Jodi Simpson's Blog (11)

This weekend Riverside Productions presents its annual Shakespeare play here in downtown Traverse City. My daughter and I look forward to this every summer. Whatever the play, it’s always a great way to spend a couple of hours. The setting is idyllic—Hannah Park—along the banks of the Boardman River. We pack a picnic, spread a blanket and prepare to laugh at mistaken identities, plays on words and general buffoonery. With the exception of last year’s “Romeo and Juliet” the plays are generally co… Continue

The annual Perseid meteor shower hits its peak tonight and into tomorrow morning. At peak you can expect to see up to 60 meteors an hour. Given the leaden skies outside my window this afternoon it doesn't look too promising for star gazing tonight in Northern Michigan. Hopefully the clouds will roll out tonight and we can spread our blankets in the backyard tomorrow night and gaze heavenward. Maybe we'll catch the tail end of the show. If you're blessed with clear skies in your neck of the wood… Continue

Last night was the full moon, so I rallied a group of friends and neighbors for a hike to Pyramid Point in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We do this a few times throughout the year, but last night was especially good. The sky was clear, and the night air was comfortably cool. I was surprised to find a half dozen other cars in the parking lot when we arrived. Then I was even more surprised to find that all those other hikers were heading home as we made our way up the trail. They we… Continue

Just home from the special screening for the Film Festival volunteers. I wanted to share a few of the highlights of the presentation. We saw "A Matter of Size", a charming Israeli film about an overweight man who becomes interested in sumo wrestling. If you have a chance to see it you won't be disappointed. It would be a welcome respite from some of the heavier hitting fare at the festival. I'm so happy to have a pair of tickets to "Woodstock--the Director's Cut". Warner Brothers isn't showing… Continue

Looking for a good summer read? How about a Michigan-based book? I have two on my bookshelf this summer. Both titles have been chosen by regional literacy initiatives, so we’ll be hearing a lot about them in coming months. Traverse City Reads’ 2009 selection is The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas by local author Jerry Dennis. Book clubs, community groups and students throughout Northern Michigan will be reading The L… Continue

In case you haven’t heard, next week is Traverse City’s 15th annual Smart Commute Week. My commute is short--exactly one mile from door to door—so I bike or walk to work year-round. That’s not practical for everyone, but last year several of my colleagues here at the magazine took the smart commute challenge to heart: • One rode the BATA bus from Glen Arbor. She liked it so well she rides BATA a few times a week now, especially in winter. • Another woman biked in from her home near Brown Bridge… Continue

I just learned about the coolest recycling network right here in the greater Traverse City area--TC Freecycle. It's part of a nationwide network that's all about... - keeping things out of the landfill. - sharing an item that retains usefulness. - clearing out our unused clutter. - community. The Traverse City chapter began in May 2004 with the goal of reducing waste by connecting individuals who are throwing away goods with others who are seeking them. These range from furniture, clothing, ap… Continue

Wow! The recipe for Asparagus Frittata with Tater Tots Crust is becoming an instant fave among Traverse readers. I just got off the phone with Dorothy in Indian River. She called with a question about her subscription, but our conversation soon turned to the frittata recipe in the April issue of Traverse Magazine. She wanted us to know just how good it is. Dorothy first tried the frittata at a friend's house a few weeks ago. When her friend revealed the source of the recipe--the April is… Continue

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This has been going on now for more than a year, yet it still amazes me. Last week Michael Moore announced that during the one-week run of the movie "Doubt" the State Theatre was the top-grossing theatre in the country. Yes, the entire United States of America. We outsold NYC and LA...again. And this in the dead of winter. No wonder the folks in Hollywood keep asking Moore what's going on up here. Michael Moore asked the State's patrons why the theatre is consistently among the top 10 performin… Continue

Last weekend when the mercury hit 40 I knew it was time. Time to gather my sugaring supplies. Time to tap my sugar maples. My maple syrup operation is small, really small. I tap two maples in my side yard with two taps each. I expect to get about 30-40 gallons of sap which will yield just less than a gallon of finished maple syrup. Pure ambrosia! If you have even one decent sized sugar maple… Continue