outstanding leadership by challenging, motivating and inspiring others in their field of endeavor.

Silent Advocate: A woman who silently helps her communities and neighbors.

Rosie Award: That woman who simply gets stuff done - she’s a volunteer, a silent advocate, a leader, a trailblazer and a mentor.

For questions, please contact Ali at 218-428-2929 or dearrosie@thewomantoday.com Presented by

Abigail Boone 2022 Trailblazer Award

of Christmas past Christmas past

Thisyear, The Woman Today team asked our readers to share their favorite memories from past Christmases. Memories are cherished moments that can’t be taken away — they are gifts, really. When you take a moment to think about those memories and reflect, you recognize the real importance of why we gather for holiday traditions.

My mother, Deb Keller, submitted a Christmas memory and then started sending me lots of photos of my brother and I at our family Christmases in Grand Rapids. It was so fun to see those from many years ago. I vividly remember visiting my grandparents in Mora, Minnesota, on Christmas Day, and then coming home to a very cold house. It was heated by a wood stove, which was in the basement, so the house was always so frigid cold. We kept on all of our outdoor winter clothes until it was warmer in the house. To give the house time to heat up, my brother and I went out and took care of chores — we had a lot of bunnies, horses, dogs and cats to tend to.

My favorite memory is from 1993. Mom and dad always tried to give us one big gift each year and, of course, they would save it to the very end. We both had huge boxes — and they were very heavy! We tore into those boxes at the same time and, much to our surprise, there were pillows and bowling balls in there with a little note. Our journey began: An outdoor scavenger hunt! I remember it was well below zero and the snow was up to my waist. But we didn’t care, we were just so excited for our family Christmas. After many stops outside, we finally made it back into the house. We couldn’t believe our eyes — my brother got a television for his bedroom and I got a new bike! One of those scavenger hunt notes stayed in an old shed at my parents’ place up until this year, when the shed had to be torn down. It remained there, reminding us of that great Christmas nearly 29 years ago.

Thank you to all who sent us your favorite memories. May you all have a safe and happy holiday season!

Megan Keller Group Advertising Director, Duluth Media Group Publisher, Cloquet Pine Journal

Iwasaround 2 or 3 years old, so circa 1992ish, and my parents got me the most incredible dollhouse for Christmas. It was fully furnished and all decked out with PlayMobil figures. My mom even strung little Christmas lights all over it to be even more magical and festive.

As I was standing there taking in the sheer wonder of the vision before me, my older brother, extremely excited about his new Batman and Batmobile toys, came running up behind me, loudly singing/shouting, "NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA BATMANNNNNNN!!!!!" and proceeded to tear through my perfectly arranged dollhouse with his Batmobile toy, with Batman himself sitting at the wheel.

We don't have a picture of this moment, but I do believe there is old family VHS footage of the event stowed away somewhere in the basement archives. My parents told me I didn't even cry, just stared incredulously at my brother and what he just did.

I spent the rest of the morning putting together what Batman destroyed.

Thank you for letting me share this fun tidbit from life in the Downs household at holidays, never a dull moment!

~Rachel Downs of Duluth

Continued on page 36

My parents always had Christmas at their farm and one tradition was to have "one of the boys" dress up as Santa. After our Christmas dinner we would tell the little ones to start watching for Santa, and they would run from window to window looking. Their excitement when they saw him coming from the barn with that bag of gifts was priceless! Santa would tell them the reindeer were in the barn to warm up and have some hay while he passed out gifts. The little ones would crowd around Santa telling him that they are sooooo good this year and how much they loved him. It was a memory we will always cherish. This photo shows me along with my two little ones, Matt and Megan, in 1984.

