37 minute read
Water Safety Early swim lessons can develop
Early swim lessons can develop confidence, cognitive skills
WATER SAFETY By Karen Kittleson Clay
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Tips for effective baby lessons
If youre a first-time swim parent, make sure you pack the right bag, arrive early, set realistic expectations and ask questions.
Being prepared goes a long way in making you and your child feel comfortable at swim class. Bring a bag with a towel and a change of clothes for each of you and a reusable swim diaper. Remember to also bring lotion, water or anything else you might want to have on hand before or after class.
Give yourself extra time for the drive, getting dressed, and using the restroom or changing diapers if needed. This will help you both to ease into class relaxed and in a positive frame of mind.
Being late is always stressful, and it sets a hectic tone for you and your child in baby swimming lessons.
You are there to bond and have fun with your baby. Be calm and have fun. The more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your little one will be. Keep in mind there may be challenges at certain points. Whether your baby is especially fussy in a class or always yells when its back float time, baby swimming lessons arent always a cakewalk.
If youre new to baby swim school, you might be surprised by how the classes are structured or what the curriculum entails. It might seem like a lot of playtime. However, they usually have specific milestones and skills in mind.
Ask for a free trial lesson and visit the school before you sign up. They should want you to feel comfortable, ask questions and, most importantly, have fun!
As your class progresses, ask your instructor to give you tips for what you can work on at home and let you know why they are doing skills, games or songs a certain way. 26 YOUR FAMILY SPRING 2020
Swimming is one of the best-loved family activities. But many people wonder whether it’s appropriate or realistic to teach babies to swim. It is. One of the benefits of baby swimming is that it starts building water confidence early. Babies can start lessons at 4 months old to maximize their natural affinity to water.
A warm pool is reminiscent of the womb for the baby and helps him or her relax and bond with mom, dad, grandma or grandpa. The pool is a wonderful environment for your child to explore, move and enjoy the weightlessness of water, and with the most loving teacher in the world – you!
According to a study by Griffith University, children under 5 in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States who swim exceed their peer group in several developmental stages. These include understanding directions (20 months ahead), story recall (17 months) oral expression (11 months) and mathematics (6 months).
Starting swimming lessons early in life also builds physical skills, of course.
Swimming builds physical strength and confidence being in the water and for many becomes a lifelong skill for safely enjoying time at the pool, lake or ocean. Swim lessons are offered yearround and are a great way to keep your children active during the winter months.
Early swim lessons also help improve coordination and balance. Because much of your baby’s body is supported by water, the main focus for them is on maintaining balance.
On the whole, babies who swim have much better balance outside of the pool. Exercising also helps build muscles and make them stronger.
Swimming provides quality bonding time. Time in the pool is one of the few times when your child has your undivided attention for the duration.
Swimming can improve a baby’s appetite. Lots of gentle exercise and warm water helps to make a baby hungry, so make sure you have some sort of snack or milk for after they finish. Swimming builds water confidence. Many parents pass on an uneasiness of water to their children because they themselves are not confident swimmers.
But swim lessons can give your baby the tools needed to start learning breath control, floating and swimming all before turning 2. They can help you be your child’s first teacher, bond and help him or her learn to love the water.
Baby lessons might be daunting at first, but if you prepare and are engaged, your first experience is sure to go swimmingly.
Remember, a swim school is there to serve you and your child. Find a swim school with knowledgeable teachers that will lead you and parents just like you in activities, songs and games that will make your baby safer and smarter in the water. l
Karen Kittelson Clay is the CEO of SwimWest and a member of the Safe Kids Coalition board representing water safety.
Tiramisu Grilled Garlic Shrimp with a Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Black-Eyed Pea, Corn and Rice Salad
For the marinated shrimp ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil ¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 36 large shrimp, peeled and deveined 12 6-inch wooden skewers
For the tomato sauce 3 pounds assorted large heirloom tomatoes 1 small sweet onion, minced 1 garlic clove, minced ½ teaspoon sea salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon honey,
preferably sourwood honey ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips (chiffonade is the formal name for this cut), plus more for garnish Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
To marinate the shrimp, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar and garlic in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add the shrimp and allow to sit, covered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Prepare a medium re in a charcoal or gas grill. Soak the skewers in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them from burning.
To make the tomato sauce, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Place one or two tomatoes at a time into the boiling water. Watch them and, as you see the skin split, remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of cool water. At this point, it will be very easy to slip off the skins.
Cut the peeled tomatoes into a small dice. Put the cut tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and honey. Stir gently to combine. Skewer the shrimp, 3 per skewer. Grill the skewered shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until they are pink. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and a couple grinds of fresh pepper.
Just before serving, add the basil leaves to the tomato sauce. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
Ladle the tomato sauce onto a serving platter and arrange the skewers on top of the sauce. Garnish with more basil leaves and enjoy! Serves 6
Black-Eyed Pea, Corn and Rice Salad
2 cans (15½ ounces each) no-salt-added or low-sodium black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained 1 can (15¼ ounces) low-sodium or no-salt-added whole-kernel corn 1 package (8½ ounces) brown rice, microwaved according to package directions and broken into small pieces 2 medium ribs celery, chopped 1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon water 1 ⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
In large bowl, stir peas, corn, rice, celery, pepper, parsley, olive oil, water and black pepper until combined. Serves 6
Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Turkey Vegetable Pot Pie with Whole-Wheat Crust To make the crust: Combine ours and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in oil and orange juice and stir until moistened. Press dough to atten and chill.
