July 25, 2012

‘I want to try everything once’

By Jacki Wood

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki Wood

As a little girl, I remember my mom popping popcorn and placing it in bread bags in preparation for our summer vacation. We all loved to eat it, my dad especially, and he would snack on it late at night to stay awake while driving.

Food is an important aspect of any road trip and can be divided into two parts: what you eat while driving and what you eat when you arrive.

While some parents insist on giving kids only healthy snacks while traveling, I’m a believer in special treats they don’t normally get at home.

We didn’t have a lot of junk food growing up, so a couple of our annual road trip food traditions included a big bag of Brach’s assorted candies and Pringles.

Today when we all travel together, we’ve replaced the candy with Red Vines but we still love popcorn and Pringles.

What else to pack? We go with breakfast items like granola and protein bars, fruit, yogurt, and occasionally pop-tarts (which we never have at home), and then sandwiches, chips and raw veggies for lunch. These can be eaten while driving or at a rest area or park when a little stop along the way is needed.

I came across a new idea on Pinterest while planning this summer’s road trip which I can’t wait to try on my kids. They are these cute, little travel snack boxes that can hold a variety of food items. I found the ones I’m using in the craft section and they have 18 tiny compartments.

The idea is to give your children a variety of sweet and salty food options — nuts, dried fruit, Goldfish, Cheerios, gummi bears and the like — so they can choose for themselves.

An example of our food while traveling from our most recent road trip…

12/23/11 road trip tweets: visiting family in Florida

“Back on the road to Atlanta at 7:30. Headed to the Jimmy Carter library and museum. Kids are eating poptarts and gogurt.”

“On the road again, heading south and eating sandwiches in the car.”

“Gas in Wildwood, FL. Enjoying freshly squeezed Florida OJ there.”

Once we’ve arrive at our destination, we plan one special meal each day, frequenting local restaurants (not chains) that are popular in that community.

If we’re someplace we’ve traveled before, we usually stop at our favorite places but also try new things, too.

When we go to the Branson/Springfield area, we always stop for sweet treats at Andy’s Frozen Custard. My favorite is the James Brownie Funky Jackhammer.

When we’re in Los Angeles, where my husband is from, we break our rule of no chains by eating at In-N-Out (one of the best burgers around) and El Pollo Loco (fabulous flame-grilled chicken and tortillas).

We also make a special trip to Olvera Street, the oldest part of downtown LA, just for the taquitos at Cielito Lindo. The sauce is amazing and the taquitos are unlike any others. We first took our kids there when Hannah was just 11 months old and she loved them (still does).

In my last column, I talked about places featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and highly recommended Victor’s 1959 Café in Minneapolis. Last summer while in LA, we hit The Oinkster in Eagle Rock for their pastrami and pulled pork sandwiches. That’s one palatable pig.

You can search for them at flavortownusa.com.

12/27/11 road trip tweets: heading home via New Orleans

“Larry & I found the restaurant we ate at on our honeymoon 14 years ago. The Market Cafe. Alligator, muffaletta, shrimp po-boy, red beans & rice, gumbo, shrimp creole, and Jambalaya.”

“One last treat before the final leg home. Andy’s in Springfield.”

I’m sure there are a lot of great food places in New Orleans, but The Market Cafe (at Decatur and St. Peter’s streets in the French Quarter), serves fabulous Cajun and Creole cuisine accompanied by live jazz music.
 Sometimes we find a place that serves really good food. And sometimes, well, not so much. But you’ll never know if you like it unless you try it (thanks, Dr. Seuss).

We drove to Dallas a few years ago for the BYU/OU football game. We tried a Salvadorian restaurant, Gloria’s (which was divine), and a Peruvian restaurant (which was not). But the next time we’re in Dallas, I’m sure we’ll stop at Gloria’s again and also try something new.

Try it. Try it all. And like Anthony Bourdain, host of No Reservations, said, try everything at least once: “Do we really want to travel…eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat… I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

June 27, 2012

Be brave… pack up the car and road trip

By Jacki Wood

“Wandering alongside the Woods” column by Jacki Wood

At the encouragement of my husband, I’m venturing out on a new excursion. And while I may not be an “experty expert,” I have a lot of experience and love for traveling as a self-proclaimed road trip enthusiast.

I love the adventure that awaits a summer trek to Quebec or finding joy in the journey to Raleigh.

So I’m starting a new column — this column — “Wandering alongside the Woods.” I’m not sure where this expedition will take me, or you, but I’m excited to explore the possibilities.

So here goes… I hear it all the time: parents who say they can’t road trip because they have kids.

Why would you want to cram a two-year-old into a car and drive for 22 hours? And how can you keep him entertained that long? (And no, the answer is not a DVD player or a Nintendo DS…although I believe they do have their place).