~Deb Keller of Grand Rapids

The annual Sankta Lucia Celebration

Sat., Dec. 11 @ 9am

Duluth Holiday Inn

Lucia procession, program & Scandinavian brunch

Lydia Kraker Lucia 2022

Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 2 (218) 727-4416

sponsored by the Swedish Cultural Society of Duluth

Some of my fondest memories are seeing the joy in my grandmother’s face when she had all her children, their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren surrounding her in her tiny living room at Christmas. My grandmother lived most her life in the Woodland neighborhood and this

was my mother’s childhood home and now my sister owns it. I believe this is Christmas 2010. The Carlson Christmas memories will never fade. ❤️

In1967, when I was 2 years old, I got a rocking horse for Christmas!

WhenI think of Christmas memories, I think of family. This picture is from 1988 at the Sawmill Inn in Grand Rapids, Minn. As a child I always remembered my mom’s side of the family having big gatherings around Christmas time. Getting to see my cousin Cindi who lived five hours away was something I just couldn’t contain my giddiness about! We were connected at the hip at all the Christmas gatherings. Memories like these are what still warm my heart to this day! I am deeply thankful that I got to know my extended family at a young age.

Thisphoto is of my sister (Mary Litchke, standing) and me (sitting on floor) at Christmastime. My sister’s face was priceless!

Also, when I think of Christmas I think of life slowing down and reflecting on what means the most to us all. For our family, the most important part is Jesus. We love to go to church on Christmas Eve and I patiently wait for my favorite part — singing “Silent Night.” Every year I look down to that candle as I sing that song and remember why we are celebrating Christmas — the birth of Jesus Christ! Let your light shine!

~Krystal Tuve of Duluth

~Sandy Olson of Duluth

~Tiffiney Bartz of Grand Rapids

~Kerry Larson of Grand Rapids

Itwas probably 1993 or thereabouts, we were having our typical family Christmas at Grandma's (always got together Christmas Eve). The tree was decorated with the infamous Hallmark ornaments, with loads of gifts underneath. Everyone had enjoyed the usual Christmas dinner followed by the excitement of gift-opening!

After the gifts were opened, all of us kids would sit around enjoying and sharing our new belongings. This particular Christmas my brother, Adam Beron, received a new lego set, his favorite! He wasted no time in beginning the process of putting the new set together. He had laid on his belly with his feet/legs partly under the tree, which now had plenty of room to spare, being all the gifts were opened.

Before we knew it, the Christmas tree started to lean and then slowly started to fall...right on my brother who was still lying partly underneath. With him now

under the fallen tree, with his Legos all spread on the floor, everyone else in the room burst into laughter. It was quite the sight to see! My brother, however, didn't find this as comical as the rest of us! With everyone laughing, he annoyingly asked, “Can someone please move this tree!?”

To this day, we still think that since the Christmas tree was in the corner of the room, the ornaments were mostly hung in the front. This likely made it too heavy on one side, contributing to it falling.

That was probably one of the last Christmases as kids that we had a large gift opening. After that we were all “too old” for toys.

It was certainly a time to remember and we all had a good laugh...well, except for my brother.

Happy Holidays from Gemini Designs

~Nichole Jopke of Esko

Saved from a stroke

By Felicia Schneiderhan

Ona hot summer day, Ali Durfee brought her husband, Jim, to St. Luke’s for outpatient surgery. Jim had broken his ankle several days before. They figured they would be home with their kids by early afternoon. They soon found out that everything can change in a heargbeat.

The surgery went well. Ali was waiting for Jim in his room when Anesthesiologist Dr. Andrea Benson told her that Jim was not waking up quite the way they would expect. They believed he had a blood clot in his brain and had taken him for a CT scan.

The scan confirmed a blood clot had lodged itself in his brain.

“Then I got worried,” Ali said. “It hit me — oh my goodness — he’s having a stroke.”

Ali and Jim have been married 25 years. They share 11 children, with Jim’s oldest son from a previous marriage. Two of their sons work with Jim at his excavation company, Dirt Works Specialists. Ali runs the home, homeschooling the eight children who still live with them.

Everything hinged on the next few moments.