To make the lling: Blend soup and 1/2 cup of milk in a large bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger ball between 2 large sheets of waxed paper until it is 1/8-inch-thick or until it ts in the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Turn dough over and carefully place in the pie pan, removing remaining piece of waxed paper. Press out any bubbles and patch holes with scraps of dough. Pour lling into the prepared pan. Roll remaining dough and lay it on top. Cut any excess dough hanging from the edges and crimp the crust between your thumb and fore nger to seal. Cut a heart into the center to allow steam to escape.
Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until center of crust becomes golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the pie’s center reaches 165 F, covering browned edges only with foil about halfway through cooking. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 6 For the crust: 1 cup whole-wheat our 1 cup all-purpose our ¼ teaspoon salt 2 ⁄3 cup corn oil 1 ⁄3 cup orange juice For the lling: 1 carton condensed cream of
chicken soup (organic preferred) ½ cup low-fat milk 1¼ pound boneless, skinless
turkey breast, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
(or frozen sliced carrots, thawed) 1 cup leeks, quartered lengthwise,
then thinly sliced crosswise, using white and pale green parts only 3 ⁄4 cup thinly sliced celery ½ cup frozen peas, thawed 3 tablespoons whole-wheat our 2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence (or ½ teaspoon each thyme, rosemary and basil) ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon salt
Tiramisu
6 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 1¼ cup mascarpone cheese 1 3 ⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 12 oz packages Savoradi Lady Fingers ½ cup cold espresso or strong coffee ¼ cup coffee avored liqueur (optional) 1 tablespoon cocoa for dusting
Combine egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. This is your sabayon. Remove from the heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add mascarpone to whipped yolks, and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream in the mascarpone-sabayon mixture and set aside.
Mix the cold espresso with the coffee liquor, and dip the lady ngers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet; do not soak them! Arrange the lady ngers in the bottom of a 8 inch square baking dish (or 6X9). Spoon half the mascarpone cream lling over the lady ngers.
Repeat the process with another layer. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Dust with cocoa before serving. Serves 9
FAMILYLIFE Wisconsin
Books by TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER
Read On... and On and ON WISCONSIN!
‘Bad Axe County’ is realistic, raw, gritty reading
“Bad Axe County” by John Galligan c.2019, Atria $26/$35 Canada 327 pages
Author John Gallinger Photo by Ya-Ling Tsai Your neighbor minds his business.
And yours, the guy’s down the road and the lady’s next door. He sees everything and is happy to share – or so you’ve heard.
As in the 2019 novel, “Bad Axe County,” by John Galligan, nobody tells you a thing.
When the National Weather Service said that a storm was coming and it might dump 10 inches of snow, few in Bad Axe County worried.
It was just another spring in Wisconsin and the snow wouldn’t last. Still, interim sheriff Heidi Kick needed to keep her deputies alert, and that was becoming a problem: Half her staff was loyal to the last sheriff, and they made little to no effort to hide their dislike for her.
Much of Bad Axe County kinda seemed like that, ever since the night a dozen years ago when Heidi’s parents were killed in what authorities said was a murder-suicide. Heidi was serving as the county’s Dairy Queen then, and folks never forgot that those both set her apart. It surely didn’t make her job – or her life – easier.
Readers who are fans of author John Galligan’s previous books may’ve wondered where Galligan’s been since the last one. One possible answer: he may’ve been perfecting his craft, because “Bad Axe County” is as good as it gets.
With a shiver and nod at today’s news, this novel opens with a scream of two different sorts as we’re introduced to a new, and quite reluctant, crimefighter in Heidi Kick, who wears armor that’s part platinum, part cotton, and she’s not afraid to get it dirty. Readers will also be delighted that Kick is fresh, open, not-quite-naïve, but willing to be schooled; surrounding her is a bawdy dispatcher, a too-handsome officer, an eager EMS volunteer and criminals that’ll make you cringe, gasp and dig your nails in.
Readers of thrillers take note, then: “Bad Axe County” is wildly good, frighteningly realistic, sometimes raw, and gritty as dirt. It’s perfect for you. Make it your business to read it. l SPRING 2020 YOUR FAMILY 29
Smart home technology advances hold promise for elderly
SENIOR LIVING BY STEPHEN RUDOLPH 30 YOUR FAMILY SPRING 2020 P icture the beloved elder in your life, maybe your mom, dad or sainted aunt. She walks with a walker and has been having trouble with falls or taking out the trash. Her spouse recently has passed away and she is not eating well or getting exercise other than doing menial household chores. She is lonely and sad and has few visitors and doesn’t take care of herself as she should.
