406 Woman Vol.5 No.2

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 16 Tres Cher

Outdoor woman

HEALTH 56 baby

58 Skincare

20 Glacier Challenge

60 21 Days

weekend

62 thyroid

22 Cabin Creek Landing

406 Love 24 Abby & Michael 28 Andrew & Malinda

Food & Flavor

32 Stillwater Fish House

36 Football and Feasting

40 Green Tomatoes

Home

44 Spectacular

Family 64 Happy 66 Relax

Fashion

68 snapshots

Art

72 Patty Larkin 76 Miriam and John 78 Book Review

Community

50 Piney Creek

80 Flathead Lake

Wellness

82 Lani Etter

54 the pleaser

406

WOMAN 8

contents

406

w o m a n

406 publisher

Cindy Gerrity cindy@montanasky.net

business manager

Daley McDaniel daley@montanasky.net

editor

Kristen Pulsifer Kristen@whitefishstudycenter.com

director & design

Sara Joy Pinnell ayourartisan@yahoo.com

photographer Rachel Catlett rachel@rachellynnphotography.com Daniel Seymour montanasharpeye@gmail.com

Cover Girl

B onai Bri sendi ne Bonai Brisendine was born in Washington state but raised in Montana.

Bonai is married to Carl Brisendine and she's a stay at home mom to four children, Caleb (9), Julia (7), Tatum (5) and Nathanael (2).

Photo by: Molly Claridge of Be Still Photography ( w w w . b e s t i l l p h o t o g r a p h y MT. c o m ) clothing from the Village shop s t y l e d b y M e l i ss a B e r d i m u r a t o f "S t y l e M .E . " Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year 6477 Hwy 93 S Suite 138, Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-1545 info@406woman.com Copyright©2012 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 406

WOMAN 10

406}

contributors

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.

Ter r y (Ruggles) Du Beau

Terry (Ruggles) Du Beau is a newcomer to the FlatHead Valley. She relocated to Whitefish last November from Darby, Montana. She is passionate about the outdoors, leading people into experiences in deep nature connection and creating community. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Municipal Parks and Recreation Management and a M.A. in Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She is a Jersey girl by birth, wandered around New England and the south for a bit but found her true home in the west. Her heart and soul fell in love with Colorado in 1982 where she lived for 22 years. Montana has been home for over 8 years! This spring she took a permaculture class where she met her new partner, Michael 'Skeeter" Pilarski - they are relocating to Hot Springs, Montana this fall to open the Evolutionary School of Permaculture in the spring of 2013. She can be reached at permaterry@gmail.com.

P.A. Moore

(her maiden name), wife, mom, author, and lawyer, lives in Whitefish, Montana, where she writes, walks her two Cairn terriers, dabbles in legal work, and enjoys her adult children.

She is the author of Courthouse Cowboys-A Modern Tale of Murder in Montana,a 2012 PNWA Zola-award finalist for her essay Next of Kin, A Tale of Brotherly Love, and hopes to publish her second novel, Breaking Rank, this fall. You can contact her at www.courthousecowboys.com or follow her blog at www.theqknowslaw.com

Br idget Michl ig

Bridget owns and operates Muse – Style to Inspire on Electric Avenue in Bigfork. She has made the commitment to look for items made from organic and cruelty free fibers, produced through fair trade contracts, or produced in the United States.

Gretchen Knuf f ke

Gretchen lives in Kalispell and is the mother of 10 children ra ing in age from 1 to 19 years old. She is the owner of Maternal Instincts, a parent education company and writes on motherhood, parenting and homemaking. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Education and is a Love and Logic facilitator. When she is not doing laundry and driving kids around the Flathead, she loves a long run, a good glass of wine, a great book. Her passion in life is to make parenting easier and to help mothers find joy while raising kids, keeping homes and working. She is a motivational speaker and a blogger. You can find her at www.gretchenknuffke.com

Dan V oge l

is a native Pacific Northwest character whose interests and activities range from National Ski Patrol and Flathead Spay & Neuter Task Force to professional Wine and Hospitality Management. Currently the General Manager for the Flathead’s newest destination restaurant, Stillwater Fish House, Vogel has managed a variety of restaurants in the Eastern Washington, Oahu, Hawaii, and Northern Idaho markets. Combining passions for wine, craft beer and artisan spirits with the stories behind the labels he is also a member of the Authors of the Flathead writers group. He also facilitates the Whitefish Lake Institutes’ Wine Auction held in July of each year. Dan’s wife April Dawn Vogel is a well-known theatre professional with Whitefish Theatre Company holding the title of Education Director. After seeing their kids leave Hawaii for mainland colleges the couple chose Whitefish as their final home for the quality of life and deep community values found in the Flathead Valley.

406

WOMAN 12

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.

C r isMar ie C amp bel l

has been a consultant and coach for over 17 years. Her passion lies in helping people bring more of who they are to what they do to create the results they want. She applies this to individuals, teams and organizations. As a US Olympic Rower in the 1988 Olympic Games and a silver medalist in the 1987 World Championships, CrisMarie knows the difference between a group of champions and a championship team.

She integrates her love of performing arts, dance and creative expression into everything she does. She has performed with Whitefish Theatre Company, and this summer she was thrilled to be apart of Stumptown Players show, Looking! performed at O’Shaunghnessy Center.

For the last decade she has had her own Management Consulting and Coaching Business, Thrive! inc., with her partner Susan Clarke. She is a Master Certified Martha Beck Coach, has her Diploma in Counseling from The Haven Institute, an International Training Center in BC, Canada, and MBA from the University of Washington. You can contact her at: crismarie@thriveinc.com.

note} from the editor

August is a beautiful time of year. I am always sorry to see the summer end, but I have to say, fall in the Flathead Valley is magnificent. 406 Woman, as always, is prepared for a change in seasons, and this issue is no different.

Look through and find ideas on everything from ways to better manage your finances to ways to better manage a Monday night football dinner.

406 Woman is also excited to continue our support and partnership with Canada Certified. What a wonderful way to support our economy and the economy of those who have supported our businesses for so long. Look inside and see what else we are focusing on in regards to this essential financial endeavor.

We also have insightful advice on how to better protect your skin from the increasing heat of the sun and your thyroid from the increasing stresses if life. We all have a lot on our trays these days, and our bodies are taking the brunt of the stress that our day to day lives create. Take the advice from specialists on how to better manage an array of day to day issues.

406 Woman continues to work hard on the flip side of our magazine. Our business section is building and has incredibly educated advice from many educated woman throughout the valley. Flathead Valley women have intelligent business advice that they are willing to share. Take advantage of some free and incredibly savvy advising.

Embrace the last weeks of summer and look forward to a beautiful fall season. Gear up for the school year but don’t forget the joy and relaxation summer brought to you and your families.

Thanks again for all of your support –

Sincerely,

Kristen Kristen Pulsifer Editor

 15

featured}

Tres Cher

Tres Cher Written by Bridget Michlig Photos by Daniel Seymour “Value what comes naturally to you – and run with it!” Sheri Young's voice pours over you, equal parts honey and grit. Close your eyes and you could be listening to Earth Kitt as Cat Woman. Open them and you see a natural beauty at home in her own very chic skin. Her speech is animated and peppered with French phrases and the occasional off-color word. But, what you notice just as much is her bracelet, it is chartreuse, shines just a little, and bears the texture of a protea or the center of a mum.

“I was in D'Or Bleu, my favorite little shop on Rue de Bac on the left bank in Paris. I was wearing my work, of course. The owner inquired on my bracelet and I said it's mine. She replied, 'Mais oui, d'accord,' but yes, of course. I couldn't get across to her that is was mine, mine, that I had designed and made it.”

Sheri calls her accessories collection Tres Cher. “It's a little play on words – Sher is what my friends call me, and the phrase in French means very dear, but with two intentions- either very precious, or very expensive.” She gives a little wink and gestures a bit with her right hand. “This color is magic – it's the color of spring. It plays well with everything, darling.” The light catches her bracelet, the bright green enameled links shimmy, revealing glints from the silver lined crystals that form the base. It is the perfect blend of old Hollywood glamor, burlesque shimmy and rock-n-roll attitude.

Color, texture, sparkle and motion are the heart of Sheri's Tres Cher collection. “It's all about the bijoux, bella.” How often do we hear that accessories make – or change – your outfit? Sheri continues, “The key to packing well for travel is to accessorize, darling – it is, after all, what separates us from the rest of the animals.”

“The key to packing well for travel is to accessorize, darling – it is, after all, what separates us from the rest of the animals.”

Looking at Sheri in her sleek chocolate brown leggings, black riding boots, and finely striped asymmetrical top, it makes perfect sense. She could go to the grocery store or to a cocktail party with just a change in her earrings and bracelet. And, dressed in items that feel

406

WOMAN 16

both of the moment and like something she's had in her closet forever, she could also be any age at all.

“I never thought about growing up – and now that I'm dipping my toe into 60, I'm like Wow, it's better and better. I would love to be 44 again simply because at that point in life, everything is possible. Of course it still is at 60, but I don't want to waste any time. Years go by so fast. The key is to make every day pretty darn special by doing what you love. You can't always do that, but when you can, it never feels like work. And boy have I worked!”

Little Girl, Big Sky

A Montana native from Chinook, Sheri grew up on a farm becoming a ranch “in the middle of nowhere and the middle of everywhere. The prairie is so wide and flat and expansive that they say you can watch your wife leave for a week. Everything was more spectacular there – the sunsets were purple, burgundy, salmon, and the sky was as big as it could possibly be. Big Sky Country – nobody understands what that means the way a North Central Montanan does.”

Her roots are deep in that prairie. “My grandfather, a young geologist from Kansas, came west to survey Chinook for natural gas and oil. My grandmother, having waited to graduate from college, followed him all the way from Kansas in a covered wagon with her prized possession, her foot pedal organ. They homesteaded in the middle of the endless prairie. It is a beautiful place and a hard place, and people considered it a bonanza to find water.”

As the oldest of six children, Sheri had her share of chores. “We carried water from the well ~ 26 pumps a

bucket ~ for laundry and dishes, and dried diapers on the line. I was a big girl long before I was a big girl, and I embraced it. Like the day the convicts escaped from prison and came into the yard. I hid my siblings in the attic. We held our breath while we peeked through the window and watched them steal gas from our ranch pump and drive up the hill toward Canada.”

Sheri continues, “Dad was a really great guy. He studied architecture and engineering at Montana State in Bozeman and was entirely self-driven to succeed. Mom followed the man she loved to the farm, and was a true beauty who always had an eye for fine things. She sewed everything for us. She made snap front western shirts with fancy yokes, and designed and sewed my dresses and coats, even an occasional bra or slip. Now I realize how sweet and precious those years were, witnessing the salt of the earth honesty, inner strength, and eternal optimism that comes from being dependent on the weather for one's livelihood. Ranch life was an incredible way to learn about life. But I knew there was a big world out there. ” And much like her father, Sheri was driven to succeed on her own. She headed off to college in Missoula at the tender age of sixteen, choosing to study premed. “I grew up in a different culture and time. We expressed our natural artistic talents but gave more value to the sciences ~ after all the Russians were ahead of us in the space program. I gravitated toward the field of medicine. All it took was one cadaver for me to realize that I couldn't be that removed. So I plunged into environmental studies and also got my teaching certificate. I graduated and took work in the Energy Planning division of the Department of Natural Resources and later taught biology.”

In Her Words: Sheri Young on t h e C r e ati v e Process We all have a creative nature. Creativity in its purest form is simply self-expression. It finds its own way in each of us. It may be something as simple as the way you wear your hat. You don’t have to make the hat. It’s the way that you wear it.

From farm work to energy planning, teaching science to selling real estate and producing videos, Sheri's experiences weave a rich tapestry. “I came to the Flathead Valley 33 years ago...what a gorgeous place to call home! My Dad always said that if his cows moved here, they would think that they had died and gone to heaven. I have found fulfilling and passionate avenues in the Valley by being a founding board member of the West Shore Food Bank and the Flathead Lake Protection Association ~ science rocks! And I am always designing jewelry in my head.”

Sheri muses, “Nurture what you are naturally drawn to.

Don't ever devalue what you are naturally good at in any way, shape or form.”

Tres Cher – Jewelry for the Well-Armed Woman

One of the many things Sheri is naturally good at is creating brilliant baubles that women love to wear. “I started making jewelry as a hobby, just building little pieces.

After a trip to Europe I became obsessed with making grape clusters – I'd sit and build the most perfect little clusters of semiprecious stone beads, and connect them all into wearable vines and arbors. I've designed scarves and handbags as well, but I find designing and making jewelry to be tangibly satisfying.”

For Sheri, the magic lies in the actual making. “At one point my accessories business had five beaders producing the work. I was designing, and the line was sold in Seattle, Scottsdale, David Yurman in New York City and in Aruba. QVC wanted 1,500 units – this was exciting and flattering, but ultimately not a good fit for me because each of my handmade creations is unique unto itself.

Basically, I just want to have fun designing and making jewelry that women enjoy wearing.”

She continues, “My current work is a coming together of all the things I love – I draw so much inspiration from the

natural world, all the way down to the cellular level – it is so perfect. I always go back to nature, it's intricacies, the wisdom in how everything is connected.”

Saturated color, like chartreuse and tangerine, is a full on embrace of confidence and cheerfulness.”

She holds up her wrist and shakes it just a little. “A piece like this is kind of daring if you aren't embracing of color and cheerfulness. I do dress in neutrals, have worn them all my life. If I had it to do over, I would definitely have worn more color early on. But I was wearing things to blend in – that standard uniform of black and white. I still think of my wardrobe as a palette for that 'pop of color' accessory. Saturated color, like this chartreuse and that tangerine, is a full on embrace of confidence and cheerfulness, whereas platinum, gold and pearl convey subtle elegance.”

Sheri has her work in a select few Flathead Valley locations and has also developed an online presence at Etsy. com. She has created pieces for women all over the country, and even has a few celebrity pieces in the works.

“I'm not at liberty to say for whom I'm creating, but I can tell you that the piece is a great rock-n-roll, wide cuff bracelet-cum-glovelet stitched from hematite stones – it really catches the light on a microphone hand. That part is awesome – the process of creating is really an explosion of fun. But my happiest moment is when I'm sitting in a great restaurant and I look across the room and see someone wearing one of my pieces. I'll catch a flash of a bracelet, and realize it's mine. Somebody saw the worth in what I do, and is rockin' it.”

You can find the Tres Cher collection at Wheeler's Jewelry in Kalispell and at Muse – Style to Inspire in Bigfork.

Point your browser to etsy.com/shop/trescher to view Sheri's work online

For me, the creative process is a perfect state of grace. All of my imperfections and flaws take a back seat. I am focused on creating order in the beautiful, lonely objects in front of me. Because I am a very organized person, it’s always tempting to place each and every component in its own sister container, thus giving me a clean slate to start the design process. Instead, I have to allow a mess. I need a melange of color, texture and form spread out before my eyes.

Instead I try to achieve a mental clean slate by putting away any guilt of the self-indulgent fun I‘m about to have. I proceed as if I have all the time in the world. Then, that state of grace is right in front of me. It is a timeless place. Free-falling and engaged, I usually work in silence, a luxury not often afforded in this busy world. I do love to listen to music while I’m working, but must be very careful about my music selections, as the melody and tempo will eventually affect my piece. Rock and Roll will lead me to my metal chain fringe appetite. Classical music will eventually have me feasting on pearl and crystal baroque designs.

Most pieces start with a feeling and an idea. I work it until it comes together with a balance of components, a certain fluidity that makes a piece all its own. Each pearl has its own history, form and beauty, just waiting to come to life amidst all the other pearls. My work is akin to meditation. While thoughts will roll through my head, I always come back to the mantra of the rhythm of my fingers and the free-flowing choice of what comes next. I am always mindful of weight and scale. My goal is to bring the intricacies of technique and originality to an elegantly simple and clean outcome. When the challenge becomes confusing, I walk away. It is always good to come back to the process with a fresh eye. I carry the piece in my head during my break and eventually I will solve the math or physics of it before I return to my studio. It can be a process of trial and error. Sometimes a bracelet's creation will reflect a continuum of different ideas strung together ~ until the rhythm and balance of it shakes itself out into what will be its final design. The joy of waking up the next morning to find that my creation still holds its beauty from the night before is beyond satisfying. And the joy of looking across a candlelit restaurant and seeing a woman wearing my creation makes my whole self sing. I know that when that woman chose that piece of jewelry, she found self-expression too.

