The Woman Today Jan/Feb 2021

the

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WOMAN the today

PROFILES

6 Jenny Schwietz

Surfing up north? You betcha!

8 Diana McFadden & Kathleen Schultz

Fat tire biking allows for year-round fun

12 Erin Moldowski

Mentor North: Connect with a youth — change a life

FEATURES

16 Making lemonade out of lemons

20 3 Northland women enjoy winter in different ways

24 Weddings in the Northland continue, despite pandemic

HEALTH/MEDICINE

30 Essentia Getting her heart, health back on track

34 St. Luke’s Offering safer total joint replacements

FASHION

32 Fashions by Sam

FOOD/NUTRITION

48 Champagne Donuts

HOME TOUCHES

36 Years of hard work pay off for Carlsons as they enjoy new home

42 Galley kitchen modernized in DIY remodel

DIY

46 Bring life in your home with a macramé plant hanger

WOMAN the today

GROUP PUBLISHER

Neal Ronquist

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Rick Lubbers

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Megan Keller

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Ali Carlson

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Renae Ronquist

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Julie Schulz

CONTRIBUTORS

Abigail Blonigen

Andrea Busche

Alison Stucke

Comstock Creative

David Fogarty

Debra Poldoski

Erik Gaffron

EMAIL

Erin Moldowski

Kasha Stoll

Laura Johnson

Rancy Carlson

Ray Lyons

Sara Carlson

Samantha Roffers

Shawna Mullen

Kiley Marissa Photography

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magazines@duluthnews.com

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

TO OUR READERS

New Year’s resolutions, something that many people begin thinking about as the New Year approaches. This year, I imagine many resolutions will be different from past years. As I reflect on the past year, I think about what life has been like … days where I felt a little trapped and wished so badly that I could do things I no longer can due to quarantine.

As fall set in, I soon realized this new way of life was not going away any time soon. Time to reset that attitude and look at all the wonderful things that we can do and experience new adventures! We really do live in a winter wonderland here, if you haven’t had a chance to try hiking in the woods — find yourself a pair of snowshoes to either borrow or purchase and experience the beauty of nature that surrounds us. It is such a refreshing experience — the crisp and cool air, the trees, beautiful white snow. Embrace where we live.

If hiking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of options to still get out safely. My husband and I used to go on a date night at least once a month to a local restaurant. So many changes have happened to our restaurant industry, but we can still support them. We recently picked up dinner to go at a local restaurant — drove down to the lake and had a dinner date in our car watching the waves on beautiful Lake Superior. It was refreshing and fun! So rather than waiting and counting the days until this will all be over, embrace the moments we have now — find new things to enjoy and get creative by making new memories.

In this issue of The Woman Today, we cover a variety of topics that are all centered around exciting activities that can be done right here in the Northland, either virtually or in nature. They include surfing Lake Superior and hitting the trails on fat tire bikes, snowmobiles, snowshoes and skis. There are also some wonderful virtual options out there; you will read about ballroom dance to running marathons. And one other really fun addition to this issue, The Bride Today will be featuring many brides who decided to tie the knot this year!

May you find inspiration, creativity and happiness every day of this upcoming year. Get out of your comfort zone and take on this New Year with a little grit!

Happy New Year to you all and thank you to our loyal advertisers who continue to support The Woman Today. Enjoy the first issue of 2021!

ON THE COVER:

Jenny Schwietz has traveled to southern California, Florida and the Dominican Republic to surf. When she travels, folks are surprised she learned to surf in Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Randy Carlson

Megan Keller Advertising Director

Surfing up north?

You betcha!

Background: Jenny Schwietz surfs in Lake Superior with a ship in the background.

Inset: Jenny Schweitz, who has now been surfing for about six years, caught her first wave on accident while a student in UMD’s surf program.

By Abigail Blonigen

“Iremember my freshman year, I saw somebody with a surfboard in the dorms, and I was like alright that’s pretty cool, I’m going to follow up on that,” said Jenny Schwietz, who was then an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

One would expect to see a surfboard floating around the dorms in Hawaii or southern California — a place with more sun, less snow and an ocean shoreline. As it turns out, the saltless sea of Lake Superior is in fact big enough to surf on.

Schwietz grew up in the Twin Cities area, just outside St. Paul. She moved to Duluth for college in 2013. She earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and is currently a master’s student at UMD studying biology.

After “following up” with the surfboard in the dorm,

Schwietz was able to connect with UMD’s surf club in spring 2014. The program is popular among students and generally sells out within one day. Schwietz was able to secure a spot, and actually became a surf and paddle instructor the following year.

In the surf program, students train in UMD’s pool, learning to paddle, control their board, and fall safely. When the weather conditions are favorable, students get to test their skills in Lake Superior.

“Your first time surfing, you get so tired, and you think it is the hardest thing in the world that you are doing,” said Schweitz, recalling her first time.

Schwietz remembers paddling out into the lake for what felt like forever. To catch a wave, surfers are supposed to paddle into the wave until they begin gilding, at which point they stand up. It is easier said than done, of course, and requires a great deal of practice.

Schwietz managed to catch a wave on accident.

~ Jenny Schwietz

“I completely accidentally caught a wave, so I was like, all right, I guess I’ll stand up now,” she said.

After that, she was hooked.

“That was kind of it for me. I caught that wave and now I haven’t stopped.”

Schwietz has since surfed in southern California, Florida and the Dominican Republic. Southern California is her go-to spot; she’s surfed there about eight times.

“When I go out there, people ask where we’re from because we talk funny,” she said. “They’re usually pretty blown away that we learned how to surf out here.”

Surfing in the ocean is different than surfing in the Great Lakes. The water in the ocean is warmer, the salt water makes surfers more buoyant and there is more time between waves — 10-12 seconds as opposed to Lake Superior’s six to seven.

Lake Superior is colder and windier, but Schwietz said the waves she has surfed in Minnesota and Wisconsin are comparable in size to the waves she has surfed in the ocean.

Northland surfers tend to be well versed in weather patterns to figure out where best to surf and when. There are a number of websites to help forecast the wind and waves in the area.

“As you become more experienced in this area, you can tell which wind directions make which spots on the lake work the best,” said Schwietz. “For me it’s part of the fun.”

While Stoney Point tends to be the most popular spot in Duluth, Schwietz has explored much of the north and south shores. Her favorite spots aside from Stoney Point are near the Lester River in Duluth; Flood Bay, north of Two Harbors; and along the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.

Due to wind patterns, surfing conditions tend to be best in the area during the colder months. To stay warm in frigid Lake Superior, surfers wear wetsuits that cover everything but their faces, complete with mittens and boots.

“That keeps you pretty warm actually. You’d be surprised,” Schwietz said.

The suits allow some water to get in, which provides a layer of insulation as it is warmed by body heat. However, if one falls in just the right way, the impact can let in a friendly blast of ice cold water.

Though Schwietz is not a runner, she compares the experience of surfing to what she imagines a runner’s high feels like.

“When you catch your first wave or when you start getting higher in skill level and you’re riding these waves

consistently, that feeling is unlike anything else,” she said.

While the unpredictable nature of surfing may be unsettling to some, it’s what Schwietz loves about the sport.

“I really like the nature of the environment, how uncontrolled the environment is,” she said. “That wave is coming whether you like it or not, whether you’re ready for it or not.”

For those bold enough to want to give freshwater surfing a try, Schwietz advises to get the right equipment and to know the spot in which you are going to surf. Surfing can be dangerous when folks are getting in the way or are attempting waves outside of their skill level. Schwietz recommends Park Point as a perfect beginner location.

Schweitz also recommends new surfers to push themselves past the point at which they want to give up.

“Most of the time you’re not actually exhausted — you just have to slow down and take a breath.” D

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK GAFFRON

FAT TIRE BIKING allows for year-round fun

By Abigail Blonigen

As the weather grows colder and Northlanders dawn their puffy coats and thick socks, some year-round mountain bikers switch over to their fat bikes.

Fat bikes are exactly what they sound like: bikes with wider tires to provide more stability and help pack down the snow.

“Fat bikes were developed primarily for use on snow because of the wider width of the tires,” avid mountain biker Diana McFadden said,” but I think what people found — especially people who are kind of new to mountain biking — is that with that wider tire you get so much more stability when riding them.”

McFadden has been biking for about 20 years. She became interested in the sport after taking a spin class at the YMCA and meeting a group of women who encouraged her to buy a bicycle and join them for their group road rides.

