You’ve got to move it, move it.

I went on a very long walk today and it wasn’t for my City Saunter project. In fact I didn’t even walk in Lansing. I walked in my neighborhood. It was a long walk, totaling almost 6.5 miles. That ranks up there with some of my longest saunters so far. Why the long walk? Well this morning I woke up, got dressed and found the pants I normally wear quite well were taut; uncomfortably taut. I’ve been struggling with this type of situation since around Christmas. Up until Thanksgiving I had actually dropped 15 pounds. I was ecstatic. I was almost to a new low since having the twins. If I could hit that weight I knew there would be rainbows everywhere and skittles raining down from the sky. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Right after Thanksgiving we rolled right into Christmas, then New Year, Valentine’s, Groundhog’s Day, Fat Tuesday, 20th Anniversary celebration, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Now, I’m not a huge over eater but I do like a nice treat on occasion. What seems to really be the issue is that as I’ve begun my fourth decade on earth even the slightest amount of going off track makes my weight creep up. That’s never happened to me before. I’m the type that once I gain the weight (always the result of a pregnancy) I stay there, no ups or downs. It takes a lot of energy to lose the extra weight and I usually do. However, after having the twins in 2005 I’ve had an almost impossible time getting back to my pre pregnancy weight. This extra weight, whether fair or not, puts me in the overweight to almost obese club. I don’t want to be in this club anymore.
For just over a year and a half I have been walking Lansing. When I first started this journey I was only able to walk for about 20 minutes before I got winded. As time went by my walks grew in length and duration. I found myself regularly walking two hours and mapping a walk length close to six miles. My runner friends were often posting exercise regimens half this distance. I realized that I had truly made walking my thing. My objectives for this project had been finding the intricacies of Lansing, photographing them and then writing a meaningful blog about each walk. Never did it cross my mind that I would be “the walker”. I started getting welcomed into walking and biking groups. I was asked to join committees that promote the walkability of mid Michigan. I’ve measured almost 250 miles on my journey throughout Lansing in 1.5 years. That’s not counting any walking I did on my own, like today’s 6.45 mile walk. So here are my pointers and ideas so you might want to become a “walker” too.

Start out slowly. Like me, you might have the urge to really push your first walks. I used to do this when I was a runner and I would get so burned out. I’ve found while doing these walks that smaller walks are nicer. Start at a comfortable distance and do it a few times before you push it farther.

Always take water. One of my hardest learned lessons was not taking water. I tend to work up a sweat pretty quickly, even in cold temps. It is always wise to take water and even a small snack with you. I like an apple.

Try to have a goal. With my walks my goal is to hit as many streets as I can without re walking any and then making it back to my parked car. Your goal might be to walk around the block, or to a friend’s house. When you’re out driving look for places you might like to see on a walk (just remember it might be farther than it seems from the drive).

Map it out. Sometimes it’s nice to map a few walks out to see exactly how far it really is. My pace, which is quite fast I think, takes me about 3 miles in 1 hour. That’s a 20 minute mile including stopping to take photos. Use your pace to calculate your distances.

Create your own photo walk. Are you interested in photography? Walking around a neighborhood or park is a great chance to pull out the camera and take some shots. It changes your perspective about your surroundings when you inspect it for photographic purposes.

Take a friend. There is nothing better than walking with a friend or family member. <My Saunter Buddies>

Use Facebook for finding activities and not just to play games. It seems counterintuitive to use something that makes you sit in front of a computer as a way to get out and walk. However, I’ve found that keeping track of events, festivals and friends’ activities on Facebook has allowed me many more opportunities to get out and walk.

Once you find something to do on Facebook or a website, go do it! We have Be a Tourist in Your Own Town coming up June 2. This is a great chance to check out places in town. The books are only $1 and it is loaded with a great list of places to go. You can park in Old Town and check out a few things there (Chalk of the Town, Pruess Pets). Then walk The Lansing River Trail to the Lansing City Market, Impression 5 or the Capitol.

Join a race. Signing yourself up for a 5k is the perfect way to get you scheduled to walk. If this is too much of a push, then sign up as a volunteer for a race. This will allow you to be involved without actually running/walking it. You might even be inspired by the participants.

