Good Life November 2011

enchanting heatherthe secret to getting kids high on the outdoors

plusi was a cowboy for a week

November 2011 Open for fun and adventure Price: $3

Wenatchee VaLLeYS #1 MagaZine AtHomeFresh ideasFor the homeiNside

November 2011 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | 3

Year 5, Number 11 November 2011

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Welcome to the herd, you sWeet thing

Zuzu, an hours-old alpaca, is wel-comed to the herd by adult fe-male Abby at the Shadow Ridge Alpacas farm in Wenatchee.

Zuzu, a name that means sweet, was born early in the morning on Sept. 27.

Abby herself gave birth three days later to a little boy, yet to be named. Suelita, Zuzus mother, is cushed (sitting) in the background behind Abby.

Zuzus sire is Snowmass Messiahs Legacy XX, a herd-sire owned by Sue and Randy Steensma of Waypoint Farm,

which is located in Sunnyslope.More information about

Shadow Ridge Alpacas can be found at their website www.shadowridgealpacas.com.

Owners Archie and Marlys Brown encourage anyone inter-ested in learning more about alpacas to call and schedule a farm visit. They are located

just minutes from downtown Wenatchee.

on the coverAndy Dappen took this photo

of his daughter, Heather, enjoy-ing the scenery atop Aasgard Pass leading into the Enchant-ments.

OPENING SHOT >>

4 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | November 2011

Raising an outdoor child, part 2A few months ago, Molly

Steere wrote about how she and her husband, Toby, were striving to raise a child who loved the outdoors as much as his parents.

Molly said about the then 18-month-old son, Roper: The truth is that Roper previously had no choice but to join us on these adventures. He was strapped in a front carrier, back-pack or bike trailer, unable to do anything but go along with our half-baked ideas. This year, its been my resolution to make the outdoors so fun that Roper becomes a will-ing participant in our adven-tures.

Ahhh, a willing partici-pant

When our kids were young, I swear that hike was a four-letter word when I used it in the sentence of, Lets go on a hike this weekend. Yikes, those kids could scatter fast at the sound of that word.

Yet, once on the trail, they had great fun so much so that their mother and I ran ourselves breathless in trying to keep up.

This month in The Good Life, we have the bookend to Mollys story with Andy Dappen revealing his secret to encour-aging his 19-year-old daughters love of the hard work needed to become enchanted with natures subtle beauty.

See his story on page 5.

Archie and Marlys Brown invited us out to see the newest baby alpaca at their farm in Wenatchee. We jumped at the chance. If there is a cuter farm animal than an alpaca, I havent seen it.

I squeezed off a photo of the downy soft baby (see page 3) and then, with our visiting 3-year-old grandson, Collin, in hand, went over to a fenced pasture with several adult alpacas.

Before long, blades of green grass ended up in Collins fist, and propped up by his grand-mother, he was a perfect lure for the grazing animals.

The next day, Collin asked: When can we go back to feed the alpacas?

Maybe thats the best way to teach kids to love nature: Make it so fun theyll keep wanting to return.

Its in our nature to play out-side. Enjoy The Good Life.

Mike

EdITOrS NOTES MIKE CASSIDY

>> CONTENTS>>

Features

8 building A house in A weekendVolunteering is easy, but could David Rodstol and a team from Wenatchee really build a house for a family in Mexico in two days?

11 Riding the RAnge FoR A weekWendell Cayton always wanted to be a cowboy... and now he gets his chance

14 loVe is the ReAsonMarie Buckner isnt really one for roughing it but when love and a wedding is involved, she flew to the opportunity

At home with the good life

16 ReMAde in ColoRThe contractors decor had to go and what replaced it was lots of color and great personal style

20 good stuFFRegular columnist Bonnie Orr looks around her kitchen and finds tools that make cooking fun and easier

Columns & departments22 June darling: Cant get no satisfaction?23 Alex saliby: the leavenworth wine scene24 The traveling doctor: Looking inside the affiliation26-31 events, the Art life & a dan McConnell cartoon32 history: was the sheriff also a moonshiner?34 Fun stuff: 5 activities to check out

Collin Cassidy and grandmother Donna feed the alpacas.

page 5whAts the seCRet to getting A kid to do this?


WENATCHEE OUTdOOrS >>

Enchanting Heatherone parents secret to nurturing a love of the outdoors in his child

story and photos By andy dappen

whats the secret for getting your kids to do this? a woman hiker asks as we cross paths halfway up the rubbly route leading to Aasgard Pass.

Before overtaking us, the woman and her husband have apparently noticed that my daughter has not only been keeping pace with me but that shes been chatting pleas-antly as we ascend the steep trail.

Its a complicated question and a few truthful answers come to mind: Luck, genetics, exposure. In the end, I settle for patience.

The woman, a mother with two younger boys, asks my daughter, Heather, whether shes always liked doing this stuff.

From the ice axe on Heathers pack and by merit of this being a harder-than-average hike, the woman figures Heather, 19, must be a hardcore hiker. In the presence of her all-knowing father, however, Heather comes clean.

She explains how shes always done some outdoor pursuits with parents weeklong

canoeing and rafting trips, car-camping trips, day hikes, downhill skiing trips. But its only in the last year that Ive come around to enjoying more physical backpack-ing trips or that Ive wanted to climb easy peaks.

I mention that Heather has always been a bit of adrenaline seeker, so shes liked whitewater and downhill skiing, but for-merly strenuous exercise only appealed to her if there was a ball to chase hence her interest in soccer and lacrosse. Now shes figuring out that exertion, for masochistic reasons that have no real explanation, can be enjoyable. And it can get you to places like

this that amaze.We leap-frog the couple for the next hour

and, at each passing, get some of their story. Theyre parents of boys, ages 7 and 10, who are currently at summer camp. While they all get out on the occasional day hike, this is the first backpacking trip the couple has enjoyed since having kids.

Its tough, I empathize. When theyre small, theres so much stuff to take for overnight trips its backbreaking. And once theyre big enough to actually shoulder a share of the load, theyd rather be playing their own sport or playing with friends.

Magic and enchantment cellophane waters, green life springing from inert rock, blue-tarp skies.Thegoatsareenchanting,too...untiltheyharass you while you relieve yourself.

}}} Continued on next page


}}} Continued from previous page

I mention that some of our adult friends took the cod-liver-oil approach and forced outdoor medicine down the throats of their kids, figuring it was good for them. We always felt these activities should be of their choosing. Trying to make them like what we like, we thought, was more likely to backfire than succeed.

I explain how, as our kids got older, we just kept offer-ing the opportunity, kept sharing pictures taken in beautiful places, and kept telling stories from our adventures. Luckily some of this seemed to rub off. Toward the end of high school, both of our girls started taking a shine to some of the more physi-

cal outdoor pursuits.At Asgard Pass, the couple

mentions they should probably turn around and get back to Colchuck Lake where they are camped. We still have nearly five hours of daylight ahead, and

Heather enjoys the airy perch.

We look north to the vanilla cone of Glacier Peak, north-east to the golden wheat fields of the Waterville Plateau, east to the brown deserts of the Colum-bia Basin, southeast to the green irrigated I-90 corridor, south to the white domes of Adams and Rainier, and west toward the black silhouette of Mount Stuart.

Its like you can see the entire state from this little hole in the sky, Heather says ap-preciatively.

Later, were off the peak and hiking the main cor-ridor interconnecting the lakes. Huge boulders of white granite litter the ground, smooth slabs of granite rim the lakes, and long shards of granite form spires accenting the skyline. Heather notes that nature is as creative with granite as were the Incas of Peru where she recently spent nine months traveling.

The next morning is par-ticularly magical as we walk through the Lower Enchant-ments. Golden light illuminates the spires and walls, cellophane streams rush over white slabs into emerald lakes, vibrant green trees explode out of inert rock, and the blue-tarp sky spreads over all of it.

I suggest they walk another mile or two down into the Enchant-ment Lakes Basin.

Its magical, I tell them. Take a lot of pictures and let your kids see them. No need to say anything, just plant seeds.

Heather and I split off and climb the snow slopes leading to the top of Dragontail Peak. Stepping on the summit is a sobering experience easy scrambling suddenly leaves you peering down the ultra-steep, technical cliffs characteriz-ing the western and northern aspects of the peak. Its been sweaty work getting here, but

Waitingforthesun.Heatherenjoysbreakfast and early morning light ata camp beside Sprite Lake.


I really like the word encanta in Spanish, Heather says as we walk. Enchanted in English can mean being under the spell of, but weve diluted that mean-ing by using the word too broad-ly. In Spanish, the word is so specific in its connotation, she says. This place definitely draws you in and holds you under its spell in the Spanish use of encanta. Now I understand why so many people around here rave about the Enchantments.

Her comments make me be-lieve the seeds of her upbringing are germinating.

The Enchantments are a showy flower, a billboard, that smack you, full-on, with their wonder. If you fail to be amazed here, God help your connection to anything natural.