Diana McFadden and her 13-yearold son Bodee ride the South Trails in Marquette, Mich., in July 2020.

Diana McFadden

“I was hooked after that,” she said. “It was such a fun activity. It was social, athletic, healthy — all those things that I was seeking in my life.”

She progressed into mountain biking after borrowing a friend’s bike to hit the trails. She loved the experience so much that she purchased her own mountain bike and started attending Ski Hut’s Monday night social mountain bike rides, which helped her learn the trails in town.

Kathleen Schultz is one of those riders who prefers the stability and comfort of a fat bike, so much that she rides her

fat bike year-round.

“For me a fat bike makes me feel more confident because I don’t have to second-guess going over obstacles. I can just roll right over it,” Schultz said.

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Schultz bought her first mountain bike about 15 years ago. She initially started biking to spend more time with her husband, who is an avid biker. Despite her husband’s encouragement, Schultz didn’t take to biking right away. It wasn’t until she began to focus “on the joy of achieving” that css.edu/socialwork

Continued on page 10

McFadden and friends bike on the Munger Trail in Duluth. Left to Right: Amy Bennett, Rachel Howard, Lauren Kachinske, Renee Hutchens, Dee Bartlam, Anne Normand, Scott Kylander-Johnson, Patrick Greehan, Sherie Nelson, Sara Kylander-Johnson.

she began to develop her own interest.

“The more I tried to keep up with him, the better I got,” Schultz said.

Schultz switched between her mountain bike and fat bike for many years, but recently downsized to a bike that can be equipped with regular mountain or fat bike tires. Her new bike is lighter than a traditional fat bike, so she gets the stability of the wider tires without as much of the weight to pull uphill.

McFadden also bikes with her family; she actually met her husband through mountain biking as they both chased races across the Upper Midwest. They take family trips centered around mountain biking, travelling to places like Moab, Utah; Fruita, Colorado; and Bentonville, Arkansas.

Her favorite trip is to compete in the SingleTrack 6 race in British Columbia, Canada, which she has done several times.

Each of the six days of the event are in different locations. McFadden doesn’t race as much as she used to, but gets out when she can.

Schultz, who is from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has also traveled West to bike. She and her husband wintered in New Mexico the last few years and have been to Montana and the Four Corners, biking in every state. Schultz also races about once or twice a year.

Both McFadden and Schultz are involved in the local bike club called Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS), which advocates for and maintains trails across the Twin Ports. McFadden has served on the board of the organization, and the two have both volunteered with trail building and maintenance.

“Being in the woods on the trails is really my happy place,” McFadden said.

In addition to the serenity of the woods, McFadden loves the problem-solving aspect of biking — figuring out how to get around or through obstacles and having the technical knowhow to take care of oneself on the trail.

“I like the fact that (biking) takes you out of your headspace and makes you more in tune with what’s actually going on around you,” Schultz said. “You’re always looking at the terrain. You’re in the moment, always.”

Both McFadden and Schultz emphasized the power of community in biking, particularly for women, as mountain

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Kathleen Schultz smiles on her first winter fat bike ride on her new bike on the Lester Trail, part of the Duluth Traverse COGGS system.

biking tends to be a male-dominated sport.

Schultz reflected on how she’d often be the only woman to show up to a group ride when she first started — and she’d be on a fat bike, which was a kind of double whammy as they tend to be heavier and slower. Now she sees many more women in the sport.

“Building up your confidence is kind of something that is done from one woman to the next,” Schultz said.

McFadden has a group of women whoM she rides with every Tuesday night, year-round. She said she sees many more women and families out on the trails now than when she first started, which makes her happy.

Group rides are something both McFadden and Schultz highly recommend to folks who are new to fat biking, so reach out to someone who has more expertise. The Ski Hut and COGGS both host group rides and can be great connection points.

For those who want to give winter biking a try, Schultz said: “Start slow and

give yourself freedom to go slow. Don’t try to keep up when you just get started. Go at your own pace.”

McFadden emphasized grit.

“I think sometimes the motivation during the winter is what’s lacking. It’s cold outside. It gets dark earlier.

Sometimes it can just be tough to motivate yourself to get out. I’ve found that once you get outside and do it, you never regret it.” D

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Abigail Blonigen is a Duluth freelance writer and photographer.

By Andrea Busche

January is National Mentoring Month, an annual, nationwide mentoring campaign dedicated to celebrating and promoting the mentoring movement. But what exactly is mentoring, you might ask?

Mentoring is a special, unique friendship, typically consisting of a youth matched with a responsible, caring adult. The pair enjoy spending quality time together, doing activities they both enjoy. The relationship is healthy and beneficial for a mentor and mentee alike.

Did you know the Twin Ports has its own active mentoring community? Mentor North, based out of Duluth’s Damiano Center, has two programs: Mentor Duluth and Mentor Superior, covering both sides of the bridge.

The organization currently has 140 active matches, but is looking for more people to support the cause; there are 198 youth who remain on Mentor North’s waitlist. There is a huge demand for all volunteers, but Mentor North has a particular need for more male mentors, mentors of color, and mentors who identify as LGBTQ+.

History

Mentoring has been an important part of the Twin Ports community for decades.

“Mentor North started as the Mentor Duluth Collaborative in 1996,” Mentor North Executive Director Erin Moldowski

Connect with a youth — change a life

said. “Over the years, it has been a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club, the YWCA, the YMCA and Neighborhood Youth Services, but today, it is its own nonprofit program.”

Moldowski, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology and a master’s degree in social work, has worked with the organization for several years. She explained more about the program.

“Mentor North matches youth with positive adults for a one-on-one, community-based mentoring relationship,” she said. “A mentor and mentee are paired based on personality and shared interests.”

Demographic

Mentor North is currently matching children (both boys and girls) ages 5-18. Many of these children come from low-income and/or single-parent households.

Mentor North’s volunteer mentors feature a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

“Our youngest volunteer is 19, and our oldest is in their 70s,” Moldowski said. “Some work in the sciences, some are in social services, some are attending college, and some are retired. Mentoring is an option for anyone who wants to make a difference in the life of a child.”

Requirements

People wishing to become a mentor with Mentor North are

Erin Moldowski

required to complete several screening procedures. This includes multiple interviews, a written application, a reference check, a motor vehicle report, a criminal background check, and new mentor training.

Mentors are expected to spend about 8-12 hours per month with their mentee, and for the relationship to last at least one year. (Time requirements are currently more flexible due to COVID-19). Current matches at Mentor North are far exceeding expectations, with the average mentor/mentee relationship lasting about 3.3 years.

Activities

When it comes to activities the pair can do together, the sky is truly the limit. Activities can range from touring a museum together to walking your dog. The main thing is spending quality time together.

“Mentoring can easily become incorporated into your life in a very natural way,” Moldowski said. “We ask our mentors to share their interests. If you love hiking, for instance, we can guarantee we have a mentee who would love to hike with you.”

And, there are no out-of-pocket costs for the mentor.

“We don’t expect our mentors to spend money,” Moldowski said. “We encourage them to enjoy free or reduced-fee activities with their mentees.”

As such, Mentor North has partnerships with a variety of local businesses, such as Mont du Lac, the YMCA, Great Lakes Aquarium and many more. Through these special and generous associations, free or discounted activities are offered to mentoring partnerships.

Testimonial

Mentoring can be deeply transformational for the mentor and mentee alike. Mary, a local resident, generously shared her ongoing experience as a volunteer mentor through Mentor North. Her relationship with her mentee, MaKenna, has

Continued on page 14

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Mary, a mentor through Mentor North, and her mentee, MaKenna, formed such a close bond that Mary asked MaKenna to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

blossomed over the years into a deep and special bond.

“Over four years have passed since MaKenna and I were matched through Mentor Duluth,” Mary said. “And I quickly learned that the most important thing I could be to MaKenna was a dependable, consistent person in her life. What I didn’t realize was that MaKenna became the same type of person in my life.

“Sometimes, our outings are planned adventures, like visiting the Great Lakes Aquarium or jumping at the trampoline park, and other times we like to work on crafts together or watch a movie,” she said. “As our friendship grew and MaKenna got older, our match steadily shifted to a more comfortable, sister-like relationship. Some of our best conversations take place when we’re running errands together, walking my dog, doing yard work, or just hanging out. This is when we are most relaxed, focused on understanding each other, and simply enjoying being together.

