Pardon My Crumbs....

Hello Friends,
I'm usually very careful about keeping food and crumbs away from my computer, but I can't help myself today.  I'm going to keep munching on this delicious challah bread while I tell you about one of my new favorite places.

A bakery might not seem like an obvious choice for a tourist stop, but Great Harvest Bread Company is no ordinary bread store.   One of my favorite things about being a Hometown Tourist is discovering great people who do great work with joy and passion.  Dennis and Marian Cihacek - who began Great Harvest in Omaha 16 years ago - are definitely two of those people.

 The "Free Slices" sign can be seen outside of all three locations in Rockbrook, Dundee, and West Omaha on Tuesdays through Saturdays.  (They're closed on Sundays and Mondays for "loafing.")  Pop in, and one of the friendly employees will cut you a generous slice of whichever bread you'd like to try.  Butter and honey are available, too - but try the bread without it, first.  I couldn't believe how much flavor it has all by itself - even the white bread.

The bread at Great Harvest is truly unique from the very beginning.  It starts with whole wheat grown by family farmers in Montana.  The wheat is transported to the stores, where it's ground into flour on site, fresh every morning.  The bakers arrive at 3 a.m. to begin this process, and they really seem to love their work.  When I visited at 10 in the morning, they were still joking and having a good time as they continued to prepare loaves of bread and rolls for the oven.

Breads are made with all natural ingredients and no additives or preservatives.  They're baked throughout the day, so you can pick up a hot loaf almost any time.

Breads range in price from $4.00 to $8.50.  Some are offered everyday - including Honey Whole Wheat, Old-Fashioned White, 9-Grain, and Cinnamon Chip.  Each day also features 4-6 additional offerings, such as Tomato Herb on Thursdays or Challah on Fridays.  And the Baker's Choice breads vary from month-to-month.  (One of the specials for March was a Reuben-stuffed Rye with corned beef and sauerkraut baked in.  It was incredible.)  A printed schedule is available at the counter.  Oh - and for those of us watching our diet, there are several lo-carb choices and many that are approved by Methodist Health System's "A Fare of the Heart" program.

Dennis, Marian, and their staff of bakers have been working overtime to get Honey Bunnies and Pastel Rolls ready for Easter. 

They also create several ethnic breads and treats.  They make Kolaches with homemade filling in honor of Dennis Cihacek's Czechoslovakian heritage, and they also make scones, houska, and mazurkas.  Some of their recipes have been developed in response to customer requests.

The store also makes sandwiches - using fresh bread, of course - and has other sweet treats available for sale. 

Every corner of the store holds another fun surprise - like local honey available for sale, or these whole wheat dog biscuits.  (The dog biscuits were tested and approved by my own Furry Tourists.)

The Cihaceks are also active in the community, providing bread, rolls, and baskets of food to many local organizations for fundraisers and special events.

Next time I have friends visit from out of town, I think I'll take them to Great Harvest Bread Company.  In the meantime, I might break off just one more piece of that challah...

Welcome

Hello Friends,
I'd like to welcome everyone who's recently discovered The Hometown Tourist via the website and/or the Facebook page.  I just began this journey of re-discovering my hometown a few months ago, and I've already encountered some wonderful surprises.  It's an honor to share those finds with you.  It's also wonderful to see a community of people who are looking for the best around them, and I love it when you share your ideas for great places to go and things to see.

I hope you'll feel free to interact with the Hometown Tourist by leaving comments on the blog page or on the wall on Facebook.  You are welcome to share your own favorite "tourist stops" for others to enjoy or add your thoughts about places I feature.  The wall is open for posting photos, too.  So if you have pictures of your favorite place, please share them!  (I think this goes without saying - but please make sure photos and comments are appropriate for all ages.) 

It's been a little while since my last post, but I want to make sure I'm bringing you the best of what I find.  Look for a couple of stories coming up this week.  I found a fantastic bakery where they grind their own flour from whole wheat every morning, with delicious results.  I'm also enjoying this spring weather with a couple of hikes.  Not a whole lot of green in those photos yet, but the blue skies and warmer temps are worth celebrating.  (If only I could capture the sound of the wind with my camera...) 