17

featured}

Tres Cher

HARDWARE: ONE airline approved rolling carry-on bag

ONE tote bag that fits comfortably on top of the rolling carry-on. I now have a tote bag with a sleeve that fits over the extended handle of the rolling carry-on. This functions as one unit that can easily be pulled along or lifted with either arm.

How To: T h r e e W e e k s, ONE B AG !

The first time I journeyed overseas, I took the kitchen sink with me. I wore about a fourth of the clothes, shoes and accessories that I had packed so nicely. Then I lugged everything to and from air terminals, trains, hotels and cars until I was haggard.

Over the years I have revamped my travel trappings with the goal of complete freedom from the heaviness of it all. I usually travel in the Spring or in the Fall, so it is important for me to have a choice of layers to accommodate a sudden downpour or the enjoyment of sitting at an outdoor cafe picking up some sun.

I’m usually on the move when I travel, stopping at a favorite new place for a few days or making a “base camp” home with day jaunts by rented car. So it’s always important to me to travel light.

The freedom of not checking bags is wonderful.

When you get to your destination, you go directly through customs to the car rental or taxi port, skipping baggage claim. Anyone who has had to jump on a train in a hurry knows the importance of bags you can lift yourself. Although you can usually rely on the kindness of strangers to help heave your stuff on board, it is ever so much better to be self-sufficient.

At this point in time, most airlines allow one carry-on bag and one tote. Check the measurement requirements of these items on-line with your carrier.

406

Here is my recipe for carry-on only travel. It provides lightweight and comfortable attire for a three week journey to any destination. (make substitutions for tropical locales)

WOMAN 18

ONE DURABLE ROLL-UP ZIP TOTE. When compressed, mine weighs very little, takes up very little space, yet expands to hold about 35 pounds. When I’m traveling, I am sure to purchase some irresistible things. At the end of my trip, I pack my precious items in my carry-on roller and tote. I then pack any laundry, any liquids over the 3 oz liquid limit for carry-on (such as purchased perfume) and extraneous items (like the irresistible boots I found in Paris) into this extra tote and check it for the trip home. It’s a great way to lighten your load. You will find other uses for it during your trip, as the soft nylon sack makes a great 'catch-all' bag.

LIQUIDS: ONE Quart Size plastic zip-lock bag. The airline requires that all of your carry-on liquid items not exceed 3oz, and all liquid items must fit into a one quart Ziploc bag. This challenge can be met by purchasing plastic travel containers and filling them with you essential liquids. It does require paring down those favorite elixirs and potions to smaller amounts as well as looking for those that do double duty. And for heaven's sake, don't waste precious space on items that are cheap and common. After all, are you really traveling to a place that doesn’t sell toothpaste or contact lens solution? Put your liquid bag in your tote with easy access for security check-in.

OUTERWEAR ESSENTIALS: COAT: I choose a lightweight wool pea-coat, although a lightweight all-weather lined rain coat is good too. One of my favorite coats is a no-wrinkle lightweight reversible black/taupe rain coat. It scrunches up into to a very small space. I use a rubber band to minimize it in my carry-on.

SHOES: Choose a very comfortable shoe that will work well with a lightly flared pair of pants or a skirt. I choose black, but if your wardrobe calls for taupe, go for it. Find a pair of shoes with removable insoles. It is the perfect place to hide your cash.

(No kidding! That's where thieves hide their stolen cash from the police.)

CROSS BODY PURSE that accommodates your average day ‘out and about’ essentials. Mine is black and I love the hands free luxury and front body hugging security it provides. (You may be carrying your passport with you for some venues.)

BOTTOMS: One well constructed Yoga Pant in Black.

Your favorite pair of jeans One pair dress pants – choose a non-wrinkle fabric in a cut that dresses up or down.

One more pair…your choice!

One black skirt or black dress (sleeveless)

TOPS: 3-4 lightweight cotton long sleeve tops - I love a scoop neck long sleeve cotton ‘tissue tee.’

One fetching top that can take you to that special evening out. I like a soft sequin.

VEST: Vests are a wonderful thing. They add that extra layer of warmth when you’re bopping in and out of those car jaunts. They provide core warmth while wearing a lightweight top…and remove any bulky feeling of layers.

HEADBAND I won’t travel anywhere without one in the Spring and Fall. I walk a lot and it protects my ears and head from cold wind. Soft wool, soft fleece lining.

And no hat hair!

SKID-PROOF SLIPPERS This is a non-negotiable item for me. All it took was one slip on marble stairs in a lovely inn for me to realize this.

UNDERGARMENTS: One or two pairs of black lightweight tights – these double as long-johns and pantyhose.

4 panties 2 bras 3 pairs of socks 2 camisoles (Make sure one of them is white) ACCESSORIES: So important! Here is your great opportunity to expand your wardrobe and build your choices.

SCARVES A great pop of color for your wardrobe palette. Include a large square silk – it just feels so good on your neck. I usually take 2 or 3 scarves.

SHAWL Or a shawl-like garment like an extra-large heavy weight favorite scarf perhaps. A great treat for a day or night out in lieu of your coat. Also great for that long flight. I carry mine in my on-board tote.

JEWELRY Choose jewelry that can change your look with the palette you have created from your basics. Don’t forget your favorite Tres Cher bracelet ! I leave my diamonds and gold at home.

featured}

Tres Cher

BELT I choose a wide stretch belt for hip or waist wear.

Remember…you’ll be wearing at least one of each of these items on the flight, leaving plenty of room in your carry-on/tote for sundries, electric toothbrush, curling iron, favorite hand mirror, snub-nosed scissors, etc.

WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR TOTE: Camera, if light. Mine is a pretty heavy unit so I pack the weight of it in my rolling carry-on with a small tripod and accessories.)

E Reader & Cellphone – don’t forget your chargers!

Small Flashlight Pen and Small Note Tablet Shawl Neck Pillow – it provides comfort for the flight, driving, and sleeping in general.

Prescription Medications Passport & Travel Documents Non-Liquid Make-up bag Cash, credit cards, travelers checks Emery Board Sunglasses Tissues Liquids Bag (on top for easy access while passing through security checkpoints) AND anything else that makes your flight more comfortable.

(Maybe some chocolate ! )

LUXURY ITEMS OR SUBSTITUTIONS IF THERE IS ROOM: Lightweight Robe (Room service is at the door !)

Favorite Pair of Pumps (Black) Skinny Jeans (Black) Long cardigan sweater Boots - make sure these are your absolute favorite comfortable boots. Wear them to travel and pack your shoes to save room.

EXTRA HELPFUL ITEMS: Extra plastic zip bags. Indispensable! They are see-through and can accommodate a quick move from one place to another if maybe your clean, washed panties or swim suit aren’t quite dry. I protect my camera in one on rainy days.

A few Rubber Bands Sticky Notes

So many friends swear they can't possibly be happy on a trip while bringing so little – I say au contraire! Give it a try – I'm certain you will enjoy your new-found freedom!

Bon voyage!

From Sheri's Table: Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Two of my most favorite and precious foods – fine bittersweet chocolate and raspberries – are paired in this dense flourless torte. The slow baking at a low temperature imparts an incredible chocolate density while the raspberry crème anglaise gives just the right contrast to this a truly elegant desert.

I like to serve mine with a scoop of homemade orange sorbet.

TORTE:

1 pound best-quality bittersweet chocolate 14 tablespoons ( 1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter 1 ½ cups sugar 10 eggs, separated, room temperature ¼ cup Framboise liqueur 2 teaspoons vanilla extract CRéME ANGLAISE:

4 egg yolks, room temperature ½ cup sugar 2 cups milk, scalded 1 cup fresh raspberries, pureed and sieved Fresh raspberries (garnish)

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt with the butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in 1 cup of sugar and heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

2. Beat the egg yolks in a large mixer bowl until blended. Beat in 1 cup of the warm chocolate mixture and then return to the chocolate mixture in the

double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the framboise and vanilla.

3. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Butter a 9 ½-inch spring form pan and lightly coat with sugar.

4. Beat the egg whites in a large mixer bowl just until beginning to stiffen. Gradually beat in the remaining cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the peaks are stiff and glossy.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

5.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until firm, about 3 hours. Let cool completely; then refrigerate until cold.

6. To make the crème anglaise, beat the egg yolks and sugar in a mixer bowl until thick and light.

Gradually beat in the milk. Pour into a heavy saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the custard coats the back of the spoon. (This can take as long as 15 minutes.) Do not let boil.

7. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a bowl of ice water to cool to room temperature. Stir in the raspberry puree. Refrigerate covered until ready to serve.

8. Cut the chocolate cake into thin wedges. Spoon some of the crème anglaise around the cake and garnish with a few fresh raspberries. A scoop of Orange Sorbet on the plate makes this dessert sing!

12-14 portions

19

outdoor woman} Glacier Challenge

My first Written by Anna Rose

50

mi l e s

Written by Hilary Shaw and Jenn Punty - Photos by Heidi Long

The Glacier Challenge, held in Whitefish, MT., celebrated its 10th year on July 14th. It is a 50-mile, multi-sport relay race, benefiting Flathead Youth Homes and draws racers from across the state to compete in running, kayaking and road and mountain biking. This was the third year I have participated, and the first year I took on the entire Challenge on my own.

It was the last leg of the race. The finish line, with all the rest and reprieve it had to offer, was minutes away. My body felt tired, my muscles exhausted from the last 49 miles and hours of sweat and adrenaline.

406

I rounded the corner where the teenage girls manning the final aid station cheered, offered water and yelled after me, “one more mile! You’re almost there!”…Their voices washed over me and I was filled with a combination of calm and excitement. I picked up my feet, quickening my worn out shuffle to a steady trot. My lips curled slightly up as my smile returned and the anticipation of my complimentary lunch, and beer, inspired my feet to continue on.

WOMAN 20

Then, the song changed on my ipod.

For the duration of the race, I had lucked out with a pretty incredible mix of music popping up on my playlist; only having to skip one or two songs when the mood didn’t fit.

I had kept a steady clip on the 10k, pacing to the beat and motivating with steady bass lines. The road bike section of the race was accompanied with the perfect mix of get-me-up-this-hill- tracks and feel-the-wind-on-my-face songs.

Due to the high level of technical turns and terrain contrasted with my low level of experience in the mountain bike section I refrained from listening

to any music so as not to distract me. I did, however, distract myself from the terror I felt while whizzing down steep descents, hovering above my seat with my eyes frantically scanning for any upcoming obstacles that threatened my safety, by singing/screaming “here’s my number, so call me maybe”. I know that song will forever conjure the memory of clenched teeth, white knuckles, and exhilarating fright that was my fifth mountain biking experience, ever.

In the last mile of the Glacier Challenge, when all I wanted to do conflicted between jumping for joy and collapsing on the grass, a heart wrenching-, breath taking-, devastating ballad began to play.

Immediately, all of the exhaustion and hunger and dehydration caught up to me, and my sight began

outdoor woman} Glacier Challenge

to blur. I could feel my cheeks burning and my nose start to clog. All I wanted to do was cry- to let loose and flail my arms out in a dramatic sob.

Crying, however, is not conducive with running; or should I say, breathing.

As my eyes began to brim with tears, by breathing quickened and my chest heaved. As if 49 miles weren’t difficult enough, now my lungs were tightening in a vice and all I could get were little fluttering whimpers.

I knew this would not work.

I flapped my hands in the air, wiped my eyes and grunted in my best tough-guy fashion, willing the tears to stop. Seconds later I was fine, rolling my eyes at how ridiculous I must have looked.

I jogged on through the final mile. My feet felt light, my energy renewed, and as the end approached, I sprinted across the finish line. There were people

everywhere, cheering and clapping, and I scanned their faces for that of my best friend. When I finally spotted her, my chest began to tighten again. In a panic, I tried to weave through the crowd towards her, while desperately trying to control my breathing. I wouldn’t let myself cry again, not in this sea of competitors and spectators.

I ran into her arms, just as my jaw began to tighten and lips began to quiver, and her cheers and screams of congratulations let my tears subside again.

It sounds silly to me now, that a song and a race would make me want to cry, though the reality it setting in. I can look back and realize the full range of emotions I experienced and overcame in the five and a half hours in took for me to complete the 50 mile race.

For the majority of the race my smile hurt my cheeks and I spat out bugs that were trapped in my gaping grin. Then there were moments that I felt levels of predatory determination, eyes set on

the back of the racer in front of me. The panic and anger in my eyes during the mountain bike section, mixed with “I missed you so bad. I missed you so, so bad” would have scared off any challenger.

Now, days later, I still feel exhausted. It isn’t my muscles that need replenishing as much as my spirit. My energy is sapped, and I feel the effects of the rollercoaster I just completed.

I know now that the tears I so desperately wanted to both shed and conceal were driven by the overwhelming pride I felt over my accomplishment.

Preceding the race, I felt a level of nervousness that I have never felt before, and thus the pride and satisfaction at the end surpassed my expectations.

I raced hard, not to win, but to complete a goal I set for myself. I raced for the experience- for the ride.

*The Glacier Challenge, theglacierchallenge.com/therace.html

21

weekend}Cabin Creek Landing

Get Away…

Close By

by Heidi A. Long

The twenty four-mile trip from Kalispell past Marion goes by in a flash but once I’ve settled into my room at the Cabin Creek Landing Bed & Breakfast, it may as well be twenty four hundred. There’s no need to leave the area to “get away”. Innkeepers Chet and Corynne Todd have pegged the Pampered Guest Meter with fresh baked cookies in each room upon arrival, charming décor, voluminous sleep-inducing bedding, private baths, spacious decks, gathering rooms, beautiful views, and oh my, the food. Every afternoon guests can enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or beer during the inn’s “Happy Hour” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. featuring delectable fare such as bacon-wrapped jalapenos or bruschetta. I find myself trying “just one more” again and again. Sitting in the sun on the back deck, taking in the scenery and cuisine, it’s hard not to make new friends. Gus, the resident Australian shepherd, is my first.

The log-accented lodge sits along a 3500foot private paved airstrip making it an even quicker jaunt by plane. Bring your boat and fish, ski or simply soak up the rays on nearby Bitterroot Lake. If you travel light, the inn has kayaks and bikes to loan. There’s no shortage 406

WOMAN 22

of things to do in the area. As per Chet’s recommendation, I visit Bitterroot Falls where the cool cascading waters take my breath away on a hot summer day. Several times a year Chet and Corynne hike the 6-mile roundtrip trail to Lupine Lake for a picnic.

Chet’s roots run deep here in Marion. His grandfather fell in love with the area over fifty years ago and promptly bought a ranch.

Chet’s dad, Rick, grew up spending summers on the ranch at Bitterroot Lake. Rick and Mary Todd, the owners of Cabin Creek Landing B&B, raised four sons in whom they also inspired a love for the area. Rick, a licensed pilot, has a love for aviation like his own father so when the opportunity arose to build a B&B along the Cabin Creek Landing airstrip, things just seemed to fall into place. When Rick and Mary approached Chet and Corynne to run the inn, it became a family affair. That family connection is part of what makes the Cabin Creek Landing so special and the Todd’s warm and genuine demeanor sets the tone for the inn.

Walking into the Cabin Creek Landing B&B is like stepping into a warm embrace. With two

guest rooms and four suites it’s just the right size for privacy while still providing the perfect atmosphere for befriending fellow guests.

There’s something wholly gratifying about people coming together around food, sharing their days’ adventures, and discovering “small world” connections. It’s the perfect place for a romantic getaway, a family reunion, or a (flyin!) wedding. “It’s most rewarding for me to see guests enjoying themselves,” says Corynne who brings me cookies and tea. She learned to cook (and love it) from her mother. Her passion is evident in the abundant breakfast spread, aromas summoning guests from their rooms for spinach sausage quiche, dutch pancakes, triple berry scones and more.

The inn fills up fast through September so call ahead. It’s also a wonderland for cross country skiing in winter especially with the large fireplace and Corynne’s cooking to warm you at the end of the day’s activities. For me, I’m struck with the feeling of “coming home” here at the inn-only now I have to leave. I hug everyone goodbye, of course, and promise to write soon. www.cabincreekbb.com 406-854-2126

weekend}Cabin Creek Landing

 23

406 love}

Wedding

Payton was just 5 months old when Michael started to get sick, he was trying to wrestle and he just didn’t have the strength, something was definitely wrong.

