October November 2009 by 406 Woman

October/November 2009

OUTDOOR WOMAN 54 Fair game Women who hunt

HISTORIC WOMAN

46 MONTANA'S GHOSTLY PAST Through a photographer's lens

ENTERTAINMENT 40 Lessons of the fall Harvest party in Bigfork

SPIRITS

features 10 TAKING CARE OF THE GIRLS Breast health in the Flathead 14 FOR A GOOD CAUSE Whitefish woman walks for breast cancer 22 Heels and Wheels Car queens of the Flathead 30 Silver lining Giving big through direct selling 64 HEALTHY AS A HORSE Winter horse care tips

38 Football and wine A pleasant surprise

FOODS&FLAVORS 34 TRUBY'S A legend returns

ARTS& CULTURE

HEALTH&WELLNESS 16 SKINDEPENDENCE Medi-Lift: Non-surgical anti-aging

28 Shifting from overwhelm Reclaiming balance 66 Big, fat lies Weight loss debunked 74 Welcoming winter Natural flu remedies

SHOP TALK 26 Sweet Pickin’s The Cherry Tree

68 Lending support Artful bra project

44 STORE FOR ALL SEASONS

HOME&GARDEN

52 TERRIFIC TWO Fawn Boutique

50 Fall fireworks Vibrant vegetation

70 Lake retreat redo Ciao’s reasonable remodel

GREEN LIVING

18 Eco-chic Environmentally-conscious couture

The Strawberry Patch

in every issue

58 PROFESSIONAL PROFILES Adoorments Architectural Hardware Integrity Property Management New Image Concepts Mountain West Bank 33 Baker Hair n' Body Insty Prints Bella Colour Salon

NOTE: Although we take utmost care and consideration with our content, unfortunately,

Cover Model Lindi Nelson is the owner of El Topo Cantina in Bigfork.

Hair Styling & Make up by Sharon Tillett of New Image Concepts Wardrobe courtesy of S.M. Bradford Co. Cover Shot by Sara Joy Pinnell, A.YourArtisan Photography 4  406 WOMAN

mistakes are inevitable. Please excuse the following oversight: In the August/September Ovando getaway article, the animal at Clearwater Junction was misidentified as a heifer while it’s actually a Hereford. In the August/September Integrity Property Management Professional Profile, unedited copy ran in place of the revised version, which is on page 58.

Affordable health care plans for the child in your life. For uninsured children, medical care for injuries and illnesses can be expensive. Fortunately, medical coverage isn’t. At Clear One Health Plans, we offer individual plans for children that are simple, reliable and affordable. Any family member can apply, so it’s the perfect way to cover a grandson or niece. And coverage may be approved in as little as three days, so you can take care of the child in your life when they need it most. Which, with kids being kids, is right now.

Wiping out his knee playing basketball shouldn’t wipe out his college fund.

Call 888-863-3637 or your local insurance agent

www.ClearOneHP.com Clear Choice Health Plans is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Assurant Health or any Assurant company or affiliate. The CLEAR CHOICE HEALTH PLAN product is not related to the CLEAR CHOICE health insurance product offered by Assurant Health.

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406 WOMAN  5

from 406 WOMAN FALL THINGS CONSIDERED Here at 406 Woman, fall is our favorite time of year. From the cheery pumpkins lining porches to the rustling of fallen leaves and the promise of impending winter alighting on the wind, fall finds us cozied up in our homes with food in our ovens and reflection in our hearts. This time of year, we settle in and remind ourselves of the things that really matter: Family. If your family isn’t from the Flathead, this may be the time of year when you crave them most. Even for those with family living right next door, like Jonet Kamrud and Kalynn Hamlett (p. 54), fall brings back memories of the past and excitement for sharing time in the future. Health. The pink ribbons floating all over the Flathead remind us that breast cancer is still among us. But as much as we are grateful for our health, we’re also grateful for those who restore health among the stricken—like women doctors Debbie Acord, Sarah Nargi and Melissa Hulvat (p. 10). Home. For many of us, after a summer hiatus, our bodies and minds return home. Home—the place which we scarcely saw beyond shower time all summer long, becomes our sanctuary once more. As we survey our space, we may wonder how to enhance our habitat since we’ll be spending a long winter there. Ciao rises to the occasion and shows us a simple yet dramatic makeover (p. 70). Wealth. In the wake of the recession and the credit crisis, many of us here in the Flathead find ourselves grateful to have jobs and food to eat. For others, like Sue Scheen (p. 30), the feeling to give to others is so compelling that her entire life revolves around it.

Publisher Cindy Gerrity cindy@montanasky.net

Editor Olivia Koernig-Castellino o.koernig@yahoo.com

Business Manager Daley McDaniel daley@montanasky.net

Layout & Design Vanessa Gailey vanessa@bloomcreativellc.com

With shorter days and deeper thoughts, this is a time of thanks, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Cheers,

Staff Photographer Brent Steiner steinerbw@gmail.com

Cindy and Olivia

6477 Hwy 93 S Suite 138, Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-1545 info@406woman.com

Staff Designer/Photographer Sara Joy Pinnell ayourartisan@yahoo.com

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

was first introduced to photography by his mother. When he was 13, she relinquished her 1969 Nikon F to his care, and his passion ignited. In 2003, he bid city life farewell and moved to the Flathead to begin living “the simple kind of life.” Here, Jeffrey is able to immerse himself in scenic wonder on a whim and nurture his love for nature and landscape photography. His work may be viewed and purchased at vonkiperphotography.smugmug.com.

Artist, visionary, lover. Always in pursuit of passion in the art of photography, he is co-founder of angelglass photography, a cooperation of artists seeking to reveal love, art and life in imagery. Based in the Flathead Valley, their work can be viewed at angelglassphotography.com.

was a freelance television cameraman for 35 years before moving to the Flathead Valley in 2003. He took the pictures and his wife, Martha, recorded the audio. Their assignments took them to nearly 70 countries to cover some of the biggest stories of the times. In 1979 they were arrested in Iran, during the hostage crisis, and turned over to the “students” at the U.S. Embassy. In 2004 the Smiths bought a bakery in Kalispell and turned it into perhaps the finest gourmet food and wine shop in Montana.

8  406 WOMAN

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(406) 862-1471 (406) 270-8771 www.haymoonresort.com

406 WOMAN  9

Taking care of the girls

Washing cars for Save A Sister : Drs. Debbie Acord, Sarah Nargi and Melissa Hulvat

by olivia

ost women here in the Flathead probably hope to never meet Drs. Debbie Acord and Melissa Hulvat—at least not in a clinical setting. Some of us may not mind spending time in Dr. Sarah Nargi’s office, but not if it means preceding appointments with Acord and Hulvat. Still, if you’re among the one in eight women who develops breast cancer, and you live in the Flathead, you’re likely to deal with all these women. As a radiologist, breast surgeon and plastic surgeon respectively, these are the girls taking care of “the girls.”

10  406 WOMAN

koernig -CASTELLINO photos by SCOTT MARKSBURY AND BRENT STEINER When something’s wrong As a radiologist in the digital imaging department at HealthCenter Northwest, Acord is the one who sees women with abnormal mammogram results. Where there’s a concern, she steps in for further diagnostic testing. In the Flathead, she’s diagnosed breast cancer in women as young as 26 and as old 90. She’s even found the disease in four or five men here. Surprisingly, results can come as soon as the same day. Acord says she especially makes a point to move quickly when she feels there’s serious cause for alarm. “I’ve had had cases where there’s a palpable mass, and it’s an

obvious cancer,” Acord says. "She may come in one day with a lump, have a biopsy and leave knowing she has breast cancer the same day. Then I refer her to a surgeon, usually Dr. Hulvat.” Midway through her schooling to become a board certified surgeon, Hulvat, a breast surgeon at the Bass Center, knew she wanted to focus on breast care. “General surgery lacked a personal touch. I enjoy seeing patients in the clinic and getting to know them. I want patients to feel that we’re partners before we enter the operating room,” she said. “Breast cancer was a natural fit.” Lucky fellow While Acord completed a women’s imaging fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Hulvat completed a breast cancer fellowship at Northwestern. “I did 342 breast cancer cases in one year,” Hulvat says. “While I hope to not see that volume repeat itself in the Flathead, I did gain considerable experience.” And although a fellowship-trained breast surgeon with nipple- and skin-sparing training is uncommon in a city the size of Kalispell, Hulvat knows the quality of care is here is also uncommon. “I wouldn’t have moved here if I couldn’t provide highest quality of care in this setting,” she said. “For a community this size, the quality is really surprising.” Eye of the beholder Another surprising element in the breast health 406 WOMAN  11

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Taking Care of the Girls

continued

equation is that there are not one but three cosmetic surgeons in the Valley. Whitefish Plastic Surgery's Nargi is the only woman among them, and perhaps the only artist. Nargi prides herself on providing the most natural-looking post-mastectomy reconstruction possible. She believes her art background complements her medical training, allowing her to create a believable breast by the end of the two- or three-stage process. “When I was in med school, with breast cancer reconstruction, the goal was to look normal in clothes,” she says. “My personal goal is to make my patients look normal in swimsuits or even nude, which I was taught was too much to hope for.” “With breast cancer, there’s really a lot of bad news along the way. They get hit with one scary experience after another,” she says. “I love and hate reconstruction.” Still, with the new standard of care being immediate reconstruction following mastectomy, today’s breast cancer patients never have to wake up without breasts. A woman’s touch Although all three women acknowledge that many male physicians are highly capable of treating breast cancer patients, they admit there is something special about having the three of them in one community. “It’s nice for me to have them as colleagues and friends,” Hulvat says. “It’s nice for my clients who want choices, to have not only men but also women physicians to choose from.” As for Acord, she wonders if women may have a heightened sensitivity to breast cancer.

Acord and colleagues

“I think there is an unspoken understanding between a female physician and a female breast cancer patient,” she says. “It’s the same between a male urologist and a man with prostate cancer. There’s just a heightened perception of the patient’s needs.” And Nargi agrees. “I prefer going to female physicians,” she says. “It seems like they’re more apt to listen to my nonsense and how I feel about things.” ‘Til there’s a cure While the national average of women receiving annual mammograms is around 70 percent, in Montana, the average is an alarming 42 percent. Acord finds this unacceptable, especially when research shows that one in eight women will have breast cancer in their life. “Lots of people are going to get breast cancer, but the sooner we catch it the better,” she says. “I’m not sure if women avoid screening because they think it hurts, but breast cancer hurts a lot worse.” Nargi hosted a fundraising car wash to help raise awareness in early October. Hulvat and Acord both donned pink and came out to support the event. "If we found a cure, I would be the happiest unemployed surgeon ever,” Hulvat says. Until then, financial assistance is available to those who qualify. And a recently hired nurse navigator at Kalispell Regional Medical Center guides patients through the three-stage surgery process. “Breast cancer is much more treatable than it used to be,” Acord says. “They’ll have a bumpy road, but it’s not an automatic death sentence.”

For a Good Cause

by olivia koernig -CASTELLINO photos by SCOTT MARKSBURY

For much of her free time this spring and summer, Kara Haugen could be found tackling the streets and trails in and around Whitefish, her sneakers slapping the pavement as she walked NEARLY 400 miles. And while you might guess the mother of two simply likes the exercise, there’s actually a more noble motivation for all that walking. “A part of me likes to challenge myself physically,” Haugen said. “I also like raising money for a cause.” The cause was breast cancer. The challenge was the 2009 Seattle Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60-mile walk/fundraising event that benefits breast cancer research and initiatives.

Cause and effect

For Haugen, the 3-day was the latest in a list of fundraising events she’s been a part of. After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 22, Haugen decided to use the disease as a catapult rather than a crutch. In that vein, she’s raised money for various causes by challenging her body. 14  406 WOMAN

She’s done MS walks. One year, she raised $3,000 and ran a marathon to benefit leukemia research. Last year, she rode 75 miles on her bike in one day to benefit Camp Mak-A-Dream. “While it sucked to be diagnosed with MS at 22, now that I’m 39 and have lived with it for 17 years, I’ve realized I won’t die from it,” Haugen reflected. “I’ve realized there are a lot worse things out there, and that was my motivation in doing some of these things.” In January, Haugen found out about the 3-day on an old college friend’s Facebook page. The friend had formed a team, giving it the tongue-in-cheek moniker “Walkers for Knockers.” Since a different friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer only a month prior, Haugen was inspired to walk. “My friend was very fortunate, because they caught it early,” Haugen says. “But another friend’s sister passed away from the disease last November.”

