Category: #over50chicagolifestyle

#over50chicagolifestyle, northwest Indiana, over 50, Uncategorized

Get the walk-in bath you deserve

Jane Bokun

By Jane Bokun

When my father was sick and couldn’t bath as well as before, he wanted a beautiful walk-in tub.

We would see commercial after commercial for these unique walk-in tubs, but we never got around to buying it. That was a lost opportunity because he died shortly after slipping in his old, slippery shower and hitting his head.

It was heartbreaking finding him encased in shattered glass and it didn’t have to be. Now, it’s easy to get walk-in tubs through many vendors.

Now, walk-in bathtubs and showers exceed all ADA standards. The modern shower heads are adjustable and can be raised or lowered on the wall along with a shower bar fixture.

They’re a hit with families like the Morrisons who gave their convenient shower walk-in remodel five stars.

“We’re so happy with our new shower,” says Rick Morrison with a cheeky grin.

For nearly a quarter of a million Americans bathing and showering appears to be particularly dangerous. Overall, about two-thirds of accidental injuries happen in the bathtub or shower — which makes sense, because each can become slippery.

As for the standard walk-in tubs that my father needed, anyone with or without a disability can remain independent longer by taking baths. Best of all, you won’t get burned (double entendre) because there is a digital thermometer mounted on the tub.

#over50chicagolifestyle, over 50, Uncategorized

Looking for a snowy good time? Try Winter Miracles at Door County

Jane Bokun

By Jane Bokun

Some people may not think Door County, WI. when they think of a winter playground, but they would be dead wrong. In the summer, it’s yachts moored in sparkling blue water and tony restaurants. But in the winter, the cold, blue waters of Lake Michigan turn to magical, ice palaces and places to bring home the day’s catch after ice fishing.  

Indeed, here in one of the coldest winter spaces, there’s time for ice fishing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and even fat-tire biking. But Door County is considered the Cape Cod of the Midwest and has it all. It sits on mammoth Lake Michigan, which covers Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.  I am particularly interested in ice fishing because I haven’t done that yet. Luckily, what I notice is you don’t have to be perfect at any one of these sports. Bucolic Door County has a large retiree population and a lot of the people who come to this area to retire, or purchase second homes, like to laugh a lot.

I asked Destination Door County Chief Communications Officer Jon Jarosh, if the tentlike ice huts were heated and he said it was quite comfortable and safe in the cozy huts. Novices like me even find there are plenty of fishing guides to help get the huts ready and help with your fishing expeditions. They bait your fishing poles and then you can catch walleye, northern pike, perch, or brown trout. The area is also becoming known for getting some prime, popular whitefish. I’m familiar with catching fish as a relaxing, Zen hobby as my dad often took my family fishing on Lake Michigan in the summers. After we caught our wriggling fish, we would watch as my dad fileted them while we said, “gross.” My mom then cooked them to a golden brown and our trophies were delicious.

Door County has lots of romantic Bed & Breakfasts and hotels to accommodate newcomers, according to Jarosh. I’ve also done some snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and found I can handle the white snow packed Wisconsin hills with only some deep breathing – and silent praying.

“It’s better than skiing down a mountain,” I tell myself. It may also be more challenging then say, laying out in the sun sipping on a Pina Colada.

After some grunts and groans, it might be time for a spa, I lovingly say to myself.

“I’m trying to live in the moment.”

 In Door County, I choose The Spa at Sacred Grounds. There are a few spas here and it makes me want to stop and visit them all, (I love a fancy area) but I’m on a mission.

The Spa at Sacred Grounds in Door County

Although Wisconsin is thought of as a state known for friendly farmers and the popular Green Bay Packers football team, it can also be glamourous here. Art galleries, specialty pubs, wineries and large homes are no strangers.

