Crysta Goes Visiting, Issue #74, Winter 2020

By Crysta Coburn

In this column, Crysta Coburn writes about crazywisdom-esque people and happenings around Ann Arbor.

A Time 4 You Bath and Spa Treats with Adrian Leek

It is vitally important to make time for yourself and get back to you on a regular basis. But that can be hard, especially with how busy our lives are, and when you throw parenthood into the mix, when you are responsible not only for yourself but for your children, devoting time to only you can feel selfish and that much more difficult! 

Ypsilanti-based A Time 4 You Bath and Spa Treats to the rescue! It was actually Adrian Leek’s family that guided her to learning about naturally and simply made bath and body products and launching her own business. “When I became a mother I was very, very particular about what I put on my baby for skin care, but mostly drawn to mixing my own oils for relaxing and calming effects using lavender, chamomile, and olive oil for after bath and bedtime,” Leek shared with me. “My kids LOVED the massages, and I loved knowing that I was able to make something so healthy and enjoyable for my kids.”

About starting her own business, Leek said, “When my second child was diagnosed with autism, it changed our lives...but I was already on the right track with my pursuit of natural hand-made products. With my son’s condition, it was all the more important that natural products were used because so many sensitivities come along with autism. On the flip side of this lifestyle is that we tend to live such stressful lives, and I’ve found it necessary to make a conscious effort toward self-care. A Time For You Bath and Spa Treats was created to help inspire others to stop and not only enjoy a moment to ourselves, but take better care of ourselves...so we can continue to care for the people and things that we love.”

I asked her about how she learned to make her products and where she finds the ingredients. She said, “Research, a love for these kinds of products (natural and simply made), feedback from people that use them, and of course...trial and error. My ingredients come from a mixture of places, my focus is on high quality, responsible, and clean materials.” At the moment, she sources many of her materials online and is “looking for a brick and mortar location to buy materials.”

When I asked Leek why self-care is so important in her life, she answered, “I have learned over the years that it is necessary to consciously try to balance our level of stress with something calming, positive, and relaxing. I believe that these things are imperative to keeping our balance and allowing us to continue with the necessary things that we find important to us.

Leek is hoping to have her products on boutique shelves within the next five years. In the meantime, find A Time 4 You Bath and Spa Treats on Etsy and at local farmers markets.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/timeforyouyes or ATime4YouBathTreats.etsy.com. Or you can email time4youyes@gmail.com. 

Read related article: Crysta Goes Visiting, Fall 2018

Bunny and Smooch and Deborah Secord

After growing up in Canton, Deborah Secord studied theater at Eastern Michigan University “and stayed in the area afterward for the artsy, quirky, creative community that Ypsi offers.” It is through theater that I met Secord. She starred in the workshop production of my husband Greg’s play Whatever Happened to Captain Future? with the Ypsilanti-based Neighborhood Theatre Group.

Then, when Greg and I were vending at our area’s newest book festival Booksilanti, I learned that Secord is more than a talented actress—she makes delightful handmade jewelry, too! Each piece is made from the pages of children’s books. As her sign read, “Beloved books go from trash to treasure.” I couldn’t resist buying a pendant featuring the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, for which I have received several compliments since. (It was a tough choice between that and Winnie the Pooh!) Secord learned to make jewelry through trial and error and watching YouTube videos. “I went through a lot of learning what didn’t work before I figured out what did!” 

When I asked why she chose books to make her jewelry, she answered, “I just hate to see books get thrown out—especially Children’s books. [...] When you are a child and you discover a love of reading, certain books just speak to your soul and become a part of you—at least that’s how it was for me. I can still remember how certain books smelled, the warmth of the sun on my back as I lay on the floor in front of the window with my pile of books, the feel of the pages of certain favorites, rough paper smoothed to soft over a thousand re-reads. I have so many books that are falling apart because I read them over and over again. To be able to carry that book with me when it’s no longer readable, to save it and give it new life as a cherished piece of jewelry makes me feel like it’s getting some of the love back that it deserves.”

In addition to acting and jewelry making, Secord also enjoys spending time with her family and loves to bake. “I made rainbow layered unicorn cakes for my daughter’s first birthday this summer and have done golden snitch cakes, pizza cakes, roller skates, and more!” The name Bunny and Smooch is inspired by her daughter and her daughter’s toy bunny. “My spare time and fun time is generally spent hanging out with my family. Most days we like to cuddle up on the couch and watch Great British Bake Off, HGTV, or old episodes of our 90s favorites like The Nanny and Mad About You. Weekends are spent running around Ypsi, camping throughout Michigan, visiting fun and funky art shows and festivals, and catching up with friends.”

In addition to selling at the occasional festival, Secord’s jewelry can be bought online through Facebook. 

For more information visit www.facebook.com/bunnyandsmooch or email bunnyandsmooch@gmail.com. 

Reflexolo-chiTM Healing with Greg Knollmeyer

According to the Reflexology Association of America, “Reflexology is the application of specific pressure by the use of the practitioner’s hand, thumb, and fingers to a reflex map resembling a human body which is believed to exist on the extremities.” Reflexolo-chiTM was developed by Gloria Zimet as a gentler, less penetrative variant that incorporates the body’s life energy (chi). The impact of reflexolo-chi can be felt as quickly as the first session. I decided to investigate this myself, and I made an appointment with local practitioner Greg Knollmeyer. 

I have a painful tailor’s bunion on my left foot that I was eager to address. Knollmeyer explained that there is a long list of ailments that can be tackled with reflexolo-chi, such as stress, headaches, joint pain, PMS, allergies, digestive disorders, and so on. My chief concern was my bunion, however, which I could feel quite sharply as I limped into the office and hopped onto the table. Even while resting, my foot throbbed.

Rather than press on my foot, Knollmeyer manipulated my toes and lower leg to make adjustments, starting with the problematic left. (It reminded me a bit of a chiropractic exam I had many years ago in California, and now I wonder if that doctor perhaps had some of this training.) For anyone with sensitive feet, this is probably a better route than traditional reflexology. 

I felt my body slowly loosen up, and the ache in my left foot gradually faded away. Knollmeyer was also easy to talk to and happy to answer any questions and concerns that I had. When he was finished with the left leg, he lifted my foot, moved it around, and invited me to get a feel for how the left side of my body felt. Aside from pain-free, I felt more connected from top to tip.

Learn more at Biodynamiccranialsacral.com

“Okay, good,” said Knollmeyer, and set down my left foot. He raised my right foot and asked the same question while moving the foot gently in all directions. I was surprised by the stark contrast. My right leg felt hollow and disjointed. Knollmeyer worked on that side until my whole body felt whole again.

After the session, I asked what I could do about my foot pain in the future. Was there anything I could do about my shoes?

“Shoes are a corset,” he answered. Having worn several corsets, I knew exactly what he meant. He suggested not sticking to only one pair of shoes. “If possible, change shoes halfway through the day.” That way my feet wouldn’t get stuck in a position they found uncomfortable.