A stroke’s ripple effects

Signs of a stroke may be obvious: Sudden numbness in one side of the body, confusion or difficulty speaking, or trouble walking. People experiencing or witnessing these symptoms should immediately dial 911.

But for someone coming out of anesthetic from a normal, stable surgery, the signs could be very easy to miss.

“When I woke up,” Jim recalled, “they were asking me questions and I couldn’t answer them. The words weren’t coming out.”

Amber LaValley, the nurse assigned to closely observe Jim’s recovery, recognized that he was not following the expected evolution of recovery. One side of his face was different from the other, drooping and weak.

“That caused her to make the phone call that truly saved this man,” Dr. Benson said. “It could have so easily been missed.”

LaValley alerted Dr. Benson. The symptoms were confirmed. St. Luke’s stroke alert protocol was set in motion.

Award-winning stroke care at St. Luke’s St. Luke’s is nationally recognized for excellent stroke care

Jim and Ali Durfee (center) are surrounded by their family at their daughter’s wedding.

Jim and his oldest granddaughter “at work” in Jim’s excavator.

How quick action at St. Luke’s protected one man’s life

by both U.S. News & World Report, and the American Heart Association. When the alert sounded for Jim, St. Luke’s team knew just what to do.

Since Jim had just had surgery, he was not eligible for medication that would break up the blood clot. Fortunately, St. Luke’s was the first hospital in the region to offer thrombectomies. This is the most advanced stroke treatment for largevessel ischemic stroke patients. Dr. Naveen Gowda performed the procedure, removing the clot in less than 15 minutes.

Dr. Benson recalls the celebration among the team when the clot was successfully removed and Jim began to wake.

“The joy was obvious,” she said. “Everybody was moved. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of my life.”

Celebrating today

Today, Jim is back to long hours in the excavator and spending time with his growing family (which includes four grandchildren and a couple more on the way).

“I sure am glad I can still talk and think and use my body,” he said. “I like to stay busy.”

Ali is grateful too, aware of how quickly their lives could have gone another route if not for St. Luke’s healthcare team and its stroke care.

“We’re so thankful for the doctors and nurses who recognized and treated the stroke,” she said. “And we especially want to thank the Lord who gave them their abilities.”

Dr. Benson recognizes that the open communication among St. Luke’s team was vital to Jim’s successful outcome.

“When there’s a problem, we can work together as quickly as possible to find a solution. This is one of St. Luke’s greatest strengths.”

To learn more about stroke care at St. Luke’s, visit slhduluth.com/stroke. D

Felicia Schneiderhan is a Duluth-based writer. To read more of her work, visit FeliciaSchneiderhan.com

Family first: HERMANTOWN COUPLE DESIGNS NEW HOME

By Megan Keller

Thismonth's home is located in a quiet country setting — only minutes from Hermantown — for privacy and convenience. The couple designed their perfect home to include three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths and a three-stall garage with an open living floor plan. There’s also a bonus room above the garage, putting the total space at 2,700 square feet.

Learning from their experiences

Jason Carlson and Missy Francisco Carlson, both born in Hermantown, aren’t rookies to building a home. This was their second time building, and they have lived in four different homes with some renovation experience adding to their resume. They started building their home three years ago in 2019.

Jason said one of the big things he has learned from these experiences is “There is always something that can be adjusted. You grow with all your houses and your family grows … learning through those experiences.”

Missy added, “It's different with every house, but I think you also find out what works for your family and what flow works for your family.”

With still having children in the school district, it was important to be close to all of their activities. They also wanted to downsize their home.

“(Our previous house) was double the size of what ours is now, and because of being gone so much we didn’t use the house as we had originally planned and wanted to be closer to the schools,” Missy said.

The Carlsons decided to move to a more

Continued on page 42

ABOVE AND FACING PAGE: Jason Carlson and Missy Francisco Carlson’s Hermantown home features a front entry flanked by cedar columns and a shady spot for a couple of rocking chairs. The blue siding is custom colored. A stamped concrete patio in the back was completed by Jason.

secluded location.

