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406 contents food & flavor 24. Galette for every Palate 28. Sweet on Sweet 32. beets Bacteria and your (micro) Biome
design 18. Tablescaping Spring Ahead 36. Bringing the indoors out
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fashion
42. Pure & Simple The Village Shop
Love
44.Kyla & Phillip 48. Sheila and MacLane
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...48
Chic, beautiful and timeless.....
“Love you forever” The Secret Heart Collection™ From Mark Schneider
139 Main Street, Kalispell, MT 59901 406.752.6809 - 800.554.8577- WWW.WHEELERJEWELRYMT.COM
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Checking In
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publisher
Cover Girl
Cindy Gerrity
cindy@montanasky.net
business manager Daley McDaniel
daley@montanasky.net
executive editor
Kristen Hamilton
kristen@hamitupstrategies.com
design
Sara Joy Pinnell
sara@mrsandmrpublishing.com
photographers
Niki Paradise
Niki was born and raised in the Flathead Valley. She is the busy mother of three fabulous small children. Niki enjoys all aspects of the construction business. She works as a project manager for Acutech as well as managing and installing tile for a family business, JNH construction. She can be found riding motor cross, fishing, or snowboarding at every opportunity she gets. P h o t o b y A m an d a W i l s o n P h o t o g r aph y ( www . a ma n d awi l s o nph o t o s . c o m )
Business Girl
Daley McDaniel Photography Amanda Wilson Photography Alisia Dawn Photography Kelly Kirksey Photography Carrie Ann Photography Danella Miller Photography J. Vigil Photography Mic, LLC Green Kat Photography
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Brigid Fray
Brigid has found the magical formula for a
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is living the life of adventure with her new
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do and get someone to pay you to do it.
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Whitefish, Montana and Fernie, British Columbia. Read her full story in our Business and Health section. husband between
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Have a great story idea or know someone that we should feature? Email us with your comments & suggestions. Interested in increasing your business and partnering with 406 Woman? Check out www.406woman.com.
Editor’s Note My husband and I really enjoy the television show “This is Us.” The characters are so real that we feel their happiness and sadness and they seem to be part of our family now. Of course, we know they aren’t, but we are reminded that life happens and good, bad or indifferent…“this is us” and it’s best to roll with it. Part of “this is our life” recently has been the blessing of a new granddaughter. Not planned but oh so welcome. After I turned 50 I knew it was just a matter of time before I joined the ranks of “grandmahood.” And although it happened a little sooner than I thought it would, none of that matters now that Mia is here. The hard part is not being able to see my little cherub Mia every day in person. The good part is that technology now allows us to stay in contact with just about any one at any moment in any corner of the world. It can’t replace a cuddle or a kiss on the cheek, but I am grateful that we’ll be able to keep in touch and see and hear each other whenever we want. So, I embrace technology until I’m able to embrace my sweet granddaughter again.
"Granddaughter, through you I see the future. Through me, you'll see the past. In the present, we'll love one another as long as these moments last." Unknown
Happy Spring,
In this issue you’ll find….
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How 25-year-old Alison Udall with Rebuild for Peace is providing Jordanian refugees and at-risk youth with quality vocational education, and financing to help them start their own businesses and become self-reliant. Read her amazing story by Mary Wallace on page 16 in the Business & Health side. That Rebecca Farm has once again been designated as the host site for the 2018 and 2019 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships, known as “The Junior Olympics” of eventing. Read about this wonderful event in July in the Flathead Valley on page 38 in the Business & Health side. Beautiful photos of 2017 weddings featuring Sister Sheila marrying Mac in July and brother Phillip marrying Kyla in September. It was a busy summer in the Murphy family. See their wedding photos on pages 44 & 48.
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Meet Jaci Vigil… Our Talented 406 Contributors Dr. Esther Barnes, DPM, FACAS
Board certified foot and ankle specialist practicing at Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Clinic in Kalispell
C. Claude Basler, D.C.
Family chiropractor, allowing you to express your true potential
Erin Blair
Licensed esthetician and owner of Skin Therapy Studio
Delia Buckmaster
Owner of Delia's Pilates™, PMA®-CPT, International Educator, bootybarre® master trainer, health coach, mom, Montana obsessed.
Kay Burt
Mother, grandmother, native Montanan, legal assistant – a woman whose life is blessed beyond measure
Brian D’Ambrosio
Accomplished writer and newly published author of “Reservation Champ’
Kalispell OB/GYN Doctors & Practitioners
Board certified OB/GYN professional offering expert advice
Allison Linville
Community Relations Coordinator at North Valley Hospital
John Miller, DDS
Specializing in general dentistry, Dr Miller provides expert advice
Carole Morris
Instructional Specialist, Author and Adjunct Professor. The proud mom of two perfect children and grammie to three flawless grandchildren.
Kelly O’Brien, Esq.
Business law specialist with Measure Law Office, P.C.
Brianne Perleberg
Founder of I Want Her Job and marketing director at NASCAR track Phoenix Raceway.
Kristen Pulsifer
Writer, editor and owner of Whitefish Study Center
Karen Sanderson
Wine expert and owner of Brix Bottleshop in Kalispell
Dr Austine Siomos
A pediatric cardiologist at Rocky Mountain Heart & Lung plus a wife and mother
Jaymee Sire
Jaymee grew up in North Central Montana and is the current floor reporter for Iron Chef Showdown on Food Network. She also writes a food and travel blog called “e is for eat.” (eisforeat.com)
Mary Wallace
Mother of three and grandmother to two, is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up..
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Profession: Portrait & Destination Elopement Photographer Resides: Whitefish, Montana
Notable Accomplishments: I have the honor of photographing some of the most important moments in people’s lives. I love being trusted to tell their stories.
My workweek always includes: Meeting with clients, location scouting (it’s really just an excuse to hike), photoshoots, and lots of coffee!
My favorite outdoor activity is: Hiking adventures with my husband and three kids.
When it comes to electronics, I can’t live without these apps on my iPhone: Instagram, PLANN, Snapseed, Waze
My bucket list includes doing this in the next year: Travel! Iceland is at the top of my bucket list. Coming up is Arches National Park, the Oregon Coast, Kansas City, and the Michigan Upper Peninsula
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Spring Ahead Tablescaping
By June Jeffries for Empress Tents and Events
Photographed by Kelly Kirksey Photography
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When the clocks spring ahead we know it is only a matter of time before the snow melts away, buds form on tree branches, daffodils, tulips and hyacinth bulbs break through the earth’s crust and the canvas of white is replaced with colors of spring. We love color!
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The concept of the color wheel was invented when Sir Isaac Newton bent the color spectrum into a circle. Since then, the color wheel has been used as a tool for understanding color and creating harmonious schemes. Cool colors range from blue to violet; they have a calming effect and are frequently used for backgrounds. Warm colors range from red to yellow, they grab attention and stimulate emotions. Complementary colors lie opposite each other on the wheel: they complete or enhance each other. Impressionist painters often placed dots of a complementary pigment on a color’s surface to make the cooler color come alive. The science of color harmony comes from a pleasing arrangement of parts. Our spring tablescape was shot at the beautifully restored Belton Chalet. In 1910, the Great Northern Railway completed the Chalet, the same summer Glacier National Park was created. The original dormitory, now known as the Lodge was opened in 1913, a long arbor connected the railway station to the beautifully landscaped garnet of the chalet. The current restoration by the Still-Baxter family that began in 1997 took three years to complete: original porches, stairways, color finishes and gardens were brought back to life. Situated at the West entrance to Glacier National Park the Belton provides travellers a journey back in time.
We wanted flowers, loads of flowers to fill the center and length of the industrial table: potted purple and white tulips, cut hyacinth in pale pink and magenta, purple, mauve and pink alstroemeria, large white dis bud chrysanthemums, purple button mums, hydrangeas, pink and white spray roses, white stock and pink snap dragons with greenery to complement. We stuffed purple and clear vases with purpose and precision to create a burst of color. The round dessert plate is Historia Paperwhite, it is as durable as it is beautiful; it is handcrafted in Portugal and it is perfectly paired with silver and crystal; the pewter flatware plate handles are modern reinterpretations of baroque shapes, with the beautiful curls and floral shapes. The purple napkin was tied with a piece of grass and topped with flowers instead of a napkin ring. The dessert tabletop was painted violet to complement the color scheme. Milk glass cake stands in white, pink and green blended perfectly with the flowers and decor. The cannele (mini bunts) and basque cake were purchased from Fleur bakery in Whitefish and delightful to eat. The only thing missing was an Easter egg hunt.
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All furnishings, table ware and decor is available at http://www.empresstentsevents.com or https://www.vintagewhitesweddings.com. For all your event needs contact Lynn at Empress Tents & Events. Thank you Kelly (kellykirkseyphotography.com), I’m glad you enjoyed the treats.
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The dessert tabletop was painted violet to complement the color scheme. Milk glass cake stands in white, pink and green blended perfectly with the flowers and decor.
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Galette for every Palate By Carole Morris
There are many things to love about France, especially in the spring. Trees in bloom, spring flowers in the gardens and fields—and people sitting in terraces eating unique and exceptional food…such as the galette. A galette is a flat, free form tart that is made with a flaky pastry crust. The filling is placed on top of the rolledout pastry, then the edges of the pastry are folded up and around the filling. Galettes can be created for dessert or they can be savory and served as a main course. Hold up a minute, our trees are in bloom, and our spring flowers are budding everywhere. We just need the glorious galette, and we can save the airfare to France. So, clean off your picnic table 'Tout de suite', and invite your friends and family over for a French treat. We have some recipes you’re going to love!
Vegetarian Galette
Ingredients for pastry
With Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
1 ¼ cups flour
Ingredients
4 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
Cook Time: 50 mins
1/3 cup shortening
1 ¼ cups sliced Brussels sprouts
Egg Wash for top of pastry crust
12 ounces butternut squash
1 beaten egg
4 ounces feta
Instructions For the Brussels Sprouts and Squash
In a small bowl, mix together the following ingredients 1 ¼ tablespoons olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon crushed rosemary,
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1. Preheat oven to 400ᴼ degrees.
2. Slice Brussels sprouts into thin slices; then peel and seed squash, cut into approximately 1/4-inch cubes. In a bowl, cover and stir squash with half of the oil and seasonings. In a separate bowl stir the Brussels sprouts with the other half of oil and seasonings. Roast squash for 15 minutes on cookie sheet, then add Brussels sprouts and roast another 10 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside to prepare pastry.
For the Galette
1. Lower oven temperature to 375ᴼ
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Toss roasted veggies with feta. Adjust seasonings to your taste. 4. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, until fully blended. Sprinkle flour mixture with water…stir with fork until all is moistened, then form into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to approximately a 9-inch diameter.
5. Place the pastry onto parchment paper. Mound the veggies on top of the pastry and fold up the edges of the pastry. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash. 6. Put the galette in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. 'Bon appétit' my friends.
Brunch Galette Baking time 38 minutes
Ingredients for filling
½ cup onion, chopped ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped ¾ cup ricotta cheese ¾ cup parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
½ teaspoon oregano
2 cups spinach (chopped) 1 cup cooked, sausage
Ingredients for pastry 1 ¼ cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup shortening 4 tablespoons water
fully blended. Sprinkle flour mixture with water…stir with fork until all is moistened, then form into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust to approximately a 11-inch diameter. Place the pastry crust on a baking sheet.
Egg wash for top of pastry 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon water
5. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly onto the crust (leaving a 3-inch border). Top with chopped spinach, cooked sausage (crumbled), onions, bell peppers, and green Chile. Sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese.
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté the bell pepper and onion over medium heat until brown. Remove from heat.
1 teaspoon black pepper
3. In a bowl, mix together the Parmesan, ricotta, 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic clove, salt, pepper and oregano. Set aside to prepare pastry.
3 large eggs
4. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, until
3 tablespoons green Chiles
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
6. Pull the edges of the crust over the mixture leaving the center open. 7. Beat together the egg yolk and water. Brush the top of the pastry crust with the egg wash. 8. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. 9. Remove from oven and carefully crack the 3 eggs over the center of the galette. Return to the oven for approximately 8 minutes, (until crust is golden brown and egg whites are cooked).
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Black Currant Galette Baking Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients for filling 4 cups black currants 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch Ingredients for pastry 1 ¼ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup shortening 4 tablespoons water Egg wash for top of pastry 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon water
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INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
11-inch diameter. Place the pastry crust on a baking sheet.
2. Place black currants into a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and cornstarch. Stir ingredients together (gently turning currants) with a spoon until they are all coated with the sugar and cornstarch. Set aside to prepare pastry.
4. Spread the black currant mixture evenly onto the crust (leaving a 3-inch border).
3. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, until fully blended. Sprinkle flour mixture with water…stir with fork until all is moistened, then form into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust to approximately a
5. Pull the edges of the crust over the mixture leaving the center open. 6. Beat together the egg yolk and water. Brush the top of the pastry crust with the egg wash. 7. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes, until the filling is bubbling, and the pastry is golden brown. Served warm with ice cream, délicieux!
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Vegetarian Galette Leek, Feta and Butternut Squash Galette Cook Time: 35 minutes Ingredients for filling
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups butternut squash (cubed)
4-ounces feta
3 medium leeks (thinly sliced)
½ cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon thyme 3 cloves minced garlic 3 tablespoons cornmeal
¾ teaspoon salt ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tbsp Butter
for garnish
Ingredients for pastry 1 ¼ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup shortening
4 tablespoons water
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375ᴼ.
2. In a bowl, mix butternut squash (cut into ¼ inch cubes) with 2 tablespoons olive oil, black pepper and salt. Then place on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes, stir ingredients, then cook for another 15 more minutes (until squash is easily pierced with a fork). Let cool and drain off any excess oil. Adjust seasonings to your taste. 3. In a skillet, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter. Stir in the leeks, garlic and thyme…reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often until soft, about 25 minutes (do not brown). Cool and drain off any excess fat, set aside to prepare pastry.
4. In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, until fully blended. Sprinkle flour mixture with water…stir with fork until all is moistened, then form into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to approximately a 9-inch diameter. 5. On a non-stick baking sheet, sprinkle cornmeal.
6. Place the pastry on top of the cornmeal. Spread the leek mixture over the crust to about 2 inches from the edge. Sprinkle leek mixture with feta, and then top with butternut squash.
7. Pull the edges of the crust over the mixture leaving the center open. Brush off any excess cornmeal. Brush the top of the pastry with olive oil.
8. Bake for 35 minutes (or until crust is golden brown). Garnish with sliced almonds. servir tiède (serve warm).
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Sweet on Sweet
Written by Karen Sanderson, Brix Bottleshop
When it comes to learning about wine, everyone takes a different journey. Some started with the good stuff while most of us cut our teeth on wines that are easy on the palate. (ie: sweet stuff). What was the first wine you ever tried? Was it a little sweet? If Riesling or Moscato was your answer, you’re not alone. Most people begin their wine education with sweeter style wines. I remember drinking Wild Berry Bartles & James back when it was cool to sip wine coolers. As I recall, it was also cool to have perms and fold roll our jeans. We partied like it’s 1999 in our big hair and had no idea what a chardonnay was. That was the standard for those of us who came of age in the 1980’s. Then along came the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Like so many others, KJ was my first “real” wine. It was so much more sophisticated and soooo good. (Hey, we all had to start somewhere!) This was followed by jammy Zins and fruity Malbecs. I remember thinking I had totally graduated when I bought my first Rioja and learned how to pronounce Montepulciano. Suddenly, I found myself ordering wine at restaurants. And then came the big whammy; the wine that sucked me in for good: the alluring and elegant pinot noir. Regardless of where you started on your wine adventure, you may have come to the conclusion that sweet wines are bad. But are they really “bad,” or have you simply moved on from them? We all know sweet wines have more calories and get you tipsy faster. They also leave you with ridiculous hangovers. But every wine has a time and place, and sweet wines should definitely not be ignored. After all these years of studying wine, I have always had a sweet spot for the sweet stuff. Let’s dive into the juicy details.