Once you get to The Spa at Sacred Grounds, in Door County’s Ephraim, the first thing to notice is the place exudes calm. It’s open all year around. On the grounds there are tall trees and myriad plant life. It feels strange because you want to sit at a comfortable table in the woods and never leave.  It feels otherworldly.  When you’re, like I often am, feeling nothing but problems and anxiety, The Spa at Sacred Grounds is an oasis of therapeutic peace.

Kim Maedke-Shumway, a Door County native, was a customer at the spa for 18 years before she became owner.

 Helping others gave the trim, dark-haired woman a new sense of confidence and she already knew what made people happy. She started out with unique massages, facials and spa treatments. It’s a day spa so there is no hotel backing up the property. Inside the spa, there’s a pristine library and yoga studio where classes are held. There’s a private log cabin where some massages are performed as well.

“I thought if I can do for one person what this spa has done for me, I’d be doing well,” she says with tears in her eyes.

After a day at the spa or shopping in fun stores like Bliss, a luxury co-op made of several clothing and design stores, it’s time to try other winter activities. There are 250 miles of snowmobile trails; candlelight skiing in January and February; sleds and tubing at Peninsula State Park; romantic sleigh rides with Mayberry’s Carriages; Classes such as weaving and philosophy at The Clearing Folk School; and even a fish boil every Friday night at the well-known White Gull Inn.

There also are trolley rides that include specialties like cocktail and ghost tours found at Door County Trolley.

It can be tiring, and some homemade cherry wine might be in order from Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery. I love tangy cherries and have tried the wine flights which are delicious. Lautenbach’s, open year around, focuses on all things cherry which is my absolute favorite. Besides wine, you can get cherry strudel, pancakes, drinks and more.

For those who want to try this little-known jewel in winter, it’s easy to get to from airports in Chicago, (about four hours); Milwaukee (about two hours) and Green Bay (about an hour). Rental cars are also easy to procure.

Before this winter excursion, I always thought I was a summer girl, but this trip to winter Door County was life changing. You might want to meet me in Door County for very, very slow candlelight skiing and a generous poor of cherry wine.

#over50chicagolifestyle, northwest Indiana, over 50

Fancy fashion show comes to Indiana

Jane Bokun

By Jane Bokun

Scott said he plans to hold more shows in the future with worldwide talent. Pictured is local model, Amari Esper, who recently modeled at New York Fashion Week.

When world-traveled photographer and entrepreneur Scott was born in Chicago, he wanted to change the way people looked at fashion, art and photography.

Last Saturday, he took a step toward changing the Northwest Indiana area with a runway fashion show featuring different designers and even some fresh off the runways of New York and Paris. The show was held at Visual Works Media at 5750 Broadway in Merrillville. The fashion shows are part of his group, Focused on Fashion.

“During my course of study, I developed a passion and talent for photography and began my foray into the field through recreational shooting,” Scott said

Things weren’t always smooth sailing for Scott. He had a stroke along the way and was told by his doctors he might never walk again or even hold a camera. On the night of the fashion show, Scott pranced on the runway and explained his recovery was a miracle from the Lord.

 “I realized soon afterward that photography was more than just a hobby for me – it was my true calling,” Scott said.

Now, with more than 25 years of experience, he has concentrated his professional and creative efforts on photography.

“I consider myself more of an artist than a photographer the difference is my camera is the brush and you are my canvas,” he said.

Indeed, Scott’s statuesque models included Amari Esper, who is 6’ 3” and also walked at New York fashion week recently.

Last week’s successful show had more than 100 people and featured guests such as District 3 Senator Eddie Melton and Jamia Steele as host.

Colorful and unique fashion covered children’s clothing, casual and formal adult clothing and more.   Fashion designer IsKream Kultur, fresh off the runways of Paris Fashion Week, brought a unique perspective with clothing that stressed, “we are a work in progress” on tops, skirts and pants. Clothing by London-based designer, Stephane St. Jaymes also was showcased along with others.

#over50chicagolifestyle, northwest Indiana, over 50, Uncategorized

Are your dogs in need of a little quarantine training?