Watching Heather as we walk, I cant help but believe that shes on her way now. If she stays with this shell soon be seeing won-der in the small, less obvious details of nature.

Im anxious to know how her journey along this path unfolds partly because I know it to be an enchanting path, partly be-cause (like most parents) I want to share what I love with those I love. Nonetheless, this is not my voyage.

While I can expose her to pos-sibilities, the course she chooses must be shaped and fueled by her passions.

So I wait, patiently, to see where all of this leads.

This story also appears on Wenatcheeoutdoors.org the site

covers such topics as hiking, biking, climbing, paddling, trail running and

skiing in the region.

the enchantments are a showy flower, a billboard, that smack you, full-on, with their wonder.


A home in A weekendteam from Wenatchee Builds a home for a family in ensenada

By david rodstol

sometimes you volunteer to do some-thing, and then you wonder what you have gotten yourself into.

This past spring I volunteered to go to Ensenada, Mexico to help build an entire home for a family over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

As the time to leave approached, I won-dered if I really knew enough about any-thing to make a meaningful contribution.

Eventually 14 people from the Wenatchee area including my son Brandon Rodstol made up the team. We had a fundraiser that helped with some of our costs and the rest we paid out of our own pockets. Our home church, Wenatchee First Assembly of God, purchased the building materials.

The home building project is operated by Youth With a Mission through a program they have been doing for several years called Homes of Hope that has built 1,000 homes for families in the greater Ensenada area.

Families chosen to receive homes are screened by YWAM. The family to receive

our home the parents, two small children and the fathers mother had been waiting for two years.

For some of us who have never traveled to Mexico, there were some anxious moments as we approached the border crossing. There have been so many stories of violence along the US/Mexico border that I wondered how would it be for our team.

We were stopped for just a very few mo-ments by the Mexican customs officers. After the crossing it was soon evident we were on the Mexican side of the border. The buildings, signage and a very different life style were revealed. The border fence was imposing as we saw it several times before

our road turned south along the coastline.Long stretches of the Mexican coastline

are undeveloped and the panoramic views were spectacular. There were also reminders we were in a different country as we came across checkpoints with soldiers armed with assault weapons.

The indigenous Mexican family we were building the home for had moved to the area to be near friends and relatives.

The father had bought the property for about $2,000 and was working to pay the loan off. He made less than $400 a month working in the fields in the area. His loan payment was $100 a month so there was not much left to provide for his familys needs.

Speed builders: Jessica Steinburg paints trim, Darren Wurl and Kevin Steinburg nail on the roof, Nancy DeLong and David Fend take lumber to be cut to size and Steven Russert searches through the tool box.

VOlUNTEErS>>



David Rodstol paints, helped by Kinley Wurl, in yellow shirt, and Rebecca Wurl.

The home he and four others were living in was the size of what many of us in Wenatchee would consider a garden shed. There was a power pole next to this house, and there was a small TV in the home and one small bed and a limited amount of electricity.

The home we were going to build would be 16 feet by 20 feet with a small wall that separated the home into two halves. It was to have electricity and overhead lighting, but there would not be any plumbing or running water.

I know that for many of us on the team it would seem to be impossible to live in such a small space with such limited utilities.

Both days the family and neighbors fixed us a meal that you could see they were so happy to be doing. They started on the meal almost the same time we arrived each day. And they fixed enough food to feed two or three teams.

The first day we were treated to tamales and the second day they fixed fish tacos. My son later told me it was shark meat. Whatever it was, it was deli-cious.

As much as we were feeling

blessed by the opportunity to build this home for the family, I truly believe they felt equally pleased by their opportunity to provide the noon meal.

The children wanted to be a part of everything as well. For some that was to paint. And when they made a mistake, there was a team member by their side to cover it up, encour-age the child and praise them for the good work they were doing.

One of my memories was a couple of small girls who watched, but were too shy to step forward to do something. These children do not have toys at all. They make do everyday with what they can find.

I took some small blocks of wood, and going over to where they were sitting, built a small little house by stacking the piec-

es in a manner that somewhat resembled a house. I painted a side of several blocks to kind of give the feel of a small home similar to the big one that the team was working on.

When I was done, I motioned to them to rebuild the home themselves and left several more blocks for them to work with. For some time the children didnt touch the blocks. They would steal glances at me, look down at the blocks.

Finally one was brave enough

to reach out and began restack-ing them in a way to make her own little house. Soon they all were doing the same.

One got a brush and started painting a side of a block. Soon all the blocks were getting painted and the children were having fun playing with some-thing we would have just dis-card as trash.

As I looked at their happy faces playing on the dirt with those blocks, I felt a sense of ac-

As i looked at their happy faces playing on the dirt with those blocks i felt a sense of accomplishment.


A child plays around the con-structionareainthe neighborhood where team mem-bers built a home in a weekend.

Working on the projectfromthelocal area were Brandon Rodstol, David Rodstol, Kevin Steinberg, Jessica Steinburg, David Gingrich, Mallory Gingrich, David Fend, Terry Becker,HowardDeLong, Nancy DeLong, Rebecca Fain, Darren Wurl, Kinley Wurl and Steve Russert.

complishment.After the first day, the house

was up, and what was left the second day was to put on a roof, paint the home inside and out and furnish it with some leftover

funds that had been collected by our team.

In the little home we were able to place a propane stove and oven, a bunk bed, dresser and a table and chairs. Also there were many bags of groceries that

could be stored without refrig-eration.

After a small ceremony a key was presented to the father and he unlocked the door to his home and took his family inside. The team waited outside so the family could take in that mo-ment by themselves.

Eventually they let the team come in and shared through an interpreter their thanks and appreciation. It is hard to put into words the depth of love and gratitude the family had for their new home.

Early Monday morning, which was Labor Day, we headed out at sunrise to begin the journey home back over the border and on to catch a flight out of San Diego. There was a sense by all of us that somehow we wished we could have done more, perhaps built another home.

It is amazing that through giving, you find you really have not given enough but wish to do more. Perhaps in the future many of us will return to do it all over again.

David Rodstol owns an office equip-ment business with store locations

in downtown Wenatchee and Omak. He resides in Wenatchee with his wife

Marcia and daughter Alena.



By Wendell cayton

My first day in school I went all decked out as a cowboy in chaps, hat, vest and a pistol that was promptly confiscated. My heroes were Roy Rogers, Sky King and the Lone Ranger. Being a cowboy was all I ever wanted to be.

It took 60 some years to get there, but I did, along with daughter Cathryn.

We joined the Doublerafter Cattle Drive (www.Doublerafter.com) outside Sheridan, Wyo., spending seven days living on the trail, rounding up cattle, washing in a stream when we could find one, sitting in a saddle for eight to ten hours at a stretch and eating Dutch Oven cooking. We shared our reality experience with 20 other guests from around the world and a dozen or so working cowboys and ranch crew.

Operated by Dana Kerns and his family, the Doublerafter is a true, working cattle ranch, running a 500-head cow-calf operation on more than 100,000 acres of steep canyons, heavy timbered slopes and open parks and meadows on leased public lands in the Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming.

For 18 years the Kerns family has been inviting paying guests to spend a week at a time during the summer and fall, filling in as

cowboys. Kerns provides horses, tack, tent, food and a promise that this will be no City Slicker experience. He wasnt kidding.

We worked our fannies off so to speak gathering cattle from the forests and open parks to move them down from the high country ahead of winter. But, with livestock, things dont

Riding the range...for a week with my daughter

HerdingcattlethroughthefogofaWyoming morning.



always go as planned.By the fifth day we had them

rounded up, intending to push down the valley the next day. However, that day was colder and damp and the cattle ate all day instead of resting during

the heat of the day. When the moon came out that night they took off, scattering back up the mountain.

The Kerns crew will have to go back and start the process all

over again, without the help of the visiting cowboys.

When I first talked to Dana I asked about bringing our own horses an idea I promptly discarded after seeing what his horses were expected to do on his web site video. The Dou-blerafter has a string of 40 to 50 horses they match to their guests riding ability and experi-ence level. What tremendous athletes they are.

The first day started with a two-hour clinic from clinician Chris Ellsworth. He instructed us in what we needed to know about safety around horses and proper communication with our steeds. He easily started guests with little, or no, riding experi-ence and made them comfort-able and safe on horseback.

One thing he said stuck with me all week: These horses know they have one job, and that is to get each of you around and off these mountains safely by the end of the week.

I was given a large paint, Traveler, who was equally adept working cows in the deep for-ests with deadfall everywhere, fording streams, working up and down absolutely the most gnarly, steep, rocky trails, instantly turning on a dime

(forehand and hunches for you horse folks) and when a year-ling broke free, a simple touch of the heel sent him off, correct lead and all, at a flat-out gallop regardless the terrain. I would ride that guy anywhere, any time.

Cathryn rode a smaller bay that was lightning quick, and she rode him that way. She was easily one of the better riders in the group and now wants to get into ranching.

