The Heartbeat Center

Putting the Pieces Together

2011-06-21T05:41:00.000-05:00

Last night we started putting together the Key Ingredients kiosks. Good thing we had Randy and Amber Samens with us who had some sort of clue about what we were doing. Randy is incredible at reading pictures and determining which pieces go where. We'll wait for them to get back to the site tonight before we continue. I have to say, it was neat to see it coming together -- finally!

We are still looking for volunteers to help work at the site, and to help serve food at events. We're having a potluck in the high school's commons on Thursday evening (June 23) at 6:00. Feel free to join us to find out what's going on and to see how you can help.

Things are also coming together for the grand opening program on Friday evening. We're grateful to Al Ross, from Wisconsin Public Radio, who has agreed to emcee the event. We'll have musical numbers, entertainment, and we'll be honoring several local food "celebrities" who have helped put Osseo on the map. Of course we'll have FOOD too -- sponsored by the Osseo-Fairchild FFA (think ice cream). We hope to see you there!

KI Arrives from Brodhead TOMORROW!

2011-06-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

Early tomorrow morning Scott will take a truck to pick up the KI exhibit in Brodhead, WI. We're nervous, excited and exhilarated all at the same time! We can't wait for it to arrive, but biding a bit more time before the grand opening next week wouldn't be too bad either!

The Key Ingredients exhibit will make its first "official" appearance in the Lake Martha Days parade on Sunday. We'll drive the truck and its precious cargo in the parade, while O-F grads will pass out basil-seed bookmarks to parade watchers. We hope the weather is nice and not too hot!

The official grand opening posters have been placed in businesses and windows all over in Whitehall, Pigeon Falls and Osseo; they're eye-catching and beautiful. We're pleased with the logo Chad (Triad Publications) created for us. We have two big banners that will hang on the truck in the parade and then at the school and in the park in Osseo. Scott will begin making the rounds on local television stations next week, and his radio interview with Spectrum West (WPR) airs tonight.

Next week we'll be extra-busy putting together the exhibition, conducting the docent training, and preparing for the grand opening along with our first international cuisine day on Sunday. Whew...we better be prepared for the six-week marathon, because it's getting ready to hit us full force!

Key Ingredients is Almost Here!

2011-06-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

We are less than two weeks away from the grand opening of Key Ingredients in Osseo, and things are beginning to finally feel like they're coming together nicely. We have a full calendar of events from international taste-testings, important panel discussions, canning demonstrations to an awesome variety-show opening night. Of course FOOD will be involved as well! We're excited with the possibilities and hope it helps our community come together to celebrate what's GOOD in Osseo.

Local businesses have provided tremendous financial and supply support -- all of whom have helped to make this huge feat come together. We've been selling thermal/insulated bags that show-off our unique logo and people seem to like their novelty. Scott has been very busy passing out our basil-seed bookmarks everywhere he goes in order to promote Key Ingredients -- look for us at the Lake Martha Days parade to get yours!

I wish I could be as outgoing as Scott! Instead, I use my skills to work behind the scenes on updating the website with new information as it comes in, which is often two or three times a day. My tasks also include creating the paperwork that needs to be filed with The Humanities Council when all is said and done -- volunteer logs, mileage forms, a guest book, and a scrapbook. Thank goodness I'm out of school for the summer!

Look for more frequent updates as the grand opening approaches next Friday! Until then visit the website to determine which events you'll be adding to your calendar!

Key Ingredients, Website and Facebook Updates

2010-11-16T21:29:00.000-06:00

SEVEN MONTHS AND COUNTING! That's how far away we are to the six week Key Ingredients exhibit coming to Osseo. That means we have a bunch to tackle between now and then. We've gotten a good handle on the ongoing activities we'd like to have during our six weeks -- taste testings, book clubs, contests, a farmer's market, movie nights,panel discussions, and musical/play productions. WOW, that's a bunch! I'm glad we narrowed things down!

We've updated our website too - check it out at www.theheartbeat.us and you can "like" us now on Facebook.

If you're interested in joining us for Harvest Time workshops, we'll have those in January, February and March where you can paint, draw, write, create music, etc. using farmers' stories as your inspiration.

We hope you'll plan on joining us soon! Our next Key Ingredients planning meeting will be held Thursday, January 6 at 7:00pm in OFHS room 202.