You probably work a full time job and see her once a week, and you think she might not care whether she lives or dies. But you know she will most likely live well into her 90s if you can give her more help.
This kind of situation can take a toll on adult children, but it need not be that way.
There have been many advances in elderly care and technology to allow your loved elder to remain in the safe and comfort of their home and maintain a lot of their independence.
The increase in life expectancy is the primary motivation for advances in medical science and technology that make it easier for elders to live in the comfort and safety of their own smart homes, according to a 2017 publication in the open-access online medical journal, Sensors.
“Smart homes, which incorporate environmental and wearable medical sensors, actuators, and modern communication and information technologies, can enable continuous and remote monitoring of elderly health and wellbeing at a low cost,” the article states. “Smart homes may allow the elderly to stay in their home instead of expensive healthcare facilities. Healthcare personnel can also keep track of the overall health condition of the elderly in real-time and provide feedback and support from distant facilities.”
A smart home is an emerging concept that is still being defined. A fully functional and comprehensive smart home that addresses all aspects such as home automation, monitoring of residents’ health, safety and security and home environment is still to be realized. Some homes already have some of these items. Many do not. But there is an incredible amount of medical technology that is being tested and new developments are emerging virtually every month.
Some of the more significant technological activities are wearable sensors, remote-monitoring sensors, electronic medical records, automated emergency calling, automated fall detection systems and reminding systems.
Imagine this loved one of yours and the problems she might have. She doesn’t bathe or shower as often as she should. Her blood cholesterol is high as is her blood pressure. She has some minor cardiac problems.
Many of these can be solved in the near future through these technologies. Wearable biomedical sensors allow the gathering of such real time monitoring of physiological parameters such as blood sugar for diabetes, heart rate, body temperature, weight, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, blood glucose, electrocardiogram, electromyogram, electroencephalogram, weight and oxygen saturation. All this is done without interrupting the daily activities of individuals.
These sensors can be connected to the appropriate network in order to obtain automated, continuous, and real-time measurement of physiological signs and can be reviewed by a medical professional.
Separately, smart homes can be outfitted with unobtrusive and noninvasive environmental sensors and actuators that can facilitate remote monitoring of the home environment, such as temperature, humidity, the oven and smoke in the home.
Communication technologies such as EMRs can digitize and automate healthcare processes and tasks, thus enabling services like e-prescription, e-supply and e-records for patients. EMRs can store and provide complete and detailed information about the medical history of patients, which can be accessed remotely and used by the authorized healthcare personnel for decision-making.
Smart home systems - Wearable medical sensors - Remote monitoring - Communication technologies - Automated emergency call sytems - Automated activity and fall detection systems - Smart beds - Reminding systems - Newly emerging technology
-- “Smart Homes for Elderly Healthcare – Recent Advances and Research Challenges,” Sensors, 2017
Automated emergency call systems and fall detection systems can monitor the environment of the home as well as the physiological parameters of the elderly and can communicate with service providers in case of an emergency.
The system can generate an automated call to the EMS or caregivers in case of an emergency and provide them with the location information obtained from a GPS signal.
An acoustic fall detection system detects a fall based on the sound of a fall. Some smart homes use video-based systems and motion sensors to monitor and recognize different activities.
Smart beds embedded with vital signs sensors are used for monitoring elderly health as well as their sleep quality. Unobtrusive sleep monitor systems detect body movement and sleep patterns as well as apnea.
And because cognitive function in elders declines gradually with age, causing memory loss and dementia,
reminding systems can be useful. They give a signal at a pre-scheduled time and can send detailed information to the user or the caregivers.
Some fall detectors also include a reminder system, where elders can be reminded to take their medication, prepare their meals or eat and go to the bathroom. It also notifies the caregivers or family members for assistance in case of critical situations.
Then there are newly emerging technologies, including cameras, lights, sound and voice that have recently sprung up throughout the country to monitor car thefts, home thefts and undesirables who can affect elder’s quality of life. Of course we have the pieces of some of these things like Amazon Echo and Ring Doorbells that are ubiquitous now, but it is merely the beginning of a smart home.
Many other systems are being developed including music geared to the elder’s likes, facilitating easy communications with their children and grandchildren, monitoring of the food eaten and voice activated lights and appliances.
The primary objective of a smart home is to allow the elderly person to receive continuous, non-invasive and seamless healthcare service while staying at home. It allows the elder to reduce their visits to, or length of stay in expensive healthcare centers, allowing them to lead independent and active lives.
Smart homes can also monitor and control the home environment by assessing the behavioral and daily living patterns of the users. The significant advancement in the technology is that it is paving the way toward realizing continuous monitoring services in a smart home platform from a distant facility or the home of an adult child or close friend. l
Stephen Rudolph is a consultant for Comfort Keepers of South Central Wisconsin, a home care agency that provides skilled nursing and personal care services for aging adults, those with disabilities and others needing assistance.
Skaalen RETIREMENT SERVICES
Skaalen is located in a quiet residential neighborhood. The beautiful campus offers walking paths and comfortable outdoor spaces. Skaalen’s continuum of care provides residents a full menu of living options from which to choose.