As great as the horses were, I take my hat off to Wrangler, Murphy and Cricket. These di-minutive Australian Shepherds and a Border collie made our jobs much easier as they bossed around steers and cows, flushing them out of the timber and back into the herd. Even the four, 2,000-pound, longhorn steers gave them wide birth.

Morning and evening we were served meals prepared entirely in Dutch Ovens. The menus were epicurean delights. We de-voured everything from steaks, a variety of egg dishes, terrific beans, BBQ and several different cobblers and cakes.

At night, we all sat around the campfire and worked at solving world affairs.

We also voted the white saddlebag to the guest who did something notable during that day. I admit to winning it one day for allowing Traveler to wander off while I stood hat in hand using my binoculars. At least I didnt fall off.

Among the guests were a young Englishman and his girl-friend. He spent the week with his camera in hand recording everything.

One morning she managed to put her horse in runaway mode, bailing out of the saddle along the way. He rushed to her side to capture the moment, as she pulled herself together with the help of several wranglers. He then proposed to her that night, with ring and all. Amazing she accepted! Had that been me with the camera and my wife on the ground, I would not have

Cowboy wannabe Wendell Cayton: The horse knew what to do.

when the moon came out that night the cattle took off, scattering back up the mountain. the kerns crew will have to go back and start the process all over again, without the help of the visiting cowboys.



Cathryn the cowgirl: At ease on her lightening quick bay.

lived to see the sunset.Fifty years ago I worked on the

National Forest with livestock. A lot has changed since then with the adoption of a multiple use program for the land.

Permit holders who use the land for profit, livestock owners, loggers, ski resorts, etc. are ex-pected to pay fees and abide by numerous restrictions. In turn, their fees go into the Treasury and indirectly make it possible for the rest of us to enjoy the public lands, essentially free of charge.

These restrictions on users such as Doublerafter do impact the profitability of the enter-prise, and in some cases can put ranchers and other for profit enterprises out of business. Each year the Kerns enterprise spends significant man-hours dealing with compliance issues in order to stay in business.

My observation was that he and his family are exceptional stewards of the land, taking great care not to overgraze or abuse the land.

They practice meticulous no trace camping. Camps were moved the old fashioned way, by packhorse instead of pickups. They willingly share their lands with the public hunters, hikers and ATV users.

We were taught lessons in this stewardship on our first day. We were instructed not to tie horses to trees as this negatively impacts tree roots and the sur-rounding grounds.

Water sites they developed were done in a fashion that ben-efited all animals, big and small, including one tank we saw with an internal ramp that allowed small users like squirrels to eas-ily exit the tank without drown-ing.

Kerns and his fellow ranchers have formed an organization, Guardians of the Range (www.

guardiansoftherange.org), a non-profit organization dedicat-ed to influencing public policy and informing the public of benefits to our lands that come from the work done by these ranchers.

The loss of these ranches would be a significant blow to the West, depriving our nation of a heritage that goes back two centuries.

As equally distressing is that I would be left with only this one memory of my time as a cowboy. For as long as they stay in busi-ness and I can swing a leg over a horse, Im all in.

Wendell Cayton grew up in Yakima,

traveled the country and settled with wife Loretta and daughter Cathryn in Wenatchee in 2002. He is a finan-cial planner and investment advisor when he is not otherwise engaged in

the Wenatchee Good Life, skiing, playing tennis or riding his horses.

Riding the range...


By marie Buckner

ill be the first to admit Im a princess not by birth but by behavior.

I would never go camping, hiking, biking, or engage in any activity that limits luxuries like hot water, air conditioning, good shopping areas and beauty salons.

Why, then, would I travel to Nicaragua? The simple answer is love.

My son, Mark, prompted this excursion by announcing his engagement to Wendy, a beauti-ful Nicaraguan girl.

In the interest of supporting my son and meeting his bride-to-be, I gathered my friends Barbara and Jim Nelson, packed an excessive amount of luggage and prepared to trek to my sons wedding.

Marks best man, Jim Snyder, and Jims uncle Les Keeney, both from Wenatchee, also flew to Nicaragua for the festivities.

Mark and Wendy operate a small bed and breakfast in a house that Mark built, Nicara-guan style, on Playa Marsella in the San Juan del Sur area. Mark moved to this pristine Pacific Ocean beachfront in 2008 and guides deep sea fishing charters. He also leads mission trips on horseback into the mountains

taking medical personnel, medi-cines, food and other necessities to the poor people who live in that isolated region.

They also have a catering and sales business, specializing in smoked pork and various sau-sages. Local restaurants and resorts are becoming their customers.

The long trip to Managua gave me plenty of time to recognize that my Spanish skills are mini-mal. The unexpected solution to

my limited Spanish was Wendy, whose English skills are excep-tional. She possesses a degree in international business and a warm and lovely personality.

The journey to Playa Marsella was arduous. Rutted roads were made completely unbearable by the lack of shock absorbers on Marks van.

Another thing about the no shocks van was that the starter went out the day of our arrival. This meant that at every stop we

had to leave the engine running or park on a hill. If this was not possible, we had to push to get it started. Our heavily loaded van with tiki torches for the wedding strapped to the top reminded me of the Beverly Hillbillies ar-riving in California.

Yet, the beach scenery along the route was so beautiful that it helped us forget the incredu-lous ride. People along the road waved at us and shouted greet-ings as we passed by. The friend-

LOVE is reason enoughBeautiful Beach scenery and friendly greetings overcome Bumpy roads and tropical heat

Mark and Wendy operate this bed and breakfast not far from the beach in the San Juan del Sur area of Nicaragua. Many of the homes in the area have no walls.

Mark and Wendy Kane the reason to travel to Nicaragua.


liness of the Nicara-guans was evident at every encounter.

About three hours after leaving Mana-gua, we arrived at the Mango Rosa resort, which is surrounded by flowers, trees and bushes that were exquisite.

We moved into the house we had rented. It had two levels of outdoor living space and was decorated tastefully with Nica-raguan dark hard-wood and local art.

Of course it had hot water and air conditioning, which we found was expensive. Nevertheless, it was an absolute must for me as fans are okay but they just dont do the job in that tropical climate.

The first evening we went to Playa Marsella to watch the sun-set. People were having picnics on the beach and swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean as dusk approached. It was picture perfect.

On this beach we met an Australian family who built a two-story house with no walls, totally open. This fascinated me on several levels. The wife and husband left corporate posi-tions to live their dreams on this beach. Their three children are thriving in that environment and swim like fish.

Food, labor and other goods are inexpensive except for fuel and electricity. The Nicaraguan rum is extremely fine-flavored and smooth. It is the most popu-lar drink in that country.

The first night the loud noises of the monkeys and birds star-tled us. Thank goodness the air conditioners helped to drown out the sounds. The monkeys are Howler Monkeys and sound like large hounds barking. They are aptly named and are ex-tremely boisterous.

With no service on my cell phone, not much English speak-

ing TV, no airplanes overhead and little or no traffic noise, it was peaceful and devoid of stress. The ex-pats (foreigners living in the country) and locals are laid back and not in a hurry. It took some time getting used to this lifestyle. Meals were long, full of conversation and laugh-ter; rather pleasant as I reflect.

We took a day trip to Lago de Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. It was spec-tacular with a live volcano in view. There was no action from the mountain as the top was surrounded with white, fluffy clouds.

We stopped for lunch at a lo-cal restaurant that I named The Ugly Chicken. Skinny, scrawny chickens ran around on the dirt floor under the tables. I decided not to order chicken, however, the others did and said it was the best chicken ever.

A few problems did arise as the wedding drew near. Mark went to pick up the cake in San Juan del Sur. It had been sent from a bakery in Rivas, a larger town about an hour away, but the cake had fallen over and was destroyed. Wendy had to arrange for another cake to be baked that night and delivered to the beach the next morning.

The flowers arrived a day early and were wilted but we put them in our air-conditioned house to revive. A florist friend of Marks and Wendys made the brides and bridesmaids bou-quets as well as the table decora-tions. She had to cut flowers and greenery from around the resort to fill in for the damaged flow-ers.

She and her husband are from Sweden and live nearby with their 10-year-old son.

Many countries are represent-ed there due to the cheap living, climate and friendly people. It was a great example of different cultures living in the same area and becoming good friends.

The day after the wedding, we traveled to Granada to spend the night in the home of a friend of Marks. The amazing architec-ture featured a small swimming

pool in the center of the house with three stories of open space above. The bedrooms were on the second floor each with a bal-cony overlooking the pool.

Granada is a grand old city, the oldest in the Americas, and dates back to the 1500s. Stately build-ings painted bright colors with contrast-ing trim can be seen on the narrow streets. Very high, artistically carved wooden doors adorn the entries.

When it was time to fly out of Managua, my thoughts centered on the people and friends I had met. By our standards, many Ni-caraguans have so little materi-ally but are cheerfully accepting and welcoming to strangers.

