GoodLife November/December 2011

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YOUR L IFE UP NORTH

CoverA

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

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2 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

Your Comprehensive Approach to Healthcare.Our internists are specialists for daily life, doctors with the training

to help adults practice and maintain the essentials of healthy living.

· New Patients Welcome

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features 6 Good Stuff Good to Go:Working the hip girdle

Grandparenting:Gingerbread ornaments

9 Nod to Nostalgia Year: 1966

10 Good TasteQuick breads

12 Good EscapeHorton Creek Inn offers tranquil retreat

14 Good Word Anne Kelly

16 Good Buys Finding a TV

18 Good Health Avoiding winter hazards

20 Good Idea Scrapbooking

22 Cover StoryA tale of two memories

26 Good Cents Succession planning

28 Good Samaritan United Way Volunteer Connections website

GOODlife 3

On the cover: Christkindl, or Christ child, is the giver of gifts in Germany; St. Nikolaus was only his helper, said Rosemarie Sluyter of Petoskey, who grew up in Germany. Christkindl was often represented in fi gurines such as the one pictured.


LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE AND VA BENEFITS ACCEPTED

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY | INDEPENDENT AND ASSISTED L IVING

1

3 4

2Join us as we gather together for a bountiful month of events. We keep life exciting for our residents with a host of activities designed to keep their minds and bodies happy and healthy. We invite you to attend one (or more) of these fun events and experience our warm, luxurious community.

You’ll see (and feel) the difference.

GratefulOPEN ARMS,

HEARTS

OPEN ARMS,

HEARTSGrateful

©2011. Independence Villages are managed and lovingly cared for by Senior Village Management.

AT INDEPENDENCE VILLAGE OF PETOSKEY, WE FEEL HONORED TO HAVE YOU CONSIDER BEING PART OF OUR FAMILY.

888-777-0327www.SeniorVillages.com

Independence Village of Petoskey965 Hager Drive Petoskey, MI 49770 Off US 131 South and Lears Road

RSVP FOR ANY OF OUR EVENTS

888-777-0327

CALL

TODAY

Wines for Humanity Wine TastingFriday, November 4at 3:00 p.m.

Learn about exciting new wines, while raising money for charity. Appetizers and fun provided!

Veterans Day BrunchFriday, November 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Join us at this special time as the Petoskey Friendship Choir helps honor our veterans.

Christmas Craft ShowTuesday, November 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Shop local vendors for your holiday wreaths, decorations, and gifts. Even local homemade food items will be available for sale, so get your holiday pie here!

Northland NotablesSaturday, November 26 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Bring your friends to enjoy holiday music performed by this well-known professional group.

GOODlife 5

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 - Volume 3, Issue 2

PUBLISHERDOUG CALDWELL

EDITORMAGGIE PETERSON

PHOTOGRAPHYG. RANDALL GOSS

LAYOUT AND DESIGNWENDY WOLFSEN

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

CHRISTY LYONS(231) 439-9329

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© GoodLife, all rights reserved, 2011. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in

part, without express written permission, is prohibited. The views expressed herein,

whether expressed as fact, fiction, opinion, advice or otherwise, are those of the authors

and do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of this magazine.

The publication of any advertisement does not reflect any endorsement for any products or services by the ownership or management of this magazine unless it is

specifically stated in such advertisement that there is approval for such endorsement.

GoodLife is published bi-monthly by Northern Michigan Review, Inc.

GoodLife Magazine319 State St., Petoskey, Mich. 49770

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GOOD STUFFGOOD STUFFGOOD TO GO GOOD HUMOR

— Maggie Peterson

A strong core is important to overall movement, and this exercise aims to strengthen the pelvic region.

“Th is (exercise) is to help strengthen the hip girdle, which is helpful to stand up from a chair, get out of bed, that kind of thing,” said Ethel Larsen, a physical therapist with Northern Michigan Sports Medicine Center in Petoskey.

Working the hip girdle

Th e fl oor is the best surface for this exercise, but if it’s diffi cult to get down and back up, a fi rm bed will also work.

To start, lay down, with arms by your side, knees bent toward the ceiling and feet fl at on the ground or bed. Your knees should be slightly separated.

Push down on your feet, and arms if desired, lifting the hips up to a comfortable height. Let them down.

“You don’t want to fl op them down, either. You want to go nice and slow,” Larsen noted.

Start with 10 repetitions, and gradually increase as you become more comfortable. Variations of this exercise include:

— If lifting your hips is too pain-ful, initiate the movement of the exercise by tipping back the pelvis.

— Place a pillow between your knees. Squeeze the pillow as you lift; this works the inner thighs as well.

— Place a stretchy or adjustable band around your legs, just above the knee. Press out as you lift; this works the outer thighs as well.

— If you fi nd the lifting repetitive, lift and hold instead. Try to start with 10 second holds, working up to 30 seconds.

Th ere are instructions in airliners that say if the oxygen mask drops down from the console above, mothers must FIRST use it BEFORE giving it to the infant in her arms.

And while you probably don’t need me to ex-plain this to you, consider seeing this as a meta-phor for life: YOU WILL BE OF NO USE FOR OTHERS IF YOU HAVEN’T FIRST TAKEN CARE OF YOURSELF.

When I retired, I had to be my own guide. I was reluctant to care for myself. But soon I found things I really love to do:

Daily walking. I came to this kicking and screaming, being from a generation of women who got out of gym class if you had a new perm. When Title 9 came along, I secretly thought: Oh great! Now look what they’re going to make us do. We have the babies, work full time and of course are wives, committee chairs and now we can be in sports and sweat and hurt ourselves. But since I retired, I walk every day. Sometimes it seems there is nothing that can’t be fi xed by a walk. I start with some problem in my head, and when I fi nish I can hardly remember it.

I love to camp. Real tent, no electricity, dirt camping. Th ere is nothing like it for a gratitude adjustment. I don’t think you can overrate the smell of bacon cooking over a wood fi re, or the feeling of putting on clean socks after you wash your feet. We go for star walks at night because the places we camp are not light polluted. And sleeping bag wars: I love the look on my dog’s face when she gets in my bag before me! But the best part is when I return home, and I turn on the hot water to wash something, and I think: a miracle! Th e shower, clean clothes, the way the recliner feels, the remote control ... Deprivation is actually a good thing.