My parents threw me in the back of their car when I wasn’t even a year old and took me to a family reunion in Colorado. They did it every summer. New places, new faces. My husband grew up the same way. So when we got married, it was what we knew. We took our first road trip with Hunter when he was just seven months old.

It’s been a great way to see the country. It also offers flexibility and freedom and is an easy vehicle to teach our children more about history, people and cultures.

When Hannah was about four years old, we drove to North Carolina. Soon after crossing the state line, we stopped at a gas station to refuel and use the facilities. While waiting in line, we overheard the cashier say, “Y’all need a bag?”

Hannah had apparently never heard anyone speak like that before, with a Southern Appalachian/Smoky Mountain English dialect. And when we got back in the car, she repeated the phrase sounding just like the cashier. It’s been a fun memory for us.

In the last 13 years, we’ve taken our kids to 38 of the 50 states and each trip has produced wonderful memories like the one above.

Have there been times when I’ve wanted to yell, scream, spit and pull my hair out? Yes. Of course. It’s not going to be all fun and games. But those memories fade and the wonderful ones, the good experiences, remain.

Prior to taking that trip, I had come across a children’s book called “Freedom on the Menu,” which tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement and the Greensboro sit-ins through the eyes of a child. I knew we could venture off our path a bit to Greensboro to visit the Woolworth’s store where the sit-ins occurred. What an amazing teaching experience for our small children.

So now that I have you reconsidering road tripping (hopefully), I want to share a little about a recent trip to the always popular family-vacation-destination, Mall of America. I, personally, would never plan a trip around shopping because I hate shopping. But, to each his own.

Anyway, after a family reunion in Colorado in 2010, we headed north. This trip was also my first attempt at tweeting some of our travels.

Mall of America was on the agenda — because you can’t go to the Twin Cities and not see a mall of that magnitude — but there were other things to see and do first.

On our way, we passed by the World’s Largest Holstein Cow in North Dakota (didn’t stop, but fun to see). As we ventured farther east, I tweeted: “I’m loving the beauty of Minnesota and its 10,000 lakes (my first time here).”

We’ve read the “Little House on the Prairie” books, so we traveled to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN, which includes both historical pieces and items from the TV series. We made sure we also visited the Ingalls dugout site where Laura and her family lived along the banks of Plum Creek, a beautiful area surrounded by towering trees.

Something else on every road trip agenda is to eat good, local food. In recent years, we try to find one that’s been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” So in Minneapolis, we chose Victor’s 1959 Cafe, a cute little dive that serves oh-so-good Cuban food. I loved the Picadillo a la Cubana.

We also took part of a day just to travel over to Wisconsin to eat some squeaky cheese (cheese curds) at Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. Well worth the drive. Upon our return to Minneapolis, we took a tour of the Guthrie Theater and visited the Midtown Global Market, a diverse area of international food shops, art, jewelry, flowers and more.

And last but not least, we took on the mall.

That morning I tweeted: “Got my walking shoes on. Mall of America today. This is so not me, but I love my kids.”

The LEGO store was a hit with Hunter where he probably spent a couple of hours creating and building with other kids. He and Hannah also enjoyed the rides and characters at Nickelodeon Universe. And for my enjoyment, Larry and I just happened to see a mall cop riding a Segway a la Paul Blart. Hilarious. Best part of the day for me.

So this is how the Woods road trip. When I’m planning beforehand, I make sure every trip has these three things:

1. Something educational.

2. Good, local food.

3. Let the kids pick something they want to do.

And one last thing. If you’re brave enough to road trip, and if in the midst of your travels it’s not going so well, just remember what Winston Churchill said: “If you are going through hell, keep going.”

It’ll make a funny story. Someday.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

May 30, 2012

Camper-turned-companion gives back to Camp Quality

By Jacki Wood

The sounds of children laughing ring through the wooded campground on a steamy, summer afternoon.

Not an uncommon occurrence at a summer camp – kids laughing.

But it means something entirely different at Camp Farwesta near Stewartsville.

One week each June, the campground hosts Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, a local summer camp for kids with cancer.

This year, Camp Quality will mark its 27th year with a Superheroes theme from June 10 to 15.

A rare camper-turned-companion, Arianne Bredlow has grown up at Camp Quality, a place she calls her second home.

“Normally, some of the kids are very sick and feel down,” the 20-year-old Ravenwood resident said. “But seeing them be able to smile and laugh (at camp) is kind of an overwhelming experience. I think that’s just the neatest thing.”

It’s a week where they can forget about everything wrong with them, she said, and just be themselves.

 

Her camp experience 

Bredlow was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in her right eye when she was only seven months old. She had four operations within the first year of her life, and in one of those, doctors removed her right eye.

She had her last operation in January 1992 and was considered cancer free.

“I have an artificial eye now and that’s basically the only thing I have left of my cancer,” she said.