There is a lesson to be learned by some of us who have much more. I began my journey be-cause of love and ended it the same. Love remains constant in any culture; the love between a mother and child; the love between a husband and wife and the love of a new daughter-in-law.

Thats a comforting thought at any age and leads to the good life.

Marie Buckner, a long time Wenatchee Valley resident, is a

retired teacher and keeps active in education and performing arts

organizations.

Ontheroadtothebeachbeautifulbut undeveloped.

16 | AT hoMe WiTh The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | November 2011

story By susan lagsdinphotos By donna cassidy

Change is good, though sometimes its hard to see the rosier side of upheaval.

The Cadman family of Wenatchee in a few short years has been disrupted and sad-dened by change, and they have also embraced it and been blessed by it. Camille and Matt divorced four years ago but recommitted to their vows and

remarried this last August. Earlier, a huge Eagle Rock home was traded for this simpler place closer to town and by now, fall of 2011, both their family life and house life have proven the ad-age: Change was good.

When Camille first walked

with her Realtor into the foyer of the rock-fronted house up near the end of Maiden Lane, she noticed two things imme-diately. I saw the view through the living room windows. (Sage Hills looms immediately to the northwest.) And I saw contrac-

Remade in color BEFORE(atleft):Atpurchase,thewholehouse was two tone, serviceable and bland it made a perfect canvas for the buyers

personalartistry.

Thelowprofile,traditionaldesignofthe3,600-square-foot house and the manageable front yard landscaping create a welcoming facade.

November 2011 | AT hoMe WiTh The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | 17

tor decor. (Cut-rate embellish-ments to a high-end house.)

She clearly recalls that mo-ment, I knew I loved the view and I could change the rest. All of it.

Their previous home high above Sunnyslope took in Wenatchees hearty portion of the Columbia River Valley: full sky, river below, wheat fields and mountains, miniscule streets and buildings.

But the intimate scale of one big hill across from the house brought a new comfort. Straight across the patio and over an un-seen ravine rose dry, rock-laden slopes that take sun and cloud play personally, that harbor wildlife and create a four-season mural just about the size of the wall of windows.

People say, Oh, dont you miss the view? and I just smile. This close-up is so much nicer, more personal. All the im-portant windows in the house, mostly big uncurtained squares, focus on the hillside. And the patios slim wrought iron railing is barely visible against it.

And, as for upgrading the rest of it intent on creating a beautiful home for her family, Camille took drastic measures right away. As soon as I walked in, I saw what needed to happen. It was all redone, in my head anyway.

Color was the first big step in a complete makeover. Every single wall in the house was white. And oak was everywhere: oak floors, banister, trim, doors. Everything was golden oak. Except for the cheap diamond pattern taupe carpet throughout the main floor. Except for the too heavy cherry cabinetry that made a dark cave of the kitchen.


AFTER(above):Blackpaintmakesadramaticaccent of the oak balustrade, and a whimsi-cal pig takes the spot of honor in a hallway alcove.

Seenfromthefamilyroom,withfamilyphotosdisplayedateye-level,andoffthebrightopenkitchen,glassdoorsopen to an outdoor dining area.


Camille demurs when shes praised for her artistry, but her dramatic changes have resulted in multifaceted, color-enriched spaces that blend and contrast. Cinnamon and mustard, lime gold, mist gray, peach toned bronze and russet, paint colors luscious to name and even better on the eye. Ironically, the walls of cherry cabinets were all painted over to become bright white, opening up the kitchen. The ugly taupe carpet gave way to wide hand-grooved birch planks. (We love to walk on it shoeless it feels so good!)

The personal pieces of art, which Camille herself re-matted and re-framed to better coor-dinate with the brilliant hues around them, hang refreshingly low at eye level. Throughout

theres a mix of family homage and whimsy.

Stark but sentimental black

and white photographs (of an embrace at their recent wed-ding, and of their son) chronicle

the familys progress, and the rest sing out with color.

Camille has displayed a few significant gift items she savors every day, her son Colbys early art class projects, several larger pieces from her artist brothers collection, and bright prints of puppetry figures calligraphed with apt sayings.

The living room was trans-formed with built-in shelving on both sides and a stand of tall, pale variegated birch branches angling naturally up one wall to the ceiling.

Filling an otherwise ho-hum kitchen nook is a low U-shaped banquette which opens up the room to the view and is the so-cial epicenter of the house. Even the formal dining room was customized: their long table, one of two items retained from the first house, needed to slant on the bias to fit the room, so the lateral chandelier (one of dozens of stylish light fixtures replac-ing the same-look nickel plated ones) was rehung to follow the slant.

New furniture was chosen not just for looks, says Camille, but


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Remade in color

Built-in shelves frame two sides of the formal living area; the top half of the opposite wall is a dimensional birch for-est brought inside.


to fit two big men son and husband both top six feet. (Close friends with two local furniture purveyors, she says she alternat-ed purchases carefully to keep the peace.)

Two office/away rooms Camilles downstairs, husband Matts upstairs were theirs alone to personalize. Hers features a double-sized chaise where she often works with her laptop, professionally guiding organizations like the Perform-ing Art Center, which she chairs. Matt, who teaches at Eastmont High School, has gone with walls of group photos from his years with Music Theater of Wenatchee and a cozy media center.

Outside, the hill-facing pa-tio centers around a freeform swimming pool, just a few feet away from house and hot tub, and theres a protected alcove for summer dining. The gentle trickle of a three-tiered fountain tucked near the front entrance greets visitors on the walkway.

Camille nurtures her garden, but appreciates that the land-scaped pocket lawn in front is all she really has to care for the zero-maintenance side and back yards are a relief after three-and-a-half labor-intensive

acres on Eagle Rock.Is the house done?Probably not. A few projects

linger on her to-do list: a bath-room enlargement, laundry room tiles, more white covering

more cherry cabinets, maybe a side feature near a rock garden

Camille realizes now that when she made the first big alterations in 2007, she antici-pated the family being reunited,

and now all three love being there together in its warmth and comfort.

She grins with satisfaction, Its a house that makes us smile. Every day.

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TheSageHills,acrossasteepravine,areeasilyaccessedfromapointuptheroad(orthefearlessmightclimbdownaneighborsropeladder).

Curvesgalore,inrepeatedarchways,thepainting,andtheovaltableandchairbacksofthewell-useddiningset,addasoftnesstotheentrancehall.


tools for the kitchenBy Bonnie orr

some utensils and implements you didnt know about are actually necessities. You will love them once you start using them.

Mary Woods, the manager of the Kitchen Sync in downtown Wenatchee, says some people become so enamored with a gadget they come back and buy a dozen for their best cooking pals. My most memorable gifts have been kitchen tools. When I start to use a new utensil in the kitchen, it makes cook-ing more efficient.

Here are a dozen of Marys and my favor-ites.

1. The whisk with little balls on the ends of the wires, rather than those devilishly difficult to clean traditional egg-shaped wire whisks, is what made me realize that innova-tive utensils make cooking more fun. ($20-25)

2. Silicon is a cooks best friend. Not only is this material easy to clean, available in grand colors, but it also can be used in high heat. A most functional spoon ($8) is sturdy but soft enough to stir heavy batter, takes the place of a scraper and works as a spatula. Three in one! Mine is red.

3. At the top of my list are space-saving utensils. I love the silicon vegetable steamer

GOOd STUFF // IDEAS for thE hoME>>

E.Herbscissorsnotjustaprettygadget,butanessentialtool.

($14) that lies nearly flat in my storage drawer and is easy to clean. The mini-collapsible colander ($6) has a snap on base to prevent water from drip-ping on the counter.

4. When my friend Anne gave me the herb scissors ($12), I thought it was just a gadget but it is the best, very best way to snipe any herbs or soft greens for salads or garnishes.

5. One of the problems with grilling is storing and cleaning the skewers. The FireWire skewers ($12) are made with flexible wire so the meat and veggies easily fit in a marinade container and can be more eas-ily turned on the grill. How easy they make grilling kebobs.

6. The scraper/chopper ($7), which Flo gave me, I use daily to efficiently lift chopped material to the cooking pan. Now clean-up is even easier with a flat-sided prep and scrap bowl ($9) that snugs up to the cutting board and cleanup is mess free. Another fabulous bowl is a Mixer Mater ($19) for use with a hand beater. There is no splatter, and beaten ingredients such as cream or egg whites mix very rapidly.

A.Functionalspoonsaresturdybutsoftandcomeinbrightcolors.B.Easier-tocleanwhiskswithlittleballsontheendrestinaflat-sidedprepand scrap bowl.

I bake every week, especially bread and pies. The silicone brush ($11) spreads butter, milk or egg yolk evenly on the doughs sur-face. To be sure my bread is baked through, I use a digital thermometer ($18) to check that the interior temperature is 190-200 degrees. Perfect bread every time!

