Gf summer 15

FREE SUMMER 2015

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA’S LEADING WOMEN’S MAGAZINE

Tales of theTraveling

Robe

Story on page 5

PROFILE

Interview with Black Lives Matter organizer Lena Gardner When your child leaves for college advice from moms SUMMER ISSUE 2015 |

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B FROM THE PUBLISHER — Brenda K.M. Ward is the publisher and editor of Girlfriends magazine.

Find Girlfriends on Facebook Check out the Fall Fashion edition coming in September!

ack in 2004, Real Simple magazine asked its readers, “If you had an extra $100, what would you spend it on?” Almost without pause, I sent my reply: “I would spend the money on books.

Clothes don’t last long, a vacation is a nice (but short) getaway, and a fine bottle of wine is gone all too soon. But good books last forever.”

At the time, I was living with my family in Bozeman, Mont., and had found my ideal friend group after joining a book club. Sincere relationships and quality books have always been a necessity in my life – through my book club, I discovered both.

My response was, of course, nothing but a simple answer to a simple question; yet when it was chosen to be featured in the magazine (to my great surprise!), along with a photo of my treasured “Story Book Girls,” I felt like the opportunity further validated the esteem I held for my friends and the books we shared.

Since then, my life has taken on a sense of busyness and complication I couldn’t have imagined at that time. To finish a book now is a luxury, and time with friends – let’s just say I never, ever take it for advantage.

Which brings me to my point: Life is complicated. At my age of 47 it is complicated, yet so was it at age 37, and age 27 – from different vantage points. But there are ways to simplify, and that’s just what we’re set out to help you with in our new “Simplify your life” series.

Simplify your life. By making small changes, like keeping your wardrobe under control or spending less time on your hair and make-up, for example, most anyone can find precious extra minutes that can be spent in more meaningful ways … like creating memories with friends.

In our cover story, you’ll read about how a tacky pink robe bought at a second-hand store as a birthday gag gift took on a much greater meaning than expected. Through time, the “traveling robe” ultimately became a symbol of a group of devoted friends that kept each other aloft when life made every effort to cause them to stumble along their respective paths.

Whatever the catalyst to a friendship moment – a book, a scratchy pink robe or the passing on of a coveted Coach handbag from your overstocked closet – never underestimate the deeper meaning it might have. It may even be easily found, if only you remember to look.

Brenda

Pretty Things Want Pretty Things

DISTINCTIVE EYEWEAR & ACCESSORIES

H A N D C R A F T E D FA S H I O N E Y E W E A R F R O M F R A N C E

425 Division Street South Northfield, MN 55057 507-366-2020 visionofnorthfield.com

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Girlfriends Volume 7, Issue 5

Copyright © Girlfriends 2015 Published July 2015 by: Southern Minn Media 115 W 5th Street Northfield, MN 55057 507-649-1798

contents SUMMER ISSUE 2015

Send releases and story ideas to:

ACCESSORIES

Brenda K.M. Ward at Girlfriends magazine, bward@southernminn.com

FABULOUS FINDS! | 17 FROM THE PUBLISHER | 3 FROM THE KITCHEN | 20 GIRLFRIENDS GUIDE | 29 HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH | 28 UNEXPECTED CAREGIVER | 26 WE TIME | 18

Publisher & Editor:

Brenda K.M. Ward Contributing Writers:

Stephanie Aman Azna Amira Kari Berit Trent Jonas Rachel Minske Jane Mullikin Isabelle Wattenberg

Multimedia Consultants:

Kristie Biehn Nicole Brandon Kathleen Davies Carly Dabroski Missy Daschner Alisha Davidson Kari Dougherty Debbie Ensley Chad Hjellming Joan Koester Per Kvalsten Mark Nelson Lori Nickel Stacy Murphy Jay Petsche Mary Phipps Lauran Rott Jennifer Sorenson Gayle Stelten

FEATURES TALES OF THE TRAVELING ROBE | 5 Six women, one pink bathrobe, countless stories.

LETTING GO | 10 You knew they’d leave at some point. You just didn’t expect that time to arrive so suddenly.

PROFILE | 12 Lena Gardner.

DESTINATION OKOBOJI | 14 Why go to Okoboji? Known as the Great Lakes of Iowa.

Graphic Designer:

EAT LOCAL, EAT FRESH! | 22

Kate Townsend-Noet Ad Designers:

Growing and buying food locally through community gardens, on-farm markets, farmers markets and backyard gardens.

Lauren Barber Mary Jo Blanchard Nicole Gilmore Naomi Kissling Keeley Krebsbach Jenine Kubista Kelly Kubista Kate McGillen Kayla McMullen Jennifer Schoenbauer

SIMPLIFY... YOUR WARDROBE | 24 Realistic advice to help guide you toward a less complicated life.

ON THE COVER:

Photographer:

Left to right: Shannon Johnson, Elise Wrolstad, Terri Lenz and Robin Breimhurst. Missing in photos: Lynne Sanders and Laura Neseth

Karen Legault

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Tales of theTraveling

Robe

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Left to right: Terri Lenz, Robin Breimhurst, Shannon Johnson and Elise Wrolstad. Missing in photos: Lynne Sanders and Laura Neseth

Six women, be, o r h t a b k n i p one

s e i r o t s s s e l t n cou

BY RACHEL MINSKE

T

erri Lenz was walking through a thrift store in Kenyon with her friend, Lynne Sanders, when she saw it.

It was a bathrobe.

A bright pink, fluffyon-the-outside and scratchy-on-the-inside bathrobe complete with a wrap-around belt. Deeming the robe “ugly,” the two friends couldn’t leave it alone.

“We kind of rubbed this robe, and joked, ‘Ohhh so nice,’’ Terri said, reflecting on that day more than six years later.

The two women left the thrift store, robeless. But with just a few weeks until Terri’s 40th birthday, Lynne returned to the store and purchased the robe — a surprise gag gift for her friend. What Lynne didn’t realize at the time was that the robe would not only spark plenty of laughter, but it would ultimately become a symbol of comfort through deeply trying life moments.

When Terri’s big day finally rolled

around, five of her closest friends – Lynne, Laura Neseth, Elise Wrolstad, Robin Breimhurst and Shannon Johnson – put on bathrobes of their own, performed a cheesy, choreographed song and dance and presented her with the pink bath robe as a birthday gift.

It was a memorable birthday for Terri, who even today recalls every detail. But the robe was too terrific not to share.

“After my birthday sometime we were all talking about it, and I thought, this robe thing is too good to keep to myself,” Terri said.

Terri said she channeled the best-selling young adult books-turned-film series, “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” by Ann Brashares, in which a group of young friends passes around a magical pair of jeans during a summer apart to keep them connected.

“I thought that this robe could bring good things to each of us,” Terri said.

And so the traveling robe was born.

Soon after Terri’s 40th birthday during a ladies’

weekend in Lanesboro, the friends held a ceremonial passing of the robe. Terri stood on top of a table and passed the robe and all of its assumed powers on to another woman.

Throughout the next six years, the robe made its rounds through the friend group, all of whom live in the Kenyon-Wanamingo area and met through their children.