Her first Camp Quality experience came at the age of five, and after 13 years as a camper, Bredlow said she feels grateful for the camp where kids with cancer can be kids again.

“I got teased a lot and that was a place where everyone’s the same,” she said. “It created a second family for me.”

Her years at Camp Quality also changed her as a person.

“I’m more willing to go out and do things because they’ve said, ‘hey, you’re still a real person, don’t let this affect you, don’t let it bring you down, do what you feel you want to do,’” she said. “It’s helped me grow a lot.”

It can also take an emotional toll on both campers and companions.

“You develop different relationships,” she said. “And sometimes they don’t come back to camp. Sometimes the campers do pass away and that is very hard.”

 

Her volunteer efforts

Bredlow graduated from Camp Quality in 2008 and returned to camp two years later to volunteer as a companion.

“I kind of felt I owed it back to some child who has cancer,” she said, “because I was given so many opportunities and had so many different experiences that I wanted to give that to another kid.”

Camp Quality matches each camper with a volunteer companion. Throughout the entire week, the two spend nearly all of their time together. The companions assist campers with things like arts and crafts, fishing and horseback riding.

They also do other typical summer camp activities like flag raising, singing camp songs and having campfires. They participate in special events, dances and talent shows and are entertained by magicians and hypnotists.

In addition to companions, Camp Quality depends on other volunteers to help out during the week, like cooks, medical staff and the camp’s directors.

“It’s really neat to see how many volunteers give up their time and their jobs for a week,” she said.

The camp also relies on fundraising throughout the year. Many organizations from all over Northwest Missouri donate to the cause.

“Those fundraisers help pay for so many things,” Bredlow said.

Since she understands how important the camp is to the kids, she also helps out with raising money. She assists with the local radio-a-thons held each year, and earlier this spring, she participated in her first 5K which benefitted Camp Quality.

Bredlow will serve as a companion again this summer along with several other volunteers from the Nodaway County area. She said she plans to continue to volunteer and raise money for Camp Quality for as long as she is able.

“I can’t imagine my life without Camp Quality,” she said.

For more information on volunteering or to donate, visit campqualityusa.org/nwmo or call 816.232.2267.

Leave a comment | posted in Features, News Articles

May 20, 2012

Some Millennials make the most of YOLO

By Jacki Wood

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

The results of the study didn’t really surprise me: today’s young people are selfish.

Millennials, or the Me Generation — those born after 1982 — are less interested in community issues, politics and the environment according to the March issue of Journal of Personality and Society Psychology.

Researchers surveyed nine million young adults and concluded they are “less likely to embrace community mindedness and are focusing more on money, image and fame.”

They see little of the world around them and engage in a variety of behaviors that accompany a YOLO (you only live once) attitude, taking risks in something they normally wouldn’t do, regardless of the consequences.

But earlier this month, after attending a Youth Cultural Celebration at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, I was reminded there are many Millennials out there doing good, giving of themselves and moving beyond the borders of this generalization.

The cultural celebration was part of several events leading up to the dedication of the new Mormon temple and included over 3,000 youth ages 12-18 from the greater Kansas City area. They came from as far away as Springfield, Branson and Joplin, Warrensburg, Topeka and Salina, KS, and from right here in Maryville as well.

My 13-year-old son chose to be a part of it, and while many hours were exhausted driving back and forth to rehearsals in Kansas City and practicing songs and dances each week at our local church building, it was truly a blessing for him and for us.

I’m not sure what I expected as we entered the auditorium that evening, but it definitely wasn’t what was presented.

Like I said, over 3,000 youth participated in the event, so just the sheer number of people involved was quite ridiculous. And what I experienced was simply inspiring.

The celebration began with those thousands of youth crammed across the auditorium floor, around the walkways and even up the stairs. They were everywhere. A story of the area’s history accompanied them on the jumbotron throughout the event.

Then smaller groups performed individual pieces. And by smaller, I still mean hundreds of kids singing and dancing together. They shared music and dance from other cultures that were associated with where they came from.

A young Bluegrass band from Branson played alongside dancers from the Olathe, Salina and Topeka areas.

Teens from Kansas City, Liberty and Platte City danced the Charleston (including my son…it was so cute). A smaller subgroup performed “Basketball Rhythm” complete with dribbling basketballs, shooting hoops and even dunks in a very High School Musical-esque performance.

Those from the Springfield area performed a patriotic number as well as George Strait’s hit song, “Heartland.”

Youth from Independence, where there’s a large Polynesian community, performed several island dances (so cool). Kids from Lenexa shared their Hispanic heritage and those from the Warrensburg area did a European medley.

I was surprised that the evening included a little bit of everything including a techno number, a fun children’s song and even Cotton-Eyed Joe.