8. One of the reasons that meat loaf, a fa-vorite comfort food, is difficult is the grease the completed loaf must be lifted from. This meat loaf pan has an insert ($29) that drains the meat as it cooks. And the heavy-duty pan can be used without the insert to bake bread. And for those oven burns on the back of your wrist, the Lavender Treatment Stick by Pelindaba ($12) is the soothing solution.

9. To be sure I have not overlooked an ingredient, I assemble everything on the

Bonnie Orr gardens and cooks in East

Wenatchee.

A. C.

e.

b.

A


C. Silicon vegetable steamers take up less space in storage and are easy to clean. D.Colorfulrecycledplasticstackbowlsaddalittlecheertoakitchen.

kitchen counter. When preparing a recipe, lots of little containers are essential for the ingredients. Sets of little glass bowls ($2.50 each) that hold up to 1/4 cup are handy for the chopped ingredients. At the Kitchen Sync, I found Le Creuset silicon Prep Bowls ($16) that are even more convenient because they can be squeezed for easy pouring and are measuring cups as well.

10. If your favorite cook lacks a micro plane grater, there are dozens available. Some are special ones for chocolate, zesting, and cinnamon/nutmeg, fine or coarse grating. Others have attachments for measuring the grated ingredient or have multiple surfaces. I love the texture of grated material for gar-nishes. Every cook needs a micro-grater or zester ($18-22).

11. A colorful kitchen addition for gray winter days is the set of four recycled plas-tic stack bowls in variegated reds, oranges, greens and yellows. ($40). These could replace the noisy stainless bowls and add cheer as well.

12. The oddly shaped decanter cleaner ($10) cleans into crevices and the bottoms of bottles and vases. I cant clean without this one.

Dont forget Christmas is coming. Some of these tools are life-changing implements. Try them.

d.

My most memorable gifts have been kitchen tools.


dr. Schmidt often noticed that some people had more than he did.

Others had more money planes, boats and vacation homes in Tahiti. Their wives were also prettier and their chil-dren were smarter than his own. Some were quite accomplished and had graduated from Ivy League colleges.

When Dr. Schmidt thought about how others were better off than he was, he felt both envy and anger, which eventually turned into self-pity and depres-sion.

Social psychologists have theorized since the early 1950s that human beings have a need to look outside themselves in order to evaluate themselves.

Lately researchers are study-ing related questions like: why we choose to look outside ourselves to make decisions about our happiness, what sort of people compare themselves more often, what happens to our moods when we compare our-selves, and how we decide who will be in our comparison group.

The studies turn out to be more complex than expected, but generally speaking, those people who do a lot of social comparison dont feel so good

about themselves or about their lives.

They feel particularly bad if they choose to frequently compare themselves to people who seem to have life much bet-ter than they do, that is, make upward comparisons.

You may be saying, Well, duh, who funded that research? But most of us are more like Dr. Schmidt than we want to admit.

How much of your dissatisfac-tion, your credit card bill and your unwillingness to partner or socialize with others is caused by this very behavior looking at what you dont have rather than noticing what you do have?

How much suffering is caused by using external measures rather than your own internal benchmarks of success?

If you answer truthfully, you may be ready to use this re-search to drastically improve your satisfaction with life.

A number of antidotes can help us address the curse of negative upward comparison.

For one, we could choose to become inspired and perhaps concentrate on learning some-thing from those who seem to have it better. Or we could choose to look at people who have it worse than we do (down-ward comparison). Perhaps we

could get really clear on our values and become determined to live by them.

The best approach, however, is to learn to be deeply grate-ful that is, more thankful and appreciative.

All religions urge their adher-ents to be grateful in order to live a good life.

According to researchers such as Dr. Robert Emmons, grati-tude, in addition to squelching social comparisons, turns out to have a number of benefits including better health and happiness and leads to better work outcomes, longevity, more energy and stronger connec-tions to others.

Many researchers suggest that if we want to become more grateful, we need to become more intentional around being right here, right now. We need to be mindful, fully present to what is going on, particularly noticing whats going well.

We frequently fail to notice whats wonderful in our lives. For example, in the Wenatchee Valley, we are eating delicious fresh fruit from our orchards. Last week I made a protein shake for my husband, John, filled with peaches right from the tree. He didnt notice it.

I made the exact same shake again the next day.

This time John told me, Wow, that was a fabulous shake, Id like to have that again. Whats in it? He was surprised to find out that Id served an identical smoothie to him the previous day. Hed drunk it without even realizing how good it was.

Emmons and his fellow re-searchers know that many people benefit from forcing themselves to direct their atten-tion daily to whats going well by keeping a gratitude journal. Each day or perhaps weekly,

they list five or so things theyre grateful for. Some choose to share their blessings each evening at family meals.

When Ive asked clients to keep a gratitude journal, some have resisted. They are focused on whats not going well, its very difficult for them to shift their attention. Theyve asked, May I first write about everything thats not going well?

The latest research indicates we can, indeed, both grouse and be grateful. In fact, when we accept ourselves as being human with a full spectrum of behav-iors and emotions, we may be more willing to taste our treats and feel our gratitude.

Resentment and entitlement often seem to come naturally, but a dedicated practice of grati-tude establishes a worldview that says in effect that all of life is a gift.

German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that, In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

As deeply grateful human be-ings, we experience less need to look over our shoulders to see what others have. Some say they finally get what they were truly seeking, inner peace.

How might you move up to The Good Life by comparing less and appreciating more?

June Darling, Ph.D., is an executive coach who consults with businesses

and individuals to achieve goals and increase happiness. She can be reached at [email protected],

or drjunedarling.blogspot.com or at her twitter address: twitter.com/drjunedarling. Her website is www.

summitgroupresources.com.

Cant get no satisfaction?

ColuMn mOVING UP TO THE GOOd lIFEjunE DArlIng

>>


several new tasting rooms have opened in Leavenworth since last I wrote of the place. At the top of the list is the formerly by appointment only Bou-dreaux Cellars.

Tamara Newsom has had her shop called Inside Out in Leavenworth for all the 22 years that weve been living here. Its a rustic home decor shop I never entered, until now.

I just had no interest in look-ing at or buying things with which to decorate. My wife, on the other hand.!

Enter Boudreaux Cellars. Rob and Tamara devised a clever way to divide the shops space, creat-ing a comfortable wine-tasting spot complete with a tasting bar and a dining room table for those who want to sit and enjoy a glass of Robs great wines.

Ive been in the shop now four or five times since the tasting bar opened in April. Not only is there a lot to see in the shop, but better still, theres good wine to taste, drink or buy.

Newest of the new, though, is Mannina Cellars, which has been in existence since 2004. The physical home of Mannina Cellars is 710 C Street in Walla Walla, but recently, owners Don and Nicole Redman opened a tasting room in Leavenworth on the second floor of 939 Front St.

Currently, Mannina Cellars has the Leavenworth tasting room open only Thursday, Fri-day, Saturday and Sunday. Their space upstairs is small, sitting in the front almost in the corner of the room, and surrounded by the antiques and collectibles that occupy 80 percent or more of the two floors of the building.

But the place is easily singled out, and the tasting quarters ac-commodate tasters comfortably.

Wines on the tasting menu include the 2009 CALI, a blend of wines from Bordeaux-style grapes blended with the Tuscan Sangiovese.

The day we stopped in to sample they were pouring a 2009 Sangiovese, a 2009 CALI and the 2008 Cabernet Sauvi-gnon, which incidentally had a hint of fresh raspberry on the nose. There are no white wines on the list, and all of the reds are vinted from Walla Walla AVA fruits.

After sampling the Mannina wines, we walked next door to Baroness Cellars to sample the wines offered by owner/wine-maker/general manager Danielle Clement, who is usually in the building somewhere, if shes not actually standing behind the tasting bar pouring wines for the visitors.

Im here to tell you right up front, this was a most delightful wine tasting experience.

Danielle started us off with the latest release of her Gren-ache, the 2009. If youre a fan of Grenache, I must tell you the 2008 sold out the day before we tasted. We found the 2009 even more delightful than the excel-lent 2008.

We took the entire tasting tour: Mourvedre, Cab-Merlot blend, Mountain Meritage a non-vintage wine blended from juice of both the 07 and 08 har-vests of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Malbec and then the 2008 Walla Walla Merlot, a fascinat-ing wine rich with cinnamon and spice on the nose.

The first word off my pencil on this wine was WOW.

Later that evening, we drank a bottle of this Merlot with my chef du jours Moroccan Lamb stew, an outstanding food and wine pairing.

To finish, Danielle poured the dessert wines of Port (excellent with the cinnamon/vanilla pe-cans from Almond Blossom next door) and the 2009 Late Harvest Muskat Ottonel. We ended with a sip of Engelwein, a white Glh-wein served hot or cold as the season demands.

The staff at Baroness was excited to learn on the day we went in for our tasting that the state had approved the beer per-mit for the establishment.