“I love the way MaKenna and I hold each other accountable for meeting our goals,” Mary added. “She always brings a new perspective, and helps me think things through in a new way.

“My favorite memory with MaKenna was asking her to be a bridesmaid in my wedding, and then having her by my side all day. It has truly been a joy to watch MaKenna grow and mature from the quiet, shy seventh-grader I met in 2016. More changes will come as MaKenna graduates high school and moves onto other dreams, but I’m thankful to have built a friendship that will last a lifetime.”

Deep ties

Working in the field of mentoring isn’t just a career for Moldowski. She also has a deep, personal connection to the benefits of this special relationship. As such, she can highly vouch for the positive aspects of being a volunteer mentor.

“My older sister, Sheila, was a mentor to a girl named Whitney,” Moldowski said. “Whenever I’d come to Duluth to visit Sheila in college, I’d hang out with them both.

“Whitney was in Sheila’s wedding, and they are still close today,” she added. “Whitney is now in her mid-20s. I speak from the heart when I say mentoring is transformative for both the mentor and the mentee.”

For more information, visit mentornorth.org. D

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

Mentor Sheila and mentee Whitney began their relationship when Sheila was in college, and continues today, after Whitney graduated college as well.

When Sheila was married, Sheila’s sister Erin and Sheila’s mentee Whitney were both part of her wedding party.

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Making lemonade out of lemons Finding new ways to exercise during the pandemic

By Kasha Stoll

Background: Laura Johnson (right) and Briana Waldoch cross the finish line held by Laura’s children, Layla and Felix, at Park Point in this summer’s virtual Grandma’s Marathon.

Inset: Layla Johnson sets up shop to cheer on her mother, Laura, and her mother’s friend Bri Waldoch on race day.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAE LYONS, LAURA JOHNSON, AND DEBRA POLDOSKI

Laura Johnson laughed and summed up 2020: “This is the year for making lemonade out of lemons.”

Johnson is an avid runner and the board chair for Grandma’s Marathon. Like many people, Johnson’s exercise schedule and plans were upended by the pandemic. Life goes on, though, and Johnson and others have found a way to continue, tweak or start their fitness routines.

Virtual races

Even though Johnson prefers the high energy, large crowds and controlled chaos of running in a typical Grandma’s Marathon, the 2020 virtual races will always hold a special place in her heart.

“I guess you could say I was feeling especially inspired — or crazy — and signed up to run all three Grandma’s Marathon weekend races,” Johnson said. “I was already registered for the Garry Bjorklund Half, but when the decision was made to transition all of the races to virtual events, I figured why not add in the Marathon and 5K, too.

Bri Waldoch and Laura Johnson are running buddies. Since Grandma’s Marathon was virtual this year, Laura, who is the Grandma’s Marathon board chair, ran it twice and submitted her best time. She also ran the 5K and half marathon.

“Now I have bragging rights of saying ‘I did all three weekend marathon races.’ No one has been able to do that

before.”

And if that wasn’t enough, Johnson also ran the marathon twice in two weeks and then submitted her best time for the official record.

Ah, the benefits of virtual racing!

Zach Schneider, the marketing and public relations manager for Grandma’s Marathon, shared a few more benefits: there is no travel required; you can run on familiar roads and trails; and you can choose your own day and start time.

Of course, there are challenges, as well.

“Grandma’s Marathon is built on community, support and emotion,” Schneider said. “You don’t get that when you run virtually. I encourage people to get friends and family out there on the course to cheer the runner on. Have people at the finish line to say, ‘Good job!’”

Johnson’s family set up a makeshift finish line on Park Point and cheered as she and her running partner, Brianna Waldoch, crossed the

Continued on page 18

line. Her kids supported other runners during their virtual race on June 20 by handing out Gatorade and frozen grapes.

“Virtual races are a safe and healthy way for people to participate and feel like their run is more than a training run,” Schneider said. “It is what the event is supposed to be — a culmination of all the work and training. When you cross that finish line, you feel like you have completed something meaningful.”

Dance lessons

When Superior Ballroom Dance Studio, 21 N. Lake Ave. in Duluth, closed during the governor’s stay-at-home order in

March, the instructors were worried about their students. Some even volunteered to stay in contact with their students and help them stay motivated.

“You don’t maintain,” said Rae Lyons, the studio’s lead female instructor. “You either shut down and get worse, or you continue to improve.”

So, Lyons and her coworkers figured out how to teach dance

Debra Poldoski has arranged a room in her home to teach her belly dancing classes.

A video screen shot from a virtual competition in August shows Rae Lyons of Superior Ballroom Dance Studio and her partner in the bottom center view.

lessons through Zoom. As with virtual racing, online dance lessons come with benefits and challenges.

“We have been able to work on higher-level techniques, and the students are improving their own balance,” Lyons said. With online lessons, “the students must be able to do the steps on their own. They can’t rely on balancing with their partner.

“One of my students literally used to say, ‘I want to be carried around the dance floor.’ She has learned to count on her own now. Her dancing has really improved because she had to take ownership of her own dancing.”

The biggest real challenge Lyons sees is with the technology. People must have a working internet connection and sufficient bandwidth to prevent picture freezing.

The biggest perceived challenge students face is a lack of space.

“People are usually fairly concerned that they don’t have enough space in their house or apartment,” Lyons said, “but most people want to be able to social dance, like at a wedding or a party. Anytime you are in a social dancing situation, you don’t have a lot of space.

“Practicing from home where you have weirdly shaped spaces or awkward angles is actually really helpful training for social dancing,” she said. “Throw yourself in a tiny space, and we will figure it out.”

Lyons said virtually training also works very well for beginning dancers.

“We teach in a very sequential process,” she said. “It is all about muscle memory. If somebody is brand new, the first couple of lessons are learning where your feet go on the floor. That translates pretty well via Zoom.”

Competitions

The competitive spirit can’t be squashed! Lyons has participated in an online ballroom dance competition, as have some of her students. Of course, the logistics have changed considerably. Rather than compete in a single location, the dancers perform in their studios and film their routines. The judges then upload the files and watch all the videos at once.

There are also new competition categories, like “Solo Stars” and no-touch events. In the latter, the student and teacher dance together but don’t touch.

“The industry has gotten really creative to come up with goals to keep everyone motivated,” Lyons said.

Continuing education

Debra Poldoski has been teaching belly dance classes through continuing education for at least 30 years. This year, she offered beginning classes via Zoom and works with her dance troupe.

Poldoski also takes classes herself.

“I take Zoom classes twice a week from a mentor in the Twin Cities,” she said. “I will never know everything there is to know about belly dancing. There is so much to learn. I am always learning so I have more to bring to my students. If I stop learning, they are never going to grow.” D

Kasha Stoll is a Duluth freelance writer.

Rae Lyons, the lead female instructor at Superior Ballroom Dance Studio, conducts a virtual dance lesson.

3Northland women enjoy winter in different ways

By Abigail Blonigen

With miles and miles of all types of trails, it is no wonder the Duluth area is filled with outdoor enthusiasts. While some people submit to semi-hibernation during the long, dark winter months, others embrace the cold and snow as part of the fun.

Yvette Maijala: Cross-country skiing

“Even though you might not know what you’re doing, I’m the example that you can start at any point in your life, and learn something new and make the best of the winter months,” Yvette Maijala, owner of the Magnolia Cafe in Carlton, said.

Now an avid cross-country skier and winter enthusiast, Maijala grew up “nowhere near any snow,” south of New Orleans in Louisiana. Though Maijala went to college in New Orleans, she did some seasonal work in Olympic National Park in Washington state, which was the

first time she ever put on skis.

Her experience there inspired her to move to western Washington after graduating college, where she fell in love with the mountains and colder temperatures. That is also where she

Kelly DeVore poses for a photo in Voyagers National Park, Minn. She has been riding snowmobile for about 10 years.

Maijala, her husband and her daughter pose for a selfie while skiing.

met her husband, who is from Esko.

“He brought me here to meet his parents, and I thought he was going to pop the question and ask me to marry him, but he gave me a pair of cross country-skis as I thought I was getting an engagement ring,” said Maijala.

The couple eventually got engaged for real and moved to the Carlton area about 25 years ago. Skiing has always been a part of the family’s life, with Christmas morning skis in Jay Cooke State Park, but Maijala herself wasn’t a very active skier until her 40s.

Since then, Maijala has met many friends who enjoy the sport and encourage her to get out. She competed in her first ski races two years ago in Austria and Italy and did the Kortelopet race in Wisconsin last year.