Sherri Nissen, Lisa Calaway, Barb Cooke, Kirsten Smith, Kara Haugen, Kellie Harnar.

Walk it out

Haugen got the o.k. from her doctor, and the training and fundraising began. She asked family and friends to donate. She solicited walking buddies. She and her teammates each donated three items for a gift basket and sold raffle tickets. Her teammates held a garage sale as well as a “Bunko for Boobies” night. “The Seattle walk alone raised more than $5 million,” Haugen marveled. Haugen was one of 2,200 walkers, averaging 20 miles a day in the event and sleeping at Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center at night. They camped in pink tents, ate in a makeshift dining hall and showered in a converted semi-truck. “I was nervous going in because my longest training walk had been nine miles,” Haugen said. “Before I left, my husband said, ‘This is a great time to push yourself and find out what you can do.’” Haugen found it helpful to break each day’s distance into chunks. Rather than thinking of 20 miles in one day, she aimed to make it to the next pit stop—usually spaced two or three miles apart. Along the route, community members showed their support by cheering, offering popsicles and hosing down the walkers. Since buses and paramedics were on hand for walkers who needed them, Haugen felt safe in testing her limits in the 85-degree heat. “Some people were so motivated to finish that by the last day they were wearing flips flops because their blisters were so bad. They had ice taped to their knees and were making up stories to the paramedics so they wouldn’t get pulled,” she said. “I was a little stiff and had a few blisters, and it was tough to get going on

the third day, but that's all.” Haugen found inspiration with the other walkers. Like a group of firefighters who walked the entire 60 miles in Kevlar, and the last finishing walker, a breast cancer survivor, who pushed her wheelchair the entire 60 miles. “I wouldn’t do it again next year,” Haugen said, “but maybe the year after that.”

Breast Cancer 3-day

The Breast Cancer 3-day is a 60-mile walk that takes place in 15 U.S. cities. It started as a two-day walk sponsored by Avon Products in 1998. Designed to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, participants commit to fundraise, train and devote a three-day weekend to the event. Each participant agrees to raise at least $2,300. Eighty-five percent of the event’s proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation while the remaining 15 percent benefits the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Next year, the event will be renamed the Susan G. Komen 3-day for the Cure, with Susan G. Komen for the Cure as the sole beneficiary. For more information, visit www.the3day.org. 406 WOMAN  15

Skindependence

omen wanting to put their best face forward have been known to try just about anything. Mayonnaise masks. Irritating over-the-counter chemicals. Painful procedures. The list goes on and on. Holly Clandfield, of MediLift Face and Body Solutions, feels your frustration. But rather than experimenting, she only uses and recommends products and treatments that she knows work. “The only things I have used are what I offer at my spa,” she says. Her own glowing, taut skin and slender figure serve as a billboard for her business. And her explanations of procedures are the stuff of medical encyclopedias. In short, Holly offers the best of both worlds— beauty and brains. As a registered nurse, she brings specialized experience and clinical knowledge to her anti-aging spa in Bigfork. Medi-Lift uses only the most potent products and procedures and promises results that will make you a believer. “I have clients who’ve tried Botox and Juvederm, Restylane and the rest of them,” Holly said. “At Medi-Lift, our treatments offer painless, immediate and cumulative results.” The spa’s signature treatment, the MediLift Facial uses radio-frequency technology to reverse the signs of aging. Holly calls it “plasma ablation,” you’ll call it the antiaging magic wand. The Medi-Lift Facial also uses bioelectric rejuvenation, for facial muscle lifting, toning and tightening. One client likened the facial to having muscles and skin pulled taut then zapped into place. Results are noticeable immediately. Utilizing peptide technology, Holly performs G.M. Collin treatments and sells the line’s products in her salon. The three unique treatments produce targeted results. 16  406 WOMAN

Holly Clandfield Botinol: For all skin types, this treats expression lines, fine lines and wrinkles. The treatment takes approximately 60 minutes and provides instant visible results. Holly recommends four weekly treatments initially followed by monthly maintenance. The patented peptide complex increases collagen production and relax wrinkles while evening out skin tone. Results last six months. “Fabulous is the only word I know to describe Holly’s treatments,” says Lily Rambo of Bigfork. “No one believes my age and how good my skin looks.” Hydrolifting: For all skin types, this rehydrates skin while increasing firmness. The treatment lasts 60 minutes and produces an immediately visible effect. Three to six weekly treatments followed by monthly maintenance improves skin’s elasticity and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Results last up to several months. Collagen 90-11: For all skin types, this 90-minute session reconfigures the skin surface, and acts as a filler for fine lines and wrinkles. Five total treatments broken out into three weekly sessions followed by two treatments every two weeks is optimal. Results last six months. It’s not only your face that bears the signs of aging. Saggy skin on the arms, neck and hands, as well as unsightly spotting on the décolletage, adds years to your appearance.

“Most of us now want even more antiaging treatments,” Holly said. “We want younger looking skin all over the body.” Dermafine-MD is a highly concentrated topical cream designed for use on the face and body. Applying a thin layer twice daily will minimize fine lines, restore elasticity and repairs age spots. Even unsightly stretch marks fade with continued use. “This product offers a lot of bang for the buck,” Holly said. “Since you use so little, one tube will last as long as a year.” The formula’s key ingredient, palmitoyl pentapeptide, was originally used to heal wounds. Now it’s been found to stimulate the production of collagen, so it actually repairs skin from inside out. Medi-Lift’s body-sculpting/muscle toning system is designed to reduce cellulite while enhancing circulation and improving muscle tone. In addition to its cosmetic benefits, the tri-phasic body sculpting treatment is also used medically to treat atrophied muscles and reduce undiagnosed swelling, called lymphedema. Even athletes tout the machine’s merits saying it enhances sports performance. “At Medi-Lift, it’s primarily used cosmetically,” Holly said. “But many insurance companies will pay for this treatment as well.” The machine utilizes heat, vibration and a curative electrical force. The results are lost inches and firmer, more defined muscles. Medi-Lift client Maggie Berlin enjoyed significant results with body sculpting. Even her friends couldn’t believe it. “I went from a size 10-12 to size 6-8 in a matter of weeks,” Maggie said. “People kept commenting how I seemed to be melting away.” Holly notes that body sculpting is even more effective when combined with exercise. Oprah heralds the benefits of Medi-Lift’s treatments. Dr. Phil’s wife Robin McGraw is a devotee. And after five years in business,

MAC COSMETICS Holly’s clients are looking better than ever. “Even though you’ll see results in only one session, I would recommend people go through the whole program,” says Rambo. “I’m only in the Flathead for six months at a time, but what I do with Holly in those six months lasts the entire year.” Call Holly at Medi-Lift 837-3223(FACE) or visit www.mediliftspa.com for more information.

406 WOMAN  17

green living:

eco chic Environmentally-conscious couture by BRIDGET MICHLIG

ou recycle, bring your own bags shopping and do all your errands in one pass. You turn off the water, turn out the lights, turn down your thermostat and choose a vehicle based on fuel efficiency and emissions ratings. But what about what's in your closet? Is my clothing made from natural fibers grown and Are your clothes as environmentally conscious as you processed in an environmentally responsible way? are? Is my clothing produced by people paid a living wage for their According to the FutureFashion division of work? Was slave or child labor involved? EarthPledge, the 30-year-old non profit organization Were the producers able to participate in a fair market committed to promoting sustainable development environment? worldwide, “Fashion uses more water than any industry Did my clothing travel vast distances to get to me, burning other than agriculture. At least 8,000 chemicals are irreplaceable fossil fuels, or was it produced closer to home? used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25 percent Does my clothing require special care beyond washing of the world's pesticides are used to grow non-organic in water with detergent? cotton. This causes irreversible damage to people and Can this garment serve multiple functions – can I wear it in the environment.” several different ways with items I already own? Eco chic, green, organic, sustainable. Sounds like Will I wear this garment for a good long time, or is it so a lot of hemp fiber, scratchy wool and baggy clothes in trendy as to be disposable? various shades of brown, cocoa, mocha and khaki. Not so When I tire of this garment, is it likely someone else long ago, Eco Chic was just that. might get some use from it? Or can I refashion it But today you can find organically grown fibers that are into something different? processed in closed loop facilities that recover, reuse and Is my clothing biodegradable? repurpose in excess of 99 percent of their waste products. Those fibers are colored with low impact dyes, spun and woven into luxurious fabrics, and fashioned into clothing you would actually wear outside your home. It’s the perfect marriage of environmentalism and social responsibility producing Buddha Would Approve progeny of great style. And what of animal fibers – wool,

A Growing Concern

How EcoChic Are You? A Sustainability Checklist:

Much as there is a Top 10 list of best organic foods, so too is there one for fibers. While cotton is perhaps the most common of natural fibers, it is also one of the most pesticide and insecticide intensive crops produced in the world. Consider this: cotton covers less than three percent of the world's cultivated land, but uses more than 25 percent of the world's insecticides and 10 percent of the world's pesticides. While residual pesticides in cotton garments might not impact the wearer, those pesticides and insecticides certainly put agricultural workers at great risk as well as pose tremendous danger to waterways, wildlife, and peoples living downstream from the cotton fields. For the pulp fibers such as bamboo, Tencel and other rayons, the issue is less one of growing methods than of processing practices. According to Joshua Laytart at Indigenous Designs, a 15 year veteran producer of organic and fair trade clothing based in Santa Rosa, CA, “Tencel is great for the planet. Wood is a replenishable resource and Tencel only comes from tree farms with sustainable practices. Tencel is certified by the international Forest Stewardship Council (www.fsc.org). Equally as important, the closed loop production process recovers 99.5 percent of the solvents used, and the remaining emissions are decomposed in adapted biological purification plants.” 18  406 WOMAN

alpaca, silk? Organic is still important— flea dips can be toxic to the fiber producing animals—but cruelty free is the real issue. Cage-free eggs may or may not taste better, but they certainly seem more humane. Shouldn't that sweater be cagefree as well? For a silk worm, it's literally a matter of life and death. Silk fiber comes from the cocoon of the cultivated mulberry silkworm, or Bombyx mori. Traditional processing requires the caterpillar be killed so that the silk thread can be stripped of the binding proteins and then carefully unwound. But many eco-conscious companies make use of both wild silk from caterpillars other than Bombyx Mori and cruelty free silk obtained after the caterpillar has exited the cocoon as a moth, ready to carry on her own delightful moth destiny.

Life Isn't Fair – But Your Clothing Can Be

Child labor, 20 hour work days, pay by the piece rather than for hours worked, unsafe and abusive sweat shop conditions—the litany of sins in the textile and garment industries is long. Fair trade contracts seek to correct and guard against such abuses by ensuring a livable wage, safe working conditions, and access by producers to the marketplace. Many companies who create fair trade contract goods also seek to improve conditions not only in the workplace, but in the typically rural areas in which the garments are produced. Again, Indigenous Designs rises to the fore. Conventional textile companies typically allocate only 50 percent to 60 percent of production costs to raw material and labor. Indigenous Designs production partners allocate over 75 percent of the production costs to raw material and labor. Additionally they partner directly with non-governmental organizations and others that provide training, educational materials, and equipment that otherwise could not be afforded. Many partner organizations also offer no interest assistance loans in these communities.

Home Sweet Home

Clothing with a conscience is a noble idea. But perhaps the most ecologically sound approach to fashion is to purchase items produced locally, or at least domestically. The United States once had a bustling apparel production industry primarily located in the Southeast. The impact of delocalization – outsourcing production to low wage centers overseas – has resulted in a dramatic decrease in the combined textile and apparel industry's share of the Gross Domestic Product – dropping from just under three percent in 1950 to less than one half of one percent in 2001. But as more consumers are looking for a Made in the USA label, that percentage will rise.