Knollmeyer also showed me a simple exercise that I could do to slowly get my turned out duck feet back in parallel alignment. Walking and standing with feet turned outward stresses feet and knee joints, just to name a few. Which I wish I had known when I went to physical therapy for mysterious knee pain a few summers ago.

I was impressed by the results of my first visit. The pain was gone! Not forever, but it was a relief to walk around the rest of the night pain free. And I feel better armed to get my body back in alignment and pain free in the future.

To learn more or make your own appointment, visit gregknollmeyer.com, call (734) 678-9508, or email gk@GregKnollmeyer.com. 

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What's New in the Community, Fall 2019

On April 15, as fires were burning at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, another fire destroyed the shrine room at Ann Arbor’s Tsogyelgar Dharma Center. 

The sacred gathering space contained Tibetan relics and hand painted murals of Tibetan Buddhist deities which were destroyed, but a statue of Guru Rinpoche, an 8th century Buddhist master referred to as the “2nd Buddha,” survived mostly intact. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The community runs White Lotus Farms, which produces vegetables, goat’s milk and cheese, freshly baked bread, honey, and flowers. Fire trucks had to bring thousands of gallons of water in from the nearest fire hydrant two miles away to stop the fire spreading to other farm and community buildings. No people or animals were harmed and firefighters were able to contain the damage to the single building. Community members were especially concerned about the stress to the farm’s goats, as many of them were near to giving birth to the season’s kids. While some of them gave birth a day or two later than expected, all safely delivered. 

Tsogyelgar community member, Christina Burch, said that while the community is sad at the loss of their shrine room, the general feeling is one of gratitude for what remains and looking forward to what will be built anew. This year, she said, is the Earth Boar year, which marks the 60th anniversary of Tibet’s fall to China, which initiated the spread of Tibetan Buddhist teaching to the West. This year also marks the 60th birthday of Traktung Rinpoche, the Tsogyelgar community’s founder and teacher. It is also the 30-year anniversary of his enlightenment. Burch said that this marks a new 30-year cycle in the teaching and that the fire can be considered a cleansing of old energies to make way for the new. 

A quote from Guru Rinpoche on the group’s Facebook page post about the fire said, “The power of virtue cannot be burnt by fire, rotted by water, destroyed by wind. That goodness spread by merit can withstand the machinations of king and thief and will spread across all appearance.” 

At the moment, the Tsogyelyar community is using two large tent structures for gatherings that would normally happen in the Shrine room. In fact, one was used the night of the fire, when community members gathered for a holiday feast that had been scheduled in the Shrine room. True to their teachings, the community ate and celebrated together while firefighters worked, then thanked and blessed the firefighters. Plans are in the works for a new Shrine room to be built, though permits and other details will take time. The community hopes to be able to start construction before the colder months begin, though if necessary, they will make do with other spaces until the new Shrine room is ready. New murals will be painted and the new space will be larger and more accessible (the old space was only accessible by stairs, which made it difficult for some). Many of the community members have skills in construction and the arts, and they look forward to creating a space that meets the community’s needs and is even more beautiful than the one before. Concern and support have poured in from the Ann Arbor community and Tsogyelyar members are grateful and encouraged. 

More information about Tsogyelgar Dharma Center are online at tsogyelgar.org and facebook.com/Tsolgyelgar. They can be reached via email at info@tsogyelgar.org. 

New offerings by Established businesses and Practitioners

Reverend Ada Marie Windish has been a psychic reader for over 65 years. 

She has advised corporate boards and police departments, traveled the country to teach, and has been a personal reader and spiritual counselor to many. After recovering from a stroke that temporarily took her ability to speak, she is relaunching herself and her service. Windish said she is “a bonafide psychic through spirit—[she] speak[s] to angels, the dead, your mother in heaven, your grandfather….” She says her gifts were given to her by divine spirit, passed down to her through her father. 

Windish offers readings in her home in Adrian, where she lives with her black cat Toby, or over the phone. Her one-hour readings are $100, though she says she frequently goes for longer than an hour and never charges more. She is also willing to put together payment plans for clients struggling to afford the fee. 

Anyone interested in a reading with Windish can call (517) 759-3434 to schedule an appointment. Please do not call after 8:00 p.m. 

Vietnamese restaurant Dalat has moved from downtown Ypsilanti to downtown Ann Arbor. 

Original owners Lang Bui and Hoanh Le retired at the beginning of 2018 and their son, Son Le, and his wife Tran Nguyen, took over. The restaurant, which had been open for over 25 years, was located in a historic Ypsilanti building that Son Le said made updates and repairs difficult and expensive. The area also did not get much traffic. They decided to make the move to downtown Ann Arbor, which Le felt was a busier area that would support the business more than downtown Ypsilanti could. He said that a lot of existing customers have continued to come to the new restaurant. 

It took nine months from the closing of the old location to get everything ready for opening on October 1, 2018. Initially the menu was exactly the same: Vietnamese specialties including pho, shrimp rolls, and stir-fried rice noodles. But since then Le has added more vegetarian options to keep up with demand and added new desserts and boba drinks. The restaurant no longer serves alcohol since their liquor license was restricted to downtown Ypsilanti. Le described their menu as “fresh and healthy food with high-quality ingredients and reasonable prices.” The décor has changed as well—the new location has electric lime green walls with orange accents left over from the Orange Leaf frozen yogurt store that previously occupied it. Le and Nguyen liked the colors and left them as-is, making the new sign to match. Le emphasized that the restaurant only buys fresh, premium meats, seafood, and produce. Most meals don’t include MSG, and customers can ask for a gluten-free version of most entrees. 

Dalat is located at 2261 South Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Their phone number is (734) 487-7600. Their website is dalatrestaurantannarbor.com and they can be reached via email at manager@dalatrestaurantannarbor.com. 

A local group of practitioners, the Great Lakes Center for Healing Touch, began offering a Healing Touch Clinic at the Center for Sacred Living on the west side of Ann Arbor in March. 

The Clinic offers Healing Touch at a reduced rate of $30 per session. Practitioners donate their time and all proceeds go to the costs of running the Clinic. GLCHT is a nonprofit organization. The Clinic is offered both to help make the modality accessible for those with financial concerns, as well as to help practitioners in training complete some of their required training hours. Some of the practitioners offering sessions during the Clinic hours are fully certified, and this is a way they choose to serve the community. The GLCHT group has offered this service in the past, but stopped operating in 2010 due to the inability at that time to keep up with demand. 