But the most touching aspect of the night, for me, came when the youth from Joplin took center stage. A year since the devastating tornado hit their community, the youth performed “Rise Up,” a tribute about all of the helping hands who volunteered and assisted in the rebuilding, which continues today.

As I watched these young people literally raise up a building frame there on the auditorium floor, I realized these very teenagers lost their church building, their high school, and probably some even lost their homes and loved ones.

What amazing stories of faith and courage.

And as they paid tribute to those who had flocked from all over the country to help them rebuild their lives, I also realized how many volunteers, both young and old, from Baby Boomers to Millennials, traveled from right here in Nodaway County to selflessly give of themselves.

The crowd gave them a standing ovation, and deservedly so, as tears streamed down their cheeks (and ours) in a very emotional number.

So back to this study… I’m sure the results about Millennials were right on. But I also know there are so many out there who are breaking the status quo.

I love the quote from Elaine Dalton, who said: “Don’t let the low standards and expectations of the world and others cause you to aim beneath your nobility and ability — dream big!”

It’s great to see so many youth changing the “you only live once so enjoy it while you can” definition of YOLO to the “you only live once so make the most of it” YOLO.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

April 10, 2012

New Mormon temple provides opportunity for those who are ‘curiouser and curiouser’

By Jacki Wood

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

In chapter two of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Alice cries out, “Curiouser and curiouser!”

This curious phrase comes after she drinks from a bottle to shrink herself and then eats a small cake to grow more than nine feet tall at just the beginning of her adventures.

In recent years, I’ve found myself saying, as Alice did, “curiouser and curiouser,” as I realize something I’d never thought of; or in reality, realize how ignorant I am and how very little I know.

Ignorance is defined as lack of knowledge, learning, information, and Albert Camus said, “The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance.”

But the more I read, the more curious I become. And through learning, the more respect I have for things that were once an unknown to me, especially other peoples and cultures.

While we may look different from one another, speak different languages, and have different religious and philosophical beliefs, I believe we are all very much alike. We all want to be understood and loved and respected, regardless of our race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

I remember in high school, the local Baptist youth group decided they wanted to learn more about the other religions in our community. So for several weeks, they traveled around town and listened while each church’s youth shared their beliefs with them. They were our friends from school, our teammates on the basketball and football teams, in our math and English classes, but we didn’t really know what each other believed.

That experience with the Baptist youth had such a great impact on me. I’m a Mormon, or a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I was impressed that they would want to know what we believed by asking us, not by just reading something that someone, somewhere had written about us.

In my 36 years of being a Mormon, I’ve come across a lot of ignorance as to what we truly believe.

This month, though, there is a unique opportunity here in Missouri to learn more for those who are curious. The church has built a new temple in Kansas City, the first one in this area, and they are having an open house from April 7 to 27. It’s a perfect time to take a look inside the temple and become more educated about what we believe.

Once the open house is over and the temple is dedicated, only members of the church in good standing are allowed to enter.

For me, the temple is a place of beauty, of love, of great peace; a place to leave the world behind and focus on what’s most important; and a place to learn more about Jesus Christ and feel God’s love.

This opportunity for the curious reminds me of Helen Keller’s “The Seeing See Little,” when she said, “Those who have eyes apparently see little. The panorama of color and action that fills the world is taken for granted.”

My challenge for all of us is to not take for granted the things that we could be learning at this important time in our lives. It’s a curious world. Curiouser and curiouser as we begin to open your eyes and truly see the world around us.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

November 18, 2011

‘In every thing give thanks’

By Jacki Wood

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

It’s November, a time for thinking about giving thanks.

If you’re on Facebook, you may have noticed people listing what they are grateful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

I decided to join in this year, but I wanted my thanks to be simple things. One short sentence of things we take for granted or things we sometimes fail to recognize as blessings.

So I started November 1st:

Day 1: I’m grateful for uplifting music. It has the power to affect you in ways nothing else can.

Day 2: I’m grateful for rain. It rained for the first time in weeks and smelled so clean and fresh.

Day 3: I’m grateful for warm blankets. After a chilly night, it was nice to snuggle up with a warm quilt.

Day 4: I’m grateful for clean socks. Who doesn’t like a clean, snugly fit pair of socks?

About this time, I heard someone say instead of being thankful for our stuff, we should value our relationships.

Hmmm…

Well, of course we should value our relationships, but I’m one who believes “In every thing give thanks” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

In every thing. Everything. Including stuff.

I have been blessed with a great family, good friends and a job that I love. But there’s so much more I am grateful for and don’t always take note of, including warm blankets and clean socks. Not everyone enjoys those comforts.

So I continued on with even more purpose to be thankful in all things.

Day 5: I’m grateful for falling leaves. I love watching them float and dance to the ground, one by one.

Day 6: I’m grateful for Grandma Lee’s macaroni and cheese recipe. More than a recipe, it carries with it memories of her making it for us as kids.