406 WOMAN  19

UPSCALE RESALE

Designer Brand Name Fashions

Nucleus & 6th • Columbia Falls • 406.249.8167

20  406 WOMAN

eco chic couture continued Sure, that t-shirt made in New York or Los Angeles might be a bit more expensive than one produced in Bangladesh or in China. But that purchase keeps your dollars flowing in your country, keeps workers here at home employed and helps to regrow a once vital industry. And if that American made t-shirt is also crafted from organically grown fiber and dyed with low impact dyes in a closed loop facility, all the better. And shorter distances from producer to retailer to customer means less fossil fuel burned and a smaller personal carbon footprint. The issue of Eco Chic comes down to sustainability – for crops and animals, for fields and waterways, for individual producers, agricultural workers and craftspeople, and national and personal economies. Mahatma Ghandi wisely counseled: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” What you wear is more than an expression of personal style; it also expresses your personal values. Consider what is important to you, and then do what you can, when you can. Little by little, the world becomes a better place.

Beauty Bar

Skin Spa & Beauty Boutique Located In the Hutton Ranch Plaza, Suite 110, Kalispell

406.755.8686

www.beautybarmt.com thebeautybarmt@gmail.com 406 WOMAN  21

heels & wheels

hen Jill Mehall, owner of Creative & Native, was a little girl, no one was allowed to swear in the house. But the garage was a different story… “I’ve done all my own engine work all my life,” Jill says. She’s one of a handful of women who show up to the car shows in and around the Valley with not only a car but also a clue. They know they’re among the minority. They know it’s more or less a man’s world. In fact, for most of these ladies, that’s what drew them to it in the first place. “I was probably a daddy’s girl,” says JoAnn Reed, who coorganized the Rumble in the Bay with Mehall. “My dad built and raced stock cars, so, growing up, I was always hanging out in the shop, the garage or the race track and helping him.” Candy Johnson, of Columbia Falls, tells a similar story. 22  406 WOMAN

by olivia

koernig-CASTELLINO photos by JEFFREY VON Kiper

“I got interested in cars in junior high,” Candy says. “My older brother—whom I adored—had muscle cars, and I liked what he liked.” For Terri Johnson, of Kila, car-loving was a matter of genetics. “I’ve always been into cars, ever since I was a little girl,” Terri says. “My grandfather was a mechanic; my dad was a body man and my aunt and uncle owned a race track. I guess you could say it’s in my blood.” But then you hear them exchange tips on cleaning their cars, and they sound like any other group of women discussing the merits of the latest cleanser. “Have you seen the new spritzer?” one woman asks another. “It works goo-ood.” They talk about cleaning grease out from under their fingernails the way other women compare manicures. One year for Christmas, Terri asked for Chevy bowtie engine bolts as though they were a pair of Tiffany earrings. And sometimes, when speaking about their cars, they even sound like proud mothers. “It’s like having a baby,” Jill says. “You’ve got to be devoted.” 406 WOMAN  23

JoAnn Reed

First car: 1967 El Camino Collectible car: 1968 Chevrolet Camaro convertible RS/SS On being stranded: “One day, I saw a gentleman with his hood up, and I asked if he needed a jump. He didn’t have any jumper cables, but I did,” JoAnn says. “I got it hooked up and gave him a jump, all while I was wearing a dress and high heels.” Jill Mehall started working on cars around the same age some kids learn to ride a bike. “I started doing points and plugs at my grandfather’s gas station when I was eight,” she says. “I thought it was cool pumping the oil out of the 55-gallon drums into the jars.” As a teenager, she learned to do body work. She bought a ’66 Scout when she was 16 and spent the following year restoring it. “I totally redid the engine and puttied, sanded and repainted it all by myself,” she says. “The only help I had was when my uncle lent me his painter.” Her infatuation with cars continued when she met her husband. In fact, Jill started the Rumble in the Bay as a gift for her husband. It ended up being a sweet gift for Bigfork as well. “One of the main goals was not to allow any outside vendors, so everyone in Bigfork would benefit,” Jill says. “We intentionally scheduled it during a down time.” In its second year, the number of entries in the Rumble more than doubled, while a survey of event sponsors revealed a 99 percent satisfaction rate. And her husband? “He was smiling the whole way through,” Jill says. 24  406 WOMAN

When it comes to cars, JoAnn Reed will never be a damsel in distress. But that doesn’t mean she’s too proud to ask for help. “You’ve heard that women will get taken advantage of by the mechanic, but that won’t happen to me,” JoAnn says. “But there have been many times I’ve called my daddy.” Today, while she says she can’t completely rebuild a motor, she could rebuild a carburetor in 15 minutes flat. She’s also done most of the body work on her Camaro. She considers it a labor of love. “In order to drive these cars, you must have some interest,” JoAnn says. “You can’t just hop in them and go.” Growing up in a family that stressed self-reliance, JoAnn learned to work on cars growing up. As a divorcee, she’s passed it on to her daughter. “My daughter is a freshman and taking mechanics,” JoAnn says. “I think a lot of women are feeling more independent because maybe they’re divorced or single. We want to make our own money and be more responsible for ourselves.”

Jill Mehall

First car: 1966 International Scout Collectible car: 1969 Plymouth Road Runner On driving pleasure: “The horsepower, the ability to go from zero mph to 160 in eight seconds,” Jill says, “that’s a lot of power under the human body. It’s a thrill.”

When she was learning how to drive a stick shift in her first car, a ’71 Pinto, Terri Anderson broke the seat. “My mom was in the passenger’s side,” she says. “Every time I jerked it or stalled it, we’d start laughing. It took twice as long to learn because we were laughing so hard, and I’d jerked it forward so hard that we broke the seat.” Today, driving down the road in her berry-cherry Nova, Terri’s still laughing. “It’s funny to watch guys come up beside me in my car,” she says. “They always look at me like, ‘Why is that blond driving that car?’” But she gets it. Terri admits that there are plenty of the women at car shows who are only there to support their husbands, but don’t know the first thing about cars. Just in case anyone mistakes Terri for one of those women, her license plate clears it up. It reads “NOTTIMS” (not Tim’s). After the Pinto, there were many other cars, among them a Ford Mustang convertible and a Pontiac Firebird. But the Nova is here for the long haul. “It’s the car I’ve always wanted, and it’s from the year I was born,” Terri says. “I’ll probably be buried in that car.”

Terri Anderson

First car: 1971 Ford Pinto Collectible car: 1964 Chevrolet Nova On working on her car: “If I do it, I know it’s right,” Terri says. “I’ve had guys insist they know what they’re doing, and I’d say, ‘Yeah, but that’s not how I want it done.’”

Candy Johnson

First Car: 1963 Ford Falcon Collectible Car: 1966 Datsun Fairlady Roadster On cars as females: “These classic cars are beautiful, cranky and temperamental,” Candy says. “They display a lot of the qualities that are typically assigned to a woman.”

Candy met her husband, “a total gear head” in high school. They bonded over their love of cars. Today, 34 years later, the couple still owns the first car they bought together, a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am. Today, they own nine vehicles, including a hot rod and three Firebirds. Candy uses her Fairlady as her daily driver in the summer. And much of the restoration, she did herself. “When my husband and I first got involved, I was more of a ‘step-and-fetchit,” she says. “As it evolved, I remember telling him, ‘That doesn’t look very hard.’ And he said, ‘No, it’s not, and your hands are smaller than mine.’” In the late ‘80s, Candy began working on engines. In 2004, she replaced the Fairlady’s dashboard since her husband was too big to fit inside the car. When he suffered an injury three days into the restoration project, Candy took over completely. “It was one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done,” Candy says.

406 WOMAN  25

Photos: left, Maxine Davey and Melissa Davis; above, Milissa Hogan

cherry tree Sweet pickin’s A

s she celebrates 25 years in business this fall, Melissa Davis, owner of the Cherry Tree, remembers the boutique’s unusual beginnings. Davis came to Montana as a Glacier Park employee and never left. During one of her mother’s visits, the two women happened up on the old Glory Days Emporium building in downtown Kalispell. In Davis’ words, they fell in love. Davis’ mother—an interior designer—had always wanted to own a business. Then one day, eight months after her mother’s trip, Davis saw that a tiny space in the building they adored had become available. “I signed a lease not knowing what I’d do with the space,” Davis says. “I called my mom and said, ‘Guess what?’” Within a day, Davis’ mother, who was living in Ohio, sold her house and began making plans to move to Montana. “All her friends were shocked,” Davis says. 26  406 WOMAN

By OLIVIA KOERNIG-CASTELLINO photos by BRENT STEINER Today, Davis’ mother is in her 80s and retired. Still, she’s the kind of person who must work. “She still comes in and helps with displays and jewelry,” Davis says. “She’s also still doing our accounts payable. I can pick up the phone and ask her about a discrepancy from two years ago and she’ll locate it immediately.”

Along the way

In the early days, Davis worked as a Jazzercise instructor. She’d been frustrated by the Valley’s lack of workout wear for women. Initially, the women’s shop sold exercise wear along with golf and tennis clothes for women. Through the years, Davis traveled. Somewhere along the line, she picked up an interest in natural fibers, so the store moved in to selling those. Then the mall opened and the shop moved in. By this time, Davis was obsessed with colors. The shop became one of the brightest spots inside the mall, eventually absorbing the space next door in an expansion. “By 1986, we’d developed our tagline: An absolutely uncommon collection of clothing and accessories,” Davis says. “As I traveled, I saw what was going on with women’s clothing in bigger cities,

and I always tried to bring back things we didn’t have here in the Valley.” In 1989, Maxine Davey joined the Tree. Davis thinks of her as a partner and sister as well as her left- and right-hand woman. Four years ago, Davis drew a “getout-of-jail-free card” and moved out of the mall and across the street. She loves working the shorter hours and feels her location enhances the boutique vibe in the shop. The satellite store in Bigfork opened 16 years ago. The building’s developer approached Davis and asked if she’d like to be a part of her concept of a collection of eclectic shops on Electric Avenue. “I thought, ‘hmmm...I’ll give it a whirl,’” Davis says. “Since Bigfork is so seasonal, we always open in the spring then close in late October. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a fun challenge, and it works out really well.”

The Tree today

Davis carries a selection of clothing and accessories for women ages 17 to 70, size zero to 20. She aims to carry a Flathead interpretation of trends you’ll find in big cities and routinely finds her store’s clothing in the pages of Oprah, Vogue and In Style. But because she knows women want to feel unique, she’s careful not to get too trendy. “I don’t order lots of the same thing, so you won’t see yourself coming and going,” Davis says. “Although I won’t repeat something once it sells out, I’ll have something totally different, hip and cool.” In addition to varying sizes and styles, Davis carries a range of price points. While one could spend as much as $180 dollars on a sweater, it’s just as likely to find one for $60. “There’s kind of an art to buying product and dressing people. I don’t sell something just to sell it,” Davis says. “Our rule is when you wear something from our store, if you don’t get five compliments the first time you wear it, then you made a bad purchase and should bring it back!” The bottom line for Davis is that Montana women don’t have to travel to New York or Los Angeles to find fashionable clothing. “Just pop in to The Cherry Tree,” she says.