Healing Touch is an energy-based therapy, similar in some ways to Reiki, explained certified practitioner and group member, Ann Alvarez. Practitioners use light or no touch to help clear and balance the body’s energy field and centers. It is very different from massage or physical therapy as the physical body is not being manipulated. Clients remain fully clothed for the sessions, which usually last a bit under an hour. Alvarez said that the practice, “supports and helps restore self-healing of the body, mind, and spirit.” She said that the modality can help people with injuries, or those recovering from surgery, experiencing chronic pain from fibromyalgia or other conditions, insomnia, headaches, and those being treated for cancer with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. It can also help people recovering from stressful circumstances such as grief and trauma. The modality is non-invasive and has no side effects, said Alvarez, and should be considered a tool to be used not instead of, but in addition to, and in support of standard medical care. Practitioner and group member, Nirit Mor-Vaknin, explains, “Healing Touch is very effective in stress reduction, and when we are not stressed our body can heal itself.” It is used in a number of hospitals nationwide to reduce the need for painkillers and as part of palliative care. 

Each of the Clinic’s practitioners were trained by Healing Beyond Borders, an international nonprofit organization which offers training and certification in Healing Touch. 

The Healing Touch Clinic is offered on the first Wednesday of each month. Appointments are scheduled for 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m. with walk-ins possible if an appointment slot is not filled. Appointments can be made by calling (734) 730-6826 or emailing niritmorvakn@gmail.com, or visit their Facebook page facebook.com/annarborhealingtouch. The Center for Sacred Living is located at 210 Little Lake Drive, Suite #7, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. More information about the Healing Touch Modality and the Healing Beyond Borders mission is online at www.healingbeyondborders.org. 

Michigan Collaborative for Mindfulness in Education (MC4ME) was founded as a nonprofit organization in 2014. 

Since its founding, the all-volunteer organization has given 85 presentations to educators and 47 consultations with organizations to help “foster the teaching and dissemination of mindfulness practices in K-12 and higher education using best practices, established curricula, and scientific evidence.” Members of MC4ME’s board have experience in teaching or psychology, practice mindfulness themselves, and use evidence from personal experience, as well as scientific studies and training, to spread awareness and training in mindfulness in education. 

Board member Mary Spence described mindfulness as “paying attention on purpose with a lack of judgement and with curiosity.” Studies have shown that children trained in mindfulness techniques show improvement in ability to pay attention and focus and better emotional self-regulation. They are, Spence said, able to be more “comfortable with discomfort.”

In July MC4ME offered a teen retreat in Kalamazoo for ages 15 to 19 in partnership with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (IBME), a nonprofit based in Massachusetts offering “in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and the parents and professionals who support them.” The retreat focused on developing awareness and concentration practices supported by science. These retreats will be offered annually.

MC4ME also offered a two-day intensive training for educators in August in Birmingham. It covered both self-care practices and integrating key techniques with students. The training offered 16 hours toward continuing education for Michigan teachers. The organization plans to offer more of these trainings for teachers during summer breaks.

MC4ME will hold a statewide conference on October 9 and 10, 2020. Location, schedule, and other information will be forthcoming. Anyone interested can sign up for the organization’s quarterly newsletter by emailing info@mc4me.org. Spence said that the organization is growing, seeking new board members, and is working toward becoming a membership organization.

The website for Michigan Collaborative for Mindfulness in Education is mc4me.org. They can be reached by email at info@mc4me.org.

The Ecumenical Center and International Residence (ECIR) in Ann Arbor has changed its name to International House Ann Arbor (IHAA). 

This change has happened after ECIR purchased, in 2018, the Church Street building it has occupied for many years.

IHAA is a community for International college students as well as American students who want to interact with people from around the world. IHAA Development Director Lauren Zinn said they aim for a ratio of 80% international students to 20% American students. She described the International House as a “welcoming, international, intercultural, interspiritual living learning community.”

Around 50 students live in the building. ECIR has been working to connect international students in Washtenaw County for over 130 years. Students are mostly enrolled in the University of Michigan, though students at other area colleges are welcome. Residents, the University of Michigan campus community, and local citizens benefit from the IHAA through its events and special programs, many of which are open to the public. Events and programs are divided into Global Community, Global Understanding, Global Culture and Arts, and Global

Connections categories. Community meals, holiday celebrations, talks, film screenings, wellness events like Zumba, yoga, and mindfulness, panel discussions, workshops, and more are organized by IHAA.

More information about IHAA’s programs and ways to get involved are online at

ihouseaa.org. They can be reached by email at info@ihouseaa.org or by phone at (734) 662-5529. The IHAA is located at 921 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

New Books by Area Authors

Ann Arbor based author Pauline Loewenhardt published her book Almost Lost: Detroit Kids Discover Holocaust Secrets and Family Survivors in May. 

She was born in the 1930s in Detroit to German immigrants who had come to the United States in the 1920s. She used to feel that she was missing an extended family while her classmates seemed to always have cousins and aunts and uncles visiting. Eventually she learned that her father, who had converted to Catholicism when he married her mother, was Jewish and that many of his family members had been murdered in the Holocaust. In 1996, Loewenhardt and her siblings were able to locate some of her father’s relatives in the Netherlands. She has since visited them several times, formed close bonds, and learned the stories of her father’s family—those who died and those who survived. 

Loewenhardt said she felt, “In another life [she] might have been an English Major” since she always had an interest in reading and writing. However, she ended up pursuing a career in nursing. In 1944 she contracted polio during a widespread epidemic. She managed to survive and recover, and due to her illness, Vocation Rehabilitation of Michigan provided her a full college scholarship which she used to pursue a nursing degree from Mercy College of Detroit. 

Loewenhardt retired from nursing in 2000 and began pursuing her interest in writing, taking classes as a senior citizen at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. She got some articles published in magazines and, after she moved to Ann Arbor to be near her grandchildren in 2003, she eventually decided to write her family’s story in a book. She credits the internet for making it possible for her and her family members to find and connect with their relatives. 

More information is available at loewenhardt.wixsite.com/author. Pauline Loewenhardt can be reached by email at loewenhardt@sbcglobal.net. Her book is available at Crazy Wisdom Bookstore. 

Upcoming Events

On Saturday, October 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Great Oak Cohousing Common House dining room, JissoJi Zen will host author and teacher, Ben Connelly, for a talk, workshop, and signing of his new book, Mindfulness and Intimacy. 

Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher who also teaches mindfulness in secular contexts such as for police, corporate training, correctional facilities, addiction recovery, and wellness groups. He is based in Minnesota and travels to teach across the United States. This visit will be part of a 40-city book tour.
Mindfulness and Intimacy is about using mindfulness to connect more deeply with one’s self, with the people in one’s life, and with the world. It was released in February. Connelly explained that developing mindfulness is simply about “paying attention to the things that it’s good to pay attention to in a way that’s it’s good to pay attention to.” He said that developing this practice can help to “manifest love within yourself, within your close circle, and within the public sphere… for the betterment of the whole world.” He said that, “what we define as intimacy is a closer awareness of the way everything/everyone is connected.” 

People who attend the event will experience guided meditation, silent meditation, and a dialogue about the book’s concepts. Experienced meditators and beginners alike are welcome. JissoJi is an Ann Arbor-based Zen meditation group offering Zazen–Zen meditation at the Lotus Center in Ann Arbor on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. 