Creating something. About two years ago, I began taking art classes after saying for 40 years,

“Boy, I sure would love to take an art class ... ” I LOVE my art class. For two hours a week I am completely empty and somehow free. It’s like

Activity director? Be your own!

Bea MacGregor of Petoskey

GOODlife 7

GOOD STUFF

GRANDPARENTING

one half of my brain goes to sleep and the other half comes out to play ...

And fi nally, I love to parallel park. I am actually very good at this, and love nothing better than an audience of men (their wives inside the store). You can tell how bored they are, and I think of myself as the entertainment.

Th e trick is to pull up exactly with the car in front, then reverse and know when to turn in. I can even close my eyes!

And that really says it all. Find things that make you smile. Simple things that don’t depend on money or time with other people who still have schedules. Something you can do now, today. But like everything in life, know when to pull up even and when

to turn in. But keep your eyes open!

Katie MacInnis is a retired nurse and

lives with her husband Charlie in Harbor

Springs. She estimates that two-thirds of

the phone calls to her house start with

a delay, then a recorded sales-pitch, or

helpful people asking about her upcom-

ing birthday and signing up for Medicare

benefi ts. She writes to escape reality!

— Katie MacInnis

The aroma of gingerbread cookies is hard to beat, and these orna-ments add a homemade touch to

a tree. If you’re looking for a more classic gingerbread look, use the same sorts of decorations you would on a gingerbread house — royal icing and assorted candies.

GINGERBREAD ORNAMENTSIngredients6 tablespoons shortening1 cup sugar1 cup molasses2 teaspoons baking soda2 teaspoons ground cloves2 teaspoons ginger2 teaspoons cinnamon7 cups fl our1 1/2 cups water

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.2. Beat shortening and sugar together

in a large bowl. Stir in molasses.3. Sift baking soda, ground cloves, gin-

ger, cinnamon and fl our together in a large bowl. Stir this mixture plus water into the sugar and shortening mixture, alternately adding the wa-

ter and baking soda mixture to the shortening mixture.

4. Stir until mixed thoroughly and re-frigerate six to eight hours.

5. Cut dough into three equal pieces, knead each piece lightly and then use a rolling pin to roll out each piece to a 1/4-inch thickness.

6. Use holiday cookie cutters made in the shapes of gingerbread people and houses to cut shapes out of the dough.

7. Use a medium- to large-sized drink-ing straw or the end of a wooden chopstick to make a hole at the top of each shape. *Tip: make sure to really make a sizable hole (bigger than you think you need), as these do puff up in the cooking process, making the hole shrink.

8. Put cookies on cookie sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven. Th is will help harden the cookies.

9. Place cookies on racks to com-pletely harden. Place racks in a cool, dry place and let sit for two to three days.

10. Coat cookies with clear acrylic or

varnish and allow cookies to dry thoroughly.

11. Paint cookies with acrylic paints as desired. Allow paint to dry thor-oughly.

12. Th read a 5- to 6-inch length of nar-row ribbon or cording through the hole at the top of each ornament. You may have to use a toothpick to chip a little bit of cookie out of the hole if it has closed up a bit, before threading with ribbon. Knot ends and hang ornaments.

Yields 30-40 cookies.

Source: “Gingerbread Christmas Ornaments,” www.food.com

Gingerbread ornaments— Maggie Peterson

GOOD HUMOR

Continued from page 6

GOODlife e 7

hole at the top of eaYou may have to use a toothpick to chip a little bit of cookie out of the hole if it has closed up a bit, before threading with ribbon. Knot ends and hang ornaments.

elds 30-40 cookies.

ource: Gingerbread Christmas Ornaments,” www.food.com


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GOODlife 9

NOD TO NOSTALGIA - 19XX

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If you have a favorite nostalgic item you’d like to share with GOODLife readers, let us know!

E-mail Beth Anne at [email protected].

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Music

In the news

Movie

Th e way it was

NOD TO NOSTALGIA - 1966

‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’

Th e Band

Twister

It was the shout heard ‘round the world, and it happened during a performance by Bob Dylan and the Hawks — later renamed Th e Band — at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England.

At the height of a chorus of boos, one fan’s shout rang out the loudest: “Judas!” he screamed.

Th e event the fans were protesting was Bob Dylan’s transition to an electric band. He had tran-sitioned the year before, when he played a set with an electric band at Newport Folk Festival — where all performers used acoustic instruments. Dylan was considered a sell-out.

Near the time of the Manchester show, the single “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” hit the charts, ulti-mately reaching No. 2 on the United States pop sin-gles chart. It was a song released on June 27 from the album “Blonde on Blonde,” one of Dylan’s seminal records.

Nearly everyone has been to a party, regardless of age, during which the board game Twister has been broken out.

A grid of colored circles printed across a mat, the game aims to twist its players into contortions until each player can stand up no longer.

At the helm of the game is the person in charge of making players change their position based on where a spinner dictates the players hands or feet should go.

Th e Milton Bradley Company marketed the game, which was patented by Charles Foley and Neil Rabens, in 1966 after hesitation fearing public criticism. But af-ter the game was featured by Johnny Carson on the “To-night Show” — Carson played the game with Eva Gabor

— Milton Bradley knew it had a hit.More than 3 million copies of the game were sold dur-

ing the fi rst year of its release.

— Star Trek debuts on NBC-TV with its fi rst episode, “Th e Man Trap.”

— Bobby Seal and Huey P. Newton found the Black Panther Party.

— John Lennon says Th e Beatles are more popular than Jesus in an interview with London Evening Standard. He later apologizes.

— Bobbi Gibb becomes the fi rst woman to run the Boston Marathon.

Movie

Music

Th e way it was

In the news

Th e Grinch, a bitter recluse socked away on Mount Crumpit above Whoville, schemes ways to steal Christ-mas in the 1966 classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christ-mas.”

He enlists help from his dog, Max, and dresses Max as a reindeer. Th e Grinch, voiced by Boris Karloff , and his dog sled to steal Christmas from every Who in Who-ville — the Whos, who love Christmas more than all.

From those Whos, the Grinch took every present, and all of the Whos’ feast, even their “roast beast.”

But despite having lost their whole Christmas, the Whos joined together in their town square, joined Who-hands and started singing.

Th eir singing makes the Grinch reconsider his Christmas position, and his heart grew just a little more.