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DEAR Shifting from Coach Dru:

by DRU RAFKIN JACKMAN, ACC

Overwhelm

Dear Coach Dru, I am married and own my business. I love my job and the contribution I make with it. My husband and I love where we live and all the adventures we have. As I sit here writing to you, I know how blessed I am. I am embarrassed to admit that I feel completely overwhelmed with all that I have taken on as a business owner, wife, friend, daughter, volunteer. I feel guilty for feeling overwhelmed because we have no children. I look at all the single mothers and married couples and all they have to contend with – it should be so easy for me. Can you help? I’m exhausted and I know feeling guilty isn’t helping anyone. Thank You! T.D. Dear T.D., Thank you for taking the time to write and tell the truth about what is going on for you. It takes a lot of courage. I want to assure that you are not alone in your experience of being overwhelmed. I can guarantee that someone else will read this article and feel like they know exactly what you are talking about. It sounds like you and your husband have a lovely life and that you appreciate what you have, and that is good to hear, too. I can also guarantee that you are not alone in feeling guilty. Your current (and false) belief that not having children should make it all a breeze is just the kind of self-limiting inner dialogue we all experience; that voice strives to maintain the status quo as it swings from doubt to worry and back again. It lies. It is not your voice of wisdom. It’s as if you are somehow “less than” for not having children and still feeling overwhelmed, or that you would earn a free pass to guilt and overwhelming feelings if you did have children. People who are parents make a choice to be so. You have your own challenges brought on by the life you choose as well as the situations that come to you without choice (accidents, illness, death, the effects of a downward economy). You may have it easier, but that all depends on who you are comparing yourself to. And, there you have the root of the guilt – comparing yourself to others. It’s a

favorite pastime with Americans. We use it to lift ourselves up, to push ourselves faster and farther, to move away from the discomfort of the present moment and all its challenges. Ask yourself this question: What am I gaining by comparing myself to others? Most likely it contributes to your feelings of guilt and being overwhelmed. Time to shift the focus. We’ve talked about this concept before on this page—shifting to something more interesting when the thing that’s got our attention is keeping us from being the person we truly are. You identified some of the roles in your life: business owner, professional woman, daughter, wife. What part of this is overwhelming? Is it the number of roles? The conclusions you have about how you should fulfill these roles? Feeling overwhelmed is the result of listening to the doubt, worry and preconceived notions rather than the truth of the situation. Taking actions that link back to our true intentions produce an outcome where we experience clarity, ease and satisfaction. Conversely, actions based on things like what we think we “should do” or what we imagine others may think of us, cause us to experience frustration, limited satisfaction, exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. Calling a potential client because you think you have to is far different than being courageous enough to pick up the phone because you

want to be a successful and well respected business owner. Here are a few tips for moving forward and shifting away from feeling overwhelmed with ease:

Breathe In. Breathe out. (Gasping and hyperventilating do not count.) Taking a moment to focus on something as simple as breathing can create a gap in which we can shift toward a sense of possibility.

Often there is fear hiding behind the overwhelming feelings. What is the fear – not doing it right, not doing enough? A common fear is the idea of scarcity, such as, “There’s not enough hours in the day,” or “I don’t have enough money to…” Those are two of our favorite excuses – time and money. Are you willing to look and see if it’s about something else: getting off track, getting confused, saying yes for the wrong reasons, or temporarily forgetting why you signed up in the first place?

Think about the desire behind the overwhelming feelings. To be a successful business owner? A loving wife? Is there an action that you have not taken that would move you forward? Have you taken an action that is not in line with your desire?

the coach is in!

Send coaching issues to me and I will answer them in this column.

by email 28  406 WOMAN

put “406 Woman” in the subject line and send to info@solutionsbydru.com.

by mail

send to Dru Jackman, ACC 406 Woman P.O. Box 741 Whitefish, MT 59937.

If you’ve been avoiding an action or there’s something you’d do differently next time, are you willing to take the first step toward repair? Often, it’s as simple as making a phone call. Writing a simple note or taking 10 minutes to call and say, “I’m swamped, but you’ve been on my mind and I wanted to say hello,” can bring relief to personal relationships.

Break your actions into small steps. Ask yourself, “How would someone I admire go about doing this in a reasonable way?” Lists have their place, but they can also add to feeling overwhelmed if they cover too much territory; stick to what’s relevant. I hope this discussion is helpful and supports you in looking at all the big things you are working to accomplish in the roles that are important to you. Think of feeling overwhelmed as your authentic voice’s way of reminding you that you strayed off your path; when you shift your attention back to what is important and to the contribution you want to make, you will experience clarity, ease and joy. You will discern what truly needs your attention and the kind of person you want to be and already are.

216 central ave

whitefish 862-7821

Dru Rafkin Jackman is a Certified

Personal and Professional Development Coach who started Sane Solutions by Dru in 1998. In her former life, Dru was a script supervisor who worked in the “glamorous” world of television. And although she loved the camaraderie, teamwork and 80-hour weeks, she took a dare from friends and decided to follow her passion of supporting others. She lives in Whitefish with her husband. To contact her, please visit www.solutionsbydru.com.

406 WOMAN  29

Silver Lining Whitefish woman uses party plan to give big

hen you meet Sue Scheen, of Whitefish and Phoenix, you kind of want her to be your best friend. She enters the room decked out in layers of silver bracelets, necklaces and earrings, the most pleasant jingle sound accompanying her every movement. In spite of yourself, you’ll notice that she really does laugh easily and her smile really is infectious. When you find out that she does direct selling for Silpada Designs Jewelry—a silver jewelry company, you may feel a bit…apprehensive. And Sue gets that. She felt the same way at one time. “I had attended other party-plan parties, and always thought it wasn’t for me—not for someone with a college degree,” Sue says. “I prejudged it. But now I’m making six figures doing it.” But even among direct selling circles, Sue’s business model is unique. In fact, she started doing direct selling as a way to raise money for charity and donates A LOT of money to different organizations each year while still earning enough to support her family. By now, you may be asking yourself—and her, “Where do I sign up?”

Party people “I first heard about Silpada with my best friend,” Sue says. “She was specifically looking for a career change, but I simply wanted to buy everything in the catalogue, so I figured I may as well sign up and get the discount.”

Sue Scheen and party guests

That was spring of 2006, and at the time, Sue had a successful full-time career in corporate America. As Adobe’s vice president of sales for North and South America, she made a good living and traveled a lot. But because of her hectic schedule, Sue found she wasn’t able to really commit herself to charitable work the way she would have liked. In a stroke of inspiration, Sue combined Silpada and charitable giving, creating a win-win. “Since I had a full-time job, I made Silpada into a fundraising business,” Sue said. “As an independent representative, I earn 30 percent commission on all party sales, and I donate all of it to the charity of the hostess’ choice.” In the last two years alone, Sue has donated more than $100,000 to more than 50 different charities—one party at a time. She built her business in the evenings and weekends around her job to fill in the time after her corporate duties were one. “Instead of sitting in a hotel room at night by myself,” Sue says, “I went to

by olivia 30  406 WOMAN

koernig-CASTELLINO photos by SCOTT MARKSBURY

parties with women and had fun trying on jewelry, drinking wine and raising money for charity.”

Faith under fire Then in February of this year, Sue got the notice no career person is ever prepared for. After 15 years with Adobe, the company downsized and told Sue she was being let go. “I had just turned 50, I lost my job, and my husband had no income,” Sue says. “I was sad for about a week. But now it’s crystal clear.” After leaving Adobe, Sue immediately began making Silpada her livelihood. In doing so, she realized there were plenty of things she didn’t miss about corporate life. “I don’t miss the forced travel, the long hours, the time away from family,” Sue says. “I’ve had a boss since I was 14. Now, since I’m my own boss, I set my own hours. And if I want to go golfing with my husband, I do.” While most of the people in Sue’s life told her she should keep the money she’d been donating, she chose not to. Even as her own family’s financial future was uncertain, Sue never waivered from the reason she started selling Silpada in the first place. “God put this in my life to help out so many charities,” Sue

406 WOMAN  31

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Sue's personal jewelry collection

Silver LIning

continued says. “It wasn’t right to pull back from that when, in my heart, I know this is why I have Silpada in my life.” As Sue built her fundraising business, she acquired a lovely collection of jewelry as well as a sizeable team of representatives working under her. Sue’s team consists of 150 independent representatives all across the U.S. During her employment with Adobe, Sue donated her party commissions to the hostess’ charity of choice (an average of around $500) and her override commissions (from her team’s sales) to a charity she selected. Following her dismissal from Adobe, Sue decided to keep the money from her override commissions as income while still donating 100 percent of her party commissions to charity. “I have been holding one party per week for the past three years with more parties near the holidays,” Sue says. “I worked the Silpada business eight hours a week when I had a full-time job. Now I work it about 15 to 20 hours per week. It's definitely full-time pay for part-time work.”

What’s next? Since this is Sue’s busy time of year, she has more than 20 parties scheduled before Christmas. Among them is an annual party at the West Glacier Elementary School. Sue’s parties have funded the art program there for several years. She sets up on the students’ desks and the moms come after school and shop. In a two-hour party, the school earns enough money to fund the art program for the rest of the year. “My future is 100 percent Silpada,” Sue says. “I see myself in this business for next 10 or 20 years.”

In the Kitchen:

with Steven Trent Smith

The rumor is a fact:

ruby’s was a Whitefish institution of the first magnitude. When it closed three years ago it was like a knife to the heart of its legions of fans, local and foreign. My family first discovered the restaurant back in 2000, and it became a frequented favorite. My teenage son loved the fact that they had Thomas Kemper root beer on tap. When we started selling food at the Whitefish Farmers’ Market during the summer, we’d also stop in to pickup their fried calamari and some salads to take home for dinner. And then – poof – Truby’s was gone. Other restaurants have come and gone in Whitefish, but the memory of dear Truby’s lived on. It was sad to walk by the old building on Central, now dark and bare. Then early this year a rumor made its away around the valley – that Truby’s was going to reopen, in a new location in Columbia Falls. Wow. What’s that gonna be like, we wondered? Well, I’m here to tell you that that rumor was in fact a fact. Truby’s has reopened, in the lodge complex at the Meadow Lake Golf & Ski Resort, just off Highway 2 in Columbia Falls. When I went there the first time, to interview owner Kristen Voisin, I was handed a menu to peruse. Imagine my delight when

text and photos by STEVEN TRENT SMITH

34  406 WOMAN

I saw how many of the great old Truby’s favorites were there. The pizzas. The pastas. The salads. The calamari. And, yes, the Thomas Kemper on tap. But there was more – ample new items, like Free Range Buffalo Burger, nightly specials, a list of 10 small batch beers on tap, and another list with a fine selection of wines, many from the Northwest and most by the glass or bottle. Kristin grew up in the hotel business. Her family owned the Rocky Mountain Lodge in Whitefish (now the Best Western). She went to work at age 10, selling candy and popcorn at the longgone Orpheum Theater. She did a stint at KFC, then a bagel shop, and got her first waitressing job at Brothers Corral. These experiences instilled in her a passion for food. After four years in the Navy, Kristin came back to Whitefish. She married and settled down and got right back into the restaurant business. She took over the Stumptown Station restaurant and converted it into Truby’s, adding the wood-fired pizza oven. For twelve years it was one of the most popular, and convivial, eateries in town. After Truby’s closed the brand was kept

in the public eye by a red trailer Kristen had outfitted with a pizza oven. She sold her delicious personal pies at many local markets, fairs and shows; all the while seeking a fit location to reopen a fullservice restaurant. The new Truby’s is at the back of

Meadow Lake’s lodge, overlooking a tree-shrouded patio and beyond, the golf course. And in case you might think Meadow Lake is a private, members-only club, you’d be wrong. Truby’s is open to all comers. Though it seats about 100, the room, painted in muted tones, never seems crowded. One wall is lined with booths. And for those in for a quick snack or meal, there’s a full bar to sit at. In the warmer months outdoor seating is available. There is a retractable roof over the main seating area, and down one level are more tables clustered around an outdoor fireplace. If there’s a chill in the air, the staff will fire up butane heaters to spread warmth. I was able to try a number of dishes from chef Kevin Mallery’s kitchen. As mentioned earlier, my family is a big fan of the Fried Calamari accompanied by a nicely hot Wasabi-based dipping sauce. Two pizzas were brought out to taste. One was a Jeff's Classic Pizza, with fresh basil and tomatoes atop a layer of mozzarella. The other was a Thai Pizza with mandarin orange slices, peanuts, red onions, green pepper slices, and a spicy Thai peanut sauce. The crusts on both were thin and crispy.

406 WOMAN  35

I was partial to the simplicity of Jeff's Classic; but my wife Martha preferred the South Asian style of the Thai. One of the waiters walked by with a dish of fried something and French fries. I asked what it was. “Our Fish & Chips – our Friday special,” was the response. “I’ll have one of those, please.” And in a few minutes the dish arrived. Large halibut fillets are rolled in a beer batter and fried until golden brown. The plate comes with a heap of crispy fries and a ramekin of homemade tartar sauce. The flavors and textures were outstanding. One of my new favorites. Martha tried the linguine, with chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh basil on pasta. It was a terrific combination; the saltiness of the feta offset by the herbiness of the basil. As my main course I had the Pan_Searerd Scallops and Seafood Risotto. On top of a bed of nicely made, creamy risotto sat three perfectly cooked sea scallops, a trio of shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and julienned basil. I’m a sucker for rice dishes, and grilled scallops, so this was right up my alley. It did Truby’s proud. You can probably guessed what I quaffed during dinner. Yep, Thomas Kemper root beer, on tap. Maybe not the most PC thing to have with the dishes we chose, but it sure was satisfying. If you’re looking for a casual fine dining restaurant in a very handsome setting, Truby’s is a good bet. And if you’re a Truby’s fan of old, well, you can come home now.

