W h e r e M o n ta na G e t s E n g ag e d www.McGoughandCo.com
131 Central Avenue Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-9199 800-862-9199
Featured Stories
HEALTH
14 Cassidy Iwersen
58 Fainting
Outdoor Women
60 Exfoliation Basics
18 Traci Stolte
perfect getaway
22 SNOWSHOeing
406 Love 24 History of Montana Weddings 28 Love Stories
Food & Flavor 34 Meat Your Maker
36 personal pot pies
40 Divine Wine
home 44 Carin Cross 48 Kris Shiesl
pets 54 Flathead Spay & Neuter
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contents
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62 HOW DO YOU MEASURE FITNESS 64 Let’s Stay Healthy
wellness
68 The Perfect Gift
Family
70 Chicken Scratch or Handwriting?
garden
72 pruning
Art 76 Colt Idol 78 Book Review
People & Places 82 The Whitefish Figure Skating Club
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The to
most affordable way
Reach Montana’s
most
desirable audience .
Publisher Cindy Gerrity cindy@montanasky.net
Business Manager Daley McDaniel daley@montanasky.net
Creative Director/Layout&Design Sara Joy Pinnell ayourartisan@yahoo.com
Editor Kristen Pulsifer Kristen@whitefishstudycenter.com
Business Editor Alison Pomerantz alisonpomerantz@me.com
Copy Editor/Writer Carole Pinnell queencarolerule@yahoo.com
Cover Girl Mel i ssa Eri n Ber d im ur a t
Staff Photographer Daniel Seymour montanasharpeye@gmail.com
Melissa Erin Berdimurat manages The Village Shop in downtown Whitefish. Ever since Melissa can remember she has had a love for all things fashion. She currently lives in Whitefish with her boyfriend Beau and Black Lab puppy, Andre. Melissa enjoys shopping, spending time with friends, snowboarding, yoga and traveling. Photo by: Kelli Trontel (kellitrontel.com) Wardrobe: The Village Shop H a i r : Gillian Moss of Red Union Salon
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Interested in advertising with us? Call 406-270-2855 Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year
Photographer Rachel Catlett rachel@rachellynnphotography.com
6477 Hwy 93 S Suite 138, Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-1545 info@406woman.com Copyright©2011 Skirts Publishing
View current and past issues of 406 Woman at w w w . 4 0 6 W o m a n . c o m
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contributors
Ter r y Ruggles Er i n B l air
licensed Esthetician, is owner of the Skin Therapy Studio. Specializing in the effective treatment of acne and aging, Erin helps people have skin they can be proud of. She has trained with the best Acne Specialists in the country, and now brings world class acne therapy home to the Flathead Valley. Erin resides in Whitefish with her husband and daughter, where they enjoy nine months of winter and three months of company every year. For help with problem skin, visit SkinTherapyStudio.com.
is a newcomer to Whitefish, she just relocated here in November from Darby,Montana with her purebred Aussie, Jasper! She has worked as a backcountry guide for over ten years in both Vail and Salida, Colorado - where she had her own business. In the Bitterroot Valley she continued those adventures through the Healthy Kids/Healthy Forest Grant, several after-school programs and adult education. She is passionate about being outdoors, leading people into experiences in deep nature connection and creating community. Her educational background involves a B.A. in Municipal Parks and Recreation Management and a M.A. in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She originally made her home in New Jersey - explored New England and the south but her heart and soul found there true home in the west in 1982 - first in Colorado, now in Montana. She is the new kid and guide at Glacier Adventure Guides -and would love to take you out into the intimacy of the forest. She can be reached thru Glacier Adventure Guides at 892-2173 or www.glacieradventureguides.com.
Lashaun Dale, MA, MP H Kiersten Alt on, RP H
is a pharmacist at Big Sky Specialty Compounding in Kalispell. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Texas in Austin where she learned about herbs, vitamins, homeopathics and how to make medicines from scratch (compounding). She helps patients reduce or eliminate medications and teaches classes on women’s hormones, environmental toxins, and nutritional and natural medicine for infants and toddlers. Recently Kiersten started an autism support group. For more information, e-mail Kalton@bigskycompounding.com.
loves yoga, fitness and finds magic in movement, groups and music. Lashaun is a woman, wife, mother, yogi & fitness professional--enthusiastic lover of new ideas, faces and places. She is a teacher by day, munchkin snuggler by dusk and a mad owl on the midnight keyboard. She constantly wonders about the sweet oddities of life and attempts to turn ever experience into a chance to learn. She has pursued many lives, teaching certifications and professional degrees and continues to live her dream of sharing the healing powers of compassion, movement and yoga at Mandala Montana. A certified yoga teacher, fitness and indoor cycling coach, she specializes in holistic lifestyle management, yoga, core strength, weight loss, flexibility training and youth fitness. A regular contributor to media publications such as The NY Times, SELF, Vogue, Women's Health and Fitness magazines she is also a budding author, speaker and lively blogger. Visit her at lashaundale.com
Mir i am Si nger Nancy Reese Jones
lives in “Kalifish,” halfway between Whitefish and Kalispell. After a long technical communications career at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, she launched into the world of freelance writing in 2007 with Words Rule! When she’s not at the keyboard she’s helping her husband with his horsemanship business at their Lucky 2 Ranch, or enjoying friends, pets, and playing outside.
Dr u Raf ki n,P CC
In 1998, Dru Rafkin, PCC, founded Sane Solutions by Dru which offers Coaching and Training to leaders, teams and individuals who are experiencing frustration, overwhelm and lack of focus in reaching their professional and personal goals. With Dru clients are empowered to maximize their effectiveness and decrease their stress. Clients gain clarity about what is truly important and begin focusing their energy in that direction as they achieve their goals. Dru obtained her training and credentials as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from the Academy for Coaching Excellence where she is a Faculty Member and Licensed Seminar Leader. She lives in Whitefish, Montana. To contact her, please visit www.sanesolutionsbydru.com
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writes to express her soul. The way words flow and find meaning makes her happy. Like writing, cooking can also be a meditation. And both activities result in being fed. Miriam started writing many years ago as a way of capturing her life’s journey. She learned to cook from her very talented mother and from her own love of creative experimentation while playing with food. She grew up in New York City and went to Brooklyn College. Her journey took her across the country and to homes in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Seattle, Washington, Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Flathead Valley of Montana. Miriam Singer lives in Whitefish, Montana with her partner in life John Simpson who manages Don “K” Subaru. Together they promote music as Singer & Simpson Productions. Miriam sings for the same reason she writes. By the way, Miriam drives a Subaru.
Nancy Kimbal l
traded pipe dreams of being a research biologist for a solid career in print journalism, clutching tightly her degree in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University. Now she has a new lease on life at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. After a long run in the news business at papers across Iowa and Montana – Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish – she now is a marketing communications assistant working to get out the word on health care. When she can extract herself from flower beds and the vegetable garden, she just might be found on a mountain, two-wheeling down a back road, skinny-skiing through the woods, paddling on the water or reading a good book. She’s been in Columbia Falls 20 years and plans on another 20.
Bear Dance, Bigfork, Montana
note} from the editor
The holidays are over, and winter has truly set in. I have no idea what the ground hog saw on Ground Hog Day, but I heard he has been cranky this year. I think everyone gets a little cranky this time of year. Winter has been around for awhile, people are starting to get ready for spring, but it is till fairly far off. Residents of the Flathead Valley are fortunate in that the winter has been more mild, and winter activities are still fresh. Skiing has just recently become good, and some of the cross country ski trails have just opened. This issue of 406 Woman has several ideas of how to keep all activities that winter has to offer fresh and exciting.
Once again, 406 Woman has several yummy recipes to offer, to help keep us warm and active in the kitchen. Everything from potpies to new ideas on how to prepare meats, should keep us moving around meal time. And, after those heavenly meals, make sure to read up on some great activities to help keep those winter pounds from sticking. We have some suggestions on how to have fun outside. For example, head to Glacier National Park and appreciate the beauty that our winter landscapes have to offer. Everything from cross country skiing to snowshoeing is available. And don't forget the entertaining and educational articles that we are always excited to publish. Everything from a little dose of Martha Stewart, to some romantic love stories to keep us smiling, to new and interesting ways to stay healthy through the season of the cold and cough. 406 Woman is also excited to present the first issue of 406 Business Woman. This new section of magazine talks about some amazing business women in the valley and offers helpful financial tips on how to manage our money in savvy, smart ways that will help our budgets and make us feel fiscally strong.
Enjoy the next part of winter and make sure to step outside and take part in all the winter activities that we are fortunate to have so close to our homes.
Sincerely,
Kristen Kristen Pulsifer Editor
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featured} Cassidy Iwersen
Cassidy Iwersen
W o r k i n g f o r M a r t h a S t e wa r t — Written by Alison Pomerantz
Have you met someone who loves what they do for a living? The energy that radiates from genuine passion and expertise is entirely contagious. That sort of thing tends to be good for business.
Need some tips on how to serve salad for 50 atop Mount Kilimanjaro, how to assemble an exact replica of Noah’s ark with sugar cookies, or how to find a recipe to make a holiday croquembouche? From simple caterer to America’s most famous homemaker and media mogul, Martha Stewart has built a nearly $1 billion business showing people how to make the ordinary extraordinary.
Nearly three decades later, the domestic diva’s small entertaining business has exploded into Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, boasting two magazines, 75 how-to books, a cable television program, a syndicated newspaper column, a radio show, an Internet site and a retail home product line that continues to find new ways to make us feel hopelessly inadequate; yet, it leaves us wistfully aspiring to be better at just about anything than we currently are. But, even Stewart, with her seemingly ceaseless energy and demanding perfectionism, employs a trusted team who works behind the scenes to ensure every detail is executed flawlessly. One of those people is Kalispell’s own Cassidy Iwersen. The oldest of four children, Cassidy Iwersen draws inspiration from contrast. Born in Boulder, Colorado, Iwersen spent most of her childhood in the
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“ it’s a g o o d t h i n g ”
rural, Rocky Mountain west before going to college and graduate school in the urban backdrop of San Francisco, eventually moving to the hustle, bustle of New York City. From miles of endless fields and forests, to miles of concrete and steel, Iwersen proudly claims Montana as her home, and she says it was her passion for art, design, architecture and music that propelled her to the fast-paced life in the Big Apple rather than a need to escape her roots. In fact, Iwersen acknowledges that she was first drawn to the design world while working for Rita Fitzsimmons of Designworks, in downtown Kalispell. She remembers thinking that she had “the life.” She credits Fitzsimmons with having a profound influence on the direction of her career and continues to admire how involved Fitzsimmons has always been in the community. “Living in NYC definitely makes me appreciate the space, nature and pace of Kalispell,” she says. “And being from Kalispell makes me appreciate the energy of New York. I feel really lucky to know both ways of life.”
Iwersen’s affinity for contrasts is also what makes her have such an eye for the elements of design— and probably what landed her such a coveted job with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where she has worked for more than two and a half years. After earning a bachelors degree in communications at St. Mary’s, Iwersen studied graphic design at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. She then moved to the East Coast for the cultural and professional opportunities that she didn’t feel she could get in any other city.
Top photo : Kate Roem)er - Bottom photo: Christie Simony
“I adore my job because it really calls upon what I feel are my natural interests and abilities, and I get to channel them into an environment where they are appreciated and encouraged,” says Iwersen. “I never thought that all the time I used to spend tearing pages from magazines for inspiration and browsing design blogs would pay off. It is the kind of thing I used to do in my spare time and now it is my job!”
While working for Conde Nast, a coworker of Iwersen’s tipped her off about an opening at Martha. Recently promoted to be an associate style editor at Martha Stewart Wedding magazine, just one part of the MSLO empire, Iwersen started as a Senior Designer in the marketing department of the magazine publishing side, where she was responsible for creating pieces to help support marketing efforts and events such as presentations, invitations, event signage, menus, and gift packaging.
“I love working on the wedding magazine because of all the markets and trends we cover, which include everything from stationery, décor, table top and registry items to food, fashion, jewelry, flowers and travel,” Iwersen explains. “In one day, I might start at the flower market, run to the garment district for velvet and vintage ribbons, have an appointment to try on hats at the Plaza Hotel and then attend a meeting where we experiment with how to make the perfect champagne tower!”
Photo: Bryan Gardner
In her new role, she has creative license to dream up original content and ideas for the magazine stories. Iwersen then does all the propping and styling for the photo shoots to make sure all those magnificent table settings or fabulous floral arrangements are both aesthetically pleasing and in line with the Martha Stewart brand. In addition, Iwersen is charged with keeping up with industry trends and locating new vendors by attending trade and fashion shows as well as visiting designers at either their studios or show rooms to discuss their collections.
featured} Cassidy Iwersen
“I think people always want to hear that things behind the scenes aren’t as perfect as the seemingly flawless photos we produce,” Iwersen says. “However, our aim is not to fool our audience. Our goal really is to educate and ‘elevate the everyday’ as they are fond of saying here. I think people would really be surprised to see how ‘hands on’ it is behind the scenes here.” Iwersen explains that the MSLO offices span an entire city block and house four photo studios, a prop house, a design and fabrication (carpentry) studio and two test kitchens. “Working here is like working at a laboratory. We are constantly testing and perfecting ideas, and at any given time you will see people with aprons on and flour on their faces, or carrying armfuls of flowers, or pushing a cart full of photography equipment. It takes a lot to arrive at that final, perfect shot, but it’s an authentic process more than just a pretty picture.” She laughs that being in the wedding department, it is that authenticity that may be her job’s biggest downside. Vendors are constantly sending samples of wedding cakes, chocolates, candies and sweets, or the test kitchens need “tasters” to give them feedback on their recipes.