VENNEVOLL, SKAALENDAL, SKAALEN VILLAGE & SKAALEN RIDGE – INDEPENDENT CONDOMINIUMS Low-maintenance residence designed for carefree living offering a wide variety of comforts and conveniences.
SKAALEN HEIGHTS – ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTIAL CARE APARTMENT COMPLEX (RCAC) Featuring 33 one and two-bedroom assisted living apartments. Providing assistance with medication administration, personal cares, meals, bathing, laundry and housekeeping services.
HERITAGE CENTER – ASSISTED LIVING Providing assistance with the activities of daily living while offering the security of having licensed nursing staff available 24-hours a day.
MAGNOLIA GARDENS – ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE Providing a homelike environment focusing on safety, maintaining independence and continuing to enrich life to the fullest. Licensed nursing staff available 24-hours a day
SKAALEN THERAPY & WELLNESS CENTER In-patient and out-patient therapy services for people of all ages, following an accident, illness, or surgery. Wellness programs tailored to meet each individual’s personal fitness goals.
SKAALEN NURSING & REHABILITATION CENTER Rehabilitative and restorative care to meet each individual’s need for long-term or short-term residency. adno=138142
FAMILYFUN SPRING 2020 CALENDAR
March 1 FFA Farm Toy Show, Evansville: Annual show featuring farm toys, Evansville, evansvillechamber.org Aldo Leopold Weekend, UW-Madison Arboretum: Various events celebrating the works of Aldo Leopold, arboretum.wisc.edu March 1-7 Aldo Leopold Weekend, UW-Madison Arboretum: Various events celebrating the works of Aldo Leopold, arboretum.wisc.edu March 2-3 Creative Imperatives Festival, UW-La Crosse, La Crosse: this year’s
festival will showcase arts and arts-connected work that celebrates female-identified artists, challenges patriarchal structures and disrupts gender norms in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, uwlax.edu/creative-imperatives March 5-7 WIAA boys and girls hockey tournaments, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, wiaawi.org Decadent Cabaret, The Metro, Eau Claire: dozens of local artists performing original music and cover songs, visiteauclaire.com WIAA team state wrestling tournament, University of Wisconsin-Madison Fieldhouse, wiaawi.org March 6-8 Midwest Weirdfest, Micon Downtown Cinema, Eau Claire: horror, sci-fi, underground and documentary films, midwestweirdfest.com March 7 Taste of Fennimore, Fennimore: More than 20 area vendors including wine, cheese, beer, bakeries and butcher shops, fennimore.com World’s Largest Weenie Roast, Cable, annual snowmobile race and polar plunge with the longest line of hot dog cookers over one fire in the world, lakewoodsresort.com Bald Eagle Day, Ferryville programs and family activities, visitferryville.com Coulee Region Polar Plunge, La Crosse: Music, 5K, fundraiser for Special Olympics Wisconsin, polarplungewi.org YMCA Celtic Run Before You Crawl, Monroe: Annual Run Before You Crawl 5K and Kid’s Fun Run event, ymcaceltic5k.weebly.com Weekend Wild Walk, guided tours, Devil’s Lake State Park: dnr.wi.gov Wollersheim Winery open house, Prairie du Sac: wollersheim.com March 7-8 Madison Kids Expo, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: products, and
services in family health care, education, recreation, food, fitness, safety, entertainment and more, madisonkidsexpo.com Dino Days, Madison Children’s Museum, Madison, a weekend of
dinosaur-themed activities, fossil casting, Dino Yoga, thumbprint art and more, madisonchildrensmuseum.org/event/dino-day March 10 Oregon Chamber Spring Business Expo, Firefly Coffeehouse & Artisan Cheese, oregonwi.com March 12-14 WIAA girls basketball tournament, Resch Center, Green Bay: wiaawi.org March 13 Comedy on Main, Janesville: laugh with nationally acclaimed comedians and superb up-and-comers, janesvillecvb.com March 13-14 Bike-o-Rama, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: Thousands of bicycles to test ride and buy, bikeorama.com March 13-15 Rutabega’s Canoecopia, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: the largest paddlesports consumer event in the world, with over 250,000 square feet of kayaks, canoes, Stand Up Paddleboards, outdoor equipment and clothing. March 14 Madison Shamrock Shuffle, downtown: 5K/10K run/walk benefiting Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, visitmadison.com St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, downtown Prairie du Chien: parade and festivities, prairieduchien.org St. Patrick’s Day Parade, downtown La Crosse: irishfestlacrosse.org Irish Jig Jog, Watertown: 5K, kid’s run, food, live music, watertownjigjog.com Celtic Stories and Music, Pump House Regional Arts Center,
La Crosse: a night of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English stories and songs, thepumphouse.org Saturday Science, Discovery Building, Madison: Free event features interactive exploration stations, discovery.wisc.edu 32 YOUR FAMILY SPRING 2020
