Supplies:

Paper (I like red for Chinese New Year, but you can use any you like, 8.5 x 11 works best)
Pencil
Tape or Stapler
Scissors

1. Make sure the your paper is wrong side up (if you’re using patterned paper, the pattern would be facing the table). Measure 1 inch from the short end and make a line with a pencil. Cut along the line and save this piece for your handle.

2. Fold the remaining paper lengthwise (keeping the wrong side out).

3. Measure 1 inch along the long (open) edge and make a line. Then, along the fold, make a mark every inch.

4. Cut up to the full line at each mark.

5. Turn your paper right side out.

6. Roll it into a tube and tape or staple the edges together.

7. Push the lantern down to open up the slits a bit.

8. Tape or staple the handle inside the top, and you’re done! Make several to hang in a doorway or just a few to decorate your home. But keep away from flames – these are for decorative purposes only!

Happy Chinese New Year!

1. Out of the paper bag, cut a band wide enough to fit your (or your friend’s, child’s, spouse’s) head.

2. Wrap the paper bag band around your head and mark or make note of where it needs to be glued. Then, of course, glue it!

3. Next, cut a circle for your turkey’s face. You can use the template on the Inspire(d) page if you like, just cut out the whole circle and trace.

4. Cut out pieces, as directed, from Inspire(d) Magazine (you may choose to back the “feathers” and “wings” with cardboard if you want them to not flop. If so, and if you’re smarter than me, glue the cereal box cardboard sheet to the entire turkey page before step 4, then cut just once).

5. Glue the feathers in place – they go on the inside back of the headband, and it might help to line them up along the back so you know how you want them spaced.

6. Glue the eyes and wattle to the paper bag circle. Fold the beak where it says “fold here,” and glue just the side with the writing (it will read upside down) to the turkey face. This way the beak can open and shut. Now on the opposite and outside of the band, glue the face in place.

7. Center the wings around the face, and glue on each side.

8. You’re done! Place on head. Maybe do a dance. Happy Thanksgiving! XO – A & B

Tutorial and one-handed photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Read an inspiring story about Decorah’s Spencer-Berg family and their four-month sabbatical in the Summer 2011 Inspire(d) Magazine, online, starting on page 20. The Spencer-Bergs are folding cranes for a good cause. Here’s how it began, from the Spencer-Berg’s themselves:

“The crane project actually started over a year ago when Anna and Aidan were looking for a way to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They made earrings using tiny cranes that are smaller than a dime (the square of paper that you start with is 3/4” square) and also made strings of cranes interlaced with colorful glass beads. When the earthquake and tsunami happened in Japan it seemed a perfect time to bring the project back with a few changes. And after Anna and Aidan and their family experienced the massive earthquake in New Zealand, they had renewed interest in the plight of people suffering from natural disasters and especially earthquakes. The sisters have been organizing crane-folding gatherings, so far bringing together more than 40 people. Collectively they’ve folded about 800 cranes. Anna’s goal is raise $1000 with the proceeds going to earthquake/tsunami relief for Japan.

Inspiration for the project came from the story a real-life girl named Sadako who died from leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima.  She folded cranes while ill with a goal of reaching 1000.  These cranes were folded from anything she could get her hands on including the labels from her IV medications and wrapping paper from gifts received by fellow patients. She died before reaching 1000. A memorial to her stands in Hiroshima.  Her efforts to bring about healing for herself and her nation through the simple act of folding peace cranes has been an inspiration for Anna’s project and the many other crane-folding projects across the country.

Anna’s hope is that more crane projects will continue to form. It’s so easy to forget about a natural disaster within a few weeks as new disasters come along to grab our attention, but the people of Japan will be suffering for years to come.”

Join Anna Spencer-Berg on her crane-folding mission. You can adopt a “family” of beautiful beaded cranes that are strung in smaller sets of three to five. (Suggested donation is $5 per bird – so a string of three would be $15). Adopt a “flock” of cranes – simple garlands of cranes without beading. (Suggested donation is $1 per bird.) “Adoptions” come with a lovely picture and thank you message that can be displayed in your home or business along with the birds. Offer to host a “sale” of cranes. More information is coming soon at thousandcranesproject.com.