Maijala also runs, snowshoes, bikes, hikes — anything to get outdoors.

“I do something every day at least. Even in 20- or 30-below weather, I get outside. I think it’s really good for my mental health, and it’s good for my physical health,” she said.

For those looking to get out more in the winter, Maijala recommends wearing proper clothing, finding a local club, and getting outside with your family.

Kelly DeVore: Snowmobiling

Kelly DeVore has also found community through her local club, the Wood City Riders snowmobile club in Cloquet.

DeVore moved to the area about 10 years ago. Not long after moving, she enrolled her son in a snowmobile safety course and came across fliers for the group. She decided to join in order to meet people in the area with similar interests.

“The people in the club have become some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and they’ve truly been a blessing for me over the years for many things outside of snowmobiling,” DeVore said.

Continued on page 22

Now secretary of the club, DeVore gets out to ride whenever she can. She mostly rides in the Cloquet and Wrenshall area, as she has a trail that comes almost to her front door; however, she’s ridden all over northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and in the Yellowstone area in Montana.

The club itself goes on an annual group ride as well as fundraiser rides where they put on up to 300 miles to raise money for causes. They also try to do a women’s ride each year to “get out there and show women that it doesn’t have to be all about the guys,” DeVore said.

DeVore was drawn to snowmobiling because she’s a cold weather person and loves to be outside.

“When you’re riding on the snow, going fast or slow, either way, it’s great taking in the natural surroundings around you,” she said. “Nature is so pretty with the snow.”

While some may think that snowmobiling is a less active sport because it involves a machine, DeVore said it can be physically challenging, depending on the type of riding and the difficulty of the trail.

“It can be relaxing, just cruising along, but it can be a very active sport,” she said.

For those interested in giving snowmobiling a try, DeVore recommends dressing for the weather, going with a group and having fun.

Brooke Wetmore: Winter camping

Yes, you read that right. People camp in the winter.

Brooke Wetmore, co-owner of the Great Lakes Gear Exchange in Duluth, went winter camping for the first time as a student in the outdoor recreation program at the University of Minnesota Duluth. The group went out to Boulder Lake, north of Duluth, and built their own snow forts to sleep in called quinzhees.

While Wetmore doesn’t consider winter camping to be her favorite activity, she has gone almost every year since her first experience.

“Once you get out there and do it, it’s very exhilarating, and you create a new respect for yourself and what you’re able to accomplish,” she said.

Warmth management is the name of the game when camping in the winter. It is imperative to dress in layers that keep you warm, but not so warm you are sweating. Almost all time is spent gathering firewood, keeping the fire going, breaking the ice open for water, making food and eating, that there isn’t time for much else, as opposed to summer camping.

“It puts your brain into a totally different way of functioning,” Wetmore said.

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness tends to be a popular place for winter camping; folks will simply ski or

Brooke Wetmore poses with friends Maddy Wegener (center) and Josh Honkomp in front of their hot tent — a canvas tent with a stove inside for warmth.

snowshoe in rather than canoe. In recent years, Wetmore has switched from building her own snow shelter to using a hot tent — a thick canvas tent with a stove inside for warmth.

Since setting up camp tends to be more work in the winter, campers generally set up a base camp and go on day adventures, skiing or snowshoeing, rather than packing up camp every day as one would while backpack camping.

Winter camping can be dangerous, so Wetmore recommends going with someone who has done it before in order to be prepared.

Though a lot of work, Wetmore says winter camping is “freeing and magical,” with stunning stars and stillness at night.

“People should totally try it out,” she said. “It’s a totally different kind of camping and a different way of experiencing and appreciating the wintertime.” D

Abigail Blonigen is a Duluth freelance writer and photographer.

By Andrea Busche

Weddingsin the Northland continue, despite pandemic

We have all been affected, in one way or another, by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have transitioned to working from home, while many have begun home-schooling their kids. We’ve all had to socially distance from our loved ones. No matter who you are, everyone has encountered life’s disappointments.

One demographic unusually hard-hit with the unknowns of this time are couples planning their wedding. Many brides and grooms are frantically asking themselves, “Should we, or shouldn’t we?” as the pandemic marches on.

Today we introduce you to three local brides who got married

during the pandemic. All three had to dramatically alter their expectations, and their weddings ended up vastly different than expected. However, all three agree: they are glad they did it.

Jackie and Cary

Jackie and Cary Cardinal were married Aug. 7, 2020, at Duluth’s Glensheen Mansion. They had been planning their wedding for months.

“We got engaged Nov. 3, 2019, and hit the ground running with wedding planning,” Jackie Cardinal said. “Cary and I had been together for six years, so we were more than ready to be married.”

When the couple first started planning their wedding, there had not been a COVID-19 outbreak yet.

“We had originally planned a 120-person wedding at Glensheen Mansion for May 30, 2020,” Cardinal said.

“Through conversations with our venue, we decided to take as many precautions as we could to make our wedding day happen safely,” Cardinal said. “The biggest change we made was moving our entire wedding and reception outdoors. We seated our guests by household and each table was spread at least 6 feet apart. Hand sanitizer was stationed throughout, and we even had

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLEY NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

personalized hand sanitizer wedding favors for our guests.”

The Cardinals encouraged guests to wear masks. And as for their wedding meal, “We had a plated meal delivered to each guest, which minimized people moving around and touching food,” Cardinal explained. “Our venue did everything possible to be sure our event met social distancing guidelines — and they did an amazing job!”

“I was super-surprised by how understanding, supportive and flexible everyone was — from our friends and family to our vendors,” Cardinal added. “I was sure we would lose money, through needing to postpone our wedding, but we were incredibly lucky, and no one charged us anything extra.”

Summer and Kayla

Summer Winkler and her wife, Kayla (Fuller), were married Sept. 26, 2020, at the River Inn Bar and Grille in Cloquet. The couple had started planning their wedding after COVID-19 hit,

both their ceremony and reception at Duluth’s Clyde Iron Works.

“We had already sent out our ‘save the dates’ by the time COVID hit,” Warfield said. “A few tears and many conversations later, and we decided to alter our plans.”

Extra safety precautions included keeping everyone but the bride out of the house. Additional chairs were added to incorporate social distancing. And the entire event — including the ceremony and reception — were all held outdoors.

The absence of many of their loved ones was this couple’s biggest struggle. Their guest list was whittled down from 250 to 30.

“It was the presence of the people that we missed,” Warfield said, “such as my grandma, who I’m really close to.”

Blackwell’s family, many of whom are from New Zealand, were also unable to attend.

“But we definitely felt the love from near and far, even if they weren’t there,” Warfield added.

Advice

not thinking the pandemic wasn’t going to last very long.

The couple incorporated many extra safety protocols into their special day to keep their loved ones safe.

“We used social distancing (unless it was family) and set out hand sanitizer and masks for everyone to use,” Winkler said.

But their biggest disappointment came to the attendees.

“One thing we wanted was to have more people at our wedding,” Winkler noted, “especially my older sister, who lives in another state. Not having everyone there that we wanted was a bit heartbreaking.”

The couple were pleasantly surprised with how their venue handled the logistics, however.

“It surprised us how flexible our venue was,” Winkler said. “We expected things to be a little more uptight. Our venue was super accommodating, which made things less stressful.”

Baihly and Andy

Baihly Warfield and Andy Blackwell were married Sept. 18, 2020, in a friend’s backyard. Their original plan was to have

These three brides have some hard-won advice to impart.

“My advice to anyone planning a wedding during this pandemic is to stay calm (as difficult as that can be) and be OK with multiple backup plans,” Cardinal said.

“Also remember, you have to do what is right for you,” she continued. “One person’s choice about what to do might not be the same as another person’s choice. I would also highly suggest people read their contracts word-for-word, and ask questions about clauses that may be put in place with COVID. Many vendors are understanding and flexible, but they also have businesses to run, too, so make sure you are clear about their expectations and yours.”

“It really depends on the couple and what they want their wedding to look like,” Winkler said, of deciding whether to proceed. “If they are OK with a short guest list of close family members and friends, we say go for it! Just take proper measures — and don’t forget to sanitize!”