406

WOMAN 24

406 love}

Wedding

Abby and Michael

Photographed by Shannon & Jeremie Hollman shannonhollman.com

Our love story starts way back when we were 15 years old and in high school. Michael and I started dating at the end of our sophomore year of high school. We truly have a real high school sweetheart love story.

I was not your typical teenage girl. I competitively raced dirt bikes. The people that traveled week-end after week-end to each race became our motocross family. Our motocross family was a tight knit group and Michael’s sister Jamie and, then boyfriend, Tyler were part of that family.

I was around 10 years old and Jamie would tease me and tell me that I couldn’t have boyfriends because some day I was going to marry her little brother Michael. Being so young I would just giggle, get on my bike and go race. A few years went by and one weekend Jamie brought Michael to a race to watch the races. By now I was a teenage girl and had started to think that boys were pretty cool. Michael caught my eye and from that day forward I would make sure that I was at all of his football games, and wrestling matches hoping that I would catch his eye as well.

This went on for a couple of years, and yes I dated other people but I would always come home and tell my mom, “He was no Michael Hader.” We would laugh because really I had never even talked to Michael Hader, we would joke that I just stalked him. One day I went to a basketball game in Columbia Falls and I was sitting all by myself rocking my mini skirt and Ugg boots and I finally saw Michael walking my way (boy was I excited), he then plopped down next to me and asked, “do those boots make your feet sweaty” and it was love from that day forward.

Michael and I started dating shortly after that and we were inseparable. I would travel with his family all over to watch him play sports and he would travel with me and my family to watch me race my motorcycle. We shared many of the same passions hunting, fishing, and hiking together in our spare time.

After high school we decided to move to Great Falls so that Michael could wrestle for the University Of Great Falls. We packed up all of your belongings and moved into a one bedroom apartment. The first year I was also going to school for Interior Design at the MSU College of Technology. At the end of the first year I had decided that Interior Design might not be what I wanted to continue to study. Being undecided about school I decided to get a fulltime job working at a bank. Slowly our apartment started filling up with everything from a mounted elk head on the wall to snow boards, motorcycles, and everything else that we thought that we needed. Since I was working and excelling at my job we decided that we needed more room and wanted to buy a house out of town. We looked around and found the perfect little home in Ulm. 25

406 love}

Wedding It was the first summer in our new home when Michael popped the big question. It was my birthday, May 23, 2010 and I had asked him for a 3D target so that I could practice shooting my bow. Michael and his friend set out to get me a gift. When he got home he opened the back seat of his truck and said “Happy Birthday here is your target, go grab the bows and I’ll set it up.” As I was walking down stairs to get the bows all I could think was, did he really just get me a target? Little did I know he had slipped an engagement ring on the horn of the deer while I was grabbing the bows. When I got back outside we shot a couple of rounds and then we walked down to see how we were shooting and I spotted the ring hanging on the horn. I ran up and put it on my own finger, as I turned around he was down on one knee and asked me marry him.

We started planning our wedding for August, 2011. December 2010 we found out that we were expecting a baby girl. Surprise! We were due in August. I had the picked out the wedding dress of my dreams and I wanted to walk down the isle to my prince charming in it, so we decided to postpone the wedding a year so not only could I wear the dress of my dreams but also by then we would have the perfect little flower girl in our wedding. That August our amazing daughter Payton was born.

Payton was just 5 months old when Michael started to get sick, he was trying to wrestle and he just didn’t have the strength, something was definitely wrong. The doctors in Great Falls ran test after test and couldn’t decide what was wrong. After having an MRI they finally found two tumors in his brain.

Knowing that the wedding of our dreams was supposed to happen in just a few short weeks, but not knowing exactly what kind of tumors they were, we elected to go to Seattle to the University Hospital for a diagnosis. We went for what we thought was going to be an office visit and they immediately scheduled him for a biopsy. We were then told that it was a rare form of brain cancer called Germinoma. Michael was then scheduled to start chemotherapy on the 18th of June and our wedding was on the 16th. Cancelling the wedding wasn’t an option for us; I wanted to be Mrs. Hader as badly as he wanted me to be his wife. We would go back to Montana and get married.

The wedding was perfect! It was definitely one of the best days of our lives. Our family and friends pulled together to make our dream wedding a reality. Michael, Payton and I were finally a real family. The morning after we said, “I Do” we were off to Seattle to start the next chapter of our life together.

Michael is now undergoing several rounds of chemo therapy, which he will follow up with radiation. He has a good prognosis for a cancer free life. We are positive that we can overcome this and we just figured that we would start out with the hard stuff so that we can live a care free life after this.

406

WOMAN 26

The Michael Hader donation account is available at any Wells Fargo.

27

406 love}

Story

Andrew + Malinda Photos by: Kim B Photography www.kimbphotography.net

Who are you?

Malinda Garner and Andrew Cummins

How did you meet?

We met through Andrew’s sister who thought we might be good together, even though he lived in California at the time. I went there on vacation with a girlfriend and we arranged to get together. On that first meeting, Andrew cooked dinner for me on the beach. Needless to say we hit it off and he moved to Montana shortly after to spend the summer getting to know each other.

The proposal?

I knew it had to be special so I planned the entire evening. I took Malinda on a hike to a beautiful spot in the mountains that overlooked the valley. I prepared the same dinner that I cooked for her the first time we met on the beach in California. I pulled out the guitar and sang a special song and asked her to marry me. She said "yes, yes, yes"!

406

WOMAN 28

What is love?

Love is feeling like you're home and it's the only place on earth you want to be. It is communication and growing. It is truly appreciating and accepting someone for who they are.

What do you love most about each other?

Malinda: Andy is so patient with me and loves me for me. He always lifts me up and makes me laugh. He is the most giving person I know, always serving others around him. His heart is pure and he is the best part of my day.

Andrew: I love her heart. She has the most grateful, giving, humble heart. She always puts others before herself and is grateful for what she has. She has a deep love for her family, friends, and Montana. I love looking into her eyes, seeing her smile, and hearing her laugh.

When did you know you were in love?

It was only a matter of time for us…the more time we spent together… the more we knew we were meant to be together.

Photo by: JMK Photography {www.jmkphotography.net}

406

WOMAN 30

food}

406

WOMAN 32

Stillwater Fish House

food}

fantastic

fish,

fair prices, & family fun Written by P.A. Moore Photos by Daniel Seymour

Stillwater Fish House

Mix together a business-savvy, 31-year-old Army vet, an excited young seafood chef newly arrived from Alaska, and an experienced wine and restaurant entrepreneur as mellow as the spirits he pairs with food, and you’ll discover the heart of Stillwater Fish House and Oyster Bar, the valley’s newest and most exciting dining spot.

Recently, Owner Jesse Felder, Chef Brad Pryor, and General Manager Dan Vogel sat down to share their passion for the values they bring to this business: a love of great food, provided at reasonable prices, and served in a family-focused atmosphere where folks can dine every day of the week from 4–11 p.m.

Their goal is to create delicious, healthy food, with every dish offering bold, impactful flavors. Jesse states, “I don’t do gimmicks. I offer great food at great values. That’s it.” These professionals want folks to relax, enjoy their meals, and feel as if they and their families can eat here as often as they want, without growing bored or breaking the bank.

In addition to oysters and fresh fish delivered five times a week from the west coast, Hawaii, and Alaska, Stillwater Fish House offers plenty of other menu items to satisfy kids and adults alike, from grilled cheese sandwiches and sliders, to steaks, pork, or chicken. Special dietary issues requiring gluten or dairy free food? Let them know so they can accommodate your needs. On your way to the beach, the slopes, or home?

Call ahead and pick up your meal.

ATMOSPHERE:

Diners entering Stillwater Fish House and Oyster Bar inhale tantalizing aromas of citrus, sea salt, and fresh air, enhanced by a décor bathed in cool blues, weathered wood, rattan-covered ceilings, polished concrete floors, and plenty of glass. Sunlight streams through tall, rolling garage doors at the restaurant’s west end. Beyond those double sets of doors - one with glass for cool days, the other screened for warm ones - customers under umbrellas enjoy outdoor service while kids spin cartwheels on a lawn that leads to hitching posts.

Tied to those posts, and in nearby trees, horses wait to return satisfied riders to a local guest ranch or their homes.

Whether Rebecca Farms equestrians, Flathead wranglers, a variety of locals, or international visitors, everyone seems to agree that Stillwater Fish and Oyster Bar is a cool place to hang out amid an eclectic blend of people enjoying terrific food.

Dan greets everyone with a gracious smile before showing them to their tables. The waitstaff, dressed in pale blue Cabela’s Fly Fishing shirts sporting the company logo, beam as they serve water, complimentary hush puppies, and beverages. Tables are covered in butcher paper for quick, clean changeovers, and the food arrives on stark, white china, accented by black, cloth napkins.

Jesse, a 6’6” former machine-gunner and Afghanistan war veteran, welcomes each guest, in between seating people, serving meals, or assisting behind the oyster bar, wine area, and kitchen. The former Texan’s energy and enthusiasm for this enterprise is fun to watch. Ditto for Dan’s. The two are related, by the way. Jesse married Dan’s daughter after they fell in love while Jesse was stationed in Hawaii.

The couple just gifted Dan and his wife, April, with a beautiful granddaughter, now the apple of her dad’s eye. The two men, along with Chef Brad, radiate excitement despite racing at maximum velocity to take care of their 150-170 customers a night.

FOOD:

Full disclosure: My tasting partner and I are west coast transplants who love fresh fish. We’ve eaten here twice in the ten days since it opened, sampling several items among the thirty menu selections, including small plates through sweets.

Under small plates, we shared the Hawaiian style Hamachi Crudo, Crabby Green Tomatoes, and Sweet Thai Calamari. By far, the Hamachi ranked as my favorite, its light lime and jalapeno flavor a perfect balance to the raw fish.

The presentation is eye-catching: Thin slices of fish served on a glass platter surrounded by red onion, jalapenos, and celery leaves atop a ponzu sauce.

My partner (who doubles as my beloved spouse) favored the calamari, finding the batter light and the Thai sauce just sweet enough to satisfy without overwhelming the calamari. Chef Brad uses calamari steaks, sliced into even strips, which results in even cooking and no rubbery quality as sometimes happens with calamari rounds.

We both enjoyed the Crabby Green Tomatoes, although we like fresh crab plain, without sauce. So, while the sauce was delicious, I’d have preferred it served underneath the tomatoes with an undressed portion of crab on top.

For an entree, my partner ordered Steelhead Trout Papillote, a dish he described as one of the best he’s had in our fifteen years in the valley. Chef Brad steams the fish with vegetables,

33

food}

Stillwater Fish House

potatoes, and citrus slices in a special rice paper bag that the server cuts open at the table. It’s accompanied by sticky rice. Dan notes the cooking bag allows for a no-fat preparation.

I ordered Miso Butterfish, Jesse’s favorite from his Army days stationed in Hawaii. He loves it so much, he insisted on serving it at his wedding. I confess I’m hooked. The miso-marinated fish arrived on a bed of rice, surrounded by perfectly cooked edamame, lightly drizzled with a miso glaze. For those watching calories, there’s no butter in this dish, just wonderful flavors melded together into, yes, a mouthwatering meal.

Neither of us tried the salads or items from the Ranch section (but we will!), although other customers told us the steak and pork chops were some of the best they’ve had. Dan explained that Chef Brad prepares his own special meat rubs, brines for chicken and pork, and barbecue sauce.

We split orders of Fish Sliders and a Lobster Roll. The first includes two sliders of grilled fishof- the-day (in this case Mahi Mahi) served in a bun, accompanied by a load of fries. This tasty dish could serve as an entire meal, especially by adding a small green salad.

The Lobster roll is a split, toasted, bread roll filled with lobster meat lightly tossed with a spicy dressing. It also comes with fries. It too, could stand as a meal, although I’d rather eat it with a green salad instead of fries.

We finished our meal sharing a slice of homemade Key Lime Pie, my partner’s favorite dessert. He’s tried plenty of recipes over the years, but claims this is one of the best he’s tasted.

Because he loved it, I only ate a couple of bites, but they were enough to make me want many more. Delicious. Next time I have my eye on Jesse’s Southern Style Strawberry Shortcake.

In addition to offering an array of craft and domestic beers, Dan and Jesse offer an impressive wine selection that fills their enclosed glass wine room. Both lists are specifically selected to give a focused choice of great value and flavors. As a “wine guy” for 25-plus years, Dan easily recommends the right wine for every menu item. But Stillwater Fish House doesn’t get

all fussy about matching beer or wine with food. Vogel would rather pair a selection with your own likes and interest in new wine adventures, “Every wine and beer in our restaurant has a history, a reason for being here.”

There is a “Ten for Twenty” list of wines that are available as a full bottle for $20.00 or for $6.50 a glass, one of the best wine values in the valley. I sipped an outstanding Canyon Road Chardonnay, and my partner a Saviah, The Jack, Riesling from the select choices.

Guests can order many premium wines by the glass from a Cruvinet System. “This system allows us to offer wines by the glass that are rarely offered outside of full bottles,” Vogel said. On our first visit, Dan recommended glasses of Mer Soliel Silver Chardonnay, a crisp un-oaked chardonnay bursting with tropical flavors and rich creamy exotic textures that perfectly complimented our entrees. Stillwater Fish House and Oyster Bar is the only restaurant in Montana to offer this classic wine by the glass, thanks to the use of the Nitrogen dispensing system that prevents oxygen from entering an opened bottle and spoiling the wine. Other remarkable choices include Caymus Napa Cabernet, Robert Craig Affinity, Yamhill Valley Vintners Estate Pinot Noir and Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc, all by the glass at eyebrow raising value-based prices.

If all this doesn’t tempt readers to come in for a meal, snack, or glass of wine, how about the promise of live music down the road? This exciting new restaurant is a welcome addition to the Flathead’s other great eateries, especially by so many of us yearning for an array of fresh fish and oysters.

Yet it offers so much more than seafood. Generated by Jesse, Brad, Dan, and the staff, there’s energy here! It lights up the customers and shines through everyone’s smiles and laughter. This is a happy place.

People passing by on Highway 93 should pull over and come inside to share in the experience that is uniquely Stillwater Fish House and Oyster Bar.

2635 Highway 93 West Whitefish, Montana 406-730-1230 www.stillwaterfishhouse.com Reservations Recommended

35

food}

feasting

Fall is Football and Feasting

By Kristen Ledyard Owner/Executive Chef of John’s Angels Catering LLC Yes, fall is in the air. School is around the corner and there are already Christmas decorations being sold. So what can you look forward to as the days get shorter?

Football. What a great sport to make fall brighter. Not only the game itself, but the food it comes with. Tailgating is now a culinary Mecca. Competitions for best football food are becoming a viewer’s dream, and a home town cook’s challenge between friends. It is your turn to wow your family and friends with your simple, yet stunning, bites.

You want to be part of the fun and see the game so the menu should be in simple parts.

For the first half, start with simple bites.

As the second half approaches, we will bring the big guns of cuisine out to fill hungry tummies. At the final minute, we will kick a field goal of flavor with dessert.

With everything in season, we have freshness in our favor. Farmer’s markets are still in full swing so take full advantage. Bend your menu around the items you find and enhance them with your organized pantry. Your sample menu follows:

Lump crab and Swiss croissant bites

Cheese platter dip with fresh vegetables and crackers French onion crostini Jerk chili Pop rock strawberries

Let’s get started! All of these can be prepared ahead of time and simply brought out as the game progresses. As a special touch, buy some football themed napkins and plates. Decorate your platters with your favorite teams’ colors and serve a specialty drink. Garnish your drink with fresh fruit and vegetables. It becomes not just a beverage, but a visual delight. Olives marinated in garlic juice overnight add a wonderful twist on a red beer.