A consummate student of life, Iwersen thrives on the opportunities MSLO offers to learn so many new skills pertaining to the everyday, such as organizing, entertaining, baking, gardening, pet care and so forth. Photo: Anna Ross
“I truly feel like I learn something new every day by just walking down the halls,” admits Iwersen. “Sometimes the company will offer sewing classes after work or after a photo shoot, my coworker will hold a ‘flower class’ with leftovers and teach us how to assemble arrangements.”
When she first moved to New York, Iwersen set a goal of working for a big brand—an icon—someone like Ralph Lauren or Martha Stewart, who was actively involved in all aspects of the business and had personal stakes in continuing to ensure that they grow and thrive. Upon achieving her goal, Iwersen now has been able to learn first hand how Martha Stewart, the person, became Martha Stewart, the brand.
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“Martha is such a powerhouse. She runs a tight ship and I love it!” Iwersen exclaims. “I think a company is more than just a company when it has someone’s name on the door—especially when that name is
Martha.” Iwersen admits that while she has met Martha on several occasions, her employees often try to stay out of her line of vision because she isn’t shy about giving someone a task or correcting whatever it is they are doing.
“Some people are intimidated by that, but I really like the chance to see things through her eyes. Her attention to detail is why she is who she is,” says Iwersen. Given that Stewart was even able to mold an entire large nativity scene out of clay to resemble Wedgewood Drabwear while incarcerated for five months for insider trading, one could argue that the intimidation may be justified. Nevertheless, Iwersen claims that despite her reputation, she isn’t a “Devil Wears Prada” diva. “I’ve worked for people who like to make outrageous demands just to assert their power, but everything Martha asks for or points out is because she truly knows how to do things correctly and likes imparting that knowledge.” Iwersen adds, “Also, having observed her at many functions and smaller dinners, I am always impressed with how smart and funny she is.”
Even when Iwersen isn’t at the office, her pastimes could be described as a form of research. She enjoys walking her dog around her East Village neighborhood or exploring other corners of the city, window shopping, touring museums and art galleries, or visiting open houses. Having a penchant for architecture, interior design and real estate, Iwersen says she and her friends actually volunteer at a historical society just so they can tour the historical residences! She also hits flea markets and thrift stores, checks out new shops, hotels, restaurants and bars, and loves attending movies, plays, readings or listening to live music. “There is so much to do in New York, I am never bored here,” Iwersen says and confesses that despite working for a media conglomerate, she has not owned a television since moving to Manhattan. Iwersen’s life and career in New York would understandably conjure up envy in the way Martha Stewart’s photos stir pangs of longing for the unobtainable. However, perhaps it is her “bloom where you’re planted” Montana work ethic, positive attitude and passion to “elevate the everyday” Marthastyle that has already made Iwersen a success. Her work ethic and success, give her the ability to handle any new situation that comes her way—with a smile.
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outdoor woman} Traci Stolte
In her 38 years, Traci Stolte would say the most important thing is to “Just Be. I’ve learned that it’s really important
to take care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually
to be the best for my family and my friends”. It seems to be working as Traci is not only beautiful but very relaxed in her skin and exudes a level of comfort when you’re in the room with her.
Traci is a Montana native, moving from Laurel to Whitefish in 1989 during her sophomore year. While in high school, she met Caleb, and a few years after graduation they married. That was 17 years ago, and after all this time they are still going strong.
T r ac i S t o l t e “ J u st B e ” Written by Kristen Hamilton - Photo by Daniel Seymour
Traci completed the Radiologist Tech program at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula and worked for Peak Orthopedics with Dr. Sobba for five years before she and Caleb opened Stolte’s Pet Stop in 2003. She is a mother of three children (Luna, Azure, and Kiva) under the age of 10. Although the business keeps her busy, she still fills in occasionally for Dr. Sobba when needed. On top of all that, she trains to compete in some pretty incredible endurance races around the state… just for fun.
Traci said she’s always been active but realized after Azure was born, now six, she wanted to get in better shape and needed to find some time for herself. She decided to start running and really enjoyed it. “Running is a meditative process for me, and it’s really helped in other areas of my life,” Traci commented.
Her running has expanded to year - round training. Mountain biking, kayaking, snowshoeing, skate skiing, and telemark skiing are the activities that keep Traci in shape, and happy, all year long. She’s one of the gals you see hiking up Whitefish Mountain with skins on her skis. Then, when she reaches the summit, she heads down the mountain. “I like to get up and get going,” she says. Traci has taken a cue from Caleb, who has been a competitive mountain biker. Together they train and compete in endurance races. “Caleb is definitely my best friend,” Traci said. They enjoy staying active together. The kids love to come along and cheer on mom and dad.
They have competed in the Xterra Wild Horse Creek race in Bozeman and are looking forward to it again this July. Not for the faint at heart, the course includes a 1200-yard swim, 16-mile mountain bike ride, and a 6-mile run.
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outdoor woman} Traci Stolte
S tolte ’ s P et S top
If you were a dog, this is the place you’d want to hang out. I’m sure you’ve noticed Stolte’s on Hwy 93 South of Whitefish by Midway Mini Mart. Traci and Caleb have made the fencing alone a work of art for the whole valley to enjoy. Taking care of the exterior and keeping it looking great is a continuous project according to Traci, but one that they enjoy. Their business is taking care of dogs in a very social environment. They can accommodate many dogs in a given day with boarding or day care. While I was there, the dogs were being let outside to play and, although a touch noisy initially, they settled down quickly and seemed to be having a ball with their playmates. Stolte’s sponsors a team, annually, for the Whitefish Winter Carnival Penguin Plunge. They love to participate and help a great cause. They also sponsor a bowling team. Traci and Caleb like to help where they can with their business. To bring your best pal to Stolte’s Pet Stop for the day or during your vacation, be sure to call in advance and make a reservation. They get particularly busy during holidays and the summer season.
Above Picture Courtesy of the Stolte Family
The Swan Crest 50K (Alpine #7) is another event that they love. The first time they competed in the race was in memory of a lost friend, and now they make an annual pilgrimage to the race to keep those they have lost through the years close to their heart. The 50K (30mile) course is intense, with a 11,300Ft climb and an 11,200-Ft descent. One year, when Kiva was only three weeks old, they completed the race carrying him on the trail. The Peaks to Prairie Adventure Race starts in the Beartooth Mountains and involves an 8.8-mile run leg, a 43-mile bicycle leg, and a 23-mile paddling leg on the Yellowstone River. This race gives Traci another opportunity to spend time with her family while having a great sense of accomplishment. “I’m not super competitive, but I love to dig deep and see what I can do,” she said. They also compete locally in The Glacier Challenge, multi-sport relay race each year. The race features six legs of running, biking, canoeing and kayaking, covering 50-miles of terrain around Whitefish.
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In May, they’ll start the season with another local race, the Whitefish WAG Race, which is a benefit for the Whitefish Animal Group supporting the Hugh Rogers WAG Dog Park. Although all the kids love to stay active, Traci’s son Azure is hoping to get involved with some of the competitions this year. Regardless of the competitions, it’s the staying active and healthy that is most important to Traci. “If I don’t take care of myself, how can I take care of kids,” she said.
Thankfully the business that Traci and Caleb have built has allowed them some freedom to live a very well rounded happy life. She said, “I never would have thought I’d be doing this but I love it.” The animals are great but Traci values the relationships she has built with their furry client owners the most. Most of all, Traci is grateful and knows the importance of giving back. She says, “Be a good person…what you put in, you get back.” Now that’s a motto we can all learn from.
Stolte’s Pet Stop 5094 US Hwy 93 S Whitefish, MT 59937
406-862-2473
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perfect getaway}
SNOWSHOeing
T h e S n ows h o e r ' s H e a rt Written by Terry Ruggles - Photos by Greg Fortin
As I step into my leather-worn hiking
boots, add the zip to my gators and grab my poles, I feel my cells come alive with anticipation.
I wander through the forest trails, and with each step, my heart unravels into that place where there is no time. All my senses absorb the woods and its subtlties. I see the rainbow crystals dangle and glisten on the tip of a hemlock needle. I witness the way snow drapes on a limb, gently enhancing the shape. The smell of cold enters my nose with the hint of fir. I feel my body absorb the weather and the wind, and I begin to walk in oneness! Tasting a snowflake on my tongue, I remember being a child, and reconnect with awe. I hear the birds sing because they have a song in their hearts. Then, finally I really hear – it is the sound of primeval silence. Our lives are full of a frazzled madness. We all suffer from sensory overload. What
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we really need is a sensory mind-massage. Snowshoeing – because of its innate simplicity – takes us to a peaceful place. While snowshoeing, you step into solitude – even if you share the trail and time with others. You connect with nature and yourself and totally unplug.
As I drive over the viaduct in Whitefish, I see the park, and it pulls me. My heart remembers the moments already spent there. Glacier National Park offers the intimate in the extremes. Lake McDonald has a million moods: calm and mirror-like, fog covered in clouds, wind-worn and choppy. The peaks draw me into their majesty and secrets. I just can’t fight the pull to explore more, to go further into the forest or up a trail! The animal tracks read like the morning news, telling stories about where they have been. John Muir said it best, - “Give a month at least to this precious preserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will definitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore
will time seem short or long, and cares will never fall heavy on you but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven.”
The Park welcomes either the frequent visitor or the new comer. Whether you have never snow-shoed or spent days on the trail, consider a trip to Glacier National Park this winter. Winter is a sacred and sweet time in the park, devoid of all the summer visitors. Play it safe and go with a guide! We offer personalized tours and provide transportation, all equipment and hot mint tea with our lunch. A variety of cross-country and multiday backcountry ski tours are also an option. In February and March, we are offering Women’s Only Snowshoe Tours every Wednesday (minimum 4) and on the last Saturday. Call Greg Fortin at 8922173 or look us up on the web at www. glacieradventureguides.com.
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Story
I D o ....
A young and plucky eastern girl moves to the 'Wild West' to be swept off her feet by a handsome and muscular cowboy. It’s the stereotypical plot of countless romance novels set in Montana.
But what are Montana romances really like? Author Martha Kohl researched hundreds of historic Montana weddings from the 1860s to the present. Her book, I Do: A Cultural History of Montana Weddings, reveals far more interesting, and yes, romantic, Montana love stories. Take Frances Battle and Jim Williams, whose romance could have come straight from a novel. Twenty-nine-year-old Frances’s family disapproved of Jim, and so for years the couple was forced to meet secretly and exchange letters when they could. “I believe that some of your folks object to your keeping company with me,” Jim wrote in 1893. “But dear Frances if you feel as I do, nothing in the world can ever make any difference in our feelings. If anything should happen to part us the sun would never shine for me any more.” Finally, in 1895, Jim left a note for Frances proposing marriage. He also left a bit of pen406
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cil and paper. Too anxious to wait long for a reply, Jim instructed: “you may get a chance to write a few lines in answer…If you do keep the letter where you can get at it and I will ride close up behind you as you are going home and you can drop the note on the ground. I will stop to fix my saddle and will get it. Your own Jim.”
brought new tenderness into the harsh environment. Josephine remembered that “when the weather was too cold and the snow too deep for his Model T Ford, he saddled up an extra pony and came for me, bringing warm clothing and a pair of chaps to keep me warm. No one had ever taken so much interest in me and my welfare.”
But not all Montanans experienced fairy-tale bliss. Kohl is a realist, and unlike fiction, I Do doesn’t deny the hardships that life in Montana brought. Take for example, Josephine Goldman, who was forced to move into a oneroom shack near Saco when her widowed mother filed for a homestead. Embittered, she left home as soon as possible, finding work cooking for haying crews. That’s how she met homesteader McKee Anderson, who
Two world wars brought even greater challenges to young lovers. Lucille Campbell and John Paddock fell in love in 1941 after meeting at an Anaconda diner. “It would have suit-
With the help of a neighbor, Jim and Frances rendezvoused in Virginia City, where they finally wed.
The couple married in Glasgow that summer, though Josephine had reservations: “Homesteading looked like dire poverty to me,” she said, “but McKee could foresee a great opportunity.” Before marrying, she had to file on a homestead so they would have a place to farm. McKee was about to lose his land to the bank. Their future was not easy—but it was happy, and filled with love as well as labor.
“But dear Frances if you feel as I do, nothing in the world can ever make any difference in our feelings. If anything should happen to part us the sun would never shine for me any more.”
ed me fine to get married right away,” Lucille remembered, but John wanted to wait. He was expecting his draft notice, and she was scheduled to start nursing school in Bozeman—a school that only accepted single women.