JissoJi’s lead priest Marta Dabis can be reached at jissojizen@gmail.com. More information about the group is online at jissojizen.org. Great Oak Cohousing is located at 500 Little Lake Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. 

The Ann Arbor Civic Theater’s junior theater program will present To Find A Wonder: A Knight’s Journey, a musical based on a book by the same name written by local author and Crazy Wisdom Community Journal managing editor, Jennifer Carson, on November 8, 9, and 10. 

Carson first published the book in 2009 through a small press. She was living in New Hampshire at the time and a local theater helped her create the musical, hiring a composer and lyricist to create the songs. The first production was in August 2010. 

The story follows Mortimer, a squire on a quest to earn his knighthood. His liege tells him to “find a wonder” in five days, so Mortimer decides to create his own wonder, with the help of characters such as a wizard, a dragon, and a frog prince. The musical will use live actors as well as puppets to tell the story. The book will be re-released in September and will be available for purchase at Crazy Wisdom Bookstore. 

AACT’s junior theater program is for young actors in grades 4 through 12, who put on shows for audiences ages three and up. The actors will rehearse three times per week for a total of eight to ten weeks before putting on the show, directed by Carson. The performance will be at Scarlett Middle School in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $8 for children and $10 for adults and can be purchased online.

The Ann Arbor Civic Theater’s website is at a2ct.org. Jennifer Carson can be reached via email at Jen@thedragoncharmer.com. Her website is thedragoncharmer.com. 

New Classes

Local writer Madeline Strong Diehl has been offering therapeutic writing workshops to veterans, people experiencing unstable housing, and the general public for the past three years. 

The workshops are designed to help people learn to use writing to “promote health and to externalize emotional issues they may not even know they are feeling concern or anxiety about,” she said. Extensive research supports the idea that writing can help people improve their mental and physical health, heal from trauma, and work toward their goals. While many therapeutic writing workshops focus on uncovering traumatic memories and healing them, Diehl’s method teaches students to change negative memories into positive thinking, create affirmations, and use writing as a spiritual practice. Diehl said she helps people to “think of ourselves as the heroes of our own lives, with the power to consciously change our lives for the better,” and she feels this is a key attitude that helps people make positive change. 

Workshops are tailored to participants, said Diehl, and typically are divided into two sections. The first half includes introductions, basic instruction and practice of silent meditation, discussing and creating positive affirmations, and freewriting, in which participants simply move the pen across the paper without controlling the writing, allowing their subconscious minds to produce whatever words they need to at the time. After a break, the second half of the workshop continues with discussions about the freewriting experience, during which participants usually find that the process has reminded them of some of their life goals and dreams which may have been set aside in the grind of everyday life. Diehl then guides students in drafting positive affirmations to assist them in recovering the belief that they can pursue these goals and dreams, and teaches how journaling can help in this ongoing process. 

Diehl said that she has seen “remarkable positive changes in the mental health and outlook of the dozens of people who have participated” since she began facilitating the workshops. She has used therapeutic writing herself since childhood, which she credits with helping her overcome feelings of helplessness and hopelessness brought about by being raised in a chaotic and dysfunctional family. 

Diehls’ first writing workshops were for veterans in the VA hospital. Therapists there told her that her curriculum was the best they had seen in 30 years as therapists, which she believes is due to her 30 years’ experience as a writer, as well as her self-awareness and experience living with a mental illness herself. The workshops are designed more as a peer-to-peer experience than a traditional class in which the teacher is the authority.

Madeline Strong Diehl offers therapeutic writing workshops about once a month, and they are listed on her website at madelinediehl.com. She can be reached by phone at (734) 239-4553 or by email at madelinediehl@gmail.com. 

New Practitioners and Businesses

The Ann Arbor Pharmacy is a “premier apothecary and boutique” which opened on East Stadium in Ann Arbor in the Trader Joe’s complex in November of 2018. 

This is the third and final pharmacy owner Ziad Ghamraoui has opened—he has two others in the area. He opened the first, in Saline, in 2011, after leaving a series of jobs as a pharmacist for large national chains. He wanted to open his own pharmacy, he said, because he felt that patients deserved more care and attention than the large chains could offer. He said that he, and the other pharmacists who work for him, know each patient’s name and medical history and make sure they know everything they need to know about their medication. 

The store is modeled after high-end apothecaries in Europe, New York, and the Middle East, offering high-quality skin and haircare products that are earth-friendly, never tested on animals, and non-GMO. The full-service pharmacy offers traditional and compounded medications. They also carry pharmaceutical grade CBD oils and topicals. Ghamraoui said that they are dedicated to being a responsible community-oriented local business, donating to local police, fire, and charities. 

Ann Arbor Pharmacy is located at 2418 East Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. They can be reached by email at info@rxa2.com or by phone at (734) 677-5555.  Their website is annarborpharmacy.com. 

Lauren Hoffman opened her gym, Forged Barbell Strength Academy, in November of 2018. 

Located on Ann Arbor’s west side, it offers personal training, nutrition therapy, and fitness memberships for men, women, teens, and children. 

Hoffman is a certified Level Three Crossfit coach, though she said she has moved away from Crossfit to embrace what she feels is a more holistic, individually flexible, and mindful approach to strength training, addressing issues like muscle imbalance, movement patterns, and posture while still lifting heavy weights. Her strength programs integrate Olympic weightlifting and functional movement. Some of her clients are competitive athletes while others are just there to build strength and feel good. 

The inspiration to create Forged Barbell came when Hoffman was at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival, an annual multi-sport competition popularly known as “The Arnold.” She was competing in weightlifting and four other athletes she was coaching went along with her to compete. Immediately the lifters formed camaraderie and mutual support, though they had never met each other before. Hoffman realized she wanted her clients to be able to form community like this all the time in an accessible, affordable, spacious, and positive fitness-oriented space.

The gym is divided into three sections, she explained, with an Astro Turf section in the center where athletes can perform exercises like pushing and pulling weighted sleds and carrying heavy objects across a distance. The “Mobility” class also meets in this section, focusing on improved flexibility, range of movement, recovery, and groundedness. On one side of the artificial turf area is a large rig she described as “monkey bars for adults” with attachments for various exercises, as well as barbells, kettlebells, and dumbbells. On the other side is a heavy lifting area with rubber flooring. This creates a space with “energetically different” areas for different purposes, she explained, but which is still open, inviting, and allows for clients to socialize and support one another. 

Forged Barbell offers two child-specific classes. Functional Foundations is for kids approximately aged five to thirteen. It is a play-based way of teaching fundamental body movements like squats, jumps, pullups, bear crawls, and more. Olympic Weightlifting for kids age eight to ten starts the children with PVC pipes to perfect the movements before building slowly to lifting with weight. It teaches them not only the correct movement for Olympic Weightlifting, but helps them with focus, determination, and follow-through.  Other offerings for teens and adults include Learn to Lift, Olympic Weightlifting, 2-Block (a strength & conditioning class), and Tai Chi. Some clients enjoy classes while others prefer one-on-one personal training with a coach, and some prefer to train individually using the space and equipment. 