406

WOMAN 36

Lump crab and Swiss croissant bites Pillsbury croissant dough Lump crab Sliced Swiss cheese Lemon pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take each triangle croissant and place a triangle sliced piece of Swiss cheese on it. Top with lump crab and sprinkle lemon pepper on top. Simply roll up and press the seams. Bake as per instructions being careful to not let burn. Serve warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

Cheese platter dip with Farmer’s market vegetables and Crackers

Cream cheese Boursin Pub cheese Cajun sunshine Favorite Farmer’s Market vegetables Water crackers

It is amazing which combinations of food can be fantastic. This recipe came to me when I had to come up with something on the fly for unexpected guests. O.K. - I have a bad habit of liking Pub Cheese, but try this combination and prepared to be wowed. It is as easy as combining all of the above ingredients in the cheese category. Add Cajun sunshine to taste. I do prefer this hot sauce for this combination, not to make it hot, but to make flavors pop. Be sure to slice all of your vegetables the same size and peel off the outside layer of your celery. Tomatoes should be ripe and if they are close to over ripe, make sure they are seeded.

Keep your sliced carrots and celery in cold water to keep them firm until use. I always lightly salt my vegetables just before serving to enhance flavor. Make this recipe your own.

food}

feasting

French Onion Crostini

Jerk Chili (yes, with beans) Kidney beans Black beans Ground chicken, wild game, or beef Half of a sweet onion minced Habanero minced, seeded (or not) depending on desired hotness Cooked crumbled bacon (optional) Diced scallion 2-3 Minced garlic clove Tsp. fresh ginger minced Tblsp. Soy sauce Sweet red pepper diced Salt and pepper

Toasted baguette slices Sweet onion Red onion Green onion Shallot Chives for garnish Cream cheese Louisiana hot sauce ½ Tablespoon minced garlic Gruyere shredded cheese

In a sauce pan melt one tablespoon butter and a splash of olive oil. Sautee above onions, diced small. Add in the garlic once the onions are translucent. Add a splash of hot sauce and salt to make flavors pop. Fold in the cream cheese to desired texture. If served warm, let melt completely. This can be served at room temperature. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese, minced chives, and side crostini. So you can enjoy the game, serve in a fondue pot and stir occasionally.

In a sauté pan, cook your ground protein and drain.

In a Dutch oven or crock pot, combine above ingredients and cook on low for 5 hours. Time it so the chili is ready for half time. No fuss for you and amazing for your guests. It is even better served the next day. Top with crème fraiche instead of sour cream and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Half time is approaching and the main meal is upon you. Chili is an all time favorite, but this will make your recipe a show stopper.

It is time for the show stopper and little will your guests know how easy it is.

Pop Rock Strawberries

Photo by Alisia Cubberly

Melted dark chocolate Fresh strawberries Your favorite pop rocks

It is as simple as dipping your strawberries in the chocolate followed by rolling them in the pop rocks. A great flavor explosion and great childhood memories combined.

You have created a wonderful, simple, and exciting football meal. Be sure to reorganize your pantry after the festivities and store your vegetables properly. You may or may not want to share these fun and inventive recipes with your friends. The secret is all ours. Happy Fall!

37

39

food}

Green Tomatoes

Written by Terry Du Beau

Green Tomatoes

Summertime conjures up certain images and the accompanying smells and tastes. Bright, red juicy tomatoes are top on my list, as I am a Jersey girl raised on those beefsteak ones you could play softball with! Alas, but we are in Montana – where the chances of tomatoes “ripening on the vine” are vanishing with the last hot days of summer. So, there you are pondering what to do with those “ugly” green tomatoes.

There are several options – you could hold a friendly neighborhood tomato war but those hard green ones might hurt! You could fry them – we all have watched “Fried Green Tomatoes” with Kathy Bates and Jessica Tandy. But, somehow frying a tomato is not on the top of my food bucket list. Well – how about ripening them first – and if, all else fails let’s try some different recipes!

Here is a song to help you remember what not to do with unripe tomatoes –“Does your tomato loose its flavor in the refrigerator overnight?” – yes!

Refrigeration interferes with the ripening process, which will continue as long as the post harvest temperatures remain above 55 degrees. So, leave it at room temperature.

Here are a variety of other options.

406

* You can pull the entire plant and hang it in a dry, sheltered location, like the garage or back porch.

WOMAN 40

The tomatoes will continue to ripen and will still gain some of the benefits of ripening on the vine. Try and take some roots with the plant, but shake off any excess soil. Don’t hang the plants in direct sunlight or total darkness. ·You can also try picking the more mature green fruits and ripening them in the house. Mature green tomatoes will have a tinge of color at the blossom end and feel a little softer than the solid young ones. Remove vines, stems, twigs, leaves, etc. to prevent more damage.

·Keep an eye out for decay or mold. Remove the affected tomatoes immediately and give the tomatoes more air circulation. The cooler the storage area for the tomatoes, the longer the ripening process will be. Expect about 2 weeks for ripening. If the storage area is too cold, the tomatoes may never ripen or will result in flavour-less tomatoes *Placing them on a sunny window sill. This is a hit or miss solution. They rot less readily if you place them bottom side down

*Wrapping each tomato individually in newspaper, then layer in a box, no more than 2 layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry place and check weekly. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to ripen. *Placing the green tomatoes in a paper bag with a ripe apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening. Check the bag daily. Or open a paper bag and insert a ripening

banana with your green tomatoes. Store in a warm, semi-humid area away from sunlight.

*Jar method - great for a few tomatoes. Put in one ripening banana per jar. Put in two to four medium-sized green tomatoes per jar. Do not overfill the jar, or the tomatoes might bruise. Screw on lid tightly. Leave in a warm, semi-humid place, out of direct sunlight. Check regularly - if your banana starts to rot before the tomatoes are ready, remove it and replace with a new banana.

This method should leave you with ripened tomatoes within one - two weeks.

*Cardboard box method - for many tomatoes.

Add some foam or fruit cardboard or line with newspaper. Place a layer of tomatoes in the box, each one next to the other. If you have a lot of tomatoes, a second layer on top is okay but be gentle. You may add multiple layers of tomatoes by using about 6 pages of black and white newspaper in between each layer. Add some ripening bananas. The tomatoes are likely to ripen anyway, as they release their own ethylene and influence each other. Bananas will help to speed up the process. Place the box in a cool, slightly humid room away from light. A pantry shelf is ideal if you have one. *Plastic bag method - for a few or many tomatoes.

Punch a few "air circulation" holes in each bag you are going to use. Place 3 - 4 tomatoes with 1 banana in each bag. Be guided by the size of the bag, tomatoes and banana. Store in a warm, semihumid area away from direct sunlight.

Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 teaspoon ground flax seed 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup quinoa flour (or other flour) 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or other starch) 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large green tomatoes

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking sheet lightly with canola oil or non-stick spray.

Combine the water and ground flax seeds in a blender and blend at high speed for 30 seconds. Pour into a wide bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to thicken slightly. In another wide bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except tomatoes). Cut tomatoes into slices about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Submerge a tomato slice in the flax-water, allow excess to drip off, and place slice into cornmeal mixture. Press lightly to assure that bottom of slice is covered with cornmeal and turn to coat other side. Place on prepared baking sheet. When all tomato slices are coated, bake for 15 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown. Turn and bake another 15 minutes to brown other side. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Servings: 6

Nutrition (per serving): 94 calories, 12 calories from fat, 1.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 214.6mg sodium, 287.3mg potassium, 18.7g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 5.1g sugar, 3.2g protein, 1.4 points.

GREEN TOMATO FRITTATA The acidic green tomatoes are nicely balanced by the neutral flavor of the eggs.

1 pound green tomatoes Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cornmeal for dredging 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced 1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil 1 tablespoon snipped chives 8 large eggs 2 tablespoons low-fat milk

1. Core the tomatoes and slice half of them about 1/3 inch thick. Set aside. Peel the remaining tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then transferring to a bowl of ice water. Cut in half, squeeze or scoop out the seeds, and chop fine.

2. Season the sliced tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper, and dredge lightly in the cornmeal. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy, nonstick 10-inch skillet over mediumhigh heat, and fry the sliced tomatoes for two to three minutes on each side, just until lightly colored. Remove from the heat and set aside.

If there is cornmeal in the pan, clean and dry the pan.

3. Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan over medium heat, and add the chopped onion.

Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the chopped tomatoes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have softened and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Stir in the basil and chives.

4. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt). When the chopped tomatoes have cooked down, turn the heat up to medium-high and pour in the eggs. Swirl the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, letting the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Distribute the fried sliced green tomatoes over the surface of the frittata. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, shaking the pan gently every once in a while. From time to time, remove the lid and loosen the bottom with a spatula. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.

5. Finish the frittata under the broiler for one to three minutes, watching very carefully to make sure the top doesn’t burn. Remove from

the heat, shake the pan to make sure the frittata isn’t sticking (it will slide around a bit in the nonstick pan) and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes, up to 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a wooden or plastic spatula. Carefully slide from the pan onto a large round platter. Cut in wedges and serve, or serve at room temperature.

MEXICAN GREEN SALSA Mexican salsa verde usually is made with tomatillos, not green tomatoes. (Tomatillos are in the same family as green tomatoes, but more closely related to the gooseberry.) But this version is a beautiful and delicious salsa, even without tomatillos.

1 pound green tomatoes 2 to 3 jalapeño or serrano peppers (more to taste) 1/2 medium onion, preferably a white onion, chopped, soaked for five minutes in cold water, drained, rinsed and drained again on paper towels Salt to taste 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed (optional) 1. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the green tomatoes on the baking sheet, stem-side down, and place under the broiler about 2 inches from the heat.

Broil two to five minutes, until charred. Using tongs, turn the tomatoes over, and grill on the other side for two to five minutes, until blackened. Remove from the heat. When cool enough to handle, core the tomatoes and remove the charred skin. Quarter and place in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade (I prefer the blender).

2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the water, to the blender or food processor, and blend to a coarse or a smooth puree (to your taste). Transfer to a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings, and thin out with water if desired. Allow to stand for 30 minutes or longer before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

You may wish to thin out after it stands.

Yield: About 1 3/4 cups (more if thinned with water).

41

home}Spectacular

406

WOMAN 44

Q u i e t l y Spectacular The front entry of Roy Polatchek’s home in Lakeside, Montana reflects the artistry and craftsmanship contained within. Black steel beams tower from rock piers, contrasting and framing the 10-foot tall, 4-inch thick front door. The massive door, made from 70-year old cherry vats, swings open on a pivot instead of traditional hinges. The outside is rustic; rough and unstained, while the inside is smooth and red from maraschino dye. The home is a study in contrast and continuity utilizing organic and inorganic materials, rough and smooth surfaces, large and small spaces, bright and muted colors, reclaimed and new materials. This 14,500 square foot western contemporary home harmonizes modern materials, conveniences and concepts with traditional elements.

Stepping inside to the great room, a bank of sliding glass panels disappear into three stone walls, opening up the interior to a sprawling covered deck and panoramic views of Flathead Lake and the Swan Mountain range, effectively blurring the line between “inside” and “out”. This view, along with the rock avalanche fireplace “tumbling” from ceiling to floor elicits exactly the “wow” factor Roy Polatchek was striving for.

Mason Doug Eckerson used 20 tons of locally quarried rock to create the massive sculpture. “His talent and patience are extraordinary”, attests contractor Orlan Sorensen of Landmark Builders. As an architectural designer and builder, Orlan displays great talent of his own.

Orlan had built a home for a friend of Roy’s nearby. While visiting, Roy came to love the area; un-crowded Flathead Lake, beautiful Glacier Park, culture and dining in the Flathead Valley, the friendly people he met at every turn and his friend’s home. When his friend declined to part with his own home, Roy and his late wife, Yvonne, set out to build their own. Their friend not only recommended Orlan but also a piece of property with 550 feet of frontage on Flathead Lake. The Polatcheks took his advice on both accounts.

by Heidi A. Long www.longviews.com

Orlan began designing the home around the Polatcheks’ desire for a contemporary residence that fit into the Montana landscape. They wanted a large great room around which small entertainment stations would radiate. “It was rewarding to have free reign to come up with ideas and express them in design. It was so beautiful.” says Orlan who spent months designing the home to best utilize and showcase the property and views as well as reflect the personalities and lifestyle of his clients.

In preparing the site, Orlan buried a 10,000 gallon water tank at one end of the property for fire suppression.

To balance it out he added a hill at the opposite end and planted a small orchard, which added depth to the property as well as provide a screen from neighboring homes. The house is nestled in the middle, tucked into the slope.

As the project progressed, Yvonne liked the look of structural materials, which led to more exposed steel beams. Because of the area’s railroad history, Orlan emulated trestles in the web of steel beams over the great room by encasing some of them in reclaimed wood. The reclaimed material used throughout the house came from the old Bonner mill outside of Missoula and from a 90-year old school house in Oregon that was one used to house military blimps during the war. Birch bark from Russia covers the walls in one guest bath.

Ipe decks skirt the home’s lakeside upper level.

The use of a variety of new and reclaimed wood is a tribute to Roy’s nearly 30-year career in the wood products industry. “Some of the reclaimed wood we used in the home is 24 feet long and 12-14 inches wide.

You just can’t buy that new anymore.

The most respectful thing we can do is keep re-using it,” says Roy. In another tribute to the past, Roy, with the help of interior designer, Sue White-Heinz of White Design and Morgan Slauson, created a “turn-ofthe-century” theater. Complete with

45

home}Spectacular

abridged balcony, velvet drapes, brass railings and walnut accents, the theater also boasts the latest audio/visual technology.

The home itself is a testimony to modern technology. Two programmers worked full time for two years to design, install, program, and fine-tune the home’s computer system that controls everything from lighting, heating, and window blinds to security and sound.

Throughout the home, small intimate spaces offset open areas. Varied ceiling heights and building materials add depth and texture to the overall design. “I am thrilled how it all came out”, says Orlan. “We were able to design and build as we went along, allowing us to incorporate new ideas as the project evolved.” Yvonne worked closely with Sue, staying involved in every intricate detail. “I can’t say enough about Sue. She knew what we wanted,” says Roy. As far as Orlan’s workmanship and design, “nothing was missed.”

“There’s not a thing in it I would change”, says Roy of his home. Sitting at the fire pit by the lake at dusk, this home is indeed quietly spectacular.

406

WOMAN 46

Pg. 44-45 Top left to right; See-thru entry-steel beams frame the 10 foot tall front door which opens to a view of Flathead Lake and the surrounding mountains. -The great room features receding glass wall panels and a cascading “avalanche” fireplace. -A lot of marshmallows have been toasted here”, says owner Roy of the fire pit in front of his home. Joe Martinson of Lifetime Paving Systems created this jutting fire ring and patio area at the edge of the lake. -Lakeside living at its best with a gently sloping lawn, plenty of trees including a small orchard, two docks, and views, views, views! -Inside Out-Receding wall panels clear the way for fresh air, views, and more space. -Small windows frame the headboard in the guest bedroom.

Privacy is not an issue with motorized shades and drapes.

Pg. 46 This “room” with a view brings the indoors out. The outdoor kitchen features a fireplace, TV, dining area, grill and bar. The wooden box behind the sofa is a large cooler. -Old meets new in this “Old West” inspired theater. -A granite sink sits atop a black-stained free form juniper base. The walls are covered in hot rolled mild steel with a gun bluing finish.

This use of organic and inorganic, natural and man-made materials is carried throughout the home. Above -A cook’s dream kitchen-state of the art appliances, ample stained concrete counter tops, rich red cabinets and plenty of natural light.

home}Deena Brenden

Making Homes Beautiful Deena Brenden, Piney Creek Interiors

by Kristen Hamilton Photos by Michala Berube

For Deena Brenden, opening Piney Creek Interiors in 2002 was the culmination of personal and professional passions. She was born and raised in Whitefish, and has been in the design business locally for 17 years.

Deena loves the business because “no two days are ever the same.” She adds, “Our clients and customers become our friends, so it’s easy to love what we do because we are essentially taking care of our friends…making them look good, that’s the goal.”

The talents of Deena and her staff of designers are apparent when you walk into the beautiful showroom on Central Avenue in Whitefish.

Each room is decorated to showcase a variety of styles so clients can envision their dream.

“The lodge look is, and always will be, popular in Montana,” Deena said, “especially for those with second homes, but it is also fun to be a part of other styles we are using, from the cleaner lines of more modern and contemporary, to the ultra-rustic styles of Farmhouse, Tuscan and Shabby-Chic. We have been using a lot more color lately.” Variety in color is a breath of fresh air to someone like Deena who 406

WOMAN 50

loves color herself. “Reds, yellows, and greens are my weakness.”