Then came the attack on Pearl Harbor, and John enlisted. Ten months away from home changed his mind about delaying the marriage. He secured a two-week leave, wrote a letter to Lucille proposing marriage, and hopped on a train for Montana. The letter arrived just one day before John, leaving Lucille scant time for a confrontation with the director of the nursing school. Lucille asked for a leave of absence to become the school’s first married underclassman. The director finally relented, and according to Lucille, “wagged a finger and said, ‘but don’t you come back pregnant!’”
With that, Lucille and her mother organized a wedding in three days. The couple wed in her parents’ living room with music played by a friend. They had just a week’s honeymoon at John’s parents’ ranch in the Big Hole Valley before John returned to his unit in South Carolina. As any bride knows, weddings can make for high drama, though most couples learn to look back and laugh. In the same way, Kohl finds lighthearted moments among the drama of yesteryear. Take Maggie Pierson and Harry Crossley’s 1905 wedding, for example. The pair married in Kalispell at the Flathead County Fair after winning a contest. For their prize, Kalispell merchants donated more than two hundred dollars’ worth of goods, “including everything from the county license to the wedding dinner… furniture and bric-a-brac,
All Photos Courtesy of Montana Historical Society. Photos from left to right.
On May 28, 1895, Jim Williams wrote this letter to Frances Battle to arrange their elopement..
Lucille Campbell and John Pa dock on their wedding day in Anaconda, October 17, 1942. Photo Courtesy Lucille Paddock Balfour.
Pete and Freida Nelson married circa 1898 in Bonner.
William Owsley married Bertha Pease in Twin Bridges on March 13, 1889
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406 love}
Story
I believe weddings are really important to people. I believe that by
studying moments people care about, you can learn what matters to them, and the communities in which they lived.”
groceries, dream robes, even medical attendance one year after the marriage,” according to the paper. For her “dream robes,” Maggie selected a pink dress and a large white picture hat. The ceremony was, of course, a publicity stunt for the fair, and it worked. Four thousand people attended the ceremony at the grandstand and a reception in the fair’s floral hall. The only hitch: “some josher stole” the groom’s “box of fine cigars and he had to hit the pipe.”
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Reading these love stories in I Do seems a bit like looking at snapshots—moments captured in time, with few hints of the future—since Kohl rarely spoils the romance by telling the rest of the story. We don’t often find out what happens to couples after they marry, though, ever the realist, Kohl hints in the introduction that nothing guarantees future bliss. “Both couples who celebrated their unions in grand style and those who married in small courthouse ceremonies lived happily—and unhappily—ever after,” she writes. Fittingly, black-and-white pic-
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tures splash across nearly every page of I Do, offering glimpses of smiling (or stern!) faces and antique gowns.
As a historian, Kohl intends I Do as a contribution to academic literature about weddings. But her prose reveals more than stark facts about wedding trends. When I asked her why she wrote the book, she said, “because I believe weddings are really important to people. I believe that by studying moments people care about, you can learn what matters to them, and the communities in which they lived.” Among intimate details of lace on a dress, Kohl shows insight into ordinary couples’ lives—their dreams, their reasons for marrying. Her book tells the love stories of all kinds of Montanans: Finnish homesteaders, Blackfeet students, Chinese restaurateurs, Métis fiddlers, Jewish merchants, wealthy mine owners, and struggling miners. And yes, there are even some hunky cowboys.
I Do: A Cultural History of Montana Weddings is available at local bookstores, or can be ordered directly from the Society by calling 1-800-243-9900, or online at www.montanahistoricalsociety.org. The 224page book with more than 70 historic photos sells for $34.95 in hard cover. All Photos Courtesy of Montana Historical Society. Photos from left to right.
Millie Priest married Clarence Goodell, the son of a Helena-area homesteader, on August 15, 1880. Her headdress marks her as a bride, but she likely intended to wear her gown again.
Matt Corr and Mary Tuss’s friends and family pose with the newlyweds for this studio portrait, taken after their February 12, 1917, wedding in Lewistown. Notably absent is the bride’s mother, who, following Croatian custom, stayed home to prepare the wedding feast.
Not all “mail-order brides” ended up marrying the men with whom they corresponded. In 1923, Anna Plovanic joined her brother John in Lewistown, intending to marry a Croatian immigrant (likely a friend of her brother’s) with whom she had exchanged letters. However, after meeting her fiancé in person, she changed her mind. Instead, she married Peter Tomich on January 1, 1924. Bride and groom are pictured here with attendants Joe and Mary Plovanic.
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406 love}
Story
Ben
+ Mackenzie
Who are you? Mackenzie Dixon is a realtor at Lambros ERA. Ben Dixon owns Waterstone MT, a landscaping and maintenance company.
How did you meet? I was playing for the Griz Soccer Team at U of M. We were holding our annual Summer Camp-Ben was a college soccer player as well. We were paired to coach a team together. Each day we would spend together, we found more and more in common. After the week ended, we somehow found ways to spend more time together. We instantly knew that this was very special. What is love? Love is unconditional. When someone cares for you so much that they allow you to be and become exactly who you truly are. When independence and companionship grow simultaneously with love, it will last forever.
What do you love? Ben is the most dependable person I have ever met. He is truly intense and passionate about those he loves. His love for life and confidence make him absolutely irresistible. When did you know you where in love? From the moment I met Ben I knew there was no one else out there like him. He is special and unique in every way. The way he can make you feel about yourself is indescribable. When Ben and I began spending time together, I instantly knew how sincerely interested in me he was. We were able to be married on the same Pebble Beach that we shared our first kiss under the stars. I have always and will always love Ben.
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WOMAN 28   
There are no words for the love Ben and I have. This past year has been very hard-for reasons we cannot control. My life has been changed forever. Because of Ben, I am now truly so blessed in life and love.
Cake by: Posh Chocolate
Dress: Cicada, Seattle, WA. Flowers: Habitat Floral DJ: DJ Coma
Location: Bull Island, Flathead Lake Hair and Makeup: Brandy Snider
Photographer: Green Door Photography Caterer: Bravo Catering
406 love}
Michael
Story
+ Bree
Who are you? Michael Avallone is an insurance underwriter at National Flood Service.Bree is a Radiological Technologist at HCNW. How did we meet? We met on the dance floor at a social event.
What qualities do we admire about each other? Bree about Mike: His charming good looks, his ability to strike up a conversation with anyone and that at the end of a hard day he is always able to put a smile on my face! Mike on Bree: My Wife believes in me. She lives life in a way that should be lived… filled with fun and excitement. Her laughter is contagious, and I love watching my wife smile with her eyes. Bree's motivation to get things done stems from her solid family values.
Cupcakes by: Karie at Pocket Stone Cafe Cobblers: Mother of the Bride-Noreen Flowers: Mary Exner
Bouquets: Debbie Kauffman - Memories in Bloom DJ: Chris M. with Music on the Move
Location: The Family Farm in Creston.
Hair: Kelsee and Tammi at Jay Thomas Salon Makeup: Kari at the Beauty Bar
Waxing and Eyelashes: Debbie and Kristen at Skin Envy Day Spa Photographer: Mandy Mohler Photography
The proposal? After a wonderful 5 day camping trip in Olympic National Park near Seattle, we spent our last evening (the fourth of July) at The Alexis Hotel in Downtown Seattle. Following an elegant dinner, we took a town car down to Lake Union to watch the fireworks display. "The fourth of July happens to be my favorite Holiday." The fireworks were so amazing! With each ‘kaboom’, the sky and water would light up. Although Mike appeared to be very nervous, his timing was right on! A huge red heart shaped firework exploded right in front of us... Mike turned to me and popped the question, and the rest is history. Wedding highlights? Mike- Watching My bride arrive first class in a cherry red, Bell Jet Ranger, flown in by my father-in-law, Dave. The amazing home cooked summer BBQ. Just a few favorites(Bruschetta, Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus, Tri-Tip with homemade horseradish sauce, Tequila Shrimp Kebabs, pulled pork sandwiches, Karies' Amazing Cupcakes, Noreens' Signature Drink)! Bree - My highlights were that all the hard work, from family and friends, had finally paid off. Having shared our Celebration with the ones we love, and of course, being all done up and feeling beautiful.
Caterer: Karie at Pocket Stone Cafe, mother of the bride, bridesmaids, family friends and neighbors.
Wedding Party Gifts: (Leather bracelets/flasks) J. Cherot Saddlery
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406 love}
Story
Garth
+ Sarah
Who are you? Garth Boksich – Realtor – National Parks Realty of Whitefish, Whitefish, MT. Sarah “Bell” Boksich – Executive Assistant – Fidelity National Timber Resources, Whitefish, MT. How did you meet? We met through a friend of Sarah's who Garth sold a house to in Eureka, MT. What is love? Love is having the wisdom and patience to accept that the person you married may have some ideas and customs that are different from yours and looking forward to the new ones that you will create together.
What do you love? Sarah on Garth – loves his sense of humor. He is always making me crack up. Garth on Sarah - Sarah is the total package- smart, sexy, good sense of humor, and fiercely loyal.
When did you know you where in love? After we started dating we weren't living in the same place so we had several week end-long dates. On one date we met in Seattle for the weekend. Not only was the weekend romantic and tons of fun, but there was some added humor because the hotel we stayed in happened to be hosting a Japanese Anime convention (which is like having downtown Whitefish on Halloween all staying in one hotel).
Cake by: Sally’s Bakery – Whitefish, MT.
Dress: Rosa Clara – Beautiful Weddings, Missoula, MT. Flowers: Bridal Bouquets by Bear Grass Gardens,
Whitefish, MT. and Dahlias by Elden Garden Dahlias DJ: Mobile Beat Productions – John Schultz
Hair: Lacey Street 33 Baker Salon Whitefish, MT.
Transportation: School bus driven by Kevin Becker
Photographer: Lindsey Jane Photography Caterer: The Moose Lodge
Location: Ceremony – The Homestead Whitefish, MT.
Reception- The Moose Lodge Whitefish, MT.
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Photo by: Shannon Hollman Photography {shannonhollman.com}
Photo by: JMK Photography {www.jmkphotography.net}
food}
meat
“Meat Your Maker”
By Kristen Ledyard Owner/Executive Chef of John’s Angels Catering LLC
Winter is upon us, and the search for
good food this season in Montana is always a chore. Everything seems to be shipped in and not that great to begin with. What are you to do? Especially because you have this wonderful organized pantry of fantastic food enhancing spices. Can you still look locally? The answer is simple - YES. Quality produce may not be that easy to find right now, but main proteins are right out your back door. Let’s explore our local fish, beef, and pork specialists.
In my constant quest to use only local products for my family and customers, I have had the fantastic opportunity to go behind the doors to learn more about the wonderful proteins right here in the Valley. I first started with a company less than a mile away from me, near Farm to Market road - Flathead Fish. Flathead Fish flies in fresh and unique seafood each week. Since 1987, owner Rick Adams, along with Max Pugh, have provided my families and clients with anything from the most fresh oysters to unique fish selections. 406
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Rick gave my staff an opportunity to learn how to properly butcher fresh Halibut. The care and proper butchery that go into preparing the fish for consumers are what put them ahead of the rest. With little waste and proper cuts, your dinner will turn out perfectly. Everything at Flathead Fish is hand butchered to order. Place your order on Monday, and it will come to you as soon as it comes in throughout the week. Providing your family with fresh seafood not only provides a different meal for the week, but vital Omega 3 vitamins along with other health benefits. Rick and Max are always ready with the latest knowledge on where the freshest fish comes from for each season. Just let them know your favorites or any concerns such as mercury, and they will provide you with the highest quality. Who knew that you did not have to get on an airplane just to have your favorite Hawaiian fish? They can be reached daily, at 862-7736. Next on my quest was beef. I have heard so many people say they wish we had a good butcher shop. Guess what? We most definite-
ly do, and it is located right in Columbia Falls, off of Hwy 2. Perfect Cuts brings a new meaning to “butcher shop”. For 11 years they have provided the highest quality, made to order butchered beef. I had the opportunity to really take a look at their amazing cuts during my interview. They have hardly any waste as they make their own sausage, and their cuts are not like that of the grocery store. One of my favorite ways to prepare proteins is smoking, and they do all of their own smoking. I was amazed to find out that if you come in and want a certain cut, they will butcher it for you at no additional charge. From the most amazing short ribs, to rib eyes and sirloins, (that I have had the chance to cook with), they are a “cut above the rest”. Not only can you purchase beef, but buffalo and elk, as well. They also have a large selection of unique spices and mixes to accompany your meat selection. It is truly important in today’s consumer world to know where your food is coming from, and, most importantly, how it is handled. Perfect Cuts’ beef comes only from the
Northwest, and they are in direct contact with their suppliers. Now, don’t you think it is time to visit your local butcher? Perfect Cuts can be reached at 892-3718.