“You still feel like you are in the woods, which I really enjoy, but only 10 minutes to Target,” Missy said.

Jason added, “We can walk out our back door (and) there are 5 miles of trails behind us that we can walk on.”

The couple worked with Heather Hiner, with Hiner Designs.

“One of the big things for me (was) we brought a plan to her, but we weren’t sure how certain things would fit,” Jason said. “We knew we wanted an open floor plan, and bedrooms at each end of the house. She brought forth the idea of the L-shaped house, and different angles to roof lines. She made it more appealing.”

The general contractor was Gilbert’s Contracting, led by

The great room, open to the kitchen and dining area, is flooded by natural light thanks to the large windows that extend into the vaulted ceiling. The gas fireplace is surrounded by custom-built cabinets.

Gary and Jeff Gilbert. Aaron Kangas and Everest Construction built the house.

Touring the home

The home’s exterior is covered in LP Smart navy-blue siding.

“The color was custom,” Missy said. “We had a hard time. We went back and forth on colors (because) we wanted something a little bit different. They color-matched it to a Sherwin WIlliams color for us.”

The home has white trim, and white carriage garage doors. The rock work, which blends beautifully with the cedar columns for the main entry, was provided by Brock White.

“This provided a more welcoming cottage-like feel to it,” Jason said.

The homeowners also added more cedar accents with decorative gables on the home. Behind the home, there is a stamped concrete patio that Jason completed. Beyond the patio is one of their favorite places — an in-ground fire pit for their summer outings and access to miles of trails.

As you enter the home, you walk into an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings. One of the first things you notice are the large windows (all from Marvin Windows) providing a lot of natural light and a scenic view of the woods behind them.

It was important to Missy that there was a flow throughout the house. They carefully picked the lighting and windows to match throughout the house.

“All the lighting was ordered online,” Missy said. “The lighting was something I had looked for for a long time. They are all black with accents of glass. We knew we wanted the windows to be black with white trim, and we knew we wanted that to flow and tie the rest of the house in.”

Another design element that Missy made sure to include was to have the same blue accents flow throughout the house, which is a similar color to the home’s exterior.

The home has forced air heat and air conditioning, as well as in-floor heat.

Bedrooms

Two of the bedrooms are located on one end of the home off of the main living space and have walk-in closets. Between the rooms they placed a large bathroom with a private toilet room and shower. For this bathroom, they knew they needed a divider for privacy. They initially were looking at a Jack-andJill-style bathroom; however, Hiner suggested this route which was a more efficient use of the space.

The granite countertops came from Granite Works, with two undermount sinks.

The custom cabinets were designed and built by Creative Woodmasters in Canyon, Minnesota.

“We worked one on one with Allen Logelin, owner of Creative Woodmasters,” Missy said. “This is the third time we

The kitchen is homeowner Missy’s favorite room thanks to it’s generously sized island that serves duty for meal prep and family gathering. Countertops are granite with undermount sinks, cabinetry is custom made, and homeowner Jason installed the backsplash tile on both the island and the wall behind the stove.

have worked with him; he is fantastic to work with … very creative, artsy, very into detail.”

On the opposite end of the home is the master suite. This bedroom has a large walk-in closet and in-suite bathroom. The bedroom furniture in the master suite was a set the homeowners owned for many years, so they renovated the set to match the rest of the woodwork in the home.

The in-suite bathroom also has granite countertops by Granite Works, and cabinetry by Creative Woodmasters. Jason installed all the tile on the floor, and the shower tiling in all the bathrooms was done by Hedley Construction. The master bathroom has two undermount sinks, a walk-in shower with specialty shower heads ordered from Ferguson, two closets, and a private toilet room. The couple also wanted a jet deep soaker tub that looks out into the woods.

The main living space

The living room has a gas fireplace, wrapped by custom cabinets from Creative Woodmasters. The large windows and patio doors lead to the outdoor patio space. Next to the living room is the kitchen, adding to the open floor concept. In the vaulted ceilings, it was important to the homeowners to have a soft-can lighting set on dimmer switches.

