2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - A Culinary School

Another place the LLA ladies visited is the newish Kalamazoo Valley Community College / Bronson Healthy Living Campus. It is made up of three parts. One is the Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Building (including a pharmacy). Garden-based therapy and holistic patient care are included in their program. They also partner with nearby Bronson Hospital.

The other two areas are the Food Innovation Center and the Culinary and Allied Health Building. Mike and I visited all three parts of the campus during the March 22, 2016 grand opening open house.

At that time we were particular interested in the culinary side. Our friend and two-time Italy trip tour guide is John Korycki. Chef John was previously top chef at Zazios restaurant in the Kalamazoo Radisson and is now Director of Culinary Education here at this fabulous downtown campus.

The LLA ladies visited two parts of the campus. We met at the Food Innovation Center. This consists of a brand new building set up to explore new, sustainable, and flexible trends in growing methods (wall garden, stacked garden, hydroponics, etc.). The facility includes a greenhouse for year-round growing, outdoor garden plots, and large planters.

There is also a food processing hall (wash and food prep area), a quality assurance testing lab, and classrooms. A goal here is to provide a hub to collect fresh foods from local farms. They may be lightly processed (washed, peeled, chopped, perhaps freezing) and then distributed to area hospitals, schools, and other institutions.

Because of cheaper costs through bulk factory processing, many institutions purchase over-salted foods filled with preservatives and artificial substances. The emphasis here is on sustainable food growing systems and FRESH (not factory processed) foods.

Today we saw some unexpected challenges in the greenhouse. It was filled with wonderfully smelling basil plants, lettuce, and tomatoes, but ..... it had been invaded by a destructive moth. This gave students the "opportunity" to devise an eco-plan to eradicate the pests in a way so not to contaminate the food plants.

The other facility we visited this day was the Culinary and Allied Health Building. This is another brand new 3-story structure.

The top level houses the Nursing and Allied Health program. Among the programs taught here are dental hygienist, respiratory practitioner, medical assistants technology, and emergency response.

There are classrooms and labs. One lab includes an actual emergency ambulance that was lifted up to and installed on the third floor. It houses the original set of medical equipment, adapted to simulate medical emergencies. Operators can even make the vehicle bounce as if going down a bumpy road.

There is a mock bathroom as well. As many accidents happen in bathrooms and it is a confined space to work in, students have the opportunity to experience a rescue in life-like exercises.

The nursing side has rooms that act as surgeries, emergency rooms, labor rooms, hospital wards, etc. In both areas specialized mannequins simulate respiratory or heart problems, child patients, pregnancy, accident victims, and other medical situations.

These rooms are so well-equipped that in case of a widespread real-life emergency (say a plane crash) in the Kalamazoo area, they could actually be used as overflow from nearby Bronson Hospital.

2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - Hospital for Little Ones

One of the reasons to be a member in the philanthropic Ladies' Library Association is that the ladies support literacy.

Books for Babies is one big project. Twice yearly there is a collection of children's books. Each time 600+ books are collected. They are divided, packaged, and given to 26 different organizations for distribution to infants on up to school age. It is proven that the earlier children are read to, the better they learn in the long run. This effort greatly supports that premise.

On top of that project and others, the ladies also want to improve their personal knowledge of things in the world, so we often take "investigative" field trips. I talked about our trip to Goodwill Industries previously.

In addition to that, a new member of LLA who works at Bronson Hospital set up a tour of the Bronson Children's Hospital here in Kalamazoo. There are only six children's hospitals in Michigan and this is the only one in southwest Michigan. This teaching hospital was converted from a portion of the main hospital to a children's facility around 1990. Patients are referred from 19 regional hospitals.

They treat more than 7,000 inpatients a year, including 600 newborns. In addition, they service more than 60,000 outpatient visits. More than 800 children are transported here, often in a specially equipped pediatric ambulance. This is a children's trauma / emergency center, with pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Each child has a private room, unless siblings are admitted.

Nurse to patient ration of one to five and in intensive care it is one to two. They have a special sedation service for childhood testing of colonoscopies, MRIs, etc. Staff specializes in children's illnesses, development assessment, dietary needs, pharmacy, discharge instructions and follow-up, nursing assistance, social work, psychology, and family issues. There are also interpreters for non-English speaking patients.

We met Heather in the Room of Magic, a "theater room" where kid patients have movie and game nights, birthday parties, sports visitors, or other diversions to take their mind off of their health problems. It is redecorated with marquee murals filled with super heroes, fairies, and magic tricks. There is a projector, screen, and portable "theatre" seating. Very colorful and comfortable.

In 2010, two boys in Vicksburg (a small nearby town) conceived of the idea and raised the original seed money for this room (see the two boys in the back mural) and Bronson Foundation supplemented the balance of the $15,000 to convert the room.