Wine Words
· Residual Sugar: This is the level of grape glucose and fructose that is not converted into alcohol during fermentation. (This is measured in grams per liter.) · Dry: Dry = not sweet. Some regulations have rules about how to determine a wine’s dryness. Wines with medium acidity may contain no more than 9 g/L of residual sugar, except when acid is over 7 g/L as well. The exception to this is Champagne-style wines, which often uses the term “dry” for relatively sweet styles of wine. · Fruity: Have you ever taken home a bottle of wine labeled
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dry but then you take it home and it seems sweet? Usually, the confusion is caused by aromas. Sometimes a wine with aromatics that remind you of a sweet food, your brain thinks it actually is sweet. The tropical citrusy aroma of Pinot Grigio is a perfect example.
Dessert wine like Sauternes is a perfect match for blue cheeses.
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sweet
Regional Sweeties
Three regions in Europe make high quality off-dry wines: Riesling from Germany, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley are famous for their sweeter style wines. Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, and Muscat from Alsace in France are highly regarded as classic “Alsatian” wines. These are considered some of the most prestigious wines in the world. Just open any wine magazine and read what sommeliers get excited about. You’re very likely to find “aged sweet German Riesling” on that list. Part of what sommeliers love about off dry Riesling is the high acidity of the wine. The higher the acidity, the less sweet a wine will taste, no matter how much RS it has.
Want to try a cool experiment? Try this great example I found online:
“Add sugar to a glass of wine. Then, split contents into 2 separate glasses and add a squeeze of lemon to one glass and not the other. The wine with more acidity (the one with lemon) will taste less sweet. In America, our laws are much less strict, therefore making it much easier to find sweeter wines on the shelves. Unfortunately, not all bottles let us know what’s to be expected inside. The best way to learn about the nuances of wine is to talk to your local wine steward. Whether you’re just starting out drinking wine or not, we think you will love these wines.
Fruity:
(low acid, high fruitiness) Farmhouse White, $9.99 Seamonster White, $14.99 Maggio Zinfandel, $9.99 Tinto Malbec, $9.99
Off Dry:
(varied acidity, slightly sweet) Zolo White Torrentes, $11.99 Butter Chardonnay, $14.99 Caymus Conundrum (red or white), $21.99
Sweet:
(Varied acidity, noticeably sweet) Bugey Cerdon La Cuille Rose, $22.99 Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco, $13.99 Vietti Moscato, $16.99 Eifel K Riesling Kabinett, $13.99
Dessert Wines:
(medium acidity, very sweet) Romieu Sauternes, $24.99 Dr. Loosen Urziger Riesling Spatlese, $29.99 Elk Cove Ultima Dessert Wine, $36.99
Cheers!,Karen
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Beets, Bacteria and your (micro) Biome By Dr Austine Siomos
If you’re like me, you don’t love thinking about the crowds of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract; however, gut bacteria or “microbiome” are big right now in research and worth the attention. As I’m planning our garden for this year, I am excited about the possibilities. Usually about half of my plants actually grow, and Bambi eats half of those that do grow. Despite all this the anticipation is still wonderful. Gardening is great for many reasons, and one of them is that it is good for your microbiome.
The human microbiome or microbiotia is fascinating and fairly new in common knowledge of the human body. Bacteria and other nonhuman life (bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses) are most commonly known for their negative effects on humans. Historically this was the main area of scientific study, and for good reason. The first bacteria ever discovered was the bacteria in a dental cavity on September 17th, 1683 when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in Holland was able to see bacteria using a homemade microscope. This began the study of pathologic bacteria and the relationship to disease. Now, however, just as much if not more study is going into the microscopic organisms that live on or in our bodies in a normal, non-dangerous way. In 2012, the Human Microbiome Project reached a major goal, by mapping the normal microbial makeup of healthy humans. They used genome sequencing techniques and created a reference database for the boundaries of normal microbial variation in humans.
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There is still a massive amount to learn about the microbiome. According to expert Dr. Rob Knight, “We know quite a lot about associations between food and health, we know a bunch of associations between food and microbes, and we know a bunch about associations between microbes and health," but putting all that together is a formidable task.
The big question that comes up when talking about our microbiome is, what can we do about our microbiome? Can we “hack” our microbiome or is it permanent? The answer, of course, is not completely clear. Science has given some hints so far.
So with all this, what do we know about the microbiome?
- Fiber is incredibly important to the microbiome. Our resident bacteria love fiber, and the more fiber in your diet, the better diversity of your good bacteria.
1. Although most of us think primarily of the microbiome of the intestines or the gut microbiome, microorganisms live naturally in multiple places, including the skin, mouth gastrointestinal tract, the lung and others.
- Antibiotics decrease your microbiome diversity, and multiple round of antibiotics can permanently change your gut bacteria for the worse. Certainly if antibiotics are needed for a serious infection then that is important. Doctors like myself, however, are avoiding antibiotics when possible for this reason.
2. We have at least as many microorganism cells as human cells in and on our bodies! 3. There is much more variety in our microbiome than in our own human cells. In other words, what makes your health different from your neighbors may have more to do with the DNA of your microbiome than your own DNA. For example, scientists can tell whether a person is obese or not by looking at their microbiome. They cannot do this by looking at the person’s DNA. 4. There is evidence that the human microbiome correlates with many diseases including autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancers such as colorectal cancer, as well as obesity and diabetes. 5. A person’s microbiome is stable over time, although we also have some power to change our microbiome with diet and other environmental factors.
- Being clean is overrated. Yes, there are times when sterility is important, such as in the hospital or when someone in the house has a weak immune system. In everyday life, however, it is great to get dirty (such as when gardening). If you can eat vegetables or fruits right out of your garden without washing them this is recommended.
Beets
Beets can be planted in Montana in May. It can be best to start the seeds inside. Harvest is usually in September. Like other root vegetables, beets can be stored in cold conditions (around freezing) for months. They also keep in the fridge for weeks. Not only are beets colorful and full of flavor, they are rich in antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, and fiber. They also contain unique antioxidants called
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Not only are beets colorful and full of flavor, they are rich in antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, and fiber. betalains, which are currently being studied as a potential weapon in the fight against cancer. Betalains give the dark colored beets their red hue.Â
Archeologic proof of beetroot use goes back as far as Neolithic period (10,000-2,000 BC), and has also been found around the time of the third dynasty in Egypt in the third millennium BC. Ancient Greeks cultivated beetroot in 300 BC, although they did not use the roots of the plant and only ate the leaves. But not to worry, they respected the root enough to offer it to the sun god Apollo in the temple of Delphi. They also considered it to be worth its weight in silver. Hippocrates used leaves of beetroot for binding and dressing wounds. The Talmud, written in 4th and 5th century, advises eating beetroot for a longer life. Romans used beetroot medicinally as a laxative.
Health benefits of beets
Improve Endurance in Athletes: A large systemic review in 2017 combined 23 articles and concluded that supplementation with beetroot juice can improve cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes by increasing the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and improving the anaerobic threshold.
kidney inflammation have demonstrated a reduction in inflammation when the rats are given beetroot juice and beetroot extract. A study published in 2013 in humans with osteoarthritis demonstrated a reduction in pain.
Improve digestive health: One cup of beetroot
contains over 3 grams of fiber. Fiber bypasses digestion, feeds the microbiome, increasing the diversity of the microbiome and also adds bulk to stool. This helps with regular bowel movements and prevents digestive conditions like constipation, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulitis. Fiber is also associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases including colon cancer, heart disease and diabetes
Maintain or attain a healthy weight: Beets are
low in calories and high in water. This is great for hydration and for satiation. Increasing intake of low calorie foods that are high in fiber and water has been associated with weight loss in many studies.
Decrease Inflammation: Most human diseases
include inflammation as a primary issue. Beets contain pigments called betalains, which potentially possess a number of antiinflammatory properties. Studies in rats with
with Mojito Dressing
Note: Fortunately, because they keep so well, beets are available year round. They are lovely in spring and summer salads. This salad has a nice green sauce using tahini or sesame seed butter.
Ingredients: Salad - 4 large beets or 5-8 small beets - olive oil - mint leaves for garnish Dressing - 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves - 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil - 1/3 cup lime juice - 6 tablespoons tahini - 2 tablespoons water - 1 small garlic clove, peeled - salt and pepper, to taste optional: toasted sunflower seeds or nuts to top the salad
Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. To roast the
beets, coat the beets with olive oil and wrap each beet in aluminum foil or parchment paper. Roast in the oven until a fork goes in easily. The time will vary from 40-60 minutes, and possibly longer for large beets.
Naturally lower blood pressure and treat hypertension: There are numerous studies
demonstrating that beetroot can treat blood pressure. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in 2017 in the Advances in Nutrition Journal examined more than 40 separate studies and concluded a significant effect of beetroot juice supplementation on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). This is thought to be due to the effect of healthy nitrates (not to be confused with nitrites!) present in beets.
Beet Salad
2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth Dr Austine Siomos I am a pediatric cardiologist. I trained first to become a pediatrician and then specialized in the study of pediatric hearts. I see children from before they are born until they are ready to see an adult cardiologist. I am passionate about the health of all children and families. My goal for all children is to promote healthy habits and avoidance of those types of heart disease that are generally considered to be adult problems.
3. Once the beets have cooled, slice them in Âź inch thick slices and arrange in an attractive display 4. Drizzle the beets with dressing 5. Garnish with mint leaves and optional toasted sunflower seeds or nuts
6. Serve and enjoy!
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Bringing the indoors out
By Wright’s Furniture
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design} Bringing the indoors out calls for harmony between interior and exterior spaces as well as between outdoor furnishings and their setting in the natural world. Our time spent outdoors in the warm weather is precious here in Montana. Luckily, advances in designs, materials, furnishings and accessories have kept up with the demand to live better outside. Outdoor furnishings and accessories now come in a wide variety of styles, materials, colors, sizes etc. allowing you to personalize your outdoor living space.
Tips to maximize the style, function and durability of your outdoor living space
Fabric is a fantastic choice for enhancing and harmonizing natural surroundings. Take the following factors into consideration when making fabric selections:
UV exposure rating/fade-resistance l Waterproof versus water resistance Resistance to mold and mildew l Resistance to stains Clean ability/amount of maintenance required
Explore colors that work together to establish a smooth flow from the indoors out with a defining theme.
Consider the garden and surrounding foliage when making choices for planters and fabric selections.
Deep seating, Dining, Occasional Tables, Outdoor Area Rugs, Umbrellas, Accessories.
Use a variety of seating options by intermixing chairs, sofas, benches, ottomans etc.
Use accessories to tie larger elements of the design together.
Teak, Resin Wicker, Cast Aluminum, Iron, Solid Wood Adirondack and more.
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-Product featured is available at Wright’s FurnitureFull collections of the pictured outdoor styles, as well as many other styles and combinations, are available at Wright’s Furniture in Whitefish, MT. For more outdoor furniture information or to read the full article, “Bringing the Indoors Out” by Rob Robinson, visit summerclassics.com. 6325 Hwy 93 South, Whitefish, Montana 59937 | 406.862.2455 | OPEN DAILY | www.wrightsfurniturestore.com
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villageshopwhitefish.com
201 Central ave. whitefish Montana 59937 - 406.862.3200 @thevillageshop_mt
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Pure & Simple at the village shop Downtown Whitefish. 406-862-3200 @thevillageshop_mt
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1. Ilse Jacobson Tulip slide $74- 2. Acote peasant blouse $146- 3. Acote floral belt $109- 4. Acote floral handbag $195- 5. Liebeskind wallet $148- 6. Acote leather sneakers $183- 7. Acote denim skirt $171- 8. Free People flats $138Photos by Carrie Ann 9. Acote floral top $105- 10. Curried Myrrh headband $132- 11. Acote embroidered tee $79-
Photography
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Kyla &Phillip September 23, 2017
Photography by Lovelite Photography The Barnes of Big Mountain, Whitefish
How did you meet?
Phillip is the Manager at JD Thinning. He was born in Arizona and raised in Montana. He graduated from Whitefish High School in 2009. Kyla is a CNA at the Springs at Whitefish. She was born in Libby, MT and raised in Whitefish. She graduated from Whitefish High School in 2010.
“We have most of the same hobbies, we are best friends so we like to spend a lot of time together. Anything outside in the woods or on the water is where we are happiest.
How did you meet?
We met in High School. Phillip was 17 and Kyla was 15. We dated briefly and remained very close friend throughout the years.
The Proposal?
Phillip took me to Essex, for our year anniversary. We rode the train there early in the morning. He took me to a waterfall and told me to go stand in front of it so he could take a picture. When I turned around he was on one knee with the most beautiful ring. It took me a minute to answer because I was so surprised.
What is love?
Kyla: To me love is all the little things, the things that may go unnoticed most of the time. Putting that person first because seeing them happy is more important than anything else. Being able to trust in each other 100%.
Phillip: To me love is selfless and caring without ever expecting anything in return. It is not careless, and not just a word you say, it is something much deeper than that.
What do you love most about each other?
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Kyla: I love the person he is. His loyalty and unconditional love for the people in his life. I have never known anyone so willing to drop everything to
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help a family member or friend. He always puts other people first, never expecting anything in return. He is the kindest and most selfless person I have ever known. That and his eyes, they are great also. Phillip: Her smile. I can be having the worst day and that smile makes everything feel better. It makes me feel weak. I love how caring she is towards everyone in her life. She always puts others before herself.
When did you know you were in love?
Kyla: I really couldn’t tell you an exact moment, day or even year that I knew I was in love with him. I think it happened gradually and I didn’t even realize it. There was this one day though and we were at a beach on Flathead Lake with some friends. He was chasing me around in the water, being silly. I remember looking at him while he was laughing and thinking that I never wanted to live in a world without him in it, that as long as I had him I never needed to feel alone or scared again. I knew right then I would marry him.
Phillip: That’s a hard question for me to answer because I have been in love with Kyla since I was a teenager…since the first moment I saw her. It has evolved and changed so many times in the 10 years that we have known each other. When I came home from Arizona and we reconnected I knew I was unwilling to ever let her go again.
Wedding Details
The wedding was outside and so so cold that day. We think it was the coldest day in September. After a while, we think everyone just became numb to the coldness and it ended up being a beautiful day. Kyla’s older sister grew most of the flowers used at the wedding. They were beautiful. It made the day feel that much more special.
Honeymoon
We went to Arizona. There was a lot of family that live there that didn’t get to attend our wedding and that Kyla had never met. It was just a really relaxed fun trip. Nothing extravagant.
love} stories
I love the person he is. His loyalty and unconditional love for the people in his life. I have never known anyone so willing to drop everything to help a family member or friend. He always puts other people first, never expecting anything in return.
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Sheila &MacLane
July 15, 2017 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Photography by Carrie Ann Photography
Who are you?
Mac is an Athletic Director, Teacher, and Football Coach at Loyola Sacred Heart High School in Missoula, Montana. He loves his family, friends, and sports. He grew up in Whitefish, Montana where he graduated from Whitefish High School in 2011. After high school he attended Carroll College where he played football and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Physical Education with a minor in Special Education. Sheila is currently a teacher at Missoula Valley Montessori. She grew up in Whitefish also and graduated from Whitefish High School in 2013. After high school she attended Carroll College for two years, and then transferred to the University of Montana to earn her degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Sheila graduated from the University of Montana in 2017 and hopes to continue her education to earn her master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology this fall.
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How did you meet?
