The shameless promotion of friends and family

The Daycare
The Nanny

• Articles

  • Polish Girls and Irishmen by my cousin, Tim Bazzett is an article inspired by the book The Grasinski Girls by Mary Erdmans, another cousin of mine.   Tim's reflections on ethnicity, family and the career choice of "just a Mom" are near to my heart and I can't read this without a tear.

  • Morgan Gibson, our beloved friend, has generously given me permission to publish these poems here.   They have all been published in other places, but never before as a collection.   I hope in the future to have a place on the site that does more justice to his writing, but in the meantime, here they are in the pdf file as he sent them to me.

    Morgan Gibson was the lead-off poet in "The Signature of All Things," a Red Hen film of the Kenneth Rexroth Centenary Celebration at Beyond Baroque Poetry Center in Venice, California in December 2005.   His long "I-Thou Poem" for Kenneth Rexroth appears in the Jungle Crows Tokyo anthology and in the Chicago Review archives.   Gibson is the author of two books on Rexroth, two Buddhist books, and Speaking of Light and other books of poetry.   He was a columnist and a contributing editor of Kyoto Journal and a columnist for Printed Matter.   Gibson taught creative writing and modern literature for eleven years at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and literature and writing at other universities in America and Japan, where he has lived (currently in Yokohama) for over twenty years.   Thank you Morgan!

  • Ben Hansen, my husband, soulmate and friend. And writer.
    • CATIE & You
    • Involuntary And Illegal Electroshock In Michigan
    • Questioning Doctor's Diagnosis
    • Tarahumara Journey

  • My daughter, Elizabeth, wrote the poem The Women In My Life which speaks so eloquently about our friends and family that I proudly publish it here with her permission.   Thank you to all these women.

• Books

  • My cousin Tim has written four books: Reed City Boy, Soldier Boy, Pinhead: A Love Story and Love, War & Polio.   These autobiographical stories are told with that dry sense of humor and wry philosophy that the Bazzetts are known for.   They may be a little too frank or explicit for the more fragile reader, but for the rest of us they're a hilarious, tear-jerking insight into a wonderful Michigan family.   In the first book, you'll find my parent's wedding picture!   Tim's Mom, my Aunt Daisy, wrote an introduction to Soldier Boy that makes me wish she would write a book.   (I've heard rumors that she is!)   I have yet to read the newest release, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed.   For a sample of his writing, read Polish Girls and Irishmen.

  • The Grasinski Girls was written by Mary Patrice Erdmans whose Mom is my Mom's cousin.   The book is full of interviews with her mother and aunts, all of them relatives of mine, so you see why I had to put it on this page!   Mary explores the private lives of these white, working-class, Polish-American women in the post-World War II generation comparing them, at times, to our own postfeminist generation.   A wonderful insight into how gender, class, ethnicity, and religion shapes the choices we are given as well as the choices we make.  For a reflection on this book, read Polish Girls and Irishmen by Tim Bazzett.

• Websites
  • Ben Hansen's website, Bonkers Institute. In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I am the woman behind that man.

  • My sister-in-law Bernadette is one of those great teachers who really cares about kids and goes the extra mile to make her school a better place.   Her website is mostly just for her students and families, but she has some good links on it that are worth checking out.

  • Chateau Chantal is a gorgeous winery and bed and breakfast owned by Bob and Nadine Begin.  Nadine is my Mom's cousin; one of those Graskinski Sisters in the book above.  Even if we weren't related, I'd still think that they have the most beautiful winery in the area; and I have done my research.  Their website is very informative, including some delicious recipes.  They also have great jazz entertainment on a regular basis all year 'round in a family-friendly atmosphere.

  • My brother-in-law, emerson matabele is an artist with a camera who has a soul and spirit as deep and wide as the oceans he travels to create his images.   We are blessed with one he gifted us with in our entry way and it cheers us all in our comings and goings.   His pictures are worth more than any other words I can write, so click on the link and check him out.