The Nutrition Therapy aspect of the gym, explained Hoffman, is based around “a properly prepared, nutrient-dense, whole foods approach to healing the body and mind using the principles of ancestral health.” She said her nutrition recommendations are symptom-based, in that they are individualized for each client based on what symptoms they are experiencing that may indicate their individual deficiencies and sensitivities. The aim is to work with “athletes, families, and individuals looking to optimize body composition, energy levels, sleep, fertility, digestion, acne, ADD, and athletic performance.” 

Hoffman offers a free introductory session for people interested in joining the gym. She emphasized that beginners and people who haven’t worked out in a long time are welcome, and that they don’t need to be in good shape in order to get started. “We’re going to help you,” she said. 

Forged Barbell is located at 251 Jackson Plaza, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. The website is forgedbarbella2.com. Lauren Hoffman can be reached by phone at (313) 410-3696 or by email at forgedbarbella2@gmail.com. 

Emily Otto opened her business, Corporate Rebelle, earlier this year. 

She assists people who feel stuck in their traditional corporate jobs to first reduce stress and anxiety, then use the room this reduced stress makes in their lives to explore and learn the skills they need to start following their passions and making money. The idea is that people would follow their passions first as a side gig, and later could replace their full-time income, to focus on living a life they love. Otto spent 15 years in corporate human resources departments. She said that she thought with each job switch that she would finally find the right fit, and start really liking her work and feeling fulfilled, but that never materialized. She realized that she had to deal with her stress and anxiety before she could even summon the energy to explore alternatives to the nine to five life she felt stuck in. Through yoga and other modalities, she was able to deal with her stress, make space in her life, and start developing skills she was passionate about. She has since worked as a yoga instructor, life coach, and sacred intimacy coach. Corporate Rebelle is a new project of hers that will allow her to help others do what she has done, get out of corporate careers if they choose to, and live a more self-directed life. 

“The world needs people to do what they love,” she said. “There’s a better world that can exist when we’re all doing things that light us up.” Many people are afraid that if they don’t have a corporate job they won’t be able to get good health insurance or make enough money to support themselves and their families, or they have no real idea of what something else might look like. But the culture is changing, and many people have been able to make a living doing things they are excited to be doing, outside of a corporate structure. She said Ann Arbor is an especially exciting place to be contemplating a nontraditional career. Many people here are making a living in alternative healing modalities, coaching, arts, and in all sorts of other ways. 

Otto said that while corporate culture has some positives, it can have a lot of negatives, and she feels there are better ways to get things done. In her career she has hired more than 300 people for positions from entry level to managerial. She has seen that most people enjoy some aspects of what they do, but the corporate model of alternating between being genuinely productive and having a lot of unnecessary “busy-work” to do can be demoralizing. She feels the world is ready for some new models of what work looks like, and she wants to help people create them. 

Emily Otto offers a free 45-minute “clarity call” to help potential clients get connected to resources that can help them get started with their journey and decide if they’d like to work with her. This can be booked through her website at www.emily-otto.com. She can be reached by email at emily@emily-otto.com or by phone at (989) 397-3616. 

Board certified massage therapist Allison Downing opened her massage practice, operating out of the Center for Sacred Living in Ann Arbor, in 2018.

She specializes in neck pain and gut health. She has written a book: Stop Stomach Pain: How to Heal Your Gut and End Food Restrictions, and works with clients who have not been able to find relief from digestive discomfort from diet.

Downing herself suffered with digestive problems and pain for two years before connecting with a physical therapist who was able to help her when diet alone could not. The PT taught her visceral stretches and releases, which Downing now teaches some of her clients. Since she was already very flexible she was skeptical that stretching could help her, but she found that this type of stretching was the key to restoring normal peristalsis, the function of intestinal muscles that control the movement of food through the digestive system. When this function is impaired, she explained, food can move too slowly through the system, potentially causing bacterial imbalances, food sensitivities, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, and general stomach pain. A massage therapist who is trained in visceral manipulation, like Downing, can also assist when there are restrictions in the abdominal organs from conditions like endometriosis, c-section scarring, other post-surgical scarring, and anything else that has caused a thickening of the internal tissues. She has found that this type of manipulation can help people with general mobility as well as digestive problems—she cited working with a previously very active veteran who could no longer tie his shoes due to back pain, who returned to his vigorous exercise routine after she was able to address tightness in his abdominal organs. 

Downing also offers deep tissue massage, therapeutic massage, craniosacral therapy, and prenatal massage. 

The Center for Sacred Living is located at 210 Little Lake Drive, Suite 7, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Allison Downing can be reached by phone at (269) 200-7530 or by email at allisondowninglmt@gmail.com. Her website is allisondowninglmt.com. 

Christa Gray opened her business, The Food Fanatic & Exercise Enthusiast, in April. 

She is a certified Stott Pilates instructor working with individuals and pairs in a space within the Ann Arbor Massage Therapy Clinic, just off Jackson Road. She has two Pilates Reformer machines and other equipment to help clients correct muscle imbalances and posture issues which can lead to chronic issues and pain. Gray explained that the apparatuses were developed by Joseph Pilates to help World War II prisoners of war build their strength before they were able to completely walk or sit up. She said the practice is useful for every body—older people with chronic problems or athletes trying to keep their bodies functioning optimally. She said that this is not the type of exercise where people need to “push through pain,” and that clients can be reassured if injury during exercise is a concern. 

The secondary part of Gray’s business is helping people learn to shop and cook healthier meals for themselves and their families. Many people have seen a nutritionist or have a good idea of what they should eat more or less of, but have a hard time figuring out how to actually apply that knowledge. Gray offers a six-hour session in which she helps the client make a shopping list, takes them to the grocery store, and shows them how to choose healthy foods. Then she goes into their home and helps them organize their kitchen and fridge to actually work for healthier eating, and makes several recipes with them so they learn how to prepare healthier foods. The client ends up with a week of foods prepared and the confidence and tools they can use to actually put nutrition advice into practice when it might seem overwhelming to get started. 

Christa Gray can be reached at info@foodfanee.com. Her website is foodfanee.com. She is offering a special to Crazy Wisdom readers—mention that you read about her in the What’s New column to receive four Pilates sessions for $260 (a $40 savings). 

Ikaro Phoenix is a Certified Xolar Vibronics Holistic Health Educator and Natural Lifestyle Coach. 

He grew up in East Lansing, Michigan but left after high school, only returning to the state in May of 2019 after a long odyssey of seeking connection with nature, and seeking the role he felt humans had as the caretakers of creation. He spent 15 years in Colombia learning from the Mamas (spiritual leaders) of the Kogi, a pre-Columbian indigenous tribe “who have survived in harmony and balance into this millennium only because of their adherence to the natural laws of respectful engagement with Nature, whom they call the Aluna—The Mother.” 

