Our story was on the national news! And while we love print, we were more than happy to embrace the public radio waves and hear our tale of love and paper on Marketplace (pumping out of our retro-90s-era boombox – pic above for proof).
Inspire(d) co-owner Benji Nichols is a longtime listener (first-time guest) of Marketplace Business News – so we were so stoked to have been featured in one of their My Economy segments on Friday, December 30, 2022!
According to www.marketplace.org, “My Economy tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.
“Marketplace is part of American Public Media, one of the largest producers of public radio programming in the world. The Marketplace broadcast portfolio is heard by more than 12 million listeners each week on more than 800 public radio stations nationwide. For context, that’s more than five times the audience of the top five cable TV news shows combined. We also reach more than 2 million across our podcast and digital platforms.”
Benji submitted our story through their website and a producer reached out via email, chatted with Benji on the phone, Zoomed with both Benji and me (Aryn) and then finally we both did an “official” Zoom interview. The producer, Andie Corban, did a great job editing our 30-minute conversation down to just over three minutes of airtime. It was a total honor, and we feel so fortunate to continue sharing our “experiment in positive news” with NPR’s national audience.
Check out the segment here, and share it widely– we are stoked to spread this positive news movement, and are looking forward to 2023 being a big year full of good things!
There’s often a point during the holiday season where I ask myself: Did I do enough? Is this enough stuff? And ultimately: Am I enough?
This place of self-doubt is uncomfortable. And, to be honest, I find myself there more often than I’d like to admit. I’ve heard it’s a frequent feeling for mothers, especially, and it got me thinking about the idea of enough. It’s such a slippery word and concept: What is enough? How much do we need? To survive, to be happy, to thrive?
The perception of the world is that there is a level everyone should strive to attain to have “enough.” But the reality is that beyond having our basic survival needs met (air, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep), enough is a level we get to set for ourselves. We can strive for as much or as little as we feel we need.
Shortly after Benji and I got married, we started a joke that has sort of turned into a core value in our lives: Let’s live the “Frugal High Life.” (It has nothing to do with the beer of the same name.) Some of it comes from necessity, some from choice. Live big in a little house. Spend money where it counts, and instead of going for more, going for better (hello, local businesses!). Savor the good stuff that filters through our lives. It’s an ongoing effort and it’s not always easy.
This holiday season, winter, and beyond, I challenge our readers to do the same. Support your neighbor’s businesses, shopping local for holiday gifts. Plan outings to our region’s many high quality museums and activities. Participate in events that bring our community together, and help you find fulfilling relationships and gratitude for this place we get to call home.
As you’re doing this, start defining your enough. In our Winter 2022-23 Inspire(d), writer Olivia Lynn Schnur takes us through this process of Defining Enough for ourselves in our day-to-day and larger lives in her mental health article. What are your needs, right now? What is most important to you? What goals, if achieved, would be enough for you to be satisfied?
Don’t worry: Your enough is not something you have to commit to forever. Enough right now might look totally different from enough tomorrow, and that’s okay. And no matter what, I’m here to remind you that each day you are doing all you can do, and that’s enough.
Are you “snooow” ready for winter?! Mark your calendars for Driftless Winter Fun!
The changing of seasons can mean a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Some embrace the warmth and coziness of the darker (and cooler) days going into the Holidays. While others… not so much! Indeed, the colder months of the year can provide some real challenges for us humans – but if mother nature cooperates, our region does provide some fun outdoor opportunities for “snow much fun!”
Allamakee County Conservation 2023 full moon snowshoe hikes
A winter full moon provides one of our region’s most stunning opportunities to get outside. Layer up and bring your sense of adventure for Allamakee County Conservation’s Full Moon Snowshoe hikes!
The events will begin at 6:30pm, providing ample opportunity to get out in the darkness – and likely still be home by bedtime!
January 5, 6:30 pm, County Home park, four miles north of Waukon February 7, 6:30 pm, location tbd
Kickapoo Valley Reserve Winter Festival – January 7, 2023
Make plans to trek out for the KVR Winter Festival, January 7, 2023, an annual, fun family event at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve near Viroqua, Wisconsin. Potential activities may include sledding, skiing, archery, snow sculpture, ice cave hikes, chain saw carving, wildlife talks & hikes, face painting, horse-drawn bobsled rides, and more. Bring the kids and the dogs and try out the Dog Sled Mutt Fun Run, and don’t miss the Snow Snake Competition and Fat Tire Bike Demonstrations…it’s safe to say that there’s a lot of fun to be had. Later that night, at the neighboring Wildcat Mountain State Park, participate in a candlelight ski/hike/snowshoe and winter star gazing. Activities subject to change due to weather conditions. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Barneløpet – February 4, 2023
Get outside and enjoy Driftless winter day at the 24th annual Barneløpet, a non-competitive ski or walk event for the community’s youngest skiers, ages 3-13. The collaborative Vesterheim Museum and Sons of Norway event will be held at the Decorah Community Prairie February 4 at 10 am, with registration beginning at 9:40 am.
Barneløpet, (pronounced BAR-nuh-lop-it) is Norwegian for “kids race,” is open to children of all skill levels and is a great event for the entire family. “When you complete the course, you’ll be awarded a medal and served hot chocolate and homemade cookies as you warm yourself by the fire,” Darlene Fossum-Martin, event organizer, says.
Skiers must provide their own skis, but don’t let that deter you. You can join in the fun with a walk through the tall prairie grasses. If in doubt about weather conditions, listen to local radio stations for cancellations.
Sons of Norway lodges all over the country sponsor Barneløpet events. It is modeled after the Barnebirke, a children’s cross-county ski race held each year as a part of the world-famous American Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin.
The Decorah Community Prairie is accessed by car at the south end of Ohio Street, near Aase Haugen Homes. The trail will be in a loop, with the start and finish at the site of the butterfly garden
Ski & Tube Driftless Winter Fun
If you’re feeling more adventurous, check out the slopes at these regional ski and tube areas. Checking ahead for conditions and hours is always recommended.
Gentle downhill skiing slopes, a six-lane snow tubing hill with a “magic sidewalk” back up, and more than five miles of cross country ski trails. 608-388-4498 or “Whitetail Ridge” on Facebook.