Shamrock Shuffle 5k and Little Leprechaun 1k, Eau Claire, all ages, uwec.edu/recreation/events/shamrock-shuffle Hooley in the Hollows, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds: Adults-only, at-your-own-pace tour, music, food and St. Patrick’s theme reception, caveofthemounds.com March 15 St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Capitol Square, Madison, travelwisconsin.com Fondy Vintage Auto Club Swap Meet, Fairgrounds, Fond du Lac: fondyvintageautoclub.weebly.com March 16 St. Patrick’s Day parade, Monroe: Led with Irish flag, bagpipers and plenty of green, mainstreetmonroe.org March 20 Art Glass and Bead Show, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, beadshowmadison.com March 21-22 Model Railroad Show, Omni Center, Onalaska: lcrsand3rvrsmrrclub.com March 22 Family Fest (formerly Natural Family Expo), Monona Terrace:
Venue for families to explore local resources, naturalfamilyexpo.com March 26 Milwaukee Brewers home opener, Miller Park, Milwaukee: brewers.com March 26-28 Threaded Streams Fiber Arts Trail Studio Tour, Baraboo: Workshops, runway, history, baraboo.com March 27-28 On Wisconsin Annual Spring Powwow, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: Cultural demonstrations, exhibitions, intertribal dances, win.wisc.edu/organization/wunksheek March 27-28 Fitch-Rona Art Crawl, Fitchburg-Verona: Artists complete live work at a variety of local businesses, yaharabay.com Wisconsin Kids Folkstyle Wrestling Tournament, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, wiwrestlingfederation.com March 27-29 Cajun music and dance weekend, Folklore Village, Dodgeville: folklorevillage.com March 28 Mushing for Meals, Horace White Park, Beloit: 5K and 10K run, beloitmealsonwheels.org Madison Area Doll Club Show and Sale, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: Appraisals, repairs, consultations, displays of dolls, Madison Area Doll Club Facebook page March 28-29 Gem Mineral and Fossil Show, Janesville: Displays, speakers,
presentations, plus vendors selling specimens, carvings and jewelry, badgerrockclub.org April 2-9 Wisconsin Film Festival, various Madison theaters: Around 150 film screenings in various genres, wifilmfest.org April 3 Lake Country Film Festival, Oconomowoc, lakecountryfilmfestival.org April 3-5 UW-Madison Science Expeditions, UW-Madison campus: Campus-wide science open house, science.wisc.edu Swedish music and dance weekend, Folklore Village, Dodgeville: folklorevillage.com April 3-4 Quilt the Day Away, Prairie du Chien: socialize and share quilting techniques, prairieduchien.org April 3-5 Wisconsin Outdoor Life Field and Stream Expo, Alliant Energy Center, Madison: alliantenergycenter.com April 4 Easter Egg Hunt, Evansville: Egg hunt, photos with Easter Bunny, Evansville, evansvillechamber.org Maplefest, MacKenzie Center, Poynette: travelwisconsin.com Seasonal scavenger hunt, Devil’s Lake State Park: dnr.gov.wi April 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26 Lambing Days, Eugster’s Farm Market, Stoughton: Weekends through April, eugsters.com April 11 Cottontail Classic and Easter Egg Hunt, Fitchburg: 5K and 10K run, runsignup.com/Race/WI/Fitchburg/CottontailClassic
Dane County Farmers Market opens outdoor season, Capitol Square, Madison, dcfm.org Midwest Gourd Fest, Olbrich Gardens, Madison: Classes, lectures, vendors, raffle, kids’ activities, art competition, music, wisconsingourdsociety.org April 16 Fitchburg Chamber Spring Business Expo, Wyndham Garden, fitchburgchamber.com EAA-431 Pancake Breakfast: Pancakes and airplane rides at Brodhead Airport, brodheadchamber.com April 17-19 Midwest Horse Fair, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, midwesthorsefair.com April 18 UW Varsity Band Concert, Kohl Center, Madison, badgerband.com April 18-19 Spring Gift and Craft Show, Omni Center, Onalaska: more than 100 booths of home and garden items, cityofonalaska.com/omnicenter April 19 Kids’ Art Adventures: Uncommon Accumulation, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison: Transform yourself into a creature of your choosing after exploring rich detail and wild fantasy in Robert Lostutter’s exquisite paintings of bird-humans in Uncommon Accumulation: The Mark and Judy Bednar Collection of Chicago Imagism. mmoca.org April 24-25 Eau Claire Jazz Festival, citywide Eau Claire: eauclairejazz.com April 24-26 43rd annual Jefferson County Car show: Jefferson County Fair Park, Jefferson, 3,100 classic cars to view, jeffersonchamberwi.com Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine and Cheese Festival, Southside Oktoberfest Grounds, La Crosse: 200 beers from over 35 breweries, 45 types of wine, gourmet cheeses, live music, beerwinecheese.explorelacrosse.com April 25 Wisconsin Grilled Cheese Championship, Dodgeville: grilledcheesewisconsin.com Maggie Mae Military Benefit Concert for the Brooklyn Veterans Memorial, Oregon High School: brooklynveteransmemorial.org Dane Handmade, Madison: Upcycled materials and a variety of art vendors, danehandmade.com April 30-May 2 Trout Days, Cross Plains: Fishing contest, village-wide garage sales, food stands, kids’ activities, library book sale, hikes on Ice Age Trail, fun on the