Continued on page 26-29

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENNA TRUMP

PHOTO COURTESY OF KILEY MARISSA PHOTOGRAPHY

Michael and Hannah 6/26/2020

Liz and Jason King 9/20/2020

Emily and Justin Goranson 9/26/2020

Trevor and Mackenzie DeRoche 7/28/2020

Riley and Laura Heggem 8/22/2020

Elea & Brandon Pierzina 6/13/2020

Bri and Tim 9/6/2020

Abby and Adam Rosenthal 10/10/2020

Amy and Tony 9/12/2020

Ashli and Dan 9/10/2020

Micaela Carey and Benjamin Bell 9/5/2020

January and Tim Erickson 7/31/2020

Jason and Megan Timm 6/20/2020

Katie and Jeremy Lockwood 8/15/2020

Chelsey Hrab (Ford) and Sean Hrab 10/9/2020

Kasey Karasti 10/3/2020

Risa Valentini and Jesse Heaton 10/3/2020

Ashley & Myles 7/18/2020

“I would say go for it,” Warfield said. “But every couple has to make that decision for themselves. It’s hard to let go of the idea of what your wedding would have looked like. I would also say to check with all your vendors on their policies.”

What really matters

At the end of the day, these couples were all married, which is the main thing.

“It all boils down to celebrating with the one you love! That and having the people there that truly matter,” Winkler said.

“For us, it didn’t matter what day or month we got married; we just knew we were ready to be married, and we were OK with postponing the larger celebration for another time if we needed to,” said Cardinal. “We made the decision that, no matter what, we were going to get married Aug. 7, even if it was just us, our officiant and witnesses.”

“Ultimately, we’re married, and that’s the most important thing — starting our life together,” Warfield said. “Our small wedding actually allowed us to be more present and intentional about our day. In fact, my new sister-in-law said: “Nothing about this feels like a ‘Plan B.’” D

Tina Beck-Jones & Sean Jones 8/21/2020

Stephanie & Brian 8/1/2020

Amanda and Jarvas Polk 7/25/2020

Megan and Zach Schneider 8/1/2020

Loleta and Nathan 10/10/2020

Philip and Samantha Schweikert 4/8/2020

Ruth (Heitke) Casper & Steven Casper 10/10/2020

Andrea Busche is a Duluth freelance writer.

Getting her heart, health back on track

By Louie St. George III

Alone in the emergency room at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center, Donna Mickelson sent a text message to her daughter, Abby.

“Take care of your dad,” Donna wrote in June 2020. Her heart was racing and her legs were shaking, prompting the visit to Essentia. She’d previously had an angioplasty to restore blood flow in her right coronary artery, which was 80% blocked. This time, Donna’s left anterior descending artery was severely blocked. Stents now were placed in two out of three main arteries. Stress and anxiety had leveled immense strain on her heart.

Compounding the problem, Donna had battled abnormally high cholesterol most of her life. She has genetics to thank for that. Her low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad cholesterol” — was measured as high as 406 milligrams per deciliter of blood in 2012. Last winter, as her health worsened, it was recorded at 247 despite being on the highest possible dose of two cholesterol medications. Any LDL above 190 is considered very high risk for coronary artery disease and other conditions.

So when Nicole Groeschl, a family medicine doctor at Essentia’s West Duluth Clinic, and cardiologist Katie Benziger recommended getting a calcium score last March, Donna agreed. It was something that her sister, a registered nurse in Georgia, also had advocated for. The test was delayed by the

Once Duluth’s Donna Mickelson started listening to her heart’s warning signs, she and her care team at Essentia Health took action. Today, she feels better than she has in years.

COVID-19 pandemic until late April.

A normal calcium score is zero — meaning there is no calcium seen in the heart. A higher score indicates more calcium and an elevated risk for heart attack. Anything greater than 400 represents very high risk.

Donna’s score was 1,531.

“It’s one of the highest I think I’ve ever seen,” Benziger recalled.

As she sat in the ER on that June morning — her husband, Steven, was stuck at their Norton Park neighborhood home thanks to COVID-19 visitor restrictions — Donna says her racing heart felt like a panic attack.

“I believed I was going to die,” she said. “It was very scary.”

As Donna recuperated, she was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, or a very fast heartbeat. Thus, rather than a heart attack, it was her body’s way of saying, “You need to do something about this.”

That’s not easy for many women, according to Benziger.

“It’s particularly important for women, because I think women are much more likely to underreport their symptoms or write off their symptoms as getting old,” the doctor said. But, “if you’re having symptoms, you need to talk to your doctor about that.”

According to Benziger, symptoms of heart disease can include excessive fatigue, shortness of breath, jaw or arm pain, epigastric pain and chest heaviness or discomfort.

Stress started to mount on Donna, a 65-year-old retiree with three children, in January 2020. That’s when a younger brother, whom Donna had been the primary caregiver for, died from cancer. In February, her daughter Stephanie’s mother-in-law died. Then the COVID-19 pandemic reared its unforgiving head.

Increasingly, Donna’s energy was sapped. Fatigue would set in and derail her days, sending her to bed by 7 or 8 p.m.

Unsurprisingly, she chalked it up to getting older and being stressed.

“I’d have to sit down and catch my breath,” she said. “I just didn’t have the energy to do the things I like to do.”

Dr. Benziger cautions against a mindset wherein being less active is simply a byproduct of aging. Staying active is important. Abrupt changes in lifestyles rarely are the result solely of advancing years. There might be something else going on.

“Our body tells us what we need if we just listen to it,” Donna said.

Donna’s health scare is receding in the rearview mirror. Benziger and Groeschl, as well as their Essentia colleagues, collaborated on a treatment plan. In addition to the two stents, Donna was placed on medication and participated in rigorous cardiac rehabilitation, which led to gradual improvements. Over the 30 days that followed her June discharge, a heart monitor registered a fast heartbeat only once. Her cholesterol has lowered significantly and she’s lost weight.

Indeed, Donna is on the mend.

“I feel absolutely wonderful,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much better I could feel.”

The improvement was obvious to Benziger when the two reconnected in the fall.

“She was grinning from ear to ear,” Benziger said. “She says she has not felt this good in 10 years.” D Louie St. George III is a media relations specialist at Essentia Health.

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 Sam

dear readers! How are you? I truly hope you are well. I hope you are finding ways to stay happy through these trying times we are in. I hope your holidays filled your heart and brought you joy. I know personally our holidays have looked different this year, but I am trying to remain thankful for as many things as I possibly can!

Hello

For this issue, I wanted to touch on some “daily” makeup tips. Whether you are still making the commute into the office every day or working from home like so many others, I hope you can find some of these tips useful.

Just like fashion, makeup is totally unique to you! There is no right or wrong way to wear it, whatever makes you feel confident and happy is the right way! D

My first tip for a flawless everyday makeup look is SKINCARE. Yes, it’s important enough for all caps. Having skin that is healthy, hydrated and prepped for makeup will make all the difference in the world in your makeup’s longevity and application. I like to wash and moisturize my face well before I do my makeup and don’t forget your SPF. Once my skin has soaked up all of my products, I go in with a makeup primer. You can get your primer from the drugstore or you can go high end, I have found wonderful products in every price range. For my daily look I like to stick with drugstore products, they are affordable and I can easily swing in after work and grab more products if needed.

2

After I prime my face I go in with an eyelash curler and then apply two coats of waterproof mascara. I typically wear my makeup for 12-plus hours and I find waterproof holds my curl and stays in place better than non-waterproof mascara.

3

Next I will apply concealer under my eyes. I like to pick a shade that’s a few shades lighter than my natural skin tone to really help give me an awake and fresh look. I will blend out my concealer using a damp makeup sponge.

4

After I blend the wet concealer I will set it with a dry powder to help lock it in place and avoid creases. The Airspun powder is affordable and does a great job for this. I will leave the dry powder on for a couple minutes to set in place before I brush away the excess powder with a large fluffy brush.

Next I apply blush to the apples of my cheeks, tip of my nose and along my temples. I find this gives a really nice sunkissed look all year round. Following the blush I will use a thin brush to apply a matte contour to the hollows of my cheeks and along my forehead and temples. This will define your facial features and give you color. I like to use a deep foundation shade for my contour rather than a bronzer. Personally I think the application is smoother with a powder foundation and longer lasting. It is very important to blend your blush and contour well. I like to use my big fluffy brush and go over everything until there are no harsh lines. I then take that same damp makeup sponge and dry setting powder used for the under eye to clean up my jaw line, really accentuating the blush and contour.

