UPDATE: Extraordinary Ordinary Grace and Therapy by TLC Nielsen

 Extraordinary Grace and Therapy 

TLC Nielsen's EO September 2022 blog

Christine South finished our mutual friend Lona Dinnell's interview on the EO blog after Lona passed away unexpectedly. She also shared some of her own story, from engineer to naturapathic therapist.

Welcome back to the EO blog, Chris South!

We'd love to know about the alternative naturapathic therapies you're trained in to help others as well as how you're carrying on Lona's legacy.

Q) How did you and Lona end up working together in the beginning?

In 1983, I went to work at a place called DyCast. Lona worked in the front and I was hired as an inspector. She would see me but I was so quiet that she,who was about 5' 2", turned out to be afraid

of me. One day on break together, Lona turned to me and said, "I've been terrified of you." This was because, she said, I was the only woman out working on the floor. Lona soon started looking for me at work parties and we were young so we hung out together.

Q) What's the best thing you learned from Lona?

Lona would socially drag me out, especially after my husband and I split up. I think she made friends very easily. She decided she loved me and kept me around. I was part of her tribe. The best thing was having a good friend, someone who knew everything about me.

Q) Naturopathic healing is only one of your jobs. What else do you do for work?

I have worked in the manufacturing industry since 1975, starting out as a book keeper. Then the company eliminated that job and put me out on the floor as an inspector. They asked if I could read blueprints and I said I could draw some for them. I had taken a lot of drafting in high school. I promised myself as one of a family of 11 that I would take one college class per semester. I started out in mechanical engineering, then took classes in mathematics, programming, CAD and more.

Q) Why do you do both, engineering and healing therapies?

When I was really sick, my daughter was in chiropractic college. She would have her classmates come and work, train really, on me. Holistic medicine saved my life! Rachel had graduated and found a job before I decided I was done with engineering classes, having taken more than 400 or so. Lona had opened a Reike studio with a reflexologist so I made an appointment with her and asked her where she studied. I called that Institute, and finally there was a cancellation so I could enroll and start training.

I make the most money in my day job (engineering) and my house needs lots of work. My passion is in holistic therapies, which includes reflexology, cranial sacral, acupressure, Reike, Korean hand therapy, and the rest. So I now do both.

Q) Who helped you get started in the different natural therapies you do?

Lona started me by introducing me to Melanie who did reflexology (see Melanie's EO blog update here.) When I enrolled in a reflexology class, I asked the teacher about the points in the body, especially those going up the leg. She told me I didn't need to know. You don't say that to an engineer, someone who investigates the "why" of things. In Quality control, the five whys determine root cause analysis. Knowing the deep enough why helps one figure out how to correct a problem.

Q) Where is God leading you next?

I don't know, he hasn't shown me yet. But I know that he always has a plan, and I'll recognize it when  he does. 

I'm finishing the build of a traveling therapy bus. It'll be utilized as a therapy bus AND a vacation vehicle. 

Well, I drove my architect crazy because I wanted a tetris bus—everything must move. So it has two full-size beds that are actually the seating. A builder made boxes so the trifold mattresses become seating. The boxes are short enough to fit under the mattresses when folded out. I'm just finishing the cabinet that gores in the bus for the kitchen.  And there's even a commode, a bedside one utilizing biodegradable bags. I have a Solo Stove Campfire for cooking! 

Q) What is something surprising about you?

As a child, I didn't talk much so I was put in the problem-child class. In eighth grade, my teacher—Mr. Buluchi— convinced us to try our best to answer the placement tests. The results came back as showing I should have been in advanced classes. In high school, all my classes were advanced, but I didn't take  home any homework. I had a 4.0 grade average all four years.

Contact info for Chris in Northern Illinois:

Reclaim Your Body Holistic Wellness Center

Reclaim Your Body Website

Thank you for visiting TLC's Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where regular folks with interesting stories are featured. If you know someone who has a story that should be told, please email me at soulfixer13 at yahoo (dot) com and put EO blog in the subject line.

Extraordinary Wielder of Words by TLC Nielsen

Terrance Niedziela is both a teacher and an author plus, we discovered this year, a pretty good swordsman! I bumped into him on opening night at a North Carolina writing conference (BRMCWC) and then again in the swordsmanship class later on in the week. I enjoyed meeting this very interesting wielder of words, middle school English teacher and author!

Welcome to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, Terrance!

Learning sword play

Q) First off, how did you get drawn into your full-time profession as a middle school teacher?

My original plan was to be a history professor, so I graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Ancient Middle East History and a minor in Creative Fiction. In 2012, I moved to South Carolina and married an awesome and beautiful nerd. I worked as a substitute teacher and behavior manager for a couple years, and my mother-in-law encouraged me to pursue a master's degree. I looked into master's programs for history but found none close by. I investigated English (my second academic passion) and discovered I could get a degree online. So I attended Southern New Hampshire University and graduated in 2017. Once graduated, the Lord told me to apply to the local school district. Since I didn't have an education degree, I needed to certify through an alternative process. I applied to the certification program and for a position as a 7th grade English teacher. A few months later, the district hired me and now I'm beginning my 5th year. I am 100% confident that Jesus called me to teach, and until he releases me, I will continue in this position!