Talk to you soon!

Opportunity to Experience Deaf Culture

Hello Friends,
Are you fascinated by sign language?  Whenever I tell someone that I work with deaf students, sign language is the first thing they ask about.  There are many other aspects of my work, but it was the pull of the language that first drew me to deaf education.  And it's still the most fun part.  (What other language allows you to talk with your mouth full or have a conversation across a crowded room without interrupting anyone?!)

The Iowa School for the Deaf is providing an opportunity for people to come and experience deaf culture on Friday, March 26th.  They're hosting a Family Fun Night from 7 to 9 p.m. that is open to the public.  They will have a carnival set up and concessions available.  All games will cost 25 cents.  I spoke with a staff member today and learned that students from area schools come to participate along with the students from ISD.  All families are welcome.

Worried about not knowing the language?  Many of the teachers at ISD are hearing, and you will see a lot of "Simultaneous Communication" - speaking and signing at the same time.  You might also be surprised at how far gestures can go.

If you'd like to learn a few signs or brush up on your skills ahead of time, the ASL Browser is a free site that has an alphabetical list of words with Quicktime video clips of the signs.  They have hundreds of words, and the video clips really help you learn them correctly.  This was one of my favorite sites when I started learning sign language.  The first book I bought was Signed English: A Basic Guide.  It's organized by category and has lots of everyday signs with good illustrations.  Between the two, I learned enough signs to start conversing with a deaf student without an interpreter.  (Fortunately, she was very patient with me!)

And if all else fails, you can always communicate with a notebook and pen.  (Try doing that in another country!)

If you or your kids are interested in sign language, the Family Fun Night at the Iowa School for the Deaf would be a great opportunity to experience a unique culture and language.

Reader's Theater: "Recommended Reading for Girls"

Hello Friends,
Did you hear?  My own little hometown received a nod at the Oscars on Sunday evening.  Cinematographer Mauro Fiore - a native of Italy who now lives in Papillion - forgot his wife but remembered his adopted city in his acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for his work on Avatar.  This is a man who could live anywhere in the world, but he chooses to stay here.  And the more I discover and re-discover about my hometown - the more I understand his decision.

Case in point:  On Monday evening, local playwright Ellen Struve presented what she called "Draft A" of her newest work through a free Reader's Theater event hosted by the Omaha Community Playhouse.  In the intimate setting of the Howard Drew theater, with the set of Death of a Salesman as a backdrop, eight talented actresses gave voice to Struve's play, Recommended Reading for Girls, for the first time.  Eight music stands lined the front of the stage to hold the scripts, with eight chairs behind them for when the characters were not "on stage."  The narrator read the opening stage directions, and all other distractions quickly faded away as the characters drew us into their story.

The play centers around the three Saunders women.  Amy Saunders - 30, single, and sure that she's a disappointment to her mother - has just returned home to help her mother through a round of chemotherapy.  She also hopes to talk her mom into joining an experimental drug trial that Amy thinks may give her a better chance of survival.  Amy is greeted by her very pregnant sister, Jackie, when she arrives.  Their mother, Marilyn, is tired after a round of treatment. 

Looking around her childhood home, Amy observes that everything is the same as it always was.  But she soon discovers that there are four strange guests in the house... 

 Strange, but familiar at the same time.  Amy realizes they are the heroines from books she had read and loved as a girl - Sara Crewe from The Little Princess, Anne Shirley, Heidi, and a Girl Sleuth (based on the character of Nancy Drew). 

Sound implausible?  Perhaps.  But the fast-paced dialogue between the Saunders sisters and the heroines as they sort things out kept the whole audience - girls and guys alike - laughing all through the first act. 


My sister and I were amazed by how perfectly each actress fit the character she was playing, even without the benefit of costumes and makeup.  And Struve did a wonderful job of developing her characters while keeping the heroines true to their roots.  One of my favorite moments was when Amy Saunders becomes frustrated with Anne Shirley in the second act and taunts her by telling her what will happen when she grows up - that Anne will stay in her hometown, become a teacher, marry the boy next door, and have a bunch of kids.  The despairing Anne cries, "But I wanted to die tragically!!!"