Day 7: I’m grateful for hot water. If you’ve ever had to take a cold shower when you didn’t want to, this is an easy one to be thankful for, especially on cold November mornings.

Day 8: I’m grateful for my dog, Nishna. He was missing. He returned home a couple of days later, hurt, cold, wet and exhausted, but thanks to our vet, he’s on the mend and will soon be out once again chasing tennis balls and squirrels.

Day 9: I’m grateful for snow. First of the season. Two inches of pure beauty. If only it had lasted more than a few hours.

Day 10: I’m grateful for toilet paper. Need I say more?

Day 11: I’m grateful for those who serve. 11/11/11. Veterans Day. Thankful to those who’ve fought so we can have all these things.

Day 12: I’m grateful for farmers. It’s easy to forget where all the good food comes from that we buy so conveniently at the store or at our favorite restaurants.

Day 13: I’m grateful for Apple. The influence of Steve Jobs is everywhere in my life. Work computer, laptop at home, iPods and iPhones. I can lie in bed, listen to Miles Davis while checking email, Twitter, Facebook and the weather, take pictures or videos, order a pizza or watch a BYU basketball game. All on my phone.

Day 14: I’m grateful for trees. We’re surrounded by our own little forest at home. More than just their beauty, they protect our home, clean the air and supply food.

Day 15: I’m grateful for the smell of a wood-burning stove. Smells like winter and Christmas and trees and love and warmth and home.

Day 16: I’m grateful for diversity. What a dull world this would be if everything and everyone were the same. I love learning new things about other people, places and ways of thinking and then sharing those with my children.

Day 17: I’m grateful for my fibromyalgia. Gratitude in all things means even the things we struggle with. They help us grow and learn. I’ve learned I’m stronger than I thought and that I have limitations (and that’s okay).

Day 18: I’m grateful for Hunter’s hugs. That kid has so much love for everyone. And he loves to share it.

Day 19: I’m grateful for Hannah’s smile. Her beautiful smiling face makes everything all better again.

Day 20: I’m grateful for Larry’s adventures. It’s been quite a ride. Never a dull moment.

In the days remaining before Thanksgiving, I’ll be grateful for many more simple — and not so simple — things, the relationships I value and even the stuff I enjoy.

One final thought on gratitude from English poet John Milton:

“Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.”

It’s been a month full of everyday epiphanies that change how I view the world. Who wouldn’t want that? Gratitude in all things.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

October 26, 2011

The loom lady: a love affair with walnut and wool

By Jacki Wood

I love walnut and wool.

She says it in passing, almost as a whisper, but with a real sense of conviction.

If there is a nook or a cranny anywhere in Lucille VanSickle’s Clearmont home, it is filled with walnut and wool. Something she has created. Or rather, woven.

Projects finished. And projects just begun.

And looms, looms everywhere.

Warmth radiates from her weavings throughout her home, a reflection of the 90-year-old VanSickle, who believes having an interest in things has kept her young.

VanSickle grew up in Elmo and has lived most of her life in Nodaway County. She moved to Clearmont in 1967 with her late husband, Andy.

Her love for walnut and wool began a few years later, in the early 1970s, with an art class in Maryville.

fascinated by it

She had previously taken some adult art classes that hadn’t interested her much until a lady from Columbia came up to do a night class in weaving.

“I was fascinated with it,” she said.

The instructor let her take a loom home, so she did, and she was hooked.

“Some of those women bought looms and then put them in the attic. I never let mine rest,” she said. “It’s just been a real joy.”

Her adventures in weaving began with a big rug loom, making over 100 rugs for a church near Skidmore to sell at their bazaar.

“Then I got interested in lots of other kinds of weaving,” she said.

And her initial fascination transformed into a way of life.

In addition to the rugs, she has woven bags, belts, scarves, coverlets, pillows, baskets and wall hangings. She even tried her hand at Kumihimo, a method of braiding silk threads originally used by Japanese warriors hundreds of years ago, where they wove secret patterns around their sword handles.

“If you study the history of it, man has been weaving since our earliest history,” VanSickle said. “Every country has their own style of weaving. And that’s been fun to study.”

captivated by it
Her love of weaving has gone beyond just the art and the learning. She has been captivated by the looms themselves.

She has three big workable floor looms, two table looms and countless little box and cardboard looms. She has also had great big barn looms, measuring six to seven feet tall, and she even made a loom out of a gas pipe.

“There’s no way to count them all,” she said. “I enjoy making the looms and restoring old ones.”

Some of her greatest joys have been in finding an old loom, repairing it and getting it to “come alive again,” she said, like her first big barn loom.

She went to an auction where she was told there were big loom parts at an antique store in Cameron.