Finally, my quest ends literally, right in my back door, at Farm to Market Pork. For over 20 years, Farm to Market Pork has been supplying the Valley with the highest quality pork. The hogs are raised right here in a very low stress environment, (which is one of the most important things in attaining the best quality pork). Also, the barley feed is made locally - a prime example of local supporting local.
Hogs are born every four weeks to assure local consumers that they will always have their favorite cuts. I asked Dwayne what the most popular cut was. He said, easily, their bacon. Word to the wise - come July through fall, and be first to get your bacon, because, by the end of the week, it is all gone. The bratwurst is a house recipe and favorite, as well. I wanted to know which recipe was the best, but Dwayne simply said, “The secret is in the meat.” This only goes to show the high standards they have for their product.
My journey is at an end but only for now. Spring comes and a whole new local farming system begins. Take a moment to look either down your street or just in next town for your local suppliers. You will be pleasantly surprised what the Valley has to offer. Not only will you know where your food comes from, and how it is produced, but rest easy knowing you are cooking healthy and delicious meals for your family. Be sure to ask questions if you want to know more about the farmer. They are very happy to let you know exactly what you are purchasing. You will taste a difference in the care taken by such excellent butchery. Take that grocery list off of the refrigerator and make a new one with local farmers. Spring, here we come!
Photo by Alisia Cubberly
Pork has made quite a comeback as “the other white meat”.
Contrary to what many have thought in the past, it has very lean qualities. The FDA has recently lowered the recommended temperature for cooking pork to allow for a little pink, not a hard as rock, well-done finish, as was once required. Along with the new findings, and knowing exactly where and how your pork was raised, you can feed your family with health in mind.
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food} in the kitchen
personal pot pies By Miriam Singer
When the cold and gray of winter causes an inner chill, then it’s time for stick to your ribs, cozy warming comfort food. How about your own individual serving of chicken pot pie, oozing luscious thick gravy? It’s so appetizing, smells so good and feels so satisfying - it must be bad for you. But that’s not so. Even the gravy is full of nutrients and serves the purpose of delivering a healthy portion of vegetables and low fat chicken. What better way to sneak vegetables into your child?
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Granted, chicken pot pie is comfort food, and the delicious buttery goodness in this recipe comes from... well... it comes from butter. But look at it this way, besides making you feel full and satisfied, the butter will
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help you absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K, and even add a few vitamins.
Chicken is a good source of protein. It provides energy to build muscles. Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and micronutrients that we all need. Carrots have plenty of beta-carotene, the potato vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. Celery is loaded with vitamin K, and onions and garlic are full of flavonoids. Don't forget the peas! Peas contain zinc, vitamin A, K and thiamin. So, inside this rich gravy floats a wealth of anti-inflammatory goodness. Preparing the pies doesn’t have to be labor intensive, as long as you have a game plan. Start by preparing the dough for the crust, because it has to rest for at least a half hour
in the refrigerator. While the dough rests, you’ll poach the chicken. While the chicken poaches, you’ll prep the vegetables. While the chicken cools, you’ll make a roux, and then use the poaching liquid to turn it into a gravy. In the gravy you’ll cook the potatoes and carrots. While they’re cooking, you’ll shred the chicken and roll out the crust.
This recipe makes four pies. But if you’re only feeding two adults, freeze two pies before baking for an easy as pie dinner down the road. If you’re feeding children, then use smaller containers like ramekins. Your child can roll out his or her own dough, paint the egg wash and create the air vent decoration. Everyone gets a personal pot pie, and it’s so much more fun when you've made it yourself.
Chicken Pot Pies
1/2 stick of butter + 1 Tablespoon light oil
Pie Crust
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 Tablespoons all purpose flour 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 10 oz package frozen peas
1 quart low sodium chicken broth 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs of thyme
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
all purpose flour for kneading and rolling
1 stick of butter, very cold, cut in small cubes 3/4 cup ice water, as needed
1 egg + 1 Tablespoon water, whisked kosher salt to sprinkle top
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
[I like Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base]
3 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, large
salt and pepper
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the small cubes of cold butter and pulse 6 to 8 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add ice water, starting with just a few tablespoons. Pulse and add more water only until it begins to clump together. You want to be able to pinch the dough between your fingers and feel it combining. Remember, less is more. In making pastry you are coating fat with flour, not blending it. If you still see pieces of butter, that’s a good thing. Too much mixing and too much water will make your pie crust tough. Turn the dough out onto a cold surface that you’ve sprinkled with flour, and knead quickly and briefly pressing it together with the heal of your hand until the dough forms a ball. Flatten it out into a round disc to make rolling easy later. Store in plastic wrap in the refrigerator at least one 1/2 hour. To poach the chicken breasts, start with the chicken at room temperature. Pour the quart of chicken broth into a pot with a tight fitting lid, large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. Add bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper and a teaspoon of bouillon. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Reduce the temperature to a slow simmer and add the chicken. Cover and cook the chicken in this broth on a gentle
simmer for 6 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Let the chicken sit in the hot broth for another 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to cool and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. When the chicken is cool enough, shred or cube into bite size pieces.
In a large pot melt the butter and add the oil. Sprinkle on 5 tablespoons of flour and combine with a whisk into a blonde roux, cooking and whisking for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped onion and saute in the roux for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Slowly stir the poaching liquid into the roux. Add the cubed potatoes, carrots and celery. Simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken the gravy and cook the vegetables. Add the shredded chicken and peas. Taste for seasoning, and re-season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spoon the chicken, vegetable and gravy mixture into 4 oven-safe bowls. Divide the pastry into four pieces and roll each piece into a circle large enough to overlap the bowls. Cover the bowls with the pastry. Paint with the egg wash. Cut four air vents into each, and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Place the four chicken pot pies on a baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour till golden and bubbly.
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food}
wine
g
Divine Wine By Dan Vogel
argoyles, Velvet Devils, Lost Angels, Chateau Saints, Les Heritiques and famous monks making Champagne: Are these characters from the Divine Comedy or Paradise Lost? As we walk the wine and craft beer sections they represent the ages old connection between wine, religion and celebration. Divinity is this springs marketing theme whether Christian, Pagan or simply whimsical. The curious relationship between mans’ first intoxicants and his need for Divine guidance has marked the progress
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of wine through history. From the original seeds of Greek thought to last week’s release of Dom Perignon Champagne, godly beings have received credit for providing these gifts while seeking to control the effect of nature’s miracle of alcohol.
Naturally occurring wine and beer, with their associated invisible alcohol, join two other foods, olive oil and honey, to make up the physicians toolbox of the ancient world. All three basic foods produced unexplainable, and thus divine, effects on the hu-
man consumer. Fermentation occurred under the magic of yeast and sugar. The effects of intoxication giving rise to both condemnation and praise by those who sought to guide man’s behavior. Plant oil, specifically from olives, helped skin to heal and wheels to turn. Honey is a naturally sterile compound whose sugar provided the first energy drinks as well as an effective antiseptic compound to close nasty sword wounds.
Our enterprising Greek ancestors produced drinkable wine, sweetened and flavored with honey, then capped it against oxygenation with olive oil. So effective was this threesome that wine produced in Greece was regularly sold to the Celts in England. Every major religion developed sometimes-intricate policies regarding use and abuse of this divine gift. Dionysus, Greek God of Wine, allegedly encouraged his female admirers to shocking acts of debauchery. Wines consumed during these events were infused with specific insects and herbs in order to increase their intoxicating effects. In 1938 Albert Hoffman utilized these practices to invent the drug LSD. Rome’s version of Dionysus is Baccus, whose Bacchanal celebrations built the concept of the Roman Orgy. Jewish religious traditions established the practices of safe food and drink by making production part of the worship. Throughout the Old Testament much is made of both condemned intoxication and the symbolic value of the miracle of wine. Christian practices mirrored this view where one should not be drunk yet one must acknowledge this marvelous drink as symbol of Gods’ love and benevo-
lence. Mohammad’s approach to wine is conflicted as the Prophet’s disciples showed a large appetite for wine and it’s effect. Ever the pragmatic leader, he declared wine to be one of the fruits of Paradise. Along with black-eyed maidens and rivers of honey, wine was to be earned in this life and enjoyed, without the intoxicating effect, in the next.
Ben Franklin said, “Beer is proof that God loves us.” As the Colonial settlers of the New World arrived they too chose sides either consuming copious amounts of whisky per year per person or taking the Puritanical approach of moratorium. Indeed the back and forth nature underscores the ancient Greek belief that moderation in all appetites is the healthiest course. Open any wine, food, health or religious publication today and the argument continues.
If sex sells, then divinity sells and assures simultaneously. While the European wine labels point to church locations and religious orders, New World wineries use divinity to tell the buyer one thing: If it’s good enough for Him, then it’s good enough for you. A perfect example of playing both sides against the middle is found in Lost Angel wines. Newly released from the Foley Family of Wines, and available throughout Western Montana, their tag line reads Naughty Wines for Naughty Times. Built from various grape sources within the Foley Family, the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon show deep rich fruit flavors and characters far above their $11.00 price point. Ever seeking great value for the consumer, this writer recommends these wines without reservation…or guilt. May all your wine choices be divine.
www.crushwhitefish.com 124 Central avenue whitefish. montana 406.730.1030
home}Carin Cross
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Photo by Roger Wade
Carin Cross
Designing for Comfort and Style Written by Nancy Reece Jones
Creating pleasing spaces comes naturally to interior designer Carin Cross. “A successful space flows well, respects the architecture, uses natural light to its best advantage, and blends colors, textures, and finishes successfully,” she says. “Above all, it’s a place you want to be.” Owner of Carin Cross Design in Whitefish, Cross has spent the past 15 years working intimately with architects and design teams to bring style and harmony to the interior of both residential and commercial buildings.
“My goal is to make the design process both rewarding
Fortunately, a new generation of assisted living facilities such as The Springs is committed to breaking this long-held stereotype of senior housing. Cross’s philosophy about conscientious design matches the objective of The Springs management: to offer a warm and inviting community where seniors can truly "live" life in a homey and safe setting. In addition to her intimate knowledge of the special needs of the elderly, Cross brings another plus to the design team: her certification as a Black Sect Feng Shui consultant.
and enhance the lives of its occupants.”
“Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of aesthetics that focuses on the movement of energy through space,” she says. “When energy flows easily, a space is balanced and harmonious, and the people in that space feel better.”
Since September 2011, Cross has collaborated with top executives and architects of The Springs to expand the Whitefish facility. The project, slated for completion in late spring 2012, includes a 5000sq/ ft Memory Care center as well as a 2000sq/ft dining room and activity room addition.
The hickory furniture is both aesthetically appealing—with a distinctly Montana feel—and practical. It is comfortable and allows residents to sit in and get up from with minimum effort.
and fruitful,” she says, “resulting in spaces that reflect
Soon residents of The Springs Living community in Whitefish will experience the special touch that Cross brings to her work. The Springs has 57 assisted living apartments with independent option available and 13 Memory Care apartments.
The Springs’ project represents a serendipitous dovetailing of Cross’s design expertise and background in health care. Her work in the health care industry raised her awareness of the importance of making individuals feel at home in what, too often, is an institutional setting. And having moved her parents into assisted living facilities, she is knows all too well the life-altering experience of the elderly when faced with giving up their homes and independence.
“It’s so difficult when a loved one reaches the point when he or she requires daily assistance that family members can’t provide,” says Cross. Like many people at that stage of life, her mother resisted the idea of being put away in an impersonal, antiseptic “home.”
“I remember how my mother pleaded with me to ‘not put me in one of those places,’” she recalls.
Because comfort and safety are essential considerations in an assisted living facility, Cross and the design team have paid close attention to details ranging from choice of flooring and lighting to furniture and color. Task lighting is soft, but provides enough illumination so those with weakened eyesight can easily read, knit, do puzzles, or other close-up activities.
Cross has selected a neutral palette for the common spaces in the facility. Since residents furnish and decorate their own apartments, she wanted a color scheme that blends with the décor of the residential spaces. Color is particularly important in the Memory Care center. “We want to have colors that aren’t jarring and make physical and mental transitions soothing,” she says.
Cross is excited about how The Springs project is progressing and is glad to have been brought in early in the process. As an interior designer, she wants to help people visualize what they want at the conceptual phase and walk them through all the necessary steps to making it a reality. 45
home}Carin Cross
“A popular misperception is that interior design is just about selection of color schemes, countertops, window treatments, and fabrics,” says Cross. “To the contrary, integrated interior design embraces every aspect of a building, so bringing a designer in at the beginning of a project is important.” She sees the design process as broken down into four stages: defining concept and overall project scope; considering space planning, lighting, and color; executing interior details and finishes; and adding furniture, art, fabrics, rugs, and window treatments. The progression of these stages, like the design process itself, is fluid: it folds back on itself as decisions are shifted and new choices made.
Cross takes inspiration from spending time outdoors, especially in her garden. One of her greatest teachers is nature itself, and she loves observing how light plays on the colors and textures of flowers and other living objects.
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“Studying the way light shifts and changes in nature has helped me to understand what color does in an interior environment,” says Cross. “I’ve found that living more in tune with the natural world here in northwest Montana has definitely heightened my sense of design in built environments.”