Upon coming home to Michigan, Phoenix began working with people one-on-one and in small groups to “develop consciousness about our role as beings in the creation, eliminating artificial ways of living which do not resonate with our true being, and using practical methods for self-healing as well as healing for our planet and universe, according to how the Mother has passed and instructed us to do from the beginning.” He is dedicated to helping his “community, as well as humanity as a whole, to recover the wise ways of living in harmony with the creation, and caring for all.” He offers holistic health education, natural lifestyle coaching, chakra balancing, and natural detoxification programs. He is available for talks and classes. 

Ikaro Phoenix can be reached by phone at (734) 210-0463 or by email at ikaro@xolistichealth.com. His website is xolistichealth.com. 

Melissa Keck is a cannabis Nurse Clinician and educator who opened her business, Finding Grace, LLC, in 2018. 

She has set up an office space within Intessa Certification Clinic, where patients can be seen by a physician and certified for the use of Medical Marijuana in Michigan. Keck meets one on one with individuals to develop cannabis care plans and help with dosage and other details. She works to set each patient up with an individualized treatment plan to provide the benefit they are looking for while mitigating potential harm. She also seeks to provide cannabis education and resources to patients (especially older adults and newcomers to medical marijuana), healthcare providers and organizations, and local communities. As a Nurse Clinician and cannabis patient herself, she can provide a trusted source of information when it’s difficult to sort through everything. 

Keck explained that she became a cannabis patient herself about five years ago after a series of health problems. Doctors had her, at one point, on over 20 prescription medications, some of them to treat the side effects of the others. She gained a significant amount of weight and had so little energy she was unable to work, before a friend suggested getting a second opinion, and she found medical marijuana, which she was able to use to help her get off of the prescriptions. She lost the weight, regained her energy, and went back to work. As a registered nurse she was very careful in disclosing her use of medical marijuana, however. After a subsequent neck surgery, she was in physical therapy when another patient approached her to ask about cannabis. She realized then that there is a huge need for trusted cannabis education from healthcare practitioners, not only for patients but for doctors, nurses, and other practitioners as well, and this became her new mission. 

She explained that cannabis nursing combines standard nursing practice with advanced knowledge and education about medical cannabis and the body’s response to it. The cannabis nurse can serve as a patient advocate and community resource. Keck is an active member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association and is certified through that organization as a cannabis nurse. She has been a nurse for over 20 years. 

This fall, Keck will provide several community education classes for the public. These will be held on the 2nd Thursday and Saturday of September, October, and November, at 2500 Packard Street, Suite #207 in Ann Arbor. See the calendar section for specifics under the heading Cannabis/Medical Marijuana on page 105.

More information is online at Melissa Keck’s website MiNurseCannabis.org. She can be reached by email at melissa@findinggracellc.com or by phone at (734) 818-6238. Her office is located at 2500 Packard Street, Suite 107, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104. 

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The Art of Humanizing Robots: An Interview with Cre Fuller

By Cashmere Morley

 In the heart of Ypsilanti is an artist’s studio that feels, at times, both rooted in the future and the past. Glass eyes of various colors stare at you from every direction. Dentures riveted into metal figures bare wild grins. There is a nostalgia here; a feeling of things lost and found again. But there is also a sense of creation, of assemblage. It is a peek into a modern-day Dr. Frankenstein’s mind. A human-meets-robot dreamscape brought to life in rivets and metal. This is Cre Fuller’s studio. 

Christopher “Cre” Fuller, 46, didn’t plan on building tin creations for a living. In fact, when he graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School, he went into building chimneys with his father, and later, working at Whole Foods when he moved to Ann Arbor in 1997.

“Like most corporate jobs, it could be frustrating, but I valued my time there,” Fuller said. “From there, I went to Plum Market, in a similar capacity, and tried my hand at the wholesale racket. I’m good at helping people and being honest and genuine. Wholesale was a bit of a smarmy… you kind of have to be greasy. And I wasn’t good at that.”

But he was good with his hands. After saving money and leaving that job to invest in himself and his art, Fuller decided to spend time chasing after a job that would be more fulfilling.

“I think I’d had every creative hobby under the sun. Around 2000, when I bought the house I still currently own, I spent all my money on the house, so I just needed an art. I had seen things around, you know, people making humans and robots out of junk and trash and whatnot, so I just decided to try my hand at it.” The first robot Fuller created was around 2000, 2001. To date, Fuller guesses he’s built around 600 robots. He’s best known as the guy that makes the “Tin Angry Men,” a name he’s trying to distance himself from. His web presence only bares his name, and no mention of the moniker, since Fuller doesn’t feel it fits his creations anymore.

“At the time, I set up a little spare bedroom for all my glasswork and jewelry making. As I went along, I would make these little robot creations. I never took it too seriously. They were just little gag gifts and things like that.” Fuller said. “But I’ve always liked taking things apart, as a little kid, seeing how the guts work. What does what. So taking things apart wasn’t a stretch for me. And then just kind of reimagining what those parts could be once you have them unassembled, or disassociated from their previous purpose, whatever that purpose was,” Fuller said.

“I tend to gravitate toward vintage aluminum, I can get the look of it that I want, I can either keep it brushed and have it kind of dull and matted, or I can polish it, into a chrome-like shine. It has that mid-century vintage feel already, and a lot of the things I prefer to use, is early century stuff.”

Fuller frequents places like Recycle Ann arbor, and local antique shops to find his goods, though he admits it’s been a bit harder to find pieces as of late since he’s “depleted the local supply.”

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area welcomed him and his creations with open arms. “In Ann Arbor, people value art,” Fuller said. “And in its soul, it’s got people that respect and applaud the art. Ypsi has this humongous heartbeat of art and people who appreciate and applaud it.”

His work can be assembled quickly, if Fuller has the right parts.

“If I have all the stuff just sitting there, I can get a simple piece done in a day,” Fuller said. “Taking the time to let paint dry, and to let glass eyes cool, I can get a small piece done in a day. But sometimes, I’ve searched for those parts for a year. A huge component of this, of any assemblage artist, is their pile of goodies.”

While he does consider a lot of his work as “assemblage,” Fuller also admits that not all of his work falls under that category in art shows, so “found art sculpture” is also an acceptable way to describe what he creates.

If you look at his work, there’s a sense of past-meets-future. “I think I was just trying to make that ‘50s version of a future robot. You know? Certainly, a departure from the modern take of robots. That’s what I really wanted to do: [embody] the romance of the vision of the future. When I first started doing this, I wanted them to look like vintage robots from the future. Cross between a little bit Star Wars, a little bit Mystery Science Theatre. I was always a fan of MST. The guy just made robots from crap laying around the shop, and that’s exactly what the deal is over here.”