Tips from the Spencer-Bergs on starting a crane project and folding origami:
• Be in it for the long haul. It takes a looooong time to fold 1000.
• Consider playing some quiet music from Japan in the background (itunes or pandora are nice sources)
• Number your cranes so you are accountable to yourself for getting to 1000
• Before starting the crane take a minute to pause and reflect, write a simple message on the blank side of the paper and sign your name. It will not be visible but the message inside will be carried with the bird where ever it goes.
• Be creative with paper sources. We’ve used opera scores, postage stamps, maps, old books with Sanskrit poetry, and traditional origami paper. One time Aidan was in the bathroom longer than usual and emerged with a lovely gentle white crane folded from a square of toilet paper!
• Take time to get the angles of the neck and tail just right. Gently shape the wings into a gentle arc rather than creasing them into a harsh flat shape. Treat each bird gently and with respect, appreciating the delicate beauty. Don’t give into the temptation to be in “assembly line mode”.  It’s not about getting to 1000 so much as it is about the journey along the way.

Upload pictures of your cranes to Inspire(d) Media’s Facebook page when you’re done, pretty please!

1. Cut the page out of Inspire(d), or use any square piece of paper (fold a piece of printer paper diagonally and cut the extra – that will make a square!).

2. Fold in half one way.

3. Fold in half the other way.

4. Fold diagonally.

5. Fold diagonally the other way.

6. Open up your sheet. Turn it so it’s a diamond, not a square.

7. Take the right hand corner and fold it into the bottom corner, using the folds you’ve made.

8. See! Like this!

9. It will then be square with the right corner tucked inside the square (make sense?).

10. Run your finger down the middle to make a strong crease.

11. Take the left corner and do the same thing, folding it down to meet the bottom corner.

12. See! Like this!

13. You should now have a smaller diamond, with two corners folded in.

14. It’ll look like this from the bottom.

15. If you’re using the sheet from the magazine, you’ll see there are many fold lined inside. That’s because we’re going to be making folds on these parts of the diamond.

16. Take the right corner and fold it over to meet the middle, like you’d fold a piece of New York pizza.

17. Do the same on the left side.

18. Flip the diamond and repeat on the other side. It will look like a little kite.

19. Open up the flaps you just folded (I know it seems silly, but trust me).

20. Do the same on the other side.

21. Now this is the tricky part. You’ll pull up the bottom point.

22. And bow the edges in, following the folds you’ve made.

23. It will look a bit like a boat as you’re bringing the sides together.

24. I find it helps to make sure the bottom of the boat is creasing here at the back.

25. Then bring the sides together and flatten the boat out.

26. Do the same on the other side, remembering how the boat folds together.

27. Make sure your creases are strong.

28. Your crane should now look like this – more a tooth than a crane. The bottom half can separate, the top can’t.

29. Now pull the right flap up…

30. And fold it into the middle, like that pizza before.

31. Do the same on the left side.

32. And repeat on the other side.

33. Now it’s a skinnier tooth!

34. Pull the right flap toward you and look at the crane from this side (basically turning it 90 degrees).

35. Pull the bottom fang up …

36. And invert the fold.

37. This can be the tail! Make your crease strong, having the tail lean toward the back a bit.

38. Now look at the tooth from the other side…

39. Repeating what you just did.

40. This can be the head!

41. Use your nail to fold down the head, flattening out the crease.

42. Fold down the wings, making arches in each.

43. Carefully pull on the wings to puff out the center part. Continue to tweak the wings, head, and tail to be the way you want, and you’re done!

Sure, summer is all about festivals and swimming and canoeing and fairs, but what do you do when it’s raining? Or when it’s hot, humid, and sticky in a way that only the Midwest can be – like you’re trapped in a hot tub and there’s no time machine. Right?
Right. So in all our infinite wisdom, we hatched a plan: let’s learn more about some cultural, educational, fun, air conditioned museums in the Driftless Region. We asked each museum to submit a little entertaining information about what’s waiting within their walls for people like you and me. And boy did they deliver. Your kids can go rock climbing. You can see a clock someone once wanted to buy for $1 million dollars, a sailboat that actually crossed the Atlantic, and the place where the modern tractor was made. It’s all pretty cool. Literally and figuratively.

Check them out. Explore. If you’re a tourist, get the most of your stay. If you’re not – pretend you are!