Whether at work on a vacation retreat, an extensive renovation of an existing home, or an assisted living facility, Cross is committed to creating spaces that are comfortable, attractive, and life-affirming for their occupants. “I want to make the whole design experience seamless, positive, and fun,” she says.
Carin Cross is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers ASID and is certified by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. Although busy with her design practice, she also teaches classes and workshops at the Flathead Valley Community College and is a member of the Architectural Review Board in Whitefish, Montana. For more information, call Carin Cross Design at 406-862-6277 or visit online at www.carincross.com
Above photo by Gibeon Photography
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406 women}
profiles
Kris Shiesl
It all started with a very passionate desire.... by Kristen Hamilton - Photos by Daniel Seymour
In 2003, Kris Shiesl left her home of 30 years in Alaska to be near her grandchildren, here in Montana. She had her own gift and antique store in Wasilla, Alaska for 5 years before moving to Kalispell. Not sure if she wanted to start a business again, she took 8 years to 'think' about the idea. After awhile, an irresistible desire to start collecting goodies, started again. Still not sure when, where or what …but always having faith that she was being lead in the right direction, she set out on a journey to find the perfect home in the perfect location. This quest took her almost two years, and at times she felt discouraged. At last she was pleased with her decision, although the timing still just wasn’t quite right. She remained determined to start her search for yet another shop. 406
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With her daughter graduating from High school in June 2011, and her father passing in July, Kris now felt it was time to pursue her dream and vision…Daisy Cottage. treasure, and the gift of artistic painting.
One of Kris’s passions is finding orphaned pieces of furniture to paint in order to make them a one of a kind, irresistible treasure for that ‘special someone's’ home. You’ll find her handmade florals in old chairs, candles and unique pieces. There is also, what she calls, a 'Poor Woman's Chandelier', hanging right in the middle of Daisy Cottage, adding a great deal of character to this lovely shop.
Neither a family member nor a friend was spared when it came time to start the renovation of the garage. All of them cheerfully contributed to the building of this dream. A longtime junior high school girlfriend of Kris's even flew down from Alaska to wire the shop.
The smell is delightful, the music enticing and the charm is unforgettable when you visit “Daisy Cottage”. Take a moment to stop in and take a look or find a unique gift for a special friend.
Kris is truly equipped with the gift for de-
sign, the eye for spotting just the right These talents are the foundation for the unique and quaint little shop, Daisy Cottage.
Daisy Cottage is located on 135 5th Street West, in Kalispell. Business days are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10a.m. to 6p.m.
pets}
task force
Flathead Spay & Neuter Task Force Written by Dan Vogel
Max the cat stretches luxuriously across the stone floor before the woodstove. His carpeted cat stand nearby, he picks and chooses his sleeping spots with the care of a New York diamond merchant. A big bodied and big furred Maine Coon breed, he strolls the neighborhood with the distinctive walk of John Wayne. He has earned the gait, the telltale nicks and slashes on his ears and bobbed half- tail because life was not always like this for Max. Without the intervention of the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force, Max’s life may have been much more brutal and very short. Born feral or wild, somewhere in the Flathead Valley eightish years ago, Max’s first four years of life were a daily struggle between life and death. Frostbite, starvation, dehydration, rampant diseases, and the constant threat of dogs, cars, roads, mountain lions and purposeful violence of humans, were facts of life for Max while on the streets.
Mimi Beadles, and several like-minded animal welfare individuals, founded the Task Force in 1998. The clinic provides nearly 3000 dog and cat sterilizations each year. Cats account for roughly two-thirds of that number, a difference that is attributed to the group’s willingness to provide low cost care to stray, abandoned and feral felines, in addition to those fortunate enough to have steady, caring homes. The medical facts are well documented. A sterilized companion animal, dog or cat, has a reduced desire to roam, no heat cycle if female, a reduced or eliminated risk of many cancers, a reduced desire or ability to mark or spray, and a reduced tendency to fight.
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A volunteer from the Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force, captured Max in a spe-
cially designed humane trap, available from the Clinic, and brought him to the purpose built facility for a full medical exam, neutering, vaccinations and general care. Some of the trapped, cared for, and now sterile cats are re-released into their native locations to live a far more healthy life. Many others are adopted into “forever homes” through programs managed through volunteer efforts at Pet-Co in Kalispell, Montana. Yet others find their way to Task Force volunteer homes or as Max preferred, a semi-permanent member of the special cat sanctuary housed in a dedicated building on the Clinic campus. Originally a mobile service that traveled throughout Flathead Valley, the Clinic moved into its current purpose-built facility in 2002. Recently the Clinic underwent a major remodel and upgrade, and it now offers a fully equipped professional surgery suite with two surgical stations, a dedicated dog room with 24 kennels, a dedicated cat recovery room, a feral recovery room, separate feline sanctuary facility, office and full kitchen and dining room.
Here, up to 85 cats or up to 45 dogs can undergo surgery during a clinic day. Usually the clinic operates on a four-day schedule with dog services on Saturday and Sunday and cat services on Monday and Tuesday. Cat days are quiet with the natural subdued dignity of the feline prevailing (save for the occasional feral escapee streaking impossibly down the walls and across the ceiling). Dog days are loud and noisy affairs with the inherent bounding energy and enthusiasm of the animal and the people who passionately love them. “We have seen increases in the number of surgeries every year since we began,” says Mimi, Executive Director of the Task Force.
The clinic provides nearly 3000 dog and cat sterilizations each year. The cost of care per animal is between $20 to $35, compared to more than $200 per animal housed for adoption at Flathead County’s Animal Control Shelter, and nearly $900 per animal budgeted by the Humane Society of Northwest Montana. The costs at the Task Force Clinic includes sheltering and adopting animals when possible as well as offering food subsidies to those in need or with manageable feral cat colonies. Dr. Terry Yunker, DVM and Diana Ludwik, veterinarian technician of Central Valley Animal Hospital, are supported by over 130 volunteers who include medical professionals, executives, business owners, cooks, retirees, students, and others. The common thread in every volunteer is a passion for protecting and maintaining the quality of life of every companion animal in the area. Volunteering for this well run and highly effective organization requires hard work, but meeting the challenge provides the reward of deep satisfaction of performing a vital service with professional excellence. The Task Force adheres to rigorous cleanliness and sanitation standards, and provides every animal with precise, individual, appropriate and professional medical care. It also offers outreach programs and public information seminars.
The Task Force is a partner in the AniMeals food bank program, which is a designated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) facility for animal care in the event of a mass emergency. It works hand in hand with Thompson River Animal Care Shelter (TRACS), Kootenai Pets for Life (Libby), Flathead County Animal Shelter, and the Flathead County Sheriffs Office. Recently, the Task Force was called upon to care for 116 seriously abused cats from a wellpublicized animal hoarding case from the Marion, Montana area. On literally an hour’s notice, Executive Director Mimi Beadles, Dr. Terry Yunker and Vet Tech Diana Ludwik said, “Yes” to the
County’s request for assistance with these animals. No other agency or organization had the people, equipment, resources, training and complete dedication to accept the cats. Within 36 hours a new mobile home was refitted to house the cats in a safe, sanitary environment. The old trailers where the owners, now convicted, and all 116 cats had lived, were emptied by workers in hazardous materials suits and burned. Nearly all of the cats suffered from a combination of malnutrition, dehydration, overcrowding and medical problems such as loss of eyes and teeth.
Ten months later, nearly all of the cats are medically sound and emotionally recovered from their ordeal. This example of the very best of American volunteerism benefits each and every dog, cat and human resident of the greater Flathead Valley. It is also a superb case of effective community action against a serious and ever growing health and societal problem. Contrary to prior custom, there is no medical reason to postpone the spay or neuter procedure until the dog or cat is six months old. Cats can begin reproducing at four months of age. According to Spay USA, a single female cat, her mate, and their offspring
M i s s i o n S tatement : “Respect for Life. Reverse universal acceptance of killing as a solution to pet overpopulation, using low cost spays and neuters, education and community involvement” Executive Director: Mimi Beadles P.O. Box 2095 Whitefish, Montana 59937 406-892-7387 ( office) 501c3 Tax # 81-053995
Board of Directors & Speakers Bureau
Dan Vogel 406-892-7387 (clinic office) dmv72@yahoo.com
Volunteer Coordinator (located at the Clinic)
3491 Trumble Creek Road Columbia Falls, MT 59912 406-892-7387 www.flatheadspayneuter.org F lathead S pay & N eu ter T ask F orce F ebruary S pecial ! First 100 Female Cats only $10.00! Call 406-892-7387 for schedule and reservations
February 28, 2012 is International Spay Day T he H umane S ociety of the U nited S tates A nnual C ampaign
humanesociety.org/issues/spay_day/
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pets}
task force
can produce 2 litters per year with 2.8 kittens surviving per litter. In one year that is about twelve cats. In four years that grows to more than 2,000 cats. In eight years, they number over 420,000. The single greatest health and well-being threat to cats and dogs is overpopulation. According to Dr. Yunker, veterinarian for the Task Force, there are over 6 million unwanted or abandoned animals in the United States today. Mahatma Gandhi is famously quoted for saying: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” The loud and hard fact is that if we care about our companion animals, we must spay & neuter to assure their quality of life. Do
you have what it takes to be a
T ask F orce
volunt eer ?
The Task Force needs cleaners, feeders and maintenance and building trades. Surgery day staff needs range from clerical and accounting to medical skills and simply passionate animal care providers. Thanks to Mimi Beadles, the Task Force is financially sound. In November 2011 the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, founded 1866) awarded the Task Force with a $5,000 grant to increase cat procedures in the winter months. Combined with two additional awards from the Whitefish Community Foundation and grant dollars from PetCo Inc., the Clinic can act with authority on behalf of these animals. Yet there are never enough resources to accomplish what the community wishes or demands. Donations, small and large, are gladly accepted and can be designated for either public outreach, surgery support or general budget. As the Flathead Spay & Neuter Task Force is a mature, respected and integral part of the social fabric of our Valley, Legacy and Estate Foundation resources are of great importance. Volunteers are also available to speak to your group or organization regarding the function of the Clinic and general issues in companion animal care. For more information please go to www.FlatheadSpayNeuter. org or call any of the listed individuals in the sidebar. Max thanks you for your support, care and compassion. 406
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health} Fainting
Fa i nt i n g?
Don’t
count on your grandmother’s smelling s a lt s t o c u r e y o u By Nancy Kimball
First,
it was the broken arm.
Kathleen McGunagle was a fourth-grader helping her mom on a preschool outing to Glacier Medical in Whitefish. They simply watched a doctor apply a cast, but it was too much for young Kathleen. She saw black dots in front of her eyes. She felt dizzy. Nobody understood. They assumed she was ill. Three years later, it was a film in science class in which leeches were used medicinally on a man with a severed finger. Suddenly Kathleen was hot, light-headed, panicky. The black dots returned. This time she passed out. “Then I fainted pretty consistently after that,” recalled Kathleen, a Whitefish graduate who’s now a Princeton University English major working toward a creative writing certificate. The college sophomore said she fainted again during an eighth-grade film that showed deep-sea divers suffering the bends. Several “near instances” marked the rest of the year, she said, mostly in health class. In high school, an English class discussion about the ancient Greek root of “nerve” – and thus, nerve pain – brought on another episode. “I had become more aware of my triggers,” she said. “By then I was able to tell my teachers what happened with me, so they knew in advance.” Outside school was trickier. Once, she passed out after having stood too long with her knees locked during a theater costume fitting; she fainted a second time when EMTs arrived and tried to take her blood pressure. A visit to an acupuncturist for stomach issues prompted another faint when the needles terrified her.
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So
w h at ’ s b e h i n d t h e s e episodes?
“I think about it a lot. I almost self-induce it,” Kathleen said. “I’m so traumatized that I trigger it. That’s what I feel.” She also thinks her sensitive nature – she is passionate about writing, loves theater, plays flute, paints and draws – prompts her to visualize how the given situation would feel if it were happening to her. But Dr. Ilyas Colombowala, an electrophysiologist at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, who treated Kathleen over Christmas break, has seen serious heart issues at the root of syncope – the temporary loss of consciousness that we call fainting – far too often. He couldn’t pass off Kathleen’s episodes so lightly. He ran an echocardiogram on her, then did a head-up tilt test to see how she reacted when her body position changed from prone to upright. She passed out and, Kathleen said, her heart paused for 14 seconds. “He said some doctors would advise a pacemaker, but that he wouldn’t,” she said, “not unless this was something that makes daily life impossible.” Instead, Dr. Colombowala prescribed medications to increase her blood pressure and prevent dizziness, and suggested techniques such as tightening her leg muscles to push the blood flow back to her heart when she feels a fainting spell coming on. “Syncope is a symptom, not a diagnosis,” Colombowala said, and doctors need to look beyond the fainting itself to identify a cause. He cited a 2003 study that found 40 percent of all people will experience syncope at least once in a lifetime.