Deena’s general design philosophy is to keep the big ticket items neutral, and accent with key statement pieces. “My bright colors are going to be in items such as pillows and accessories. Those items are easily changed as style and color trends change. Personally, I change those things out often, in my own home, even with changes in seasons. That way it feels like my rooms are always new and fresh, always evolving, without undergoing a complete remodel every few years.”

“Most of our clients are referral based and we are very proud of that,” Deena said.

They are grateful to the contractors, architects, realtors, and past clients that have helped their business grow. She adds, “Our business is about building relationships based on trust.”

Deena has recently been collaborating with the crew at Frontier Builders on projects including Casey’s Bar, Proof Research, and other residential projects. One of the residential projects is

photographed here. Two of the projects can be seen in this September’s Parade of Homes. She appreciates the professional relationships she has built with Frontier, and credits communication and trust as the key ingredients.

Deena earned her degree from MSU Bozeman in Business Management. After college, she was hired by a local design firm and realized immediately that she loved the field. She earned her design certification while continuing to work in the field. Following her certification, she opened Piney Creek Interiors (2002). Since then, “we’ve weathered the storm, learned how to truly take care of people, and here we are, 10 years later, continuing to grow,” she said.

Piney Creek’s humble beginnings started with a small retail store on Railway Street in Whitefish. They moved to their current location on the corner of Central Avenue and First Street two years ago. The business can be described as having four different divisions that all work together; the retail showroom where you can purchase home furnishings and accessories, the interior design studio where everything is

home}Deena Brenden

Deena is married and has two active teenage boys.

When she’s not working, you can find her with her family watching her boys at basketball, football and track, or die hard tubing and wakeboarding on one of the area’s local lakes. Between work and personal life, Deena said, “I count my blessings every day.”

See Deena’s design talents at two stops along the Parade of Homes tour this fall, or visit Piney Creek Interiors…it’s worth the trip.

Photo by Daniel Seymour

special ordered and customized to your individual style, “The Gallerie” at Piney Creek which features works from local artists, and a division they call Private Client Services. The Private Client Services division is another extension of taking care of Piney Creek’s clients. “When our clients are here, they are here to relax. We take care of everything we can to make that happen for them. We have built that relationship and earned their trust.” Piney Creek’s staff contracts projects out to other local businesses and oversees services such as checking on homes, stocking supplies, and overseeing construction. “If the client wants their car delivered to the airport, and their boat in the water, gassed up and ready to go, we make sure that happens.”

Piney Creek Interiors -100 Central Avenue Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-7463 - www.pineycreekinteriors.com 51

406

WOMAN 52

wellness}

the pleaser

W h o s e l i f e a r e yo u l iv i n g a n y way ?

Written by CrisMarie Campbell

The Pleaser

I have known for long time that I tend to make choices based on what other people want or think versus what I want or think. I am a pleaser, what the professionals call, a “co-dependent” or what Oprah Magazine’s, Dr. Martha Beck refers to as an “Approval Whore.” I mean once I was even too afraid to return a raincoat because I was scared of dealing with the sales person’s disapproval. I know crazy, right?

I have convinced myself that if I don’t do what you want—I won’t survive. Yes, I am fairly dramatic.

Who knows why I am the way I am. My father was an Army Colonel. I learned early on to do what I was told in order to survive. What was valued was achievement, usually based off of someone else’s (my dad’s) yardstick.

Yet, I am adult now, long past blaming or trying to change my father. It’s just me. I am the one who stayed in an engineering job at Boeing for seven years even though I was miserable. I am the one who chose to go back to college and get an MBA because my aunt suggested it was a marketable degree, when what I really wanted was to get a Master’s in Writing. And finally, I am the one who stayed in a 10-year relationship four years longer than I should have because I was afraid of the reaction if I were to break up. Something about that doesn’t seem right.

As a pleaser I was sacrificing what I really wanted in order to “please” someone else, someone who may not have even wanted me to do what I was doing.

As a result, life seemed like a long, joyless chore to slog through. I had very little energy to do much else.

406

WOMAN 54

Clients

As a life coach, I work with clients in similar situations.

Cindy has had the same social services job for five years and is miserable. While she loves helping kids, she works for a boss who rarely shows up and in an organization that really doesn’t do what it promotes.

She feels depressed, drinking with the girls to cope, staying because she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone.

Patty has been a long-term relationship with a charismatic author with mood swings. She fell in love because of that charisma but is now stuck doing all the detail labor of editing and bookkeeping to support his craft, while she starves her own creative desires.

Each of these clients is suffering silently in order to please someone else or merely to survive. They are each coping the best way they know how, but are not living a full life. In fact, they are both unhappy, tired and feel trapped. So how do they change?

Step One: Make Your Unhappiness Matter

This may seem silly. Of course, people know when they are unhappy. Most of us, however, have become resigned to live with it. We work around it, numb out through drinking, exercising or eating chocolate (my favorite). We believe we have no choice, that this is what life is supposed to be like.

Step One is about turning up the heat on what you do not like so that you feel it, making it matter, mo tivating yourself to do something about it. However,

sometimes clients don’t know exactly what is wrong.

They just know something isn’t right.

There are tools to help turn up the heat on your misery. Meditation is often suggested for people in this place, but I sucked at meditating. What worked for me is what Julia Cameron, in the Artist Way, calls Morning Pages. This simple tool begins with sitting down first thing each morning and writing three pages of stream of consciousness writing before you start your day. The page becomes a safe place to complain, whine and express everything that isn’t working for you in your life. After doing this for a couple of weeks, things that aren’t working become pretty loud and hard to ignore. Simply giving yourself permission to acknowledge to yourself how you really feel is a powerful first step.

My clients both moved forward through regular use of the morning pages. Cindy admitted she doesn’t respect her boss and the way the organization is run.

Patty acknowledged that she’s tired of doing husband’s grunt work. Once you are clear about what is wrong, what’s next?

Step Two: Dream & Experiment

Once you have acknowledged to yourself what isn’t working, Step Two is to begin dreaming of what you would like. The Morning Pages can work for this step as well. I call it Scripting, which is the act of daydreaming and writing down on the page what your perfect life would look like. What do you really want to do, to be or to have? This exercise can be quite

uplifting as long as you don’t think about how you are going to make the end result happen. Give yourself permission to simply dream.

Then, without trying to make your dream happen, simply take a tiny step in that direction. When I started this exercise, my favorite scripts always included writing for Oprah Magazine. Fifteen years later I am writing for 406. The next step, Oprah!!

When my clients began the Dreaming & Experimenting step, Cindy realized she always wanted to be a teacher. To experiment with this desire, she decided to teach a class at what she was naturally good at—a “How-To” class in basic web design. This way she was “trying on” teaching in an area she knew a lot about.

Patty realized that it had been years since she had done her photography. She decided to pull out her camera and take an afternoon in the rose garden to simply shoot.

On the surface these don’t seem like life changing acts, but anytime we take a step in the direction of our heart’s desires—our life is altered.

Step Three: Speak Up and Take Another Step

This sounds like a basic idea, but for a pleaser speaking up, this may seem like climbing Mt. Everest. Pleasers, like myself, are terrified of the other person’s reaction, disappointing them, their anger. The main obstacle in speaking up is dealing with the other person’s reaction without taking it all back. In order to access courage, the question is: Who’s life are you living anyway?

When speaking up, most folks get themselves into trouble by making it about someone else. “You never let me (fill in the blank).” Really? You are an adult. Not too many people make you do anything. You have a choice. The key to speaking up is speaking up about yourself, using “I” statements. “I am unhappy doing the grunt work for your career. I want to express my own creativity.”

So I bet you are wondering how the gals did on this one. Cindy signed up for a certificate teaching program at the local community college. She knew it would be a couple of years, but she was so thrilled to be moving forward in her life. Her job became easier because, with greater confidence in herself, she started speaking up when she disagreed with the boss.

Not everything went her way, but Cindy is happier.

Patty had a heart-to-heart with her husband and said, “While I love your writing and want you to be successful, I am miserable doing the grunt work. I want to do something that supports my own creativity. So I am firing myself from this job, and I am going to look for a job that fits me better. I want to be happy.” Two weeks later Patty was working for the local photography shop in her city.

As for me, I quit my job and left my relationship. I wound up meeting someone that I am still with. We started our own company together and moved to Montana. I took up acting and will be in my in my fourth play this August with Stumptown Players in Whitefish, and I have finally gotten around to doing that writing I wanted oh so long ago.

health}

baby

The Excitement of

‘the Bump’

Includes Preconception and Prenatal Health Care

By Jeanne Tremper, CNM Glacier Maternity and Women’s Center Photo by Katy Mendoza; Lot 22 Photography.

You’ve decided it’s time to have a baby.

Now your imagination takes you to cute little outfits and images of tiny toes. It’s an exciting time to lavish in the moment and dream big dreams.

It’s also a good time to prepare your body for this important event!

If you have the opportunity to plan your pregnancy, you are one giant step ahead! You have the chance to optimize your health before your pregnancy begins. Areas to consider include: improving your nutrition, tweaking those less healthy habits (such as quitting smoking) and starting prenatal vitamins, all of which can help translate into a healthier pregnancy and healthier baby. Making a preconception appointment with a provider you feel comfortable with is an excellent way to get started on a healthy pregnancy. Choosing a provider that you trust and feel comfortable with is extremely important. You want to work with someone who you feel confident will help you work toward the experience you are hoping for throughout your pregnancy and birth. You are relying on them to help guide you with their 406

WOMAN 56

education and experience in achieving your goals with you and your baby’s health and safety in mind. Share with them your vision of your pregnancy and birth to make sure that you share a similar philosophy.

At your preconception visit, your provider will review with you your current nutrition and discuss ways to improve and fortify your nutrition to meet the needs of a developing baby.

You will discuss foods to avoid in pregnancy as well. You will be encouraged to start prenatal vitamins which contain extra folic acid to facilitate normal brain and spinal cord development. Your provider will also review your health history, looking for any health problems that may need special care during pregnancy.

The family history of both you and your spouse will be considered to see if any specific screening tests are indicated to identify possible genetic issues that may be present. Discussing any medications and supplements you are taking, including herbal supplements, will help to assess that they are safe in pregnancy. It is also important to evaluate if you are current with your immunizations and discuss any that may be indicated. You will go over common things to avoid especially in early pregnancy, such as hot tubs, saunas, alcohol, unsafe medications,

and more. Looking at your overall health early has many benefits for a healthier pregnancy.

Now, your pregnancy test is positive and a whirlwind of emotions have taken hold. It’s time to schedule your first prenatal visit. A lot of vital growth happens in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, so it’s important to meet with your provider early on. These are exciting visits where even as early as five to six weeks, you may be able to see your baby’s heartbeat on ultrasound and by nine to twelve weeks you can hear your baby’s heartbeat with a Doppler.

You will have lab work done at your initial visit that evaluates your blood type, anemia or low iron, and common concerning infections. Most providers send you home from your first visits with a pregnancy book or information so you can start reading week by week what’s changing in your body and your developing baby.

Whether this is your first or fifth baby, realizing these milestones is exciting!

Every pregnancy is like a puzzle. With each piece of information we gather during your care, we get a clearer picture of your health, the health of the pregnancy and the baby’s health. You will be weighed and your abdomen measured each visit to help evaluate how the

baby

Photo by Daniel Seymour

Photo of Jeanne and Andrea Belhumeur courtesy of Jeanne Tremper

health}

baby is growing throughout your pregnancy.

At least one ultrasound is typically done approximately half way through your pregnancy. This ultrasound is often called a screening ultrasound and can evaluate how the baby’s organs are developing and look for any areas of concerns. It is often the time when you can find out the baby’s gender if you wish. (What color should we paint the room?) Additional educational information on various topics will be shared with you throughout your pregnancy. Educational options in the community such as prenatal classes that discuss labor and birth, breastfeeding classes and support groups, sibling classes and others will be encouraged. During the course of your regular prenatal visits genetic testing options will be discuss and you will be evaluated for conditions that could complicate your pregnancy, including gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Other symptoms that you are experiencing will be assessed every visit to watch for any potential complications and to help relieve of some of the discomfort that you may experience while you are pregnant.

The goal of your provider is to help you navi-

Jeanne Tremper is a Certified Nurse Midwife at Glacier Maternity and Women’s Center. Jeanne graduated in 1998 from the Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing (the oldest nurse-midwifery program in the United States) with her certificate in nurse-midwifery and has been in private practice as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in the Flathead Valley since. Along with her nursing experience, she has been working in maternal-child health and midwifery for 20 years. Jeanne is also the proud mother of three daughters whom she delivered with the guidance, care and support of a Certified Nurse-Midwife. She can be reached at 752-8180. gate a healthy course to a full-term pregnancy that includes healthy weight gain, appropriate baby growth and assessing for any problems or concerns that may arise, leading to a safe and healthy birth of you new little one. Regular prenatal visits significantly benefit your overall health and well-being and that of your baby.

A common question from most women is, how much weight should I gain during my pregnancy? There is a science to it, but it’s not the same for everyone. Typically, if your body mass index or BMI, is in the normal range of 18-25, you should gain 25-35 pounds throughout your pregnancy by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods while limiting foods high in fat and sugar. From these guidelines, we then increase or decrease that range based on whether you are under or over a normal BMI.

The most important thing to remember about pregnancy is that it is often the most joyful time in your life! Just keep in mind there may be bumps. Sharing special moments and

concerns with your significant other, family, friends and your provider are very important because it builds confidence and bonds with those who will be helping support you through your journey of pregnancy, birth and beyond as you enjoy your new life with your baby. Ask questions and tell stories. Trust that the discomforts of swollen ankles and heartburn will soon be replaced with precious moments shared with your new little one.

If you’re going to do some research yourself, please use reputable sources such as the Mayo Clinic, WebMD, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the March of Dimes. Ask your provider to suggest other resources they trust.

I’d like to end with trusting your intuition.

Women are far more in tune with their bodies than many give themselves credit for. If you feel like something is just not right, don’t wait for your next appointment. Contact your provider immediately. Best wishes on this exciting journey!

57

health}

Answers

S kincare Answers Q:

By Erin Blair, Licensed Esthetician

I know tanning is bad for me, but it seems like my skin clears up when I do it. Is it okay to go tanning or lay out in the sun to help clear my skin? Also, sunscreen seems to make my breakouts even worse.

A:

Exposure to sun does help to ‘dry up’ acne lesions and produce desirable scaling of dead cells, which gives you the experience of clearing you described. On the other hand, it comes with a whole host of other, undesirable side effects that will show up to haunt you years from now.

The sun is responsible for cancer, dark spots and aging. If you have red spots left over from healed lesions, sun or tanning will only prolong the time it takes for them to lighten. If you are using medications or active acne-clearing topical products, your skin is further sensitized to the sun. Some ingredients actually become toxic when exposed to sunlight. You don’t even need to get a burn in order to suffer the consequences; UVA rays actually age you without burning, so it’s difficult to gauge the extent of the damage. The aging, dark spots and potential cancer that begin with today’s exposure will literally take years to show up. Ask anyone you know who’s over the age of 50, and they’ll likely confirm that they regret the sunbathing of their youth. It also may inspire you to know that every 10 expo406

WOMAN 58

sures in a tanning bed ages your skin by a year, which adds up fast, as you can imagine.

As far as sunscreen goes, you are right to be concerned about breakouts. Many products contain extremely pore clogging ingredients, which is further complicated by the misleading claims made on the label. Unfortunately, skin care product companies are not bound by truth in labeling laws, with the exception that they must include a full list of ingredients. A list of common pore clogging ingredients is available on my website, www.SkinTherapyStudio.com, in the Clear Skin Acne Therapy section. Due to the vastness of the subject, the list does not include the many natural oils which can clog pores. I prefer that my acneic clients avoid all oils with the exception of Sunflower and Safflower, which are 100% acne safe. Oil free formulas are not necessarily the answer, however. The fatty acids used as substitutes for oil in most formulas are some of the worst culprits.

Again, check the list.

I prefer to get acneic skin clear with a holistic approach of treatments and home care, not the least of which is a reliable, skin-type appropriate sunscreen that won’t cause breakouts or feel too heavy or greasy. Oh, and a nice, big, floppy summer hat is a good look, too.

If you have a question for Erin or Skincare Answers, please send an email to SkinTherapyStudio@gmail.com

health}

fitness

Let The Sunshine In. 21 Days to your Inner Glow

By Lashaun Dale Photos by Rachel Catlett

Let the sunshine, in

……..Somewhere, inside something there is a rush of Greatness, who knows what stands in front of Our lives….