“The sunshine is very important to us to let in, and Heather

Continued on page 46

Hiner made sure to design and build around that,” Missy said. “Nothing is better than sitting down, turning on the fireplace to cozy up and see the outdoors. It just feels cozy.”

The AC comes from the ceiling and there is also a surround sound system installed throughout the entire home with the exception of the bedrooms. The system, from Nex Tec Systems, has the capability of being controlled by their cell phones. The vinyl plank flooring is from T&C Flooring, which was installed by Jason.

The kitchen

The kitchen is the hub of the Carlsons’ home.

“Another thing that Heather Hiner had helped us with was the island, we appreciated her input with this design,” Missy said. “We do everything at this island — we eat here, we sit and talk and gather here. One unique addition to the island that Allen did, where the bar stools are, are cabinets for storage.”

The countertops, with veins of gray and solid white, are quartz from Granite Works. The kitchen was specifically designed to have a lot of storage.

“One of the things I liked about the kitchen, when working

with Allen at Creative Woodmasters, (was) he designed the unique drawers under the window so we didn’t have to run the cabinets around the walls and to keep the open feel with the windows,” Missy said.

The black stainless-steel appliances were purchased from Best Buy. The undermount sink is graphite composite that they purchased online, and the sink fixtures came from Ferguson. The tiling for the backsplash was all installed by Jason on the island and above the stovetop. Near the kitchen is also a walk-in pantry.

Off of the garage is another entrance to the home, which takes you into a mud room where the lighting is motion controlled. There is additional cabinetry and closet space, as well as more storage under the stairs going to the second floor entertainment room. On this side of the home, you can enter the entertainment room above the garage.

“This is kind of the kids’ hangout, to have friends over and watch movies,” Missy said.

Jason’s office is also located on this floor. They really worked

Continued on page 48

The second-floor entertainment room is open and spacious, with plenty of comfy seating for watching TV, and a ping pong table.

The mud room, located near the garage entry, not only houses the washer and dryer, but also plenty of cabinets and bins for extra storage. Lighting is motion-controlled.

Hiner Home Designs

What were some of your favorite moments or components of this project?

This is the second home I designed for this homeowner and there were many things about their last home that they loved and wanted to replicate in this new home – specifically the layout of the kitchen, dining, and great room. So, with a few minor modifications, that space is a duplicate of the other house right down to the great room vaulted ceiling and wall of windows. Therefore, the rest of the house was really designed around this core area.

Since their kids are older now, the homeowners opted for the master bedroom and kids’ bedrooms on opposite ends of the house for privacy with the master walk-in closet connected to the laundry room adjacent to the mud room.

The layout of the house is planned for future empty nest living, where the homeowner areas are situated entirely on one end of the house with guest spaces on the other end.

If you were to give any advice to other homeowners planning to take on a build such as this, what would you say?

I can always tell when a homeowner has built a home before, because their thoughts and wish list tend to be very concise, which was the case with this homeowner. They showed me images of their preferred “Craftsman” style, and I designed the exterior to bring in these style elements such as steeper roof peaks, a combination of horizontal and vertical siding and stone, wide trim, and wood gable accents.

My suggestion to anyone thinking of building is to spend

time creating an image gallery, since this is very helpful to the designer to clearly understand their style likes and dislikes.

to maximize the space, making changes during the build to add additional storage on this level as well.

In conclusion

When asked if they would ever build again, the Carlsons did not hesitate to say yes.

“You know what makes that decision easy is that Jason and I have very similar styles,” Missy said. “It's not bad, we had a great time!”

When asked what is their most favorite part of the home, Jason said, “I like our kitchen, I do a lot of the cooking … and when you are in the kitchen cooking you can see and hear everything. It's always a gathering spot. Everyone always converges to the kitchen.”