10 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH10 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH

GOOD TASTE

TasteA10

The appeal of quick breads isn’t merely the ease — though you have to love any baked good that

is no more complicated than mix-ing a bunch of things together, then baking.

But it also is the adaptability and fl exibility of these recipes that have earned them such a coveted place in the home kitchen. Th ey can be fl avored with nearly any combina-tion of ingredients, from sweet all the way to savory and spicy.

Th ey also can be baked in numer-ous styles — loaves large or small, as muffi ns, even simply as muffi n tops (if you have the right pan).

To help get you baking this fall, we created two basic quick bread base recipes, one savory and one sweet. Each recipe includes sug-gested fl avorings, easy ways to take a basic bread and make it so much more. And of course, these recipes are so versatile, feel free to play.

SAVORY QUICK BREADStart to fi nish: 1 hour 15 minutes (15 minutes active) Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffi ns

2 cups all-purpose fl our

1/4 cup cornmeal

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup cooked, mashed po-tato (unseasoned)

Mix-ins (see below)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a loaf or muffi n pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the fl our, cornmeal, baking pow-der, salt and sugar. In another bowl, mix together the sour cream, but-ter, eggs, mashed potato and the mix-ins of your choice. Add the potato-sour cream mixture to the fl our mixture and mix just until combined.

For a loaf, spread the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared pan. Cook until a wooden skewer inserted at the center comes out

clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. For muffi ns, spoon the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 min-utes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool fully before cutting.

Mix-ins:

— Southwestern: 1/2 cup diced cooked bacon, 1/4 cup cooked diced green pepper, 1/2 cup cooked diced onion, 1 table-spoon diced jalapeno

— Olive-herb: 3/4 cup chopped olives, 1/2 cup grated Parme-san, 2 tablespoons chopped capers, 1 tablespoon chopped

Everyone has time to bake a batch of quick bread

Matthew Mead/Associated Press

Th is photo shows Southwestern quick bread (left) and blue cheese walnut quick bread. Quick breads can

be fl avored with nearly any combination of ingredients, from sweet all the way to savory and spicy.

GOODlife 11

fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

— Blue cheese walnut: 1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper, 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Nutrition information per serving before mix-ins (values are rounded to the nearest

whole number): 180 calories; 60 calories from fat (36 per-cent of total calories); 7 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 55 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein;

1 g fi ber; 290 mg sodium.

SWEET QUICK BREADStart to fi nish: 1 hour 15 min-utes (15 minutes active)Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffi ns

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce (or see cinnamon-pumpkin note in mix-ins below)

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose fl our

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix-ins (see below)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a loaf or muffi n pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, applesauce, water and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the fl our, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the mix-ins of your choice. Gently stir the fl our

mixture into the applesauce mixture just until combined.

For a loaf, spread the batter into the prepared pan. Cook until a wooden skewer inserted at the cen-ter comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. For muffi ns, spoon the bat-ter into the prepared tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Allow the loaf to cool fully before cutting.

Mix-ins:

— Cinnamon-pumpkin: Sub-stitute pumpkin puree for the applesauce. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 cup crushed toffee chips and 1/2

cup chopped toasted pecans

— Lemon-blueberry: Zest and juice of 2 lemons and 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

— Chocolate cherry orange: Zest of 2 oranges, 1/2 cup mini choco-late chips, 3/4 cup dried cherries

Nutrition information per serv-ing (values are rounded to the

nearest whole number): 230 calories; 90 calories from fat (39 percent of total calories);

10 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol;

33 g carbohydrate; 3 g pro-tein; 1 g fi ber; 210 mg sodium.

Matthew Mead/Associated PressTh is photo shows cinnamon-pumpkin (top), chocolate cherry orange (right) and lemon-blueberry quick breads.


GOOD ESCAPE

For visitors to Northern Michigan, or locals looking for a romantic vacation in the woods, Charlev-

oix’s Horton Creek Inn off ers a peace-ful getaway.

David and Jeannie Babbitt, who own Horton Creek Inn, fi rst met in Eaton Rapids. After the couple got married, they decided to open a new branch of their family company in Flandreau, S.D.

“David managed our small manu-facturing business while I was busy raising four kids and volunteering with many local projects,” Jeannie said. “I also pursued my love for cook-ing and cake decorating for several years.”

“When the opportunity arose in 1990 to sell the company, we knew we

wanted to someday operate a bed and breakfast,” Babbitt noted.

Th e couple began planning and looking for an opportunity to imple-ment their dream plans.

“We were thinking with my cook-ing, his gardening and our love for being around people we would make good innkeepers,” Babbitt said.

Th e pair traveled around the southern and eastern United States looking for a location to build toward their goal.

“As it happened, once we returned to Michigan, it felt most like home and therefore we started planning the move back home,” Babbitt noted.

Once they found the property that fi t the vision they had for a bed and breakfast, they began to build. Town

and Country Cedar Homes built the house for them in 1991, and in late fall they moved in. Having three teenage sons still living at home, the Babbitts decided not to move forward with the business until they had all moved on.

“We fi nished raising our four chil-dren here. As our youngest was near-ing graduation we started putting the rooms in order the way we wanted them for our guests,” Babbitt said.

Once the youngest child left for college, the Babbitts had their offi cial grand opening.

Now, with more than 10 years of successful operation of their bed and breakfast, the Babbitts are still growing and enjoying each season of guests.

“We’ve had so many wonderful

Away in the woodsBy Mark LindsayHorton Creek Inn off ers a secluded retreat

Th e Horton Creek Inn Bed and Breakfast is a Town and Coun-try log structure located in a coun-try setting with spacious gardens.(Courtesy photo)

GOODlife 13

guests over the years,” Babbitt noted. “We’ve made many friends and have even gone on to stay at some of their homes in return.”

Th e inn off ers several Northern Michigan-themed rooms, including bear, deer, garden and northwoods. Th e second fl oor has two single rooms and a two-room suite, and all the up-per fl oor rooms can be combined if your group needs the entire fl oor. Th ere are two additional hall beds available for large groups taking the up-per fl oor or the entire inn. Th e lower fl oor and the main fl oor have one room each, with sitting and reading rooms throughout. Both fl oors have fi replaces, and views of the gardens and forests.