Volunteer. There are so many great volunteering opportunities here in Lansing. Right now Mid-MEAC is looking for volunteers for their walkability audit. I’ve found that every time I volunteer I get a lot of exercise in. Old Town is also looking for volunteers for their upcoming festivals.

Keep track of your walks. I have a map hanging in my house and as I walk I mark it off the map in pink highlighter. Every time I look at that map and all the pink, I know I’ve been really exercising. If you keep a diary mark it in that. I like to keep track on a calendar too. It’s easy to just mark on the day you walked, how far you went. It’s a nice reminder when you’re not having a good day. You can also use online trackers. I use Daily Mile.

Use the walk for exploring. Walking really allows you to slow down the pace. I’ve been amazed at walking an area that I normally just drive through. It goes by in such a blur in the car, but walking allows me to really look at things. It also allows you to just stop and really take a moment to appreciate it.

Like that you are walking. I use to feel that if I wasn’t running then I wasn’t really exercising. I’ve found that with walking I get just as much of a work out. Plus the ease of it makes it easier for me to continue for longer walks. The low impact also doesn’t create the aches and pains that I use to have from running. It’s a great way to stay in shape.

Help a friend. If you are already really into walking but you might have a friend or family member that is struggling, maybe you can share this blog with them or use some of these ideas to help motivate them. In the end walking is good for everyone; it saves gas, it improves health and it allows you to get out and talk to the neighbors or other Lansing residents.

Good Luck and happy walking!

Perfect Place

While walking through Lansing I’ve learned to appreciate a good area. I’ve created my Personal Neighborhood Assessment guidelines. Some of these “rules” are things like the cleanliness of the sidewalk and homes, the types of cars in the driveways, whether or not there are lawn ornaments (it would seem that fear of burglary or vandalism would prohibit their presence in troubled neighborhoods) and landscaping. I like to walk into neighborhoods and see folks watering plants, mowing their lawns or relaxing on the porch. On the other hand folks arguing on the front lawn, yelling at their kids or secretly talking by running cars tend to cause a bit of trepidation. So far on my journey I have not in any location found myself in a precarious situation. I haven’t had to call for help, or seek out assistance or fight off an attacker. I am not saying it’s not possible, I’m just saying it hasn’t happened in the year and a half that I’ve been venturing throughout Lansing. I realize the possibility is there. I often keep track of my surroundings, checking whose walking nearby. I memorize which houses have security systems and I always carry my phone. Using pepper spray is not entirely out of the question either. Given all this, I really enjoy a walk that takes me into an area where I feel completely safe; the perfect neighborhood. I know that there really isn’t such a thing; bad things can happen anywhere. But there are places that the chance of those bad things happening is severely reduced. Today I walked one of those places. This was my fourth time walking in Groesbeck. I had started it last year around Easter when I hid plastic eggs throughout the neighborhood and posted picture clues to their location. It was fun!

I liked that this place was a place I felt comfortable doing that in. My second time was a drop off. My husband had a business meeting in the area so the twins and I went along to take our walk. It was a great summer day. We ran into friends and family alike while walking. The third time was a family walk. My brother in law lives in Groesbeck and his family and my family all went for an afternoon walk. We weren’t the only ones.

On this last walk I completed all the streets I had missed before in this neighborhood. I am a little sad that I will no longer “need” to walk this beautiful neighborhood. I can only hope that as I continue to move into areas I am not as familiar with I will find a new “Groesbeck”; a place where homes are well kept, the lawns are pristine and the lawn gardens are breathtaking.