“The windows are my favorite,” Missy said. “The wall in the kitchen is where I look out back and feel like one with the woods. I am always looking for animals! This is our home, our favorite place to be. I am so grateful for Jason. He has put in a lot of work and he has saved us a lot of money. It's great to live in a home that he has contributed so much to.” D

Megan Keller is the advertising director for The Woman Today.

The master suite includes a walk-in shower, two closets. a private toilet room, and a deep soaker tub. Homeowner Jason Carlson installed the tile on the floor.

The other two bedrooms and a bath are on the opposite end of the house and include walk-in closets, two undermounted sinks in granite countertops, and cabinetry custom designed and built by Creative Woodmasters in Canyon.

MULLED WINE GLAZED HAM

This is a very simple yet flavorful and aromatic recipe.

1 Applewood ham scored in diamond pattern (size depends on the # of guests: ⅓-½lb per guest)

½ bottle Red wine

12 oz. Orange marmalade

1 Fresno chile, sliced

1 Orange, zested and cut into ¼’’ slices

1 Star anise

3 Bay leaves

4 Cloves plus extra for pinning the pineapple on the ham

4 Pineapple slices from a can Juice from the pineapple can

Place all ingredients in the pan except for ham and pineapple slices and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid has been reduced by half, add the ham to the pan with the pineapple pinned with 4 cloves each and ladle the glaze over the entire ham.

Place into a preheated oven set at 225 degrees. VERY IMPORTANT: Smoked hams are already cooked and only need to reach an internal temp of 140 degree. They do not and should not be over cooked. Nobody wants a dry ham.

Open the oven door and re-glaze the

On the menu this holiday...

ham multiple times during the cooking process. Once you’ve reached the desired temperature, remove from the oven and let set for 10 minutes prior to cutting. This will allow the meat to relax and retain its delicious juices.

Continued on page 52

Open

MUSTARD HAM

1 Applewood ham, scored in diamond pattern (size depends on the # of guests: ⅓-½lb per guest)

1 cup Brown sugar

¼ cup Whole grain mustard, Maille brand preferred

¼ cup Dijon mustard, Maille brand preferred

½ cup Orange blossom honey, Mitica brand preferred

APPETIZER STARTER

Wrapped Green Onions and Cream Cheese. Find the full recipe and instructions at thewomantoday.com in the July 2022 issue, page 54.

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. Cracked black pepper

Mix ingredients together and spread over ham. Follow cooking instructions from the Mulled Wine Glazed Ham recipe, except there will be no further need to reglaze during the cooking process.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH GORGONZOLA & ROGOTZKE MAPLE SYRUP

SERVES 4-5

1 Large butternut squash, peeled and deseeded, then cut into ½’’ pieces*

Olive oil, to coat the cut-up squash

1 Tbsp. Cracked black pepper

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter

¼ cup Pecans, toasted & crushed

4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

2 oz. Pure maple syrup, Rogotzke maple syrup preferred

½ bunch Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, sliced or chiffonade

Coat the cut-up pieces of squash in olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place onto a sheet pan into a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until soft yet firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Add the butter to a preheated, large saute pan and add the squash. Gently toss the squash after a couple of minutes and then add the parsley, pecans, gorgonzola and syrup. Remove from heat.

Place cooked product on a plate and garnish with a light pour of maple syrup and a few more crumbles of gorgonzola cheese over the top. Finish with fried peelings of squash, if desired.

*After the outer layer of squash is peeled off, peel some fresh slices and deep fry at 320 degrees until golden brown. Makes for a great garnish or snack!

DAUPHINE POTATOES

A process where Duchesse Potatoes and a Pate A Choux or Éclair Paste is mixed together creating the perfect combination of golden brown, flaky and smooth potatoes rich in flavor.