“We have many gardens for our guests to see and visit,” Babbitt noted. Th eir gardens have been featured in both Birds & Blooms and Traverse Magazine. “Our guests often are found in our garden areas, just enjoying the peace and quiet. We take a lot of pride in them getting caught up in the enjoyment of the simple beauty and peace-fulness.”

Th e inn also off ers an outdoor pool for their guests, as well as many trails for those wanting to get out and explore. Th e inn is not technology free, and for those who wish to watch TV, they provide a large selection of movies. Each room also off ers a stereo with CD player, and an avail-able selection of music. Th ey also off er free Wi-Fi for their guests use during their stay.

All of the rooms are air conditioned, and are set up to accommodate one or two people. Th ey include a queen size bed with a handmade frame, and a desk or table area with a comfortable chair.

“Our guests really enjoy the uniqueness of each room, and we have had many returning again and again,” Babbitt said.

Th e Babbitts serve a full hot breakfast each morning in their sun room.

“I let Dave do the breakfast, while my specialty is in the baking and snacks,” Babbitt noted. Th e inn does accept dietary requests for both break-fast and the provided evening snack.

For those staying at the Horton Creek Inn there are several nearby attractions.

“Most of our guests will visit nearby Horton Bay, Charlevoix and Boyne City,” Babbitt said.

“With water sports on Lake Charlevoix, fantastic art in East Jordan and all the shopping close by, there’s plenty to see and do.”

Th e inn is located at 5757 Boyne City Road, in Charlevoix. Rates start at $130 per night.

For more information on the Horton Creek Inn, call (866) 582-5373 or (231) 582-5373, or visit www.hortoncreekinnbb.com. GL

Courtesy photoABOVE: Th e four-season porch also serves as a dining room and off ers great views of the surrounding countryside year-round.

Courtesy photoABOVE: Th e “Garden Room” is one of the seven themed bedrooms available.

Courtesy photoTh e spacious family room off ers a place to gather and enjoy movies.


GOOD WORD

My husband and I were transplanted Buckeyes and it didn’t take too many years to realize

that our Big Ten loyalty to OSU failed to emigrate over the border with us.

I suppose this was partially be-cause of the fact that a substantial amount of money was being fun-neled into both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan when our kids came of age. Allegiance is a funny thing. One minute you’re wearing scar-let and grey; the next you have three college flags waving from your front porch on Saturdays during the football season.

Ambivalence aside, I have a few poignant memories of games past, being initiated into the nuances of “fanmanship” during our dat-ing years back in the ‘60s.

My favorite one has to be that of the first Ohio State game I ever attended. My future mother-in-law, who was also big into host-ing pre-game tailgate parties complete with brandy sidecars, dressed in a white flannel coat for the occasion and was seated on a red plaid wool blanket next to us.

The heavens opened during the first quarter and never let up. Pouring-down, bone-chilling rain fell on us all, including her accor-dion pleated plastic rain hat.

I excused myself from the pre-carious heights of C-deck to the lower level under cover but she never flinched or left her place during the game. When she did

after the final play, and we exited the stands, the plaid had thor-oughly imprinted itself on her backside. To my surprise, this didn’t bother her at all.

She was a football fan. She not only liked to watch the

band do “Script Ohio,” she actu-ally watched the game. She knew the rules. You see there are rules for football fans. Rules like stay-ing to the bitter end, rain or shine, and knowing terms like “offsides.” These are the more obvious ones. When you sit in the student sec-tion, you crank it up a notch.

One game in Ann Arbor par-ticularly stands out. It was one in which our daughter had arranged tickets for us in that sacred sec-tion.

She must have also warned her friends that we were coming. We were greeted almost immediately

by “Mike” who seemed to be the PR person for the immediate vi-cinity of Row 81, Seat 5. (Our other seat was somewhere in the row behind, but Mike assured us that we were “cool”). He held a running repartee with most of the kids around us and conducted business (like what would be go-ing on later that night), on his cell phone throughout the game.

Mike was an electrical engi-neering Ph.D. student we learned, but I think he had another calling ... maybe as a lobbyist. He filled us in almost immediately about the

“Blue Boy,” who painted his body blue most games, and “The Puk-er,” his girl friend, who regularly threw up either during the game, or right before she arrived in her seat. I think he just wanted to pre-pare us.

The rules for being a U of M fan “seated” in the student section are these:

1. Yell “Who Cares?” when the other team players are being in-troduced.

2. Stand at all times (this is three hours unless the game goes into overtime) except for a brief reprieve at the half-time show.

3. Learn the Wolverine clawing motion, which is a little like put-ting a hex on the opponent.

4. Shake your keys at the op-ponent’s third down. This should rattle them.

5. Twirl your hat at kick-off.6. Be ready to be thrown bodi-

ly into the air among the fans,

By

Anne Kelly

Th e rules of the game

GOODlife 15

should your team score a touchdown. The number of tosses matches the number of points amassed.

7. Spend the entire fourth quarter watching for your turn to do “The Wave.” It may be reversed, speeded up or slowed down, so be watchful. The fourth quarter is pretty boring if you’re winning or losing by a lot, so you have to do something.

Mike told us that he really didn’t know what hap-pened to fans once they became alumni ... no spirit any more ... “Look at them,” he pointed to a section under the press box. “They just sit there. And only last year they were over HERE having fun! I’ve seen GRANDPARENTS that have more spirit!”

I didn’t tell Mike that we were grandparents as well as our daughter’s parents.

We chanted “Let’s Go Blue!” when it was appropri-

ate and just kept standing. My husband mentioned that he thought he had lost the feeling in his left leg. I didn’t dare to look around for fear I might be thrown up into the stands after the next touchdown. Michigan had 42 points. “Blue Boy” was on his best behavior and “The Puker” did not puke, even when SHE was tossed up in the air 42 times (whew!). Ev-eryone was very gracious and accepting of the old folks in Row 81, Seat 5, thanks to Mike.

I haven’t been to a game in a while but, according to reliable resources, the tradition continues. When I go, I’m not sure it will be in the student section, since I really like to sit down occasionally. But if I do, at least I know the rules of the game! GL

Anne Kelly is a freelance writer for several local publications. She resides in Charlevoix.


GOOD BUYS

These days it’s possible to find good quality televisions sell-ing for a few hundred dollars

or a few thousand dollars, but choosing the right one can be a daunting task.