“I had a big old yellow Plymouth station wagon,” she recalled. “As soon as I could, I just drove clear to Cameron.”

When she arrived, the owner told her that there were indeed pieces of a loom out on the back porch.

“There was this whole pile of walnut lumber,” she said. “We loaded that walnut loom in the back of that Plymouth and it just went way down low in the back, so I had to drive home very slowly.”

And on the way home, she wondered what her husband would say about all that wood.

“I got it home, took it all out and got it cleaned up. And when my husband came home, he seemed delighted that I had made a good purchase,” she laughed, remembering that old loom. “I learned from that one. They’re each a little different and you learn from every one.”

animated by it

VanSickle lights up when she talks about sharing what she loves and what she’s learned over the years with others.

She becomes animated as she talks about teaching children to weave, about seeing the excitement in their eyes, about being a part of a local weaving group and also about attending the Midwest Weavers Conferences, where there are hundreds of people who, like her, are all excited about their art.

“One of the things I like the best is the friends you meet, other weavers, and sharing what I love,” she said. “Turning thread into something beautiful, making something useful and learning new techniques is fun. But then being able to share that learning with other people is a joy, too.”

Today, she continues on with her craft, just as excited as ever. Next on her list to tackle is learning how to weave clothing.

And it’s not surprising that she’s up for a new challenge.

Continuing her love affair with walnut and wool keeps her busy. And keeps her young.

“There’s food for your mind, food for your body and food for your spirit,” she said. “(Weaving) feeds my spirit.”

Leave a comment | posted in Features

October 19, 2011

‘Modesty in appearance is always in fashion’

By Jacki Wood

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

In olden days a glimpse of stocking

Was looked on as something shocking,

But now, God knows,

Anything goes.

(Cole Porter, 1934)

 

Modesty.

Do people even know what that word means today?

When I look around, it doesn’t seem like it.

Modesty is defined as a regard for the decencies of or an attitude of humility and decency in behavior, speech, dress, grooming, etc.

It’s the “dress” part that I’ve been contemplating lately. As I walk across campus or patronize a local store or visit area high schools, quite frankly, I’m amazed at what I see.

Most of it comes from young women, or even young girls, but some young men could also use a lesson in modesty as well. And it’s not just youth, there are plenty of adults out there doing the same.

It generally takes a lot to offend me. But I have no desire whatsoever to see body parts or underwear hanging out where I believe clothing should be covering them up.

Did you know in Albany, GA, you can be fined for wearing pants or skirts more than three inches below the top of your hips which exposes your skin or underwear? Fines range from $25 to $200. Similar ordinances have been passed in Delcambre, LA, and Collinsville, IL.

Now I’m not necessarily advocating government to jump in on the modesty issue. But it’s obviously a concern for many people.

For me, modesty is an outward reflection of my beliefs that my body is a gift from God.

I understand that those are my beliefs. I can and do respect others that are different. I certainly don’t think that everyone out there agrees with me on this. And that’s fine. At issue, for me though, is that a lot of people feel they must look or dress a certain way to “fit in,” even when perhaps they are not comfortable in doing so.

Clothing expresses who we are and sends messages about ourselves to others.

On most days, I’m a polo and jeans or T-shirt and sweats kind of girl. I’m sending a “I like to be comfortable, relaxed, remembering my youthful tomboyishness” message. On other days, when I have to dress up a bit more, I’m sending a “I’m dressed up because I’m going to church or work” message.

What kinds of messages are we sending or allowing our children to send?

I guess what I’d really like is for someone to stand up and say, hey, you don’t have to dress like that to be cool, hip, popular, fashionable or whatever. You’re beautiful for who you are, not how you dress.

Here are a few people who are trying to do just that…

Grammy award-winning Christian singer, Rebecca St. James, has spoken often about modesty and said she loves the “Modest is hottest” motto. She has written a book and a song about it. She believes clothing can and does influence the way you and others act.

Wendy Shalit, raised in a secular Jewish family and author of “A Return to Modesty,” argues for modesty from a feminist perspective. She believes the ‘60s women’s liberation movement actually hurt women because their goal was to be “the same” as men. But we are not the same.

Shalit believes “baring one’s belly button in public may not be as empowering as women have been led to believe” (Rachel Whitaker, “Women Under Cover”) and that modesty in dress (and other areas) is actually a way to reclaim the value of women.

She points out that “women who have rebelled against the immodest dress…have found a new self-respect they never knew was available. In addition to this, these same women have found that they are attracting the kind of men they really desire as opposed to men who approach them for their outward beauty alone” (Todd Kappelman, “A Return to Modesty”).

Christine Wanjiru Wanjala, who writes for Uganda’s The Daily Monitor, said “it is easy to blame someone’s shortcomings on decency and modesty on the way they were raised or at the very least where they were raised.”