Sheila and I are high school sweethearts! We first met at Whitefish High School in 2010. I was a junior at the time (16 years old), while she was new to the high school scene as a freshman (14 years old). In the second semester of that year, we were in the same study hall and instantly took notice of each other. Later in the semester, I asked Sheila to go to the Prom with me at the divisional basketball tournament‌ April 10, 2010 was our first official date at Prom. Our first prom together was at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which happens to be the same venue of our wedding!
The Proposal?
I first knew I wanted to propose to Sheila when we were at Carroll College together and I was a junior and she was a freshman. After I graduated, I knew that it was time for us to take that next step in our relationship. I
wanted to keep my proposal plans very secret so that Sheila did not find out, so my plan was to tell our friends a week before the proposal. The week of our proposal, Sheila told me she was going to be gone on a girl’s weekend in Bozeman. After sharing my plans with her friends, they all assured me that they would get her back to Whitefish in time. The day of the proposal, July 24, 2016, I told Sheila we were going to have dinner at the beach, so I took her to our private beach at Whitefish Lake and proposed to her while we were on the beach. She said YES! Then, I surprised her with an engagement party right after and we went back to my house where both of our families and all our friends were waiting to celebrate with us!
What is love?
Sheila: Love is a beautiful, complex, and everlasting action & emotion. Love grows over time and grows stronger with trust, respect, and commitment.
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There are so many definitions of Love, but to me love is a limitless emotion that is our driving force behind everything that we do.
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He is the most thoughtful human I’ve ever met, and he always knows what to say in any situation. He is the best friend and husband I could have ever dreamt of spending my life with. What is love?
Mac: There are so many definitions of Love, but to me love is a limitless emotion that is our driving force behind everything that we do.
What do you love most about each other?
Sheila: This sounds cheesy, but I honestly LOVE everything about Mac. He is a man of faith, he is kind, funny, courageous, honest, loyal, and FUN. I love the way he loves and cherishes his family and the way he is passionate about everything that he loves in life (e.g. his job, football, his students, his friends, his family). He is the most thoughtful human I’ve ever met, and he always knows what to say in any situation. He is the best friend and husband I could have ever dreamt of spending my life with. Mac: Sheila is hands down the most caring, loving, compassionate, and motivated person I have ever met in my life. Everyone in Sheila’s life feels how deeply she loves and cares for
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them. Every single day she makes me want to be a better person. I love the way that she loves God, her family, her friends, and me. I am so incredibly blessed to be able to walk through life with Sheila by my side.
away from him. We didn’t go more than an hour or two without talking to each other for a year straight while I was living in Arizona. We fell hard and fast in love when we were young, and I never imagined a love like this existed.
Mac: I have been in love with Sheila ever since we were both in high school together. One way that I like to look at it is that we have gone through so many stages of love through these eight years. Brad Paisley has a song that says, “I thought I loved you then” and I think this is a good representation of our relationship because we have been in love with each other for years. Our love is ever changing as we continue to go through life together.
Venue & Lodging - The Lodge at Whitefish Lake Cake & Desserts - Fleur Bake Shop Couture - J Scott Couture Bridal Boutique Floral - Glacier Wallflower Hair & Makeup - Ty Nykole Planner - Empress Tents & Events Photo Booth - PIXelated Photobooth Gigs Photography - Carrie Ann Photography Rentals & Decor - Empress Tents & Events, Vintage Whites Wedding Rentals
When did you know you were in love?
Sheila: I thought I loved Mac since the second I saw him and he introduced himself to me! But I was absolutely sure I was in love with Mac when I moved away my sophomore year of high school and I couldn’t imagine the idea of being
Wedding Details
Honeymoon
We spent our honeymoon in Ocho Rios, Jamaica! We stayed at Ochi Beach Sandals Resort & can’t wait to go back!
Going to the Sun Gallery proudly represents Tim Wold and Mike Naranjo Please Join Us For Gallery Night May 3rd. from 6 PM to 9 PM to meet these wonderful artists.
Tim Wold paints Glacier Park and the surrounding Flathead Valley in beautiful mini oil originals.
Mike Naranjo enjoys painting in oil and pastels. He loves to paint wildlife, portraits, and animals.
Pavilion
Beautiful - Secluded - Elegant Photo by Marianne Weist Photography
Photo by Green Kat Photography
Privately owned 80 acre estate surrounded by national forest lands Enchanted landscapes, a pond and fairytale stream 4,000 sq ft covered pavilion can accommodate up to 200 people No need to rent tables and chairs ~ we have it all Just minutes from Whitefish, Montana Please call today to secure your dream wedding location
406-862-5030 | www.McGoughMountain.com
406 contents featured 12. Brigid Fray Fly Fishing Guide
22. FEELING BUBBLY Champagne, France 38. Rebecca Farm Junior Olympics
Business 26. I Want Her Job Rebecca Minkoff 32. Edward Jones
Non-profit 30. Changed Lives What a Difference a Family Makes
...16
Profiles
Legal
16. Alison Udall Rebuild For Peace
34. Planning and Organizing Your Estate
20. Susan Schnee Copperleaf Chocolat & Voyageur Booksellers
Health
28. Lynn Malmberg Empress Tents & Events 40. Halladay Quist The Mermaid
44. Mountain Meadow Herbs 46. Engaged Patient 48. Calluses 50. Osteoporosis 52. Healing From Depression 54. Ask the Skin Coach 56. Physio Whitefish Devin Pfister, PT, DPT 58. Top Notch Care Ashleigh Magill, MD 60. Pilates Session 62. Smile
Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year 704 C East 13th St. #138 Whitefish, MT 59937 info@406woman.com Copyright©2017 Skirts Publishing
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Tired of Box Store Shopping? Looking for that unique one of a kind item? You name it…we’ve probably got it!
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The Tug is the Drug
Brigid Fray, Fly Fishing Guide By Mary Wallace
Anyone who is addicted to fly fishing knows the feeling. What could be a better way to spend the day? Fishing the river, sunlight sparkling on the dancing water, a fish on your line. Land it. Love it. Set it Free. REPEAT.
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It is said that to have a successful career, find something you love to do and get someone to pay you to do it. Brigid Fray has embraced this philosophy and spends her summers taking clients on guided fly fishing trips and catching a few fish herself on her days off. She loves catching all kinds of fish, fishing for bonefish off the flats of Christmas Island, to deep sea fishing for ono off the island of Hawaii, dry fly fishing for cutthroat on the Elk and Flathead Rivers, chasing rainbows and brown trout on the Beaverhead River, and her new favorite is searching (and catching) for bull trout throughout the river systems of southern British Columbia.
How does one come to be a fly fishing guide? There are actually
a few fly fishing schools and apprentice programs, but Brigid’s fly fishing training started in 2002 when she met one of her mentors, Dick Peterson. It was he who introduced her to fly fishing on the Beaverhead River near Dillon, along with the late and great Tim (Mo) Mosolf. She was immediately smitten and from there she fished at every opportunity and soaked up all she could learn from every fly fishing master she has met since.
Brigid’s fly fishing trips are both full day and half-day trips in a drift boat on the river. Brigid will greet her guests (maximum of 2 per boat) in the early morning (but not necessarily at O-Dark-Thirty); most guests like to meet around 8 or 9 a.m. Brigid provides all the gear needed for the day - rods, reels, clean fly lines, leaders, tippet and all the flies you could ever need but her guests are also welcome to bring their own equipment. Guests who have never fly fished before can have a quick lesson in fly casting on the ground before they set out in the boat. There is a graceful art to casting a fly and landing fish. It takes lots of patience and practice and fortunately, this means the more you fly fish, the easier it becomes.
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Brigid Fray
There is a graceful art to casting a fly and landing fish. It takes lots of patience and practice and fortunately, this means the more you fly fish, the easier it becomes. A guided fishing trip can be booked with Brigid at Lakestream Fly Fishing in Whitefish for those who want to fish the Flathead River, through Anderson & Platt Outfitters in Dillon for those who want to try casting their line in the Beaverhead River. Brigid is currently applying for a work visa in Canada and you will be able to eventually book trips through Elk River Guiding Company for those wanting to fish the Elk River in Fernie, BC. What equipment should a person look for if they want to get started on a fly fishing hobby? The first piece of equipment, according to Brigid, is patience. Most can get started with a 9 foot 5 weight or a 9 foot 6 weight, fly rod and quality fly reel. An assortment of flies is key. The local fly fishing shop can suggest some flies depending on what the local fish are currently biting. Brigid grew up in Oroville Washington. She studied International Business with a minor in Spanish at Central Washington University. After university, intending to spend one winter as a ski bum, she landed in Whitefish. She soon started bartending at the Great Northern Bar and joined the Whitefish Ski Patrol. 17 years later,
she has established roots, friends, and a couple of careers. She spends her winters doing what she loves as well – still as a ski bum (up until last season working for the Whitefish Ski Patrol) and bartending a couple of days a week at the Great Northern Bar in Whitefish.
Brigid found her inspiration from her dad, who taught her to ski and to fish, too. Her mother always encouraged and supported her to follow her dreams, especially after finishing university. She also finds inspiration in those that make a living doing what they love. On the flip-side Brigid also finds inspiration in those that are in a situation that does not allow them to make a living doing what they love, all the more reason to be inspired to follow ones dreams. Of course, her new husband, Darcy, who won her heart partly by introducing her to fishing in the Elk River in Canada, has become a new source of inspiration with his positive attitude, enthusiasm and passion for life. They were married this past November. Theirs has always been an international relationship – he lives in Fernie, BC and she lives in Whitefish. They met through mutual friends in Whitefish, and discovered that they share a passion for fly fishing, skiing, mountain biking, among other things. The million dollar question is where they will end up living and the jury is still out on that.
Consequently, their life has been like one eternal honeymoon. They are really living a dream – working, skiing, and fishing at two different resorts, in two different towns, and in two different countries - making the most of their international commute. Until the million dollar question is answered, they are fully enjoying all that Whitefish and Fernie have to offer.
One thing Brigid cherishes most is her long friendship with her Little Sister, Jewell. It began when she was matched as a Big Sister mentor/ volunteer, through the local Big Brothers Big Sisters program when Jewell was 8 years old. Jewell is now 24 and, even though their match graduated several years ago, they are still a huge part of each other’s lives. They took a trip to South America together to celebrate Jewell’s 21st birthday and Jewell traveled to Brigid & Darcy’s wedding in Hawaii in November, and more adventures are to come. Brigid’s bucket list includes both heli-skiing and fishing in Alaska, fishing Belize, Costa Rica, New Zealand, skiing the Alps, traveling the world, and living healthy. Reflecting on her life now that she is a married woman, she’s lately been wondering if she should think about getting a real job. But nah . . . life is good, why mess with perfection?
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Any advice for our 406 Readers?
“Surround yourself with positive, confident, adventuresome folks. And pay it forward.”
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Living Small So That Others Can Dream Big
Alison Udall
of REBUILD FOR PEACE By Mary Wallace
How old does one need to be to change the world? Allow me to introduce you to Alison Udall. At only 25 years old, she is the vice president of an international women’s empowerment organization operating in the Middle East, with its roots right here in the Flathead. Did you know that 75 million young people around the world have had their education disrupted due to conflict and natural disasters? Refugees from war-torn countries have poured into resource poor Jordan, for example, by the thousands. Seventy percent of the population in the country are refugees across all generations, with the greatest percentage being under 30 years old. Unemployed and desperate, many of them are at risk for being recruited into violent causes. This organization, Rebuild for Peace, is committed to providing youth a path to economic security. How do they do this exactly? Rebuild for Peace provides refugees and atrisk Jordanian youth with quality vocational education, and financing to help them start their own businesses and become self-reliant. In just one year, Rebuild for Peace has created 10
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Vocational Training Schools and have impacted countless young lives (over 200 students).
Each school works with 20 students during a three-month session. Although, Rebuild for Peace is a community centered organization and it helps a different target group in each community it enters (depending on the need), the focus right now is on youth and women. The students can start turning a profit in their new business within 6 days of the beginning of each session, and the excitement and sense of accomplishment they experience not only changes their lives, but those of their families and their community.
But their mission is not just to provide these youth with a vocation; they also provide training to encourage their students to be the peace-builders in their communities and to help them better cope
with the challenges they face. There is a third component to this unique and effective program; all students are required to do a community service project. One such project they are especially proud of is the Karak Castle Rebuild, their first project to rebuild through peaceful acts. The Castle had been damaged in an ISIS attack in December 2016. On March 18, 2017 a large group of refugees, at risk youth, and local Jordanians helped plan and lead this important initiative to restore the castle from a place of violence and devastation, to one of peace and hope for the future.
The idea behind Rebuild for Peace came from Alison’s husband, Chris Udall. While studying Intercultural Peacebuilding at university Chris was teaching carpentry skills and talking to
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REBUILD FOR PEACE
Rebuild for Peace provides refugees and at-risk
Jordanian youth with quality vocational education, and financing to help them start their own businesses and become self-reliant. In just one year, Rebuild for Peace has created 10 Vocational Training Schools and have impacted countless young lives.
his students about how they could apply peacebuilding principles in their lives. Chris realized that the two disciplines (building buildings and building peace) could fit conjointly together and help to rebuild lives and communities for displaced and targeted youth around the world.
How did this idea of rebuilding go from a concept to a reality in such a short time? Alison says it was a random case of being in front of the right people at the right time that brought their idea to fruition. The programs caught the attention of the Royal Court in Jordan and were given a substantial government grant in early 2017 to establish and operate the 10 vocational centers. The Kingdom has agreed to honor this commitment in 2018, allowing Rebuild for Peace to continue affecting more lives. They have already established 2 more schools in 2018, working with women and Syrian refugees on the Jordan-Syrian border. Alison Dixon-Udall is the Vice President of the organization. As such, she writes grants, raises funds, manages the volunteers, and assist with day to day administration as well as program related tasks. Rebuild for Peace has worked with a consulting firm in Washington DC, and they have a talented team of people, both in the States and in Jordan, including a group of University Students in Hawaii who are assisting with a variety of tasks. Each team member has their unique job description, but they all lend their hands to every aspect of their programs and that is what makes it such a success. Alison’s childhood was spent in Twin Falls, Idaho. She then attended college at Idaho State University in Pocatello, studying International Studies with an emphasis on Economic & Political Development, and a double major in Spanish. She studied abroad in Valencia, Spain- at the Department of Politic Science and Law- and spent four summers with her family who had moved to North Carolina. After graduating from ISU, she also served as a member of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. She served in different communities in the U.S. Pacific Region assisting non-profits, serving as an Assistant Team Leader, and she earned the Bronze Presidential Medal of Community Service. The summer she
graduated from ISU, her family moved to the Flathead Valley. She followed them here and has since fallen in love with it. Her father is a Mental Health Therapist at the Veterans Association and her mother a substitute teacher for the local School District, as well as an aspiring dance instructor. She has both younger and older siblings; two who were fostered by her family for several years and later adopted.
Her adopted siblings are a big part of her story. As Alison says, “I often say the best thing that’s ever happened to me was having those two become a part of my family. They are a HUGE reason I am the way I am. One memory, in particular that I love, was almost every day, when we came home from school we would go to the park to play baseball and EVERYONE in the neighborhood was invited. It didn’t matter who they were and we just played. That’s the kind of relationship I had with my family… we accepted each other and everyone else too. Honestly, my entire family is the biggest contributing factor to my passion for helping people. Having a little brother and sister come into my family, who had been through so much (stuff no child should experience) and seeing their quickness to love as well as their massive strength, motivated me to dedicate my life to help others like them. Especially children and youth. They have blossomed into incredible people and I give credit to them as well as my parents and the family values we worked hard to make priority. I would say they are a big part of my inspiration.”
Alison says that even as a young child, she always wanted to do service work. She was taught this by her parents and participated in a lot of service activities through church.