Whether replacing a current television, upgrading in technol-ogy or adding a new set for other reasons, getting good advice from a reputable source may save you time and money. There are many publications and websites, such as Consumer Reports, that offer

both evaluations and consumer reviews of electronics.

“Doing some good research be-fore venturing into the market-place can provide valuable knowl-edge and will narrow your search,” said Kevin Liddy, of Chuck’s Ap-pliance and Furniture in Petoskey.

“Technology is fast changing and new features come into the mar-ket all the time. Keeping up with that and educating customers is a good salesperson’s duty.”

Most consumer sites recom-

mend identifying two or three televisions that have the features and benefits desired before going to a retailer. When price shop-ping, it’s important to compare identical items between stores es-pecially if looking for a retailer to match prices from a competitor.

“Many big box stores carry models exclusive to them, some-times manufactured for them alone, which makes comparison shopping impossible,” said Liddy.

An advantage to visiting a spe-

Finding a TV: Features, benefi ts and research

By Mark Lindsay · Photos by G. Randall Goss

Kevin Liddy, general manager of Chuck’s Appliance in Petoskey, points of some of the features of a 55-inch Internet capable LED television in the store’s showroom.

GOODlife 17

cialty electronics retailer is they will often have very well trained and ed-ucated salespeople able to answer diffi cult questions about tech-nology. Th e assistance of a sales-person who can explain complex features can be invaluable, Liddy noted.

“Even if you pay a little bit more for an item, getting exactly what you want and additional services is well worth it,” he added.

One of the primary choices for someone purchasing a new TV to-day is whether to go with plasma or LCD technology. Th ere are also LED TVs, which are essentially LCD TVs with LED backlights.

“LED technology can off er a much thinner and lighter set, more suitable than others for mounting on a wall,” Liddy said. Liddy added that the LED style sets will eventually replace LCD altogether.

Technology, such as DLP (rear projection) and tube TVs, is rap-idly becoming outdated and as a result less available.

“DLP sets are really popular with people who want very large sizes, or a mid-size at a much low-er price,” Liddy said. DLP sets are much bulkier and don’t off er the wide range of features consumers want today.

Plasma and LCD diff er in the way that they create the image on the screen. LCDs use a bright backlight that shines through a layer of liquid crystals, which move to transmit or block the light. Plasmas use an electri-cal charge to make a gas give off ultraviolet light, which in turn causes phosphors to glow, much the same as a fl uorescent light.

“LCD sets are brighter and bet-ter suited to well-lit rooms while plasma sets are ideal for darker rooms with less light sources,” Liddy noted.

Size of the TV to choose can be broken down into either larger or smaller than 40 inches. TVs under

40 inches will often off er lower resolution options to provide lower price options. Most all TVs more than 40 inches will be 1080 or higher, which will suit most consumers needs. When consid-ering choices in resolution, 1080P is the recommended standard to look for at a minimum. Th e term refers to 1080 lines of vertical resolution with progressive scan, meaning that unlike 1080i the im-age is not interlaced.

“TVs under 40 inches limit your choices substantially, and are pri-marily purchased for value only, most typically for occasional use in a setting such as a bedroom or den,” Liddy noted.

For most prospective TV buy-ers, 3-D isn’t a necessity yet sim-ply because currently there isn’t enough 3-D content out there. For those who want the feature, there are a few things you should know about 3-D technology today.

“With 3-D, the bigger the better is the rule,” Liddy noted.

Th ere are currently two types of 3-D glasses technology found in TVs — active shutter, and po-larized or passive. Active-shutter glasses are much more expensive and heavier because they’re actu-ally two small LCD screens that

alternately dim each lens in sync with the TV by way of an infrared emitter so you can see a 3-D im-age.

Polarized glasses, on the other hand, are the kind you’ll fi nd in 3-D movie theaters; some TVs will even work with the glasses from the theater. Th ey’re cheaper, lighter and easier to wear, but they technically don’t provide as high-quality an image since each lens blocks out some of the light to create the 3-D image.

Probably the most important consideration for 3-D is what you’ll be watching. Th ere isn’t much 3-D video out there at the moment and your programming provider might only have a chan-nel or two available with 3-D con-tent.

Another advantage to shopping at a specialty retailer like Chuck’s can be unique services such as de-livery and set-up, programming and education, and expanded warranty or repair service, Liddy said.

“We’ll often do extra things for our customers like relocate an old TV and set it up in a diff erent room, or off er a loaner TV while a warranty repair is being made,” he noted. GL

Chuck’s Appliance and Furniture is located on M-119 north of Petoskey.


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GOOD HEALTH

Winter can be a tough time for anyone, with having to think about snow and ice removal

while dealing with the months of gray weather Michigan can some-times have.

But it is especially important for seniors to stay safe through the sea-son while having to contend with slippery sidewalks, the cold and the stress of the holidays.

Lindsey Puroll, who oversees ac-tivities and marketing for the Friend-ship Centers of Emmet County and the Council on Aging for the county, has many suggestions to keep safe during the winter months.

When driving in the winter, pack an emergency box in case of a breakdown or accident. Make sure the box includes a fl ashlight and emergency candles, matches, fl ares, warm blankets and extra clothes, a shovel, ice scraper, hand warmers, water, granola bars and snacks.

“Carry a cell phone if you have one, and never risk driving in bad weath-er conditions,” she said. “When in doubt, err on the side of caution.”

Th e council also advises seniors to dress warmly in order to prevent hypothermia, in hats, scarves, mit-tens, boots and warm coats — even for a brief outing. Low body tem-peratures can lead to heart attack, kidney problems or liver damage.

“Staying warm is important even indoors,” she said. “Cozy up with wool blankets, socks, slippers, sweaters and robes.”

While keeping your home warm

with fi re-places, can-dles and oil-burning lamps, ex-ercise cau-tion, ad-vised Puroll. Keep heat-ing devices away from furnishings, including curtains

and blankets, and make sure to in-stall smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

“House fi res are more common for seniors in the winter,” she said.

For the slipperier conditions win-ter often presents, make sure to wear skid-proof boots and shoes and

use a skid-proof cane or walker, if needed

— as well as always taking ad-vantage of handrails and ramps.

Many of the sug-gestions Dr. Joshua

Meyerson, medical director for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, has for safety can be ap-plicable year-round.