Here we got an overview of the programs and met heads of the music therapy and art therapy services. Music therapy uses singing, instruments, songwriting, lyric analysis, movement, and guided imagery / progressive muscle relaxation, etc. Techniques decrease anxiety and pain, distracts from problems, normalizes the hospital environment, decreases loneliness, increases socialization, decreases use of sedatives, promotes rehabilitation (cognition, sensorimotor, etc.), and much more.

Art therapy is used for many of the same reasons, as well as exploring and sharing feelings, self-expression, a sense of control, developing confidence, enhancing quality of life, relaxation, and lowering feelings of helplessness. Drawing, painting, sculpting, and other materials help meet goals.  Art is used in the grief process, abuse / sexual abuse survivors, someone who was involved or witnessed a tragic event, family relationships, depression, self-injury, or even suicide.

Overall this hospital uses age appropriate language, educates parents, provides memory-making activities (like recording heartbeats of seriously ill babies), uses medical play such as teaching dolls so kids know what is happening, and much more. I keep saying "much more," but you just can't sum up what this facility and staff do to help kids.

Oh, did I mention the Journey Bead project. Each time a child completes a procedure they get a glass bead, like a merit badge, to show they accomplished the task of the procedure (maybe, radiation series, hair loss, catheter procedure, or surgery). I could go on and on, but you get the idea that this is a very special place doing very special things for children.

Before we continued on our tour of this cheerful facility we dropped off the toys and books we brought with us to share with the children.

On the tour we saw colorful murals galore--farm animals, underwater scenes, auto repair garages, home scenes, firemen, fireworks, nature--lining the hallways and exam rooms to lessen kids' anxiety and keep their minds busy. We heard that sometimes staff sets up a scavenger hunt where the kids have to find certain items in the murals to win. Heck, I would even be entertained by that.

There was a play room with toys for every age, including a foosball table.

Nurses stations were set up in a lighthouse theme and a Checker cab stand. Everything emanated fun.

Mike and I have no children to relate personally to this situation, but in any case I thought this would be a sad and tearful visit for me. It was just the opposite. Due to privacy issues, we did not meet or interact with any of the children, but I could see that if we had an ill child, we would feel confident and comfortable that they would be far more than well-cared for here.

2016 MICHIGAN St. Joseph - A Wedding

From start to finish this was a very special wedding. It was not glitzy, but sparkled with elegance and "artisia." It was cozy and personal and one of a kind. The bride and groom are Riley and Patrick, Riley being the daughter of my very dear friend Carla.

The wedding was held in St. Joseph, about 50 miles from Kalamazoo and along Lake Michigan. We enjoyed a leisurely drive there and found it was also the weekend of the Senior PGA championship tournament. We are not golfers, but it was exciting to know the event was being held in this little out-of-the mainstream Michigan town.

We had visited St. Joe a number of times, eating at a fave restaurant named Schu's and visiting the Krasl Art Center & Museum. The main street runs along a bluff overlooking a wonderful park with vintage merry-go-round, water play pad, old train depot, and a nice stretch of sandy Lake Michigan beach. On Saturdays they hold a fabulous farmers market along the bluff. Lots to do here, but today our sights were set on a fun filled wedding.


For out of town guests, the bride's parents had arranged a hotel (Inn at Harbor Shores) across the St. Joe river from the church and reception venue. Our room had a great view of the river and downtown St. Joe. In the lobby there was a quaint little bar. A highlight was the bartenderess. She moved recently from Chicago and could really "talk cocktails." Here's our nighttime view from the hotel.

The wedding was held at St. Joseph's Catholic church. It was built in 1869, although it is thought that the first mass of this parish was held in 1679 when Robert de LaSalle explored the area. For a Catholic church it is simply furnished with highlights being the beautiful stained glass windows. The aisle was decorated with wedding greenery, white roses, and white lanterns guiding the way to the alter.

The bride looked lovely in her floor-length gown. A very happy couple indeed. The ceremony and vows were short, but sweet and meaningful.

After the service, the bride and groom greeted everyone at the church entrance. As we waited outside for the pair to present themselves, each was given a funneled piece of sheet music filled with dried flower bits (in place of rice or seeds). This was an innovative idea which would not hurt the natural environment or birds.

From there we were all invited on a trolley ride to tour St. Joe, ending at the reception venue. The couple led the way. The bride appeared to float on board as a gentle wind wafted through her long veil.

As we departed we also received a program for the events during the rest of the day. I really liked that. And things actually happened ON TIME!!!

The reception was held at The Veranda, which is connected to the Whitcomb Senior Community. It is mainly an outdoor facility with an arrangement set up for inclement weather. This day, however, was beautifully sunny. In the evening it got a little cooler, so heavy curtains could be placed to protect whatever direction the wind might come from. Our space was in the area behind the columns. There was a magnificent view of Lake Michigan from here and an uncovered terrace with fountain to the left.