Embracing Your Second Calling (Bourke) Book Review

2010-08-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

Embracing Your Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke provides opportunities for readers to consider what they want the second half of their lives to look like. It provides many opportunities for reflection. It encourages the readers to ask the questions "Who have I been, "Who am I now," and "Who do I want to become."

I determined that some of the exercises will have to wait until I don't have a child in high school, while even more will have to wait until I don't have a teaching job that forces me to go to work each day. But, it did give me many things to think about and to consider doing now.

This is a great read for spiritual groups or women's book clubs. It would be important for the people within the groups to know each other, because I'm not sure participants would feel comfortable doing some of the exercises with people they don't know very well.

Overall, it's a keeper and one I will refer to again and again. Special thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Paving Begins for The Roads We've Traveled

2010-08-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

We followed a road to the unknown and it led us to fruitful possibilities.

We submitted a modest grant to the Wisconsin Farmers Union to ask for funding help for our The Roads We've Traveled project. They obliged and will provide The Heartbeat with 1/3 of the funding we need to make the program a reality.

The Roads We've Traveled uses elderly farmers to tell their stories to a group of various artists. After the storytelling hour, artists create their "visions" of the story via visual art, music, or the written word. When the art has been created, we will compile the pieces and put them into a publication of some sort.

We believe The Roads We've Traveled will serve to preserve and document the farmers' stories, and provide new creative fodder for the artists. The opportunities for this program are endless.

Plans, schedules, and Registration for our Fall and Winter (2010-2011) The Roads We've Traveled project will be available soon.

3 Contacts and a Wedding

2010-07-25T09:21:00.000-05:00

The Heartbeat's plans for Key Ingredients are beginning to take shape. We met with the Wisconsin Humanities Council to begin formulating the groundwork for writing a grant to work with Sister on our opening night ideas. They put us in touch with the folklorist Rick March who is interested in working as our scholar for the project. He will be a wonderful resource for us.

Scott and I will be attending the Imagination Conversations conference in Rhinelander on July 27-28, which we hope will provide us with ideas and possibilities to grow The Heartbeat. We've also completed our donation letter, and Scott created incentives for each level of giving.

During the past week Dee and Scott have been in contact with friends who may be able to provide some help and guidance with the Urban Eyes program.

Dr. Rebekah McCloud, from the University of Central Florida, is the director of UCF's Upward Bound program. This program works with disadvantaged high schoolers who show promise of succeeding in college if the necessary resources are provided.

DeWitt Green, director of Uplift Chess in Minnesota, believes playing chess teaches necessary life and decision-making skills. It is his goal to teach this art to students in local middle schools to help them make smart choices in the future.

We believe that Becky and DeWitt both have ideas that could be of great benefit to Urban Eyes.

Yesterday, we had the honor of attending Amber's wedding to Randy Samens. Amber was a beautiful bride and it was a refreshing sight to see the love that surrounded her as she left her family to make her own. We worried she wouldn't smile behind all of the tears. But, by the time she danced her unforgettable first dance with Randy, she was beaming. It was a beautiful day for a gorgeous young woman. We wish them nothing but the best. Now, we put her to work!

Exciting Times

2010-05-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

As we prepare for the summer, we are excited with some new prospects we have for the Key Ingredients Program.

Scott and Amber attended a workshop on May 13-14 in Madison. They were able to talk with other Wisconsin Key Ingredients hosts, and learned a plethora of information about exactly what it is they need to do for KI.

We also had a meeting of our core planning group on Monday night and came up with some awesome ideas. We finally have a vision and will begin to put things into place for next June.

The singing group Sister has decided to join us and O-F band teacher, Aaron Cole, suggested some neat ideas to have students from local schools perform ethnic numbers alongside Sister for our opening night kickoff. He also suggested including local jazz artists on the various nights of other events. How fun!

The excitement is just beginning!

Welcome to The Heartbeat

2010-02-02T09:22:00.001-06:00

The Heartbeat Center for Writing, Literacy and the Arts, Inc. has been very busy the past few months.

We are excited to host the Wisconsin Humanities Council's Smithsonian Key Ingredients Exhibit in Osseo, WI from June 24 - August 5, 2011.

We're also in the process of creating some new writing programs. We'll post more about these in upcoming weeks.