You may now visit Baron-ess Cellars, sample wine and purchase it by the bottle or the glass, or one of you may do that while the other sits and enjoys a glass of imported beer and samples cheese and snacks in Baroness on the Balcony.

We plan to offer only imports that arent gener-ally available anywhere else in town, Jasmine told me as she stocked the fridge with beers.

One more new Leavenworth winery-related item involves a winery that itself isnt new: al-though Swakane Winery opened in 2010, it recently added a bis-tro touch to the tasting room at 725 Front St.

The menu is rich with snacks, salads, sandwiches and a kids menu to accommodate the hun-gry little ones while the adults busy themselves tasting the wines.

A final note: Ryan Patrick Vineyards, a popular downtown tasting room, has enlarged its inventory of wines.

Returning are a 2010 RPV Ros, 2009 Syrah, 2009 Barbera, 2009 Reserve Chardonnay, and a 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sau-vignon; joining these are a new 2010 Leavenworth Alpine Ros and 2009 Grenache, with more news to come.

Alex Saliby is a wine lover who spends far too much time reading

about the grapes, the process of mak-ing wine and the wines themselves.

He can be contacted at [email protected].


Whats new on the Leavenworth wine scene?

ColuMn AlEX ON WINEAlEX SAlIBY

>>

Got a good story to tell?email:

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From the news we know that nationally health care is cur-rently undergoing monumental changes.

Locally the proposed affilia-tion of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center (WVMC) and Central Washington (CWH) po-tentially will have a significant impact on our regional health care. Many residents in our area are asking, What will this mean? Why is this happening now? and How will it affect patients?

Dr. Peter Rutherford, current CEO/Chairman of WVMC, in-vited all the local retired WVMC physicians to meet with him to find out the answers to these questions. There were 15 of us in attendance.

We all had spent most of our professional lives practicing our specialties at WVMC. We were concerned and interested in what the impact of the proposal to integrate these two institu-tions will be on the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, which we helped build and in which each of us takes great pride.

Dr. Rutherford informed us that for 12 months CWH has been exploring strategic alter-natives to address its deterio-rating financial situation. The two organizations have been in discussion for several months about the future of health care in our area.

For several reasons CWH has been struggling financially.

Due to our areas demograph-ics, 70 percent of CWHs pa-tients are covered by Medicaid and Medicare, neither of which covers the hospitals expenses.

Most Seattle-area hospitals get approximately 40 percent of their revenue from Medicaid or Medicare with the remaining 60 percent from private insurance.

In addition, due to our nations current economic downturn, people have been delaying or canceling elective surgeries and other procedures.

With the large number of Americans without health insur-

ance, CWH is providing care to a large number of patients without the means to pay their medical bills. Hospitals also are required by law to provide a certain amount of charity care as well.

On top of all this , in the past two years, three general surgeons have left our area for personal reasons and two very busy orthopedic surgeons had serious accidents that have re-moved them from their surgical practices. It takes time to build up practices like that.

CWHs recent building proj-ect was undertaken when the hospitals economic future appeared brighter. Now with de-clining revenues, debt coverage is a greater challenge for CWH. Thus, concerns have arisen that some other hospital organiza-tion outside of our area might acquire CWH. This could result in some types of care being transferred out of our area, and no one wants that.

As a result of this possibility, it was agreed that a new affiliation between CWH and WVMC was a viable alternative.

This affiliation has the poten-tial for significant cost savings to the hospital. The WVMC and CWH will still be doing their share of charity work. (As

an aside, if we end the cur-rent 50,000,000 uninsured in our nation, that should be a significant boost to providers and hospitals who are currently caring them for no reimbursement.)

The WVMC will not be finan-cially subsidizing CWH in any way. The WVMC should gain through decreased expenses as well, and remain in a good posi-tion to continue to attract new, talented doctors and health care professionals.

Dr. Dave Weber, recently retired WVMC CEO, told me that the proposed national changes in health care reform have actually helped our recruit-ing. That is evident to me by the outstanding well-trained physi-cians still moving into our area to work at the WVMC.

One reason is that small specialty groups will have an increased challenge to survive compared to larger medical centers like we have here. Los-ing local control of CWH might adversely affect our recruiting. We see this affiliation offers the likelihood the Wenatchee area will become an even more competitive medical draw and in the long run increase personnel needs.

Many local vendors rely on both CWHs and WVMCs busi-ness for a significant portion of their business. They are job providers too.

This affiliation is not a merger, which would actually be prohib-ited by law. WVMC is prohibited by law from acquiring any assets of CWH. On the other hand, CWH legally could acquire the assets of the privately owned WVMC but lacks the financial means to do so.

A look inside an affiliation of WVMC & CWH

ColuMn THE TrAVElING dOCTOrjIM Brown, M.D.

>>


Under the new agreement a third, separate not-for-profit foundation will be formed, which would integrate the operations and oversee some ad-ministrative management of the two institutions. To reflect the regional scope, the new foun-dation will have a new name, which is yet to be determined. One of the retired doctors sug-gested Central Washington Health Services. We shall see.

Under this proposal, the new health system foundation would be governed by a 15- member board of directors comprised of nine community members, six of whom are from CWHs current board and six physi-cian members from the current WVMC board.

The board will be respon-sible for management, general oversight and planning for the future. The CEO of the new foundation board will be Dr. Pe-ter Rutherford, who will resign from his duties at the WVMC.

The chairman of the board of the new foundation will be Ken Martin, who is currently CWHs board chairman.

Shaun Koos, the current WVMC administrator, will become the chief of operations of the new foundation after resigning from his position at the WVMC. All of the non-phy-sician WVMC staff and most of CWHs employees will become employees of this new founda-tion.

CWH will remain a non-profit organization, and WVMC will retain its current status as a physician-owned profes-sional service corporation. The Wenatchee Valley Medical Center Board will continue to oversee its physician affairs, and

WVMC will retain 100 percent ownership of its assets. CWH will also retain 100 percent of its assets.

Because of the challenges fac-ing health care, our situation is not unique, and others have come up with a similar solution. For example, Kaiser-Permanante has a non-profit hospital arm, non-profit management foun-dation, and a private physician group much like what is being considered here.

You are probably wondering by now how all this will affect you, the patient.

For one thing, it guarantees that our hospital will remain under local control. Local com-munity oversight of health care will produce better-coordinated health care and less duplication of services.

Cost reductions will be pro-duced by consolidating overhead and management. It will allow better vendor contracting and better access to capital and there will be certain tax benefits.

Merging functions like billing, laboratory procedures, insur-ance, or certain hospital ser-vices will be more efficient. This affiliation between WVMC and CWH will ensure the stability of our local economy, jobs and local business partners. Patient access to service locations or to providers will not be affected.

What will the effect be on physicians?

Independent physicians in the community will not be affected. However, they will gain hospital and surgical privileges at the Wenatchee Valley Hospital.

Current Central Washington Hospital employed physicians will be offered partnership in the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center. If they choose not to do this, they are free to move their practices to their own private facilities.

Some physician specialists at the WVMC campus might move their practice to the CWH campus if they have a predomi-nant hospital practice. Some

CWH physicians might move to the WVMC campus. There are a number of potential changes yet to be determined.

One thing Dr. Rutherford em-phasized is that WVMC has no financial gain by this affiliation.

We are most interested in preserving the excellent health care that has been delivered in our community for many years by CWH and the WVMC. The retired WVMC physicians all seemed to be in agreement with these proposals, and we realized from what we heard that there may be no better alternative.

Before any of this is to hap-pen, it needs to be approved by the Washington State Attorney Generals office as well as the Federal Trade Commission.

Hopefully, by the time this is printed, that will have been ac-complished.

Jim Brown, M.D., is a semi-retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.

...we realized from what we heard that there may be no better alternative.


WHAT TO dO >>We want to know of fun and

interesting local events. Send info to: [email protected]

MISSION: IMPROV, 11/1, 7 p.m. & every Thursday. Free open work-shop, theater games for novice and experienced players. Fun and casual. Riverside Playhouse. Info: www.mtow.org.

LIVE MUSIC, 11/2, 9 and 16, 7 9 p.m. Local favorites every Wednes-day night at Icicle Brewing Compa-ny, 935 Front St. Leavenworth. Info: munchenhaus.com.

POPOVICH COMEDY PET THE-ATRE, 11/2, 7 p.m. The Comedy Pet Theatre features an amazing cast of housecats, dogs, parrots, even geese and mice. Critics describe it as a unique blend of comedy, world-champion juggling, and the extraordinary talents of more than 30 performing pets. Gregory Pop-ovich has rescued the animals from shelters all over the country and transformed them into Las Vegas stars. Performing Arts Center. Cost: $25 - $30 adults, $15 children 12 and under. Info: pacwen.org.

PRINCESS CRUISE PRESENTATION, 11/3, 6 p.m. Wenatchee Senior Cen-ter, 1312 Maple St. Hosted by AAA Travel. Cost: free.