Making it Grow

I don’t know if it’s our agricultural roots or just our perfect climate but it seems that here in Lansing just about every home I’ve passed has something growing. Some homes are much more extravagant with their landscaping, creating works of living art throughout their property. Some have a much lighter shade of green thumb and keep only their lawn and maybe one plant. I’ve seen tomatoes growing on the roof. I’ve seen intricate gardens with copious agriculture precisely planted in rows or loops. I’ve seen perfectly placed flower pots of brilliant colors filled with equally colorful growing adornments. I also have had to care for a lawn and usually a garden for most of my adult life and know how much work goes into making things grow. Most yards if left alone will quickly become unruly. It takes energy to prune and weed and trim and water and weed again. When I put my gardens in every year the process usually amazes me. I turn the soil, add fertilizer and plant either seeds or small plants. From there with normal daily sunrises and sunsets; thunderstorms and soft rainfall, the plants begin to grow. They grow until flowers come out which then attract the bees and butterflies that fertilize the plants. Weeks later from that initial planting, if all goes as planned, an edible product begins to grow. A few weeks more and you might be enjoying the literal fruits of your labor, if the kids or deer don’t get it. That’s a lot of work and a lot of discipline to reach that final goal. Yet it is one of the most rewarding activities I do. Today with Lunch with a Purpose we started the gardening process with a handful of students at Riddle Elementary School. They eagerly joined us first picking up trash and raking last fall’s leaves. Many didn’t know which plants were weeds or how to even rid the ground of those plants but with a few instructions and the proper tools our small group of gardeners really started to dig in and get dirty. We began turning the dark soil and pulling up weeds that had grown deeper underground. Within a couple of hours we had prepared a large section for their future flower and vegetable garden. There is nothing better than planting a seed and watching it grow.
TJ Duckett works with the students of Riddle Elementary School to plant a garden

Riddle student digging in

Isn’t it Grand?

Where My grandparents’ used to live on Cooper Ave in Lansing

Grandparents. They’re the people who step in when your parents are exhausted or in need of a break. They’re the ones that let you eat ice cream when you know you’re not supposed to. They read you a bed time story then gently rock you to sleep. Mine also took my brother and me on a train from Lansing to Chicago, let us pick new school clothes or a day at Cedar Point and returned us home one summer vacation from Mackinac Island to Lansing via a boat. They took us to all the Michigan hot spots; Duck Lake, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Boblo Island. I’ve tooted the horn on a train that my grandfather engineered. I still remember when my grandma carefully iced up my ears and then punctured each with a needle, delicately placing my birthstone earrings in that she bought me for my 11^th birthday. We’ve experienced all the highs together; holidays, birthdays, summer picnics, vacations, slumber parties. They had a way and a home that created the most inviting environment. In the summer we came out to their home in Dimondale and swam or boated in the canals. We relaxed on the deck and grilled out. In the winter we enjoyed ice skating out on the river and a warm fire to drink homemade hot cocoa by inside. The love permeated everything they did and everything they shared with their family. They have definitely earned their “grand” to go along with their “ma” and “pa”.

All the grandkids

Great Grandpa Smith, Grandpa Smith, my mom and me.

Walter and me on my grandpa’s train

You Gotta Have Friends

Lansing is lovely. It has an amazing river trail that meanders alongside two river edges. It has a picturesque skyline with breathtaking architecture. It has festivals and events to make anyone happy. It has historic areas and government monuments. Lansing has its own Chili Festival, music festival, film festival and a dragon boat festival. However, I’ve come to realize that despite all these incredible places and events there is something even better that makes Lansing stand out. It’s the people. I’ve heard, on many occasions, Lansing newbies proclaim just how nice the people in Lansing are. In the last few years I’ve witnessed the kindness and generosity of Lansing residents over and over. With the versatility of social media, a call to arms takes seconds. This was the case a few years back when a family’s home in Old Town burned to the ground along with all their baby shower gifts for their soon to arrive baby boy. Within days, with just a Facebook post from Erin Slayter of Sweaty Mouse, a warehouse was filled with donated items. Another incident that I am aware of happened last year. My friend Justin Caine of Good Fruit Video posted that an elderly woman had been evicted from her apartment for lack of payment. She sat on the street corner surrounded by her meager belongings which were being picked off by passersby. Within an hour Tashmica Torok of Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project had offered up her basement for storage, Two Men and a Truck had donated a truck and their services to pick this woman’s possessions up and Sara Griffin from Lunch with a Purpose had arranged temporary living services. These are only two examples. I have more; a lot more. I find the more I get to know the people of Lansing the more impressed I am by our giving mentality; our courage to stand up for the underdog. I like that when a friend gets a discouraging message that another group of people rewrite the note into a new message of hope and love. Don’t you have a friend that is real with you? Who is willing to love you no matter how imperfect you are? A friend who cheers you on when you might be discouraged or have suffered a setback? I would have to say that the behavior of all these people I’ve mentioned and those I’ve mentioned by implication are true friends; true friends of Lansing and its people and I’m happy to be part of that group. #lovelansing