To finish everything off I will wipe away the excess powder on my jaw, add mascara to my lower lashes, run a tinted brow gel through my brows, clean up any mascara on my eyelids with a Q-tip and apply a makeup setting spray. Throw on your favorite lip product and voila! Ten minutes later and you’re a supermodel, an absolute goddess! Stay well friends and thank you for reading.

Offering safer total joint replacements at St. Luke’s

By Claire Kiger

Imagineliving with a constant ache in one of your knees or hips. You wake up stiff, daily activities have become difficult, and a good night’s sleep doesn’t seem to make it any better. After talking with your doctor about your symptoms, you find out that you have arthritis.

You’re offered a few nonsurgical treatment options to help manage your discomfort, but you know these won’t work forever. Your arthritis will continue to progress, and so will your joint pain. You know that eventually you’ll need a brand new knee or hip through joint replacement surgery.

The orthopedic surgeons at St. Luke’s hear stories like this every day. The Total Joint Replacement program at St. Luke’s has earned a Center of Excellence distinction, and the surgical team performs the most joint replacement surgeries in Northern Minnesota. They are constantly improving their care, and through recent changes in the preparation process, St. Luke’s is now able to offer even safer joint replacement surgeries.

Healthier patients, fewer complications

“Overall, joint replacement surgeries are incredibly successful,” explained Dr.

David Fogarty, orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke’s. “However, as with any surgery, there is a risk of complications.”

In the mind of an orthopedic surgeon, the most concerning complication is infection. If a patient develops an infection after surgery, it can be difficult to manage. It may even affect their ability to fully recover.

Fortunately, there has been increased understanding on how to significantly reduce this risk. Higher infection rates can be strongly connected to several factors of a person’s health. When these factors are improved, the risk of infection drops. These factors include nutrition, weight, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Getting better control of other chronic health issues such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and anemia has also led to a lower risk of complications after surgery.

In response to these findings, St. Luke’s has created a list of health requirements that must be met before a person has joint replacement surgery. Alcohol and tobacco use should be able to be stopped for four weeks prior to surgery, a person’s BMI should be below 40, and chronic health issues need to be under control.

“We don’t ever tell someone they

can’t have the surgery,” said Emily Engstrom, St. Luke’s Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic manager. “We just postpone things until their health status is at a place where we can move forward safely. These requirements help us objectively know that they are ready.”

Working towards better results together

These requirements are supported by long-term outcome studies and recognized by the orthopedic community nationally. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons as well as the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons have published consensus opinions to delay total joint surgery until these aspects of a person’s health can be improved. If patients need assistance to meet these requirements, help is available to them every step of the way.

“We partner with our patients to reach these goals,” Fogarty explained. “For example, if they need to improve their BMI, we can offer them St. Luke’s Weight Loss Program. If they’re a smoker, we can give them tools to support them in quitting. If their diabetes isn’t under control, their doctor will work with them to improve it.”

Dr. David Fogarty, orthopedic surgeon at St. Luke’s, loves seeing patients get back to the activities they love most after a successful total joint replacement surgery.

For some patients, this change in the preparation process may mean they have to wait to have their operation. However, it also means an increased likelihood of an infection-free recovery.

“Ultimately, their surgery will be more successful,” Engstrom said. “They’ll heal more quickly. It will help prevent a readmission. They’ll feel better after surgery than they would have without meeting the requirements.”

Hip and knee replacements at St. Luke’s

Having a standardized list of health requirements for patients before joint replacement surgery is relatively new at St. Luke’s.

“Before we left it up to each individual orthopedic surgeon. They each had an idea of how healthy they wanted their patients to be before an operation,” Engstrom explained. “These new guidelines have been collectively put together and agreed on by our whole team. It means better consistency and quality for our patients.”

Positive results have already been noticed from the change.

“We’re already seeing reductions in complication rates,” Fogarty said. “It’s been impressive to see success this early on in the process.”

So, whether joint replacement surgery is a long way off or you’re ready to talk to your doctor soon, know that St. Luke’s offers a team of orthopedic surgeons who constantly strive to put “the patient, above all else.”

To learn more or schedule an appointment, visit slhduluth.com/ orthopedics. D

Claire Kiger is a marketing specialist and writer for St. Luke’s.

We’refamiliar faces with anew name! Our team is excited to bringyou Bell Bank’sunique style of friendly community banking –and we can’t wait to sho wyou our newly renova ted, historic space in downtown Duluth!

Joanna Kuperus Kuper u iz Kidd ySin

Years of hard work pay off for Carlsons as they enjoy new home

By Alison Stucke

Dan and Ali Carlson enjoyed an exciting spring and summer 2020. Several happy events took place for this young couple: They moved into their brand-new home in May, and they celebrated the birth of their daughter, Sloane, in August. Dreams that they had worked toward for years were realized and achieved.

“It was perfect timing,” Ali said. “We were in the house for a few months and we got her room all set up, and then she arrived in August.”

Hard work and sweat pay off for the Carlsons

The Carlsons’ dream home didn’t appear by magic. They worked hard since they were a very young dating couple, and they followed a careful plan for purchasing and paying off their property, preparing their land, planning their home, and then building.

“I like the idea of working hard while younger,” Ali said. “We saved up and did things as we could. We didn’t want to rush

ourselves or get ourselves overwhelmed with debt. We took our time.”

First, Dan and Ali bought land on a spot they loved in the Pike Lake area, and they worked hard to pay that off.

“We bought the property in 2014 or so,” Ali said. “Because we bought such a large chunk of property — 32 acres — we wanted to pay that off before we started building. There is a lot of wilderness around us, which is what we were looking for. It’s nice to look out our windows.”

Additionally, the couple saved money by doing any and all of the work possible to create their dream home.

“We were able to work a lot of the pieces ourselves,” Ali continued. “Dan does industrial construction. He put in our driveway, prep work for and laying down the foundation, insulation and painting.”

A family friend becomes their general contractor

When it came time to think about building their home and selecting a general contractor, Dan and Ali turned to family

The home of Dan and Ali Carlson features lots of wood elements, grounded by the flooring throughout. The kitchen cabinets are made of natural knotted hickory, offset by black appliances and highlighted with under-cabinet task lighting.

Ali and Dan Carlson

friend Glenn Misgen, of Glenn Misgen Construction in Duluth. Ali and Dan had admired Glenn’s home in the past, and they decided to base their home’s design on Glenn’s home with some changes and additions.

“We had gone to Glenn’s house and walked through when we were initially planning, and he suggested things that he would have done differently,” Ali explained. “We also saw some things that we said we didn’t need in our home. He had a larger main level, with two more bedrooms. We also knew that we wanted more space upstairs than he had in his home, so we added the master bedroom.”

Ali said that it was a definite advantage to be able to “see” their home before it was built in Glenn’s home — and to think of the tweaks they would make here and there.

“We loved his home,” she said. “I’m a really visual person, so it was helpful to be able to see his home. We took things that we liked and incorporated them into our home, and we did some things differently. We went over the windows in each room and he asked me if I wanted them larger/smaller, closer to the ground, etc. It was nice to be able to go off of something visual.”

“Ali had a better eye and concern for style, design, and color, where Dan had more concern for quality and longevity of

materials,” Glenn said. “Together the three of us really were on the same page because we like the same style. That took some of the challenge out of it. Dan and Ali picked out alder interior doors and trim, which added that country warmth and charm. It took a little while longer to decide on natural hickory for the vaulted ceilings in the great room and upstairs, but in the end, it added just the right panache.”

Building began in the spring of 2019

The home’s look features lots of wood, big windows, and high ceilings.

“We wanted this to be a practical home,” Ali said. “Something that could be lived in and enjoyed. We went with very practical elements.”

The exterior of the home includes an attached garage, front entryway with a covered porch, cantilever trusses, and covered patio with stained and stamped concrete.

Inside the home’s front door, the foyer leads to an open living room with 14-foot vaulted ceiling in hickory tongueand-groove. A gorgeous picture window provides a view of the back yard. Hickory reappears in knotty form elsewhere in the home in kitchen cabinetry and bathroom vanities. In a corner of the living room is a fireplace with a river rock face and mantle in old Douglas fir.

“It’s from Oregon and over 100 years old,” Ali said. “It was still dripping sap when we got it.”

The spacious living room accommodates lots of seating, and features a fireplace with a river rock face and mantle in old Douglas fir. The rec room upstairs features tongue-and-groove natural hickory on the ceiling.