Vesterheim Museum, 520 West Water Street, Decorah, Iowa

Hours:
May – October open daily: 9 am – 5 pm, Thursdays ‘til 8 pm
November – April: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm, Thursdays ‘til 8 pm
Admission: $10/adult, $8/senior over 65, and $5/children age 7 –18
www.vesterheim.org • 563-382-9681

With 24,000 artifacts and 16 historic buildings, this national treasure uses the Norwegian-American experience as a lens to explore the diversity of an immigrant nation. Step inside to discover stories of courage and beauty. You’ll find a cabin made from a single tree, a sailboat that crossed the Atlantic Ocean, elaborate costumes, colorful painting, silver wedding crowns, woven tapestries, and even intricately carved butter molds. The lives of the people who settled our nation were often as colorful as their folk art, and their stories speak through the objects they left behind. Come and see what they have to say. “USA Today” named Vesterheim one of “10 great places in the nation to admire American folk art.” Vesterheim also preserves living traditions through classes in Norwegian culture and folk art, events, tours to Norway, and educational programs for children and adults. Preserving a heritage. Connecting us all.

The Porter House, 401 West Broadway Street, Decorah

Hours: June – August open daily: 10 am – 4 pm, and Sundays 1 pm – 4 pm.
Admission: $5/adult, $4/seniors, $3/children age 6–16, Children 6 and under free
www.porterhousemuseum.com
563-382-8465

Near the turn of the century, Grace Young fell in love with the “boy next door,” Adelbert (Bert) Field Porter, and married him in her parent’s music parlor in June 1904. They lived out their lives in the Italianate Villa that previously belonged to Grace’s parents – it now houses their personal furnishings, collections, artwork, photographs, and library. A.F. Porter’s collection of exotic butterflies, gathered over seven trips around the world, is the focal point of the museum, along with Grace’s piano in the music room, and her painted china collection. The museum grounds include a unique rock wall designed by Bert and built from his extensive collection of rocks and minerals. Fountains, birdbaths, planters, and a water garden enhance the gardens surrounding the house. In July of 1968, Bert conveyed the house and it’s contents for preservation as a public museum.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Burr Oak, Iowa
(Off Highway 52, 12 miles north of Decorah or three miles south of the Minnesota state line)
Summer Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm, Sunday 12 – 4 pm
Admission: $7/adult, $5/children age 6-17, Family Rate $25
www.lauraingallswilder.us • 563-735-5916

Question: Who has 10 eyes, no income and was forced from their previous life by an invasion? Answer: The Charles Ingalls family when they moved to Iowa in 1876 and Laura was nine years old. Laura’s family left the Banks of Plum River in Minnesota, fleeing the horrible grasshopper plague, to find a better livelihood. In Burr Oak, they helped run the Master’s Hotel and they moved twice more during their year in the small village. The building where they first lived opened as a museum, 100 years after their move, in 1976. The third site where they lived was the birthplace of their fourth daughter, Grace. Knowledgeable guides – familiar with Laura through Burr Oak history, her widely-read books, or the popular television series – help guests from around the globe understand the Ingalls’ Iowa life and times. Come explore the story of one of our country’s most beloved authors.

Children’s Museum of La Crosse, 207 5th Avenue South
in historic downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin

Hours:
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10 am – 5 pm; Sundays 12 – 5 pm (closed Mondays and major holidays)
Admission: $6/person (Sunday Savers: $1 off admission!) Infants and members FREE.
www.funmuseum.org • 608-784-2652

Learning and fun…rolled into one, for the young and the young at heart! Spend some affordable, quality time with your kids at the Children’s Museum of La Crosse, where you’ll explore three floors of hands-on exhibits, a climbing wall, gift shop, and much more. Lots of new exhibits added in recent months, including the heart-pounding NEOS game, Whoosh, Toothy Tango, kid’s crane, and a two-story rescue center. Memberships include a full year of admission + other benefits, starting at only $50! The $120 Passport level membership includes admission to over 425 participating museums nationwide! Ask about birthday parties, field trips, summer camps and other programs: convenient and fun – and kids will even learn something!

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, Minnesota

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 5 p, Sunday 11 am – 5 pm (Closed Mondays and Holidays)
Admission: $6/adult, $3/students age 5 – college, 4 and under free, $20 Family Rate
www.minnesotamarineart.org • 507-474-6626

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is not what you expect, or where you expect to find it. Next to a working Mississippi river port in the beautiful “historic island city” of Winona, the Museum houses one of the best collections of art inspired by water in the United States. A place where everyone is welcome (no art degree required!), the Museum is a year-round destination that hosts ongoing events and programs for kids, families, and adults including our popular Toddler Tuesdays and Family Fest.

Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, Minnesota (on the Zumbro River)

Hours:
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm; Thursday: 10 am – 9 pm; Sunday: 12 – 5 pm
Admission: $5/adult $3/senior (62 and over); Free to children, students, members & Olmsted County Residents
www.rochesterartcenter.org • 507-282-8629

Then: Founded in 1946, the Rochester Art Center presented local and regional art for nearly 30 years. For the next 30, RAC became a national focus for arts and crafts, particularly ceramics.
Now: Today, RAC is a venerable organization in cool new digs. In 2004, we built an ultra-modern building, presenting contemporary art. We’re famous for Free Family Day (1st Saturday/month), Total Arts Day Camp; 3rd Floor Emerging Artists Series; national and international artists; FLUX (late evening music/art/performance for young-adults), and as a top 10 place in Minnesota for weddings and receptions… the view’s that beautiful.

Bily Clocks Museum/Antonin Dvorak Exhibit, 323 S. Main Street, Spillville, Iowa (12 miles south of Decorah)
Hours:
May – October: Monday-Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm, Sundays, 12 – 4 pm
April – November: weekends only
Admission: $6/ adult, $5/senior 65 and over, $4/youth age 6-17, $16/Family
www.bilyclocks.org • 563-562-3569

Why did Henry Ford in 1928, offer $1million for one of the Bily brothers clocks and why did they refuse the offer? Take a tour of the Bily clocks museum, located in the quaint village of Spillville, and you’ll find out! Experience for yourself this one-of-a-kind collection of 40 hand-carved clocks created by Frank and Joseph Bily (bee-lee), farmers by trade and carvers by night. And why did Antonin Dvorak, Czeck composer from Praque, find his way to Spillville? That answer is found on the second floor of the museum. You’ll just have to come to find out!

Froelich Tractor Iowa John Deere Museum, 24397 Froelich Rd., Froelich, Iowa (4 miles east of Monona on U.S. Highway 18)

Summer Hours:
Open six days a week (closed Wednesdays): 11 am – 5 pm
www.froelichtractor.com • 563-536-2841

The Froelich visitor experience includes an 1891 general store museum, an 1866 restored country school, a l903 dairy barn, a rebuilt railroad depot, a turn of the century blacksmith shop, and a mini-grain truck display (new in 2009).
The highlight of the summer is the Froelich half-scale model tractor display and video of its historic development. In 1892, in this tiny village, John Froelich invented the first farm tractor powered by a gasoline engine that operated in forward and reverse. It became the Waterloo Boy and the current John Deere tractor division in Waterloo, Iowa. Historians credit Froelich, Iowa, as the birthplace of the modern farm tractor. (Photo by Danny Eilers)

Villa Louis, 521 North Villa Louis Road, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

Hours:
Open May 1 – Oct 31: 9:30 am – 5 pm. Guided tours on the hour from 10 am to 4 pm
Admission: $9/adults, $7.75/seniors, $4.50/youth 5-17, $24/family
villalouis.wisconsinhistory.org • 608-326-2721

The Villa Louis, also known as Dousman Mansion, is located on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Today the site is restored to its late-19th century grandeur, when it was the estate of the prominent H. Louis Dousman family. At the center of the estate is the elegant Villa Louis mansion, designed by E. Townsend Mix and built in 1871. Earlier it had been home to Louis’s father Hercules L. Dousman, and before that the land was occupied by Fort Crawford. Prior to this, in 1814, the Siege of Prairie du Chien was fought at the site by American and British troops hoping to control Fort Shelby during the War of 1812. Still farther back, the site was of importance to American Indian tribes, especially the Mound Builders. Today the Villa Louis is the finest example of a British Arts and Crafts interior in a rural setting in the United States.

There are tons of great hiking, biking, and walking trails throughout the Driftless Region in Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin. We’ve featured a number of them in Inspire(d) over the past few years, all written by the lovely Lauren Kraus. Check them out here!