For a vision that personifies parts of the past, Fuller’s work seems to capture the minds of young and old in the present. “I was surprised by how much of the population were into robots: whether they knew they were, or they found out they were from looking at my work,” Fuller said. “Certainly, young kids, boys and girls, all love it. The lamps I make, I try to make them touch sensitive, to turn them on. The kids love that. So do comic book nerds, movie geeks, sci-fi people. I consider myself part of the tribe there.”

But his work doesn’t stop at robots. Fuller considers himself an artist and event-organizer, who describes himself as a “jack of all trades, who can handle just about anything,” with other projects including Dypsi, an indie art far in Ypsilanti, and simple, vintage-looking light up signs for personal use as well as business. Fuller has made signs for Side Tracks and Wurst Bar in Ypsilanti.  

Fuller said, “When I’m working on a piece, I like seeing the personality develop and unfold. Right when I’m done with one piece, I put it on a shelf, and I turn around and start on the next one. I like seeing them come to life. And I like moving on to the next one. And I like learning from the last one. I think it helps the evolutionary chart, if you line them all up, you can see how they all progress.”  

One of Fuller’s muses is H.R. Giger, the Swiss artist most recognized for his work on the film Alien.

“He was just a weirdo and had a dark style, all that biotechnical stuff. It struck a chord with me as a kid.” Fuller said. “When I’m looking to build something, I’m looking for shapes, maybe some texture… just something I can remove from its original purpose and misplace it. Maybe I don’t see it right away, maybe later.”

As of late, his work has taken on a different feel, thanks to the glass eyes and dentures he’s inherited from friends, family, and locals who fell in love with his work.

“I started getting dental molds, plaster casts, usually used, all busted up,” Fuller said. “I think I was discussing this at one of my Dypsi shows, and one of the onlookers said, “Hey, I have some of my father’s old dentures. Would you like those?” and I’m guessing he doesn’t need them anymore… so I was like sure.”

Fuller said he hung onto those dentures for a few years as he gathered the right parts and pieces for the robot he wanted to make. “I waited until I had a couple of cool pieces to go with it because I thought those were special,” Fuller explained. “It helped normalize that person’s life.”

 “People were like ‘what the hell is this guy doing?’” When I completed the piece with the dentures, it turned out really, really good. It was one of my favorite pieces. It was creepy, it was cool, I felt like I had made a complete piece. I was happy with it. I ended up finding her email, sending her a picture of the piece, telling her, ‘I finally got around to using your father’s dentures, I hope you approve, had a lot of fun…’ and she just loved it, her uncle ended up buying it for her. When I talked to her, she ended up sending me a picture of her father, and I swear to god it was so creepy, how much it looked exactly like him. It was an old man, bald, kind of gaunt, and that’s exactly how the piece ended up looking. I was like… get this thing out of here.”

But the dentures weren’t the beginning of wild part-human, part-machine creations. “The one with my aunt’s glass eyes, that was the precursor to starting to get really weird with it,” Fuller said. “My aunt has a glass eye, apparently you have to get them replaced because your physiology changes, so she has some glass eyes and I was like, “Aunt Sally, you have to give those to me,” because she was talking about throwing them away, I thought that was absolutely crazy, you don’t throw away glass eyes.” Fuller said. So he decided to incorporate them into his work.

“She’s tickled pink about me using it. It was the gateway of getting super weird. Then the teeth… the way the whole thing came together. Kismet-ly looking like him. That was probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever made.”

For Fuller, there’s a humanness to what he creates. “You can go online and buy [glass eyes or dentures] and there’s a million of them out there. But that’s not the point of what I do. I’ll search eBay for some stuff, but things like that I don’t want to buy. It’s not the point,” he said.

“The way I make something personal is like if you have a certain piece of kitchenware that grandma used to use. Something that has her soul in it. His or her soul. A lot of the times, I’ll find an old biscuit cutter where the wood’s all worn away. I just picture someone in the 50’s, 60’s, little old grannie or whoever, cutting biscuits out with love, wanting them for her family or grandchild, so that love, that energy is in that handle. When I look for pieces, I look for stuff like that. Pieces with scuff marks, the handle that has seen so many biscuits cut. It’s hard to make something look like someone, but there are ways to instill their soul in something.”  

To see more of Cre Fuller’s work follow his Instagram @crefuller or visit him online at www.crefuller.com. Contact Fuller at tinangrymen@gmail.com

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Support Your Local Farmers and Growers--Even in the Winter!

Artwork by Caitlyn Muncy

By Angela Madaras 

Yes! You can support our local farmers and growers even in the winter months. Most of us know that eating fresh food grown locally is better for both our bodies and our environment and like to support farmers during traditional growing and harvesting seasons. We also know that the average backyard farmer can’t grow produce in the snow. However, there are many local farmers who can grow all year long due to having hoop houses (greenhouses) that keep the air and soil warmer than what most Michiganders are experiencing in mid-January. BRRR! This technique of greenhouse growing allows the consumer to benefit from locally grown food even in the cold months.

So what kind of produce can you expect at a winter farmer’s market? Potatoes, greens, sprouts, herbs, garlic, spinach, sprouts, lettuces, carrots, as well as pork, beef, lamb, chicken, and honey to start! By shopping at a local farmer’s market you will eat seasonally fresh and ripe produce. What could be better than that? They also sell storable foods such as winter squash, dried beans, grains, and dried herbs. Think of your grandma’s root cellar. Jams, jellies, canned goods, baked goodies, cheese and dairy products, pickles, and even jerky can be preserved along with sauerkraut and kimchi. Most markets also carry art, handmade crafts, furniture, jewelry, and body care products.

What are you waiting for? Find a winter market near you!

Ann Arbor Farmers Market
315 Detroit St.
Ann Arbor, MI
Winter hours: Saturday, 8 AM - 3 PM www.a2gov.org/market

Saline Farmers Market
At the Liberty School
7265 Saline Ann Arbor Rd. (turn on Thibault Lane)
Saline, MI
Winter Hours: Saturday, 9 AM - Noon (Nov. - April)
No market Nov. 10th or Mar. 16th www.cityofsaline.org/farmersmarket

Ypsilanti Farmers Market •Downtown
16 S. Washington St.
Ypsilanti, MI
Winter Hours: Tuesday, 3 PM - 7 PM growinghope.net/farmers-markets/ypsilanti

Chelsea Farmers Market
At the Washington St. Education Center, Building 100 cafeteria
500 Washington St.
Chelsea, MI
Winter Hours: Saturday, 10 AM -2 PM (Nov.3-Dec.29) chelseafarmersmkt.org

Webster Farmers Market
At the Crossroads Community Center
5501 Webster Church Rd, Dexter, Michigan
Dexter, MI
•Winter Hours: Sunday 12 PM - 3 PM, except third Sunday www.websterfarmersmarket.org

Argus Farm Stop
Two locations!
1200 Packard Rd or 

325 W Liberty St Ann Arbor, MI
Year Round, Weekdays 7 AM – 7 PM, Saturday 7 AM – 6 PM, Sunday 8 AM – 6 PM www.argusfarmstop.com

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Great Tastes in Local Food

By Crysta Coburn

Tasty Bakery

One morning, while running a tad late for work, I decided to cut through the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market in hopes of snagging a quick breakfast. Tasty Bakery to the rescue! 