In a more serious moment, Amy realizes that all four of the heroines in her home lost their mothers at an early age.  The characters also have an interesting conversation about endings.  Amy and Anne agree that a happy ending is very satisfying, while Sara Crewe reminds them that a great deal of suffering usually comes first. 

The performance was followed by an opportunity for the audience to provide feedback.  The response was overwhelmingly positive.  Great writing is always a work in progress, and I know that Struve will be hard at work to make her play even stronger.  But I think I would pay to see Draft A again - even as reader's theater.  It was that good. 

Does Omaha have talent?  Oh, yes. 

Artists Co-Op Gallery

Hello Friends,
It's been awhile since I've written.  My only excursion last weekend was to the movies, and while that was a great escape, it wasn't quite unique enough to be considered a tourist stop.  But my first visit to the Artists Cooperative Gallery (405 S. 11th Street) last night was a totally different story.

The gallery is run by artists and for artists.  Each member takes shifts as the "gallery watcher," which means that whenever you stop by, you are greeted at the front desk by one of the artists themselves.  This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about what inspired a piece or ask those nagging questions that we're usually left to puzzle over.

The artwork on display is changed out every month.  And on the first Saturday of the month, the gallery throws an opening party - complete with food and drink - free and open to the public.

I have to admit that I was intimidated by the thought of going to a gallery opening.  But I was encouraged by these comments from the website:
   Dress Code:  Anything goes.  Wear whatever you want.  We're very casual.
   Knowledge Level: None required.  Your opinion counts.
   Questions:  Please ask!  Artists love to tell you about their work.  All questions are good questions!

I was further encouraged when I called the gallery Saturday afternoon and visited with Mr. Doyle Howitt - the gallery watcher for the day.  Howitt was warm and welcoming; he even gave me directions and offered to introduce me to the other artists who would be featured this month. 

The gallery itself proved to be as warm and inviting as its watcher.  When we arrived, the parking lot was nearly full.  Inside, the white-washed brick walls formed an unassuming backdrop for a wide variety of artwork.  Dozens of people moved through the room in quiet twos and threes or stopped to to sample the spinach dip and have a glass of water or wine.  My traveling companion for the evening was my sister.  We spent a little over an hour on our first trip around the gallery; then we went back to re-visit a few of our favorite things. Out of respect for the artists and the other visitors, I didn't take any photos, but please follow the links below to see pictures from the artists' pages.

We were both intrigued by Doyle Howitt's wood sculptures.  The UFO pieces on display this month were fun to look at, though I would love to see more of the vases like the ones on his website.  The textures and patterns of the wood grains are so beautiful.

We loved Dale Shenefelt's photography - especially "The St. Louis Arch."  It is the perfect angle on a perfect arrangement of elements.

Susan M. Sutherland Barnes' collection of leaf bowls held our attention for a long time.  We loved the different colors and patterns that she incorporated around the leaf imprints.

My sister was sorely tempted to buy two of Dar Vandevoort's paintings, although I think they would look better at my house...  We also found ourselves pondering at length over Virginia Ocken's "Compassion."  Done entirely in reddish hues, the figure of a man on his knees, face pressed to the earth - we were moved, but we didn't understand the title of the painting.  It seemed to make more sense after we discovered a companion piece in the lobby - "Stumbling." 

Neither of us would consider ourselves "artists," but we found many pieces that inspired us to look and keep on looking and then look again.  It was exciting to find unexpected details - like puzzle pieces incorporated into a painting - and talk about what the artwork said to us.  This adventure took me out of my comfort zone a bit, but I'm so glad that I went.

The gallery is open Wednesday and Thursday from 11-5, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m, and Sunday from noon to 6.  There is no admission charge.  Metered parking is available on the street, or there is a parking lot on three sides of the building.  Parking in the lot was $7. on Saturday night. 

The next opening party will be April 3rd, but you may also be interested in the Ikebana show on March 19th through the 21st.