Decorah Area Trails: Twin Springs, Upper Ice Cave Hill in Dunning’s Spring Park, and Van Peenen Park

Trails north of Decorah: Pine Bluff and Coon Creek

The Backwoods of Winneshiek County: Bear Creek and Pine Creek Areas

Falcon Springs State Wildlife Area and Lionberger Environmental Preserve

Trails at Lake Meyer (Calmar, Iowa) + Mother’s Day Trail in Decorah

Southeast Minnesota: Root River State Trail and Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail

Effigy Mounds National Monument (NE Iowa)

Kickapoo Valley Reserve (SW Wisconsin)

Map Courtesy Oneota River Cycles

By Lauren Kraus

Originally published in the October/November 2010 issue of Inspire(d)

Fall is upon us, whether we like it or not. Personally, I find it’s hard not to love this transition of seasons: from the hot, blistery summer that makes sleeping difficult unless directly positioned under a fan to the cool, crisp autumn with bright blue skies and crackly orange, red, and yellow trees. What’s not to like?

One way to really soak in this gorgeous time of year is to get out for a drive, a walk, anything to see the fall splendor. And I’ve got just the place to check out! The Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) – most definitely a close neighbor in the Driftless Region – roughly 45 miles from both La Crosse, Wisconsin and Lansing, Iowa – making it an easy fall weekend or daytrip destination.

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a sweeping 8,569 acres of land nestled in Southwestern Wisconsin between the villages of La Farge and Ontario. Traveling in this part of Wisconsin is breathtaking with winding roads meandering up and over tall bluffs covered in rich woodlands, perfect for leaf-looking and horizon-gazing. I suggest a route that takes you through the quaint town of Viroqua, Wisconsin. Take the time to stop and enjoy some wonderful shops and restaurants. A couple of my favorites are the Viroqua Food Co-op and the Driftless Café – or stop bty Kickapoo Coffee’s roastery and say hello from Inspire(d). Kick back – it’s a leisurely drive, right?

As you continue on the route, don’t be surprised to see colorful roadside stands selling the best of their fall harvest and fresh farm eggs. At the southern entrance to Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) sits La Farge, another picturesque Wisconsin town that is home to the national headquarters of Organic Valley, the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the United States. Be sure to visit in their retail store on Main Street and see what their products are all about.

My own first experience with the incredible KVR was through an adventure race called the Dam Challenge Triathlon – a 7-mile paddle, 14-mile road bike ride and a 3-mile run. It turned out to be quite the endeavor… Let’s just say waking up at 5 am and leaving Decorah early enough to make it for race time was not my idea of a peaceful Saturday morning. My friends came to pick me up on that crisp, October day before the sun was even thinking about making an appearance. We drove the twisting two-lane highway through morning fog toward the Mississippi River, sipping on black coffee and trying to get into race-mode. After crossing the Mighty River, I will never forget turning around in the minivan to look at the sun rising behind us as we climbed the bluffs in western Wisconsin. The Mississippi River Valley was flooded with fog and the bright new sun reflected on the fall-colored maples, oaks, and hickories, creating a fiery glow that has been burned in my memory.

The exhausting race served as an excellent tour of the KVR and surrounding areas. We paddled the clear, cool water, rode through dense valleys of pure Wisconsin farmland, up and over steep ridges, and ran the wooded, rocky trails. I’m convinced it will forever be a favorite place. I love that the area is rugged, full of exposed sandstone outcroppings, a mosaic of green moss, towering cliffs and the narrow, snaking Kickapoo River.

It was officially dedicated under the governing body of the Kickapoo Reserve Management Board in May of 2001. It now boasts a beautiful visitor and education center, many miles of rustic trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians, 25 primitive camp sites including some accessible by vehicle and some accessible only by canoe or hike-in/bike-in, 125 miles of canoeing on the Kickapoo River and opportunities to hunt, fish and trap. Not to mention, the Dam Challenge Triathlon every October. (The 2010 Dam Challenge Triathlon is scheduled for October 2. Sorry, registration is closed, but keep it in mind for next year!)

Upon arrival, make sure to pop in at the beautiful visitor center located on the south side of the area. They offer great information about the Reserve, a detailed history of the area, and employees who can answer questions and give tips as well as maps. You can’t go wrong with any hiking trail or any camping spot, but one of my favorite spots to camp is letter “N”. Set up here and hike on the trail that leaves from the north part of the campsite. This will lead you up a hill and to an area with some steeper climbing and scampering over rocks bringing you to an awesome lookout over the whole valley. There are numerous lookouts on other hiking trails too – it’s easy to find great vistas all over this place. If canoeing is your thing, there are bridges every mile on the river making it easy to get in and out as well as know exactly where you are on the water.