Four servings 10 oz. cooked linguini 1 Roma tomato diced 15 pine nuts 1 pinch of crushed red pepper 1T minced garlic 1 lemon juiced 2T extra virgin olive oil 4 oz. crumbled feta 4 leaves of fresh basil chopped Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add pine nuts and toast until brown. Add red pepper and garlic. Lower heat; add tomato, half of the basil, and the lemon juice. Toss with pasta. Serve on a plate or bowl, top with feta cheese and remaining basil. Salt and pepper to taste.

36  406 WOMAN

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FOOTBALL and WINE by ERICA YATES s the leaves begin to change color and we move from summer to fall, we transition from hot to cold, from Flathead Lake to football. We tailgate at The Washington-Grizzly Stadium, or invite family and friends in to watch the Green Bay Packer Cheeseheads and the New England Patriot Chowder Heads. Gowning up with football players, I realized early that while my mother couldn't play football, she was always the hero of the kitchen. Seahawk Fried is really the best chicken ever, and Bronco

Beef is burger and onions grilled to perfection. Brats and beer satisfies the Bears and the Vikings. But to be a true hero there's an even

better beverage than beer. Enliven hidden taste buds and re-energize football fare with wine. You may be asking how wine fits in with football. Well, the answer is easy. Great wine makes good food amazing. Who knows—maybe there will be a repeat of the 1997 Superbowl when the Packers squared off against the Patriots (fingers crossed!). If so, I will be making New England clam chowder paired with Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay. From Louis Dressner selections, this wine was reviewed by David Schildknect from Wine Advocate. He rated it “among the world’s handful of consistently finest Chardonnay values.” With flavors of vivacious peach and lime, it displays a fine sense of richness and finishes with irresistible juiciness, making it a perfect match for a rich and creamy New England clam chowder. For the Packer Fans, the possibilities are endless. (Am I a little biased? Perhaps…) Start off with a smoked bacon Wisconsin cheddar fondue paired with Goulart Clasico Malbec. This Malbec shows flavors of blackberry and wild raspberry with just enough spice to complement the smokiness of the bacon. So far, this is my favorite Malbec value of the season. Next I would serve a Wisconsin cheddar and gruyere cheese soup, paired with either The Formula Shiraz or Poet’s Leap Riesling. The Formula Shiraz is a full-bodied wine with flavors of slight spice, smoked meat and dark blueberries that complement all types of cheddar cheeses. For the white-wine drinkers, the Poet’s Leap Riesling will also serve as a tasty match to the cheddar and gruyere soup. I just adore this Riesling. Poet’s Leap seems to offer the perfect balance of fresh apricots and peaches, while staying fresh and crisp with a touch of sweetness. So whether your big game is this weekend, next weekend, or, like my Packers-Patriots rematch, sometime in the unknown future, enjoy it with good food, good friends and good wine!

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406 WOMAN  39

of the fall a harvest celebration

alking along during an autumn afternoon, the wind whips through your hair while your boots crunch the brittle leaves scattered on the ground. You take a deep breath, inhaling the slightly sweet scent of fallen leaves and the smoky smell of a far-off fireplace. And as the palette of the Northwestern Montana landscape shifts from green to gold, you may find your palate craving new scenery too. It’s time to say so long to salads for the season and welcome back heartier fare.

Bigfork bounty At the Coffee Cellar, a retail wine shop and coffee bar, in Bigfork, owners Hugh and Erica Yates hosted a harvest party inside their store. Inspired by a recent trip to Portland—home of the nation’s largest farmer’s market—the two selected seasonal produce from local vendors to help celebrate fall’s bounty. “Foodies get really excited about the changing seasons 40  406 WOMAN

because flavors transition as well,” Erica said. “We move away from salads and fruit paired with white wines and into bigger food with bolder wines.” Since the couple met in a fine dining restaurant where Hugh was the chef, they definitely qualify as foodies. At the Coffee Cellar, the food focus is mostly on small bites (think antipasto, soups and such), but the duo offers catering as well. While the shop itself can accommodate smaller parties, an adjacent room, the Montana Room, can handle larger groups. Or, let them come to you. “We’re moving into doing two wine tastings a month and have an Oktoberfest event planned for November 7,” Erica said. “We want to make sure our events are always a little different, more informative than people are expecting.”

Fresh picks “Fall is easily my favorite time to cook,” Hugh said, “because it brings a whole new line of produce—tomatoes, squash and Brussels sprouts—and their flavors go really well with the savory roasted flavors of comfort food.” Hugh and Erica planned the menu with simplicity in mind. Since they used the freshest produce they could find, like butternut squash, tomatoes, apples, huckleberries and wild mushrooms, the fall flavors took center stage. “My style is to let the natural flavors come out and take

by OLIVIA KOERNIG-CASTELLINO photos by Brent Steiner out some of the complications,” Hugh said. “With produce like this, I don’t have to manipulate it much. I just let the natural flavors be the star.” Instead of fussy 20-ingredient dishes, Hugh prefers to prepare food that’s easily reproduced or re-imagined. For example, while he roasted a butternut squash for his soup, any fresh, local squash could stand in. Likewise, this macaroni and cheese features wild mushrooms harvested locally, but roasted chicken and andouille sausage could punch it up to another level. “We like to rework classics,” said Erica.

Table top While the shop’s rows of wine racks provided a dramatic stage for the event, Hugh and Erica partnered with Puttin’ on the Ritz and Nancy O’s Interiors for tables, chairs and decorations. Hugh’s parents, who drove up from Missoula for the day, brought along a bunch of peppers to spice up the display. A checkered table cloth lends a farmhouse vibe to potted mums, an assortment of gourds and single sunflowers peeking out from wine bottle vases.

Harvest at home To plan your own harvest party, start with the freshest produce you can find. “I’m a huge fan of buying organic, local produce,” Hugh said. “It not only supports the local economy and growers but you get the best food when you buy that way.” Once your menu is cemented, Erica and Hugh can help you with perfect wine pairings. Or, if you’d prefer to leave the whole affair up to the experts, call the Coffee Cellar to find out about catering your next event.

Vendors

Puttin' on the Ritz 2855 Mt Highway 82 Bigfork 837-3040 Nancy O's Interiors 425 Grand Ave. Bigfork 837-7242 406 WOMAN  41

Heirloom Tomato Salad Assorted Cheese Baked and Fresh Apples with Brie Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Fall Squash Spread with Rosemary Focaccia Wild Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese Coffee Cellar’s Chocolate Overload

Wild Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese 2 C. penne pasta 1 T. olive oil 1 T. salt 3 C. 2 percent milk 1 C. American cheese 1 C. smoked Gouda

1 T. lemon juice 1/3 C. shredded parmesan 1 C. lobster mushrooms 1 C golden chanterelle mushrooms 2 T. butter salt and pepper to taste

For the Pasta Bring eight cups of water to a boil with the tablespoon of salt. Once the water is boiling, add in the pasta. Cook for eight minutes while stirring every two minutes. When the pasta is done, strain it and run cold water over it. Add olive oil to keep the noodles from clumping. For the Sauce Bring four cups of water to a boil and reduce heat to medhigh. Cover the pot with a large metal mixing bowl, creating a double-boiler. Add the milk, American cheese and smoked Gouda. Stir every five minutes until the mixture is fully blended together. Add salt and pepper to taste. For the Mushrooms Sauté the mushrooms in butter and lemon juice until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. For the Finish Heat oven to 375. Mix the pasta, cheese sauce and mushrooms together and place in a cast iron pot or baking pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add the shredded parmesan and cook for five minutes to finish. For the Wine Serve with The Formula Shiraz ’04, Small Gully Wines, Australia ($14.50 at the Coffee Cellar 42  406 WOMAN

Butternut Squash Soup 2 butternut squash 2 C. heavy cream 1 can vegetable stock 1 T. white pepper 1 T. turmeric powder 2 T. rice vinegar

2 T. honey salt grape tomatoes crème fraîche dill sprigs

For the Squash Cut squash in half lengthwise and roast in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour or until fork tender. Scoop out the meat. For the Soup Combine cream, vegetable stock, white pepper, turmeric powder, rice vinegar and honey in a saucepan. Add squash. Bring entire mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Add salt to taste. Blend the mixture together with a hand blender, food processor or blender. For the Finish Garnish with crème fraîche, quartered grape tomatoes and a sprig of dill or other fresh herb. For the Wine Serve with Louis/ Dressner ’07 Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc Chardonnay, France ($16 at the Coffee Cellar)

White Chocolate-Raspberry Bread Pudding 3 C. heavy cream 10 oz. white chocolate 1 C. 2 percent milk 3/4 C. sugar 2 eggs 8 egg yolks 1 loaf French bread or brioche, sliced into ¼ inch slices and dried 1 C. fresh raspberries 2 T. chocolate shavings for garnish For the Custard Heat the cream in a double-boiler and add the white chocolate; when the white chocolate is melted, remove from heat. In a double-boiler, heat the milk, sugar, eggs and egg yolks until warm. Blend the egg mixture together with the cream and chocolate mixture. For the Pudding Place the bread slices in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Pour half the mixture over the bread and let settle for five minutes to make sure the bread soaks it all up. Stir in the fresh raspberries, and then top with the remaining mixture. For the Finish Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 275 for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden brown. Once cool, top with chocolate shavings. For the Wine Serve with Marenco Pineto Brachetto D’Acqui, Italy ($23 at the Coffee Cellar) 406 WOMAN  43

strawberry patch By OLIVIA KOERNIG-CASTELLINO photos by BRENT STEINER

A Store for all Seasons

trolling through the Strawberry Patch in Kalispell is like walking through a sensory amusement park. From vibrant silk flowers to aromatic candles to homemade fudge, trinkets, treasures and treats, the store draws you in. “We want it to be a really fun shopping experience,” says co-owner Lori DeLong “You can’t see it all in one trip. It’s set up in layers.” Lori met her partner Marcia Trenkle when they both worked together at a flower shop in Columbia Falls. By the mid ‘90s, both women had moved on to other jobs. They re-encountered one another while working at the Kalispell Center Mall. Marcia ended up leaving Montana for a year or so, and when she came back, Lori had an unusual proposition. “I called her up and said, ‘what do you think about buying a business?’” Lori says. “I said sure,” Marcia recalls. “Then I asked, ‘what business is it?’” 44  406 WOMAN

Left: Marcia Trenkle and Lori DeLong

Sincere complement

It was 2005, and Lori had been working at the Strawberry Patch for several years already. The store’s founder, who opened the shop in a garage in 1973, wanted to sell, but hadn’t been aggressively pursuing the idea. Because the selling of the store wasn’t advertised, Lori and Marcia were able to secure the business unchallenged. At the flower shop in Columbia Falls, Lori had done the window displays, while Marcia did the bookkeeping. When it came time to apply their skills to their own business, the women found they perfectly complemented one another. “It’s been really nice to have each other’s strengths to rely on,” Lori says. “We each do our part and don’t ever worry about stepping on each other’s toes.”

Four seasons

Part of what makes shopping at the Strawberry Patch so fun is the discovery. The other part is that it completely changes four times a year. “We really do have four seasons here in the store,” Lori says. “Everything is completely reset four times a year.” Looking around the intricate arrangements of flowers and linens and candles and kick-knacks layered throughout the 4,500-square foot store, one gets a sense of the enormity of that job. Still, the women are glad

to do it to in order to continue providing the shopping experience their customers have come to expect. “By mid-January, Christmas is over and we are decorated for spring,” Marcia says. “We have women come in and say, ‘I just needed a little bit of spring.’ It brings them hope.” By July, shoppers know they can find Halloween items at the store. In early November (this year it’s November 5-7), “‘Tis the Season” comes to the Patch. During the event, which signifies the launch of the holidays, the store is completely ready for Christmas. About 20 Christmas trees will be decorated and lit, music will play and the ladies provide a sampling of the store’s food and drink items. In honor of breast cancer awareness, for the month of October, all things pink in the store will be 25 percent off.

Strawberry Patch is proud to offer save the tatas products.