She has lived in the Middle East helping refugees through Rebuild for Peace and has lived in refugee camp in Greece teaching English and trauma sensitive yoga - working with Yazidi genocide survivors from Iraq. She served mainly with youth, but also with mothers, and was completely touched by that experience. She grew to deeply love that group of people and hopes to advocate for them throughout her life.
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Alison Udall
law, and, eventually, using this education and experience to inspire the next generation of global leaders as a professor. She is also currently working toward earning her Nonprofit Management Certificate through the University of Montana. (For such a tiny thing, Alison has some BIG ideas.)
Rebuild for Peace also has satellite operations helping spread their mission to Central American refugees in Arizona and advocating for peace in their Montana headquarters. They have hopes to establish a local vocational and mentoring program in the coming year in the Flathead Valley. While the current programs are mostly women-based, Rebuild for Peace has some further lofty 2018 goals to expand their programs to gender- mixed vocations and offer 2-year technical training programs – welding, cc machining, hydro auto mechanics - just to name a few.
Their ongoing programs need transportation, tools, and classroom materials, as well as grants for students to start their own businesses and salaries for the instructors for the students who meet 5 hours per day for 5 days per week. They need translators, coordinators, instructors, and mentors.
Chris & Alison met at their church community center. For their first date, Chris took her on a 14-mile day long hike. They spent the day talking about literally everything under the sun, and they discovered that they share many of the same hopes and dreams. They were married in Montana this past October, just weeks after Chris returned to the Flathead Valley after being in Jordan for several months. According to Christopher, Alison quietly serves everyone in her reach and is dedicated to extending her reach to the world.
Their current projects have them making three or more trips to Jordan per year, and together they have spent countless hours immersed in the local culture and structuring a new future for so many refugees and their adopted communities. Alison says they are humbled about how the local people love to welcome them into their homes and cook for them. They have lost so much, but they want to give all they can to the folks who are assisting their community through Rebuild for Peace.
Rebuild for Peace has quickly grown to an operation with that has far reaching results, but Alison admits that most of their graduating students are now making more than they do. To that end, Alison and Christopher have chosen to live simply, “living small in order to help others dream big,” as she likes to say. She and Christopher have built a tiny house (288 sq. ft) to serve as their headquarters here in the Flathead Valley. They built it themselves with mostly recycled materials and it is designed to be completely off grid. Their aim is to live minimally so they can devote their resources to their mission. In their spare time, they enjoy hiking, kayaking, and spending time in nature. Alison’s bucket list includes meeting the beloved King Abdullah II & Queen Rania of Jordan in person, to continue working with and expanding women’s empowerment programs. advocating for human rights by earning an advanced degree in human rights
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Their Flathead Valley project is starting from scratch; they are just starting the groundwork to see if this is a possibility as they would like to contribute to their home community by helping the youth here. There are always countless opportunities to volunteer, provide resources, or contribute financially.
I asked Alison how people can connect in a more peaceful and meaningful way (considering the current polarizing political and social environment our country seems to be experiencing), and she had a simple, yet profound, answer: “People always always have at least one thing in common, no matter how far apart they may seem on certain issues . . . Find the common,” says Alison. “Start with that and build from there.” A video about the Karak Castle Rebuild can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o4hl4l-soo&t=3s. Want to learn more or become involved in Rebuild for Peace? Visit www.rebuildforpeace.org for more information.
Copperleaf Chocolat
company
239 Central Ave. Whitefish Mt. 406-862-9659
Gifts You Would Love to Give locally made artisan chocolates, chocolate bars from around the world, time tested books & leather bound journals. Artie Yellowhorse Native American Designer of Collectible Silver, Turquoise & Gems Jewelry Mary Frances Hand Beaded Embellished Handbags and Scarves. Fabulous Cashmere Sweaters, One of a kind Copper and Enamel Pieces by Swan Valley Copper Company and Vintage cowboy boots.
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Books and Chocolate! What Could Be Sweeter? Photos by Amanda Wilson Photography
When you meander into Copperleaf Chocolat and Voyageur Booksellers in Whitefish, you’ll be assured of two things. 1) the selection of used and vintage books is truly amazing and 2) the handmade truffles will be the most delicious treat you’ve tasted in a long time.
Meet Susan Schnee, owner and founder of this wonderful business on Central Avenue. Susan settled in Whitefish in the late 90’s and opened Copperleaf Chocolat back in 2007. Since then she added the bookstore and has expanded a few times eventually finding a place to call home when she purchased the building she is in now.
The bigger space gives her more room for books. “Books are my thing,” she said. She’s even planning an expansion of the bookshop this spring. Susan remembers her earliest memories of the intense enjoyment she experienced while reading. Those memories are still with her to this day.
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. - Dr. Seuss
She has had stacks of reading material next to her bed for as long as she can remember and started collecting books at a young age. “I still have all my Beatrix Potter books,” she said.
Books are a uniquely portable magic.
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S. King
Clearly she likes to read. Susan feels that through reading she exposes herself to new things, new information, new ways to solve a problem and new ways to achieve. A quote that holds true to Susan… “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends. They are the most accessible and wisest of counselors and the most patient of teachers.” Charles Elio.
To Susan literacy is more important than ever. “We need to read and write, we need citizens who can read comfortably, comprehend what they are reading, understand nuance and make themselves understood. Because of technology and information overload, we may be less literate and less numerate than we were. We have become less able to navigate the world, to understand it, to solve problems, we can be more easily lied to and misled, less able to change the world we now find ourselves in, be less employable. Literacy is critical to economic development as well as individual and community well-being.” Well said Susan! Not surprising but Susan doesn’t own a Kindle.
Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
- PJ O’Rourke
Susan was born in Montana on the east side of the mountains along the Hi Line where the wind blows interminably. She left home at an early age to hitchhike the country. She said, “It was a thing back then.”
She spent some time working in the Canadian Embassy in Athens and learning the cuisine. Then ended up owning a summer restaurant outside of West Yellowstone, Montana for years and wintering in Carmel California. Eventually she went to culinary school to make it official and became a private chef.
Susan migrated to Hawaii for a while, where she was the food services manager at a retreat center on the Big Island. She came back to Montana in the late nineties where she opened another private chef business in Whitefish and attended culinary school again, learning to make chocolates. “Always the end game was to retire to my bookstore,” she said.
If you are looking for a vintage book or early edition, stop by and see Susan. If she doesn’t have it on the shelf, she’d still love to chat about the classic you seek, as chances are she’s held it in her hands and read it.
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Copperleaf Chocolat and Voyageur Booksellers 239 Central Ave. Whitefish, Montana 406-862-9659 copperleafchocolat.com and voyageurbooksellers.com
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FEELING BUBBL Y Champagne, France By Jaymee Sire
“I only drink champagne on two occasions: when I am in love, and when I am not.” -Coco Chanel There are those who reserve Champagne drinking only for special occasions like weddings, holidays, or anything that calls for a celebration. But for those who don’t need an excuse to pop the bubbly, then a trip to Champagne, France is for you. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or the ultimate girls trip, this famous wine region outside of Paris has a little bit of everything: food, culture, scenery, and of course: Champagne! Reims & Epernay: As you may or may not already know, any winery can produce sparkling wine, but can only call it "Champagne" (with a capital C) if it hails from the Champagne region of France. Reims and its surrounding countryside represents just one of several areas you can visit while exploring the Champagne region. We chose it based on its proximity to some of the more famous Champagne houses and also because it is home to some really great dining options. Another popular area to consider is Epernay, which is a little more rural, versus Reims, which is much more a city. If you have time, consider visiting both!
When to visit: It’s best to visit during the spring and summer months, when the vines are green and full of fruit. However, try to avoid the month of August, when most of France goes on holiday. This includes many of the shops and restaurants, which are shuttered for several weeks at a time.
Getting there: We flew into Paris and rented a car, giving us the freedom to do some exploring on our own when we weren’t busy visiting Champagne houses. Reims is less than a 2-hour drive from Paris; however, you can also take the train, which is under an hour!
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on the tour you choose, most will include at least one glass of champagne (sometimes more).
Where to stay: Air Bnb Cottage While there are plenty hotel and B&B options in the city, we turned to Air Bnb for our Reims accommodations. Our cottage was charming and perfect. It was conveniently located near the center of town, an easy drive or walk to some of the major Champagne houses, restaurants, markets and the Cathedral.
What to do: DRINK champagne! When planning, make sure to do a little research on when your desired houses are open (some are closed on Sundays and Mondays) and reserve your spots ahead of time. Many of the bigger houses will offer both private and group tours, and depending
Houses to visit: Veuve Clicquot Veuve Clicquot is iconic around the world, so it was the perfect way to set the tone for our visit to Champagne. We learned all about the Champagne making process, and how Madame Clicquot became an awesome boss lady who started making high end Champagne back in 1772 that is still enjoyed all over the world today. Our private tour concluded with a glass of the classic yellow label, as well as a special glass of the 2006 La Grande Dame. (Most champagne is non-vintage, but Veuve makes them during special years where the harvest was particularly good.)
Tattinger: Actually pronounced "Tatting-JAY," Tattinger, along with Veuve, is one of six champagne houses in Reims that owns the chalk caves that were built beneath the city around 80 B.C. by the Romans for mining purposes. Fast forward to the 1600s, when winemakers discovered a new use for those expertly carved caves: wine storage! The constant cool temperature, perfect humidity and protection from sunlight provided the ideal spot for storing bottles on bottles on bottles. We received a private tour of the caves, followed by a special four-champagne
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tasting, including a glass of the prestigious Comtes Blanc de Blancs, also from 2006. Armand de Brignac: You may know this as “Ace of Spades” Champagne, which is partially owned by rapper Jay Z. It is closed to the public for tours, but if you are willing to shell out a little money, you can visit as part of a gourmet experience paired with a 3-Michelin
France
star meal. We had the chance to visit as a friend of the company, and I can tell you that the Armand de Brignac caves are stunning. They are more modern, more fancy... like walking amongst bricks of gold. Similarly, the style of the actual wine is more "American style" champagne (a little sweeter), compared to Veuve & Tattinger, which is more French style.
Where to eat: Racine Lunch at Racine was hands down the best and most unique food we experienced in France. Racine boasts a Michelin star, serving a modern mash-up of French and Japanese cuisine. The plates are artfully and meticulously presented, with interesting flavor combos that are as beautiful as they are delicious. Because we visited on a Monday during lunch, we had the option of choosing the Sôgu Menu, which is very reasonable at 45€ per person. It includes several amuse bouche, a starter, choice of two mains, and several offerings of dessert. It was plenty of food and a great deal at lunchtime. My favorite dish of the day was the perfectly cooked lamb served with raspberry and tansy. *Note: Racine is closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Lunch is served Friday-Monday, and the Sôgu lunch menu is only available on Fridays & Mondays. Dinner is served Thursday-Monday.
L’assiette Champenoise: For the ultimate special occasion French restaurant experience, a visit to three-Michelin Star L’assiette Champenoise should be on your radar. (We were not able to visit, as it was closed during our trip.) As of November of 2017, they also offer a very special five-course tasting menu that is paired with all five Armand de Brignac champagnes. This includes the incredibly rare Blanc de Noirs, of which only 2,333 bottles exist. The special tasting menu can be booked as a stand-alone experience for 500€ or as part of a luxury accommodation package.
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France
That package includes one night in a Terrace Suite (the restaurant is part of a historic chateau), which also includes breakfast, luxury car transfers and a private tour of Armand de Brignac's chalk cellars. It's definitely a hefty price tag at 2500€ for two people, but it's sure to be an unforgettable experience. (You will need to contact the hotel/ restaurant directly in order to book.)
The local supermarket: While you can absolutely dine like kings and queens at the Michelin Star establishments in Reims, you can also be perfectly happy with a visit to a local grocery store. We stocked up on an assortment of French cheeses, charcuterie, baguettes, mustards, vegetables and of course, Champagne, and at a fraction of the cost it would be back home. It’s a great way to save a little money while also sampling some amazing high quality, local ingredients. (And a perfect use of our cottage’s backyard.) Other things to do & see: Reims Cathedral (and the Dream of Colours show) Also known as the “Notre-Dame Cathedral of Reims,” this is a Roman Catholic Church built in the High Gothic style in the year 1211. It was also where the kings of France were once crowned. We did not visit during the day, but were treated to a spectacular show at night. It's called the "Dream
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of Colours" and it's basically a big light and music show projected on the facade of the church. The show runs from mid June through the end of September, generally Tuesday through Sunday, with two 25-minute shows per night. The schedule changes slightly at different points throughout the summer, so it's best to double check before visiting or ask around once there. (Ours happened to be a Tuesday in mid-August, with shows at 10:30 p.m. and 11:10 p.m.) Verzenay Lighthouse: Other non-champagne activities during our stay included a quick day trip to neighboring villages Verzenay and Verzy on the recommendation of our Air Bnb host. Verzenay is known for its picturesque lighthouse perched atop a mountain of vines that are 100% Grand Cru (which is the highest classification for champagne grapes). There is also a champagne museum and gift shop located inside the "phare" (or lighthouse).
Verzy's Forest of Twisted Trees: The village of Verzy and its vineyards are also 100% Grand Cru, but perhaps the bigger draw is its "Forest of Twisted Trees." The Faux de Verzy is made up of thousands of dwarf trees, generally beech, oak or chestnut. The trees do not grow more than 15 feet high, and spread their leaves like giant
parachutes over the forest floor. As legend has it, the monks transported them to the area to create a botanical garden. Walking through the Verzy trees, it felt like we had stepped into an enchanted forest, waiting for magical creatures to pop out of the branches. Overall, it was a jam-packed 3 days in Reims, and I can’t wait to go back. Cheers to that!
Jaymee Sire
Jaymee grew up in North Central Montana and is an Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster, former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, and current floor reporter for Iron Chef Showdown on Food Network. She also writes a food and travel blog called “e is for eat.” (eisforeat.com)
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I Want Her Job
Rebecca Minkoff Fashion Designer By Brianne B. Perleberg
This article originally appeared on IWantHerJob.com.
Rebecca Minkoff was only 18 when she uprooted from San Diego to New York City to pursue the dreams she had cultivated while creating costumes in high school. A five-piece collection and one trendsetting “I love New York” t-shirt later (it received press from Jay Leno to Us Weekly), Rebecca had her first big hit in 2001. But it wasn’t instantaneous stardom. Diligently sewing tees on the floor of her apartment, Rebecca built her path to fashion notoriety from the ground up. Then came the Morning After Bag. Rebecca’s iconic purse began appearing on the arms of starlets and style mavens across the city and, soon after, the world. It was her big break, coming just as she was really beginning to feel the financial strain of starting a business with a not-so-cushy savings account. The bag meant to fit all the essentials became the statement piece Rebecca needed.
Today, Rebecca Minkoff is a lifestyle brand worn and admired worldwide. Rebecca’s line offers a wide range of clothing, handbags and, after returning to her apparel roots in 2009, clothing, footwear, jewelry, accessories, even tech. With five flagship stores and distribution in 900 retail locations, Rebecca is a long way from her NYC apartment floor. But it’s not something she’s forgotten about, and there’s a reason this interview starts off with her advising fellow women to stay humble. What did you learn starting the brand in your NYC apartment that still sticks with you today? Stay humble. At the beginning, I played every role — publicist, messenger, designer, customer
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service professional, etc. It gave me a great education and keeps me from getting too comfortable and taking our team and success for granted. I work closely with everyone in my company; from the most junior to the most senior.
Were you ever scared during those early days that you wouldn’t make it? How did you push past those thoughts and insecurities? Of course! It’s a risk going out on your own and there were some days where I just didn’t know if another order would ever be placed. Every time there was a positive response, however small, it kept me going. The Daily Candy piece that was written and helped launch the business was probably the most memorable of those moments. What did it feel like when you started to see your bags on the arms of celebrities and on everyday women? When I was walking down the street and saw someone carrying one of my bags for the first time, it was the best feeling. One that I will never get tired of. I experience the same excitement and sense of pride as much today as I did when I first started out. It’s a constant reminder of how lucky
I am and validates the hard work and passion put forth by me and my incredible team.