It’s my Island

One of my favorite movies of all time is Braveheart. There are multiple lines and scenes that I consider my favorite but one seems to stand out often to me. It could be that the actor looks entirely too much like my uncle, and in fact my uncle does an identical reenactment of the scene. It’s also what this actor says. The character’s name is Stephen, The Mad Irishman and this is what he says:

“I’m the most wanted man on my island. But I’m not on my island”
“Your island? You mean Ireland?”
“Yeah, It’s MINE!”

Lansing. It’s mine. I feel like that sometimes. And looking at all the people who came out today for 2012 Adopt a River, I would guess that a lot of other people feel the exact same way. Why shouldn’t we? I’ve been thinking a lot about this need to take care of Lansing; to promote its businesses, to complete its streets, to organize rallies against crime, to organize it, to clean it and to protect it. I feel a duty to it. Not in a way like I owe it, but rather like it’s my family and when it needs help I’ll be there. This idea is similar to a family member asking me to help them. Of course I’d be there to help. So when I hear about river clean up or festival hosting or complete street forms to be filled, I’m there ready and eager to help. I’m really glad so many others in the area feel the same way.

Planting new life into the island

Board of Water and Light’s recycled art

Erik Larson-Executive Director of Impression 5

Pat and Rob Killips Senior doing their jobs for the event

Call for Peace

There’s a call that too many get. It’s the call that changes your world forever. My call came in at 11:36pm July 18, 1989. It was my grandma on the other end of the line. I could hear her tear hoarse voice softly speak into my ear; “Walter was killed in a car accident”. My 17 year old brother was dead. Even at 19 I knew my world would never be the same.

Today I stood among a crowd filled with moms, sisters, brothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents and friends who either received that life changing call or had to make that call. Their call, like mine, told them that someone they loved had been taken from them too early; ripped from their lives forever. Unlike my loss, theirs was from an act of violence committed by another person. Whatever reasoning or lack thereof, that had led to its commencing, this one singular act of violence doesn’t stop there. It ripples out over and through those affected, sometimes in tidal waves and sometimes in slow rhythmic pulses, but always there; forever. Today’s walk was designed to rally people behind the idea of peace. People present spoke of respecting each other. They spoke of education. They spoke about loving each other. They professed that it’s the civil group’s actions that carry the most weight; working with law enforcement and speaking up when something seems amiss. Mostly they spoke of the aching hole left in their hearts. Yet I also witnessed a strength in these people who seemed stronger than humanly possible. I saw two moms each holding the other as if letting go would result in falling over. They appear fragile and one, in fact, when faced with speaking of her daughter’s murder buries her face into her friend’s shoulder. This only strengthens the words flowing out of the other mother’s mouth whose son was murdered as well. She confidently speaks for both families.

I saw John Edmond, the father of Amaia Edmond stand beside the humble man whose body now holds the liver of his deceased daughter; both so thankful that the little girl blessed so many people in her short time on earth.

I heard the new police captain, Daryl Green speak of his loss of a close uncle, a brother really, he tells us, after he was shot in New York. Later I witnessed him wiping away tears while listening to the tragedies experienced by others present. I listened as Council woman Jody Washington, she herself a victim of violence, name the 20 people in her ward that were homicide victims in the last four years.

I heard the angelic, solo voice of a young girl sing The Star Spangled Banner for all those gathered in the parking lot of Resurrection Church.

This crowd of over 100 turned out on a cold Saturday afternoon because they felt strongly that something should be done about the violence in the Lansing community. They represent a wave, that slow and steady wave that will wash over the city with hope and peace.

Keep the Peace, Stop the Violence.