In “Teach your child how to be modest at an early age,” Wanjiru Wanjala said with all the images bombarding children today, they can be confused about what is right and wrong. She said parents need to set a good example and teach them while they’re young.

I was raised in a home where modesty was taught at a very young age, and in turn, my husband and I have tried to teach our children about the importance of modesty and showing respect for our bodies.

I remember my daughter, Hannah, being about four or five, and we’d be out shopping. She would see someone she thought was inappropriately dressed and blurt out, “that girl doesn’t have enough clothes on.” It was usually loud enough for the person to hear. I’d smile, a bit embarrassed, and move on. But looking back, maybe it takes the honesty of a five-year-old for people to realize what they’re doing.

So does “anything” go, like Cole Porter wrote? It apparently does. But I don’t believe it has to. I believe you can dress modestly to bring out your best self, be beautiful and influence those around you.

And I have to agree with Jeffrey R. Holland who said, “Modesty in appearance is always in fashion.”

It is, at least, in my home.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns

October 5, 2011

Eagles soar to ninth state softball championship

By Jacki Wood

The Jefferson Eagles boys softball team discovered the road to the championship this year was much easier than winning the actual title.

After beating Grundy County 15-0 and Meadville 8-0, the Eagles advanced to the state championship game for the ninth time in the last 10 years.

They entered the October 1 game at Danner Park in Chillicothe with an undefeated 10-0 record facing the Tina-Avalon Dragons who stood at 12-3.

In what proved to be a pitcher’s duel through the first four innings between Jefferson’s Clayton Schieber and Tina’s Jedd Stark, the Eagles remained confidently patient throughout the game.

Jefferson Head Coach Tyler Pedersen said both pitchers were prepared and in championship form, which required his players to remain focused.

“I felt like our boys stayed prepared and we made the plays we needed to,” he said. “It is easy to become frustrated when you are facing a pitcher as good as Jedd Stark is. He had 15 strikeouts but I felt like our guys learned from each at-bat and came up with enough hits to get the job done.”

Those needed hits didn’t come until the top of the fifth inning. Tied at zero, their bats finally came alive when Catcher Zach Jermain knocked a triple into the outfield. After an intentional walk put Schieber on first, Third Baseman Blake Meyer smacked a ground-rule double which scored Jermain to make it a 1-0 game.

Consistent pitching by both teams kept the score at 1-0 through the end of six innings.

But in the seventh, the Eagles started to heat things up once again.

Jermain got on base with a single followed by Schieber, who on an error advanced to second and Jermain to third. Meyer was walked, and with bases loaded and two outs, Tina’s Stark came up big with another strikeout, ending the inning with the score still 1-0.

The scoreless top of the inning gave the Dragons one last chance.

With two outs and runners on first and second, Jefferson’s defense came up big again when a short infield hit was thrown out at first. The Eagles celebrated the 1-0 victory and their ninth boys state softball championship.

“This one is just as special as the very first,” Pedersen said. “I tell the boys all the time to never take it for granted. I am very proud of this team, because as inexperienced as we were coming into the season, the boys worked very hard and accomplished what they set out to do.”

While the game — and the tournament — was nothing short of a solid team effort, Schieber was a monster on the mound. In his last games as an Eagle, he had three complete shut-outs, allowing no runs on one hit, two walks and a total of 38 strikeouts.

Pedersen said he feels privileged to have had the chance to coach a player like him.

“Clayton is very talented, but to go with that, he is a great competitor and his work ethic is second to none,” he said, giving credit to his training during the off-season and help from his older brother, Logan, also an all-state pitcher, his parents and his teammates.

“(He) is the pitcher he is today by no accident,” Pedersen said. “He is an athlete who started out with some natural talent but worked very hard to become the best.”

For the tournament, Schieber had five hits, one run and five RBIs; Jermain had five hits, six runs and one RBI; Charles Miller had four hits, two runs and four RBIs; Tyler Schmitz had three hits, four runs and three RBIs; Sam Kelley had three hits, three runs and two RBIs; Alex Holtman had two hits, two runs and one RBI; Meyer had one hit, two runs and one RBI; Jordan McCrary had one hit, two runs and an RBI; and Jed Galbraith scored two runs.

Leave a comment | posted in News Articles

August 31, 2011

Pregnancy hormones, popping noises and putting it all into perspective

By Jacki Wood

“That they might have joy” column by Jacki Wood

Pop. Pop-Pop. Pop.

I was awakened by a noise I’d never heard before. Although at shortly after 3 am, I was unaware of how it really sounded.

I quickly sat straight up (or as quickly and as straight up as a five-months-pregnant woman can do).

The unfamiliar sounds were coming from outside. Or down the hallway. I couldn’t quite tell.

Someone is stealing our stuff, I thought.

“Larry, did you hear that?” I asked, nudging him in the side.