creek, live music, crossplainschamber.net May 1 Downtown Baraboo Wine Walk, downtown Baraboo: travelwisconsin.com May 1-3 Wisconsin Dells Polka Fest and Expo, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells: dellschamber.com Badger Steam and Gas Engine spring swap meet and auction, Baraboo: travelwisconsin.com English Country Dance Weekend, Dodgeville: Dance and music workshops, folklorevillage.org May 2 Puppy Up Walk: 2-mile walk to promote awareness of canine cancer, dogs welcome, Fitchburg, business.fitchburgchamber.com Janesville Farmers Market begins, Janesville: Weekly farmers market in downtown Janesville, janesvillefarmersmarket.com PurpleStride Madison, Warner Park: 5K run and 2-mile walk raising money to fight pancreatic cancer, secure.pancan.org Artful wine walk, downtown Sun Prairie: sunprairiechamber.com Rockin’ for a Cure, Wyndham Garden Hotel, Fitchburg: live music event supporting ALS patients, rockinforacure.org May 3 Mayfair Art Fair, West Salem High School, West Salem: fine arts and
crafts fair, silent auction, concessions, live entertainment and children’s activities, heidercenter.org May 4 Celebrate the Earth at Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville, janesvillecvb.com May 5 Springtime at the Farm, Schumacher Farm Park, Waunakee: waunakeechamber.com May 7-11 Horicon Marsh Bird Festival, Horicon, horiconmarshbirdclub.com
FAMILYFUN SPRING 2020 CALENDAR
May 8-9 Driftless Outdoors Show, Omni Center, Onalaska: vendors selling kayaks, canoes, bikes and camping, fishing, archery and hiking equipment, driftless.explorelacrosse.com May 9 Rock River Wine Walk, downtown Janesville, janesvillecvb.com Downtown Baraboo Fair on the Square, downtown Baraboo: travelwisconsin.com River Prairie Festival, Altoona, visiteauclaire.com May 14 Madison Night Market, downtown Madison: Explore shops, live music and food carts, madisonnightmarket.com May 15-17 Syttende Mai festival, Stoughton: celebrating Norwegian culture with art exhibits, demonstrations, live music, dancing, kids activities, stoughtonwi.com Spring Fling, citywide Spring Green: wine walk, creative classes, psychic fair, cooking demonstration, springgreen.com May 16 Kids Building Wisconsin, Fitchburg: Interactive exhibits run by local trades, kidsbuildingwi.org Civil War Days Historic Pub Crawl, Milton House Museum, janesvillecvb.com May 16-17 Janesville Renaissance Faire, Traxler Park, janesvillecvb.com Automotion, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, Wisconsin Dells: Swap meet of 1989 and older cars, parts and more, dells.com Morel Mushroom Festival, Muscoda: Events revolving around sales of the hard-to-find delicacy; carnival, games, flea market, fireworks, muscoda.com May 22 Swiss Historical Village opens, New Glarus: Historic pioneer settlement offers glimpse of pioneer life, swisshistoricalvillage.org May 22-24 World’s Largest Brat Fest, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, bratfest.com Music Fest, New Glarus: ngmusicfest.com May 23-24 Fort Koshkonong Rendezvous, Fort Atkinson: 1800s re-enactment, black powder shooting, pioneer demonstrations, horse-drawn carriage rides, fortchamber.com May 25 Memorial Day Parade, Janesville, janesvillecvb.com Memorial Day, Evansville: Parade and rally along the downtown, Evansville, evansvillechamber.org Memorial Day Chicken Barbecue, American Legion Park, Cross Plains:
chicken dinners, pie and ice cream sale, bounce house, face painting, glitter tattoos, kickball games, crossplainschamber.net Cambridge Memorial Day Parade, Cambridge: Firemen’s all-you-can-eat breakfast, parade, memorial service, enjoyjeffersoncounty.com May 26 Art Walk, Watertown: Stroll historic downtown and take in art displays by local talent, enjoyjeffersoncounty.com May 28 The Bodega at Breese Stevens Field, Madison: An outdoor market at a classic Madison venue, search The Bodega-May Edition on Facebook May 29 Comedy on Main, Janesville: laugh with nationally acclaimed comedians and superb up-and-comers, janesvillecvb.com May 29-31 Festa Italia: Live music, Italian food, cultural exhibits, sporting events, McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, iwcmadison.com June 2 Ride the Drive, John Nolen Drive, Madison: The street is closed for biking with fun activities along the route, cityofmadison.com June 4-6 Corvette Adventures, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells: driving event