Spring in my Step

Momentum can often be taken for granted when a project commences. Sometimes even a great idea can get to a point in its life cycle where it needs a push, maybe just a gentle nudging to recommit to it. After having about a month off I knew that getting back on that slow walking horse might be a bit intimidating. For many days last month I’ve created hurdles for myself; gas is too expensive, I’m too busy, and I miss the kids are some of the excuses I gave. Some of it was legitimate. For those two weeks that I was involved with TEDxLansing and Capital City Film Festival I was driving into Lansing sometimes twice a day and staying for most of that day. But now it’s really time to get moving again, literally. I was able to move yesterday walking over 5.44 miles in Lansing’s south side. It was refreshing to get out and exercise, taking in all the scents of multiple flowers permeating the breezy spring air. Again this was a neighborhood that completely surprised me with its perfection. Evenly spaced, midsized, majestic homes kept pace with me throughout the entire walk. Lawns were adorned with intricate landscaping, whimsical garden characters and pristine pruning. The early arrival of “summer” back in March surely enhanced the flower growth that we are enjoying now in our near normal spring. It was a great day for a walk. It was a great place to rejuvenate my desire to complete this project, no backing down for me. At this point I have walked a very large majority of 496 North. It’s true. So, Southside, here I come!

Did You Miss it?

I haven’t walked much lately. Have you noticed the empty calendar? I would apologize, but I’m not really sorry. I might not have been walking Lansing but I was deeply entrenched in Lansing. I was asked to be the photographic coordinator for the TEDx Lansing conference and The Capital City Film Festival. Together these events started April 12 and ran through April 15. I usually hate reading about something in the media that has already happened, but I’m afraid that’s what I’m going to do here. I only do this so people will understand the hugeness of these two events and be more compelled to not miss it next year. A unique group of volunteers converged to create these events. They range from business owners to dedicated entrepreneurs to work from home house wives. They communicated through emails, texts, tweets, meetings and posts. They encouraged each other, promoted each other and supported each other. None of them were paid for the time they took, away from their normal lives, to put together these events. Now don’t get me wrong, they were not unrewarded for their labor; many received food, t-shirts, pins, event passes, kudos, high fives, high tens, photo credits, blog traffic, advertisements, fun times, and experiences. We all felt enriched by these events.
And this was the final product:

A Red Carpet event (free to the public) with a true red carpet walk, stop and pose area, where multiple photographers, myself included, captured gorgeously dressed attendees. The setting was Troppo who graciously donated their space and superb delicacies. Those gathered enjoyed networking, quality appetizers and discounted drink specials including a delightful red raspberry martini for $4, of which I rewarded myself with after hours of photographing.

Feature Films:. The Capital City Film festival hosted 10 feature films at three locations; Temple Club, Lansing Public Media Center and The Lansing Center. All locations were decorated with flowing black curtains encapsulating the viewing areas, moody, blue lighting and appropriate food ranging from popcorn and candy bars to wine and beer.
Movie Shorts:: There were 46 short films presented. These intense movie bites included professional, student, long form comedy and AFI directing women showcase.
Documentary:: There were 2 documentaries including one covering the Bath School Disaster, one of the most deadliest acts of terrorism on US soil.
Feature Bands: Not only was CCFF about film but it was so much more. Lansing isn’t new to music concerts and having an incredible music line up as part of the Film Festival just seems natural. This year’s talents included 4 headliners; Greensky Bluegrass, Murder by Death, William Elliott Whitmore and Lights. All had incredible turnouts and Lights was officially sold out.
Musical Guests: Not only was there incredible featured bands, but each feature had their own guest musicians. There were 10 guest musical performances throughout the event.
TEDxLansing: This year’s TEDx (Technology,Entertainment, Design) was Lansing’s third. The location was changed to the Lansing Public Media Center and rolled into the CCFF festivities. In fact, if you bought your $50 CCFF ticket, you automatically gained entrance into TEDxLansing, which included (a $10 value) lunch from either Purple Carrot or King of the Grill. Due to an extra 50 attendees at TEDxLansing there was a delay in volunteers being able to get their lunches. Each time I walked through the doors out into the newly created outdoor dining area with black and white linen covered tables, the smells from the food trucks almost made me cry. When I was told I could collect my meal ticket and choose my lunch, I raced to my chosen truck and was overjoyed by the meal.
Presentations: TEDxLansing featured 11 presenters with topics encompassing creating potable water supplies to villages in Ecuador, teaching how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse, comic books and life, combating the obstacles for poverty stricken Uganda, technology and creativity, using technology in storytelling, and team work. These all highlighted the idea that ideas are worth spreading. After lunch the show continued right into the Media Sandbox Series, a CCFF and MSU collaboration to “explore visual communication through the lens of design, business and technology”.