To the left of the living room is the kitchen and dining room, which are all open-concept. The kitchen countertop is a peninsula with bar seating. Off the dining room is a hallway with a bathroom and laundry room, and at the end of the hallway is an attached garage.

From the opposite direction off the living room is the nursery, a shared bathroom, and a bedroom.

There’s an extra bathroom off the garage, and an upper level above half of the home featuring a bonus room with a pool table, Dan and Ali’s master bedroom, and another bathroom.

Low-maintenance, durable flooring for ‘a practical home’

“Most of the home’s floor is covered with Beau Adura luxury vinyl planking (LVP) glued down,” Michael Yeaton, store manager of Johnson Carpet One, explained. “In the bathrooms is rectified porcelain tile with a very thin grout line. The stairs have Karastan premium soft

It’s all about warm and cozy in the master bedroom, with the same hickory ceiling and woodlook luxury vinyl planking on the floor, providing a comforting palette. The wood floors continue in the baby’s room, but the bathroom utilizes rectified porcelain tile in a wood look. Alder is used for trim throughout the home.

nylon with a little pattern.”

The Carlsons have two dogs, so they wanted flooring that wouldn’t be easily soiled or discolored.

“Everything that they bought was low-maintenance and should be extremely durable,” Yeaton said.

A cozy kitchen and dining room

Dan enjoys cooking, so the kitchen was an important room in the design of the home. Ali also had some wishes for this important room.

“I wanted the cool drawer for the Kitchen Aid mixer that you can push down and pull up, and the mixer rises up,” Ali explained. “Dan loves cooking on a gas range. It gets really hot, really fast. I’m still learning.”

The room also features appliances in black stainless steel, under-cabinet and above-cabinet lighting, and generous storage space in cabinets.

Ali noted that the open-space dining room features a very special piece of furniture:

“The dining room table was my great-grandmother’s from the 1800s,” she said. “Our style is a mix, but ultimately we just wanted it to feel welcoming. We wanted guests to have that homey feeling when they came over.”

Pink elephants in the nursery

Sloane’s room is a nursery that includes pink blankets, furniture in darker wood, and a rug with pink and gray elephants.

“We got many books from a shower, and we’ll get a few bookshelves, and she can have her books out,” Ali said. “We just thought these pink elephants were super cute.” D

Alison Stucke is a Duluth freelance writer.

The home’s exterior includes an attached garage, front entryway with a covered porch, cantilever trusses, and covered patio with stained and stamped concrete.

5718 Miller Trunk Hwy | Duluth, MN 55811 | 218.729.7842 sales@thetongueandgroovestore.com

Galley kitchen modernized in DIY remodel

By Alison Stucke

Anarrow, galley-style kitchen became more open, modern, and user-friendly under the artistic eyes and working hands of owners Ken and Sarah Nyberg. The couple purchased and moved into their fixer-upper home in November 2015. They have been remodeling their dwelling room-by-room ever since — doing almost all the work themselves. The kitchen is their most recent success in redesigning and remodeling spaces of their home.

Falling in love with a fixer-upper

Sarah and Ken started on this remodeling journey by looking for a home with a character they loved.

“The house that we owned before this was brand new,” Sarah said. “When we were initially looking for a different house, we knew that we could either spend more money on a brand new house but that house wouldn’t necessarily be our style, or we could buy a house that needed work but we could shape it into our style.”

The second option is just what they did by selecting their home in Duluth’s Piedmont neighborhood.

“We knew we would have to rework everything,” Sarah said. “I think we wanted a project.”

“At that point we looked at over 60 houses, so we knew what the market had to offer,” Ken said.

The home had been built in the 1960s, and not much had been updated or changed from the original build.

“We fell in love with the open concept and the vaulted ceilings with big wood beams that carry throughout the house,” Sarah said. “It had a lot of unique characteristics that fit perfectly with our style.”

Self-taught do-it-yourself renovation

Since moving in, the couple has redone two bedrooms, a bathroom, the home’s entryway, stairs, deck, living room and roof. They have also put in a loft which serves as a play area for their two children, Milo, 7, and Leona, 3, and they have installed new windows throughout the home.

“We have done most of the work ourselves,” Sarah said.

“It’s never-ending,” Ken said. “You learn as you go.”

As they tackle each project, Sarah enjoys researching design elements and products online. As an artist who enjoys painting and photography, she understands the flow of the space of her home.

“Sarah is a detail person,” Ken said of her. “She’s good at that.”

Ken, a graphic designer in his career, is self-taught in construction methods and techniques, using resources including YouTube. Both Ken and Sarah dig in and use their hands, muscles, sweat and creativity to complete projects. Sarah’s dad has also helped and offered support, the couple said.

“We both consider ourselves artists, so we should have an artistic home,” Ken said.

A spacious new kitchen with lots of storage

Ken likes to cook, and the family sits down together every evening for dinner, so preparing the evening meal is an important and busy task. What was once a narrow work space cut off on one side by appliances lined up against a wall, and cut off on the other side by a counter so that only one person could work comfortably in the space — is now an open area that allows Ken and Sarah to move and work together.

“We’re so much more efficient now,” Ken said. “We needed that space.”

Stainless steel “Café” appliances have a mixed-metal twist.

“They’re kind of fun because you can switch out all the handles,” Sarah said. “We chose brushed-bronze handles that look like gold.”

The brushed-bronze look is repeated in the handles of the kitchen’s cabinetry. A stainless steel Kraus single sink with a

Brizo faucet in luxe gold includes handle hardware from Top Knobs in brushed bronze, making it all coordinate well.

“I had to do a lot of research for the color matching,” Sarah explained. “It’s hard to color match when you’re shopping online.”

Help with the countertops and cabinets

Through her online research, Sarah discovered Cambria countertops. She was impressed to learn the company is Minnesota-based and the product has a lifetime warranty. The Nybergs contacted Brian Timm of Maureen’s

LLC in Duluth to order and install countertops in the beautiful St. Giles design with prominent medium gray tones, accented with contrasting slate-gray, faint gray and white veins. They also had a matching backsplash made of the Cambria for behind the stove as an interesting design element.

“This is the first time we had any help,” Sarah said. “We ordered through Maureen’s, and they had a local company install it. Brian Timm made it easy. He also helped with our cabinets. We told him what we wanted, and he gave design input and showed us our options. We chose matte black Eclipse Cabinetry.”

Interestingly, the cabinetry is placed down low rather than higher up in the room, leaving upper areas more open and giving the room a spacious look.

“We didn’t do any cupboards up above,” Ken said. “We kept that space nice and clean. The room has an open feel to it.”

“Loved working with Kenneth and Sarah,” Brian Timm, AKBD (Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer) & Designer at Maureen’s LLC, said. “They both had solid ideas of what materials they wanted but needed help with the layout. In their space the ceilings were a bit lower, in addition to having some exposed beams, so we went with no upper cabinets and just a single shelf on either side of the hood. That, and they painted the ceiling white as well as the beams, which gives some visual space to the height of the room.”

Warm wood touches

The exquisite maple butcher block island — also from

Ken and Sarah Nyberg’s kitchen went from cramped to spacious by changing the layout and rearranging all elements of the room. The peninsula was exchanged for a large butcherblock island, and using only lower cabinets gives the space a more open feel. The beams were exposed and the couple installed real-wood white oak flooring, larger windows, and a maple display shelf made by Ken.

Maureen’s — serves as the family’s dining table. It includes cupboards and cabinetry on one half, which conveniently holds the Nybergs’ silverware and dishes.

Ken installed the real-wood white oak flooring, and a maple shelf — handmade by Ken — displays artwork and cutting boards on the wall above the oven.

“It’s enough wood so the room is not too stark,” Ken explained.

Above the island is a four-light pendant from Joss and Main that features a black matte metal frame with brushed-bronze gold accents to match the rest of the kitchen.

New windows bring additional light

Ken and Sarah selected black metal-trimmed windows from Anderson Windows in Duluth.

“Because we changed our layout of the kitchen, we changed to smaller windows on one side and added a window out back,” Sarah explained.

Ken and his father-in-law sawed in the new window in the back wall themselves. It wasn’t an easy job, but Ken looks on the bright side as he remembers the hard work it took to get the job done.

“We didn’t realize there was a concrete wall behind the

brick,” Ken said. “But it worked out. We did it. We can see the back yard now.”

“It has brought a lot of light in,” Sarah agreed.

Ken also had to jackhammer the floor and reroute the drain to move the kitchen sink above another new window that was installed. He said he’s had enough of jackhammers and concrete saws for a while!