Q) What subject is your favorite teach and why?

I enjoy teaching story writing. Nonfiction/informational writing is all right, but fiction writing enables students to delve into the recesses of their imaginations to create all sorts of interesting stories. It has been rewarding for some students to express the desire to be writers when they grow up. Some former students are still writing! An awesome young man from my first year of teaching has allowed me to give feedback for a fantasy novel he is writing.

Q) So as you wield words in your classroom, where do you see the most impact on students?

I see the most impact when I tell my story, and they find out how my life experiences match theirs. As I model and teach Jesus' transformational love, I have had some sweet God encounters. Every year I have had at least one student tell me how much they appreciated my demanding their best while listening to and supporting them. The old saying of people not caring what you know until they know how much you care is true. Teachers wear many "hats" and I won't go into all that. Suffice it to say, being able to minister hope and love to a student whose life is consumed with hopelessness means more than teaching them grammar or anything else. 

Q) How did  you morph into becoming an author? Was it something you always wanted to do?

I like how you used the word morph. I am a kid of the 80s and 90s and at once thought of the green ranger from the original Power Rangers series. My journey to becoming a writer began with what I read and watched. The Bible as well as fantasy and science fiction stories in books, television, and movies about honor, chivalry good fighting evil, adventures, etc. inspired me to create my own stories like them. 

What started out as daydreaming, telling stories to my siblings, and acting out our own stories as we fought monsters and dragons on my dad's property developed into putting them down on paper. As my family and school situation deteriorated, I created stories where I was all powerful, invulnerable to any injury, and always the winner. Over time, my motive changed to writing to minister the gospel in story the way C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and other favorite authors did.

Q) Who influenced you the most into becoming a wielder of words, both in the classroom and in stories?

I know it sounds cliche, but the one who influenced me the most to wield words is the Holy Spirit. I have developed the habit of praying before I do anything in regard to writing. Even if all I am doing is brainstorming. I pray and ask the Holy Spirit to write through me. God is the original storyteller, and it was His words that brought our universe into existence. He is infinitely creative. If you don't believe me, look at the duckbill platypus and pictures coming from the Webb Telescope. My motto verse is Psalm 45:1: "My heart is overflowing with a good theme, I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." God dictates, and I am the scribe. Things flow much more smoothly when I am submitted to His Lordship.

The human who influenced me the most in my youth in regard to my writing was my seventh-grade English teacher, Miss Cepitis. She encouraged me to keep writing at a time when I was ready to give up on everything. Now I'm a seventh-grade English teacher, and I get to do the same thing she did.

Q) When did you know that you wanted to be an author?

I have wanted to be an author since elementary school. I reveled in writing stories for my English classes. My first attempt at authoring a book was in fourth grade. Some harsh criticism from someone close to me ended that endeavor. I made another attempt at authoring a novel in high school and continued writing into my adult years.

Q) At the writing conference this  year, we attended a sword fighting class together and I have to ask the obvious—how did you get so good so quickly at wielding a sword?

The grace of God enabled me to learn.

Q) Last question: what's something surprising about you that you would share with us?

I really can't think of anything surprising. My wife and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage soon. It's not surprising, just a testament to God's grace and love.

To learn more about Terrance, check out his social media:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Goodreads

Thanks, Terrance, for being interviewed on the Extraordinary Ordinary blog where folks and their extraordinary adventures come to light!

UPDATE: Extra Ordinary Music by TLC Nielsen

I love interviewing great people with interesting stories! Updates from past interviewees makes this even more fun, since folks share the fascinating events currently happening in their own words. If you missed Becky's first conversation with me, check it out here: Becky Cappelli of Songbird Studio Inc.

Welcome back, Becky!

Thank you—oh, how time has flown by since we last connected. So much has transpired since 2016, for all of us!

At Songbird Studio, we're so grateful to continue proving music lessons to Grayslake and the surrounding communities. Like so many local businesses, we found ourselves thrown into a new dynamic of moving everything from in-person to "online" during 2020 into 2021. Such an adventure!

During 2020, the contact-less time, we altered our lessons to be online for all of our students. In doing so, we learned A LOT. And not just the obvious things like how to set up Zoom lessons, what else is needed on both sides of the screen to make virtual lessons happen, and how to navigate teaching lessons while feeling so separated. Even more so, we learned how our musical families are truly amazing and resilient.

During this virtual time, we saw our students grow into independent learners, taking the initiative to learn new concepts on their own. We also found this to be a season where families became even more involved in their student's musicality. This was fun to witness! And speaking of FUN, the studio hosted many fun but silly themes and contests during remote lessons: crazy hair week, costume week, bring a family to online lessons—we saw a lot of pets on this one. Although overall it was a hard season, it brought a lot of JOY and LEARNING.