Somewhere along the way, a journal was created and each woman shared her experiences or funny stories about what happened while the robe was in her possession.

“It turned out to be kind of, oh you know, risqué,” said Elise of the journal, with a laugh. “Oh, if this robe could talk.”

“My first entry was something like, ‘I’m

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lying on the bed.’ Not exactly raunchy but we played it up,” said Terri. “Our entries, whether truthful or not, read like a romantic novel.”

The robe traveled between the homes of friends every couple of months. Sometimes the robe was kidnapped by the group if one of the women held on to it for too long, but it was often passed along ceremoniously: Each woman wearing a bathrobe of their own while singing and dancing a choreographed skit, drink in hand.

Although always fun in nature, the furry pink bathrobe eventually began to take on a deeper meaning.

In Terri’s time of need, she received the robe.

“Through this, each of us have had ups and downs,” Terri said. “We all experienced some really traumatic life events. I went through a bad divorce and really needed my girlfriends. And, they were there.”

Lynne underwent treatment for cancer

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away on the top shelf of Elise’s closet, and and she received the robe. Another friend lost a young relative to suicide and she was the accompanying journal has since been given the robe. When one woman’s mother separated from the robe.

In Brashares’ book series, “The moved into a nursing home she, too, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” the received the robe. magical pair of jeans eventually “We always kind of passed loses its luster and are long it to someone who needed gone by the time the four it,” Terri said. “A little friends have matured extra comfort.” into adulthood – but The robe was their friendship remains also passed on for everlasting. The Kenyonmilestone 50th Wanamingo friends are birthdays and when no different; through something good – Terri Lenz trials and tribulations the happened in the lives six have remained close. of the women. It opened The gaudy pink bathrobe is a up discussions among the timeless symbol of their friendship, women and helped them tackle but perhaps never needed to begin with. unpredictable life events with friends by their side and an ugly, pink robe to give an Rachel Minske is a multimedia journalist. When not extra hug around the shoulders. writing, she’s usually drinking coffee and asking questions.

Each of the women’s children have recently graduated from high school, and as life has slowed down, so has the passing of the robe. It’s currently stuffed

”

“Oh, if this robe could talk.”

”

“We always kind of passed it to someone who needed it. A little extra comfort ” – Terri Lenz

Journal entries from

“ The Power of the Robe”

“The tradition was born that night … the Sisterhood of the Traveling Bathrobe. We have all agreed to write and record our experiences, or at least our fantasies, with the robe.”

“The first time I wore the robe was on a cold night in December.

Jimmy started a fire downstairs and we all got our jammies on and headed to watch a movie by the fire. … We turned on the movie, opened a bottle of wine, and relaxed.”

“Whenever I put on the robe, I love the memories of the classy group of ladies it represent. It always puts a smile on my face and gives me a warm feeling of friendship.”

“The robe worked its magic! It is a bit itchy when putting on, but does not stay on for long. I swear I hear it mutter as I stuffed it back in the bag, ‘And God bless us every one!’ Indeed…”

“A wild night of sex for me is to actually take off my T-shirt and not to mutter the words, ‘Don’t take too long!” or ‘Alright, for a minute perhaps,’ sometimes muttering, ‘Excuse me, you

want to do what, now?’ Love you all my sisters! May you use the pink bathrobe to its fullest – find an empty backseat and hop in, the kitchen countertop or the hay loft!”

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Advice for parents (Carleton.edu)

Nobody understands your daughter or son as you do, and no one’s support is more important. But there are particular challenges to parenting a young adult separated from you by hundreds of miles and a couple dozen years.

Carleton College has years of experience in working with parents and students. Here’s our advice for letting your child go.

A special transition: Parents of first-year students • Keep your perspective by viewing your daughter’s or son’s entrance to college as just one more milestone, along with her or his first step, first word, first report card or first request to use the car.

• Do not rush in and “save the day” for your daughter or son. Now is the time to trust that your 18 years of influence will make a difference.

The reality is that they are now on their own, so let go. Be concerned, of course, but let them work things out.

• Stay connected, and continue your support. Keep the lines of communication open: Phone calls are quick and popular, but this may be the perfect time to breathe life into the dying art of letter writing.

• Do not worry about your student’s performance. There will be plenty of time to discuss grades, majors or careers after the first year.

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Letting go

You knew they’d leave at some point. You just didn’t expect that time to arrive so suddenly.

BY BRENDA K.M. WARD

Y

esterday, my twin daughters took their very first steps across my parents’ living room floor, teetering toward their older cousins’ outstretched arms. No … no, wait, that was 17 years ago! Yesterday, they were creating their “to do” lists in preparation for college this fall. How did this happen so suddenly?!

It seems that from the very day our children join the world, people begin telling us that they’ll grow up in the blink of an eye. Whatever, you think … she’s just a newborn!

Then you walk into the kitchen one evening after work and find your daughter sitting at the counter scratching items off her to-do list like, “Look into online textbook options,” and “Meet new roommate for coffee.” You might gasp at the reality of the situation and immediately book for the wine – or better yet, directly toward your daughter to fit in yet one more “childhood” hug while you still can. There may even be an unexpected tear, be it of sadness or of joy.

If it’s a gamut of emotions you’re experiencing during this time, know that you’re not alone.

Leah Worke’s son, Colin, is leaving his home in Waseca for the great world of academia at Concordia College in Moorhead.

“I am filled with so many emotions,” said Leah. “I will miss him at the

dinner table sharing his stories of what happened in his day. His father will miss the conversations about golf, hunting and snowmobiling. His brother will have to learn what it’s like not to have his best friend by his side … On a lighter note, it will be interesting to see if his socks will match when he heads to class, or if his T-shirts are still white or non-wrinkled, or if he remembers to shave every now and then. I know he will feel a sense of freedom from no nagging from mom, but I know deep down he will miss me!”

As Madeleine, the oldest of Kristin Haberman’s four children, prepares for college, Kristin reflects on family time spent together traveling, as well as enjoying the simple togetherness of backyard grilling, family movie nights and years of school and sports activities.

“At the end of this summer our family unit will be breaking up when Madeleine leaves for the University of Wisconsin, Madison,” said Kristin.

“Showing our children that there is a world outside of Owatonna has been a primary focus in our child-rearing. And now it’s time. It’s time to let go and allow her to discover who she is as an individual person, outside of our family, for her to make her own place in this world. I know that she will excel. I know that we have properly prepared her for this journey. But it still hurts, and I’m going to miss her terribly. I keep telling myself that this is the beginning of a new era (AD: After Diplomas) that I will enjoy just as much as I enjoyed the BC era (Before Children).”

Like Kristin and Leah, as you move into this time of change, remember that it really will be OK, for both your child and you. As for me, I find comfort in knowing that my daughters are both enthusiastic and well prepared for this next step of their lives. Certainly our relationship will continue to change with time, but I’ll always be Mom. And we all know that moms are irreplaceable.