Not saying a word, he got up out of bed and walked into the hallway as I peeked out the window.

Fire. Fire. F-I-R-E!

He started shouting it as I saw it. Red and orange flames shooting high up into the air above the garage.

***

In early July of 1998, we were staying at my in-laws’ house up in the foothills of Tujunga, CA. In less than two weeks, our plans were to move to Missouri to be closer to my family. Pregnant with our firstborn, I wanted to be closer to my mom.

So we had moved out of our apartment, packed up the belongings we planned to take with us into Larry’s Toyota pickup truck and put the rest into storage.

We had only been staying there a few days when the 3:30 am wake-up call occurred.

And I thought it was someone outside stealing our stuff from Larry’s truck.

***

I like to think I remain pretty calm in the event of an emergency or under trying times (re: the stabbing in Springfield, the gun in my apartment hallway and my recent experience with a man lying in the middle of the street in Maryville… which is a story for another day).

But on this occasion, well, I was five months pregnant. And pregnancy hormones being what they are, I guess you could say I was a little less than calm.

Actually, when I saw the fire, I coolly grabbed my shoes and ran out the back door of the house along with Larry, his niece (who was also staying there) and his mother. My father-in-law grabbed a garden hose and was trying to do his best to combat the flames.

So I was doing okay, standing there in the backyard, listening to the sirens that seemed like a million miles away, winding their way up and down and around all those foothills, trying to reach the fire.

And then Larry ran back inside the house.

And so I freaked. And I screamed, calling out to him.

Not the horror-movie, high-pitched scream that my 12-year-old son has a knack for… but I did scream.

Now I’m usually not a screamer, although I can scream with the best of them — at a football or a basketball game (just ask my brother who had the pleasure of sitting next to me when we saw Jimmer and BYU play up in Omaha last year). That screaming is called spirit.

This scream, however, was different. It was fear. Fear for my unborn child and fear for that child’s father.

L-A-R-R-Y!!!

***

What seemed like hours later, and after the firemen had arrived on scene, I learned Larry had run inside to get keys to the cars parked in front of the house. He was trying to move them so the fire trucks could get closer to the house in the crowded cul-de-sac where they live.

But he wasn’t able to save his truck. It was a total loss. And several things we had packed inside for the move to Missouri were also lost.

The fire destroyed a lot of his parents’ things. But thankfully, no one got hurt. And in the end, most of what was lost was replaceable.

***

Fire changes people. It did for me, at least.

It puts things in perspective — People are important. Things are less so.

Although there always seems to be those few precious things that can’t be replaced, like pictures, which help us keep old memories alive.

***

I walked out of the Nodaway News Leader office just as the morning light showed the harsh reality of the downtown fire earlier this month.

I’d already been out to take pictures when it was still dark, so I was heading out to take a few more when I saw a weary Dave Weigel walking toward me. He’s been a friend of my mom’s for years and my heart sunk as I saw him coming toward me.

His business had been completely destroyed.

And typical Dave, he seemed almost upbeat about forging ahead. That is, except for when he mentioned that one drawer he wished he could get his hands on. Among other things, it included a picture of his father.

But after he took a moment, he continued on his way, smile included.

I have such great respect for those who can suffer through a tragedy, pick themselves up, and move forward with an even greater determination to do good in this world.

That’s Dave.

***

That life-altering fire 13 years ago reinforced two distinct principles (which I was reminded of after the fire on Third and Main) — one practical and one a bit more transcendent and thus a bit harder to achieve, at least for me:

1. Be prepared. Have a plan. I remember as a little girl my parents’ having a fire escape plan which we practiced regularly.

I know that helped me stay relatively calm, that is, at least until Larry went back inside the house. Also, install smoke detectors. Those tiny little machines can save lives. And change the batteries in them every six months.

2. Simplify. And by that I guess I mean refocus on what is really important in life.

All that stuff lost in the fire is not stuff I can take with me when I die. What I can take with me is knowledge and experiences with family and good friends. Treasure those things.

While contemplating these ideas again, I was reminded of transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau, who wrote “Walden; or Life in the Woods.”

Thoreau spent two years on the banks of Walden Pond where he constructed a cabin, planted a garden to sustain himself and spent his days studying and writing, with no thought of time or worldly possessions.

He said, “Our life is frittered away by detail… Simplify, simplify.”

Surely simplifying means different things to different people. For me, it’s a good purge of belongings I don’t really need every six months or so. Spending quality time with the people who mean the most. And trying to not be distracted by things that really don’t matter.

L. Tom Perry, in “Let Him Do It with Simplicity,” said, “(Thoreau) considered the time he had spent (at Walden Pond) a proper amount of time to accomplish his purpose—to experience the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle.”

I love that.

Experience the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle.

It took a fire for me to realize that.

Leave a comment | posted in Columns