As we came out of the 2020/21 season, we did find ourselves needing to make a move. This placed us in a new location only a mile north of our previous building. Our address is 422 Barron Blvd. still in Grayslake on State Route 83. We love Route 83! We are fully back to in-person lessons although we do stay flexible for any families who may prefer the online option.

Our new location provides exactly what we've been offering but on a smaller scale. Although our size is smaller (3 studios rather than 5), we continue to grow. For this we are so thankful. Grayslake and its surrounding communities continue to amaze us!

Songbird Studio has been able to continue offering music lessons to all our students because of our amazing team of instructors and each of our Songbird families. Our musical instructors and families really do ROCK!

Thank you to everyone for such support and whether it be through Songbird Studio or another fabulous music group, keep making MUSIC.

Here are some links for Songbird Studio:

Becky's 1st ExtraOrdinary Update, 2016

Becky's Songbird Studio website

Songbird Studio Music Instruction on FB

Extraordinary Design by TLC Nielsen

I met Abby Calinog-Herrington at the local library, both of us interested in the book sale of the Friends of the Library. Before long, we were both volunteering together at the library and sharing each other's interesting stories of life. Abby, it turns out, has an Etsy store on top of working, going to school, and being a Bookstagrammer.

Welcome to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, Abby!

Q) What came first, your Etsy store Made By Gail Shop or your Bookstagram, herlife_herbooks?

My Bookstagram (herlife_herbooks) came first! I created a bookstagram after going to my first Friends of the Grayslake Library Book Sale a few years ago. I went on the last day. I got a big bag for just $5 and I was SO happy. I started the bookstagram that day.

I started painting and drawing at a really young age. And then I got into photography. I always wanted to open my own business. It started with wanting to open my own bakery and then a bookstore. Most recently, I combined the two ideas and now want to open a combination of both. But that idea will not come to fruition for a few years from now. I always thought Etsy was a really good platform for small businesses. So I took my love for photography and art and started a small business—Made by Gail.

Q) How did you get into designing stickers, by the way?

The first stickers I released are actually photographs of flowers. These are photos I took myself and thought, "I want this as a sticker." But I couldn't find what I was looking for anywhere. So I thought I would create it myself, now here we are with a little Etsy shop for stickers, with stickers I've sketched and photographed myself. 

Q) How would you describe your design process for the stickers you sell as well as your sketches?

Honestly, for my design process, it is a little wonky. If I get a chance to sit down for a few hours, I will either sketch or read. A lot of the time, I would rather read. But when I am sketching, my inspiration comes from the things around me, and it is also based on the weather and the season. Right now, the main theme of my shop is floral and summery. But in the fall, I did have some pumpkin stickers to match the occasion. If I think it's cute and other people will think so too, then I add it to my shop.

Q) You're juggling school and your Etsy business. How do you manage your time?

I do not manage my time as well as I would like. Right now, I have a full-time job. I work 40 hours a week. I try to have set days to sit down and do homework afterward. My position at work is a remote work from home position so that does make it easier to do homework on the side or get an order packed and shipped out during a break. It also makes it easier to quickly interact with customers during the day, since I do not have a supervisor.

Q) What catch phrase(s) captures you?

Books=Life

A reader lives a thousand lives.

Have a break. Have a KitKat.

Q) What's next for you, personally and business-wise?

Business-wise, I would love to add apparel to my Etsy Shop, but I'm not sure when that can be done. Right now, I'm working on some bookmark designs to add.

Personally, I'm not sure! I'll be graduating with my Bachelor's in Business Management with a minor in Computer Science and Information Systems—this May. I'm not sure what I'll do after.

Q) Please tell us something unexpected about yourself.

Some unexpected things about me are that I do not know how to swim, and I am under 5 feet tall.

You can shop at Abby's Made By Gail Shop on Etsy or check out her Bookstagram!

Thanks for visiting TLC's Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where folks with out-of-the-ordinary tales share their stories! Please leave a comment.

 

UPDATE: Extraordinary Touch—Reflexology by Melanie

Welcome Back, Melanie!

Since restarting my blog late in 2021, I wanted to do updates on several folks who were featured on the Extraordinary Ordinary blog. Here's the link to Melanie's original interview: Extraordinary Touch—Reflexology by Melanie. I've found reflexology to be a mainstay for me to stay healthy, and I really enjoy the new location in Antioch, Illinois.

A New for Reflexology by Melanie

My practice is growing and staying strong. I now have two massage therapists working with me in my current Antioch location. They are both very good. MaryAnn and Leslie Ann are two very different kinds of therapists. This gives clients a variety of options.

I plan on returning to school this spring to finish up my nutrition coaching certification. This will add to my ability to help others. I'm hopeful that 2022 will be a safe and healthy year!

Find Melanie here:

Facebook

Reflexology website

LinkedIn

For appointments, please check out Melanie's site on Square.

Thank you for visiting TLC's Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where folks with out of the ordinary stories are interviewed. Please leave a comment!