“Other than being careful, I think

it’s important for this age group to have a regular exercise program so that they are in good shape. Coor-dination and balance is improved through exercise and strength training,” said Meyerson, explain-ing that excess home clutter should be streamlined, stairs well lit, rugs taped down and items placed well within reach in order to avoid trips and make items easier to get.

He also recommends seniors get their vision checked yearly and stay up-to-date on medication and pre-scriptions so that the medications are not making them sleepy or dizzy.

“I would add that one of the key ways seniors can prevent accidents and injuries is to be willing to ask for help,” said Puroll. “Recognizing limi-tations and reaching out to friends, family and neighbors for assistance

— a ride to an appointment, shovel-ing the sidewalk, hanging Christmas lights — is a surefi re method to stay safe in the winter months.” GL

Avoiding winter hazards

By Morgan Sherburne

Lindsey Puroll

Dr. Joshua Meyerson


Scrapbooking can be a fun way to preserve memories and be creative at the same time. It is

easy to start and relatively inexpen-sive, according to Debby Bosma, who organizes a major scrapbook-ing event twice a year at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs.

“Anyone can do it,” she said of the hobby.

Bosma, a Harbor Springs resi-dent, said she’s been scrapbooking for about 15 years and has created wedding books, graduation pages, homemade cards and scrapbooks of all kinds.

Th e idea of scrapbooking, said Bosma, is to put your pictures in a book because, “If they’re in a box, you don’t look at them.” Seasoned scrapbookers make use of photo albums, colored paper, cut outs,

stickers, and stamps — really a va-riety of color and texture to create layouts for a book of photos which includes backgrounds and captions.

New and interesting products to create scrapbooks are always around, said Bosma. Recent tools people have started using include the Cricut machine, which cuts a wide variety of shapes in paper, liq-uid glass, acid-free glitter ink and blendable markers.

She said she has made albums for several family members. One was for her 100-year-old grand-mother who was in a care facility. She said it helped her grandma re-member events and people better by seeing them on a daily basis.

When her grandma passed, Bosma said looking back over the album helped her in the grieving process.

Bosma said scrapbooking is a great way to preserve the past for

kids and grandkids.“It’s important to journal and

write in the caption areas what’s happening in the photos, the date and details about who’s in it,” she said.

Other tips the seasoned scrap-per provided was to start small in order to not become overwhelmed and slowly create more complicat-ed books as you progress.

“As people learn more, pages fi ll up with decorations and pictures,” she noted.

She said it doesn’t have to be fancy; the most important part is just getting the pictures in the book.

Bosma said her favorite part about the hobby is showing her work to others and seeing their reaction. She has made several scrapbooks of her granddaugh-ter visiting her parents’ farm. She said the girl loves to flip through the books and can’t wait to take

GOOD IDEA

By Aebra CoePhotos by G. Randall GossBe a ‘scrapper’!Be a ‘scrapper’!

Debby Bosma, of Boyne USA, heads up the annual “Girls Just Want to Crop” scrapbooking weekend in

September at Boyne Highlands. Th e Harbor Springs resident is also an avid scrapbooker.

Darlene Martin, of Sebring, Fla., wears her passion on her shirt as she works on her scrapbook project at the Boyne Highlands day lodge.

GOODlife 21

them home with her when she is old enough.

Scrapbooks can range from as little as 10 to almost 100 pages of photos. Bosma said it can take several minutes to create a page, but depending on the level of de-tail, can take more than an hour.

For those interested in starting to scrapbook, Bosma suggested buying a few supplies and starting on your own, or attending one of the many scrapbooking events in the area.

“We have people come from 13 years old on up,” she said of the event she hosts twice a year at Boyne Highlands. When she first started the “Girls Just Wanna Crop” weekend nine years ago, 65 people came. This fall, there were more than 300 participants. The popularity of the hobby has ex-ploded in the last 10 years, said Bosma.

Women, and a few men, drive from all over the state and coun-try for the event.

The “Girls Just Wanna Crop” event takes place every fall and spring. Other events in the area include a weekly scrap day with snacks at Alfie’s Attic in Petoskey and additional annual events in Mackinac Island, Traverse City and Gaylord. GL

Lou Schrader, of Boyne City, works on creating a family scrapbook of last year’s Christmas and New Year’s photos.

In order to start, you will need:✂ A cutter ($10-$100)

✂ A pair of scissors

✂ Acid-free adhesive

✂ Acid-free paper

✂ An album with plastic sleeves

✂ Photos

✂ Optional: stickers or embellishments

✂ Optional: a Cricut machine, which cuts out shapesand symbols in paper and other materials

olololloloooo s s s inininn p pp p ppppppapapapapapapapappappererer a a andnddnd ririr alallalalalaalalalalaa ssssssssssss

Terry Beattie (left) and Shelly Lemieur, both of Petoskey, work on their scrapbook projects dur-ing the recent “Girls Just Want to Crop” scrapbook weekend at Boyne Highlands.

a h

IIIIInnnnn oo


COVER STORY

While each home that celebrates Christmas does so a little diff er-ently, there are elements known to

be ubiquitous — a shared meal, gift giving, Santa Claus.

Growing up in eastern Germany, today Poland, Rosemarie Sluyter’s Christmas holidays were marked somewhat diff erently

— by Advent and visits from St. Nikolaus, or Santa Claus, and Christkindl, or Christ child.

“Christmas has a lot of religious back-ground, and it stayed that way through all my youth,” the 80-year-old Petoskey resi-dent said.

Every Dec. 1 until she was a teenager, she would be given an Advent calendar. A small window would be opened every morning through Dec. 24, revealing a new picture. Th e fi nal day, Christmas Eve, always held a picture of the Holy Family and the nativity scene, signaling the arrival of Christkindl. A handmade Advent wreath, decorated with four red candles, was hung by red ribbons; one more candle was lit every Sunday of Advent.

St. Nikolaus Day is Dec. 6 in Germany. Sluyter recalled many children placed shoes or socks outside their doors the night be-fore, but her aunt was a bit germ-conscious.

“I always had to put a plate outside my door,” she said.

When she woke up the next morning, that plate was full with apples, sweets, nuts and an orange. Th ese were the presents of St. Nikolaus; Christkindl was the giver of toys, although St. Nikolaus did help trans-port them in his sled pulled by two white horses.