Some of these cases are what’s called vasovagal syncope. It’s what occurs when the part of your nervous system that regulates heart rate and blood pressure malfunctions in response to a trigger, such as the sight of blood. Kathleen suffers this type. It can be treated with either medications, exercises to condition the body or compression stockings; but, 90 percent of syncope cases have a cardiac cause - some serious but most benign. Often, the fainting episodes will be the only sign that something is wrong. “The reason that it’s so important to know the cause of syncope,” Colombowala said, “is that some causes are potentially fatal.” Cardiac causes of syncope have the highest mortality rate – up to 25 percent, compared with 7 or 8 percent overall, he said. A New England Journal of Medicine report on the Framingham Heart Study, research that was done on more than 7,800 participants between 1971 and 1998, said “…cardiac syncope can be a harbinger of sudden death.”
So,
when should you get help?
“Light-headedness is generally benign, but it’s certainly worth bringing up with your doctor,” Colombowala said. Pregnant women can pass out because of sudden shifts of fluids in their bodies. Older people in particular have more heart rhythm problems. An inherited condition involving repolarization of the heart can have dire consequences. “I want to see them,” he said, so he can establish a history and conduct specific testing. “I want to rule out rhythm problems because they’re potentially life-threatening.” In the case of people like Kathleen, simple treatment and monitoring can prevent a lifetime of problems and awkward situations. Today she’s overcoming the embarrassment and learning to be up-front with people, letting them know that when she’s uncomfortable, she just needs a break. “Something I learned is that we all have weaknesses and we all need to respect and take care of our bodies,” she said. “Don’t ignore it. Don’t wait. Go into the doctor’s office, especially if it’s something standing in the way of living life to the fullest.” For more information on syncope, call Rocky Mountain Heart and Lung in Kalispell at 257-8992.
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health}
Exfoliation
Exfoliation Basics By Erin Blair, Licensed Esthetician
When I ask new clients if they exfoliate their skin, the answers are pretty much the same. Most tell me they use a
scrub once in awhile, when they ‘think about it’. The scrub is usually something like an apricot scrub from the drug store - if they use anything at all. But proper exfoliation plays a critical role in the health of skin, so let’s take a few minutes to discuss the ins and outs.
Exfoliating is removing dead skin
Why would you want to exfoliate? Well, dead cells tend to build up on the surface, which can make skin look dull, flaky and unhealthy. This buildup also interferes with the absorption of anti-aging, antiacne, and moisturizing ingredients. Regular exfoliation that’s done correctly will increase the health, vitality and moisture levels of your skin. However, judicious use of exfoliating tools is important. Over-zealous scrubbing or incorrect use of products can result in irritation, sensitivity, peeling and redness. Individual skin types and conditions call for different methods of exfoliation, so it’s always a good idea to consult a qualified skin therapist for help choosing a program that will work for you.
There are two kinds of exfoliation
Mechanical exfoliation is the method of ‘bumping off’ sur406
face cells with a physical tool. This is good for making the skin look smoother and clearer, but it has no real lasting effect. Examples of tools are at-home scrub products and microdermabrasion.
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Microdermabrasion is comparable to gently sandblasting the surface of the skin with tiny crystals. This can be a great tool for rejuvenating the skin, but should be used with caution. It is not a treatment for inflamed acne, rosacea or sensitive skin. Those with hormonal issues, people of color (including Spanish, Asian or Mediterranean descent, for example) and those exposed to a lot of sun, should avoid this treatment. The stimulating effect excites the cells which produce melanin, or color, and often results in dark patches of pigment that can show up weeks, or even months, later. Scrubs should be gentle and typically used once or twice per week, in absence of any irritation or inflammation, including inflamed acne. Formulas made of nuts and seeds can have jagged edges that make microscopic tears in the skin, so a jojoba or smooth synthetic bead is preferable.
Chemical exfoliation is the use of a product that dissolves or
loosens dead cell buildup. Daily use of a chemical exfoliate can make a huge difference in skin that has aging symptoms and can help maintain younger looking skin.
Ingredients to look for are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), which include glycolic, mandelic, lactic, malic, and tartaric acids. Beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) include salicylic and citric acids. By loosening and removing dead cells, chemical exfoliates: Cause a smoothing effect, reflecting light more evenly and making wrinkles less apparent.
Speed up cell renewal, improving hydration and plumping surface cells, improving smoothness and texture. Barrier function is improved with regular use, making skin more resilient to cold weather and dry air. Stimulates production of new collagen, adding to skin firmness. Improves appearance of dark spots, sunrelated freckles, and splotchiness.
Your particular skin type will determine which AHA, BHA, or combination of acids would be best for daily use. Consulting with a skincare professional is the best way to ensure you get the product that’s right for you.
This brings us to peels
Chemical peels are professional strength exfoliation treatments. The types of peels performed by estheticians are considered superficial peels and generally cause no notable discomfort, no recovery time, and no adverse side effects. They can include AHAs, BHAs, or enzymes which digest dead cells. A chemical peel administered by an esthetician is typically three times stronger than a formula for home use, and is a fantastic way to address acne, aging, dryness and dull skin. Peels are best done in a series, on skin which has been introduced to chemical exfoliation in a home care routine.
Ultimately, proper exfoliation done consistently, and with the right tools, will help you look healthier and younger, and should be considered an important part of an effective skincare program.
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health} fitness
HOW DO YOU MEASURE FITNESS? By Lashaun Dale
In his esteemed book, Start with Why, thought leader Simon Sinek describes the change makers of the world—those who lead--as “those who know their Why. They are the ones who inspire. “ This is also true in the realm of health and fitness. As in every year, 2012 will offer human stories that inspire us to move our bodies (and minds) from incredible athletic feats by Olympic athletes to cancer survivors sharing movement with others. There are many paths to a great looking fit and healthy body…that is the good news. But the real story is that fitness is a powerful resource that feeds our precious source of life energy and enables us to live the life of our dreams.
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This column is dedicated to celebrating new ideas, workouts, strategies, and best practices to living a healthy, fit and inspired life. Along the way, we will learn from the many fit and remarkable 406 women who have carved a philosophy of fitness from which we can draw insight. We will also hear from the many who are struggling to define their why and a movement practice that moves them. Together we will consider, grow and learn--or in other words we will begin to flourish and thrive. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says… “The first wealth is health.” With love, lashaun
health} fitness 406woman Fully Inspired Fit Tip 1
Our physiology promises that where are attention goes, ‘it’ grows, meaning, whatever we give energy to, we also give new life and energy. Neuroscience teaches us that our brain is reinforced by attention and emotion and we can use both to create and reinforce a constructive environment that helps us achieve our health, fitness and life goals. Through a focus on positive reinforcement of effort, process, and learning, we can create a fit mindset.
As a Chek Institute, Holistic Lifestyle Trainer, Yoga Teacher and Fitness Instructor, I have learned that there are 6 foundational principles of living—Namely, how we Think, Breathe, Eat, Drink, Move, and Rest, either hinder or increase vitality, decrease stress and help to sculpt the body of our dreams. We must consider every meal, every bout of exercise and every late night and every thought, idea or emotion has a hormonal consequence and cumulatively these Habits form the fabric of our health. This month our fitness tip is focused on Thoughts and setting your mind forward on the things you want to be, have, or do. Mental Fitness is as important to your health and fitness goals as your level of cardiovascular endurance, strength or your flexibility. Once your mind is directed, revving your metabolism or finding a way to be more active becomes possible and doable. Yes you can change your vitality level by directing your thoughts and attention. Through purpose and intent, we can shift our mindsets to create more positive outcomes. As a result we build adaptive, resilient dispositions and become energized to daily and deliberate action. My students/clients and thousands of others use this powerful tool regularly to achieve their goals. You can too! On the flip side without purpose, intent, and energy, we leave or fitness goals and plans to chance and subject to the ever increasingly chaotic demands of a non-stop virtually connected, multi-tasking, reactive world. When our energy is pulled in so many directions, it is challenging to create the best environment and choices for a healthy fit life. We begin our mindset practice with a new conscious breathing practice. Your breath is a powerful tool to assess and manage your physiology and has resounding impact on your state of being from the way you feel, to your posture and your metabolism.
triangular breathing: Instructions:
Sit or stand comfortably where you are, eyes open or closed Inhale through the nose for a count of four. Keep the air in your lungs for a count of four Exhale through the nose for a count of four. This simple breath is available anytime and anywhere and is a wonderful way to harness your mental attention, should you find yourself in a chaotic sitution or suddenly on a downward spiral of ‘stinkin thinking.’ Practice it each new morning and throughout your day until it is available as part of your healthy tool box. Build up to 4 or 5 minutes, but remember that even 30 seconds is powerful to catch your attention. Please note, if you are pregnant or have any concerns about breath retention discuss with your health practitioner.
Now for the mind… lets begin right here. Each day, find a time when you are feeling wonderful…it is important to begin in a positive state initially…so do something you like or listen to music you enjoy…then proclaim. “I feel vibrantly alive, fit and healthy.” Next begin to imagine and dream about what it means personally to you…what does healthy and vibrant look and feel like to you. If you truly were vibrant, fit, healthy and fully alive, what is your life like on a daily basis. How is your posture, what does your body look like, how does it perform and what do you do with your glorious healthy physique. Imagine the food you eat, where you eat, what time of day, who you share your meals with. What time do you wake up and what is your bedtime routine. Do you workout, recreate, play with your kids or grandchildren? Does it feel great to wear your clothes and even better what do you like to be naked in your healthy vibrant self? Begin creating this new story in your mind, deliberately spend time in a delicious day dream and journal about it, draw pictures of it, record it in any way that moves you, but practice it in your imagination with great and vivid detail. Once you have fully embodied this new and true you, seal it with a Triangular Breath and do something physical. Stretch or Take a Walk…something new and enjoy the forward motion of your positively loaded Mindset. Next month, we explore 8 Essential Exercises for Health and Fitness With Love, Lashaun
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health}
immune system
Let’s Stay
Healthy This Winter By Kiersten Alton, RPH,
Winter has finally arrived. Along with all the snow flying around are little bacteria and viruses. This is the time of year when it pays to pay attention to your body. There are many strategies which work to help boost your immune system and prevent you from catching every cold and flu bug that you come across. First of all, it is important to eat healthy if you want to have a healthy immune system. Sugar suppresses our immune system and wreaks havoc on our digestive tract. The main brain of our body really is our digestive tract. Eating lots of green vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grains will help keep the good bacteria thriving and the bad bacteria on the run! If you feel bloated after meals, burp or have heart burn, then this is a good sign that your digestive tract is not functioning like it should. Eliminating all the processed foods that are full of preservatives and artificial additives is a start. You can take digestive enzymes with meals which will help you digest your food better and eliminate the burping and bloating. Probiotics, good bacteria, are essential for your immune system and for proper digestion. A diet high in processed foods, and stress, kills off the good bacteria, making you feel tired, sluggish and impairing your immune system. There are over 100 trillion microbes in your gut. Many of these are beneficial and help prevent colds, viral infections and stomach bugs. If you’re gut is a wreck, you will get sick more often. Researchers also believe these beneficial bacteria may play a role in preventing obesity, help cut the risk of kidney stones and affect our cancer risk. Pretty big job for a whole bunch of little beneficial bacteria.
We all know that hand washing is an effective way of preventing the spread of viral and bacterial infections. Research has shown that proper hand washing with soap is just as effective if not more than using hand sanitizers which are full of alcohol and chemicals. Many practitioners also feel the hand sanitizers destroy beneficial bacteria on your skin which are needed to prevent infection. I prefer to use the natural plant based hand sanitizers rather than the chemical ones. I think this is especially important for children who are more sensitive to chemicals.
406
Unless you can get above the clouds on Big Mountain, you are probably not getting enough vitamin D3. D3 is very important for our immune system and for our sense of well being. Season depression can be
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caused by low vitamin D levels. Most adults can easily supplement with 5000 i.u. of Vitamin D3 a day during the winter months. It is a good idea to have your practitioner test your vitamin D level so you know if you are taking enough or too much. Ideal levels are in the upper 1/3 of the range on a blood test. Levels in the lower ranges may not give the immune, mood and cancer prevention benefits.
My favorite combinations of herbals for colds and flu treatment are two products called Sambucol and Umcka. These help reduce the severity of the cold and decrease the duration. Adding 3-4 gms of vitamin C can also help speed your recovery.
Eating lots of green vegetables, fresh fruits and whole grains will help keep the good bacteria thriving and the bad bacteria on the run!
For Children and infants, there are two remedies in particular. Gemmotherapy is an herbal treatment using tinctures derived from the live buds of plants. The two remedies I use the most are Briar Rose for upper ear, nose and throat infections and European Hornbeam for lung congestion. These remedies can also be used preventatively for children who suffer from chronic or frequent infections. They can be used in conjunction with antibiotics. Lastly, it is important to remember that if you do end up needing to take antibiotics this winter, that you put the good bacteria back in when you are done with the antibiotic. Antibiotics kill off the bad bugs but they also kill of the good bacteria in your intestinal tract. This can cause diarrhea, constipation and upset stomach. All you need to do is go to any health food store and ask for a probiotic. They will help you pick the correct one. It is a good idea to stay on the probiotic for at least a month after the antibiotics are finished. Don’t forget to laugh often and stay healthy!