featuring road tours leading to wineries, breweries, cheese factories and restaurants, wiscdells.com June 4-7 PrideFest, Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee: Largest gay/lesbian, bisexual and transgender festival, pridefest.com Cinder City Days, Altoona, rides, parade, good, drinks, music, cindercitydays.com June 5 Cars on the Square, Historic Courthouse Square, Monroe: Classic cars on display, prizes, food, travelwisconsin.com June 5-6 Roger Bright Polka Festival, New Glarus: Polka bands from Wisconsin and the Midwest in the big tent downtown, plus Beer, Bacon and Cheese, swisstown.com June 5-7 Hometown Days, Verona: Food, music, beer, carnival rides, kids’ activities, veronahometowndays.com June Dairy Days, Village Park, West Salem: food, bands, events, parade, fireworks, junedairydays.com Spring Art Tour, Mount Horeb area: displays and demonstrations at a variety of locations, springarttour.com June 6 Yellow Brick Road 5K run/walk, Oconomowoc, oconomowoc.org Dragon Art Fair, Market Street, DeForest: Arts and crafts from dozens of area artisans. Dragonartsgroup.org Beer, Bacon and Cheese, New Glarus: Craft brewers, cheese artisans, cured meats, music, swisstown.com Pokemon Regional Competition, Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, topcutevents.com Tour of Fairy Homes, Mineral Point: shakeragalley.com Susan G. Komen South Central Wisconsin Race for the Cure, Alliant
Energy Center’s Willow Island: 5K run/walk and 1.25-mile fun course, komenwisconsin.org June 6-7 Wisconsin’s Free Fun Weekend, State residents and visitors alike are able to enjoy free fishing, free admission to state parks and trails and free ATV riding on public trails, americanhiking.org June 7 Rob’s Sugar River Ramble, Mount Horeb: Bike, canoe to Paoli, return by bus for music, drinks and food, uppersugar.org/ramble June 11 Madison Night Market, downtown Madison: Explore shops, live music and food carts, madisonnightmarket.com June 11-13 Blue Ox Music Festival, Whispering Pines Campground, Eau Claire: outdoor bluegrass, roots and Americana music festival, blueoxmusicfestival.com June 11-14 Summer Frolic, Mount Horeb: Music, entertainment, food, rides, fireworks, mthorebsummerfrolic.com June 12-14 Walleye Weekend, Fond du Lac: Live music, children’s entertainment, sports and national walleye tournament, fdlfest.com June 13 Taste of the Arts Fair, Sheehan Park, Sun Prairie: Arts and crafts, food vendors and entertainment. Sunprairiechamber.com Artspire, Pump House Regional Arts Center, La Crosse: visual, performing, literary arts and dance in a primarily outdoor setting, artspire. thepumphouse.org Dane County Breakfast on the Farm, Hinchley’s Dairy Farm, Cambridge: Breakfast, entertainment and education in support of dairy industry, danecountydairy.com June 13-14 Chippewa Valley Airshow, Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, Eau Claire: chippewavalleyairshow.com Marquette Waterfront Festival, Yahara Place Park, Madison: Two music
stages, local food vendors and kids games, marquette-neighborhood.org June 14-15 Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin, Madison and surrounding communities, ironman.com June 15 Concerts at McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, facebook.com/ConcertsAtMcKee June 18 Strawberry Fest, Fitchburg: Live music, themed offerings, fitchburgmarket.wordpress.com
June 18-21 Baseball Festival, Fort Atkinson: Basketball tournament and carnival, fortgenerals.com Prairie Villa Rendezvous, St. Feriole Island, Prairie du Chien: buckskinners and fur trade re-enactment, black powder shoot, primitive bow shoot and primitive cooking contest, prairieduchien.org Summer Fest, Oregon: Fireworks, music, carnival, food, car show, parade, run/walk, tournaments, summerfest.oregonwi.com June 19 Downtown Baraboo Brew-Ha-Ha, downtown Baraboo: travelwisconsin.com June 19-21 Flea Market, St. Feriole Island, Prairie du Chien: hundreds of vendors display their wares, games/activities for children and food, prairieduchien.org Lakefront Festival of Arts, Milwaukee: festival features more than 100 national artists who display and sell, lfoa.mam.com June 19-20 Onalaska Community Days, American Legion, Onalaska: food,
entertainment, live music, bingo, wood bat tournament, euchre and Texas hold’em tournaments, onalaskacommunitydays.com June 20 Taste of Wisconsin, Beaver Dam: Craft beer and cheese tasting of Wisconsin-made products only, tasteofwisconsin.net Big Blue Dragon Boat Festival, Copeland Park, La Crosse, boat
race supporting Center for Breast Care and Boys and Girls Clubs, explorelacrosse.com North Fondy Fest, Fond du Lac: Music, crafts, model train display, games, fdl.com Horribly Hilly Hundreds, Blue Mounds: Grueling bike ride results in 10,000-foot elevation gain in Driftless Area, horriblyhilly.com Midsummer fest, Coon Valley, highlighting Norwegian culture by celebrating the longest day of the year, norskedalen.org June 20-21 Waterslide-athon, Wisconsin Dells: Benefits Ronald McDonald House, wisdells.com June 21 Twilight in the Park Concert series: First concert at Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Brodhead (every Sunday through Aug. 9), brodheadchamber.com Make Music Platteville, citywide Platteville: a free outdoor day of music held on the summer solstice, makemusicday.org/platteville Father’s Day Chicken BBQ, Blanchardville: Ecumenical church service, music, softball tournament, blanchardville.com Bring your Pop to Pop’s Knoll, Donald Park, Mount Vernon: Live music, hot dogs, activities for all ages, donaldpark.org June 25-27 Wisconsin State Button Show, Marriott Madison West, Middleton: collectors, dealers, tailors and seamstresses, jewelry and costume designers, quilters and crafters, wsbs.org/events.html June 26-27 Music Fights Back, Prairie Du Chien, music