Silence tells me secretly Everything Everything ………..

That's me, that's me, that's me Life is around you and in you Let the sunshine, let the sunshine in.

Many say that this is indeed the Age of Aquarius...

Perhaps. At the very least I certainly agree with the lyrics of the classic song by Hair... Let the Sunshine in. It is true, Life is around you and in you. It is up to us to tap into it, mobilize it and celebrate it as we move closer and closer towards our dreams.

For me, movement is bottled sunshine. Energy does create energy and when we deliberately move our bodies into action and motion, we instantly feel better, more alive and have the vibrancy to live our lives instead of sitting and vicariously and virtually watching and “Liking” the lives of others.

This month we turn our attention to the ancient practice and tradition of Yoga. Each day this month as the sun continues to brighten and warm our small glorious spot on Earth, we greet it with a salute—Surya Namaskar. This timeless ritual known as a sun salutation is meant to invoke breath and intention and to literally stoke our inner fire as it prepares our bodies for what is to come. The Sun Salutation has been used for centuries as a sacred prayer to the life giving energy of the sun. It ideally is performed in the early morning hours especially the Brahma Muhurta or the “time of God” those auspicious hours before or as the sun rises. Upon awakening it is a simple and powerful ritual to start your day.

406

Since it deliberately prepares the muscles and organs of the body adding heat and vitality, it can also be used as a warm up or movement prep before a workout, hike, or yoga/mind body session. It is truly universal and when linked with conscious intent and integrated breathing techniques, it is a charged resource, ready to serve.

WOMAN 60

1.

Our 406 woman of the month Debbie Huntington is a shining example of solar energy. A mother of 3 and a grandmother of 5, she regularly finds time to practice yoga, hike and skydive!

Surya Namaskar Moving Meditation

1) Tadasana/Pranamasana Mountain Pose with Prayer Hands Ground your feet into the earth, spread your toes, lift your arches and root down through the soles of your feet. Keeping your spine long, and crown of the head lifted to the sky, tuck your chin slightly and activate your core to draw your tailbone down toward the earth. Pull in your lower belly and close your eyes. Bring palms together in front of your heart center, feeling the life giving energy of the sun.

2) Urdhva Hastasana Upward Salute Inhale reach your arms toward the sky, touch your palms together, drop your shoulders down and back and lift your heart (chest) to the sky. Gently arch your back while maintaining the rooted foundation at your feet as with mountain pose. Gaze up, keeping face soft and neck long.

3) Uttanasana Standing Forward Bend Exhale forward bend, palms reaching toward the earth, neck relaxed, crown of the head toward the floor. Keep your knees as straight as possible. Offer the descent as a gesture of surrender and gratitude.

4) Ardha Uttanasana Half Standing Forward Bend Inhale leading with your heart, lift your chest, chin, and your eyes, extending your spine long. Place fingers lightly on the floor or your shins for support while you keep your legs firm and straight, heels rooting down into the earth. Tilt your tailbone down and lift the crown of your head to the sky.

5) Chaturanga Dandasana Four Limbed Staff Pose Exhale and step or jump back moving to Plank position, to place both palms directly under your shoulders, spine straight, like a horizontal mountain pose. Lower your weight forward and down towards the ground. Keep your core engaged as you bend your elbows and stabilize the entire torso and legs for support. Lower softly as an offering prayer of the body to stay steadfast in your integrity and support of all that the earth and sun share with you.

6) Urdhva Mukha Svanasana or Bhujangasana Upward Facing Dog or Cobra Inhale press firmly into both palms, drop your shoulders down and back and engage your triceps, lifting your chest into a soft back bend pose. Gaze either directly forward or slightly up if your neck and back flexibility allow. Do not force the movement, but actually allow the inhale to broaden the space until the body feels supported and open enough to lead with the heart.

7) Ahdo Mukha Svanasana Downward Facing Dog Exhale tucking your toes and press back to downward facing dog. Press palms firmly and evenly into the earth, fingers spread wide, root down through the base of the hand where the thumb and the index meet at the wrist. Relax your neck, allowing the crown of your head to fall toward the earth.

Left your sit bones towards the sky, heels pressing into the earth. Keep your knees straight and lower belly engaged. Tuck in your front ribs and breathe deeply.

8)Feet to Hands—Transition At the end of your fifth breath, bend your knees and sink your weight back towards your feet to gather energy as you jump or step your feet toward your hands.

9)Uttanasana Standing Forward Bend Exhale and bend forward, palms reaching toward the earth, neck relaxed, crown of the head toward the floor. Keep your knees as straight as possible and offer the descent as a gesture of surrender and gratitude.

10)Ardha Uttanasana Half Standing Forward Bend Inhale leading with your heart, lift your chin, your chest and your eyes, extending your spine long.

Place fingers lightly on the floor or your shins for support while you keep your legs stay firm and straight, heels rooting down into the earth. Tilt your tailbone down and lift the crown of your head to the sky.

11)Urdhva Hastasana Upward Salute Inhale reach your arms toward the sky, touch your palms together, drop your shoulders down and back and lift your heart (chest). Gently arch back while maintaining the rooted foundation at your feet as with mountain pose. Gaze up, keeping face soft and neck long 12)Uttanasana Standing Forward Bend Exhale forward bend, palms reaching toward the

health}

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

earth, neck relaxed, crown of the head towards the floor. Keep your knees as straight as possible.

Let the descent be a gesture of surrender and gratitude.

13)Tadasana/Pranamasana Mountain Pose with Prayer Hands Inhale sweeping and floating up with grace and radiance back to your beginning posture. Ground your feet into the earth, spread your toes, lift your arches and root down through the soles of your feet. spine long, crown of the head lifted to the sky. tilt your chin down slightly and activate your core to draw your tailbone down toward the earth. Pull in your lower belly and close your eyes.

Movement & Practice Tips

1)Set an intention, a wish, a promise or a dedication. Movement is energy in motion and a dedicated action has immense power in the world. As you move, do so with reverence and imagine the sun literally moving directly into your being especially into your heart center and solar plexus.

2)Link your movement with Breath…this is the universal energy…your breath is alive full of consciousness and primal intelligence. Play with it!

3)Move consciously. The movements have inherent grace and healing energy, however when performed with dedicated mindfulness, they allow an awareness of the cosmic intelligence and the incredible miraculous conversation our body is having every second of the day. Feel your tissues respond to your actions, listen to your body breathe, and watch with profound sight as you move your hands, feet and body. With your senses fully alive in motion, a new sense of gratitude and reverence for the gift of our physical life grows with each practice.

4)Move playfully. As long as you keep your intention set to serve your body, move mindfully and breathe consciously, you can’t get it wrong. After you understand the general alignment of the movements and you have a level of proficiency at performing them, feel free to experiment and explore the postures and sensations they give to your body. Make the practice a prayer from your own body and notice as you do how much more engaged you are on every level.

5)Take little bites and not too much. Gradually move deeper into the practice and increase your range of motion slowly as your body is ready. You don’t have to be ready for Yoga Journal on Day 1.

A few rounds is excellent. You can add more as your body feels ready. Your awareness, breath and speed of motion are variables to manage your intensity.

6)Find the flow. Flow is effortless, look for the pleasurable part of the practice and its sensations in your body and allow your mastering to grow from there.

7)Listen to your intuition…sometimes your body is tired and needs to consume energy and chi more than expend it…on those days, keep your practice light, rest more between the salutations or just do a round or two. The practice is meant to increase, not deplete, your vital energy. If you have an injury, honor them and nourish them respectfully throughout the practice.

8)Listen to the voice of your inner being…the best part of a moving meditation is that it naturally calms your mind in a special almost magical way, and you can better sense your inner voice and light.

fitness

9)Feel with your senses—all of them and practice a revolving awareness of them in your practice.

Try practicing outside in the elements to add even more invigoration.

10)Be consistent. Not perfect, but consistent.

Show up every day and be present at the very least, giving your best attention and effort to the practice.

Surya namaskara is a wonderful recharge of our natural vital energy enabling us to live more fully and happily. It has many benefits- physical and beyond. The actual physical movements combine spinal flexion and extension, building strength, endurance and flexibility as they improve posture, enhance metabolism and release energy. As the physical body is balanced and integrated, the emotional and spiritual aspects of the practice become readily accessible.

The magic happens when you show up regularly, dedicated to move your body, guide your mind and unleash your sunshine within. See for yourself and try our 21 Day Inner Glow Challenge below.

21 Days to an Inner Glow Begin your Day with 1 round of a Surya Namaskar (sun salutation). Each day add an additional round, until by day 21 you are performing 21 rounds.

Go Deeper

The Radiance Sutras: 112 Tantra Yoga Teachings for Opening to the Divine in Everyday Life. Lorin Roche, PH.D Surya Namaskara: A Technique of Solar Vitalization. Swami Satyananda Saraswati

61

health}

thyroid

Do you have a thyroid problem?

By Kiersten Alton

Recently I was looking at new books on thyroid disorders and this title made me laugh - it pretty much summed up my life. Dr. Shames book is titled, “feeling fat, fuzzy, or frazzled?”. There are some days where this perfectly describes how I feel. It has been estimated that four out of 10 adult Americans (52 million people) have a thyroid problem, many of which have been misdiagnosed and are not being treated. Thyroid imbalance has been linked to many serious medical conditions such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and arthritis. Women are at the greatest risk, developing thyroid problems seven times more often than men. A woman faces as high as a one in five chance of developing thyroid problems during her lifetime, a risk that increases with age and for those with a family history of thyroid problems. We also need to remember that children can have a thyroid disorder as well, causing fatigue, irritability and ADHD. Your thyroid is a small bow-tie shaped gland located on your neck in front of your windpipe. It produces several hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The thyroid gland helps regulate the metabolic machinery in your body. It is in charge of your metabolism, and the thyroid hormone is used by each of the trillions of cells in your body every day. You only make about a teaspoon of thyroid hormone per year; yet, small variations in this hormone can have a big effect on the body.

I like to think of your thyroid gland, sex hormones and adrenal glands as a big mobile, similar to the kind you hang over your baby’s crib to entertain them. If one of these body systems gets out of balance it throws the other two off as well. Chronic adrenal stress can lead to low thyroid. Thyroid imbalance can cause an increase in your hormonal symptoms. They each affect the other and need to be treated as a team.

The most common thyroid disorder is low thyroid. Symptoms of this most commonly are fatigue, hair loss, depression, constipation, dry hair skin and nails, and a host of female problems (difficult periods, bad menopause, PMS, infertility and miscarriage). Diagnosing a thyroid problem can be difficult. In addition to physical symptoms one can measure their basal body temperature. This is taken with a basal thermometer under the arm first thing in the morning before you get out of bed.

Women who still have menstrual cycles should take their basal body temperature on days 2-4 of their

406

WOMAN 62

cycle. A low basal body temperature can indicate a sluggish thyroid. In addition, your doctor can run labs, including a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), Free T3 and T4. Together with basal body temps, physical symptoms and the blood work, your practitioner can get a good idea if you need thyroid medication or not.

Most holistic practitioners use a thyroid replacement that has both T3 and T4 in it. This can be compounded by either a compounding pharmacy or there are commercial products available such as Armor Thyroid and Naturethroid. There are also several good books written which help explain how the thyroid works and how to diagnose and treat the thyroid.

In order for your thyroid to function properly it needs several key nutrients. The most important nutrient to the thyroid gland is iodine. If you are not using iodized salt you may have an iodine deficiency. Iodine is not naturally found in the soil in Montana. You get it from iodized salt, seaweed and some fish products from the ocean. Iodine is needed to convert your T4 to the more potent thyroid hormone T3. In the past few years as Americans have begun avoiding salt because of high blood pressure,

we have once again began to see iodine deficiencies.

Presently less than half the U.S. households use salt. The Center for Disease Control reports that iodine levels have fallen by more than half over the last 30 years. If you have a diet high in processed foods, such as breads, pastas and cereals then your iodine status is probably even lower. Commercial baked products use bromine now instead of iodine in the baking process. Bromine actually interferes with iodine utilization in the thyroid. Iodine concentrates in the glandular tissue of the body-the thyroid, breasts, ovaries, uterus and maybe even the prostate. Lowering the iodine in these glands and replacing it with bromine will most certainly cause problems. Eating a clean organic diet is very important for the health of your thyroid gland. Taking an iodine supplement can be beneficial if you are not getting enough iodine in your diet. Selenium, found in vegetables, is another important nutrient for the thyroid. Once again we realize the benefit of a diet high in organic fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods such as breads and pastas.

Summer in the Flathead Valley is a great time to clean up our diet and help detoxify your thyroid. We need to remember this tiny little gland, and the big role it plays in our health.

family}

Happy?

Everything They Want?

By Gretchen Knuffke

I know a teenager who has everything he wants. His room is equipped with a big screen TV so that he can play his Xbox all night. He has a laptop and a cell phone. He doesn’t have any chores or a bedtime, his parents hand him money when he wants to go out, and he has no responsibility to his family or his home. He is completely free to do his own thing in his own room without any parental involvement. Sounds like he should be a happy teen, doesn’t it?

He is actually one of the unhappiest teens I have ever known. He is depressed and uses drugs; he is failing most of his classes and has no plans for the future. He doesn’t have any dreams or goals and squanders most of his time.

There is no surer way of raising an unhappy child than to give them everything they want and no boundaries to operate within. So, while you would think that getting everything you want would make you happy, it actually has the opposite effect, and insures that you will never have everything you need to make you happy.

There are three things that kids need to grow up happy, well adjusted and successful members of society. That is not to say that good kids will not

406

WOMAN 64

challenge you or make you want to rip your hair out at times. They will. But, if you raise them with a solid foundation, you will have a much better chance at steering them back on the right path when they stray.

Responsibilities- When I was a kid, my dad made us stack wood and shovel gravel. We weeded the garden and washed the cars. If we worked too slowly, he would tell us not to make a career out of it. I learned something very valuable from all that manual labor…I didn’t want to make a career out of it!

Chores give kids experience in working and in doing things for the good of the family. It gives you an opportunity to teach them that you work for things you want and that you have to earn things.

They will certainly appreciate and take care of it a lot better if they had a hand in buying it.

One of the things I think is most dangerous to just hand a kid is a phone. That is teen commodity, don’t squander it. You can motivate a teenager to do a lot of things by threatening his cell phone from grades, to chores, to attitude. Tie the use of a phone to the things you want him to be doing. Use it as a motivator.

Boundaries- Provide rules for your kids. Be-

lieve it or not, they may fight for control of your home, but they don’t really want it. They want you to be in charge. Boundaries give kids a sense of security and comfort. Everyone likes knowing what is expected of them. It makes them feel safe.

Many of the battles you fight with your toddlers will be replayed in the teen years. Remember those bedtime fights when little Suzy wanted to stay up later and sleep anywhere but her own bed? You want to win that battle in the younger years because little Suzy will soon be 17 and calling at midnight to endlessly nag you about staying out a little later and sleeping somewhere else.

Sound familiar? You don’t want her to remember what a pushover you were!

Little kids need good food, lots of sleep, exercise, rules and boundaries. Guess what? That is same thing big kids need, too.

Memories- These are the things that connect our past to our future. Oftentimes it is the small things that create the most lasting impression with children, yet these are the things that provide security and a sense of community. Do things with your kids. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive.

Go on picnics and family road trips. Take them hiking and camping. Read books together. Go fishing and talk. Now that some of my kids are growing up, I realize that all those little things were actually the big things. It shaped who they are and who they will become.

The recipe for good parenting is fairly simple… responsibilities, boundaries and memories. What it takes is follow through and consistency. Loving your kids does not mean you give them every thing they want; it means you give them everything they need.

family} Relax

Grab It and Go!

By Kristen Pulsifer

It is already August! The summer truly flew by. It went from 60 degrees and rainy to 90 degrees and ‘cool me off on the lake’, just like that! The summer is all of a sudden coming to a rapid end. It is time to take advantage and get out and play.

Last week my husband and I took our daughters on the river, camping. We had a marvelous time floating, fishing, skipping rocks, and roasting way too many jumbo sized marshmallows (which I do not recommend… way too much marshmallow, way too much sticky).