Tami O’Brien & daughter Sally, Waseca “Getting ready to send Sally off to college has definitely been the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a mom so far! What helps me cope is to look back at her many successes and accomplishments, knowing she will use the intelligence, grace and resources it took to make those happen to shine as a college student and adult. She’s been ours for the past 18 years, and she will be one of the best gifts we get to share with the world!”

,

,

Rachel Von Ruden graduated from St. Catherine University in May 2014.

Now a social worker at Metro Area Agency on Aging and living in the Twin Cities, Rachel recalls what it was like to make the transition from high school grad to college freshman:

, Gretchen Heil & twins Sydney & Noah, Northfield

,

Leah Worke & son Colin, Waseca

“You are stronger than you seem, braver than you believe, and smarter than you think you are!”

“The transition to college has been an opportunity for Sydney and Noah to make choices and solve problems on their own. While my husband and I have been available to help guide them through the college entry process, we’ve ultimately let the responsibility lie with them. Learning to survive and thrive without us is what we’ve spent their lives preparing them to do.”

Jo Huntsman & son Sam, Owatonna Mutual respect. Trust.

Play. This relationship is for a lifetime.

,

,

Kristin & Patrick Haberman with daughter Madeleine, Owatonna “The transition to college has been an opportunity for Sydney and Noah to make choices and solve problems on their own. While my husband and I have been available to help guide them through the college entry process, we’ve ultimately let the responsibility lie with them. Learning to survive and thrive without us is what we’ve spent their lives preparing them to do.”

“Five years ago, when I was getting ready to go to college, I thought I was more than prepared. I thought I was ready to go off on my own and be independent. I was convinced that I didn’t need my parents or brother. The reality … was a little different.

I was so nervous and homesick that I called my mom pretty much every night.

Bless her heart; she was very patient and supportive. She just listened to whatever I had to say, whether it was me complaining about my roommate or crying over calculus. She was a calm and loving presence. My parents made an effort to visit when I asked and sent me care packages to remind me of home. My favorite was when mom sent scotcheroo bars.

During my freshman year, I met new people through my orientation group, oncampus job and classes. By sophomore year I had found a great group of friends, all of whom I am still close with. Having these close friends is what really made campus feel like home. They were like family, and we were each other’s on-site support system.

Over the next few years, I became so busy that I sometimes only spoke with my parents once a week, but our relationship really evolved. I appreciate them more as people who have their own strengths and flaws. I appreciate their company and advice in ways I didn’t before college. I still give them the PG version of what I do on Friday nights, but we’re much closer than when I was in high school. I am now able to fully appreciate all that my parents had done, and are still doing, to help get me to where I am. It’s a debt I can never repay.

My relationship with my little brother has changed a lot, too. We’re more supportive and understanding of each other, and since it’s only the two of us I suppose we have to be.

All in all, growing up is a pretty cool thing. There isn’t nearly as much shopping or as many vacations as I had imagined, but adulthood is pretty neat.”

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Profile

ena LGardner

By Azna Amira

Y

ou could call Lena Gardner a quintessential Minnesota girl — and then some. But then, she’s not the milk-fed, blonde farm girl of the prototype; that’s where the “and then some” part comes in. Lena is more than an intelligent, politically progressive, literate and active outdoorswoman. She is black, an activist and a leader.

Last year Lena was much in the news as leader of Minneapolis’ Black Lives Matter chapter, having organized a series of sit-ins, vigils and demonstrations protesting the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by Ferguson, Mo., police.

Peaceful, soft-spoken Lena, a student of social justice at United Theological Seminary, would much rather be lounging in her backyard hammock or canoeing the Boundary Waters, but love and faith changed her deeply.

She had been an activist for years before a Universalist Unitarians minister she met while severely injured and in grief from the loss of her father told her, “I don’t know you, but I love you deeply, and I am glad that you are.”

From there, she says, activism began to feel different, had a more intense urgency.

“When you feel that deeply and see injustice, there’s no going back,” said Lena.

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GF: How did you first recognize the racial discord Black Lives Matter addresses that led you to your current work?

LG: As a person of color, recognition of racial injustice comes very early. As a woman, learning to hate your body, your hair and your skin comes even earlier for Black girls. So, I don’t actually have memories without some understanding of specifically racial injustice and sexism in particular.

But that also could be because my father taught multicultural relations at the University of Minnesota for many years. My first discussion about race was actually when I was 3 years old. Some kid at daycare made a comment about Black people being worse than dirt to me, but I brushed it off and told my dad. I said I had just told the boy that he clearly did not know his colors, because my skin was brown, not black, so he was just wrong.

Dad said he knew he had his work cut out for him right then, when he started trying to explain to a 3-year-old the difference between socially created races and a very real and important culture.

GF: Today it seems the problem isn’t so much hatred/ racism as indifference/ignorance. Do we need “civil rights,” or a new movement encompassing the human heart?

LG: I think it does a disservice to minimize the insidiousness of racism.

Indifference and ignorance are only possible because of structural and systemic racism too intricately woven into the

fabric of American society, government, education and religion that it’s nearly impossible to see. Yet, at the same time, it is also blatant.

It’s uncomfortable, and people are “tired” of talking about it, but it is still pervasive, prevalent and in effect every single day. And until Minnesota — with some of the largest racial disparities in the country — can face and acknowledge structural racism, things will get worse before they get better.

GF: When you look at a plate of bacon and eggs, it’s easy to see that the pig is more committed than the chicken.

What can women of all colors in Minnesota do to address police shootings of minority youths? Aren’t we all part of the 99 percent?

LG: Neither the pig nor the chicken had much choice about commitment, did they? Like them, we don’t get a choice about our skin color or the culture we’re born into. If people of any color want to address issues they see as “not a part” of their communities, they need to look closely within themselves; we all have beliefs about other races, cultures and people.

I’ve spent my whole life in Minnesota — I’m a Minnesota girl at heart. I love this place, but it was stolen from the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). I get stares when I visit rural towns.

People need to start understanding their own hearts more deeply, start learning about structural racism and stop denying that it exists. From there, the answers necessary for a more just society will become crystal clear.

GF: What keeps you going strong when events here and around the world seem so distressing? What keeps your spirits up?

LG: Honestly, it’s both my faith and protest communities.

We move from love. This art of changing the world and transforming ourselves is imperfect, human and messy — yet it is beautiful.

I also connect back into love by scheduling dinner with my family and dear friends, making time to take care of my body by working out, and cooking nutritious meals. Also by relaxing, putting down the phone and unplugging the laptop, and knitting. Lately I’ve been taking work breaks by eating ice cream in the backyard hammock.

GF: Who are your heroines, and why?

LG: I love Ella Baker and Audre Lorde. I draw a lot of inspiration from my two aunties and my father – and the people around me. There are so many people rising up, above and beyond their everyday lives to fight for justice. It’s a beautiful thing.

GF: If the world could be made better by understanding just one thing, what would that one thing be?

LG: Understanding how deeply you yourself are loved and deserving of love. That we all are.

Azna Amira is a Northfield-based writer. A Carleton College alumna, Azna returned to Northfield in 2006 to create fiction and will be producing an upcoming film on racial blending in America.