How would you describe the Rebecca Minkoff customer? What is important to her and how are you working to address her evolving needs? She’s a fashion-forward, modern woman about the world. With ready-to-wear, handbags, footwear, jewelry, eyewear and tech accessories, my vision for the brand is singularly focused on my ideal millennial girl, who experiences all of life’s exciting moments, with her confident, goanywhere, do-anything attitude. Your flagship store is quite simply brilliant; a shopping heaven for millennials. Why did you decide to integrate tech into the store? Our customer is very attached to her technology. We understand the need for immediate satisfaction and being able to have control over everyday experiences. Our store is designed to do just that. She can be served a beverage, get a new product, switch out a size, change the lighting of the fitting room and more, just by using the technology we offer her. It’s on her own terms, and we’ve received an incredibly strong response.
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When I was walking down the street and saw someone carrying one of my bags for the first time, it was the best feeling. One that I will never get tired of. Rebecca Minkoff
We read that when you first saw your new dressing rooms the all-male team of developers hadn’t even noticed that the mirrors at the time made a woman feel fat. What did that moment of realization feel like to you? The entire team was made up of men. So when the two girls went in to try it out, right away, they said, ‘This is a fat mirror. We are not shopping at a store with this mirror.’ And no man would have (barely) known what that term was. So it was sort of an aha moment for me to see that if a woman had been on the team, she would have known you have to consider the mirror and how it makes a woman look. It’s those small details of a woman’s user experiences that can make such a difference.
That insight obviously started a fire in your belly to recruit more females for STEM jobs, so tell us more about your speaking tour with Intel and what you’re doing to narrow that gap? We have a four-pronged strategy: 1. Awareness. Developing innovative campaign, print and social media strategies to highlight opportunities for women in technology in the 21st century economy. 2. Interest. Encouraging interest in technology through events, training, and education.
3. Engagement. Expanding the pipeline of women in technology by providing mentorship and scholarship support to women pursuing STEM education and careers. 4. Leadership. Nurturing the next generation of professionals on the path to leadership and ensuring equal access to economic opportunities for women in technology around the globe.
What do you hope is the biggest takeaway from females who attend one of these speeches? I’ve heard women in tech say, “Well, if we show we care about ourselves, we get taken for granted that we’re stupid or self-centered.” It’s been a societal message we’re trying to fight to say, “No, you can be smart and pretty.” You can pursue a
career in tech and still work in fashion. The lack of women in tech fields is increasingly impacting industries beyond stereotypical Silicon Valley software startups as tech becomes a natural asset to women. It’s showing them that this is possible, and that I did it, so YOU can, too. Nothing like this existed when I was coming up and so many things can seem unattainable. If you can make something feel a little more attainable for someone else, that’s what I want to do.
As one of the most socially savvy brands, how important is it for you to be accessible to your customer? I saw the opportunity to reach my target audience on social media in a way that felt organic and natural. Since my customer is a female millennial, she is a digital native. I wanted to speak to her in a way that made the most sense to her, because she’s grown up online, she’s comfortable with it, and she’s responsive to it. From there, I’ve continued to incorporate not just what I’m wearing, but also showcasing what my customers are wearing, highlighting how influencers style my products, and directly highlighting new products that make the most noise.
As a working mom of two, do you believe in this idea of work/life balance? Or, are you more of a believer in work/life integration? I believe it really is all about balance and prioritizing. Also, loving what I do makes all the difference. Even if I’m up until 1 a.m. working, it never feels like a sacrifice. My approach to achieving the balance is varied, but I’ll sometimes opt to come in late to the office so I can have breakfast with my family, or only commit to going to work events 2 or 3 times a week to ensure I’m spending as much time as possible with them — but continuing to grow my business. What advice do you have for a reader who wants your job? It takes time. Not everything happens all at once. Stay true to yourself and follow your passion. Even if your dream seems unattainable, you can achieve it if you stay focused, driven and diligent.
What new trends are you seeing in the social space that are important to the Rebecca Minkoff brand and lifestyle? Snapchat is where it’s at! I love the immediacy of it. We learn a lot from what our customers snap and when they view our snaps. What is your favorite aspect of the business to be involved in? Styling the show is really one of the most exciting moments of the season. It’s such a stressful time but starting to put everything together and seeing what works and what doesn’t before the collection finally hits the runway is so fulfilling.
What qualities do you look for when building out your team? What skills can our readers hone to be the kind of employee a boss wants to promote? Someone who is entrepreneurial, creative, passionate, collaborative, and takes initiative.
Brianne B. Perleberg
Brianne B. Perleberg, a born-and-raised Montanan, is the founder of I Want Her Job, an award-winning website featuring curated career conversations with women changing the future of business. She also is a marketing director at NASCAR track Phoenix Raceway. You can follow her on Twitter @iwantherjob and read more interviews like this on iwantherjob.com.
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Turning Dreams into Reality
One Wedding at a Time By June Jeffries Photos by Kelly Kirksey Photography
Lynn Malmberg has been a resident of the flathead valley since 1985. She is the mother of 5 children, active in her community and the owner of several businesses. Always an entrepreneur looking for new adventures, she found one in 2012, her younger sister was selling her event rental company, without reservation or hesitation she jumped in; it was time to add something new to her portfolio. After decades of working in a male dominated industry it was time to change things up. From 2012 to 2014 she expanded her inventory: she took a small business with tents, chairs, tables and basic dish ware and transformed it into a full-service rental company for weddings and events. In 2014, she acquired Vintage Whites, the two rental companies complemented one another, again she added extensively to the inventory: it is ever-evolving, constantly growing with a combination of well-loved vintage pieces. Searching for the perfect piece, table, dish ware, vessel or accessory is her passion. She works tirelessly to find unique, one of a kind items taking into consideration fun, functionality and purpose.
She has an eye for detail which is essential when working in an industry of all things beautiful. In 2014, Lynn started coordinating weddings. Her quest for perfection, execution and deliberation was the perfect fit for the wedding industry. A new love was born and from it emerged an exciting new career. She has an eye for detail which is essential when working in an industry of all things beautiful.
Over time Lynn was drawn to the elements of design. Creating new from old, old from new, something borrowed and something blue. After two seasons of coordinating she discovered she was planning weddings; it was a seamless transition adding wedding planner to her portfolio. In 2016 she purchased Mimi’s bridal and the circle closed with a full-service shop for weddings: bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses and tux rentals.
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Lynn’s rental inventory is extensive, if she doesn’t have what you’ve imagined for your dream wedding she has access to a wealth of information and resources. She works tirelessly to bring your vision to life, with her guidance and experience dreams really do come true.
Our access to technology and images makes the world a smaller place, the possibilities are endless and overwhelming; we fall in love with an array of designs, color schemes and collections. Ideas are easily accessible, the challenge is finding the design and style that is a reflection of who you are individually and as a couple, Lynn is there to guide you. She loves to dream big, her detail orientated passion for execution and the value she places in the relationships she builds with her clients is what has truly allowed her to make a name for herself. If you ask her clients what they love most they’d tell you it’s her down to earth, welcoming personality, unspoken confidence, 150% attitude, a love for beauty and design, and last but not least she incorporates fun into the mix. Fun and laughter! Planning a wedding is fun: it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Empress Tents & Events 406 892 7600 5035 US Hwy 2 W, Columbia Falls www.empresstentsevents.com Instagram empress_tents_events Facebook Empress Tents & Events
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Changed lives By Kristen Hamilton
What a Difference a Family Makes
Montana children in need of a permanent family, find hope and healing. Did you know there are thousands of Montana children in the foster care system?
Or, the boy who by the time he was 10, had spent years in and out of group homes. Only one relative was interested in caring for him…and then unexpectedly passes away. Now what?
Sadly, there are less than half the foster or adoptive families needed to care for them in their time of need. Think of that.
Sadly, these are the stories of some Montana children in foster care. Through no fault of their own, these children have been victims of abuse, neglect or abandonment at the hands of those chartered to care for them. They were unable to continue living safely with their families.
Think of all the brilliant talents, interests and imagination inside each one of these kids! Now think of the sporting events, school plays and graduations with no one in the crowd to cheer their names. Think of the countless dinnertimes around a table with a group home shift worker and a dozen other kids, instead of siblings and a mom and dad.
Children need a family to thrive. Children like a beautiful 13-year-old boy. This sweet child will forever function at the level of an infant due to a traumatic brain injury at the hands of a caregiver… destined to live in a nursing home or pediatric care facility. Or, the bright 11-year-old girl. Bounced from place to place, group home to foster home and back… so many times you’d lose count. No relatives to care for her, lingering in foster care with no prospects for a forever family.
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The goal of foster care is always reunification with the biological parent or family member. But sometimes that is just not possible. What happens to Montana children who have no relatives able to care for them, or no permanency plan? What does it look like when trauma takes its toll and shows up in challenging behaviors? Where do these children go after experiencing so many placements and disruptions in their young lives? Enter Child Bridge. The mission is simple and focused… to find and equip foster and adoptive families for Montana children in need. Child Bridge recruited families may care for children on a temporary basis or longer term. If children should become available for adoption while in the care of a Child Bridge family, these families overwhelmingly adopt them. Right now, there are children who are
in need of permanent care but aren’t yet in a family. For these children, Child Bridge helps find the family who is meant to be theirs. In July of 2017, Child Bridge began a non-fiscal collaboration with the State of Montana Child and Family Services division to assist them in their efforts to create as many permanency options as possible for children in need of adoption. The Finding a Way Home program was launched to build awareness and increase exposure for specific children in need of families. “Finding a Way Home” increases awareness about the needs of the children through the Child Bridge website, collateral such as newsletters, and the beautiful “Finding a Way Home” displays. Social workers from around the state contact Child Bridge with the needs of children on their case load where no viable permanency plan exists. The “Finding a Way Home” program is another tool in their permanency toolkit. Once a child is entered in the program, a brief bio is created and professional photographers around the state volunteer their services in taking beautiful photos of the children. The photographs capture the unique spirit and dignity of each child and serve to raise awareness of their needs and advocate for permanency. These photos go on the display that highlights 8 children at a time. Currently there are five displays
located in different areas around the state. Most often, the displays are set up in churches and change locations every couple of weeks. Exposure, building awareness and increasing impressions about the children is key. Child Bridge expertly spreads the word about adopting children from foster care. As they are not a child placing agency, once interested families come forward, basic information is collected, and an introduction is made to the child’s social worker who vets and potentially matches the interested family with a child needing a family. Caring for a child who has experienced such significant trauma is very difficult work and Child Bridge proactively provides trauma informed care education through a variety of programs, including encouraging the foster/adoptive family to build a “support team” of family members and friends. Child Bridge provides basic trauma informed care training to this support team, equipping them with practical ways to encourage and support the family who is fostering or adopting. Child Bridge Program Director, Jenna Taylor shares, “Photolisting of children in need of adoption is not new. “Heart Galleries” have been around for nearly 20 years, and “Treasure Books” before that. “The Finding a Way Home” program is innovative in its breadth, scope and mobility. Historically, data shows that a child featured in a display is 3 times more likely to be adopted. We’re privileged to be the bridge between the children who wait in foster care and the families who are called to care for them.” Without this hope of permanency, many children in foster care run the risk of aging out of the system. This means they are on their own…unprepared and unsupported. The outcomes for these children are horrific…single mothers, dropping out of school, drug abuse, unemployment, public assistance and incarceration rates are staggering. There are over 400,000 children in foster care in the United States, about 4,000 of them are Montana children and there are many who need the permanency that the “Finding a Way Home” program seeks to bring about.
Although these children were removed from abusive and neglectful situations, they still have hope. They love to laugh, to learn, and to be with friends. Most of all, they dream of finding a forever family to be their own. What about the children at the beginning of our story…the 13 and 10-year-old boys and the 11-year-old girl? They have found their way home, and are in the care of safe, well-equipped families. The “Finding a Way Home” program draws out families who learn about children in need that would otherwise be unknown and without the hope and healing that a family can provide. If you’d like more information about the “Finding a Way Home” program, would like a speaker for an event, or would like to schedule the display in your church, please contact Child Bridge at jtaylor@childbridgemontana.org. For the safety of the children in the “Finding a Way Home” program, alias names and photographs are used in this article.
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What Should Investors Know About Recent Volatility? As you may have heard, the stock market has been on a wild ride lately. What’s behind this volatility? And, as an investor, how concerned should you be?
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Let’s look at the first question first. What caused the steep drop in stock prices we experienced on a few separate days? Essentially, two main factors seem to be responsible. First, some good economic news may actually have played a significant role. A 17-year low in unemployment and solid job growth have begun to push wages upward. These developments have led to fears of rising inflation, which, in turn, led to speculation that the Federal Reserve will tighten the money supply at a faster-than-expected rate. Stocks reacted negatively to these expectations of higher interest rates. The second cause of the market volatility appears to be simply a reaction to the long bull market. While rising stock prices lead many people to continue buying more and more shares, some people actually need to sell their stocks – and this pentup selling demand, combined with short-
term profit-taking, helped contribute to the large sell-offs of recent days.
Now, as for the question of how concerned you should be about this volatility, consider these points:
Sell-offs are nothing unusual. We’ve often experienced big sell-offs, but they’ve generally been followed with strong recoveries. Of course, past performance is not a guarantee of future results, but history has shown that patient, persistent investors have often been rewarded. Fundamentals are strong.
While short-term market movements can be caused by a variety of factors, economic conditions and corporate earnings typically drive performance in the long term. Right now, the U.S. economy is near full employment, consumer and
While short-term market movements can be caused by a variety of factors, economic conditions and corporate earnings typically drive performance in the long term. business sentiment has risen strongly, manufacturing and service activity is at multi-year highs, and GDP growth in 2018 appears to be on track for the best performance since 2015. Furthermore, corporate earnings are expected to rise this year.
So, given this background, what’s your next move? Here are some suggestions:
Review your situation.
You may want to work with a financial professional to evaluate your portfolio to determine if it is helping you make the progress you need to eventually achieve your long-term goals.
Reassess your risk tolerance. If you were unusually upset over the loss in value of your investments during the market pullback, you may need to review your risk tolerance to determine if it’s still appropriate for your investment mix. If you
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feel you are taking on too much risk, you may need to rebalance your portfolio. Keep in mind, though, that by “playing it safe” and investing heavily in vehicles that offer greater protection of principal, but little in the way of return, you run the risk of not attaining the growth you need to reach your objectives.
Look for opportunities.
A market pullback such as the one we’ve experienced, which occurs during a period of economic expansion and rising corporate profits, can give long-term investors a chance to add new shares at attractive prices in an environment that may be conducive to a market rally. A sharp market pullback, such as we’ve seen recently, will always be big news. But if you look beyond the headlines, you can sometimes see a different picture – and one that may be brighter than you had realized. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Claudine Johnson A passion of mine is to advocate for my client's older version of themselves - to make solid financial decisions today that will make a GRAND impact in their retirement years!
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Planning and Organizing Your Estate After the Death of a Spouse
By Kelly O’Brien, Attorney at Law
Rachel was devastated by the death of her husband. When her husband was alive they shared many common hobbies. They enjoyed traveling, golfing and spending time with their grandchildren together. However, Rachel’s husband took care of all of their financial and personal planning. Rachel generally knew what they owned, but did not take an active role in managing their assets or planning for their future. Rachel recalled going with her husband to meet with an estate planning attorney several years ago. She knew that he had a Last Will & Testament in place but was not sure it had been updated since her children were minors. Now, Rachel’s children had children of their own. Rachel also believed that her name was on all of their investment accounts but she was unsure where their investments were held. Moreover, she was unsure who to contact after her husband’s death to find out more about their estate plan and investments. Eventually, Rachel located their wills, account statements and titles to their property. To determine what to do next she decided to meet with an estate attorney. Upon review of the documents the attorney informed Rachel that their investments were titled in her husband’s name, alone and Rachel was not listed on the account. Further, some of their accounts did not have any beneficiaries listed and one of their rental properties was titled in her husband’s name, individually.