After two weeks of guests, crazy schedules, and, as a result, cranky kids and adults, a break was needed and the river was just the ticket. As soon as we pushed off the rocks 406

WOMAN 66

and started the float, the mood throughout the whole family changed. I saw scrunched, crinkled faces smooth and tense moods relax.

What a relief! There was silence amongst us all as we simply watched the water, and became mesmerized by the current. The girls watched for colorful rocks while hanging sleepy eyes over the sides of the raft. My husband rowed slowly, and I dangled a fly in the water and could have cared less if anything grabbed it. I had no worries about anything.

That was it, no worries. I forgot about work, getting ready for the school year, cleaning the toilets… whatever it was just went away. My husband seemed to forget about work, and my girls didn’t fight with each other. They made necklaces and actually SHARED their beads. It was shocking! I have since considered moving onto the raft if that was what life could be like all the time.

We all have a lot to do before the school year starts, and there are all sorts of recommendations I have considered giving clients and readers about freshening up on reading skills, and tightening up on bed times, and, and, and!

But, the best advice is to simply take advantage of the time that remains and set out with family and friends. Go to the river and find peace in the water, or take a hike. Make it a priority to do whatever it is that recharges and relaxes. My two days on the river were better therapy and preparation for the upcoming school year than anything I can suggest. Grab either a fly rod, boat, hiking boats, jumbo marshmallows if you must or whatever gear is needed, but grab it and go. I guarantee you will come home refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the end of this summer season brings.

fashion}

snapshots

style snapshots Photos by Rachel Catlett

Behold Melissa's favorite Jamie Joseph ring, a fabulously large Chrysophase stone with a tiny diamond on the side. Paired perfectally with this delicate Kamofie 14K necklace.

FRYE does it again with this adorable wedge! Lightweight, natural cork provides the perfect perch for a true highland kiltie. Wear these straight into fall with a cozy sweater and skinny jeans.

406

WOMAN 68   

Be ready for anything with this fabulous FRYE handbag! Made from the finest leather with a vintage finish, this bag is sure to complete any outfit.

One of our all time favorite styles from FRYE, the Veronica Slouch is back in a fabulous new color, Taupe.

With a great worn in vintage look we love the varied colors of this leather.

These Citizens of Humanity "Morris Paisley" skinny jeans couldn't be more fun! Pair with everything from a white button down to a dressy blazer.

Mix your prints! We are loving the fun combination of cheetah and florals! Loafers by Sam Edelman add style to any outfit. Wear this Johnny Was silk scarf endless ways!

fashion}

Chunky bracelets from Potluck Paris made from a recycled mix of Sterling Silver, Copper and Bronze add the perfect classic look to any outfit. Wear them with everything from jeans and tank top to printed maxi dress!

360 Sweater Company out of California makes our favorite Cashmere sweaters.

We love that the back of this sweater is striped, as well as the sleeves. So cozy!

snapshots

This fall, it's all about coated denim!

Seven For All Mankind has done it again with this gold shimmer denim jacket.

Paired with a girly floral button down this look is sure to be a hit!

We are loving this season's fashion collection. Current styles couldn't be more fun and easy to wear. Our must-haves?...Everything from funky silk and cotton prints to classic leather accessories and cashmere sweaters.

We hope these snapshots bring inspiration to your fall wardrobe!

Tami and Melissa The Village Shop

STYLE ME is a personal stylist service and closet organizing business based out of Whitefish. Melissa Berdimurat, manager of The Village Shop, started STYLE ME last spring. she has since helped clients with everything from re-organizing their wardrobe to creating a photo book (pictures of new outfit ideas).

Melissa has been called to help with last minute outfit decisions (fashion emergency's) for special occasions. Contact her or check out STYLE ME's Facebook page for details, photos of actual clients closets and rates. She would love to STYLE YOU!

 69

art}

Patty Larkin

Patty Larkin Patty Larkin breaks through the ‘string ceiling’ blazing ahead for women guitarists Written by Marti Ebbert Kurth Photos by Jana Leon

406

New to the Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop artist in residence line up this year will be Patty Larkin, a guitar-driven, singer-songwriter who will add a distinctly important genre of guitar music making to the mix– the female guitarist. The week will include a Music Festival that features a public performance by Larkin as well as the 11 top artists in residence and will be held August 24 through September 1, at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana.

A prolific musician, Larkin has carved a niche for herself in the male-dominated world of guitar players with her fortitude, attitude and chops. Perhaps one reviewer sums her up best: “Imagine a drop dead brilliant guitar player, a richly textural singer, a commanding, poetic songwriter, a hilarious and personable entertainer. Now imagine these all in one person. There you have Larkin,” raved Performing Songwriter magazine back in 1993. Not bad for a girl, eh?

This girl guitarist started out on her life path as an English major at the University of Oregon in the early 1970s but when she found out that college credits were being handed out for a class called Jug Band 101, she signed up and her journey was altered forever.

“I had always enjoyed music as a kid, playing piano by ear and writing songs all through my middle school and high school years. But when I began taking this class something really clicked. From that course, three jug bands started up that I played with, and I knew I needed to learn more,” she recalls.

Her practical side kept her in school finishing up a teaching degree and one day when she was doing her student teaching she went to that school’s library where she discovered the Berklee Guitar Method book on the shelf and began to teach herself. “It was then that I embraced the guitar.”

She focused on jazz guitar at first, playing with others in the avant guard music scene that was flourishing in Eugene, Ore. in the mid-70s joining in the folk music, rock music, world music, hippies and hipsters who congregated at the weekly Saturday market and beer halls of the university town.

As she got more serious about music she decided to move to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music focusing on jazz and big band style. “That was the beginning for me on a deep level. I studied privately at voice, played in a Brazilian duo that evolved into a rock band and then into rhythm and blues rock. But I finally realized that I was really a songwriter and jazz was going to take much more study if I was going to be good at it.” About that time there was resurgence in acoustic guitar music and Patty decided to dedicate herself to that. By 1982 she was opening for Louden Wainwright III, The Persuasions and Jesse Colin Young. She has been recording albums

WOMAN 72

of her own original music in the over 25 years since and in 2010 she celebrated this milestone with an album featuring some of her most admired and inspiring artists.

As a trailblazing woman guitarist she produced an album and a tour in 2005 called “La Guitara” that came about to dispute the notion that there are no great women guitarists. “You’d see the annual Rolling Stone poll come out with the world’s 100 greatest guitarists, and it was always Bonnie Raitt or maybe Joan Jett. But there wasn’t a lot of awareness in the general public about the high caliber of women playing guitar.”

Her thought at first was to get just her songwriter friends together, but after researching it realized there were so many players she decided to make it a sampler or compilation of amazing “divas’”. “It was a great journey to have done this. I now have a library of women guitarists and I still want to put more out. We put together 4-5 tours of live concerts from that album and did a bunch of workshops and seminars for students along the way. It was such a great feeling to watch and listen to an audience respond to these women playing because they are so darn good.”

Patty recalls that one woman came up to her on the La Guitara tours to thank her for doing it and then she started crying. “She told me she had studied in a conservatory in the 80s and she was the only woman in the entire conservatory. Another woman said to me ‘I teach guitar, and half my students are girls and half of them want to learn electric (guitar).”

She thinks the stereotype of the guitar as a male-dominated instrument is slowly dissolving. “It’s an ongoing conversation. I did a show recently in New Jersey and someone came up to me and said, “you really play well for a woman!” They meant

art}Patty Larkin

Patty Larkin on Songwriting:

well by it but there is the perception that girls can’t play guitar and it’s not true. A friend of mine in the 80s said to me ‘I think it’s genetic!’ We were both teaching guitar at the time. I reminded him that if that were true then there would be no great women violinists or pianists. And when you go in into the classical (guitar) field the list of women players is huge and there are number of fabulous jazz players,” she reiterates.

She attributes part of the misperception as a socialization process. “The guitar is an iconic instrument–almost tribal. You have to be allowed to have the power of it. I’ve heard so many amazing women fiddle players, who can really tear it up. Now I’m seeing more women guitarists doing the same thing.”

And what about male discrimination in the business? “Whatever your personality is as a woman, you’re going to meet the same glass ceiling or maybe I should say string ceiling? Early in my career I ended up with Windham Hill and got a lot of support for what I did as a guitarist. I had music lawyers from Nashville tell me to let go of the guitar and just concentrate on the songwriting and vocals.

But I was in so deep I just couldn’t do it. I was getting really excited about the acoustic guitar and putting it together with what I’d learned about jazz and what I was doing live…I was too far down the guitar road to give it up.”

She adds that doing your homework on the instrument goes a long way. “I always say that those misperceptions exist until you plug in or play the repertoire. If you know the language you can speak the language and you’ll be accepted as much as any woman in society is accepted. Maybe more if you get the respect of the musicians. I think you have to do your homework in order to show up and play.”

Fortunately for us Patty Larkin stuck to her womanly intuition and persevered against the “string ceiling.” You can hear her live on Monday, August 27, at 8 p.m. on the Crown Festival Stage. She will share the evening show with one of the world’s most renowned classical guitarists, Dennis Koster.

Visit the website www.cocguitarfoundation.tix.com to buy tickets or call 406-249-4671. To hear Patty’s music visit her website www.pattylarkin.com

Which comes first for you - the melody or the lyrics? Almost always the guitar part comes first. I begin with the guitar and start vocalizing above it almost as a way to remember the melody. The shape of the vocals determines the words I’m going to be singing using long vowel sounds that’s where I’m going to go…if I start getting more percussive it going to be more consonants and maybe an edgier lyric.

So the music drives the emotion for you and the lyrics come after it? Yes I had a big break when I had two albums under my belt. I was asked to judge a songwriting contest. We were to judge the song and not the guitar playing. For years I had just been watching people play the guitar. It was a challenge for me to clue into the lyrics. You don’t want it to be bad poetry. The music really is married to the lyrics and moves it forward.

On women electric guitar players: I think you have to play loudly, badly, for years at a time (to learn the instrument.) Kaki King said that many parents will think nothing of letting their boy go into the garage and just thrash on the guitar all Saturday but feel that maybe Susie’s not quite right for wanting to play electric guitar and not with dolls! As the parent’s attitude changes girls exposure to the instrument will change.

In most bands the girl with the guitar is usually the chick singer or maybe she’s the keyboardist. Just recently I saw a gal singing blues with a band and then she just wailed on the guitar. So I think that we are going to start bumping into it more and more.

Patty Larkin's advice to new players: Listen to as many people as you can. Go see people play and learn from your friends. Ask other players how they do something. Take it apart.

Spend the time. Break it down to its roots. I’m always finding that the journey of listening is a never-ending path to appreciating music. If you like something go back and listen to it again and again. Mostly just spend time with the instrument because it will always grow for you and give back.

Simone Craft

Simone Craft is a local girl guitarist with a dream. The 16 year old, Whitefish High School student, will be attending the Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop on scholarship for the second year in a row because she has fallen in love with the guitar and wants to make a living as a songwriter.

“I don’t know if it’s realistic, but I want to be a songwriter for the stars and I want to go to Berklee College of Music,” she says of her dream.

She’s been studying the instrument since 7th grade at North Valley Music School, under the tutelage of Christian Johnson, a professional musician. So far her ambition is paying off as she has performed for public concerts to promote the COC Guitar Workshop, opening the show for their Summer Guitar Celebration in June and as a featured musician at the Hockaday Museum’s Arts in the Park event in July.

She plays occasionally in a band with guys from her school but says communication is hard “because I want to play something my way and we don’t always agree.” Still, it’s easier to play with a group because she gets stage fright when performing solo.

She says she is looking forward to working with Patty Larkin at the Guitar Workshop in August learning more about the art of songwriting.

Photo credit: Brian Eklund, for Hockaday Museum of Art 73

art} Music

Miriam and John

By Miriam Singer and John Simpson - Photo by Julie Stevens

John and Miriam met eighteen years ago, in Seattle, over music, of course. One night Miriam’s

car broke down on the way to hear her friend singing with a jazz trio, and John came to hear

the same band with his friends. Miriam ended

up taking the bus to the gig and arrived with a very interesting car story to tell, and John,

being a car guy, was all ears. Their first date

was going to Jazz Alley to hear Nancy Wilson.

406

A few years later, John organized a birthday party for Miriam at a local restaurant with many music loving friends. He also arranged for her to be the singer with a quartet of their favorite jazz musicians including Billy Wallace and the late, great Floyd Standifer, that night. The party was a grand success, and the next year, they did it again to celebrate both of their birthdays. So, it became an annual, joyous event with good friends, wonderful music, delicious food and birthday cakes.

Miriam and John both love to sing and quite often met at Sorry Charlie’s Piano Bar where you could sing the night away with Howard Bulson at the piano. They later became Canlis Singers with Jerry Zimmerman. They were patrons of Seattle’s rich jazz scene, and it gave them pleasure to bring talented musicians together with those who could hire them. That’s how Singer & Simpson got started, as a love of live music in the company of friends. When The Pampas Room (El Gaucho), Seattle’s forties style nightclub, needed help with their music, John and Miriam introduced them to the perfect band by organizing a birthday celebration for Billy Wallace and inviting over a hundred music friends to join them. Thirty days later, The Pampas Room hired The Billy Wallace Quartet featuring Floyd Standifer with the late B.B. White as the vocalist. For several years it was THE venue for dinner &

WOMAN 76

dancing, very reminiscent of an old movie.

Later, they booked the music for Stars Restaurant and The Union Square Grill.

The first Singer & Simpson music event in the Flathead Valley was in January of 2006 with Marco de Carvalho on guitar at several local venues. John and partners had recently assumed ownership of the Subaru dealership in Kalispell. When John learned that Subaru encouraged their dealers to become involved and support the social and cultural needs of the community, John knew that music, especially great jazz, was something he could contribute. Utilizing the Subaru Ad Fund, Singer & Simpson began by bringing the Seattle musicians they already knew and eventually began bringing artists from all over the US. After more than a hundred evenings of great jazz at valley restaurants, and several benefits, Singer & Simpson is now focused on raising funds for the recently acquired Steinway 9 Concert Grand piano at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

Now that John is the Subaru Manager at Don K Subaru, and with the generous support of Don Kaltschmidt and Subaru of America, John and Miriam are continuing their mission of bringing high quality music events that otherwise wouldn’t be possible in a community of this size. In addition to the music, Don K Subaru

has also utilized the Subaru Ad Fund to support many local social causes and other cultural events as well.

As for their current project and major focus, The Steinway Fund was instigated by Singer & Simpson last fall and quickly gained momentum thanks to music loving and supportive patrons such as John Kramer, Ben & Roberta Whitten, Al & Lisa Stinson, Rick & Alicia Blake, Hap Haselden & Helen Hindersman, Don & Debbie Kaltschmidt, Whitefish Credit Union, and numerous others. The Steinway Fund has a goal of $100K which includes the initial purchase price of the 2003 Steinway D Concert & Artist series piano, a Yamaha acoustic console piano for everyday use at the Middle School, interest expense and a small fund for future maintenance of the Steinway when needed.

At this time the fund is at almost 35% of its goal. [To make a contribution to The Steinway Fund, please make out your checks to WHITEFISH SCHOOL DISTRICT/WF PAC Steinway Fund, P.O. Box 4772, Whitefish, MT 59937.]

In March, they brought Alan Broadbent as the first artist to play this fine piano at The Whitefish Performing Arts Center. It was a beautiful concert which raised over $4,000 for the Steinway. In May, Don K Subaru and Singer & Simpson brought The Four Freshmen with Billy Wallace to the Whitefish PAC. Once again,

it was a concert full of grace, with the octogenarian honoring the young band and The Four Freshmen, loving Billy so much, they invited him to play the entire first set with them, and invited him back as an encore, together, which was followed by raves and a standing ovation.

Although this concert did not make money, Don K Subaru still contributed $1000 to The Steinway Fund.

Upcoming events are:

September 15th, 7:30pm at The Whitefish Performing Arts Center...Michel Legrand with Catherine Michel.

French composer Michel Legrand has worked with jazz icons, scored hundreds of films and won three Oscars and five Grammys. He is a virtuoso jazz and classical pianist, a accomplished arranger and conductor, who performs with orchestras all over the world. He is known mostly for composing film scores. He will play many of his most endearing melodies, some of them made famous by singers like Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. Michel Legrand will be accompanied on the harp by his lovely wife, Catherine Michel, one of the premiere harpists of the world. It will be an evening of beautiful music.