Kickapoo is plum full of potential for pure adventure – all you need to do is get there. The Reserve is accessible from wherever you may be in the Midwest making it an easy weekend expedition or even a Saturday get-outta-town trek any time of year. If you happen to miss the fall-foliage trip-window, or go and love it so much you want to go back, the winter months offer a whole new set of activities with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even a Winter Festival in early January. Whatever outdoor liveliness you’re into, the KVR is a stunning place to pay a visit and have a dam good time!

Lauren Kraus loves everything about fall. She plans to spend some good time in the KVR warmed by hot tea and a wool sweater tromping around in the woods or floating in a canoe. The 2010 Dam Challenge is her 3rd and not the last.

Websites to check out:

kvr.state.wi.us
www.organicvalley.coop
www.kickapoocoffee.com

Text and Photos by Lauren Kraus

Oirginally printed in the October/November 2009 issue of Inspire(d)

The Driftless Region is home to many great things – one being the only National Monument in the entire state of Iowa.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, located on highway 76 three miles north of Marquette and 17 miles southeast of Waukon, is also one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. The only other National Park in the state is the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch.

Since October 25 marks the 60th anniversary of the day President Harry Truman signed a proclamation and established Effigy Mounds as a National Monument, we thought you might like to learn a little more about the place – and we encourage you to take a trip and check it out yourself.

According to the National Parks Service website, the “Effigy Mound Region” is located in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Iowa. Around 1,400 years ago, earthen effigy mounds – areas of dirt often shaped into effigies of animals – began to appear from just west of the Upper Mississippi River to Lake Michigan’s western shore. They were built by people known as Woodland Indians, but nobody really knows why they began, and no one knows why they stopped. Native American legends portray the mounds as ceremonial and sacred sites.

A man named Theodore H. Lewis was one of the earliest surveyors in the upper Mississippi Valley. Another man, Ellison Orr, from McGregor, was also an accomplished surveyor and mapped mound groups and other archaeological areas in northeast Iowa. Both studied the Effigy Mounds region. Thanks to their detailed recordkeeping, treasured information about Iowa archaeology is available today.

But to truly understand all of the work that went into these mounds and the history behind them, you simply must visit! Being centrally located and nestled in the Upper Mississippi Valley makes Effigy Mounds an easy day trip from wherever you’re starting. The Visitor Center located off of highway 76 is a nice starting point full of great information, a 15-minute video on the mound builders, a museum with American Indian artifacts from the area, and a bookstore. A $3 entry fee is required. The now 2,526 acre National Monument consists of a North Unit and a South Unit divided by the Yellow River, each containing impressive mound groups and amazing overlooks of the great Mississippi River. The overlooks in the North Unit provide views of Pikes Peak State Park, Prairie du Chien, various ponds, the Yellow River marshlands, and islands that make up the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. During the autumn months, the river valley speckled with yellow and red clusters of changing oak, maple, walnut, birch and aspen makes for a picturesque time to be out and exploring this monument.

Roughly 14 miles of wide, meandering trails run through Effigy Mounds providing access to the various mound groups as well as the overlooks. Get out for a relaxing, scenic trail walk, try a trail run or head back during the winter for an adventurous snowshoe or tromp-in-the snow hike. The park does not groom the trails for cross country skiing, but remains open year-round. After a good visit in the park, don’t forget to look into other awesome area attractions like Yellow River State Forest, Pikes Peak State Park and the river towns of Marquette and McGregor. A cold brew (or house made root beer) at the Old Man River Brewery in McGregor is prefect after a hike at the Mounds.

The Upper Mississippi River valley provides an incredible landscape and unique historical features like the Effigy Mounds. Wherever you are, get out there and take advantage of these great places. Help Effigy Mounds celebrate its 60th anniversary by exploring the area and learning more!

Helpful web links:
http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm
http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/yellowriver.html
http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/state_park_list/pikes_peak.html
http://www.oldmanriverbrewery.com/

Lauren Kraus loves exploring new places, the crunching of fall-colored leaves while walking and really good root beer. She was also excited by Iowa’s only National Monument and the beginning of the beautiful season that is autumn.