Owatonna 2016

Bridal Fair A Total Joint Replacement Program

Sun, January 17, 2016 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Holiday Inn & Suites I-35, Exit 45, Owatonna

Register Now! Booth Space is Limited!

For booth information, please contact Jennifer Sorensen 507-444-2389 or jasorensen@owatonna.com

Owatonna.com

www.OrthoEdgeMN.com SUMMER ISSUE 2015 |

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Okoboji

Destination

Why go to Okoboji?

Known as the Great Lakes of Iowa.

STORY BY JANE MULLIKIN PHOTOS COURTESY OF OKOBOJI TOURISM COMMITTEE PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID THORESON

I

f you’re looking for a place to have fun and relax – and to experience a great sense of humor – consider a drive to Okoboji, IA. When you arrive, ask a local to tell you about the University of Okoboji and they will gladly inform you of the many fundraisers and events put on by the university. What they may not tell you is that the university does not exist! Oh sure, you can buy all sorts of merchandise with the official “U of O” crest, and the actual events are real, but the school – well, it’s fictitious. Even the local radio station is in on the joke and refers to itself as Campus Radio.

Humor aside, Okoboji is a small resort town in northwestern Iowa, population 807. Its county, Dickinson, totals around 16,000 people. The area, known as the Iowa Great Lakes, borders Minnesota and is an easy two-and-a-half hour drive from Faribault. Despite its size, Okoboji sees nearly a million visitors each year, making tourism its main industry and one of Iowa’s largest tourist destinations.

The naturally formed Spirit Lake is the main attraction for the area

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where everyone’s craving for water can be satisfied. Here you can relax on the shores and take in the scenic views – or indulge in extreme water sports such as parasailing and kiteboarding. Several shops rent boats with motors, sails, ores or paddles; individual water crafts like jet skis, paddle boards, wind surfers and kiteboards are also available. For those who want to be on the water but not at the helm, options include dinner cruises, sightseeing trips and fishing guides.

Inland, Arnold Park is an amusement park located on the shores of West Okoboji Lake. This year marks its 125th year in operation, and the park has more than 20 rides along with shops, food and games. The Legend Roller coaster – the heart of Arnold

Park – is the seventh oldest roller coaster in the U.S., and 13th oldest in the world. Admission is free; you pay only for the rides.

Other favorite activities in Okoboji include golf, fishing, museums, biking trails and diverse venues for live music. What’s more, the Pearson Lakes Art Center houses four galleries devoted to local artists and a permanent Russian Impressionist collection to take in. You’ll find a number of familiar hotel chains and restaurants in Dickinson County, along with quaint local inns and eateries.

“I wasn’t born in Okoboji, but I got here as fast as I could.”

Whether for a day or a week, plan a trip to Okoboji, and you’ll likely agree with this favorite slogan of the many transplants to this area.

Jane Mullikin calls charming Northfield her home, but also lives in a quaint town near warm ocean waves and majestic mountains ... at least in her heart.

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Waterfront crow

d

Upcoming Area Events AUG. 1: Art in the Park with more than 100 vendors displaying their creative wares AUG. 8: Old Iron Car Show SEPT. 5-6: Iowa Rock ‘N Roll Music Association Hall of Fame Induction Spectacular SEPT. 12-20: Clay County Fair, known as “The World’s Greatest County Fair,” 20 minutes from Okoboji SEPT. 27: The University of Okoboji Octoberfest Bike Ride NOV. 13-15: “WOW” – Women’s Okoboji Weekend, with wine and chocolate tastings, seminars, entertainment and more JAN. 29-31: The 36th annual University of Okoboji Winter Games

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FiNDS!

Check out these great finds from the region!

St. Peter

Style and Comfort The Sanuk Yoga Sling has a two-way stretch knit fabric upper. The footbed is made from a real yoga mat with a sealed edge. Find these comfortable sandals and more at Owatonna Shoe with prices starting at $36.

The Woods grill & bar

Owatonna Shoe 121 N Cedar Ave., Owatonna, Owatonnashoe.com

Open to the public

43779 Golf Course Road Saint Peter, Minnesota 507-934-4299 • www.woodsgrillbar.com open daily for lunch 11-130 and dinners 5pm till dark

Owatonna NEW YEAR NEW YOU! * 25% OFF & 10% OFF All Laundered Shirts

DOW CHIROPRACTIC

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dowchiro.com 152 E Pearl Street Owatonna, MN 55060

Call today to learn more 507-451-1691

Coupon must be presented with incoming order.

Excludes all leathers & wedding gowns.

FREE pick up & delivery. Not valid w/ any other offer.

Expires 12/31/15

ELWOOD STAR CLEANERS

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107 N. Cedar • Downtown Owatonna • 507-451-3430 Open M-F 6:30am-5:30pm; SAT 8 am-1 pm

Hair · Skin · Nails Massage · Botox & Injectables Enjoy an intimate, relaxed environment where we strive to take the best care of each and every person who enters.

507-451-5040

131 Oakdale Street, Owatonna www.pentangles.net

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Jobs

It’s The Cows.

l

Summer Days Promotion

Remember KEMPS when looking for employment!

Apply online at www.Kemps.com SUMMER ISSUE 2015 |

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We Time DATING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE:

10 ways to have fun with your hon – on the cheap

T

he classic “dinner and movie” date certainly has its appeal, but the resulting credit card bill – well, not so much. We’ve come up with 10 ideas for you and your date that’ll keep you both entertained and your bank account in the black.

11. Coffee shops offer more than just a morning pick-me-up. Spend a rainy Sunday afternoon competing in a friendly board game kept on hand at shops like the Hideaway and the James Gang Eatery in Northfield, or St. Peter’s River Rock Coffee.

22. Outdoor concerts are

NEW

nothing new to Minnesota, but have you ever attended one in a forest? Sway alongside the trees to the sounds of live bluegrass by Long Time Gone as River Bend Nature Center of Faribault hosts Music in Nature on Sept. 5. St. Peter, too, is

rockin’ with outdoor music during the Rock Bend Folk Festival held Sept. 12-13. in Minnesota Square.

33. What does it take to brew a proper beer? Learn the process from toasting hops to perfection, to the final step of bottling during a tour of Mankato Brewery. Stick around for beer sampling to see how your tastes compare.

44. Go back to college. Spend some time strolling the campus or arboretum at a local college, like Gustavus-Adolphus, Carleton or St. Olaf. During the academic year, discover the talent exhibited at free or low-cost campus art galleries, music and drama performances. If you’re the undying academic type, check calendars for open-to-the-public reading series, convocations and other thought-provoking offerings.

5 If treasure hunting is your thing, try geocaching. Using a Global Positioning System (GPS), geocaching has you searching for hidden “caches” with treasures inside.

Sakatah Lake, Nerstrand Big Woods and Rice Lake state parks offer GPS units for free, along with instructions and assistance.

66. Step up the competition with a challenging game of disc golf at Wapacuta Park in Faribault or Mineral Springs Park in Owatonna.

77. If you’d rather take it easy while outdoors, visit the Bailey House historical gardens during the Waseca Garden Tour held the first Sunday in August. You’ll be in awe over the array of color on display during peak gardening season.