Traditions of

childhoodchildhoodStory & photos by Maggie Peterson

Rosemarie Sluyter of Petoskey reads the Bible, much as her grandfather did at Christmastime in Germany. She said it wasn’t common to read the book out loud, but Christmas was a special time.

GOODlife 23

At some point around two weeks before Christmas Eve, Sluyter would make out a note with her wish list, called wun-schzettel, to the Christkindl, to be sent skyward to the star angels that crafted the presents.

Christmas Eve is where ev-erything came together. Th e day was spent getting ready for an afternoon church service, called Christmesse, or Christ’s Mass. Upon returning home after the service, Sluyter and her family would sit down to their traditional Christmas Eve supper — potato salad, wurst, pickles, bread, butter and marmalade, and for dessert, vanilla pudding with raspberry sauce.

Sluyter said from the time of

mass on through dinner, she was kept to the kitchen area. Doors between rooms were customarily closed as a way to concentrate the heat, but it served another reason on Christmas Eve.

Until that day, there was no Christmas tree in the house. Deco-rations such as boughs, apples and pinecones were there, but not the tree, which in addition to wrapped gifts was a sign the Christkindl has come.

Sluyter recalled that just as din-ner had ended, her aunt would stand up and leave the room for a moment.

“She would come back and say, ‘Well, guess what? Th e Christkindl came,’” she said.

Th e kitchen door would open,

and there, bright with the glow of lit candles, heavy with decorated cookies and candy, tinsel and or-naments, was the tree. Sluyter said under the tree was her spot for presents, while other family members’ were placed throughout the room.

Sluyter recalled that when it came to opening the presents, there was no mad dash to tear off the paper in one riotous jumble.

Instead, after singing “Silent Night” to thank Christkindl for the gifts, they each opened one in turn, Sluyter going fi rst as the youngest. It continued like this until the last gift was opened, snacking on sweets, fruit and nuts as they went.

“I was pretty appalled when I fi rst saw children dive in and open (presents, after moving to the States),” Sluyter noted. “ ... Th ey are happy for 15 minutes and then what else. I never was. I was happy with what I got and got to see what everybody else got.”

Sluyter said when she came to the United States at 21 after mar-rying an American soldier, she adjusted to how Christmas was celebrated stateside. When her children came along, however, two German traditions were passed on

— Advent calendars and St. Niko-laus Day — and they continue to make their way down the family line to grandchildren.

V irginia Corpus was born in Manila, Philippines, and lived there until she was 45;

her mother was American, and her father, of Spanish descent, was born in the Philippines but trav-eled to America at age 15.

For her, the Christmas season in the Philippines was much like those celebrated in America, but with a little bit of Spanish and Filipino tradition to it. Th ere was also a strong Catholic infl uence.

In Germany, decorations such as the Weihnacht karussell, or Christmas merry-go-round, pic-tured were common. Heat from the candles moves the top blades, spinning the interior tree.


“Th e Catholic life in the Philip-pines is lived. You live your reli-gion. You never make plans with-out hearing ‘If God wills it’ or ‘God willing,’” the 81-year-old Petoskey resident said.

Starting Dec. 15, there would be a daily 10 p.m. Mass for pray-ing novenas, a set of nine prayers, one each day, leading to Christ-mas Eve.

For eight years, in high school

and college, she and other girls in the glee club were chosen to sing at the Christmas masses — at midnight, 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Christmas. Once the hymns were sung and services had ended, the nuns who taught at the school would take them to the kindergar-ten classroom, where they would receive wrapped holiday treats and a served meal.

“Th ey would have places fi xed on the desks for us. ... Th ey would be serving us, and boy, did they spoil us rotten,” Corpus recalled

with a smile.In the morning, after a few

hours of sleep, they would be picked up by their parents to go home for Christmas morning and opening gifts, delivered by Santa.

Later in the day would be a meal of many main courses. Later in life, after she was married and had children, their family would travel to her father’s house, where they would meet with four of her other siblings and their families for this meal.

“Th e table is fi lled with food. It is groaning with food,” she recalled.

Setting the backdrop to this season were visits from neighbor-hood children, going door to door with homemade instruments and singing songs for a bit of money or treats.

Th ere were also visits to god-mothers and godfathers by their

Virginia Corpus of Petoskey was born in and spent the fi rst 45 years of her life in the Philippines. Th e Christmas holiday was much as it is in the United States, she said.

Courtesy photo

BELOW: Th is home in the Philippines was owned by Virginia Corpus’ father-in-law, and was often the site of holiday gatherings.

TRADITIONS OF CHILDHOOD

Continued from page 23

GOODlife 25

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godchildren.“Many of those (godchildren) live

hundreds of miles away or on a diff er-ent island,” Corpus noted.

Th ere were also the traditional dec-orations known as parols. A parol is a kind of lantern, made of a bamboo frame covered with tissue paper in the shape of a star. A light was strung inside so they would glow, and each home would have its parol lit. Com-petitions were not uncommon, with neighbors trying to upstage each other to be named best parol on the block — and receive a cash prize, Corpus noted.

“You cannot pass a house without any of the parols. You see all these lan-terns on both sides of the street,” she said.

Corpus added that Christmas is the most major of the holidays celebrated in the country, and it’s all-consuming.

“Everywhere you go, you see (people) walking in the street and saying ‘Hi, Merry Christmas,’” she said. GL Courtesy photo

Th is mango orchard was owned by Virginia Corpus’ relatives in the Philippines.


GOOD CENTS

Succession planning occurs when a successful business owner determines they want

to sell or transfer their company to a new owner and implements a plan to make that happen.

Everyone’s work life span is lim-ited and plans need to be put in place for when that last day comes, said Kathy Erber, vice president of Th e Bank of Northern Michigan.

Erber and her company hosted a “leadership exchange” in Petoskey this spring, where local business leaders discussed the topic of suc-cession planning. Th ere were close to 70 participants at the event in-cluding several business owners

who are actively planning the suc-cession of their companies.

“Any business owner’s plan should be to work themselves out of a job,” said Erber. “In order to exit smoothly, you need to have a plan in place.”

Erber said there are several steps a current owner needs to make in order to do that and gave these tips. First, she said, it’s criti-cal that business owners identify what’s important to them. What is the culture of the business and how can that be maintained?