Upon entering there was a clever arrangement of appetizers set up on a bed of apples. The wedding cakes were also displayed; berries and icing oozed from the between the bare-sided layers. This was the perfect cake for me as I like the cake part better than the icing part. Layers were intentionally off kilter and kitschy.

The greenery and white lantern theme continued at each table. Seating was designated with miniature clay pots filled with veggie seedlings and name flags. Food choice selections were discreetly shown by color of the flags. I had a green one for veggie. Mike had a pink one for salmon.

We were seated with Ladies' Library friends and a new friend who is president of the Midwest Miniatures Museum (more on that later).

Throughout the afternoon and evening we took several walks to pass the time. One of those was through the quaint downtown of St. Joseph. There are modern stores, but much of the "scenery" is a throwback in time. Here is an mid-century barber shop.

Across the street from the venue and overlooking the bluff is a grand view of the St. Joe river flowing into Lake Michigan. Sunset was particularly spectacular.

As the evening continued, there was chatting and dancing. There were also two caricaturists. Everyone that wanted got a drawing of themselves. Here we are. I didn't think it looked much like us at first, but it is growing on me. Visitors to our home really have a good laugh when they see it.

Carla had advised that there was a surprise at 9pm, so to definitely stick around. The surprise was a food truck cupcake caterer arriving street side. There was a choice of five or so flavors. A perfect snack to top off the evening.

This was a wonderful day. So many unique and meaningful ideas. This was not a surprise though as Carla and Riley (well all the family, Richard and Nick, too) are so artistic, innovative, and overflowing with fun ideas. My Mike is not really a "wedding person," but he said today "this is the best wedding I ever attended!"

Mike and I send our best wishes and hope for this bright young couple ... Riley and Patrick.

PS - We went home with three tomato, a pepper, and an eggplant seedling from the table decorations. Those without a garden contributed to ours. They all grew successfully in our little community garden plot.

We gleaned four purple peppers but they grew only as big as a lime or garlic. They were sooo cute and each was enough to dress a salad. The one lone eggplant was not much bigger, but quite tasty as a side dish for one summer meal. I sliced it real thin and fried the slices in a bit of oil. They came out like crispy eggplant chips. Way more successful were the tomatoes. Nice size and plenty of them.

2016 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo - A Shower

These spring/summer events are in no particular order, but first I'll write about a fun shower. One of my best friends from the Ladies' Library Association invited me to her daughter's wedding shower. My friend Suzi from San Francisco happened to be in town on the date and was graciously invited to join as well.

The shower was held at The Oaklands, an oddly placed building on Western Michigan's modern campus. (This outside photo is from WMU archives.)  I had always been curious about this Italianate "villa" and it did not let me down. Although the spring crocus were popping, it was still snowy that day.

The original builder of the home was Robert Babcock. He started a successful dry goods business in Kalamazoo and eventually became President of the First National Bank here. In 1869 he bought 16 acres in the area and built this 13-room structure named for the oaks in his front yard. It was such a prominent site that later the railroad stopped in a spot just down the hill from the home.

The property passed through a number of owners. It was used as a breeding farm for harness horses, including the famous (if you are a horsey person) Peter the Great, as well as a golf course. It was finally purchased and restored by Western Michigan University in the 1940's. The inside was refurbished through a Designer Showcase event. It is lovely and elegant...just like the bride to be...and a perfect venue for this special event. For more history, go to: https://wmich.edu/oaklands/history.

It was cold and snowy outside, but warm and cozy inside. We were graciously greeted by the bride and her bride's maids, then wisked off to a side room. There we started the festivities with a choice of pina coladas.  Yum! There was a big basket of "beach" things as decoration to heat up the atmosphere. Hawaii is where the honeymoon was planned.

In the main parlor, we gathered and shared intros around the room. We all got a pen with a silk purple iris attached at the top to use in writing our bridal  game answers. (I use mine everyday, as it is so easy to find on my desk.)

Of course, there was the obligatory questions on how well we knew Riley and Patrick. Another game challenged us to remember the 30+ things from the "beach" basket. Those that knew or remembered the most got a nice gift, but all of us had a choice from a basket of aromatic handmade soap bars. I chose sandalwood.

Next we passed through the dining room for a tasty brunch buffet. There were lots of veggie items as my friend is a vegetarian. That suited me fine.

Desserts were served in a small windowed "gazebo." The sun was streaming in and outside looked like a white crystal carpet.

After brunch we again sat around in a circle to watch the bride open her gifts. We oohed and aahed as we saw the wonderful items Riley would start her wedded life with.

Here's a photo of Riley and her mom Carla. I'm sure Carla is remembering when Riley sat on her lap as a little one. Two sweeties!

As the afternoon ended, Patrick arrived to say hi and thanks to everyone for attending. We each got a parting gift. They were little white hand cut boxes (made by Riley and the "maids"). Enclosed were Sweet-Tart diamond engagement rings. Too cute!!!

Next read about the wedding.

PS - Here's a look at the vintage bathroom.