festival/fundraiser for children with cancer, musicfightsback.com June 26-28 Heidi Festival, New Glarus: Drama performances, craft fair, mini expo, swisstown.com June 27 Tour da Goose, Watertown: Bike ride offers 100-, 62-, 42-, 22- and 12-mile routes, food and live music, watertownchamber.com Celebrate Onalaska, Van Riper Park, Onalaska: food, entertainment, fireworks, celebrateonalaska.com Behind the Scenes at Villa Louis, Villa Louis, Prairie Du Chien: an in-depth look at the Dousman family home, villalouis.wisconsinhistory.org Blues, Brews and Food Truck Fest, New Glarus: Live music, beer, swisstown.com June 27-28 Spring Green Arts and Crafts Fair, downtown Spring Green, juried show featuring more than 200 national artists showcasing paintings, handwrought jewelry, sculpture, crafts, pottery, textiles, photography, glass and woodworking, springgreenartfair.com l
SPOTLIGHT FAMILYLIFE Metal matters
Local artist has been manipulating material with her hands for 30 years
Story and photo by Mackenzie Krumme
Q&A with Demetra Saloutos S cattered through Demetra Saloutos’ art studio are old oil cans, sausage grinders, wrenches, typewriters and C-clamps.
After hours of hand manipulation, the rusty pieces are combined with new tubing and transformed into decorative art sold around the country.
Saloutos has been a metalsmith for more than 30 years. Similar to a blacksmith, who works with iron or steel, or a goldsmith, who works with gold, a metalsmith is a crafter who works with various metals to create different useful or artistic objects. If she can’t hit it with a hammer, Saloutos said, she is out of her league. The art of metalsmithing and blacksmithing, she said, has grown in popularity since Etsy and Pinterest were founded, over the past 10-15 years. On Etsy, an online platform where artists can sell their items on virtual shops, there are more than 12,500 items listed under metalsmith. Salouto said she has tried selling her pieces online but prefers the face-toface interaction with customers. She has had some customers for 20 years and can make individualized pieces for them.
When not in her studio she is selling at different juried art shows or sifting through junk yards and thrift stores to find the finishing touches on her croquet ball hedgehogs.
Today, her studio is above Dr. Evermore’s workshop on Hwy. 138 in Cooksville. It sits directly next to the historic Cooksville store, where Find out more about Demetra 608-873-1842 11301 N. State Road 138, Cooksville Hours: By Appointment
34 YOUR FAMILY SPRING 2020 YF: What makes metalsmithing different from other art forms? Saloutos: It is taking a flat piece of metal and using your hands, hand tools, hammers and transforming that piece of metal into something new.
It is empowering art form and it is very gratifying to see what you made. You took something that is totally flat and gave it a dimension, depth and personality.
I can use a torch and hammer to make a quarter-size earring and transform them into a three foot bird bath. My right arm is quite a bit bigger than my left – nobody wants to arm wrestle with me.
YF: Do you have artists in your families?
Saloutos: Everyone in my family is an artist. My dad made a linoleum print of Albert Einstein in the early 1950s and he actually sent that print to Albert Einstein and we got a letter back.
My daughter, Alexandra, is a famous pastry chef in Minneapolis, and she has her own studio to sell paintings. She uses the same colorful wicker basket she used as a kid at her shows today. My son, Ellias is a carpenter and photographer. My father gave him a beautiful camera at a young age.
He also helped me at shows when In Demetra Saloutos’ studio in Cooksville, she collects antique sausage grinders, hammers and metal tubing to transform the pieces into yard art and jewelry. Demetra’s seven cats and two dogs can get attention from the neighbors.
A picture of her father’s 1957 painting of the four seasons on Lake Monona hangs on the wall. She remembers the first time she set foot in the studio – she had a set of sterling earrings the size of a quarter and she wanted to mimic them and create a two foot wide bird bath out of copper. The shop keeper at the time seemed hesitant, but 30 years later, Demtra still sells those bird baths at shows.
That is what she loves about metal smithing, she said, one thing always leads to the other.
“I can’t picture myself doing anything else.” l
he was a kid. He tried to “retire” from helping when he was a senior in high school, but I told him to get his ass back in the van.
YF: You also taught metal smithing classes, was there an important tip in your classes? Saloutos: The very first thing my father ever taught me how to draw was a tree. He took me out into the backyard and under the pear tree.
He gave me these beautiful oil pastels. And he said to “there is no such thing as a long line,” which means you always make the art work.
A TASTE OF SPRING
From Your Hometown Grocery Store Miller & Sons • 210 S. Main St., Verona • (608) 845-6478 Open Daily 6:30am - 9:00pm
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