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Kim Shirley
works in watercolor
Commission a one of a kind portrait in time for the Holiday Season 406.370.6728 espanartistica@hotmail.com Whitefish, MT
www.kimshirleyoriginals.com
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wellness} dear dru
T h e Pe r f e c t G i f t By Dru Rafkin, PCC
Ah, February. The year’s shortest month brings fresh snow, arctic cold snaps and St. Valentine’s Day. This sweet holiday is most often celebrated by giddy new lovers, established partners and kids in grade school. Stores and websites are bursting at the seams, beckoning us with pink candy, red cards and shiny gifts. Yippee, it’s Christmas all over again! This is a sweet time of year, and I am generally game for any excuse to celebrate. I love presents and shiny things as much as the next guy or gal. But let’s be honest…this isn’t President’s Day, and it isn’t Christmas. This is Valentine’s Day; a day dedicated to the one we love. Underneath the pink “BE MINE” candies, long stem roses and pink champagne, this is THE day to say “I love you” in just the
right way, to the person we love most.
Gasp. Gulp. How do we do that? Many of us are overwhelmed, overtired and relieved to have made it safely through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now it’s Valentine’s Day. Egad! What is the perfect gift? Can I afford it? (Yikes, is my credit card paid off from December)? Is there still time to get the perfect gift online? Can they deliver by the 14th? Now that I have whipped you into a frenzy of anxiety, let me help you out. I have the perfect gift for your most loved one. It’s affordable, easy to locate, available in mass quantities, and your mate will love it. In fact, I can pretty much guarantee that when they receive this gift from you, they will simply melt as they experience the whole of the love you feel for them. Okay, you’re dying to know aren’t you? What could it possibly be? (I really do love getting you all worked up. I know it’s a tiny bit wrong but I just can’t help myself).
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On February 14th, once the fire is roaring, the candles are lit, and the time is just right, you are going to smile, take a breath, look into your loved ones eyes and…tell him or her the truth about how much they mean to you. Not just that they are handsome or beautiful and a great parent. Not “I love you”. You are going to acknowledge them and tell them the specifics of what you know to be true about them.
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Now I know this may seem kind of anti-climactic after all the build-up, but listen to Coach on this one. This is the gift we all want. Every human being wants to be in the presence of someone who sees them for exactly who they are and the things they do. We want to be seen and to be acknowledged by another person. Look and see if that isn’t the truth for you. There is nothing quite like being acknowledged for the person you truly are, when someone really sees you and acknowledges you sincerely for what you bring to a situation, and their life. We have all received this gift at least once in our lives. Maybe it was a parent, grandparent, close friend or a colleague telling you how much you meant to them; that their life would not be as complete without you in it. This gift may have even come to you by way of a relative stranger; someone who expressed appreciation when you picked up a dropped item, let them ahead of you in line at the grocery checkout or listened attentively to their answer when you asked them, “how are you today?”, and then really listened to what they had to say. We all share the desire to a make a difference in the lives of the people around us. We want our world – our family, our home, our local and/or global community – to be in better shape at the end of our lives, because we were there. Most of us have taken on a great deal of responsibility in our daily lives. It takes an enormous amount of energy to get through each day, and it can seem as though our contributions get lost in the shuffle, are too small or go unnoticed as we fulfill the duties of our responsibilities. But here’s the thing: your most important contribution to others can be, and often is, the way you go about your day. We all have “off” days - days when we are cranky or just not
feeling like ourselves. We may come across as self-involved, impatient and not much fun to be around. BUT those days are a blip on the screen of who we truly are. Nobody can bring what you do to a situation in the way that you do. It may be your compassion for others, your dedication to the cause, your calm demeanor during a rough time or your infinite patience with a 3 year old unendingly asking, “Why?” When you show up as who you really are, you are making a contribution, whether you realize it or not.
Take a moment now to think about what it would be like to be recognized by your Valentine for what you do, and the special way you do it. Something like, “When you leave work early to be at the kids’ games, I can see how much they mean to you”, or “When I think of all the little things you do for me – getting up early to shovel the walk, calling to me to just to say Hi, bringing in wood for the fire – I know how much you love me.” It would be pretty great wouldn’t it? So, now I ask you, is there a better gift out there that can be left on your doorstep? Is there a more meaningful gift on store shelves that would say “I love you” to the person you love most? Dear 406 Woman and 406 Man,
I appreciate you taking the time to visit me on this page. It means a great deal to me that you are here. Happy Valentine’s Day! Coach Dru dru@sanesolutionsbydru.com www.sanesolutionsbydru.com
family} Handwriting
Chicken Scratch or H a n d w r i t i n g ? By Kristen Pulsifer
I sit down in one of those wee little chairs in my daughter's first grade classroom. I eye the two adult chairs right next to her teacher's desk and wonder.... why? Anyway, I shake my head, I am not here for that kind of comfort. I am here to be comforted and reassured that my lovely daughter is doing 'OK' in school. Her teacher, who we all adore, sits down and goes over the report card, explaining all of the 'S's, the 'N's' and the 'P's, and what they mean. She tells me my child is fine, but there is one area that needs work. My heart rate quickens, I swear my upper lip formed beads of sweat. She can't read, she can't count! What's wrong??? I feel like a cartoon character, as my face had to have taken on some funny forms as these thoughts ripped through my brain. "She needs to work on her handwriting," her teacher calmly says. Her handwriting? Ah, handwriting. I can deal with that. Handwriting? Really? OK!
Her teacher explains the importance of good handwriting, and I realize she has some valid points. In my years of teaching and working with kids, I never truly paid attention to handwriting. I used to become quite frustrated with messy handwriting when I would grade my students' papers, simply because it would take me longer to grade their work when I couldn't read their writing. I would tell my students that they should write more neatly as to keep their teacher happy while grading their homework. "You want a happy teacher grading your paper, don't you?" I would smile, they would not.
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Anyway, my child's teacher had a point. I soon realized that the messy handwriting she exhibited while working would happen when she
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was either hurrying or being careless. If she slowed down and took her time, not only did her handwriting improve, but so did the quality of her work. According to an article, written by Gwendolyn Bounds, in The Wall Street Journal, handwriting "is more than just a way to communicate. The practice helps with learning letters and shapes, can improve idea composition and expression, and may aid fine motor-skill development." Bounds also points out an interesting bit of research. When looking at MRI brain scan results of children "who had practiced writing by hand, the scans showed heightened brain activity in a key area, indicating learning took place." Practicing handwriting skills actually helped enhance a child's ability to learn and retain what they were learning.
Simply thinking about the art that goes into many forms of handwriting, I understand the point. Also, when I see nice handwriting with my students or just with people in general, I almost always think they must be careful people who care about expression and the clarity of their work. Those with neat handwriting are people who are concerned that others understand what they are trying to express.
Bounds continues on: "It's not just children who benefit. Adults studying new symbols, such as Chinese characters, might enhance recognition by writing the characters by hand... Some physicians say handwriting could be a good cognitive exercise for baby boomers working to keep their minds sharp as they age." So, let's add handwriting to that long list of exercises we try to do everyday to keep ourselves fit and functioning.
Researchers emphasize the "hand's unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing thoughts and ideas." Handwriting is much different than typing on a keyboard. While there is still value to typing in relation to the hand's relationship to the brain, Virginia Berninger, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington states that "handwriting differs from typing because it requires executing sequential strokes to form a letter... Pictures of the brain have illustrated that sequential finger movements activated massive regions involved in thinking, language and working memory-". Combining technology with writing is proving popular. There are many new kids' games for ipads that help put the art of writing and computers together. Now that’s a game we can feel good about our kids playing! There are so many things that are important to think about as our children learn and grow. Handwriting is one that we can all work on together. My daughter constructed a mail box in her bedroom, and she writes letters to us and we write back. She thought that would be a great way to practice her writing and a fun way to communicate 'I Love You's' to Mom and Dad. I am taking advantage of it as these notes will not be around forever. So, pick up a new language, or simply sit down with your kids and write letters to friends. Just step away from the email briefly and work on your writing. Be old fashioned and send a letter. Whatever it is, value this simple art of writing that even our teachers are pushing as a way of learning to be careful and communicative. Information quoted from The Wallstreet Journal, "Personal Journal" Tuesday, October 5, 2010 "How Handwriting Trains the Brain", by Gwendolyn Bounds
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gardening} pruning
time to prune those trees Dramatically cutting branches off your fruit trees may seem counterproductive at first, but proper pruning is the surest way to a healthy tree and exceptional fruit. Although many newly pruned trees may look like they survived a bad haircut, there is a method to the madness, and the rewards are delicious. Make sure to prune fruit trees when they’re still dormant; but, it should be done later in the winter to avoid winter damage during the coldest part of the season. Taking care of the task in February and March is ideal, and a great excuse to spend some time outdoors during a nice, latewinter day. The only tools required are a sharp pair of by-pass pruners, loppers and a small saw, if the branches are too large for the loppers. If you’re pruning more than one tree, be certain to thoroughly wash the tools with a 10 percent bleach solution to prevent disease transmission between trees. Fire blight and other bacterial diseases can decimate a home orchard in fairly short order if precautions aren’t taken.
Visualize the end result
There are several pruning styles for fruit trees, but many Montana growers go with the central leader. This involves a main vertical stem with “steps” of carefully spaced branches positioned up the tree. When viewed from above, picture the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the center. This allows sun to reach all of the branches, and gives the tree plenty of space for proper air circulation. 406
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The first step in any pruning project is taking a moment to visualize the overall result. You need to have an idea of what your tree should look like in the end so you can stick to the plan throughout the process. If a tree hasn’t been pruned for years, it can seem harsh to remove a lot of branches, especially if they’re large ones. Knowing what it needs to look like will keep you on task. Keep in mind that it is much easier to start training fruit trees to their proper shape when they’re young, but don’t be disheartened if your home orchard has never been touched. You can still follow the same guidelines, just keep in mind that you shouldn’t remove more than a third of the overall amount of the tree to avoid sending it into shock. If you’re slightly more conservative than the typical draconian measures, it will turn out fine.
Careful cuts
When you make the cut, never sever it flush against the trunk. Identify the branch collar; this is the swollen section where the branch meets the trunk. It’s best to make the cut just on the outside of the collar because the tree can properly seal itself in this smaller area. If you’re cutting a branch that is over 3-inches in diameter, start by sawing off the branch a foot away from the tree to reduce its weight. Then, undercut the branch to prevent it from breaking. Finally, cut completely through it from the top. Once the bulk of the branch is removed, finish the cut at the branch collar.
Getting down to business
Start pruning by removing all the dead or damaged wood. Next take out any branches that rub on each other, or that cross over one another. This prevents further damage, and also opens up the canopy to allow light to reach the lower branches instead of being shaded by the ones hanging above them. At this time,
you should also remove the watersprouts (also called suckers), which are the wispy, vertical branches. Suckers grow quickly, but they never produce fruit and simply rob the tree of nutrients.
Once that is done, you are ready to tackle the tough part - remove any vertical branches that compete with the central leader. Cut them back to where they join the tree.
Next, take out the branches with narrow crotches. The sharp angle is a weak spot for the tree and, under the stress of heavy snow loads or strong winds, it could snap at the joint. Also take out branches that grow downwards, because they usually overshadow lower branches.
When pruning for a central leader pattern, start at the bottom with the lowest branch. This low branch is generally located at
roughly 2-feet above the ground. This is your foundation branch that will determine the pattern of the rest of the tree. Your aim from here is to create an almost a spiral staircase affect with the branches scaffolding up the trunk.
From that first lower branch, you want your next one to be approximately 10 to 12 inches higher than the bottom branch. Continue “stepping” up the tree in this manner, aiming to leave a total of 5 to 7 branches. By doing it this way, all of the branches are available to sunlight and are easily accessible for harvesting. Since apples are not typically produced on the very end of a branch, once your “scaffold” is in place, cut back the branches up to a third of their length, if they’re in your way. If they’re not ungainly, you can trim back a few inches to make them sturdier. You should also trim back the smaller branches on the main ones you left. Leave a couple of buds on each one so they’ll produce fruit, but not enough to overcrowd the area.
When a tree is trained as it should be, you’ll be impressed by the quality of the fruit it producese. Instead of a bunch of golf ball sized apples, you’ll have ones that live up to their potential of good genetics. The end result of proper pruning definitely looks harsh, particularly if you’ve haven’t done it before. In reality, it’s rare that a home orchardist over-prunes her fruit trees. So, now is the time to sharpen your clippers, wait for a warm winter’s day, and make ‘em pretty.
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art}
Colt Idol
Colt Idol is Hot.......Again! Written by Mike Potter
There are many in Montana and the Northwest who remember the legendary athletic career of Colt Idol, particularly in basketball and track. Today, he's just as hot, but this time, it's not athletics. He is fast becoming one the hottest young artists in the Northwest!