Give it away

Today, the women have increased the focus on gift items at variety of price points. “We carry lots of girly gifts,” Marcia says. “Maybe you’ll find an ornamental wine stopper to give as a gift with a bottle of wine. We have funny cocktail napkins, candles and a variety of hostess gifts.” Marcia and Lori say the shop sells “loads of cards.” They’ve even had women tell them about attending a party where all the cards came from the store. “We have a network of women whom we rely on,” Lori and Marcia say. “From our employees, one of whom has been here for 35 years, to our merchandise reps, most of which are women, to our customers, women understand dealing with women.” 406 WOMAN  45

Through the Photographer's Lens:

Montana's Ghostly Past

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Bannack, Montana circa 1862 photos by

JEFFREY VON KIPER

ocated in the southwestern corner of the state, 24 miles southwest of Dillon, Bannack became the first territorial capital of Montana in 1964. Gold in Grasshopper Creek, which runs through town, brought the first few hundred settlers to the area in summer of 1862. By the following spring, 3,000 people had taken up residence in the area, looking for adventure and fortune. Among Bannack’s early residents was Henry Plummer. Fresh from a stretch at San Quentin, Plummer came to Bannack in the winter of 1862-63. After gaining the peoples’ trust, he was elected to serve as the town’s sheriff. Plummer immediately set out organizing a band of 25 or so men known as the Innocents. With Plummer at the helm, the band of robbers are believed to be responsible for robbing and murdering 102 people during its eight-month reign of terror in 1863. Then, in December of 1863, a group of citizens from Virginia City and Bannack organized a vigilante committee. By the end of January of

1964, the vigilantes had ridden as far as the Canadian border in pursuit of the Innocents. Plummer was among the 24 men executed by the vigilantes. Today, Bannack is the most complete of all Montana’s ghost towns, boasting more than 50 buildings, most of which are open for exploring from May through October. Bannack Days take place in the third weekend of July, and a reenactment of the town’s significant historical events takes place the weekend before Halloween. *Information courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Bannack Association and the Montana State Parks Interpretive Association.

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skinner's saloon

Skinner's Saloon The men of Bannack—particularly Plummer’s men—sought female companionship inside Skinner's Saloon. Come payday, many a miner could be found there spending money with the ladies of easy virtue. Some were known as “Hurdy Gurdy Girls” and offered legitimate companionship to the miners by way of simple darning and polite conversation.

Home sweet home Bannack was home to the first governor’s mansion in the state. “It was a poor excuse for a house,” recalled Martha Edgerton, Governor Sidney Edgerton’s oldest daughter. “But there was not a better house in town.” Indeed, the structure was so shoddy that the governor’s wife, Mary Edgerton, feared for her children’s very health at night. “Their beds would be covered with frost,” she wrote. She got up repeatedly at night to check that their heads were covered and that their ears and noses had not succumb to frostbite.

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bannack home

bannack school

hotel meade

Bannack School The Bannack School, a combination schoolhouse and Masonic lodge, was built in 1874 for $1,500. The Masonic emblem mounted on the front of the building is carved from a hickory bread board donated by one Mrs. A.F. Graeter. Former students recall snow blowing in through the cracks between wallboards. Classes continued inside the schoolhouse until 1951 when it was determined that too few students remained. Lucia Darling, Edgerton’s niece, oversaw Bannack’s first public school system. In those days, school books consisted of only whatever books families had brought with them when they came out west.

Hotel Meade The impressive brick building across from the schoolhouse was built one year later for $14,000. It served as the first Beaverhead County courthouse. By 1881, Bannack’s once bustling population was dwindling. Since Dillon was up-and-coming, the Beaverhead County seat was moved there, and the courthouse abandoned. In 1890, Dr. John Singleton Meade bought the building for $1,250 and turned the space into a posh hotel that operated off and on until the 1940s.

406 WOMAN  49

Gardening 101

Flora for Fall Fireworks

Autumn is here and the mountainsides around us are turning from green to yellow and glowing with the golden hues of Larch and Aspen.

text and photo by PAULA CRAFT of Swan River Gardens in Bigfork

n the understory we see unlimited shades of reds, oranges and even more yellows. While Mother Nature seems to effortlessly use her whole palette, in our own gardens fall colors are too often not given enough thought, or we focus too much on one color— red! Our native Larch (Larix occidentalis) and Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) put on the big show here each autumn. Larch is a unique deciduous conifer. It sheds its needles in fall (deciduous) unlike other evergreens and produces cones (conifer) like other evergreens. Larch is a fine tree to find a spot for on any property. In old age it is a tall tree, easily reaching seventy to one hundred feet. In spring, the needles come out a soft green and age over the summer to deep green. When cool autumn nights descend, the needles turn golden and drop over a few weeks. A stately Larch is a great choice when the formal landscape design of a yard needs to meld into surrounding native lands. Quaking Aspen leaves flutter in the slightest breeze and show a silver underside to each bright green leaf all summer long. In fall the leaves turn a particularly glowing yellow that pops out in any landscape. A small grove of Aspen brings unexpected warm hues to the chilly autumn days in your garden. It is another good choice for transitioning from formal design to informal native plants. The classic tree for fall color is the mighty Maple. In the Eastern United States ‘leaf peepers’ spend weeks chasing its colorful display through many states. Here in Western Montana the beautiful Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is underused in rural residential properties. Its popularity as a boulevard tree in Kalispell and Missoula decades ago gives us magnificent urban color displays each fall. Shades of red, orange and yellow will be part of the show, often all on the same tree. In addition to these classic trees, the cultivar Autumn Blaze (Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’) is commonly found here and touted for its clear red fall color. Other colorful trees include Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)

50  406 WOMAN

and ‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry (Amelanchier grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) for great red hues. Yellow is by far the most common tone but try River Birch (Betula nigra) or Prairie Cascade Weeping Willow (Salix ‘Prairie Cascade’) for a softer texture. Autumn Purple Ash (Fraxinus Americana ‘Autumn Purple’) lives up to its name with deep burgundy fall tones. In the shrub border, Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) with its brilliant red fall colors is by far the most popular shrub. Easy to grow, it hides its light under a summer mantle of deep green leaves, bursting into bright red as soon as nights begin to cool. Often mistaken for Burning Bush are the bright red leaves of American Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum ‘Alfredo’ or ‘Bailey Compact’). Most years it turns earlier and holds its fall color longer than Burning Bush. Red in the shrub border is nearly as common as yellow and there are many choices. All the Barberries (Berberis thunbergii) and Cotoneasters (Cotoneaster lucidus, C. divaricatus, C.apiculata) turn vivid red in autumn. A great mixed color choice is Bridalwreath Spirea (Spirea x vanhouteii), definitely one of the very best fall shrubs with a stunning palette ranging from deep burgundy red with all variations of orange through to golden yellow. While you enjoy the colorful display to come to our mountainsides don’t overlook your own yard and garden for opportunities to add a brush stroke or two with your hand to Mother Nature’s efforts!

Paula Craft has been helping Flathead Valley gardeners get dirt under their fingernails for nearly two decades. She is currently part of the team at Swan River Gardens in Bigfork as the semi-retired nursery manager. Her own garden is on the east shore of Flathead Lake on property that has been extensively landscaped for more than 40 years. More of her garden writing and photography can be found online at Swanrivergardens.com.

406 WOMAN  51

Lynde Price and Hailey Morin

fawn boutique By OLIVIA KOERNIG-CASTELLINO photos by BRENT STEINER

Entertaining its second year

n n apprehensive shopper emerges from her dressing room at Fawn Boutique in downtown Kalispell. She’s met at the door by her entourage of shopping buddies. The “oohs” and “ahhs” spilling from their lips remind one of a baby shower. Then Lynde Price, steps up. More discerning than the others, she surveys the woman for just a moment before offering a sincere opinion followed by accessories suggestions. “I love boutiques,” says Price, who owns Fawn with her younger sister Hailey Morin. “I love the atmosphere, the customer service, finding trendy, unique clothing.”

Urban Montana meets bread-and-butter If you’ve never been to Fawn before, you’ll notice the click of your heels on the refinished wood floors, the cool, urban feel of the exposed 52  406 WOMAN

brick walls and the tin tile ceiling. Although, you can’t tell now, before the sisters opened up shop there last year, the space sat empty for more than a year. Along with Price’s husband, the women did the renovation themselves, chipping away the plaster and ripping out the false ceiling. As veteran small business owners—Morin owns Bliss salon while Price and her husband own Flathead Health and Fitness—the sisters had a leg up when coming up with a business plan. They found navigating the state’s hurdles easier the second time around. “Our prior business experience definitely helped,” Price says. While the space itself is hip and inviting, it’s merely the backdrop for the clothes. Spare racks of impossibly lovely dresses and tops are scattered throughout the shop while stacks of jeans line tables and hang in a row along one wall. And the jeans are really what set this store apart, as Price and Morin will tell you. “Denim is our bread-and-butter,” Price says. “We call it our Denim Bar, and offer 15 different brands and more than 100 different styles.” When shopping for new denim, the ladies at Fawn take out all the guesswork for you. Simply tell them your size, answer a few questions (about rise and leg cut preferences) and they’ll set you up in a room with an impressive selection of name brand jeans (7 for All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, David Kahn and Miss Me are a few) to try on. “We do have something for everyone and are more than willing to help people find that perfect pair of jeans,” Price says. “We can special order a certain size, and we are always open to feedback.”

Happy hour and denim parties Thursday nights at Fawn bring happy hour. In addition to cocktails and appetizers, one select designer denim brand is 30 percent off from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. After-hours denim parties are another way unique way to shop. For a scheduled group of at least five people, Fawn will host a private shopping experience. An added incentive is $10 off per guest for the hostess. “It’s fun for people to get their friends’ opinions and put together outfits,” Price says. Fawn hosted its first fashion show in the spring and plans to make it an annual event. A one-year anniversary celebration complete with music, cocktails and small bites, took place in early October. Price said hosting events at the store is an example of how Fawn provides a bit of a city feeling and steps out of the boutique mold. In addition to denim and clothing, Fawn carries a selection of local jewelry and fun, statement shoes. Plans to carry men’s clothing are also on the horizon. “We just want this to be a place that people love coming to,” Price says.

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Kamrud sisters

Kalynn and Jonet

Three generations of women who hunt

Joey Nelson on a bow hunt

Packing out the rack

Scouting

Fairwomen game: who hunt by OLIVIA KOERNIG-CASTELLINO photos by BRENT STEINER

“It’s such a neat thing to share,” Kamrud says. “Every time we hen mother and daughter Jonet Kamrud and Kalynn go hunting, we talk about another experience we’ve all shared. It’s Hamlett, of Columbia Falls, hear Christmas music, it partly the excitement and partly just being able to do it together.” conjures up joyful memories. But for these two, Christmas So the family hunted together. And when someone in the family music reminds them more of wrapping meat than unwrapping harvested an animal, they even processed the meat together in a packages. “I was raised around hunting,” Kamrud says, “But I only started production line of sorts. “Packaging the meat was another family thing,” Hamlett, a hunting when I met my husband.” Growing up here in the Valley, Kamrud remembers rows of former cheerleader, says. “My dad would be outside working, my trophies lining the walls in her family’s living room. They used to mom was in the kitchen and my sisters and I would wrap the meat and mark it. We’d turn on Christmas music and do it together.” joke that Santa’s reindeer were crashing through the wall. “I had four brothers, so growing up, I was kind of on the back Now, Hamlett is passing along the hunting tradition in her burner when it came to hunting,” Kamrud says. “It was a boy own family. Her daughter is too young to hunt, but already has a gun. Her husband grew up on a ranch thing.” in Cascade, but has only begun big-game Meat to eat But Kamrud and her husband had three hunting since joining the Kamrud family. blond daughters. For them, hunting was Although they hunt, these women “We went antelope hunting last year and I never a boy thing or a girl thing. Instead it’s consider themselves animal lovers. taught him how to dress an animal,” Hamlett a family thing. says. “It was my first time going without my “Some of my earliest memories are Since they eat or donate the meat of dad.” going hunting with my parents,” Hamlett, the animals they harvest, versus trophy Next year, Hamlett and her husband the oldest of the three daughters says. “I’d plan to add a new dimension to the hunting make up songs about the animals. I still get hunting, there is functionality behind tradition and learn to bow hunt. teased about that.” each harvest.