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Due to the titling of certain assets, Rachel had to file a petition to open a probate proceeding for the administration of her husband’s estate. It was unfortunate for Rachel that she had to spend additional time and expense on a probate administration for the simple purpose of transferring title of assets she technically owned into her own name. Moreover, because her husband had not updated his will in several decades the probate process was more involved than necessary. After Rachel’s husband’s estate was finally settled, she vowed to be more organized. She planned to keep the title to her assets updated and to keep her children informed about her estate. She also decided to update her own estate plan so that the process of handing her estate would be simplified for her children and grandchildren. From a statistical standpoint women tend to live longer than men, so the chances of a woman outliving a spouse are greater than for her male counterpart. With that in mind, it is especially important for women, like Rachel, to take an active role in estate planning. Every woman should understand the essential elements of estate planning and have a plan in place that addresses what happens in the event of an unexpected death or disability. Perhaps more importantly, women need to ensure that these documents are updated when life changes. However, anyone who has recently experienced a major life change, such as the death of a spouse or other close loved one, should have an updated
estate plan in place. Titles to assets and beneficiary designation of the assets should be updated and kept current. It is important to set out how assets should be distributed in the event of an unexpected death, and equally important to designate an individual to manage assets in the case of an unexpected disability. By understanding a few key elements, and keeping yourself organized, you can help protect yourself, and your loved ones, from unnecessary complications.
First, Get Yourself Organized
If you did not take an active role in the planning of your estate and finances prior to the death of a spouse, it is especially important that you take some time after the death of a spouse to get organized. Some actions to consider to organize yourself and estate are as follows:
· Locate and Review Asset Information: This includes locating bank statements, investment statements, insurance policies, titles to vehicles, deeds to real property, tax statements and any other information on your assets. Once you have located this information review the documentation to ensure that names are updated to remove a deceased spouse. Also review the beneficiaries listed for your accounts to ensure the beneficiary designations are current. · Create Lists for Yourself: Make a list of all of your financial assets, including life insurance policies, retirement accounts, investment ac-
By understanding a few key elements, and keeping yourself organized, you can help protect yourself, and your loved ones, from unnecessary complications. counts, stocks, bonds, and bank accounts, along with the specific beneficiary for each account. Also, make a list of all of your financial, tax and legal advisors including your CPA, financial advisors, insurance agents, attorneys, health care providers and any religious or other personal advisors. Anytime you experience a subsequent life change or a major change in assets, review this list and make the appropriate changes. Keep a copy of this list with your estate planning documents. · Seek Professional Advice: Schedule a meeting with all of your advisors to discuss your own financial and estate plan. If you do not have your own advisors, take the opportunity to interview advisors to find someone that is a good fit for you. · Review Your Income and Expenses: With the assistance of your advisors, review your financial situation to determine an overall budget and personal plan. Your personal income and expenses may be different after the passing of a spouse so it is important to have a clear budget and financial plan to ensure you have sufficient assets during your lifetime.
Update or Create Your Estate Plan
If you do not have an estate plan in place upon the death of your spouse then it is essential to create an estate plan. Even if you are not quite ready to execute a comprehensive estate plan, it is critical to at least have a minimal will, which appoints your personal representative and sets out your plan of distribution. In addition, you should have durable powers of attorney for health care and financial decisions which will allow you to have a choice in who would manager your affairs in the event of a disability or incapacity. Estate planning is also the process by which you appoint who you want to be responsible for carrying out your wishes for your assets, family and health care decisions. Essentially, estate planning enables you to be in control of what happens to your property upon your death or incapacity. At a minimum your estate planning update should include the following elements:
A Will and/or Revocable Living Trust
These are formal documents that describe how and when to divide and distribute your assets upon your death. Whether you need a simple will, or a more complex trust, depends on your specific circumstances. Speak with an estate planning attorney to determine whether a will or trust is more appropriate for your situation.
Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Decisions
A durable power of attorney for financial decisions is a document wherein you appoint another individual to make financial decisions on your behalf in the event of an incapacity or disability. If you executed a durable power of attorney for financial decisions
which appointed your deceased spouse as your agent, then it is necessary to execute a new power of attorney as soon as practical. If you do not have a durable power of attorney in place it is critical to execute one so that your bills will be paid and your care will be provided for by the person you choose in the event of a disability without the need for a court proceeding.
Health Care Power of Attorney and Other Health Care Directives
A durable power of attorney for health care allows you to appoint another individual to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event of a disability or incapacity. This includes decisions regarding medical consents and life support issues. It is imperative to update your health care power of attorney upon the death of a spouse to ensure that your vital health and personal care decisions will be provided for by the person of your choosing and you can avoid any unnecessary process or delays.
Beneficiary Designations and Payable on Death Designations
Perhaps one of the easiest and most important things you can do to take control of your estate plan is to make sure that you have designated beneficiaries for all of your financial assets, and keep these beneficiaries updated. If you list an individual as a beneficiary of a financial asset, that individual becomes the legal owner, immediately, upon your death without the need for probate. It is especially important to update your beneficiaries upon the death of a spouse. The last thing you want your family to have to deal with is a probate proceeding or other unintended beneficiary after you are gone. Work with your financial planner, or check with your specific financial institution on how to make and update beneficiary changes.
Plan ahead
While no one wants to think about the loss of a spouse or partner, it is critical that women discuss their financial matters and estate plan with their spouse before a death. It is equally critical that women take an active role in decision making and organization. If you take the opportunity to discuss these issues with your spouse you can help to prepare yourself and your family for the unexpected so that you can have an active role in these important decisions. The death of a spouse is an emotional and exhausting time.The last thing anyone wants to think about is legal paperwork. However, the death of a loved one is an example of a life change that requires an examination of your financial and estate plan. It is a time that requires either an update or a whole new estate plan to avoid unintended consequences for you and your family. Discuss your thoughts and concerns with an estate planning attorney to ensure that your estate plan reflects your current situation and ensures that you and your loved ones are protected and prepared. If you have any questions about estate planning, probate or estate administration contact Kelly O’Brien, Measure, Sampsel, Sullivan & O’Brien, P.C. at (406) 752-6373/ www.measurelaw.com
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This article is intended for educational and information purposes only, it is not intended to act as legal advice.
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Rebecca Farm new home to ‘Junior Olympics’ of eventing Prestigious championship booked in Flathead Valley for two years Only a location that has been scouted and rigorously reviewed is able to host the premier championship for North America’s best young riders. After an overwhelmingly successful opening in 2017, Rebecca Farm has once again been designated as the host site for the 2018 and 2019 North American Junior/Young Rider Championships,
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known as “The Junior Olympics” of eventing. This is the only FEI championship hosted in North America.
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The 2018 championship will coincide with the Event at Rebecca Farm to be held July 18-22.
“We have proven ourselves as a viable competition site,” event organizer, Sarah Broussard, said. “Rebecca Farm was approved to host based on our strong record and the event’s success being hosted for the first time last year.”
The North American Junior/Young Rider Championships brings together the sport’s highest ranking junior and young riders, ages 14 to 21, from across the globe; it tests skill, discipline and endurance. Teams of qualified riders from North America and Canada will vie for team and individual medals in the Olympic equestrian discipline of eventing, which consists of show jumping, dressage, and cross-country. “The Young Rider competition is a fundamental first step for competitive riders,” Broussard said. “This is the rider’s first time on a team and early exposure is very important to advance.”
Young riders will compete in CCI* and CIC2* divisions, demanding levels of competition similar to what seasoned riders face at The Event at Rebecca Farm, Broussard says. “A lot of upper-level [riders seen at The Event at Rebecca Farm] took part in competitions like these when they were younger,” Broussard notes.
The championship is ideal for younger riders looking to build a following and establish themselves. “Recruiters often attend, seeking to cultivate young talent,” Broussard said. “They’re on the lookout for those showing promise for the international U. S. eventing team.” Broussard is intimately familiar with the FEI event. As a former junior champion herself, Broussard easily recalls winning on such a large stage, feeling “special knowing everyone there was already a champion.” Now hosting FEI for the second year, and plans for a third, Broussard looks forward to creating the same palpable sense of arrival for these young riders. “Young Rider was huge in my career. It was my first time on an international stage. There is a sense of responsibility not only to yourself but to
the rest of your team. It’s humbling to now have the opportunity to host the same event that was so important in my growth, both as a person and as a competitor.”
With the continuation of the event in 2018 and 2019, more participants and spectators are anticipated to come to the Flathead Valley. The Event welcomed more than 600 competitors and 10,000 spectators in 2017. “We are pleased to welcome new folks to the Flathead Valley each year and to showcase all the community has to offer.”
To gain a sense of the Event’s importance, both to the community, and to young riders, visit Rebecca Farm’s YouTube channel to see the competition in action. For more information, visit www.rebeccafarm.org.
ABOUT THE EVENT AT REBECCA FARM The Event at Rebecca Farm presented by Montana Equestrian Events is held every July in Kalispell, Montana. One of the largest equestrian triathlons in the United States, The Event also boasts some of the world’s finest scenery. Each year the competition draws hundreds of riders of all levels, from amateur to Olympians. Rebecca Farm features ten courses, ranging in difficulty from novice to Olympic qualifier. The courses were originally developed by world-renowned course designer, Mark Phillips, and in 2012, Scottish equestrian Ian Stark redesigned them. Known for his immense contributions to Eventing, Stark has won multiple Olympic medals and was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. For more information, visit www.rebeccafarm.org.
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profile}
New Video Release by
Halladay Quist
On Earth Day, April 22, 2018, Halladay Quist will release a new music video of “ The Mermaid ” song filmed on location and dedicated to the historic Sip N' Dip Lounge at the O'Haire Motor Inn in Great Falls, Montana.
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“The Mermaid” song was written and recorded in Nashville with The Sip N Dip in mind from the beginning. "It has been my pleasure to attempt to capture the eccentric mystique of this incredible venue," Quist said. The video release will also include an EP release with a remastered version of “The Mermaid” song and a few other tunes the artist has recently recorded. April 22 will be an evening of celebration of one of Montana's most unique venues. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m. and entry is free to the public. Visit www.halladayquist.com for more information.
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health}
Understanding Herbal Extracts Most trips to the health food store offer a dizzying array of natural remedies, vitamins and supplements. Often, tucked away taking the back seat to capsules, powders and oils, you’ll come across rows of amber glass bottles with black dropper lids. These bottles are filled with liquid and labeled as an extract or tincture of a plant or an herb. What exactly is in those little bottles?
Herbal extracts and tinctures, in simple terms, are liquid remedies carrying the beneficial properties of plants; their leaves, flowers, roots and even the bark of certain trees. Alcohol, distilled water, glycerin and vinegar are used in a variety of processes as the medium for extracting and capturing nature’s treasures for our benefit.
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A tincture generally contains very high alcohol content, while an extract can be alcohol-free
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or will have a low alcohol content. Most processes use more than one extracting medium and may or may not involve the use of.
The benefits of using an herbal remedy in liquid form are nearly as simple as the golden extracts themselves.
Purity
Extracts are very pure. The process at any reputable manufacturer is simple as there is no need for any additives like the dangerous fillers, flow agents or glue that is routinely used in capsule and tablet manufacturing. It’s just pure, plant extract.
Powerful form of delivery
If you want an herbal remedy that really works, liquid herbal extracts are definitely it. According to Terry Willard, PhD of Wild Rose College and author of the classic textbook Modern Herbology liquid extracts are up to 70% more effective than tablets or encapsulated herbs. The liquid form is much
more easily assimilated into the body and the alcohol acts as an effective carrier into the blood stream. This benefit is especially valuable when quick relief is needed or in an acute situation. In fact, the benefits of a bitter herbal extract begin as soon as it hits your tongue. Science proves that the bitter taste causes neurotransmitters to trigger positive responses throughout the digestive system instantaneously.
As for capsules and tablets, the plant matter used to make them is ground into a fine powder months in advance of production, exposing the beneficial properties to rapid oxidation. Plus, when the capsule or tablet reaches your stomach, it must then be broken down by digestive fluids before it is finally available for use towards benefiting your health.
Child Friendly
Many moms have patiently ground tablets or opened capsules and mixed the powder with food or drink and, by coercion or bribing, convinced her unwilling child to finally consume the mixture. There’s a reason why
Because extracts are
a naturally concentrated remedy, infants only need a few drops and children need less than a ¼ teaspoon in general. And, while we can’t offer a flavor of the month like your pharmacy does, children will often develop a taste for high-quality extracts and even ask for them. health}
herbal medicine
your pharmacy offers your child’s medicine in liquid form. It’s universally easier and more safe for children to simply drink their medicine.
Because extracts are a naturally concentrated remedy, infants only need a few drops and children need less than a ¼ teaspoon in general. And, while we can’t offer a flavor of the month like your pharmacy does, children will often develop a taste for high-quality extracts and even ask for them. Plus, extracts from plants like Elderberry and Peppermint are naturally delicious (and kid-safe!).
At Mountain Meadow Herbs, we produce liquid extracts of over 200 organically grown or wild crafted herbs. Bottled individually or combined into targeted formulas, you can find natural health solutions that work. So, next time you’re headed to the health food store, keep an eye out for liquid herbal extracts from Mountain Meadow Herbs. If your local store doesn’t offer them, we invite you to visit our retail store or find us online.
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Enjoy locally made extracts, produced fresh daily from Mountain Meadow Herbs. www.mmherbs.com or 1019 Hard Rock Rd. Somers, MT.
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Are You An Engaged Patient? By Laura Bermel, Patient Experience Manager, Kalispell Regional Medical Center
When you or a family member needs medical care for an illness or injury, you expect the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers to be engaged in your care and provide you with the best possible experience. However, there is one more person who is integral to your patient experience – you! There are many specific things patients can do to be partners in their own care and become engaged patients.
Look for information to help you understand your health and health condition. Look for
information online or at your library to help you understand your health condition, symptoms, issues involved in your care, and treatment choices. Write down any questions or concerns to share with your healthcare team. To find trustworthy information, ask your healthcare provider about recommended websites or apps. North Valley Hospital’s Health Library (nvhosp.org) is a good resource for reliable health information.
Get ready for your next healthcare visit.
Write what’s most important for your healthcare team to know about you, your current problem, your symptoms and your health history. Create a concise list of questions and concerns, and let your provider know at the beginning of your visit that you would like to discuss these questions. Bring pill bottles from all your medications to ensure your medication list is accurate. Review medication handouts from the pharmacy to discuss possible side effects of medications. Bring a family member with you to your appointment as a “second set of ears.” Bring other forms of data (blood pressure recordings, blood glucose recordings, daily weights) to your appointment. When tests or new medicines are ordered, ask if there are side effects you need to know about and whether or not the new medicine interacts with any current medicine you take. When tests are ordered, ask if there are
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alternative tests or what would happen if you don’t have this test. If you’re planning a hospital stay, bring a family member or close friend with you. This needs to be someone who can listen to care planning conversations and help you make decisions about care.