88. See a cheap flick. Faribault’s Village Family Theater screens classics, art films, blockbusters and more from days past. Tickets are $5, drinks $2 and popcorn just a buck. If it’s a current film you’ve been dying to see, Owatonna’s Northwoods Cinema 10 is the place to go with $5 Tuesdays on all movies, all day. You’ll also get a free 44 ounce popcorn when you buy a drink.

99. Book a date at a local bookstore. Whether the travel section, fiction or sci fi, browse together and you’re sure to spark interesting conversation.

10. There’s always the lakes.

10 Nature is free – take it outdoors for a day of fishing, biking or picnicking around one of the dozens of lakes within a short drive from home.

They’re easy to find – it is Minnesota, after all!

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TRENT JONAS

Trent is a Twin Cities-based writer and divorced father of two. He is fascinated and frightened by women but is working through his issues.

In spite of everything, I’m still hopeful I’m a middle-aged white guy from the Midwest with two kids who, in the past year, studied the Civil Rights Movement in junior high. I now find myself challenged by my son and daughter to explain why today’s news looks so much like the violent resistance to the end of Jim Crow South.

And you know, I can’t.

Like my kids, I’d kinda thought we were beyond church burnings, hating people for who they love, jingoistic bile about immigrants and open season on young, Black men and churchgoers. Clearly, I was wrong.

In the days after the Charleston church massacre and the Supreme Court’s decision that people can marry whomever they love, I saw more hatred and venom come across my social media than I ever remember.

Meanwhile, a friend sent me a link to a report from The Hill, saying that Representatives from both sides of the aisle feel that race relations have not improved under President Obama. Duh, right?!

Read a newspaper.

However, it could be that all the hatred and violence of the last several months is because we actually have made strides toward a greater, more diverse society. The violence we are witnessing may simply be the thrashing death throes of anachronistic racism and hatred – cornered, wounded animals tend to lash out.

At the very least, there are many reasons to be hopeful.

Our first African American president was elected

to two terms, and despite some missteps, has led the U.S. to steady economic growth and finally manned up about the frays in our social fabric. Thanks to the Supreme Court, universal healthcare and universal marriage became law under President Obama. He will not be a historical asterisk.

For every Donald Trump, a son of immigrants, with his racist slurs about immigration, there is a Univision, Macy’s or NBC willing to do the right thing. For someone who loves to spout about his business acumen, Trump has failed to recognize the importance of the economic contributions made by immigrants, especially those by Latinos who now comprise nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population – the fastest growing segment.

Somehow, the recent events in Baltimore and Charleston culminated into people defending the Confederate battle flag. They are a loud group, but a small one, trying to divert attention away from the fact that there is still racially-motivated murder in the United States. But for every victim of racist violence, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, like Bree Newsome, who are willing to stand up and say, “This will not be tolerated in 21st century America!”

Those who lash out, burning churches and rallying around their Confederate flags, are doing society a favor: They’re not hiding anymore; and they simply do not have the numbers they once did.

There is hope, because once a problem is out in the open, it can be dealt with.

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19

From The Kitchen

The

Cheese

Pie

and

Mongers

Gorgonzola Appetizer (recipe courtesy of David Briese, store and cheese manager, pie specialist) A simply made appetizer, the drizzle of oil adds a hint of mandarin flavor creating a surprisingly

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delicious combination.

Start to finish: 15 minutes.

Serves four to six.

Ingredients 1 French baguette, sliced 1 wedge Hook’s gorgonzola cheese, sliced

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1/3 cup Lucero crushed mandarin orange-infused olive oil Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the baguette thinly, and slice the cheese to match the num-

ber of baguette pieces.

Place the cheese on top the bread and onto a baking sheet.

Pop it into the oven for five minutes or until lightly toasted.

Once out of the oven, lightly drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Portobello-gouda grilled cheese sandwich (recipe courtesy of Sheryl Utter, lead baker) Serve a quality balsamic vinegar for dipping with this mouthwatering sandwich.

Start to finish: 20 minutes.

Serves two.

Ingredients 1 cup sliced baby Portobello mushrooms 1 tablespoon plus 4 teaspoons butter, divided 4 ounces Marieke smoked Gouda cheese, sliced 4 slices marbled rye bread 1 plum tomato, sliced Lucero traditional balsamic vinegar (for dipping) Directions In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms in one tablespoon butter until tender.

Place the cheese on two bread slices; top with mushrooms, tomato and the remaining bread.

Spread the outside of the sandwich with the remaining butter.

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the cheese is melted.

ABOUT THE CHEESE & PIE MONGERS “Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze!”

Back in the day, Burt Peterson, founder of Welsh Heritage Farms, could often be heard sharing this sentiment with his daughter, Pam. Whenever Burt ate a slice of homemade apple pie, there was always a slice of cheddar cheese served alongside. Today, the combination of pie and cheese is carried on by his daughter in the form of a new retail store.

Pam Harvo and her husband Larry, along with their son Timothy and his wife Libby, have owned and operated the family orchard, Welsh Heritage Farms, for several years. But it was just late last year that they decided to expand the retail side of their business with the opening of the Cheese and Pie Mongers in downtown St. Peter. As the name implies, not only will you find the made-from-scratch pies the orchard is known for (and continues to sell on-site), but also cheese – really amazing gourmet cheese from as near as Minnesota and as far away as Holland.

Though the Cheese and Pie Mongers does not sell appetizers or sandwiches, they sure know how to make them. The key ingredient: the right cheese, of course!

“Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze!”

David’s cheese suggestions: Pleasant Ridge Reserve alpine-style cheese The Lone Grazer Hansom Cab, a semi-soft camembert washed in Two Gingers Irish whiskey Pasture Pride Juusto baked cheese The Red Errigal: Rich, lightly sweet and sophisticated

The Cheese and Pie Mongers 317 S. Minnesota Ave. St. Peter cheeseandpie.com

Welsh Heritage Farms 20758 528th Ave. Lake Crystal welshheritagefarm.com SUMMER ISSUE 2015 |

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21

Wellness

BY BRENDA K.M. WARD

G

rowing and buying food locally through community gardens, on-farm markets, farmers markets and backyard gardens is fairly common in our southern Minnesota communities. Even small “help yourself” free gardens are making appearances in the front yards of residential neighborhoods.

It’s not just families, however, that are becoming more garden savvy. Several local college and public school campuses, too, have grown their own edible gardens, including St. Olaf and Carleton colleges, Waseca Junior High School, Cleveland Schools, Northfield’s Greenvale Park

Elementary School and the soonto-open Technical Academies of Minnesota charter school in Owatonna.

The message: Eat fresh and eat local.

It’s an idea that is also supported by the U.S. government through the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative that in part encourages the development of farmers markets around the country.

While several farmers markets have existed for years in our region, some communities, like Le Sueur, opened a public market as recently as last year.

For a listing of nearby farmers markets, we’ve got you covered. To find CSAs and on-farm markets, check out the local food directories at usdalocalfooddirectories.com.