WENATCHEE FIRST FRIDAYS, 11/4, 5 p.m. 8 p.m. Walk downtown for art, music, dining and entertain-ment. Downtown Wenatchee.

JUDITH FRISCO, 11/4, 5 8 p.m. First Friday reception. Live music by harpist Suzanne Grassell, wine and complimentary refreshments. Two Rivers Gallery, 102 Columbia St. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com.

GALLERY 4 SOUTH, 11/4 - 30. Potter Karen Dawn Dean known for her turquoise, sugary-matte glazes will feature her functional bowls, organically shaped vase forms and large platters. Gallery 4 South, downtown Wenatchee.

ANNUAL GEAR SWAP, 11/4, 6 8 p.m. Just not a ski swap, but also kayaks, mountain bikes and lots of goodies. Benefits Chelan County Mountain Rescue and Wenatchee Outdoors. The Inner Circle Gym, 525 Piere St. Wenatchee. Cost: $5. Info: theinnercirclegym.com.

RIVER HOUSE, 11/4, 7 8 p.m. Book signing. Leavenworth Library with author Sarahlee Lawrence with her award-winning River House about breathtaking adventures on the worlds wildest rivers culminate in a daughters return to build a

log house by hand with her father. Cost: free.

I REMEMBER MAMA, 11/4 & 5, 7 p.m. Cascade High School auditori-um. Cost: $5 and $7. Info: iciclearts.org.

MENORAHS AND DREIDELS, 11/4, 5 8 p.m. In honor of Hanukkah, which is Dec. 20-28 this year, Alex and Amanda Taub of Leavenworth are sharing their collection of menorahs and dreidels in an exhibit in the museums lobby cases. A me-norah is a nine-branched candela-brum used on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top used in playing a tradi-tional Hanukkah game. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.

SCOTT COSSU IN CONCERT, 11/5, 7:30 p.m. Scott is an internation-ally known composer, pianist and recording artist whose most recent CD, Tides Between Us, is dedicated to the Puget Sound area of Wash-ington State. Icicle Creek, Canyon Wren. Info: icicle.org.

BECAUSE CANCER SUCkS, 11/5, 7 p.m. This 80s party will fea-ture Hells Belles from Seattle, DJ Isometrix, special drink offers, great raffle prizes, the Roller Derby Girls, Lip Sync contest, lots of neon and much, much more. Ballroom above Club Level, 27 S. Chelan Ave. Wenatchee. Cost: $27. Info: wen-downtown.org.

ICICLE BREWING COMPANY TOURS, 11/5, every Saturday at noon through 12/31. Curious about the brewing process? Learn more about the history of beer and explore the world of craft brewing. 935 Front St., Leavenworth. Reservations and info: [email protected].

DER RINk RAISING, 11/5, 5:30 p.m. The Leavenworth Pavilion & Ice Rink fundraiser will include Coun-try Boys BBQ, music from Mugsys Groove and Cascade High School Jazz Band, Silent Auction and more. Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $30 advance, $40 at the door. Info: skileavenworth.com.

BOOk BUzz, 11/5, 1 3 p.m. Four authors. In River House by Sarahlee Lawrence, breathtaking adven-tures on the worlds wildest rivers culminate in a daughters return to build a log house by hand with her father. Karen Estes Plane of the Ecliptic shares an ordinary womans extraordinary journey for meaning into a realm where lives intertwine beyond the veil of space and time. Northwest history expert Kurt R.


Nelson shares both his comprehen-sive 200-year history and his latest exploration of a formative seven-year period of Northwest treaty building and breaking. In Pam Stuckys debut, Letters from Wish-ing Rock, Ruby finds passion and companionship but will she be able to open her heart to true love? A Book For All Seasons Bookstore, Leavenworth.

MULTICULTURAL FEST, 11/5, 11 a.m. 4 p.m. More than 20 local ethnic groups will be represented through music, dance, food, cultural booths and childrens crafts. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.

WENATCHEE BLUES JAM, 11/7, 7 - 10 p.m. Open blues jam every first Monday of the month. Bring your own instrument or voice. Drums and PA provided. Caff Mela. Info: Tomasz Cibicki 669-8200.

ART ON THE AVENUES RECOGNI-TION AND FUNDRAISING LUN-CHEON, 11/7, 11:45 1 p.m. Honor-ing Mike and JoAnn Walker as the Adele Wolford Founders Award re-cipients; Guest speaker Kris Tucker, executive director Washington State Arts Commission; Lewis and Clark Elementary School Beauty of Bronze student artists. No charge for the luncheon; tax deductible donations will be requested. Fund-

ing sustains and supports AOTAs yearlong outdoor art exhibit featur-ing visiting and permanent sculp-tures in Wenatchee and the Greater Wenatchee Valley. Wenatchee Golf and Country Club. . Reservations and info: 662-0059 or [email protected]

BIRDING 101, 11/9, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Susan Ballinger leads a course co-sponsored by NCW Audubon So-ciety for beginning birders. Partici-pants in this interactive workshop will be introduced to the basics of bird biology, view images of com-mon birds of the Wenatchee Valley and learn how to use field charac-teristics as an aid to bird identifica-

tion. Susan will also discuss field guides, audio tools, binoculars and birding organizations. Chelan Douglas Land Trust office, 18 N. Wenatchee Ave. Info: cdlandtrust.org.

THE GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACkER, 11/11, 7:30 p.m. & 11/12, 2 p.m. Moscow Ballets Great Russian Nut-cracker tells the Christmas story of the girl who falls in love with a Nutcracker Prince with Russian flair. Audiences love the Christmas party with magical toys, battles with an evil Mouse King and a journey through the glittering Snow Forest. Performing Arts Center.


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VETERANS DAY PANCAkE BREAk-FAST, 11/11, 8:30 10 a.m. The Apple Valley Kiwanis Club will present a pancake breakfast at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. The meal includes pancakes, ham, eggs, coffee, tea and orange juice. A short patriotic video compiled by Fredi Simpson and featuring several local veterans will be shown at 8:30, 9, 9:30 and 10 a.m. Cost: $6, no charge for vet-erans. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.

VETERANS DAY PARADE, 11/11, 11 a.m. The Chelan VFW Post 6853 is sponsoring the Veterans Day parade in downtown Chelan. The parade is an opportunity for the community to honor all who have served our country. All veterans are invited to meet at the corner of Sanders and Woodin at 10:45 am. The parade runs two blocks down Woodin Avenue.

DOG DAYS, RAVEN NIGHTS, 11/11, 7 9 p.m. Book signing. Join au-thors John and Colleen Marzluff at A Book For All Seasons. A young couple heads deep into backwoods Maine to try to understand ravens, ultimately following over 300 birds.

ICICLE CREEk PIANO TRIO CON-CERT SHOWCASE, 11/12, 7:30 p.m. Jennifer Caine, violin; Sally Singer, cello; Oksana Ezhokina, piano, will perform a program of Romantic masterworks. Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, 7409 Icicle Rd. Leaven-worth. Info: icicle.org.

GRAPEVINE BLUEGRASS BAND, 11/12, 7:30 p.m. This straight ahead bluegrass band celebrates tradi-tional and contemporary music in the Pacific Northwest. Cashmere Middle School Auditorium, 300 Tigner Rd, Cashmere. Info: cash-merecoffeehouse.com.

FAMILY ARTVENTURES; GERMAN PUPPETRY, 11/12, 10 a.m. noon. Workshop on Kasperle, a puppet tradition from Austria and Ger-many whose roots date to the 17th century. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Pre-register 888-6240.

THE STARBIRDS, 11/12, 7 p.m. The Starbirds from Vancouver and Victoria play a mix of Folk, Celtic, Gospel and Latin music. The band consists of Tom Landa, Kalissa Hernandez and Nick La Riviere of the Paperboys. River House in the Pines, 9690 East Leavenworth Rd,

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Leavenworth. Cost: $35 includes dessert. Info: riverhausinthepines.com.

HOLIDAY WINE WALk, 11/12. The Wenatchee Downtown Associa-tion and Wenatchee Wine Country welcome wine enthusiasts into downtown stores to sip, shop, and get ideas for holiday gifts. The fun starts at Davis Furniture, 125 S. Wenatchee Avenue, where guests can pick up a complimentary glass and 15 tastes for $25. Noon to 5 p.m. Guests can stroll through the downtown merchants for wine tasting, holiday sales, and other special events. For more informa-tion, visit www.wenatcheewines.com or call 669-5808.

ROMEO AND JULIET, 11/13, 3 p.m. Moscow Ballet will perform at Per-forming Arts Center. Info: 663-2787.

ENVIRONMENTAL FILM: TAPPED, 11/15, 7 9 p.m. The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that should never become a commodity: our water. It paints a compelling portrait of individuals and com-munities adversely affected by the bottled water industry. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $5 suggested. Info: wenatcheewa.gov.

PIANO LOVERS SPA RETREAT, 11/16-20. Icicle Creek campus, Leaven-worth. Info: 548-6347.