Many in the Petoskey commu-nity who attended the leadership exchange said they would like to

ensure their business stayed in the community to bring strength to the area. Many also said the busi-ness they had created felt like a family and they wanted it to stay that way.

Living in Petoskey was a vital factor for one participant, Noah Marshall-Rashid, when he joined the family business, American Spoon Foods, co-founded by his father, Justin Rashid. Noah asked himself how and where he wanted to invest the next 25 or more years of his life. He concluded that the benefi ts of operating a business in the Petoskey region were doubly rewarding because of the pride

Securing a legacySuccession planning for your business

By Aebra Coe

GOODlife 27

and love he and his family shared for the region.

“One key element to remember is the human element,” said Er-ber, noting you need to take into consideration the personalities of staff and those you’re working with and be as honest and forth-right as you can about the succes-sion process.

Next, she said, you have to de-termine who the next owner is going to be. That person could be a family member, someone in the company or an outside buyer.

Once the decision is made, it’s good to be actively involved with the person who is taking over your responsibilities.

“Open communication is key,” Erber said. The previous owner should be there to offer advice, but not take over.

All panelists agreed that having shared values with those taking over the business was of utmost importance. Mike Stowe, former owner of Industrial Magnetics in

Boyne City, spoke about knowing successor, Bud Shear, and realiz-ing that Shear fit his own personal standards of business integrity, fi-nancial prudence, dedication to top quality product, strong faith and insightful business savvy. These considerations gave Stowe confidence that Shear would take

Industrial Magnetics to the next level.

According to Erber, a common mistake made is when people wait too long to begin the process of succession planning. It can take five to 10 years for an effective succession plan.

“Having the insight to know you won’t work forever is important,” she noted.

“Above all,” Erber said, “It’s nec-essary to document your plan in writing.” Otherwise, there is no guarantee that it will be followed, or that anyone will even know what you wished.

Erber gave a few resources that may help people looking to begin planning a succession. She said they could start by searching the Internet and working with trusted friends, advisors and legal advi-sors. Most important and helpful, according to Erber, is to find an individual who has gone through the process successfully who can act as a mentor. GL

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Courtesy photoKathy Erber is senior vice president of Th e Bank of Northern Michigan.


GOOD SAMARITAN

Char-Em United Way has de-vised a way volunteers can meet up with organizations

all year long — virtually.Th e organization was looking

for a way to meet volunteers’ needs after it realized Northern Michi-gan residents were interested in volunteering year-round, not just on the annual Day of Caring, a day centered around community vol-unteerism.

So the team at Char-Em United Way came up with a simple plan: to create an online volunteering cen-ter, called Volunteer Connections.

“We had done a needs assess-ment, and determined a need in the community for a virtual vol-

unteer center. It’s a place where people can go and fi nd volunteer opportunities that meet people’s interests, availability and passion,” said Martha Lan-caster, executive director of Char-Em United Way.

Online since December of 2009, the website has connected at least 254 volun-teers with vari-ous agencies. But this number might not refl ect the actual number of volunteers using the site, as the website does not keep track of the volunteers who

might contact agencies by directly calling them.

One such agency whose volun-teer opportunities are advertised through the site is the Little Tra-verse Conservancy.

Stewardship volunteer posi-tions have been posted by the conservancy for all of the Little Traverse Conservancy preserves. Anne Fleming, communications and publications coordinator for the organization, said other posi-tions might include environmental education programs, during which volunteers might lead fi eld trips for summer programs or for fi eld trips from schools.

A real fi nd for the conservancy,

Volunteer Connections: Fitting volunteers to programs By Morgan Sherburne

Access Volunteer Connections at www.charemunitedway.org/volunteer-connections.

Martha Lancaster

GOODlife 29

said Fleming, was connecting with Marty Hair Amlin, a current Har-bor Springs resident and former reporter and editor for the Detroit Free Press — a position she occu-pied for 30 years.

Amlin responded to a volun-teer position Fleming had posted on the United Way website, which asked for someone interested in interviewing longtime members of the Little Traverse Conservancy. Th e interviews will be put together in celebration of the conservancy’s upcoming 40th anniversary.

“It was a great opportunity for

us,” said Amlin, whose husband, Darrell Amlin, accompanied her to take photographs of the interviews.

“We got to meet many interesting people who are committed to the conservancy and we learned a lot about the organization’s history.”

Another benefi t of the Volunteer Connections website is to keep families who are summer residents of Northern Michigan in the vol-unteering loop.

“One of the things I really like is that if you’re a seasonal resident and you want to see in advance what you can do in the upcom-ing summer, or if you want to fi nd something for your teenaged kids to do when you get back, you can look at the website,” said Lancaster.

Many nonprofi ts see their vol-unteer needs rise during the sum-

mer months, and may benefi t from the online center.

Th e Harbor Springs Area His-torical Society and Museum is looking ahead to next summer, when it plans to put together a crew of volunteers to look after the museum’s grounds, like the crew who worked on the grounds during United Way’s Day of Caring.

“I didn’t realize that people like to weed,” said Mary Cummings, ex-ecutive director of the society. “Th e volunteer we had was here for fi ve hours. It was raining a little, but she had a smile her face the whole time. She was weeding and pull-ing and plucking and clipping — I would have been grumbling a few hours in, but she did a great job.”

Summer is the prime time the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and Museum needs most of its volunteers.

Still, Cummings looks for vol-unteers interested in working the front desk of the museum all year long.

“One of the biggest volunteer needs we have is serving at the front desk of the museum,” she said.

“Th e fi rst impression people get at any place is the fi rst person they in-teract with.”

Volunteering could lead to more than a temporary time commit-ment. Lancaster said volunteering may help in job searches — some-thing in which those approaching retirement are increasingly inter-ested.

“Volunteering is a really great thing for people to do if they’re unemployed and looking for work,” said Lancaster. “It may be the last thing on their minds, but it’s a great place to network and make connec-tions in the job search, as well as to build resumes and gain experience.”

For more information, visit Char-Em United Way online at www.charemunitedway.org/vol-unteer-connections or contact the organization at (231) 487-1006. GL

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heraldtimes.com/mobilecharlevoixcourier.com/mobilepetoskeynews.com/mobile

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the website has connected at least

254 volunteers with various agencies.


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GoodLife November/December 2011