Le Sueur – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday in the parking lot at the corner of Bridge and Second streets

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www.scff.org or 800-423-6466 22

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SCFF General Ad Girlfriends 7-27 LB

St. Peter – 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday in the St. Peter Food Co-op parking lot Mankato – 3:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday at 1895 Adams St. Waseca – 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday and 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday in the courthouse parking lot

Learn the lingo Food jargon can be confusing. What does “sustainable” really mean, and how does it differ from “organic?” And when it comes to eating local, just how close is local?

Organic: Organic food is produced without using pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, GMOs or ionizing radiation. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Before

Lonsdale – 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday in Main Street Plaza Northfield – 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tuesday and Friday and 9 to 11 a.m.

Saturday at Riverside Park; Riverwalk Market Fair runs from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday downtown in Bridge Square

a product can be labeled organic, it has to pass government certification.

Sustainable: Eating sustainably takes organic to the next level, with consideration for the environmental, economic and social health of the planet in the how food is grown, processed, distributed, consumed and discarded. Growers use planet-protective actions like crop diversification, water efficiency, energy efficiency (wind, solar or water-based power), low carbon emission (ide-

Dundas – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday in Mill Park Faribault – 1:30 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday and 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Saturday in Central Park Owatonna – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday in Central Park Square Blooming Prairie – 4 to 6 p.m.

Friday at 210 Fourth St. N.E

ally locally grown) and eco-friendly packaging (minimal, recyclable…).

Local: Food is typically considered local if grown within a 100-mile radius.

GMO: GMO stands for genetically modified organism – plants or animals with an altered genetic make-up that creates a longer shelf life, disease resistance and different flavors or colors.

GMO-free is food that is not altered as such.

Community garden: This is a large garden within a given community

that is broken down into family-sized plots. “Sharing plots” are sometimes present in which gardeners join together to grow food for a local food shelf.

Organic techniques and on-site composting are often encouraged.

CSA: Community supported agriculture allows farmers and consumers to share the risks and benefits of food production. Members become share-holders and pledge money in advance to cover the anticipated costs of growing food. In

Help celebrate National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 2-8 by visiting a market near you!

turn, they receive shares of the produce throughout the growing season.

On-farm market: When you buy sweet corn or watermelon, for example, sold from a stand at the end of a farmer’s driveway, you are at an on-farm market.

Carbon footprint: One’s carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted as the result of the use of fossil fuels. A carbon footprint can be kept in check by biking to work, rather than driving, for example.

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23

Wellness

your wardrobe

E

BY ISABELLE WATTENBERG ver feel that life has become unnecessarily complicated? Or wish that your day-to-day activities wouldn’t have to be quite so rushed?

We at Girlfriends hear ya, and we’re here to help!

In today’s overworked, overstressed, overabundant lifestyle that so many feel

entrapped by, it is sometimes necessary to put foot to brake and slow down enough to change that which feels out of control. In our new “Simplify” series, we are providing realistic advice to help guide you toward a less complicated lifestyle.

To begin, we’re offering some painless tricks that’ll help you “simplify your wardrobe.” We asked Grant Whittaker, Twin CitiesAmeriprise you to stylist, join us for based creativeFinancial director invites and fashion foratips on organizing special your closetseminar: — and keeping it that way.

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Cut down on duplicates. If you have a tendency to gather multiples of one article of clothing, select those pieces you wear most often and discard the rest.

Whittaker suggests starting with jeans: Because of the variety of cuts, sizes and styles, it’s not uncommon to amass several pairs. Discard what you really don’t need, then do the same for accessories such as hats, scarves and gloves. You can restock every season (and get them for a steal during the off-season).

If you’ve gathered several luxury items you’d like to unload, consider selling to a consignment shop or donating with the added benefit of a tax write-off.

You’ll also want to discard items of clothing that are worn, pilled or ill-fitting. Don’t waste space on clothes that don’t fit or have been worn into disrepair.

Use your hangers. Organize your closet with color-coded hangers: Purple for work attire and blue for casual wear, for example. This will help maintain the structure of your wardrobe and speed up your morning closet rummage.

Another option: Hang all your clothes in one direction. After you’ve worn an item, return it to the closet hanging the opposite way. You’ll easily identify what you’ve worn recently — and what you never wear and should remove from your closet.

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Figure out what kind of shopper you are. Do you shop occasionally, purchasing long-lasting, high-quality clothes? Or, do you prefer frequent shopping trips, choosing less durable items you can update often without breaking the bank? If you’re the latter, just make sure you’re replacing — not adding to — your wardrobe.

Have a statement piece.

For some people it’s a pair Grant Whittaker. Photo from of pants; for others, a little grantwhittakerstyle.com/ black dress. Whatever the article of clothing, Whittaker recommends choosing one versatile statement piece.

“It’s got to be perfectly tailored,” he said. “You know it’s going to be that staple piece and that you can mix and match that.”

Whittaker’s go-to is a jacket — a sport coat for men and a blazer for women — but regardless of what you chose, invest in something you love.

Isabelle Wattenberg is a social media and data analytics specialist for MSP Communications. She spends her spare moments listening to opera, reading Alice in Wonderland and writing about Minnesota happenings.

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25

KARI BERIT

Sage advice to heed

UNEXPECTED CAREGIVER Kari Berit, (facebook.com/ theunexpectedcaregiver), motivational speaker, caregiver coach and author of The Unexpected Caregiver, addresses audiences nationwide on issues of aging and caregiving.

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“She should really cover up. No one needs to see that. ” I’ve heard it said too many times when it comes to older bodies: They’re ugly; they should be hidden.

As we get older, I would hope that we no longer need to be concerned about how we look – or bother with another person’s definition of beautiful.

Our ego constantly gets in our way. The very job of the ego is to mediate between what we think of ourselves and what we believe others think. Ditch the second part of that last sentence and let go of what other people think of you! I know … easier said than done.

A relentless complaint I get from family caregivers is that their parents don’t “keep themselves up.”

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Mom doesn’t dress like she used to and they are embarrassed to be out in public. Or, Dad isn’t shaving (or showering) like he used to and it’s uncomfortable to go out with him. Probably one of the worst I hear is that Mom or Dad certainly should not hang out poolside. In a swimsuit. In public. That is just too much for any (younger) person to endure.

This is all ego. It is about your discomfort with what you think other people are saying about your parents.

Ego loves when we’re embarrassed due to someone else’s opinion. This is a lifelong lesson: To accept ourselves just as we are in this one moment. We change. Our bodies shift and sag and hair grows on women’s chins. It happens.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we can’t laugh at how we look at times. I have this priceless photo on my fridge of my dad in a typical dorky ‘70s summer get up: Shorts, non-matching striped tank T-shirt and tall tube socks, eating generic chips and holding a can of “Black and White” beer. That picture is worthy of rolling on the floor in laughter.

What is not to be made fun of are changes that come from disease or age. You may have known Mom without the varicose veins. The dad you grew up with didn’t have a rounded belly or hunched shoulders or sagging skin.

I did not need to wait until older age to get training in accepting cosmetic changes in my body.