Family ties

Since Kamrud’s husband worked out of town, hunting season provided the rare opportunity for the whole family to be together. They drove and scouted and hiked and camped and took hunters education together.

Joni Kamrud

Hunting buddy

Another unlikely hunter is Joey Nelson, of Bozeman. As a hairdresser for 18 years, one might imagine Nelson preferring cashmere to camouflage. But in truth, she’s probably equally comfortable in either.

Kalynn Hamlett 406 WOMAN  55

FAIR GAME continued “For our first date, my husband asked me to go bear hunting,” bow and I couldn’t even pull back 20 pounds of pressure,” Nelson Nelson recalls. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to go, but he told me it says. “It’s partly strength but also just learning which muscles you would basically be just like going for a hike.” need to use. From there, you can work up the weight.” They didn’t see any bears on that trip, but Nelson’s interest was Nelson is also a firm believer in using equipment and wearing piqued. For their honeymoon, they went bear hunting in Canada. clothing designed for women. She compares it to her first After acting as sidekick on numerous hunting trips, competing in backpacking trip, which she said was miserable because she was 3D outdoor shooting tournaments and becoming adept at archery, wearing an ill-fitting pack. Nelson wanted to try her own hand hunting. “It is really helpful to have equipment that fits you and performs,” “I told my husband that if I shot something I didn’t know if I she says. “To pick up your husband’s bow, drop the weight and would cry, or what my reaction would be, slap any old arrow in there is nothing like but I wanted to try,” Nelson says. “It just Hunting pays shooting a bow designed for your frame.” so happened that I loved it. That was 12 According to a 2006 survey by the U.S. Still, Nelson acknowledges that it’s years ago.” only within the last few years that she’s Today, Nelson bow hunts and rifle Fish and Wildlife Service, the 197,000 seeing really functional women’s boots and hunts, although she prefers the former. shoes. For beginners, however, she says hunters in Montana spent more than Like Kamrud and Hamlett, she thinks of $3 million on hunting-related expenses wearing hand-me-downs is the way to go. hunting as the ideal way to spend quality “I only recently started getting really that year. time with her husband. She appreciates nice equipment, because now I know this the exercise and wildlife viewing aspects is my hobby,” Nelson says. “But I used to as well. wear my husband’s camo cinched up. You “One summer we had a mountain goat tag and spent every don’t have to spend a lot of money to start.” weekend all summer long backpacking and scouting with the dogs,” Nelson says. “What a great time as a couple.” Hamlett says people are always shocked when they find out she hunts. When the find out she shoots a .300 Winchester Magnum, When she was learning to shoot her bow, Nelson admits it they’re blown away. And of all the four different big-game animals wasn’t easy. In the beginning, she would try to pull her bow five she’s harvested, people are always most impressed with her very times a night, then put it down. And after breaking her arm doing first successful hunt—when she got a black bear. yoga last year, she had to learn all over again. “It just goes to show that you can’t judge a person by how they “When I was first learning, my husband got me a cheap little look,” Hamlett says.

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406 WOMAN  57

Professional As women who live in Montana, many of us herald the merits of buying local, whether it’s at the farmer’s market or our neighborhood hardware store. But even more than that, it’s nice to be able to recognize the people behind the businesses that are getting our money, and to know that, like us, they’ve invested in our community. According to Civic Economics’ Andersonville Study of Retail Economics in October 2004, every $100 spent at a nationwide chain results in $43 of local economic activity. On the flip side, every $100 spent at a locally-owned business results in $68 of local economic activity. And more money in the community means more jobs. On that note, we proudly introduce a few of the women doing business in a neighborhood near you.

Meet Ann Schoonover, Adoornments Fine Architectural Hardware Functional

and

Beautiful

ooking for quality door and cabinet hardware, handcrafted sinks, fine faucetry or accessories for the bath? Look no further than Adoorments in Kalispell. Owner Ann Schoonover brings a wealth of experience and knowledge from her tenure in the high-end custom door industry, helping her clients make great hardware choices. She not only has aesthetics in mind but also what functions well. At Adoorments, quality doesn’t always equate to expensive items. Ann is adamant about offering well made, manufacturersupported products. Many are economical for those with tight budgets. She also offers an array of exquisite high-end lines with

competitive pricing. Adoorments is also about great customer service. Brad Reedstrom, of Bigfork Builders, has teamed up with Ann on several projects. He found that working with Adoornments is a singular experience. “When I call Ann on a project she looks at the blueprints, sees all the things involved and then offers her recommendations. She really brings a lot more design to the whole process,” Brad said. “She also works with the door manufacturer and provides all the prep instructions, so we don’t have to put it together. That saves a lot of time. She follows up after the sale and makes sure there are no problems. I’d give Ann 10 points out of 10. She’s the best.”

ADOORNMENTS, 154 2ND AVENUE, KALISPELL, MT • 406.752.6208 • www.adoornmentshardware.com

Meet Tracy & Kristine, Integrity Property Management Optimal Growth For Maximum Success

we’ve opened our doors, business is booming! We understand that in order to continue to offer individualized management service, we will need to cap our growth and have chosen to manage one property type exclusively. By discontinuing vacation rentals, shifting our focus to specialize in residential properties and defining the maximum number of units we will accept into our inventory, we will maintain efficiency, consistency and dedication to each property, each client and each tenant. Clients appreciate email updates or phone calls notifying them of property changes and the ease of logging-on to

the web site at any time, from anywhere, to review their financial reports. Tenants appreciate: the quick application process; the ability to view extensive pictures of all properties prior to scheduling a showing; and the ease of making a non-emergency maintenance request thru the web site. Pacing our growth enables us to continue to offer consistent and professional service. Integrity Property Management, Inc. is dedicated to providing exceptional service. Visit us at www.IntegrityRentalsMT.com. “Integrity took the stress out of trying to manage the property on my own.” Jessica Kinzer, Kalispell

ith the abundance of rental property in the Flathead, it’s easy to see how property management agencies could find themselves echoing Dr. Frankenstein’s sentiment: “I’ve created a monster!” After a little more than a year since INTEGRITY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC, 37 5TH ST EAST, SUITE 103, KALISPELL, MT • 406.755.6336

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Meet Sharon, New Image Concepts Skin Care

Unique as you

s teens and even some grownups are back in school for new classes and routines, it’s also a time to refresh your skin care regime. Sharon Tillett at New Image Concepts specializes in skin care treatments for teens as well as for maturing skin. Her teen facials teach good skin care techniques to help acne-prone skin and keep skin smooth and fresh. “Most of the damage to your skin is done before the age of 18,” Sharon explains. “It’s never too early to start taking care of your skin.” Sharon has worked in the industry for decades, doing make-up for Miss Texas at the Miss America pageant, and offering make-up lessons for teens on up. Sharon started in the beauty business, and followed her passion for beautiful skin into a career as a Licensed Skin Care Professional. Each look is unique; each skin care regimen is also unique. “One size does not fit all when it comes to skin care,” Sharon says. “We work

together to formulate a facial regimen using tried and tested products to target the issues affecting your skin.” New Image Concepts also carries both Epicuren and Jan Marini skin care product lines. To set up a customized skin consultation, make-up lesson, or for other questions, give Sharon a call.

NEW IMAGE CONCEPTS • 406.837.1464 8000 HWY 35 SUITE 5, BIGFORK, MT

Mortgage

report :

Back to basics

Meet Billie, Mountain West Bank

ere we go! The mortgage roller coaster is up and running. Rates are still holding at a historic low, but the industry itself is tightening up with stricter guidelines and criteria. Historically, almost anyone with a pulse could qualify for a mortgage loan, which is a main cause of the predicament currently facing our industry. But we are quickly moving back toward requiring a down payment, an excellent credit score and proof of income in order to approve mortgage loans. Another guideline change limits the amount of equity a borrower can borrow against. In the past, one could borrower up to, if not more than, 100 percent of the value of their home. Now, with most areas considered a “declining market,” some folks are upside down in their home’s loanto-value ratio and are stuck between a rock and a hard spot. But new guidelines guard against this dilemma, allowing a maximum 85 percent loan-to-value ratio on any cashout refinance, not to mention requiring a credit score of at least 620.

While to some this may sound like bad news, there is still money available for home loans, and now is the time to buy. So, for all you first-time home buyers—get shopping!

MOUNTAIN WEST BANK, 44 W IDAHO, KALISPELL MT • 406.752.2265 EXT. 133 406 WOMAN  59

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Restoring Hormone Balance

Women have questions! We have answers! Interest in Customized Hormone Replacement Therapy has surged since Oprah’s recent guests discussed the science supporting the use of customized HRT. Dr. Phil’s wife Robin McGraw described how through extensive research and with the help of her practitioner and a compounding pharmacist, she found natural ways to relieve menopausal symptoms and turned the “change of life” into a positive experience. For more information on customized hormones, call our professional compounding pharmacy.

20 Four Mile Drive, Suite 4 Kalispell, MT 59901 (Across from FVCC and Kids Sports on Hwy. 93)

Phone: 406.752.0499

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Meet Lacey and Kim, 33 Baker The Full Spectrum

or of-the-minute hair care or triedand-true traditional styling, Kim LeDoux and Lacey Street, of 33 Baker, deliver. When Kim moved to Whitefish earlier this year, she left behind the impersonal interactions of the big city salons, but brought her metropolitan techniques with her. “Everything is more personal here,” she says. Kim loves to do what she calls avantgarde styling, some of the trendier, edgier cuts and colors as well as natural west coast coloring. “I’m always changing up my style and practicing on myself and my children,” Kim says. “I have recent schooling, and I work

to perfect each new technique I learn.” Kim also does face and body waxing, manicures and pedicures, applies colored extensions, but remarks, “Color is my passion.” Lacey, who’s been doing hair for nine

years, always makes sure she’s up on the latest hair coloring trends. “I’ve been taking classes on creating really natural-looking blonds and subtle color blending techniques,” Lacey says. But because of her commitment to education, she feels as comfortable doing funky colored chunks as natural summer highlights and deep fall lowlights. Additionally, Lacey stays abreast of the newest waxing advances. “Waxing is so personal, I learn all I can,” she says. And when it comes to doing hair, Lacey knows there’s always more to learn. “There’s not one certain technique that works for all clients,” she says. “So I’m constantly learning.”

33 BAKER HAIR N’ BODY SALON, 33 BAKER, WHITEFISH, MT • 406.862.9633

Meet Tamara & Judy, Insty Prints Time

is money, and

Insty-Prints can save you both

ere at Insty-Prints we understand that people’s time is often their most valuable commodity. That’s why we work to make every customer’s printing experience with us efficient and effortless. We also realize that our customers sometimes simply don't have the time to come to us. That’s why we created a full-time pick-up and delivery position to help save our customers time and money. So, while we offer competitive pricing and innovative design services, we believe our premium customer service is what keeps our customers coming back again and again. And our customers agree. We receive a lot of positive feedback about our customers’ INSTY PRINTS, 131 MAIN ST, KALISPELL MT

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experiences at our stores. Hand-penned thank-you notes and brief calls of appreciation let us know that our team is consistently overshooting the customer service mark. It is this team—our lifeblood— that makes our stores click. Our customer service specialists and production team do whatever it takes to not only meet deadlines but to treat each customer with the respect they deserve. If you or your company needs a quality product, outstanding customer service and the knowledge that you are appreciated, Insty-Prints is here to serve you for all your printing needs.