Recipe 1: DUCHESSE POTATOES

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes

1 oz. Whole butter (or compound butter for more flavor)

1 tsp. Freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. Cracked black pepper

2 Eggs

Place potatoes in the oven set to 400 degrees. Once they are soft, remove from the oven and quickly squeeze or scoop out the insides. Place in a mixing bowl, food mill or stand mixer and mash together. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Recipe 2: PÂTE À CHOUX OR ÉCLAIR PASTE

8 oz. Whole milk

8 oz. Water

8 oz. Unsalted butter (or compound butter for more flavor)

2 tsp. Sugar

8 oz. Flour, King Arthur preferred

7 Eggs

In a small pot, combine milk, water, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the flour (the mixture should be nice and smooth, yet still resembling a thick batter). Remove from heat and immediately add to the mixer or mixing bowl. Add one egg at a time until all of the eggs are completely mixed together.

*Timing is of the essence on this next step. Both recipes should be done at the same time or completed within 15 minutes of each other. This will allow the finished mixture to

maintain its smooth appearance and if looking for that more elegant appearance while using a piping bag with decorated tip versus scooping out with a spoon.

Mix both recipes together in a mixing bowl. If desired*, add 1 pound of grated parmesan cheese, or in my case I used a cranberry chipotle cheddar. The sky’s the limit in what cheese or additional ingredients can be used, for example: chives, bacon, jalapeno, tomato. Do this quickly and once fully mixed, scoop out — or in my case, pipe out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Size depends on what you want it to be. Place in the refrigerator until completely cool (can be refrigerated for two days or immediately frozen).

If using an oven: Place in a preheated oven set to 375 degrees and cook for about 10 minutes or golden brown.

If using a fryer (recommended): Set the fryer to 325 degrees. Cut the parchment around the potatoes and place directly into the fryer. After 20 seconds the paper will easily peel off using tongs. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from the fryer and let cool.

*If using additional cheese, the finished product will have a gooey/custard-like appearance in the middle. D

FINISH THE MEAL WITH A SAVORY ICE CREAM

Pumpkin and Roasted

Pumpkin Seed Ice Cream. Find the full recipe and instructions at thewomantoday.com in the Oct/Nov 2022 issue, page 51.

k i d skorner

By Ali Carlson

Sponsored by:

We’ve been pretty lucky to be able to sneak in so many extra outdoor activities with the extended warm weather we had! Sloane soaked up every adventure she could! We have traded in our crocs for boots now and are ready for all things winter. We are so excited to visit Santa at the aquarium this year as well as the holiday light show at the zoo. Have fun and get out in our community and explore!

At the Depot

Museum exhibits

SLOanE’s Suggestions

Let’s Skate

FRIDAY

5:00-8:00 pm*

Super Glow Skate Party!

*Free light stick with each paid admission!!

Educational programming. Family events. The St. Louis County Depot is a welcoming space for all. Follow us on social media or visit our website to find all there is to experience inside this wonderous building. ExperienceTheDepot.org or “St. Louis Count Depot” on Facebook & Instagram.

At the Zoo

Explore more than ever at the Zoo!

See and learn about over 140 species of animals in indoor and outdoor habitats. Meet two rescued brown bears, talk with a parrot, and even hang with a two-toed sloth! At the Lake Superior Zoo, there’s something for everyone. We believe the Zoo is a place for all people to have closeup experiences with animals that create connections with wildlife and action toward conservation in our region and around the world!

SCUBA

Santa!

Join us every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. between Thanksgiving and Christmas (not including the weekend of Christmas Eve/ Christmas) at the Great Lakes Aquarium.

Fun For All Ages!

8:30-11:00 pm

Adult Night Ages 18+ Only!

College Rate With ID

$8.99 + Rental $9.95 + Rental $8.95 + Rental

At the Aquarium

Cookie cutter stamped tea towels

By Molly Milroy

How cute are these cookie cutter stamped tea towels? These simple designs are sure to add some holiday flair to your kitchen décor or will make a terrific holiday gift. The best part: They are super easy to create.

Supplies needed: Tea towels or flour sacks, fabric paints, cookie cutters (variety), paper plates, small brushes, vinyl tablecloth.