Keep track of and organize your medical information. Keep a record of your medical care
for your files. Enroll in the Kalispell Regional Healthcare myHealth patient portal to access your healthcare information and look at your health records. With myHealth, you can access your secure personal health information from many of your providers in one place. If you have a team of providers, or see specialists regularly, they can post results and reminders there. Providers can see what other treatments and advice you are getting. This can lead to better care and better management of your medicines. In addition, e-mail reminders and alerts help you to remember things like annual checkups and flu shots. After a medical appointment, ask for a copy of the visit summary and tests that were done. Ask for a summary of your medical appointment at the end of each appointment. Keep a detailed typed medical record with you as you move or travel to other places.
Give feedback on your experiences. Complete any surveys you get from your healthcare providers that ask about your experiences at your most recent visit. Kalispell Regional Healthcare hospitals and clinics send patient satisfaction surveys regularly to those who have visited our facilities. Write a letter to your local clinic or hospital about the care you received or tell your doctors and nurses what went well and what could be improved. If you experience a problem with the quality or safety of care you get, inform your healthcare provider and check back about what they did to resolve it. Contact your local clinic or hospital and volunteer to be a patient and family advisor.
Advisors share their experiences and provide input to help healthcare organizations provide better care. If your local clinic doesn’t work with patient and family advisors, ask them to consider doing so. “These forms of patient engagement are really helpful because they help the patient to be more informed about their health care and improve communication with providers enabling both the provider and the patient to better understand what the other is saying,” says Doug Nelson, MD, pediatrician and internal medicine physician at Family HealthCare in Kalispell. “Improving communication helps decrease errors and misunderstandings and leads to improved treatment and happier patients and providers.”
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What your Callus May be Telling You By Esther Barnes, DPM, FACFAS
Calluses on your feet represent more than just dry skin and the need for lotion. They may be telling you about underlying problems with your bones, joints and movements. Calluses, whether from friction (rubbing) or pressure, often stem from underlying biomechanical imbalances, which at times can lead to more trouble than the callus itself. Officially known as hyperkeratosis, calluses involve the thickening of the skin in response to some type of pressure, rubbing or irritation. Although hyperkeratosis is your body’s natural way of protecting itself, calluses can lead to a decreased sensitivity of the foot and more severe issues, such as corns, pain, limping, and reduced mobility. In people who have neuropathy related to diabetes or other reasons, the calluses can progress into ulcerations, and sometimes infections. Paying attention to calluses at their earliest stages can help you address and correct
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the underlying causes while avoiding more severe problems down the line.
How Calluses Form
Abnormal pressure, rubbing, or irritation on your foot causes your skin to want to protect itself from such violation, which in turn causes it to develop thickened, or excessive skin formation, also known as calluses. Mechanical stress from poorly fitting shoes (too big, too small, too narrow, or slip on) and abnormal foot biomechanics can be to blame, as can bony prominences or deformities (i.e. bunions) that result in increased friction on certain areas of the feet.
What They Could Indicate
Calluses formed by abnormal foot biomechanics are generally telling you, quite simply, your gait, or the way you walk, is altered. The position of the calluses can indicate exactly how your gait is compromised, which is best understood by reviewing how your feet were designed to move. During a normal gait, the heel strikes the ground first and the foot is briefly rigid. The foot then immediately turns into a flexible structure as it unlocks the ankle hinge joint, adapts to the ground beneath it, then again becomes a rigid lever you use to push off the ground. Your big toe area is meant to take most of your body weight, while the other toes pick up the balance. Normal gaits typically don’t lead to callus formation.
An abnormal gait, often caused by disturbances in the bones and joints of your foot, can cause undue pressure and irritation on specific areas of your foot and the development of calluses. Where calluses form can frequently pinpoint where the problem lies:
Callus Distribution Patterns A. On the ball of the foot beneath the base of the 2nd toe: Caused by an elongated 2nd toe
or shortened big toe, where the big toe doesn’t bear weight as it should, and pressure is shifted to the base of the 2nd toe. People with this foot structure often have other symptoms, such as inflammation of the joint at the base of the 2nd toe.
B. On the ball of the foot beneath the bases of
the 2nd and 3rd toes, and on the outer edge of the big toe, known as a “pinch callus:” Caused
by altered movements during the gait cycle, where the big toe again doesn’t bear weight as it should, and acts as if it is elevated or raised which can occur with some bunions or cases of arthritis of the big toe joint.
C. On the ball of the foot beneath the bases of the big toe and 5th toe: Caused by a type of high arched foot caused by a lowering of the bone behind
health} the big toe, which in turn causes the arch height and weight to be shifted to the outside of the foot, at the base of the 5th toe. People with these feet oftentimes have other symptoms related to the high-arched foot (recurrent ankle sprains, sesamoiditis).
D. On the ball of the foot beneath the bases of the big toe and 2nd toe: Similar cause as outlined in B but not as pronounced. E. On the ball of the foot beneath the base of the 5th toe: Caused by
a type of high arched foot type that places most weight on the outside of the foot and little to no weight on the inside of the foot. People with these feet, like those described in C, often suffer other issues related to this foot structure.
F. On the entire center portion of the ball of the foot: Caused tight calves essentially. People with these feet can have general pain in the balls of the feet. How to Address the Issues
A two-step plan of action can help by 1.) first alleviating any symptoms
then 2.) addressing the underlying cause. Calluses caused by poorly fitted footwear may respond to an easy fix of supportive, quality, non-slip-on shoes. Podiatrists can help alleviate the initial symptoms by treating / paring (scraping) the skin lesion itself. However, the skin lesion will likely recur if the underlying mechanical abnormality is not also addressed, whether it be with stretches, shoe recommendations, and modified over-the-counter or custom orthotics. Your podiatrist can help you with this, as well. Exercise programs that focus on proper biomechanics and keeping your gait and feet properly strengthened and stabilized can help with calluses caused by faulty movement patterns or foot abnormalities. Pilates and Foundation Training programs are wise choices, as both strengthen your core. If you have diabetes, or neuropathy for other reasons, you should not attempt to treat the callus yourself as you can injure yourself (trim too close) and not realize it, which can cause a sore that does not heal and / or becomes infected. Consult your podiatrist for assistance.
How can calluses be prevented?
· To avoid corns and calluses on the feet, always have both feet professionally measured when buying shoes, and only wear correctly fitting shoes. · Make sure that both feet are measured since your feet may be slightly different sizes. · Avoid shoes with sharply pointed toes and high heels. · Replace your shoes regularly. · If you have hammertoes - toes that are buckled under - make sure that the shape of your shoes offers plenty of room to accommodate the toes.
Dr. Esther Barnes, DPM, FACAS
practices at Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Clinic in Kalispell, where she enjoys treating all foot and ankle concerns. She is certified, in both Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot / Ankle Surgery, by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
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Osteoporosis Osteoporosis literally means porous bones. Followingmenopause,womenareatincreased risk for development of osteoporosis due to the sharp decline in estrogen levels during this transition. One in two women over the age of 50 will break a bone due to decreased bone density or osteoporosis. There are varied risk factors for osteoporosis. Women should understand their individual risks, talk to their practitioners about when screening is right for them, and learn about prevention and if needed, treatment of osteoporosis.
Risk factors
Caucasian women have about a 20% risk of developing osteoporosis whereas Black women have about a 5% risk. Women who start with lower bone density, such as petite women or those who have gone prolonged periods without menstruating, are at greater risk for development of osteoporosis. Typically, after age 30 women
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By Kimberley Forthofer, ARNP
are no longer building bone density but begin the gradual loss of bone density. Women between the ages of 20 and 80 lose about onethird of their bone density during this time. Having a family history of osteoporosis also increases risk. Smoking and excessive alcohol intake increase a woman’s risk of fracture and once an osteoporotic fracture occurs, women are at increased risk for additional fractures.
Screening
Current guidelines recommend starting screening at age 65 unless risk factors exist. If a woman has one or more risk factors, screening can be obtained prior to age 65. All women who are post-menopausal who have suffered a fracture should begin screening. Screening is most typically done with low radiation dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Diagnosis is based on what is known as a T-score. A T-score of -2.5 is indicative of osteoporosis.
Treatment
Calcium and vitamin D are always recommended in the treatment of osteoporosis. Adequate dietary calcium is preferred, but supplementation may be required if women cannot obtain enough calcium from their diet.
The current recommended dosage is 1,200 mg of calcium and 400-1000 IU of vitamin D a day. Weight bearing exercise also helps to improve bone density and daily exercise is recommended. Unfortunately, biking and swimming do not fall into this category but various other forms of exercise do, including weight training and tai chi, which have additional benefits of improving balance. Medications may also be recommended. Therapy may range from a daily oral pill to once yearly intravenous medication. Hormone therapy with estrogen may be an effective and safe option for women who are also experiencing menopausal symptoms. Vaginal estrogen preparations are not absorbed well enough to benefit bone health; however, other preparations of estrogen such as patches may be an effective option. Women who are post-menopausal, whether through surgical removal of the ovaries or the natural process of menopause, lose bone density at an accelerated rate for a period of approximately 5 to 8 years. Nearly half of all Caucasian women 50 or older have low bone density without a diagnosis of osteoporosis.
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Taking steps to prevent bone density loss by assuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, along with weight bearing exercise, helps maintain bone health. After menopause, women need to talk with their practitioners and discuss their personal and family history to determine when to start screening for osteoporosis. Taking steps to prevent bone density loss by assuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, along with weight bearing exercise, helps maintain bone health. Exercise also has the added benefit of fall prevention and reduces the risk of osteoporotic fractures. Kimberley Forthofer, ARNP joined Kalispell OB/GYN in July of 2013. She was raised in Whitefish and returned to the Flathead Valley after working for 4 years as a primary care provider in Idaho. She offers a wide range of experience in primary care as well as women’s health and her clinical experience includes both acute and chronic care. She and her husband, Joe, have two children and have enjoyed getting back to the outdoor recreational opportunities that Montana offers.
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Control, Alt, Adjust
Healing From Depression Without Drugs By Dr. C. Claude Basler, DC, Basler Family Chiropractic
The power of your thoughts is not a new concept. How you think directly influences every aspect of your overall health. Studies have proven over and over again that you can create what you want or how you feel based on your thought process. The downside of this concept is the negative thought process. The amount of depression that our society has been experiencing in the past decades is sky-rocketing out of proportion.
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Between 2011 and 2014, approximately one in nine Americans of all ages reported taking at least one antidepressant medication in the past month (Center For Disease Control and Prevention). Even more staggering is that up to 30% of children have an anxiety disorder, typically anxiety disorder occurs first then depression (Anrig, Plaugher).
Learning how to battle this epidemic internally begins with understanding your central nerve system (CNS). The pursuit of diagnostic certainty can have real consequences for depression. The U.S. health care system has been subject to heated debate over the past decade, but one thing that has remained consistent is the level of performance, which has been ranked as the worst among industrialized nations for the fifth time, according to the 2014 Commonwealth
Fund survey 2014 (TIME Health). Typically someone will be diagnosed with depression which can open up Pandora’s lab and lead to them to being over diagnosed with other “ailments” to explain the depression.
Understanding the Birth Of Stress
The birth of the word “stress” was developed and coined by Hans Selye, a HungarianCanadian endocrinologist. His work revolved around the General Adaption Syndrome, or GAS, a theory of stress. When your emotions such as obligations, bills, anger, guilt, children, etc. take effect on your body, you begin an internal response of fight or flight. Fight or flight is the normal HEALTHY response that you trigger when your body perceives a stressful situation. When your body triggers the response over and over again, your CNS gets stuck in its inability to adapt to the stress.
Rewards and benefits from normal adjustments support dopamine and ATP sensitivity and function, improve energy, relieve STRESS, support optimal brain health, and elevate mood. When your CNS cannot adapt to stress, your body begins to revolt neurologically. Subluxations occur within the spine, placing undo stress and tension on the CNS that can go on for years unnoticed and neglected. This is equivalent to road construction on an 8 lane highway that has been reduced to 2 lanes. It becomes a catch – 22 because the system that is supposed to keep you functioning begins to break down. People that are depressed and are battling stressors often say that they can feel stress in their shoulders. Imagine what your body is covering up and what you are not feeling as a result of your stressors. When fight or flight exists for period of time, your body enters into a pathological state of dis-ease which is ongoing from unrelieved stress.
Healing From Within
The number one reason why people seek specific chiropractic care is due to their inability to adapt and heal from emotional stress. I.E. depression, anxiety, PTSD, behavioral problems, etc. Specific chiropractic adjustments change how you think…literally. Rewards and benefits from normal adjustments support dopamine and ATP sensitivity and function, improve energy, relieve STRESS, support optimal brain health, and elevate mood. Chemically, dopamine and ATP levels in the brain elevate after receiving an adjustment. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for happiness and other emotions. It is essential for normal functioning of the central nervous system. While ATP is considered the energy currency of life, it provides energy to do just about everything you want to do. These two name just a few changes that occur after a check-up.
Understanding Your Depression #1 Emotions (taxes, being late, deadlines, family) create the chemical cascade of your stress response: increasing adrenalin, cortisol, cholesterol, and blood glucose, while decreasing serotonin and melatonin levels.
#2 Physiological response begins. Your blood pressure will begin to rise as well as your heart rate. Immune system function decreases as well as your ability to sleep and have motivation and drive throughout the day.
#3 As the body plays this tune over and over
again like a broken record you begin to express yourself outwardly which changes who you are. Symptoms begin to appear and you perceive them as “normal”. uEmotion uChemical Cascade uPhysiological Response uExpression Outwardly uDepression
Getting an adjustment is like hitting the Control + Alt + Delete buttons. It clears your CNS of unwanted neurological harm and reboots your brain so it can run like new again. Your CNS is vulnerable to daily living and often times can get stuck in a depressive state for days, months, and even years if not properly checked. Staying welladjusted means staying happy and healthy.
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ask the skin coach
Hidden Causes of Breakouts that will Surprise You By Erin Blair, Licensed Esthetician + Certified Health Coach
Q:
I’m very careful with the products I use on my face. I follow your recommendations for skin care and makeup, yet I have recently experienced a new wave of breakouts and I don’t know why. Help!
A: OK, let’s tackle some of the most common (and overlooked) possible reasons for your inexplicable breakouts.
The sneaky things that clog your skin
Here’s a rundown of some of the zit causing mistakes my clients are making without realizing it. Keep in mind that if you have a partner, the products they use on their skin, hair and laundry also carry the potential to break you out! If he’s touching you, his products are touching you too ;).
Hair products
Most hair products are terribly clogging, and practically everyone believes their hair doesn’t touch their face, so they don’t give it due credit. Make no mistake. Products such as creams, gels and sprays migrate to the face
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through sweat and movement, even if you’re completely diligent about not getting them on your skin during application. Shampoo and conditioner should be free of the cloggers on my Naughty List (available at www. SkinTherapyStudio.com) even though you’re rinsing them out. And leave-in conditioners, oils and styling products are absolute deal breakers if they contain clogging ingredients!
The trend to use coconut, argan and moroccan oil in the hair is wreaking havoc for the acne prone. If you feel you absolutely must use oil in your hair, switch to sunflower (NOT higholeic) or squalane (NOT squalene) or jojoba. Liquid (fractionated) coconut oil is safe. If you’re a woman, this also applies to popular beard oil treatments that your partner might be using.
Hand and body products
Hand and body products can make their way to your face, so be sure to only use acne safe, non-clogging hand lotion and sanitizers and wash your hands with soap after applying any clogging moisturizers to, for instance, your legs and feet. I recommend Vanicream hand and body moisturizer. Typical gel sanitizers are terribly clogging, but the Burt’s Bees and Honest Co. sprays are acne safe.
Other stuff that touches your skin
Laundry products that contain fragrance, dyes and softeners will exacerbate your breakouts. Switch to a ‘free and clear’ type of detergent and absolutely do not use any type of liquid softener or dryer sheets, fragrance free, organic or otherwise...they all leave a waxy residue on the skin that’s known to clog pores.