Calendar time is always an exciting time at Inspire(d) Headquarters. “Just how much can we fit on there this month?!?” Up to this point, what we’ve chosen for these lovely pages has been entirely editorial and subjective. We figure, hey, you like our magazine, so you’ll probably like the fun stuff to do that we pick out from around our region. But we’re running out of space and want you, our lovely readers, friends, and fellow event-planners, to be able to tell us a little more about your fun.

Thus we’ve implemented a simple, expandable list of events for the pages following our regular calendars. Those who are planning “fun stuff to do” get a guaranteed spot on the calendar and in the event listing by purchasing “25 Words/$25 Bucks.” We know it’s a tough racket to put on live music, activities, and special events, so we want to give you a chance to get the word out without breaking the bank.

See – we told you about our amazing fictional party in just 25 words! On the visual calendar (like the one at left), your event will be listed along with a number that corresponds. People can just scan on over to the following pages to get the details!

First things first: 25 Words/$25 Bucks is available for only events. Sorry, folks: no exceptions.

Here’s how you submit your event:

1. Click this link. It will open a form in a new window.

CLICK HERE FOR FORM

2. Enter your information – I suggest you submit it like this:

       Choose the appropriate start date (ongoing dates, write “through [insert date]” first in the form).

       In the form, write: Event name! Fun extra details, location, price, website.

Then follow the link (it appears after you type more than six words) to Pay Pal to settle up.

Thanks! We can’t wait to hear more about the fun stuff you’re planning!

Having trouble? Here are a few more submission tips/information:

Type or paste in your words in the form. Once you get past six words the “pay now” button shows up (so people don’t accidentally pay before they start typing), but if you go over 25 words, the “pay now” button will disappear (so people don’t go over the word limit).

After you’ve entered your words, you’ll hit the pay now button and be directed to our PayPal page.

You can either sign in to your PayPal account or click the line that says “Don’t have a PayPal account?” This will take you to a page where you can enter your credit card info and submit!

Inspire(d) Magazine 25W/$25B Schedule:

Winter – December, January (2012), February (2012). 25W/$25B deadline October 26, 2011.

2012:

Spring – March, April, May. 25W/$25B deadline January 25, 2012

Summer – June, July, August. 25W/$25B deadline April 25, 2012.

Fall – September, October, November. 25W/$25B deadline July 27, 2012.

Winter – December, January (2013), February (2013). 25W/$25B deadline October 26, 2012.

Any questions email aryn@theinspiredmedia.com

Catch Cantus in live in concert March 11, 7:30 at the Center for Faith and Life. For ticket pricing and information contact the Luther College Ticket Box office at 563-387-1536.

By Susie Clark

“It all started at St. Olaf College,” says tenor (and ‘99 Luther graduate) Eric (Hopkins) Ellingsen. “In lieu of flipping burgers or mowing lawns, the founding members of Cantus spent their college summers traveling cross-country, giving concerts for free-will offerings.” After graduation, the group thought it was a gig too good to retire, and so Cantus was made in to a professional non-profit ensemble. 2011 marks their eleventh season.

Cantus is now celebrated as the premiere all-male vocal ensemble in the country. Based out of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the nine-member group performs nationally – nearly 80 concerts and 40 education outreach seminars every season. Through the Luther College Center Stage Series, Cantus will present “Before Us”. a musical exploration of American composers and choral tradition.

If the group’s name, Cantus, is pronounced correctly, it’s Latin for melody or song. But for some reason, it’s stumbled over by many.

“It’s really quite amusing,” says Ellingsen. “We’ve had people announce our name (Cantus) as ‘sanctus,’’”conscience,’ and even ‘cactus!’”

Believe it or not, Cantus’ artistic work is NOT inspired by a spiky desert plant; their goal is simple: Instill in its audiences a love for choral music.

Through their position as Artists in Residence for Classical Minnesota Public Radio, Cantus will be doing just that.

In its second year of existence, Classical MPR’s Artist in Residence Program is a one-year contract bringing some of the world’s greatest classical musicians to Minnesota. The residency includes performances across the state of Minnesota, as well as an educational component- sharing their musical knowledge and expertise with high school and college students.

“We kind of act like ‘musical ambassadors,’” says Ellingsen. “Our job will be to give concerts to out-of-state communities that would otherwise not have access to a live performance of Cantus,” he explains. The ensemble will also be featured through on-air performances, and programs such as “Performance Today,” a showcasing of some of the world’s greatest classical musicians.