BB kING, 11/16, 7:30 p.m. Live concert. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.com.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAzING TECH-NICOLOR DREAMCOAT, 11/16 19. Wenatchee High School presents Andrew Lloyd Webbers Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream-coat. Directed by Paul Atwood. Saturday, Nov. 19 matinee 2 p.m. Wenatchee High School Audito-rium. Tickets at Pak-it-Rite.

WRITE ON THE RIVER, 11/17, 7 9 p.m. Writers meeting. Attendees welcome to come early for net-working and optional dinner from 6 p.m. Caffe Mela. Info: writ-eontheriver.org.

TRAVEL: ETHIOPIA, 11/18, 7 p.m. Pat OBrien and Nadia Hakki are experi-enced, independent world travel-ers who enjoy exploring countries and areas that are off the beaten track. Barn at Barn Beach Reserve, 347 Division St, Leavenworth. Info: barnbeachreserve.org.

WHAT TO dO >> The Art Life // SKEtChES of loCAl ArtIStS

Blue collar music maker loves to improviseglenn Isaacson hobnobs

with virtuosos and commands the rapt attention of 18-piece bands, and hes rewritten Follies music that is used all over the country.

One of Wenatchees home-grown local treasures for his ar-rangements and rearrangements of musical scores, his conduct-ing and his collaborative work with area musicians, Glenn is a natural.

What he doesnt mind admit-ting is that except for the two years of piano lessons in his teens, he has never formally studied music. Not a note. No tutor, no mentor, no recital.

He doesnt even find the time to practice, between juggling his day job as an optometrist (an early career choice) and music projects.

And yet, hes been named Vol-unteer Artistic Contributor by the Performing Arts Center, and Active Volunteer of the Year by Music Theater of Wenatchee.

If its not rigorous training, what does it take to push a career-weight hobby to the max and make it look easy?

It takes natural musical ability. For two years between age 12 to 14 Glenn took piano lessons from a teacher who, forsaking the classical canon and competi-tions, taught him simply to use and enjoy music.

He gave me the building blocks, music theory. I learned from the start the patterns in music, how the notes and chords fit together. Glenns varied mu-sical career sprang from those lessons trying drum, bas-soon and baritone sax, playing the calliope for the Wenatchee

Glenn Isaacson holds music-lover Bella, who, unlike his disapproving cat, enjoysnappingnearthepianowhenGlennplays.

Youth Circus, arranging and conducting for his fathers Wenatchee Big Band. And that was before graduation from high school.

College, the Navy, and a Southern California sojourn kept him away, but then 20 years ago Glenn returned home and got on with the music, what he realizes was always the through line in my adult life.

With a calligraphy pen and score paper, he transcribed thousands of notes for various Big Band instruments and vocal-ists (relatively recently switch-ing to a labor-saving computer program tough to learn but worth it). Piano has always been his go-to instrument, but he took up the string bass 10 years ago. I learned just enough about how to play it, to make me reasonably functional, he understates.

From years with the Big Band and the Follies orchestra to main stage musical pits, with blues soloists and jazz combos and even an oompah polka

band, Glenns done a little bit of everything musical in this town. And he does it his way. Im not very structured, he confesses, Im not much for just playing the notes that are on the page.

In his Franklin Street Wenatchee home, which is packed with fine cabinetry, his other hobby, Glenn opened his laptop computer and glided through 20 sheets of instrumen-tal parts to show the extent of one project hes working on.

Then he needed to make a point about chords. He slipped onto the bench of the golden-grained Baldwin grand piano that curves its way into the liv-ing room to share a little tune.

It was a short tutorial in the essence of jazz totally en-grossed in the range of possibili-ties, Glenn described the pro-cess of spontaneously creating an improvised piece from the simplest of skeletal scores.

Like any pro, he made it look easy.

by Susan Lagsdin

the designers and bid on silent auc-tion items. Cost: $25.

GALA DINNER AND LIVE AUC-TION, 11/19, 5:30 p.m. Four-course meal, appetizers by Ivy Wild, salad by The Cellar Caf, Entre by Vis-contis and dessert by Fame. Cost: $100

kIDS GINGERBREAD FACTORY, 11/20, 1 2:30 p.m. Santa will be available for pictures and the gala finery will be replaced by frosting and gingerbread as the PAC stage is transformed into the Kids Gin-

gerbread Factory. Ages 5 16. Cost: $12 children, $16 adults.

HOLIDAY SPICE VARIETY SHOW, 12/1, this closes the festival and features local acts including musical numbers, dance groups, instrumentalists, comedy skits and the Holiday Big Band. Winner of the raffle tree will be drawn at Holiday Spice on 12/1, 7 p.m. Cost: from $10 to $15. Info: Sarah Wilkins at [email protected].

IMAGES OF AMERICA: LEAVEN-WORTHS HISTORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS, 11/18, 7 8 p.m. Leavenworth Library & 11/19, 1 3 p.m. A Book For All Seasons book signing. Rose Kinney-Holck gath-ered and compiled Leavenworth area family and historic photos for the Images of America series a series dedicated to celebrating the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country.

COYOTE FINISHES THE PEOPLE, 11/19, 1 - 3 p.m. Author and member of the Entiat tribe, Wendell George will be at Hastings for a book sign-ing. Coyote Finishes the People is a collection of Indian coyote stories, new and old, telling about the evo-lution of human consciousness.

RON WHITE, 11/20, 8 p.m. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacen-ter.com.

PIPES, CAMERA, ACTION!, 11/20, 7 9 p.m. Silent movies, pipe organ and handbell concert fea-turing Mark and Lynn Andersen. Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cul-tural Center. Info: 888-6240.

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL, 11/22, 6:30 p.m. This international film competition features the worlds best footage on mountain subjects visiting over 30 countries. All proceeds from the night goes toward childrens winter recreation

FESTIVAL OF TREES, 11/18-20. Visitors can bid on silent auction items, view the trees and buy raffle tickets. Viewing is Friday 3-6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Performing Arts Cen-ter. Cost: $2, children 2 to 12, $1.

Also as part of the Festival of Trees at the PAC:

LADIES NIGHT, 11/18, 6:30 p.m. dance the night away to a live DJ on the PAC stage, sample hors doeuvres, preview the trees, meet



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programs in Leavenworth. A silent auction, beer, wine and refresh-ments will be available. Leaven-worth Festhalle. Cost: $13/$15 adults, $8/$10 kids. Info: skileaven-worth.com/banffmountain.

CHARLOTTES WEB, 11/25, 2 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. TheatreworksUSA brings E.B. Whites classic story life in this endearing musical of bravery, self-less love and the true meaning of friendship. Performing Arts Center. Cost: $16 adults, seniors $13 and students $10. Info: pacwen.org.

FALL BARREL TASTING, 11/25- 27. Lake Chelan wineries duck back into the cellar for barrel samples and other treats. Info: lakechelan-winevalley.com.

SAVOR LEAVENWORTH WITH MORGAN FRASER, 11/25, noon 4 p.m. Morgan Fraser releases Savor-ing Leavenworth, a wine-pairing cookbook from our own Wenatchee River Valley. She presents a beauti-fully illustrated and richly diverse whos who of our regions talent, showcasing all new recipes paired with area wines. Book signing at A Book For All Seasons. Cost: free.

CHRISTkINDLMARkT, 11/25 27. Food, music and activities for children at City Park in downtown Leavenworth. Info: 548-5807.

WARREN MILLER MOVIE, 11/25, 6 p.m. Silent and live auction benefits Mission Ridge Volunteer Patrol. Wenatchee Convention Center. Info: wenatcheevalley.org.

FALL BARREL TASTING & OPEN HOUSE 11/25-27. Local wineries and tasting rooms welcome you with tastes of wine before bottling, new releases, food and merriment to start the holiday season. Go to www.wenatcheewines.com for a list of participating wineries.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, 11/26, 6 9 p.m. Enjoy local wine and cheese and guided tours given by the Nutcracker Lady, Arlene Wagner as seen on the Conan Show. Live music. Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum. Info: 548-4573.

THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTMAS, 11/26, 1 3 p.m. What do a shy woman in need of a makeover, a commitment-phobic fireman, and a cat on his ninth life have in common? Theyre about to find out in bestselling Sheila Roberts humorous Christmas novel about a matchmaking cat and his endeav-ors to bring a couple together in time for the holidays. Books signing at A Book For All Seasons. Cost: free.

WHAT TO dO >> The Art Life // SKEtChES of loCAl ArtIStS

loving to tell personal stories With photography

so, whats a nice girl like this doing hanging around an old rail siding warehouse on a back street in Cashmere?

Kathryn Stevens has created an atelier/office/conference room in the towns attention-catching Mission District as a home base for her newly-estab-lished photography enterprise.

The big glass doors open onto freshly painted, airy, pastel se-renity tucked amidst the build-ings shops, pub and vintners. Her artful eye has made the

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Good Life November 2011