Tickets ($28 $35 $42 $49) may be purchased at www.whitefishgrand.com or www. alpinetheaterproject.org or call 406-862-7469.

Box office assistance provided by ATP In Concert to benefit The Steinway Fund.

September 25th, The Legends of Jazz, a quintet led by Larry Vuckovich (piano) will perform in Flathead Valley.

Larry Vuckovich was acknowledged as a JAZZ LEGEND in a groundbreaking ceremony at The Fillmore Heritage Center in San Francisco, October, 2005. Born in Kotor, Montenegro, Larry came to San Francisco at the height of a flourishing jazz scene. In 1963, he became Mel Tormes first call pianist in San Francisco. In 1965, Larry began a 25 year association with vocalist and lyricist Jon Hendricks (of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross) and together they toured the world.

In the 70s in New York, he accompanied Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Williams and Kenny Burrell. He has had a long distinguished, exciting career as a jazz musician whose Balkan influence and love of film noir has expanded his already prolific understanding of music. His CDs are always at the top of the Jazz charts. Larry currently makes his home in Napa Valley. On bass will be Jeff Chambers, on drums - Clarence Becton, on reeds - Noel Jewkes and vocalist - Valeriana Quevedo.

Here’s to more great concerts. It has been a labor of love, born out of a love for music and community.

77

art} books

Book Review Sponsored by

862-9659 - 242 Central Avenue, Whitefish Below Copperleaf Chocolat Co.

The Night Circus By: Erin Morgenstern BOOK REVIEWS BY JOAN G. SMITH The Circus always arrives at its next location without warning- and no advertisements. The tents are black and white stripes and appear magically; all set up and ready to go, but never before midnight!

The Night Circus travels the world and each tent contains something unique – the participants each have their own specialty to perform, and the audience may wander on paths from one to another at their own pace and preference. The scenery in each tent is magical as well. Make no mistake, this is a totally dream like experience for the visitors. It had smoke and mirrors, illusionists, fortune tellers, and fantastic food and drink.

There is a peculiar owner, of course, that is orchestrating this display of fantastic and unbelievable acts. However, this is a secret game, with two main players that have been raised from childhood and participate until one wins. They are unaware of each other for years, but the fun really begins when the two main participants grow up and take matters into their own hands.

This plot is both a dream and a nightmare, like most fairy tales, but this is one made for adults. I loved fairy tales, but The Night Circus is something else.

This is Erin Morgenstern’s debut as a novelist, and it is by turns enchanting, nerve wracking, funny, and exasperat-

ing. I can’t wait to hear the reactions and opinions of my book group! There are seven of us and we are all vociferous readers with interesting and wildly divergent interpretations of our books. We also have fun and often agree as well, but this is a wild ride.

Take a chance and give it a try – there is some kind of magic at work here!

The Istanbul Passage By: Joseph Kanon Joseph Kanon is a very special writer.

He takes historical facts and writes a work of fiction that gives the reader a view of the reality of that time and place. He takes you behind the headlines with his characters and you begin to see the cause and effect.

Mr. Kanon has not written a historical novel for some time, and I could not wait to get my hands on this book.

Istanbul Passage begins in Istanbul in 1945 – WWII had just ended and the Russians, Turks, Americans, Brits and Jews are all in a period of making decisions about the future. Who are friends and allies, who are now enemies and where do we go from here?

Istanbul was neutral during WWII and became a central gathering place for 406

WOMAN 78

spies and refugees, adrift in secrets and lies. Leon Bauer was drawn into this world during the war and did courier runs and all sorts of odd jobs for the allied war effort. This is a time of change, and he becomes entangled in a web that leads to a fight for his own survival. He knows Istanbul and Turkey like the back of his hand. As the novel unfolds, you get a view of the politics and choices that have surely led to where we find ourselves today, 2012. This is the dawn of the Cold War and sometimes there are only bad choices. Leon has been an honest man, but what is the right thing?

This Ottoman city is ancient, beautiful and filled with bazaars, mosques and crumbling mansions. Leon has studied it and learned to love it. The

characters reflect all the nations that have changed its history and passed on through.

Years ago I read The Good German and Los Alamos and never forgot the history portrayed in their pages. Joseph Kanon is a winner of both the Edgar Award and the Hammet Prize.

He lives in New York City. The dialogue is wonderful and the view unique in Istanbul Passage.

community} Flathead Lake Monster

The Flathead Lake Dragon Bash Written by Donna Townley Photos by Bob Cooney University of Lethbridge

Not since 1993 has there been so much excitement surrounding the Flathead Lake Monster.

An invitation has been sent and received by the legendary fellow. His attendance is fully expected at the First Annual Flathead Lake Dragon Bash held in his honor at the Red Lion Hotel in Kalispell.

Kalispell is set to host the inaugural Montana Dragon Boat Festival at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork, Montana, Saturday, September 8th. This is an international event drawing teams from Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Canada. When the executive committee for the Montana Dragon Boat Festival asked a “local Canadian” to join the committee they had no idea what was coming next. Donna Townley, an economist from the University of Lethbridge, specializing in Canadian Tourism to the Flathead Valley eagerly accepted her role to draft Canadian Teams to the event. But she went one step further, "If you are inviting Canadians, you need to throw a party.” And this non-profit event was launched. Rob Brisendine, Kalispell Convention & Visitors Bureau, called Donna and suggested that since it was her idea to have a party she should be Chairman of the committee and Host the Montana Dinner & Canadian Dance.

As an avid supporter of the Valley she said yes with two caveats. She wanted to choose the Canadian Country Band as well the Committee members to help pull together the BEST BASH in the WEST. Donna set to work to track down the only choice for the Canadian Country Music an Alberta boy she has

406

WOMAN 80

known since he was 17. Following a call to his brother and with the of help of modern technology an email came in from Hawaii simply saying, "I'm Interested!”. That was followed by a call the next day with his Manager saying, "It is about time Montana throws a Party for Canadians! Trevor and Rough Stock would be honoured to play."

Trevor Panczak, known to all that love him as the Gentle Giant of Southern Alberta, was then set to play the Bash. Born and raised in Magrath, Alberta Trevor has shared the stage with Keith Urban, Dan Seals, Charlie Major, George Canyon and Michele Wright just to name a few. He has played the Montana State Fair, the Calgary Stampede and the Canadian Country Music Weekend, but his rise to fame was in 2008 when he rolled into the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee for the Colgate Country Showdown.

Trevor had won the North West Regional Finals after being named a three time Montana State Champion one of which was held at the Majestic Valley Arena in the Flathead Valley. He left Nashville with the highest title a Canadian has received at the US National Country Finals, placing Runner-Up out of 50,000 contestants.

Trevor began his career at the age of 14 singing on stage with his dad, Johnny Panczak. In 1997 at 17, his career took on new meaning with his first CD release in Alberta, Just You and Me. Then in 2000, his second, Here I Am, came out of Nashville. His career Rolled On, in 2008 with the release of this CD. The song, Give Me That Smile which he wrote went to number one on a Canadian radio station. That same

year he found himself making Canadian history at the Ryman Auditorium. In 2010, Another Day Another Dollar hit the stands, and now Trevor is working on number five. While the CD is currently in the production stage Trevor has promised to release his new songs from this CD at The Flathead Lake Dragon Bash. All that attend are going to experience a night to remember with Trevor and his band, Rough Stock.

So dig out your dancing boots and head down to the Red Lion Hotel to see Trevor Give You That Smile!

He will give a sneak appearance from 8:00-8:30pm and at 9:00pm Trevor and Rough Stock will roll out a three hour show.

With the Canadian Country entertainment in place, the next step was to line up The Bash Committee.

The first to join was Mark Pirrie, owner of Western Outdoor in Kalispell. The Band needed a stage and what could be better than the “Western Outdoor Stage”. Mark made no hesitation in his support of the event, stepping up with sponsorship of Trevor and Rough Stock. Western Outdoor is also the Ticket Location for Kalispell. You can drop in seven days a week for your Bash Tickets. People who would like to personally meet Trevor should stop in to the Western Outdoor on Friday, September 7th between 4:30 -6:00pm. Trevor will be signing autographs and giving you his smile!

Next up was Doug Wagner from Glacier Sun Winery.

No Montana party would be complete without local beverages and Doug was the right guy for the job.

Within a few days he had the commitment of Flathead Lake Winery, Tamarack Brewery, Flathead Lake

community} Flathead Lake Monster

Brewery, Whiskey Andy’s and Glacier Distillery to add their beverages to Glacier Sun’s wine. Each is offering free samples of their products for the cocktail hour at The Bash from 5:30 – 6:30pm. You can mosey out to the Court Yard at the Red Lion Hotel to sample some of the finest that Montana local vendors have to offer.

At 6:30pm The Glacier Room at the Red Lion will be transformed into the "Montana Bar" offering the finest beverages from these six local vendor sponsors.

The Bash committee wants to make sure all the guests arrive home safely after sampling the local finest. That is where Mike Wood, Five Guys Burger & Fries, comes in. He is working with the Kalispell hotels to ensure that their guests have transportation. He is also working with local transportation companies that would provide rides home for tips. If someone at the Bash needs a ride home, one will be arranged, just see Mike.

To fund the No Drinking & Driving Campaign we have organized a fun “Five Guys Burgers & Fries Raffle Table”. Unbelievable gift baskets are being donated by local businesses and organizations. The raffle tickets will be 10 tickets for $5.00. If you are interested in supporting or donating to The Bash's No Drinking & Driving Campaign then please contact Mike at his restaurant in Kalispell.

No committee can be complete without a banker and is Jim Ness of Glacier Bank fills the role. Jim has rallied the folks at his fine establishment to be the volunteer ticket takers, money handlers and security for the Bash. When you arrive you will be greeted by Glacier Bank Tellers of the Old West. If you would like to purchase raffle tickets head over to see the girls at

the Bank. Now the Wild West would not be the same without “The GB Posse” and their "Sheriff" Jim. They will be moseying around all evening keeping an eye out for the elusive Flathead Lake Dragon. When these fine volunteers need a rest they will head over to the “GB Green & Blue Volunteer Room”.

On to the ladies of the Committee. First is Kim Morisaki from Montana West Economic Development who knows local Montana fare. At 6:30pm you will be presented with a true Montana spread thanks to Kim. She is working with the Red Lion Hotel to ensure an unbelievable Montana Barbeque Dinner. Kim has selected ribs, chicken, salads and of course Flathead Valley Cherry and Apple Pies (requested by the gentleman on our committee) and yes cornbread and honey, too.

The "MWED Buffet" will surpass your expectations of a Montana Dinner.

old friends and new. Galko Homes located in Montana and Alberta is our only international sponsor and has stepped up to provide a home away from home for our Bash guests. While you are there Ma & Pa might offer you their finest Montana Moonshine. If it is rowdy gang you are looking for, then the “Flathead Beacon Canada Certified Saloon” may be more to your liking.

NXGEN and The Flathead Beacon have partnered up to transform the Red Lion’s courtyard in the Saloon in the West. Visit the Saloon; pull up a bale of hay and Facebook all your friends that you are at “The Best Bash in the West”!

www.montanadragonboat.com

Second is Catherine Todd of North Valley Hospital (NVH), the lady who brings style and creativity to life.

Who other than Catherine could take on the challenge of The Bash Décor. When you arrive at the Red Lion Hotel on the 8th you will see how Catherine’s hard work has put the “The Country” into “Dragon”. From flags to flowers to saddles and tack......the Western Dragon scene will be set. To round the evening off a "NVH Silent Auction” to benefit Save-a-Sister will take place from 5:30-8:15pm. Catherine and Donna are putting together weekend getaway packages in Montana and Lethbridge and more.

Now if you would like a break from the dance floor, head over to the “Old Galko Homestead” to visit with

81

community}

Garden

how does your dahlia grow?

Lani Etter

by Kristen Hamilton

I had the pleasure of visiting with Lani Etter recently at her beautiful home in Kalispell.

Lani is a Registered Nurse at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, but that’s only her day job. Her full time job, every other moment of most days, is growing some of the most gorgeous Dahlias you have ever seen.

“It’s an addiction (tending to Dahlias) of sorts,” she admits.

It all started when she and Todd Swan, her soon to be husband, bought Big Red Truck Gardens in 2007.

Seeing the property and the gardens was “love at first sight,” she said. Lani and Todd met with the owners, Bill and Lois McClarin, and told them they’d take it. Bill said, “But you haven’t even seen the house yet.” It didn’t matter. Since Todd’s background is in building, they knew they could change the house if needed, but the property had a magical effect on Lani, and she knew she couldn’t pass it up.

Lani said, “Bill has been great since day one teaching me about Dahlias and how to care for them.” He had owned and nurtured the property and gardens for 37 years before moving to a smaller place down the street. He is considered an expert in the Dahlia community and authored a book called The Encyclopedia of Dahlias. Although there was a pending offer on the property when they looked at it, Lani and Todd met with the McClarin’s and promised to care for the gardens. That’s all Bill needed to hear and he sold to them for the Dahlia tradition to continue.

406

We enjoyed coffee on her rooftop deck and looked out over the 1.8 acre spread. Even though it’s just on the outskirts of Kalispell, the setting is serene and relaxing. The gardens take up the entire back portion of the property (.5 acre) and as a gardener

WOMAN 82

myself, I knew tending to them had to be a lot of work. A dozen chickens, a dog, and cat also wander the property. Lani said the chickens keep the bugs down and they enjoy the fresh eggs. There are also tons of birds on the property that entertain her and Todd.

The key to growing beautiful Dahlias along with numerous other flowers and vegetables is TLC. She takes time with each plant. “You really have to love it,” Lani said. She believes that her plants can sense whether you are enjoying it (caring for them) or not. To Lani it really is addicting. She says, “It has to be, as it is not lucrative.” The weeding is endless. Lani added, “Every waking hour (when she is not taking care of patients during one of her three weekly 12-hour shifts in the oncology unit at the hospital) I weed from early June through the end of July.” When I toured the garden with her, I can attest to the task. When she gets through the gardens row by row (she hand weeds everything) and gets to the end, she has to go back to the beginning again, literally.

It’s important to Lani to lovingly tend to the plants in the gardens and keeps everything organic. She credits Bill with everything she’s learned about gardening and says that she had no idea what “an enabler” he was. Keeping things completely organic adds to the work. She hand weeds, uses her own fertilizer, plants clover between her rows of flowers, and even recycles grass clippings from the yard to use as mulch in the gardens.

Lani planted 1,500 Dahlia tubers this spring. For novices (like me), Lani said that a tuber is similar to a bulb (that you would plant for irises, tulips, etc.) but they have an “eye” on them like a potato. The tubers are harvested in the fall by digging up each individual plant. Digging up the tubers and packaging them is a big job and she welcomes Todd’s help. They are stored all winter in a large root cellar. She harvests the tubers for her own garden and also sells them through word of mouth or her

website. People can place orders throughout the winter and then pick them up and plant them in the spring. “People think that Dahlias are hard to grow, but they are pretty simple,” Lani said. You can plant tubers every spring and don’t have to dig them up in the fall.

Lani grows over 100 varieties of Dahlias. She also harvests the seeds to hybridize new varieties, but this takes time. In the Dahlia community, to start a new variety you must start it from seed and plant (and record and photograph) it for four years. If the same plant grows, it can be introduced as a new Dahlia. The flower is scored by the Dahlia Society, and if it passes, it is a new variety. She has had four new varieties accepted over the years. Lani hopes to introduce more varieties in the future. She currently has 200 different seedlings. When she grows the seeds and cross pollinates, “it’s like Christmas, you’re not sure what you’ll get,” she said.

Cut flowers can also be purchased directly from Lani after they start blooming around August each year. She wants people to enjoy the flowers as much as she does. She enjoys the casual part of the business (of selling tubers and cut flowers) and doesn’t need to get rich. Although, “it would be nice to make enough money to hire someone to help with the weeding,” she added.

Lani feels like the gardens and the flowers have given her back her life (after her first husband died of cancer). “It’s a wonderful thing and creates happiness. My whole body felt happy again,” she said.

It is a lot of work, but Lani says, “When the flowers start blooming, it’s worth it.”

Big Red Truck Gardens 173 Lawrence Lane, Kalispell, MT 59901 406-257-0687 www.bigredtruckgardens.com

community}

Garden

 83

406

WOMAN 84