One would think there would be room for plenty of ego, but ever-living up to the “Minnesota Nice” reputation, it’s not the case with Cantus. (There’s even a member named Aaron Humble.) The group relies on its members for direction – a kind of musical democracy when it comes to performance and interpretation.

“Each member of Cantus has an equal responsibility and investment in the artistic product,” Ellingsen says. “We get together and choose the theme and the music of our concerts. After that, each song is assigned a ‘producer,’ who then acts as the director for the individual piece.” Through individual artistic leadership, Cantus achieves a different blend and feel for each song, treating audiences to a one-of-a-kind choral experience.

Being host to some of the nation’s best choral groups and educators, Midwest standards for choral music are high. Cantus shares Minneapolis’ choral spotlight with other greats such the Dale Warland Singers and the National Lutheran Choir. “Having the rich, Lutheran college choral tradition here in the Midwest has a great deal with making our music scene unique from those of New York or elsewhere,” Ellingsen says. “Over half of the current members of Cantus come from the Midwestern choral tradition and were mentored by Weston Noble and Anton Armstrong.” Each member’s background gives the educational component of Cantus’ mission even more impact. Visiting over 50 schools and colleges every year, Cantus works with over 5,000 students, performing master classes, school concerts, and festivals.

“Choral music, and all other arts programs in schools, teaches so much more than just music. It teaches you math, reading, comprehension, confidence, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills,” says Ellingsen. “We in Cantus find it very important to advocate for arts education.”

Luckily, it’s not difficult for Cantus to find ways to inspire students. Midwestern winters, however, are less than inspiring. “On a tour to Aberdeen, South Dakota, we got stuck in a ditch,” Ellingsen says. But despite frigid temps, snow, and ice, these men are never without a sense of humor – and a pitch pipe. “While we were being pulled out, we all broke into song, singing a barber shop tag!” Proof that, for the nine members of Cantus, there is always something to sing about.

Inspire(d) Intern, Susie Clark, (most commonly known as “Suz”) is proudly writing for her fourth issue of Inspire(d) Magazine (Holler!). Her spare time this winter has been devoted to cross-country skiing, reading, and shoveling snow. As a native Minnesotan and devoted baseball fan, Suz is “amped” for the kick-off of Twins season.

I met Mary Henry in 1988 when I started working with Winneshiek County Public Health. She has been a wonderful co-worker and friend ever since. At the time I met Mary she was working as a home care aide, taking care of clients who were younger than her! The funny thing about this was that Mary had to have a physical signed by an MD every year to make sure she was in good enough health to work. She retired when she was 77. Since that time Mary has been very busy helping family, friends and her neighbors where she lives. Mary is now 92, still active, drives daily, cooks daily, and makes Sunday dinner for several of her neighbors in her apartment complex – every Sunday!

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
My mother told me when I married Jim, “You can’t come back.” Mary laughs and told me she knew she had to stick with him.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
A nurse

What did you do?
I was born on a farm near Jackson Junction and graduated from Waucoma high school in 1936. I married Jim Henry in 1938 and raised four children – two boys and two girls. I went back to school to be a nurse, a LPN in 1970, and worked at Aase Haugen and then Winneshiek Public Health until I retired in 1977. I still go out daily and to church three to four times per week. I enjoy helping others.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
My family picture (with her husband and her four children), my Rosary, and of course my medicine! (Spoken like a true nurse).

Try to describe yourself in one sentence:
“Old,” she laughs, “but I have a good attitude and I’m happy!”

If you could eat anything everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Goulash

Name one thing that you could not live without?
Money

Tell us about your wedding day:
“I wore a blue dress, my Aunt was my maid of honor and she wore a pink dress. We had flowers in our hair. We were married at St. Mary’s in Waucoma at 9 am by Father Falin. My mom served a brunch for about 30 people – close family and friends. That night we had a wedding dance at Breezy Corners and lots of people attended. Our honeymoon was in a motel in Waukon, we wanted to go to La Crosse but we were too tired to drive so we stayed there. We did spend a week in Wisconsin, but came back to this little hotel in La Crosse every night.

What is your favorite memory:
“I have so many,” but she does tell me, “When we picked up our four children (Mary and Jim adopted their four kids). I can still remember how happy we were and how glad we were to have them. We were only supposed to go and see them, and I always took them home the same day.”