  • Equine Art by Jeanne Rewa is a place to view and buy stunning original portraits of horses by my cousin's daughter.   Go look for yourself; I wouldn't include her on this list if she wasn't worth a peek.  Also some equally stunning hand-carved wands by her sister, Amy.   I would love this stuff even if I didn't love these women, but I do.

  • Five Springs Farm is owned by our friends, Jim Sluyter and Jo Meller.   They're wonderful people who live in my idea of heaven and their website is a sweet peek into that heaven.   Jim wrote a beautiful article, The Community in Community Supported Agriculture that helps us understand why what they do is so vital.   If we didn't have farmers, how would we eat?   These are some of the most important people on the planet.

  • Frosti Saves the World is the website of a man who is one of the sons I didn't give birth to, but had the honor of helping to raise; Michael Zernow.   I love him to pieces and love to include him and his amazing life path here.

  • Besides being a profound, innovative jazz musician with a big heart, Jeff Haas is a magnet that draws other great talent to him.   Wherever he's performing you're certain to find unparalleled quality.   What a joy to be able to include him on this page!

  • Laura's Recipes is a food blog by one of the Moms from our own daycare family!   That means that not only are the recipes yummy, but they're practical too, since she's busy raising kids and holding down a full time job.   Not only that, but she inserts her funny, down-to-earth comments on food and family that make you feel like you're laughing and chatting with her around the kitchen table with a cup of tea.   Thanks so much Laura!

  • New Pages is the website of my sister Denise and her husband Casey Hill.   It's a dense resource of news, information and guides to independent bookstores, independent publishers, literary magazines, alternative periodicals, independent record labels and alternative newsweeklies.   Though aimed primarily at the literary world, even if you're not a writer or a reader (I've heard there are such people...) you'll still find interesting musical recommendations here as well as books and periodicals that are off the beaten path; the most interesting kind.   My favorite part of the site is the blog which used to be just snippets from other sites or magazines; now it often has a bit of editorial comment as well, usually by Denise who always is worth listening to.

  • Olson, Bzdok & Howard, P.C., is a specialty law firm located in Traverse City, Michigan, that provides high quality, progressive legal services to clients throughout Michigan and the nation, with an emphasis in environmental, natural resource, land use, real estate, Indian, and corporate law.   These attorneys really are the good guys.

  • My good old buddy from way back in high school days, Bruce Peterson, is still a rabble rouser and has a the Peace and Justice Radio website to prove it.   There are few people that I admire as much as Bruce for his unrelenting passion for fighting the good fight with such peaceful, mindful humility on this earth.   Brace yourself, and then check him out.

  • One of our Joyful Noise Moms, Michele, is starting her own business making calendars for schools.   For your particular school the calendar will hold all important dates and will have twelve beautiful pictures that the school provides her.   Anyone with older children knows that one of the hardest tasks is keeping track of every little thing going on and many schools across the country are handing parents a calendar at the beginning of the year.   Unlike some others I've seen, Michele's are really attractive and can be used for fund raisers.   She has a fledgling website, Plan Your School Year Calendar with her contact information so your school can arrange to make one of these great calendars, no matter where in the country you live.

  • Poet's Night Out     The best community poetry contest ever.   Made possible by our local library and a small group of amazing people.

  • Traverse City Kids is a new website put together by my friend, Jenika Cruzen Burden and her friend Kristi Weadock.   It's strictly a local site chock full of things to do with kids here in the Traverse City area.   The suggestions are organized several ways, by season, by age group, by topic and extend well into the counties surrounding Grand Traverse.   Besides activities there are lists of other entities that support parenting and while I don't endorse all their agency recommendations I highly endorse the great effort of these two women to offer help to their fellow parents.   If you are living or visiting in this area with children, check them out!

  • Wayne Piper was my favorite teacher back in high school and remains close to my heart after lo these many years.   After working in libraries for over 30 years, most recently as director of professional development for the Ohio Library Council, Wayne Piper Consults is how he has decided to "retire;" doing consulting work for public libraries.   If these are the services you need, I promise you, this is your man.