A chocolate-dipped donut might not sound like the healthiest choice to jump-start the day, but this donut was “wheat free, gluten free, soy free, organic” and “naturally sweetened.” It was also deeply satisfying for both my sweet tooth and my tummy. A lot of donuts are still full of the oil they were cooked in, leaving grease stains behind on napkins and not always settling well in my stomach. After indulging in this Tasty Bakery delectable, I felt great!

I’m not gluten intolerant, so I don’t have to “settle” for gluten-free “facsimiles of real food,” as I have sometimes heard gluten-free breads and baked goods referred to. Let’s get one thing straight right now: you are not “settling” at Tasty Bakery. Their products are just as flavorful as gluten-filled baked goods, and, as I said before, sometimes even more satisfying. I could have eaten three donuts and still felt fine! (Probably. I haven’t tried this. Yet.)

Naturally, when faced with a table full of sweets on an empty stomach, I couldn’t leave with just one thing, so I also grabbed a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. I could have gone with a cookie that was also vegan, but I decided to go the non-vegan route because I was curious to see how just the gluten-free cookie stacked up against its traditional counterpart. Conclusion: they stand toe-to-toe. I loved it! I’d like to try the vegan next.

On another occasion, while getting a coffee from Sweetwaters in downtown Ann Arbor, I also grabbed a Tasty Bakery Berry Bar, made with “organic gluten-free oats, organic blueberries, organic coconut oil, organic coconut nectar, arrowroot flour, organic Madagascar vanilla, sea salt.” The packaging was also compostable, so you can see not only is Tasty Bakery dedicated to making gluten-free delicious and accessible, but they are also committed to better health for us and our environment.
 
I’ve made gluten-free baked goods before (check my blog foodandword.blogspot.com for that time I famously attempted gluten-free paczki), so I know it can be a tricky business to get the balance right. There are a lot of traditional wheat flour substitutes out there. Arrowroot flour is popular, as is featured in Tasty Bakery’s Berry Bar. They clearly have gluten-free baking down to an art, and Ann Arbor knows it. You can find their products in coffee shops all over town (check their website for a full list). Don’t be afraid to try them! Your mouth (and tummy) will love you for it.

Tasty Bakery’s storefront is located at 416 West Huron Street, Suite 24, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Find them on Saturdays at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market in Kerrytown from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and online at www.tastysansgluten.com.

Big City Small World Bakery

If there is a quintessentially Michigan food, it is the pasty. Usually, this is a delight attributed to the U.P. or at least the northern region of the Mitten. But on the corner of Spring and Miller streets in Ann Arbor at Big City Small World Bakery, pasties are on the menu and they are served up flaky and hot. 

I had dropped by for a quick lunch before work, but I was thinking I’d get a simple sandwich and soy latte, not a pasty and a latte made with coconut milk. I’ve never seen coconut milk as a milk substitute on a menu before, so I had to give it a try. Since switching to dairy-free coffee drinks — a hard transition for me — I have often been disappointed. Soy is okay and almond is great with chai. But now? In the Milk Substitute Competition, I give the blue ribbon to Coconut. Thank you, Big City Small World, for giving me the most delicious faux latte I have had yet!

As for the pasty, I ordered chicken, but they also offer veggie, which I intend to try on another trip, and the gravy is homemade and quite flavorful. The sandwich choices also include veggie, as well as turkey and egg salad, all on homemade bread (which they also sell in loaves). In fact, all of their baked goods are homemade.

I’ve been a fan of Big City Small World’s infamous vegan ding dongs for quite some time. (It’s an absolute mystery to me how they’ve managed to make vegan pastries so creamy and moist. It’s wonderful.) I find Big City Small World to be a great place to find vegan goodies like this.
 For those who aren’t fans of chocolate layer cake with vanilla frosting dipped in chocolate, I recommend the eclairs. The custard is rich and delicious! (Though this one is probably not vegan, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they had a vegan option.) For coconut lovers, try the golf ball-sized macaroons. They offer a range of gluten-free items as well. 

The “world” isn’t the only thing that is “small” here. The bakery is quaint with a few options for indoor seating. If the weather is pleasant, there is ample outdoor seating, where you can admire the eclectic art that covers the side of the brightly painted yellow building, or cast nervous glances at the unexpected wire mermaid sitting on the bench. After the bakery is closed, I like to think of her as a gargoyle-like guardian for nighttime pedestrians. During the day, she’s just another friendly face inviting me in for a ding dong and a coconut milk latte. 

Big City Small World Bakery is located at 500 Miller Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103. They are open Tuesday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also find them on Facebook.

Encuentro Latino Restaurant

If you are familiar with downtown Ypsilanti, you may recall the Wolverine Grill. Well, the Wolverine is no longer there (moment of silence), but its location has been passed into obviously capable hands, and the new restaurant, Encuentro Latino, is serving up some seriously satisfying authentic Guatemalan cuisine.

The interior of Encuentro is still largely set up the way Wolverine was, with a line of booths down one side of the long and narrow space and a counter with stools lining the opposite wall, offering a cozy diner feel. (They also have diner prices!)

I started off my dining experience with an iced horchata. Whenever I order horchata from a new restaurant, I try not to get my hopes too high. There are countless recipes for horchata across the Spanish-speaking world. (For example, Mexican and Guatemalan horchata is typically rice-based, while in Spain tiger nuts are used, and Puerto Rico favors ground sesame seeds.) Some that I have tried are disappointingly watery and lack flavor. However, Encuentro’s horchata did not disappoint, with just the right amount of sweetness and spice.
 
I also tried the crispy chicken tacos from the appetizers list — “served with cabbage salad, tomato sauce and cheese.” Why has no one ever told me how perfectly shredded cabbage pairs with mayonnaise? It’s like they were made for each other! And the tomato sauce is to die for. A large part of why I ended up choosing the tortillas de harina for my entree is because it also features mayonnaise and tomato sauce. (Also yummy beef and scallions.)

Speaking of tortillas, Guatemalan tortillas are a little different than the ones you’re probably used to from Mexican restaurants. They are puffier, measuring about a quarter or a half-inch thick, reminiscent of pita bread, warm and wonderful. You can really sink your teeth in, especially if you opt for one of the pupusas (stuffed tortillas) on the menu. There are pupusas de chicharron with pork, as well as vegetarian pupusas de frijol.

Tragically, I did not try the desserts, though both the creme brulee (my favorite dessert) and tres leches were definitely calling my name. Since Encuentro is within walking distance of my home, I know I will return. My mouth is also watering for their breakfast menu and its promise of fried plantains! Hasta pronto, Encuentro.

Encuentro Latino Restaurant is located at 228 West Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197. Find them online at www.facebook.com/Encuentro-Latino-restaurant-106983366342816/. They are open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

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