After a long winter at college, I noticed certain areas on my skins wouldn’t turn brown. There were irregular patches all over my body that would simply not tan. That summer I learned a new word, “vitiligo,” which Wikipedia sums up as “a chronic skin condition characterized by portions of the skin losing their pigment.”

For 25 years I didn’t take a vacation in the sun – and I loved the sun! I was a summer lifeguard, a regular Mississippi boater who tipped my toe into sailing at a youth group outing. But I gave it all up. I was embarrassed over the uneven tone of my skin. I hid my spotted body under long-sleeved clothes and hats.

We all have our body discomforts. We all have

something we wish we either did not or did have. But to spend our lives banishing ourselves from activities we love just because we don’t “fit the stereotype” of a perfect this or that seems a bit ridiculous. Especially as we age.

With encouragement from my sailing friends, I rediscovered my love of sun while sailing in the Northern Florida Keys. I slathered on the sunscreen and allowed my white and uneven body to be out in public. Sure they poked fun at my spots. In fact, we enjoyed seeing what country-shape emerged on my back from my exposure to sun!

Instead of comparing my skin to that of someone without vitiligo, I protect, care for, and let the world see my patchwork and lightly tanned body. Ego still tries to interfere, but most of the time, I can brush it off.

When I notice vitiligo in someone else, it’s not uncommon for me to connect with that person.

While walking behind what I supposed was a mother and her two sons, I noticed the legs on the older boy.

He had vitiligo. I mentioned that I, too, had vitiligo and that is reassuring to see people not hide it. His mother easily replied, “He calls it is vital ego.” How splendid! This teenager has put his ego in check.

If I can share one key piece of advice for all family caregivers it would be: Let go of your ego. Don’t let your feelings of discomfort spoil your parent’s enjoyment of life.

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27

Wellness

Essential oil bug spray:

No DEET! STEPHANIE AMAN

HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH Stephanie Aman is the marketing and member services manager at Just Food Co-op in Northfield.

Sponsored by Just Food Co-op

Summer is here, and it’s during those dog days of summer that we really start to see the pesky Minnesota bird - the mosquito. But don’t fear, that little sucker (literally) doesn’t have to keep you inside! And you also don’t have to turn to the DEET-filled bug sprays to keep your family safe.

DEET is registered with the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) as a pesticide. It has the ability to build up and be stored (bio-accumulate) in not only our cells, but in animals as well. DEET has also been shown to cause cells to mutate (cell mutation is a precursor to the development of cancer). Not exactly the warm fuzzies you’re looking to put on your family, right?

There are some great natural alternatives that work – really! – to repel the skeeters.

Essential oils are commonly used to repel bugs; a few that tend to work really well include eucalyptus citridora, cedar, peppermint, lemongrass, tea tree and rose geranium. I made my own bug spray at the beginning of summer and spent many nights out at the ballpark watching our son play baseball, and while the mosquitos swarmed around everyone else, they mostly left me alone. I can say with personal experience that the essential oil concoctions

really do work.

The co-op carries all of the oils above; there is even a blend that you just need to dilute so you do not have to combine the oils yourself. It’s a safe and very effective way to keep your family and pets protected from mosquitos as well as ticks. Your family will thank you, your pets will thank you and the environment will thank you.

Here’s a simple recipe to make your own bug spray: Mix together 30 drops of eucalyptus citridora, 10 drops of rose geranium, 10 drops lavender and 10 drops peppermint into a 4-ounce spray bottle filled with 1 ounce of vinegar or vodka. Then fill the rest of the bottle with water and shake well.

Not looking to mix up the oils? Still skeptical about essential oils working to repel those bugs?

The co-op can help with safe and effective sprays that do not contain DEET but will still keep the bugs at bay. Check out our wellness aisle for a few different brands. My quick go to: All Terrain Herbal Armor. It smells good, and keep the bugs away.

Whatever you do this summer, go out and have some fun – and remember to stop in and grab the bug spray that will keep your family safe and happy during those dog days of summer!

local. organic. fresh.

Everyone’s welcome!

516 Water St S, Northfield 507-650-0106 · justfood.coop

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Girlfriends Guide

$ Financial Resources BRAD L. RUNNING CLU®

Financial Advisor. A unique and disciplined approach. Today, it’s natural to have questions about your retirement, even if you’ve saved and planned for it. With our proprietary Confident Retirement® approach, we’ll find answers and take the first step toward creating a road map to the future you want. We’ll talk through the four basic principles of retirement: (1) covering essential expenses, (2) assuring your lifestyle, (3) preparing for the unexpected and (4) leaving a legacy. And I’ll help you make adjustments as needed so you can retire on your terms. Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., 1850 Austin Road, Suite 104, Owatonna, MN 55060, 507-455-4070 brad.l.running@ampf.com, ameripriseadvisors@ampf.com/brad.l.running.

BREMER BANK- RYAN GILLESPIE

Buying a new home should be exciting. At Bremer Bank, we’ll make sure that arranging your home financing is a positive experience. The process can be safe and simple when you work with a bank that helps you understand what you should know and takes action for you. Ryan Gillespie, experienced mortgage loan officer, can help with any mortgage need you have, whether you’re a first-time home buyer, looking to move into a different home, looking to refinance, or about to build a home. Ryan Gillespie, NMLS #503704, 507-676-2708, 730 West Bridge St, Owatonna. rlgillespie@bremer.com.

Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

CASTLE ROCK BANK

The Castle Rock Bank has been serving the women in this community for 96 years. To answer the question, “What do women want in banking?” We believe the answer is, “To be heard, understood, respected and valued.” 27925 Danville Ave Castle Rock, 507-645-7751 www.castlerockbank.net.

SANDY FLOM, CPA, CFP

Sandy Flom has worked in Faribault for the past 19 years as an Accountant, she’s been a QuickBooks Pro Advisor for many years so she understands how it works and can help guide you through what you need. 14 3rd Street NE, Faribault. 507333-3973 www.faribaultcpa.com.

STATE BANK OF FARIBAULT

State Bank of Faribault is an innovative community bank with two locations in Faribault (established in 1919). Offering business loans, home mortgage, free mobile banking, free online banking and more, SBF is a leader in convenience, as well as customer service. 507-332-7401 www. tsbf.com Member FDIC Equal housing Lender

Food & Entertainment LEGACY GOLF & THE GRILL AT THE LEGACY The Legacy is a championship 18-hole facility offering value-added golf and a warm friendly environment for golf outings & casual dining.

It provides a unique setting for meetings, reunions, groom’s dinners, banquets and bridal showers. The indoor Grill can accommodate 30-50 people & the open-air Pavilion can accommodate up to 170. 1515 Shumway Ave, Faribault, 507-332-7177 www.legacygolf.net.

+

Health & Wellness

CURVES OF OWATONNA

Our Curves Complete program, offers women a complete weight loss solution— exercise, meal plans, and coaching—all in one location. Curves Protein Bars (Meal & Snack size) and Spot Toning classes. All Curves staff are certified by the Cleveland Clinic in Exercise, Nutrition and Behavior Coaching. Curves - 1828 S. Cedar Ave, Owatonna 507-455-4060.