Sarah and Ken said Milo and Leona were so excited when they learned that the kitchen was completed and the family could once again eat dinner together at the table, they jumped up and down and clapped their hands.

“The end result is a modern and functional space that has a natural feel with the rich accent tones of the matte brass hardware and the Edison light fixture,” Brian Timm said. “An extremely inviting kitchen.”

A few more rooms to go

Sarah and Ken said they have only a few rooms to go until their home is the stylish and personalized space they always knew it could be.

“All that we really have left is our basement,” Sarah said. “That’s our laundry room, a bedroom and a bathroom. When we moved in, it was technically finished. We completely gutted the basement. We’ll have a clean slate to work from.”

“The only windows we have left to replace are in the living room,” Ken said.

When asked if they will continue using their remodeling talents after their home is completed, Ken and Sarah didn’t say “no.”

“My brother just bought a house that needs a lot of work,” Ken said. “There’s no lack of it! Or maybe we’ll build a new shed in the back.”

“This house has taken us five years,” Sarah said. “I have had fun designing rooms throughout.” D Alison Stucke is a Duluth freelance writer.

DIY

By Renae Ronquist The Woman Today

Iremember way back in the 1970s, my mom, an avid crafter, went through a phase of making macramé everything! The picture window in our living room was filled with a collage of different sizes and colors of macramé plant hangers. She made wall hangings and even hanging owls that you finished off by brushing out the cording to look like fur. Or feathers, I guess. Like fashion, macramé has come back around. The cording is more pleasing to the eye and touch now, unlike the scratchy polyester cording of the ’70s.

I thought I would start out with a really simple pattern for my first time. Once I got the knot figured out I was at the end in no time. And I must say it was pretty easy and quick to make. And this spider plant that my sister gave me this summer looks pretty happy in it! Give it a try, it’s a lot of fun! It’s also a good project to do with your kids.

Supplies

5mm 3 ply rope cut into:

2 - 11-foot lengths

4 - 8-foot lengths

1 - 18-inch length

1 wooden ring

The cording I used was 4.5mm thick, but worked just fine.

Directions

After you have your cording cut, find a place to hang the wooden ring to work on. I used an over-the-door wreath hanger, which worked perfectly.

Feed all the cording though the wooden ring with the two 11-foot pieces on the outside and the four 8-foot pieces in the center. The ends of all six courts on the front side of the ring should be even with the four short lengths of cord. You will use the longer back lengths to tie the knots.

The knot used in this tutorial is a square knot. To start, you will begin making half a square knot, which you will space out

a little. (By doing only half the square knot it will give the spiral look.) See diagrams A & B. Make sure the first knot is nice and tight and the center cords are even across. Once you get a few knots completed, you will notice it start to spiral, which is what you want. Continue making these knots around the center cords until your longer cords are about the same length as the others.

At this point, select four cords that lie next to each other and, about 12 inches down, make two full square knots using the two outside cords tied around the two inside cords. See diagrams C & D for making a full square knot. Do this with another set of four cords and then the final four cords, making the knots even with others. See diagram E.

You will then connect the bottom of the cords to each other with another set of knots. Going down about 6 inches, take two cords (one each from neighboring groups) as the center cords and make two full square knots using the two outside cords. Continue around to the next two groups. See diagram F.

At this point, you can test to see if the size pot you plan to use will fit and the knot placements keep the pot secure.

To finish the hanger you will join all of the bottom cords together, using a gathering knot. Gather all the cords so they are aligned nice and neat. Place the 18-inch cord about 6 inches below the previous knots, with the cut end up and, gathering all the bottom cords together, make a 3- to 4-inch loop, and start tightly wrapping the cord around all the cords, leaving the end of the gathering knot cord sticking out the top. See diagram G . Continue wrapping until you get to the bottom of the loop. Feed the gathering knot cord through the loop. Next, pull the top of the gathering knot cord (cut end) up until

the bottom part of the cord is tucked under the wrapping. Trim top cord.

I trimmed the bottom ends to be even and unraveled the cording to make a tassel. You could leave them if you like. And you’re done! D

Here’s the video tutorial I followed: https://angkor.me/diy-10-minutes-macrame-plant-hanger/ Reference: Angkor.me com

Diagram A

Diagram C

Diagram E

Diagram B

Diagram D

Diagram G

Diagram F

Champagne Donuts

By Julie Schulz

The Woman Today

Happy New Year! If you’ve got leftover champagne from the big party, give this recipe a try. I used a sweet spumante and they turned out light and fluffy, with a definite champagne taste.

Certainly using a doughnut pan would be ideal, but I don’t have one, so I improvised with a muffin pan and some tinfoil coils — just know you won’t get the classic doughnut shape. To transform my muffin tin, I cut 3-inch strips of tin foil and coiled each around my candy thermometer, which seemed to be a good diameter, and stood them up in each muffin tin. However, if you want them to look like donuts, definitely use a doughnut pan; otherwise, maybe just call these champagne muffins and skip the hole in the middle!

Here are my tips:

Size and shape: I piped the batter into my 12 muffin tins and, because it was a thicker batter, it looked like messy toothpaste swirled in there. So on half of them, I smoothed the batter out with a knife — it turns out, those are the muffins that rose up over the edge and created a large lip (your classic “muffin top”). So, leave them alone, they’ll settle and rise just fine without the smoothing. Also, I think I could’ve made 15 doughnuts so the batter didn’t rise up over the edge. I also tried carving the “lip” off to get that doughnut shape, but that was a definite no-no. You need the smooth baked surface for the glaze.

Glaze color: Use food coloring carefully. I put in 3 drops and instead of getting a pretty pastel shade, I got funky vibrant colors. So, go easy on it until you get the shade you want. Also, results may vary depending on the use of liquid, gel or paste versions.

Dipping: The bigger muffin-top doughnuts were also the ones that stuck in the glaze — the bottom I was holding tore away (another reason not to overfill your tins). Of course, those were the ones I tested for flavor.

Sprinkles: If desired, apply sprinkles immediately after dipping. I waited too long and they just rolled off because the glaze began to set. D

Champagne Doughnuts

12 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup champagne (room temperature)

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup champagne (for glaze)

2 cups powdered sugar (for glaze)

1/4 teaspoon salt (for glaze)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease two doughnut pans. Set aside.

2. Melt 1⁄2 cup butter, and allow to cool slightly. Add 3⁄4 cup room temperature champagne, 2 large eggs, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the melted butter. Whisk to combine. Add 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons baking powder and give a quick stir, and then add 2 cups flour. Stir with a spatula until no flour streaks show in the batter.

3. Transfer the batter to a large gallon-size ziplock bag, and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the batter into each well of the greased doughnut pan, filling to about 1⁄4 inch from the top of the mold. Bake 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. In the meantime, prepare the glaze.

4. For the glaze, combine 1⁄4 cup champagne, 2 cups powdered sugar and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl, whisking to combine. Generously dip each cooled doughnut into the glaze, and then return to the cooling rack for the glaze to set.

Recipe courtesy of www.organicvalley.coop.

Women

CallEd

Securitiessold,advisor yservices offeredthroughCUNABrokerageServices,Inc.(CBSI),member FINRA/SIPC, aregisteredbroker/dealerandinvestmentadvisor,D/B/AMPECURetirementand InvestmentServices.CBSIisundercontractwithMinnesota PowerEmployeesCreditUnioQn tomakesecuritiesavailabletomembers. NotNCUA/NCUSIF/FDICinsured,May Lost Value, NoFinancialInstitutionGuarantee. Not adeposit of any financialinstitution.CUNABrokerage Services,Inc.,is aregisteredbroker/dealerinall fiftystates of theUnitedStates of America. FR-1579471.1-0816-0918

Securitiessold,advisor yservices offeredthroughCUNABrokerageServices,Inc.(CBSI),member FINRA/SIPC, aregisteredbroker/dealerandinvestmentadvisor,D/B/AMPECURetirementand InvestmentServices.CBSIisundercontractwithMinnesota PowerEmployeesCreditUnioQn tomakesecuritiesavailabletomembers. NotNCUA/NCUSIF/FDICinsured,May Lost Value, NoFinancialInstitutionGuarantee. Not adeposit of any financialinstitution.CUNABrokerage Services,Inc.,is aregisteredbroker/dealerinall fiftystates of theUnitedStates

Ed Grondahl Financial Advisor

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