Jane Bokun

By Jane Bokun

Kip Geyer knows exactly what to do with the dogs he trains at Landheim Training & Boarding Center in Indiana.

Geyer is lead trainer at Landheim, which is a large barrack-like building located on a winding stretch of bucolic road. He has been training dogs professionally for more than 25 years and now works under Landheim award-winning owner Bob Fleming.

“I work mainly with German Shepherds,” Geyer said.

The dog lover has more than 20 years training law enforcement K-9 teams in Patrol, Narcotics and Explosives. He has now added PTSD training to his roster.

Even cuties like this can be trained in PTSD

 Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These events can include: combat; sexual or physical abuse; terrorist attacks; serious accidents; natural disasters, and more.

“We train dogs to sense what’s happening and to block the person suffering from PTSD from any potential problems,” Geyer said.

Dogs literally get in front of their owners and block them from potentially stressful situations. The dogs may look formidable, but they are loving and trained to respond to PTSD symptoms. The dogs provide assistance in a medical crisis; assistance in coping with emotional overload and more. A trained PTSD dog can provide a sense of security and calm.

According to Geyer, PTSD Service Dogs can literally change the life of a veteran or other persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD Service dogs can help veterans remain calm by preventing people from crowding around.

In fact all the German Shepherds at Landheim are being trained for different purposes. Some are show dogs, pets and are used as K-9 police dogs. Owners can also train and board their own pets at Landheim.

“Our goal at Landheim is to always offer the latest and best training available,” Fleming said. “All our dogs are trained under the guidelines set by such programs as the American Police Canine Association (APCA), North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) and more.”

For more information call 219-365-8897 or access info@landheim.com.

#over50chicagolifestyle, over 50, Uncategorized

COVID please be ovid

Jane Bokun

By Jane Bokun

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve updated Banana Peel (www.bpeeled.com), but the COVID-19 virus has completely freaked me out.

Since, I’ve had a few weeks to figure out how to hide from my family in smelly places in my house I have never been, it pleases me to tell you that I’ve taken up yoga. Or, specifically, one class of yoga. The company that I work for has generously given us free online yoga classes to try out during the quarantine due to this highly contagious disease and pandemic. I didn’t take to yoga immediately.

May start making cuter face masks as a lifestyle choice!

First, I had to think of all the end of the world movies where there would be no one but me in an abandoned big box store like say, a Best Buy. Epson printers would be scattered on the floor with the latest Google nests and doorbells. I could take all the expensive, turquoise blue and bright red matching mix masters, even a rose gold washer dryer, but who would I impress with them? I could have all the Nespresso I wanted from the expensive coffee machine, but who would teach me how to use it? Terrifying.

It’s like when you see old, abandoned mannequins in front store windows with out of date displays just standing in the window and you know you’re the only one on earth who can go in and try them on. It’s the end of the world with no people, access to everything, and nothing.

This kind of raw, end-of-the-world fear took a whole two weeks. It didn’t help that I was obsessively watching the over million people worldwide who were already sick with the disease. It is a virus that developed out of Wuhan, China.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever and cough. Trouble breathing is a more serious symptom that means you should get medical attention in an overstressed hospital setting where even medical staff are catching and dying from COVID.

I keep planning to go back in my mold-filled basement to try another online yoga class and maybe get to know the other members of the class and pretend they’re my friends.

I am still looking for bloggers for this lifestyle blog. It’s Banana Peel at http://bpeeled.com on WordPress. I am looking for fellow former journalists as well as those who have some ideas about being over-50 and even over-90 (especially over-90). Right now, I have about 5,000 followers, but the blog is growing.

This is a strictly volunteer position that can have positive repercussions. If you’re interested in blogging for Banana Peel, I would be beyond the moon. We will have some meet-up events in the future that may include some swag.

Each blog must be about 300 words with photos if possible. You can blog as little or as much as you like. Please message me through the blog or call or text me at Jane Bokun (318) 401-1685.