From 2005 through 2009, Colt left a legacy at Whitefish High School of shattered records and certain future Hall of Fame status. With a frame of 6'3" and 210 pounds, he was an athlete with a physical appearance that resembled that of a collegiate athlete rather than a high school player.
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Maybe it's no wonder that his basketball and track resume at Whitefish is off the charts. He is the first and only player ever selected as an all-state basketball player at Whitefish three of his four years, he owns the record of the highest season point average at 22.5 points per game, he broke the single game scoring record twice with 38 and 39 point games and he is Whitefish's all-time high school career point leader scoring nearly 1500 points in his four seasons. In his junior season of track, he won the state track meet in the high jump event with a jump of 6' 8 1/4", which is also the all-time record at Whitefish. He was all-state in track for two years and was unable to participate his senior year due to an injury. This was all accom-
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plished while he maintained nearly a 4.0 academic GPA over his four year high school career.
Not surprisingly, several colleges were interested in Colt for basketball and track. In the end, he selected Montana State in Bozeman to play basketball and track. But it was not to be when Colt tore his ACL in an MSU scrimmage. After three separate surgeries including a microfracture procedure all on the same knee the long term risk became too great to continue. His athletic career was over.
Although Colt was especially active in sports before and during his high school years, he still found time to enjoy the outdoor wonders of Montana with his family. He became enamored with fossils, arrowheads and other Indian relics as well as wildlife, camping, hiking and many of the activities Montanan's enjoy as a routine lifestyle.
However, there were two activities that Colt was exposed to and enjoyed that would, unbeknown to him, greatly affect his future. The first was his passion and incredible capability to draw. At age 5, Colt was actively drawing and by age 10, he was extremely good and had completed many books of finished drawings. At the same time Colt became particularly interested
in arrowhead hunting and collecting, and fossils and relics in general. Little did he know at the time that these activities were the spark that would influence and direct his painting destiny of the future.
Colt was also heavily influenced by his father, Dick Idol, and his many "off the beaten path" activities. For many years Dick has been a collector of Indian and Fur Trade collectibles which include such items as antique snowshoes, birch bark canoes, Hudson Bay Company collectibles, antlers, buffalo skulls, fur trade traps, period clothing and much more. More than fifteen years ago Dick began developing the name "Dick Idol" as a brand in the Home Furnishings Industry. Today, the Dick Idol brand is the most widely recognized name in the Outdoor/Rustic category with hundreds or products sold bearing his name/brand. Those products include casegoods and upholstery furniture, lighting and accessories, carpet and rugs and many other categories of products. Needless to say, through all of the related activities of Dick, Colt was exposed to business ventures and adventures which were extremely influential. Colt often found himself trading arrowheads at the Townhouse Inn at the Russell Show in Great Falls or hunting ar-
art}Colt Idol
Little did he know at the time that these activities were
the spark that would influence and direct his painting destiny of the future.
rowheads and fossils on a private ranch in the famous Hell Creek Formation in eastern Montana. But none of his father's influence or exposures were more profound than Dick's artwork. In the early 1990's Dick began creating bronze sculpture works both small and large. Subsequently, Dick has created some of the largest bronze sculptures in North America, many twenty to thirty feet tall and weighing more than five tons. Projects include NC State University Football stadium, Raleigh, NC, ( 36 ft tall, six wolves and five waterfalls), Anardarko Oil &Petroleum, Houston Texas ( 8 whitetails, 12 ft tall in 150 ft of manmade streams with underwater lighting), Bass Pro Shops, Springfield, MO (single whitetail, 26 ft tall), Cabela's, Owannatona, MN ( 2 whitetails, 26 ft tall) and many others.
In recent years, Dick has shifted much of his focus to oil painting with most of his production going directly to private collectors before they had a chance to be offered for sale publically. Less than two years ago, he approached Colt with a proposition, "Son, it's time to put some color in your drawings!" Dick provided him with watercolor paints, brushes,
etc., gave him a couple of quick lessons and said "Have at it!" Knowing that watercolor is a difficult medium, he wanted Colt to learn the hard way. He struggled at first, but eventually produced some very credible work, In early 2011, Colt's dad introduced him to the world of oil painting. Colt took to it like a duck to water.
Within a month, because of his drawing skills, natural artistic talent and working under the direct tutelage of his father, began producing some outstanding paintings. Last July (2011), Colt happened to be in the Stephen Isley Gallery in Whitefish and showed them some pictures of his artwork. They suggested he bring in a few to put up for sale. No one could have imagined what happened next.
In a little over a month, Colt had sold out of paintings. In the same general timeframe, the Daily Interlake ran an article featuring Colt, his athletics and his artwork. Suddenly, Colt was the hottest artist in town with calls and inquiries coming in even from out of state. By January 2012, Colt has done 32 paintings and sold twenty four in the range of $600 to $5,000. He was majoring in art at MSU but has now left college to pursue art full-time.
As the world turns, success breeds opportunity. In May 2012, Dick, his wife, Toni Rae and Colt will open an art gallery on Central Avenue in downtown Whitefish. Dick and Colt will join several other artists in an exciting gallery that will be a destination in the Valley. It will feature oil paintings, drawings, bronzes and other sculpture work, unique antiques such as birch bark canoes and other rare one-of a kind collectibles. A special section will feature unique home furnishings incorporating artwork as lighting, tables, mirrors, etc. It will be called "Dick Idol Signature Gallery at Whitefish".
As older teenagers depart high school to make their mark on the world, many leave their fate to wherever the chips may fall while others foresee a career path they wish to pursue. But then there's "fate". Had Colt not suffered a career-ending injury, he would likely be playing basketball and track at MSU today. What would that have led to? But then there's fate! At 21 years old, Colt is a successful full-time artist doing what he loves. Fate may not be so bad after all.
www.dickidolsignaturegallery.com www.coltidolart.com
Left page on left: Idol working on his newest oil painting a contemporary horse. Left page right top to bottom: Colt working at his home studio on his painting titles "Bear Lodge" that recently sold, Colt and his father Dick Idol at their studio North of Whitefish. Above photo: Colt and his father working on their easels at their studio North of Whitefish.
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art} books
Book Review Sponsored by
862-9659 - 242 Central Avenue, Whitefish Below Copperleaf Chocolat Co.
Blind Your Ponies By: Stanley Gordon West BOOK REVIEWS BY JOAN G. SMITH What a wonderful story this is- heart warming, real, gallant, and inspiring. Too many adjectives? Not this time. I love finding a novel written about Montana, by an author this good. There have been quite a few, and I have reviewed many over the years, however, this was first published in 2001, and I just now was fortunate enough to find. Sam Pickett comes to Willow Creek, MT from St. Paul, MN, where violence had shattered his life. He is a teacher in Willow Creek's small school, and also works as the basketball coach of a team that has never won a game! This small town is filled with amazing residents that hang on to hope when there seems there is none - each character has his or her own regrets, tragedies and impossible dreams; but, somehow they survive.
There is humor in this small town, and gallantry, but is there any possibility of rejuvenation? Can any good come of all this tedium, or is repetition and squeaking by all they can expect? The reader becomes a part of the lives of the people of Willow Creek, and fights, hopes and loves along with Sam Pickett and the other residents of the town. The individual stories contained in this book bring focus to Montana's vanishing small towns. The title was taken from the Native American legend about the the Crow Indians who camped along the Yellowstone river near what is now Billings, Montana. Warriors returning from a hunting trip found their families dead from smallpox. Due to their grief, they react drastically, creating the legend the the memorable novel is based on.
Stanley Gordon West came to Montana from St. Paul, MN, in 1964. He has lived here ever since, and is currently writing full time. He is the author if other novels such as Until They Bring The Street Cars Back. Whitefish book store, Book Works, recently had this heart-felt novel on their staff picks shelf, so we know it is worth a read.
Zero Day By: David Baldacci My curiosity was aroused when I found out that author David Baldacci had created a new hero, John Puller! Puller, a lone Army Special Agent who has earned the trust of the U.S. Army's Investigative Division, is given the toughest cases to solve - often alone. He is a combat veteran and knows how to live out on the run. He also has a sixth sense about discovering the truth when he is being lied to. John Puller is from a military family. His father was Lt. General "Fighting John". Puller, was the past commandeer of the "Screaming Eagles", the Army's legendary 101st Airborne Division. He is an old man now, and his memory is fading. Puller's brother is now in prison, but is brilliant in nuclear technology, and he is probably not guilty.
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Puller has just been sent to a small coal town in West Virginia, to track down whoever slaughtered an entire family. The location is far from any Army outpost, and he has been sent in without a team as backup. The local homicide detective, Sam Cole, is a female. Puller discovers, to his surprise, that she is extremely competent, and she soon becomes his ally in this odd investigation. Sam's sister is married to the richest man in town, and since this is a poor coal mining town, it seems strange that he has been able to make such a fortune. John Puller is finding out that nothing and no one are what they seem - deception reigns supreme. A conspiracy is emerging that reaches far beyond the boundaries of this small town. Time is running out, and
Puller and Sam are in a race against a plan that could kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Zero Day was just published in November of 2011. Look for it at your local library and book store.
Children's BOOK REVIEW By Kristen Pulsifer
A Sick Day For Amos McGee Written by: Philip C. Stead Illustrated by: Erin E. Stead
With
Valentine's Day around the corner, I searched through as many Valentine's Day themed children's book as possible, but none of them compared to A Sick Day for Amos McGee. If there was ever a sweet children's story, that depicted true love, loyalty and devotion, this is the one. Amos McGee, an elderly zoo keeper that, every day, takes the 6:00 a.m., bus 'number 5' to work, suddenly comes down with a horrible cold - "Ugh. I don't think I'll be going to work today", he exclaims through blows and puffs in his handkerchief. As he cuddles his teddy bear, and settles back down to bed, his animal friends begin to fret when the dedicated friend does not show up for his ritual check ins. The elephant suddenly has no one to play chess with, the tortoise has no mate to run his races with, and the sock wearing, overly shy penguin has no trustworthy pal to "sit quietly" with. The rhinoceros and owl also have reasons why they are missing their dear friend Amos.
As the day comes to a close, and there is still no Amos, these loyal and endearing creatures take it into their own hands (paws, hooves, claws, feet....) to take that bus 'number 5', to check in on Amos. When they show up at his apartment to play all of their usual games, Amos could not be more delighted - "Hooray! My good friends are here!". You have never read about a sweet slumber party like this one! The first time I read this book, I truly needed my own handkerchief. It is one of those stories that you only hope your child asks you to read again, right away...and you will. The illustrations are beautiful, traditional pictures that dearly display the themes this kind story portrays. It is obvious why this book won the Caldecott Book Medal, the Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Award, The New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year Award, and so many more prestigious acknowledgements. Find a copy for yourself and young loved one, for a sweet Valentine's Day surprise, at Book Works Book Shop and the Whitefish Library.  79
community} happenings
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The Whitefish Figure Skating Club By Carol Anderson Photos by Kelly Marchetti
The Whitefish Figure Skating Club originated in 1993, affiliated with the United States Figure Skating Association., to promote the sport of figure skating for all levels of skaters to enhance their abilities. There are group and private lessons offered whether for persoanl enjoyment or competitive goals. We are a small club but continue to strive for growth and encourage new members.
Presently we have a young group in our Smooth Gliders Program under the direction of Chad Goodwin and apprentice coach Lydia Sykora. Lydia joined the coaching team this year. Some are as young as 3 and 4 along with skaters 7-9. They love to get together twice a week for their lessons especially when it is time to learn a program for the annual ice skating show for them to perform in front of an audience. This really brings out their showmanship. We are fortunate to have a great coaching team under the direction of Jennifer Boye, a top level skater herself, with 20 years experience. A new addition this year to the coaching staff is Chad Goodwin, a former Canadian champion and professional skater with Willy Bietak Productions.
Along with the hard work of learning new skills, the skaters all look forward to the fun and enjoyment of of the holiday show for the community, Excellence On Ice, (this year) which was held on December 17, 2011. For the past two years a Synchronized Team has been developing under the direction of coaches, Lauren Bradley and Kortny Kellogg. They enjoy performing as they learn new moves. The club brings in a guest skater each year for the community's enjoyment. This past show Canadian brother and sister team, Cara and Bryce Chudak were our guests (age 11 and 16 respectively)
Rather than our usual annual competition, we are having a different type of event for skaters to participate in. Chad Goodwin has organized a Flathead Seminar designed to offer young athletes a chance to work with todays best coaches and skaters as they strive to achieve excellence. Scott Davis, former Great Falls native and US National Champion 1993 and 94 also Winter Olympian will be the guest coach. Bryce Chudak and the Polish National Champion will participate in demonstrations. The 50 limit participation has been met from skaters in the western area and Canada. Along with skating skills, health, nutrition, off ice training will be included. There will also be a testing session with judges from Spokane with USFS qualifications who will not only test but individually critique skaters.
The club will have a Spring Show in April for the community to enjoy. We are always welcoming new members to join us. Stumptown Ice Den also will host some hockey tournaments on the agenda before the rink closes April 29. This facility continually has a growth in programs and out of town guests.
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