HOLLAND FAMILY DENTAL

Holland Family Dental is located in the Professional Building on Hillcrest Ave. in Owatonna. We have been in Owatonna since 1996 and concentrate on dentistry for the entire family. We offer services in preventive, cosmetic and comprehensive care which includes implants and up-to-date dental technology. Please visit us at 605 Hillcrest Ave. Owatonna MN. 507-451-7250.

IN TOUCH PHYSICAL THERAPY

In Touch Physical Therapy is dedicated to providing hands on care to promote and maintain the healthy function of every client. Our doctors of physical therapy specialize in injury rehab, chronic pain, work comp injuries, car accidents, dizziness, pain management, sports training, and women’s health. We have one hour appointments.

Check us out at www.intouchpt.com. We work with all insurance companies. Your pain stops here! 123 W. Broadway St. Owatonna, MN.507451-7888.

JERILYN WIEDERHOLT, MS, MS, LP, ATR-BC

MILLSTREAM COMMONS ASSISTED LIVING

Millstream Commons Assisted Living is located in downtown Northfield. 44 Assisted Living apartments (studio, 1 and 2 BR) featuring three meals a day, supportive nursing care, respite care, & life enrichment activities. Pets allowed.

Licensed Housing with Services provider. Part of the Three Links Community. Member of Aging Services of Minnesota. 210 8th St W, Northfield, 507-650-9627, threelinks.org .

NORTHFIELD URGENT CARE

Tired of waiting to see your doctor for simple problems like sore throats and earaches? We provide walk-in medical care for all ages, from infants to adults. We are open 7 days per week and no appointment is needed! Quick, easy and efficient! 2014 Jefferson Rd Suite C, Northfield, MN 55057, 507-664-9999, northfieldurgentcare. com.

THE NORTHFIELD AREA FAMILY YMCA

The Northfield Area Family YMCA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for all individuals, families, and the community to achieve their fullest potential. From summer camps, to youth sports, to preschool activities and adult wellness, we have something for everyone. Become a member of the YMCA! 1501 Honeylocust Drive, Northfield 507-6450088, www.northfieldymca.org. Scholarships are available to ensure everyone can participate.

NORTHFIELD RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Situated on a 30-acre, beautifully landscaped campus, NRC was established in 1969 to provide housing and services specifically designed to meet the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of older adults. Housing options include apartments with a minimal level of services, as well as other home settings that make increasing levels of service readily available. Options include rental and owner-occupied living spaces. Units are available for both income-sensitive and market-rate income levels. NRC also provides a fully-staffed care center for those who desire a more traditional nursing home setting. 900 Cannon Valley Drive, Northfield, 507-645-9511, northfieldretirement.org.

Licensed Psychologist, Registered Board Certified Art Therapist, Licensed Educator K-12. Providing mental health services (assessment, therapy, consultation, training) to adults, adolescents and children. Use of psychological techniques to improve mental and physical health. Integrative, holistic, wellness oriented. Northfield, MN. 507321-2002.

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Girlfriends Guide Home & Garden JUDY’S FLORAL DESIGN

Whether your wedding is black tie/ ballroom or barefoot on the beach or somewhere in between!

Beautiful, quality flowers and great ideas start with Judy Smith. “Specializing in fresh creative and affordable blooms for all the flower moments of your life” 507-645-0008, 300 Railway St. North, Dundas, judysfloraldesign.com.

SIMON BROS CEMENT CO.

Simon Bros Cement Co. has been serving the Northfield area since 1969. We specialize in quality concrete and masonry including foundations, driveways, epoxy garage floors. Call for a free estimate. We will look at your project and use 40+ years of experience to share ideas and advice. Call Ray 612-328-4591.

Insurance AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE BART JACKSON AGENCY

American Family Insurance offers home, automobile, atv, motorcycle, boat, commercial business, farm and life insurance. We are available to meet with you personally to review your situation and provide recommendations as to the proper coverage’s for your needs. Bart Jackson Insurance Agency, 408 Central Ave N, Suite D, Faribault, MN 55021. 507-332-6812.

THE PAPER PETALUM

The Paper Petalum in the historic Archer House (212 Division St.) offers friendly customer service and unique gifts for all occasions. Locally owned and operated since 1987 we specialize in Scandinavian gifts, Minnesota products, decorative napkins, Polish Pottery, Rothschild foods, and much, much more. Stop in and visit us. 507-663-0565.

Transportation COMMUNITY CO-OP

The Community Co-op is located in beautiful and historic downtown Faribault, MN. We were organized in 1925 and have been a cornerstone of this community ever since. We specialize in fuels, lubricants, tires, and vehicle service, all for an affordable price. Women live busy lives, our staff understands how important service and convenience are. That is why we are the Company where our customers send their friends. 9 Central Ave, Faribault 507-334-2056, www.coopoilfblt. com.

NORTHFIELD LINES, INC.

Have your group arrive in style when you pull up in one of our luxurious motor or mini coaches.

Single or multi-day sightseeing trips, shopping, girlfriend getaways, dining, concerts, weddings, receptions, casino visits – you name the event and we will get your group there safely and on time.

32611 Northfield Blvd, Northfield, 800-9442190, www.northfieldlines.com.

Salons BLOWN AWAY SALON & SPA

Blown Away Salon & Spa offers a variety of services that are perfect for any budget. The salon side offers hair cutting, styling, coloring, & perming. All of our staff is experienced and attends regular classes to keep our guests updated. On the spa side, we offer massage with therapists specializing in Swedish, Deep Tissue, Prenatal, & Reflexology. Our Esthetician does body waxing, makeup lessons/applications, lash extensions, facials, microderm, and chemical peels. Getting married? Check out our great bridal packages! 159 18th St. SW, Suite 4, Owatonna, MN 55060. www.blown-away-salon.com.

Travel CEDAR TRAVEL

We pride ourselves to be a full service travel agency serving the needs of our customers since 1989! We want to take time to know your needs and find the perfect fit for your memorable vacation, so stop in or call for a consultation! Whether it’s a honeymoon, romantic vacation, family reunion or a getaway with your girlfriends, our agents are live and here for you!

Our staff is available Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5PM and enjoy sharing stories of our favorite destinations!

111 Cedar Avenue, N. Owatonna, MN 55060, 507455-1170, www.cedartravel.net.

Shopping A TOUCH OF CHARM A Touch of Charm is a quaint florist and gift shop in downtown Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. Leanne Hanson, owner, has been providing home accents, decorating ideas, gift and full service floral for the area since 1988.

We specialize in a mixture of traditional, cottage and countrypolitan accents for your home and a unique array of gifts that you can’t wait to give.

507-583-7637, atouchofcharmonline.com.

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WANT TO BE LISTED ON THE GF DIRECTORY?

507-333-3115 nbrandon@faribault.com

N TOP OF THE WORLD...

ON TOP OF THE WORLD...

ON TOP OF THE WORLD...

WITH GOOD HEALTH! WITH GOOD HEALTH! WITH GOOD HEALTH!

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