Laundry products that contain fragrance, dyes and softeners will exacerbate your breakouts.
health} Fragrance and perfumes should be avoided if possible. If you’re not willing to forego it, then spray on an area of your clothing that doesn’t touch your skin. Cold and flu season always brings more breakouts around the nose and mouth. Most tissues contain ‘softening’ pore cloggers. Use toilet paper instead. Finally, lip balm should be non clogging, and use toothpaste free of SLS if you experience breakouts around your mouth. So there you have it. The moral of the story? EVERY product that directly or indirectly comes in contact with your breakout-prone skin must be vetted as non clogging. Of course there are other factors that contribute to breakouts such as diet and supplements, prescription and recreational drugs, stress, and hormones...but all the stuff that touches your skin is a huge piece of the puzzle that cannot be taken lightly if you want to stay clear.
Erin Blair, LE CHC owns Skin Therapy Studio, where she embraces a creative method of treatments, products and coaching to get skin clear... and keep it that way. It's a 'whole person' approach to difficult skin concerns. Visit SkinTherapyStudio.com for more info, and to submit questions for Ask the Skin Coach.
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Physio Whitefish Photo by Amanda Wilson Photography
Is this really happening? I asked myself as I signed the closing documents for a brand new commercial unit in downtown Whitefish. After running my own practice in San Francisco for several years out of a tiny little box, it was hard to imagine that I would ever find myself in a place where I could really expand my practice and grow roots in a community that, upon my arrival, felt like a true homecoming.
My fiancé and I have lived a nomadic lifestyle over the last five years with seasonal jobs in Antarctica and although that was an extraordinary adventure, I feel so blessed and so ready to ground myself in this gem of Montana with Big Mountain and Glacier National Park out my back door. Upon receiving my Doctorate in 2004 from the Physical Therapy Program at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, I knew that I was going to do things differently. Having put the cart ahead of the horse, I found myself managing a clinic for a large conglomerate in the heart of San Francisco
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and I soon realized that my goals did not align with that of the corporation I was representing. I was determined to take the giant and rather impulsive leap into private practice with the intention to provide a more dependable and effective style of treatment. It was my belief that in providing the highest quality of care, it was critical to establish continuity and consistency. I wanted my patients to walk through the door and know that they would see me and only me for one full hour of direct, one on one physical therapy that would involve a good dose of manual therapy. This was my goal in 2007 and it is still my goal today. This is my standard of practice, my business motto, and my guarantee. Midway through my career, I was struggling with my own physical pain related to repetitive strain from practicing manual therapy. I’ll never
forget the fear I experienced when questioning whether or not I could continue providing the same caliber of care I had promised to my patients. After working with my own physical therapist on a weekly basis and discovering the powerful physical and mental benefits of yoga, I was able to manage my conditions without modifying my treatment standards. That was when I decided to become a yoga instructor. Prior to that, I was fearful of yoga, believing that I wasn’t capable or flexible enough to practice asana. Before long, I was teaching yoga to patients of all ages and patients suffering from a variety of physical ailments, including those with a history of mental illness. Yoga and meditation have offered a myriad of benefits to both my physical and mental well-being and I wish to offer those same benefits to my patients as their teacher. I currently teach yoga privately
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I wanted my patients to walk through the door and know that they would see me and only me for one full hour of direct, one on one physical therapy that would involve a good dose of manual therapy. to those who are interested, but I also teach group yoga at Mandala Montana for Christen Rak, who has helped better my practice over the past four years and has truly excelled in creating a wonderful, grounding space for both her teachers and patrons. After moving to Whitefish, I was fortunate to find a small space for rent from Douglas Pitman, MD, who happened to have lived and worked in my hometown of Lusk, Wyoming before I was born. This was a fateful intersection that allowed me to establish myself as a seasonal therapist. When Brian, my fiancĂŠ and I decided to purchase a home and our days of darting off to Antarctica were coming to a close, I was ready to really focus on my career. It was time to find a bigger space for my practice where I could begin my journey toward establishing a wellness center for the community. While sitting at my old office, I learned the reason for the last minute cancellation that had just occurred when Delia Buckmaster, owner and operator of Exhale Pilates, walked by and we took the time to discuss future plans and dreams. Despite the fears and challenges that come with change, the
dream has become a reality. With Delia Pilates on board in my new location, we will be offering a collaborative approach to rehabilitation that will include a myriad of physical therapy techniques, private and group Pilates, private and small group yoga classes, guided meditation, and monthly workshops geared toward health and wellness. It is our mission to become a leading facility in the community for recovery from injury and preventative health practices.
and strengthening with improved recruitment patterns. Dry needling, kinesio taping, cupping, and electrical stimulation are all excellent supplementary modalities that I use to facilitate the healing process. With a strong foundation in manual therapy, it is possible to stimulate great change in the body. From TMJ dysfunction to Plantar Fasciitis, recovery will take place under the right conditions. It is my job to meet those conditions and your body does the rest.
Under the vast umbrella of treatment techniques available in the field of Physical Therapy, I have discovered that the most effective modes of care are manually delivered. Recently, I obtained a certification in the new and untapped art of neural reset therapy, which has shown to be useful in managing trigger points and muscle spasm through the principal of reciprocal inhibition. This followed by joint mobilization, myofascial release, and neuro-mobilization stimulates a change in motor patterns, posture, flexibility, and reduces musculoskeletal imbalances. Once balance has been restored among the joints, muscles and nerves, the body is ready for neuro re-education, postural retraining,
A great deal has changed this year with my new practice, my upcoming marriage and our new home. I am so ready to embrace these transitions, and eager to deliver my skill set to this wonderful community. It is an honor and a privilege to work with the public and provide a space for recovery and injury prevention. It is my mission to serve, to heal, and to always keep learning. There is so much I have yet to discover in this amazing field of physical therapy and I am dedicated to that discovery. Please come experience what is available at Physio Whitefish.
Best Wishes,
Devin Pfister, PT, DPT
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North Valley Hospital Emergency Department
Top Notch Care for the Community By Allison Linville
Ashleigh Magill, MD, had only been working in the North Valley Hospital (NVH) Emergency Department for two months when she was elected as the Medical Director for the department. However, she was more than ready to accept the role, and as a testament to her expertise and leadership ability, she was selected by a team of long time NVH physicians. Dr. Magill’s training took her from medical school at Indiana University to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she completed her residency and taught as an academic attending physician. When she and her husband Mark Magill, MD an orthopedic surgeon with Northwest Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, made the move to Whitefish, she fully stepped into the community and the hospital. “We love everything about this community,” says Dr. Magill. “We immediately felt welcome, and we’ll someday raise a family here. Because we enjoy living here, we wanted to use our profession to give back and continuously work to improve healthcare and provide even better care for the community.”
Dr. Magill details the efforts the emergency department has made to address critical concerns. In the last two years, Dr. Magill and her team in the emergency department have established standard protocols for addressing many conditions, most notably common With the support of administration and medical issues such as:
Dr. Magill knows the essential pieces in establishing high level care is the team she leads and administrators she works with. “Our cohort adapts to changes and takes the best approach to strengthen the standard of care, so our community is confident in the quality of patient care they’ll receive.”
While she attributes the accomplishments at NVH to the emergency department team, it’s also clear that she is a skilled and energetic leader. “Everyone brings their best to the department, and we wouldn’t be able to provide this level of treatment without the sup“Our emergency department offers the highest level of “With sepsis, our improvement in the third quarter care that you will find in a small town critical access of 2017 was at 100% in the ER, which is a huge port of nurses, providers, administration, and hospital, and it’s comparable to healthcare in a major milestone,” she mentions, regarding preventing the in- our amazing community.” leadership, Dr. Magill quickly established a fast path to upgrading all systems at North Valley Hospital to work seamlessly with Kalispell Regional Medical Center and to operate at or above the national standards for emergency care.
metropolitan market nationwide,” explains Dr. Magill. “We had an awesome opportunity to advance our systems a few years ago, and we had a team that was willing to put in the work. Now, the community can come to this ER and get the best standard of care that you would expect anywhere.”
· Sepsis · Heart attacks and cardiac care · Stroke care
hospital infection. “For cardiac care, we consolidated treatment practices, and our stroke care uses the telestroke machine to leverage the resource of our regional stroke center at KRMC.”
“Through collaboration with KRH, we have teamed up to establish consistent standards of care Another community benefit to solidifying the for these conditions that are on par with national exceptional care at the NVH emergency department academic institutions,” says Dr. Magill. “We now see has been aligning care standards with Kalispell Regional opportunities to focus on other medical issues and Medical Center (KRMC). Dr. Magill explains, “We build on our strong emergency care in the system.” have worked closely with KRMC physicians to match a standard of care across the valley. Through this effort, Looking ahead, Dr. Magill is excited to collaborate we can ensure a seamless transition of care and the best more with Kalispell Regional Healthcare leaders and outcome for patients at whichever facility they arrive.” KRMC physicians to continue to improve healthcare valley wide. She sees great potential in developing This has added benefit as the two hospitals work pediatric standards and working with the pediatric together as affiliates of Kalispell Regional Healthcare. specialists at KRH to establish protocols that will “Patients that are transferred also know that the serve families in the entire service area as North transfer will go smoothly when both facilities operate Valley Hospital partners with KRH and the Montana with similar standards and practices,” says Dr. Magill. Children’s Medical Center.
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How to Get More Out Of A Pilates Session By Delia Buckmaster, Pilates Educator Photos by Andrew Chad
As Pilates instructors and fitness professionals, we are honored that our clients choose to work with us, trust us with their fitness journey and are grateful for their loyalty. Our goal is to make sure that they have a positive and beneficial experience and have a good time doing it. We do so by going out of our way to find the best instructors and create a community space to further deepen your love of the practice. However, there are some things you can do as a client that would enhance your experience. Here are some helpful tips on how to get the most out your Pilates studio and your instructors.
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1. Take classes from different instructors.
It is perfectly normal to find a connection with one instructor and fall into a comfortable routine. Likewise, as instructors we cultivate relationships with our clients and become attached, so much that they become a huge part of our daily lives. However, instructors are all unique in how they teach even if they come from the same school of thought. A class or exercise that you’ve done a thousand times before might feel different or make more sense.
2. Take a private lesson when you can.
Private Pilates sessions can be expensive. If at all possible try to budget at least three sessions. These sessions are all about you and can take your group classes to a whole other level. Simple minor adjustments to your form or suggested modifications to an exercise will give you quicker and more positive results. Our classes are smaller than an average gym class, but instructors can only do so much when the hour isn’t focused strictly on you.
3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
One of the most common questions asked is “how many days a week do I need to do this to see results?” Realistically we see clients at the studio an average of 2-4 times a week at an hour each. That means that there are 164 hours that we don't see you at all. Pilates studios are an added value to your fitness routine and life’s activities, not a replacement. Most who come in lessen their chance of injury or gain core strength to run longer distances, hike taller peaks, ski steeper runs, and play freely with their kids, grandkids or dogs. We have several clients who come in because it boosts their self-esteem. Overall results come from a balanced life of exercise and other healthy habits to keep your body strong and your mind happy.
4. Happiness comes from within.
There are so many distractions that can hinder your workout and we get it! Instructors have stressful days, too. We know what it’s like to have sick kids, having to work through lunch, not sleeping the night before and not feeling
health} like a workout. Hopefully you haven’t noticed too often because we when we walk in the door we put on a happy face and a positive attitude. This helps us focus on the client. The same rule should apply to you! The quality of your workout will suffer if you come in with a negative attitude. Try to turn your phone off for one hour and put it away. Focus on the instructor and your breath. Why do you think we start most of our classes with a standing roll down? We are all in this together for that hour.
5. Communicate.
We are awesome but we are not mind readers. Let us know if you have injuries or if you forced yourself to be there that day. If you loved the class we want to know! Was the music too loud or the class to hard? “Squeaky wheel gets the oil.” :) The more we know, the better we can be.
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SMILE LIKE A CHILD by Dr. John F. Miller DDS
There is one question I almost always get asked when someone finds out I’m a dentist. “So like, have you been totally checking out my teeth this whole time?” The answer to that question is...100% yes. I’m sorry, I’m a teeth guy. A smile guy. It gives a whole new meaning to “my eyes are up here.” What precisely am I looking at during that quick glance? There are so many biometric cues that my brain absorbs in fractions of a second. To the lay person there are 3 types of smiles. The first of these is the “Great Smile.” These are the smiles that are putting points in the win column. We think about these smiles long after we see them. These are the real smiles that are infectious. We crave these smiles.
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effect of Great Smiles. They work against their owners and are memorable for the wrong reasons. Lastly, we have the 3rd type of smile. This smile is neither “Great” nor “Not So Great.” This smile does not get noticed. This is the “Meh Smile.” This sounds a little shallow I know, so maybe I can dig my way back into your good graces here. I am not a lay person. I have chosen over the last nine years to study every nook and cranny of the human mouth and have looked at thousands. I mentioned biometric cues earlier. Biometry refers to the measurement and analysis of people's unique physical characteristics. These cues include the gingiva (gums), the lips, the shape, shade, and contour of the teeth, the cleanliness, the smell, or lack thereof, and the eyes. That’s right, I mentioned a Great Smile is one that’s genuine and the eyes inform us of a smiles sincerity. These cues are like the paints on the artist’s palette that when mixed together form an altogether unique and individual picture. This picture we would all agree is greater than the sum of its parts, the individual colors themselves.
Now I’m going to give you my definition of a Great Smile. The smile that will catch my attention, in the right way, is the one that’s healthy and genuine. This is the smile of a child that is loved. The healthy part is easy, brush and floss daily, see your hygienist regularly, and make smart decisions when it comes to your diet. Making it real can be the challenge sometimes. Knowing what I know now, I fully appreciate how extremely fortunate I was to have a Mom that was concerned and involved with my oral health as well as the oral health of my siblings. Brushing our teeth morning and night was a big deal around the Miller house. And without fail every six months we would load up the Chevy Comfort Craft Van and head into town for our routine teeth cleanings and exams. These trips were exciting for a variety of reasons. One, we got to miss school. And not just a little bit of school, we had to travel to see the dentist and there were five of us, so it was an all-day affair. Reason number two, we got to go to Pizza Hut and each choose a song out of the Juke-Box.
Knowing what I know now, I fully appreciate how extremely fortunate I was to have a Mom that was concerned and involved with my oral health as well as the oral health of my siblings. Brushing our teeth morning and night was a big deal around the Miller house.
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(Metallica’s Black Album Anyone?) We would hope and pray that we didn’t have any cavities, because we didn’t want the precious Pizza Hut experience to be ruined by numb lips and tongues.
I remember sitting in those dental chairs for what seemed like hours studying the wall paper. The wall paper consisted of photographs blown up to the size of the wall in the dental operatory. One room had horses, another room had forests, and the final room had lakes and streams. Included with all these however, were amazing mountain views in the background. I realize now that all these photographs were taken in Northwest Montana. Being from the dusty and barren high-desert plains of Northeast Arizona, these pictures might as well of been taken on Mars. I was transfixed by the clear and clean water. Fascinated by the snow-dusted mountains, I could just imagine the crispness of the air. The horses I was lukewarm on. Don’t send me any hate mail horse lovers. Then the stars aligned and my family drove from Arizona to Edmonton, Alberta with an extended stop in the Flathead Valley and Glacier Park. I could not, under any circumstances, peel my face away from the car window. Lakes, Streams, Rivers, and Mountains OH MY!! This was the place. It was just like the pictures in the dental office, only without that dental office smell and the inability to move my lips. The violent roar of Upper MacDonald Creek was the soundtrack to an 11-year old’s decision to come back to this amazing place as often as possible and to someday make it home. Ironically it all started in a dental chair in Northern Arizona, where I was making sure to keep my smile healthy because one day I was going to live in Montana, where the smiles are always real. Keep it Real Folks.
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