 

 

 

 

Performers: On top of having extraordinary presenters, there were also three extraordinary performers. First was Kinetic Affect, a Kalamazoo twosome who use their traumatic life experiences to create heartfelt, inspirational responses to their spoken word art. Their performance of “The Michigan Poem” left me desperately needing a tissue.

 

 

 

 

The next was the mosaically adorned, diversely populated band Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle. If the name sounds familiar they also played at the very mysterious Vacant Lansing. This, however, was my first experience with this band and I sat mesmerized by the style, the rhythm, the unique kazoo style instrument and the outfits. The last band to perform was Othello and the Pocket Change Band. With the lights dimmed low and bright colored spot lights casting brilliant lighting around them, they created the mood for the lunching TEDxLansing crowd and an upbeat anticipation for those attending the Media Sandbox Series.
Fortnight Film Contest: On Sunday afternoon the Lansing Public Media Center sat brimming with movie goers watching the 19 entries for this year’s first Mid Michigan 14 day contest. Each team was given four elements; an umbrella, the question “Where are we going?” or “Where are you going?”, a body of water, a dancer or dancing, to put into their less than 10 minute creation. The grand prize winner received $1500, second place was given $1000, and third was given $500. Due to the creativity level, the organizers decided to add two more winners to the pile. Finally the audience, through the use of a decibel meter, determined who the winner of audience choice (another $500 winner) was. It was an exciting chance for creative film makers, actors, directors and producers to have some fun, invite their family and friends out to watch their movie on the big screen.
It was four days of inspiration, creativity, art, music, photography, dedication, participation, education and community. Lansing needs everyone to be involved, whether you’re one of many volunteers, or a cheerleader helping promote or even the one who buys the ticket. These type of events can only make Lansing a better place. I hope to see you there next year.

If you’d like to see the photos from these events they are on my website www.ariniko.com and my flickr page here.

Hopping Down the River Trail!

Hippity, hoppity Easter’s on its way!!! Making our way just off the trail we found our first Easter activity. It was an egg drop at the Baker-Donora Community Center. Baker Street. The Baker Street. The only neighborhood I was specifically warned about not walking. I can’t NOT walk a neighborhood. That’s not how City Saunter works. So I get creative and take advantage of every opportunity I can. Today’s event would allow my family and me to safely explore this area, meet some of the neighbors and walk a few streets with the other families.

Not only did I feel safe here, we greatly enjoyed the activities. This is a neighborhood with families who don’t have much. There was a free area for people to take things they needed. The eggs were all stuffed with great items. There were even stuffed animals scattered around the park as well as the typical candy and stickers. After every child politely went out and collected every item placed throughout the large park, there were other adults walking around handing out more free things. Not one child left without pockets full of goodies. The police officer present introduced himself and gave out police stickers as well. All the families gathered were polite, humble and friendly. After emptying out the contents of all the eggs the twins collected we then traveled around a few of the streets, following behind a few folks heading back home. They addressed us politely and waved as we passed.


Our next stop along the river’s edge was The Lansing City Market Bunny Hop.

The eggs filled with goodies were scattered across the lawns, separated by age group. Inside activities of face painting and a balloon art clown were available for those willing to wait in the lines. All of the vendors were open as well, filling the air with luscious smells. At about 20 minutes before 2pm all the kids began lining the roped off areas, anxiously waiting for the hunt to begin. There was the added excitement of finding the Golden Eggs which had special gifts from the likes of Preuss Pets, Jumping Jax, Lugnuts and Celebration Cinema. As Tim Baron began counting down in his booming voice we all knew the adventure would finally be over within minutes. And it was. What a great day to travel the trails and find some fun family activities as well.