Start by laying out your supplies. Either spread out a vinyl tablecloth or plastic garbage bags to protect the area you are working on. Then spread your tea towels out on top of the covered area. If needed, iron the tea towels first. Make sure the towels are each lying flat with the backside down. If it’s difficult to tell which side is the back, check for the tag or the stitching alongside the edges. Place your cookie cutters out on the table to see what options you have to work with.

Next choose your paint colors and pour them onto separate paper plates.

Make sure you have enough paint on the plates to cover the entire cookie cutter. If needed, you can use a paintbrush or plastic spoon to spread the paint around, so it doesn’t clump up.

Now the fun begins! Choose your cookie cutter and dip it into the paint, immediately stamp it on the towel, pressing firmly and holding it down for a couple of seconds. Make sure to press evenly before you lift the cookie cutter off the fabric to ensure the paint is evenly distributed. Lift the cookie cutter directly up so you do not spread the paint.

Making holiday tea towels allows a variety of artistic options. By choosing the paint color and placement of the cookie cutters, each design will be unique. Choose one shape and one color for a towel or use different shapes with different color paints on the same towel. Be sure to wash each cookie cutter before dipping into a new paint color.

Let the paint dry on the towel before moving it. While it’s drying, you can get started on your next design. After the paint is dry, fold or roll up the towel. Finish it off by tying with a corded braid or twine. Pair it with holiday soap or a nice lotion and it’ll make the perfect hostess gift.

These tea towels are fun and easy to make and can add a hint of the holidays to one’s kitchen. A practical yet fun present, give them to grandparents, teachers, neighbors and friends.

They are so cute, you might want to keep one for yourself! D

A variety of cookie cutters in different colors make a fun design.

Create your design however you wish.

Fabric paints can be found at any craft store.

For holiday-stamped tea towels, you will need white cotton tea towels, fabric paints, cookie cutters, paper plates and small brushes.

Molly Milroy is a Duluth freelance writer.

Use paper plates for each color paint.

The Woman Yesterday

Anne Van Derlip Weston (1861-1944)

By Abigail Blonigen

Anne Van Derlip Weston was born in New York City in 1861. She was given up for adoption at a young age and never knew her birth parents. Fortunately, she was adopted by George and Grace Van Derlip, wealthy art collectors, who provided her with a cultured childhood, according to Zenith City Press.

George Van Derlip had one of the best collections of American art at the time, according to art historian Wade Lawrence in a thesis provided by the family. He was such an esteemed collector that he helped form the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then became a trustee.

Weston grew up in the art world and attended Rutgers Female College, which emphasized the classics. Soon after she graduated, Weston began working for Louis Comfort Tiffany — of Tiffany and Co. fame — in the women’s glass department.

The women’s glass department was responsible for wrapping the pieces of glass in copper foil, according to Lawrence’s thesis. This gave Weston an intimate familiarity with the glass, which came in handy as she began to design her own windows. There is evidence that Weston worked her way up to the head of the department.

In 1888, Weston married Dr. John Burroughs Weston, and

the couple moved to Duluth. Weston continued to design windows and teach art. Her most famous piece was her “Minnehaha Window” commissioned for the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893.

Another one of Weston’s famous works, commissioned by the Duluth Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1904, shows what Daniel Greysolon Sieur du Lhut might have seen when he first came to what is now Duluth.

The Duluth City Council has debated selling the historic windows on two occasions in 2008 and in 2020, but have voted against it both times. The windows remain on display at the St. Louis County Depot.

The Westons left Duluth in 1913, moving to a small town in the San Bernardino Valley in California. She did not design any more windows after that point, but did design the home the couple lived in, along with some tiles for their fireplace.

Weston continued to be active in the community, participating in the local women’s club and as a trustee of the library. She passed away September 8, 1944 at the age of 83. D

Detail of the Tiffany stained glass window “Minnehaha.”

The window honoring Daniel Greysolon Sieur duLhut shows the waters of Lake Superior and shore of Park Point.