406.752.8812 • 49504 HWY 93, POLSON, MT 406.883.3778

Meet Bella Colour Salon

Color

beautiful

s women, throughout the year, we change our jewelry and our wardrobes. Let’s face it, on any given day, we may change them both so often that we never leave the closet! But beautiful hair color is something we can wear every day all year round. “Good color starts with a good color consultation,” says Carolyn Sellards, one of six stylists at Bella Colour Salon. “Using each person’s skin tone, their preferences of warmer or cooler shades as well as if they want really dimensional or more subtle variations of color help us determine what to do.” Additionally, Bella specializes in colorcorrection, which requires specialized training. In addition to the color challenges associated with covering up existing colorgone-wrong, over-processed hair is fragile. At Bella, the best products combined with best education means the best color for each client. Multiple color lines developed with Wella’s no-heat processing system means a more gentle experience. Since the color is not developed under a dryer, it’s easier on the hair than traditional heat processing. As a Bumble and Bumble salon, the stylists at Bella focus on protecting the hair’s integrity. They aim to promote shiny, dimensional, healthy hair. That means using a lot of deep conditioning treatments and protein treatments. Call Bella Colour Salon to ask about custom color, corrective color or deep conditioning treatments. BELLA COLOUR SALON 38 1ST AVE E #B, KALISPELL, MT 406.756.2352

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Healthy as a

Ho r s e

by JOHN HAUSS photos courtesy of NANCY HOWELL

our horse can’t tell you what it needs, but Nancy Howell of CHS Country Store usually can. A student of animal health for over 30 years, Nancy’s passion for horses ignited in eastern Montana when she was just 10 years old. By the time she was 20, she had saved enough money to buy her first horse. She immediately started showing. Throughout her horse career, she has studied a few different disciplines— dressage, team roping, team penning, and, at the young age of 50, she also fell in love with barrel racing. Nancy loves horses so much that she embarked on a career helping others care for their horses. She continues to be a student of animal and pet health as well and attends week-long seminars given by industry professionals every year. She gains some of her knowledge from industry leaders, like Pfizer, Intervet and Fort Dodge, companies that make vaccines for horses and humans. With the knowledge she obtained, Nancy kept advancing. Eventually, she managed two Lextron stores, one in Great Falls and the other in Kalispell. When

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CHS learned of Nancy, she was asked to join their company as the Valley’s source for horse, cattle and pet health advice. “At the CHS Country Store we have all the basic annual vaccines horses need. The only exceptions are for West Nile and Strangles—see your veterinarian for those,” Nancy says. “CHS also has tack as well as nutritious feeds, several different vitamins, mineral supplements, medications and ointments to keep your horses healthy.” Part of Nancy’s credibility is that she practices what she preaches. She owns three horses, one a retiree and two other barrel racing horses. She puts her heart into her relationships with them. “They become part of you. They bond with you. You know when they feel good and when they don't. Nothing is more gratifying than when they do silly things, things that make you laugh. You know they’re being silly with you and for you. They love you in return.” If you’re looking for honest, nononsense consulting, go see Nancy. She tells it like it is. If she doesn’t know the answer to your question, she’ll recommend you seek

Architectural Plumbing Door and Cabinet Hardware advice from a veterinarian. When people come to CHS and ask for her, she’s able to help in one way or another. “Sometimes I need to ask many questions to get to the heart of the matter. Then I can give proper advice,” Nancy says. “I really enjoy helping people with their animals.” Winter horse care tips: Deworm your horse for large and small strongyles, ascarids, pinworms, hairworms, large mouth stomach worms, bots and tapeworms. Have a dental exam with your veterinarian once a year and have your horse’s teeth floated. Make sure you have enough mold and dust-free hay to last until the green grass comes back in the spring. Feeding more hay on severe winter days and nights will keep your horse warmer. Have plenty of fresh water available. Investing in a tank heater will guard against your horse’s water from freezing. It is good to blanket older or thin horses on severe cold days and nights. The blankets must be waterproof and breathable. Take them off at or above zero degrees. Have a shelter for your horses so they can get out of high winds and wet weather. If you are traveling or keeping your horses at a stable, make sure you revaccinate for rhinopneamonitis and influenza.

Bath Accessories

Direct Buying Showroom Since 1987

478 N. Main Street, Kalispell 406-752-2602 www.faucetsnfixturesmt.net

Nancy Howell is available at CHS Country Store to answer any questions you may have about your horses, cattle or pets. CHS is next to Walgreens, 150 First Avenue W.N. in Kalispell. 406 WOMAN  65

BIG FAT by MARY CORRAO

The Wave Aquatic & Fitness Center

irst we were told to eat lots of carbohydrates and cut out the fat. Then we were told to cut out carbohydrates and eat lots of protein because it must

have been all that pasta, rice and potatoes causing us to gain weight. It couldn't be fat since we don't eat fat. Just notice the array of fat-free items on the grocery shelves.

Simple

fact: If we eat more calories than we burn, regardless of the type, they will be stored as fat.

Sugar can't be the culprit either. “SUGAR-FREE” is plastered on every other packaged food. All this conflicting misinformation becomes so confusing that most of us don't know what to eat anymore. Many simply resign themselves to a diet of fast food and frozen dinners. And Americans get fatter as the media fills us with more sensational and misleading nutritional headlines. The United States has a population with the most obese, sick and pharmaceutically medicated individuals. The majority of Americans lead sedentary lives. On top of that, Americans eat about 20 pounds of additives, preservatives and food colorings and 150 pounds of sugar per year. Many of us eat sugar substitutes thinking we are making healthy choices. However, these products have been linked to many adverse effects including headaches, muscle pains, gastrointestinal problems, depression, rashes and hypertension. As a result, the body is thrown out of balance. These products also increase appetite, contribute to weight gain and water retention. Sweet foods also promote a feeling of comfort, which leads to addiction to sweets. Sugar is similarly addictive. The more you eat the more you crave. Fat-fighting food If your goal is to lose body fat then you must eat fat. Yes, you read it correctly.

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Healthy fats are responsible for hormonal balance, are a natural anti-inflammatory, regulate insulin levels and promote body fat loss. Eliminate hydrogenated and trans fats, margarine and fried food. Instead choose fish oil, olive oil, nuts and avocados. What about carbohydrates versus protein. Guess what! You need them both. Complex carbohydrates and lean protein make the perfect marriage. The key words being COMPLEX and LEAN. Together they offset unstable blood and insulin levels by prolonging digestion and slowing the release of sugar into the bloodstream. The combination slows the carbohydrate and fat conversion process even more. The result is more energy, fewer cravings and, ultimately, weight loss. Miracle drink & a magic formula Don’t forget the miracle drink—water. Water is critical for regulating body temperature and metabolic rate. How much water is enough? If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. Never let yourself get

thirsty. Finally, if you eat more calories than you burn, they will be stored as fat. That is where exercise comes in. Muscle is your metabolic hero. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn even at rest. Weight training is especially important to create a strong lean body. The magic formula for losing weight is eating quality real foods and building muscle through exercise. The combination will bring your body back to its proper balance for a healthy, happier, leaner you. And that’s the truth!

1250 Baker Avenue • Whitefish

862-2444

Mary Corrao is a Certified Personal Trainer and Lifestyles and Weight Management Coach at The Wave Aquatic & Fitness Center, in Whitefish.

406 WOMAN  67

Artful Bras raise MONEY AND awareness for breast cancer photos by BRENT STEINER

Lending Suppor t Protect Your Valuables by Celinda English

38 Sea by Joy Healy

Under the C-cup, aka hawaii or bust by Beverly Garcelon

Flaunting it, at my whimsy by Amy Quinn

Under the Save a Sister umbrella, a collaboration among Northwest Healthcare, North Valley Hospital and Flathead CityCounty Health Department, comes the Artful Bra Project. Thirty-four Flathead Valley artists created 27 one-of-a-kind Artful Bras intended to raise money for breast cancer awareness, memorialize those lost to the disease and honor survivors. Following its exhibit at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, the bras will begin their journey around the Flathead before venturing on their statewide tour. “We’re unofficially calling the exhibit the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Artful Bras,’” said the project’s chairperson Susan Kuhlman. The exhibit will be available to organizations, civic projects and various public venues until July of next year. Then in August 2010, a fundraising event—the Bra-la-la—will be held and the bras will be auctioned off. All proceeds will benefit the Save a Sister initiative. Save a Sister is a local organization which promotes breast cancer awareness through outreach activities; distributes educational materials; and raises funds to improve women’s access and understanding for screening mammograms. Save a Sister also provides post-operative durable goods that are often not paid for by insurance. Last year, vouchers for 300 mammograms (valued at $225 each) were available to men and women of the Flathead Valley. Anyone interested in delighting and inspiring their organization or showcasing the Artful Bras at an event may contact Kuhlman at kuhlsusan@aol.co. Artful Bra sponsors are Glacier Bank, First Interstate Bank, HealthCenter Northwest and Northwest Imaging. 68  406 WOMAN

406 WOMAN  69

Lake retreat redo

by A.C.Gibson

For an old house sitting at the foot of Whitefish Lake, a budget-friendly cosmetic remodel takes the homes from hum-drum to ready-for-fun. The owner, a family planning to use the house primarily as a summer residence, contracted the design department at Ciao Interiors of Kalispell to design and implement the transformation. Director of Design for Ciao, Les Bernabi, interpreted the family's vision and revitalized the tired space.

Fitting in

“The previous owners, a couple, had completely remodeled the house,” Bernabi said. “So our clients were mainly looking to brighten up the house and to make it a better fit for its surroundings.” Over-styled in a French country approach, dark paint, heavy draperies and dark wood detracted from the airiness of the home's setting. “The views are spectacular—out the living room window, you’re literally looking all the way down the 70  406 WOMAN

lake,” Bernabi said. “We wanted to capture that in the house and make it feel like it was part of the environment.” In the dining room, the overbearing red walls, dark drapery and large chandelier dragged the room down and created a heavy atmosphere. While removing a chandelier in a dining room is an untraditional choice, in this case, it lightened the room and made the rustic farmhouse table the focus. Ciao Interiors removed the drapery and painted the walls a deep robin’s egg blue to give the room a youthful, fresh look. The four pots of grass across the middle of the table added an unexpected touch to the setting.

Color coordinated

Since color can transform and brighten a room from a blank, gloomy space into a cheerful retreat,

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Awaken the body.....

.....free the mind

Hot Yoga Studio

Call about introductory offers for all levels.

Flexible Class Schedule Beginners and Drop-ins Welcome

Photo by Lindsey Jane Photography

406.752.0799

Full Facility with Changing Area and Showers located between Whitefish & Kalispell on Hwy 93

www.flatheadhotyoga.com

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Ciao repainted the entire house. In some rooms, like the kitchen, new paint and updated hardware were the only changes, but the impact was dramatic. “There was nothing wrong with the kitchen, so we just updated it and made it look more modern,” Bernabi said. “New paint and pulls on the cabinets combined with a new tile backsplash gave the kitchen a more pleasant and contemporary atmosphere.” With great bones and nice detailing in the moldings and built-ins, all the home needed was brightening to give it personality and a sense of joy. “We chose paint to complement the

existing bright white trim,” Bernabi said. “We used a sequence of colors inspired by Charleston, South Carolina, the types of historic colors that are most prevalent in a waterside locale.” In one bedroom, a calming neutral provides the perfect backdrop for the classic yet energetic pink and green fabrics. The drapery, hung above the window casing, draws the eye upwards and makes the ceiling appear higher, while the window covering and seat cushion in the builtin makes the view out the windows pop. With the pink and green floral and stripes, this room has completely shed its bland beginnings.

“It’s a place where you can’t help but feel happy,” Bernabi said.

Flow chart

Other updates improved the home’s flow. Before the remodel, a tile landing in the entryway sent a subconscious and abrupt “STOP” signal to visitors. By extending the wood flooring to the door, the home seems less disjointed and the entry more welcoming. In the living area, a clunky wet bar stationed between two columns created an awkward interruption between the living room and kitchen. Removing the bar returned the feeling of connectivity and openness between the two rooms. Painting the dark wood fireplace to match the trim throughout the home extended the sense of continuity further. “Like the paint on the fireplace, much of this remodel was easy and costeffective,” Bernabi said. “Now the whole house is family-friendly and fun while the remodel was entirely affordable.”

406 WOMAN  73

Welcoming Winter FENDING OFF THE FLU

by KIERSTEN ALTON

ow, it is hard to believe that winter is just around the corner. The chill in the morning air tells me I need to start preparing my body for the long cold months ahead—and the cold and flu season that inevitably accompany them. Face it: No matter how much you may love winter, we all dread cold and flu season. For many, the winter months are filled with sniffles, sneezes and coughs and, for some, mild to moderate depression. But with just a little bit of extra preparation, you can weather the winter without the typical illnesses.

VITAMIN D

The first weapon in our arsenal is vitamin D. A recent study found that 70 percent of children in the U.S. had low levels of vitamin D. Researchers said this puts them at higher risk of bone and heart disease and possibly cancer. The most probable cause? Lack of sun exposure. Since Montana is not known for sunny winter days—especially northwestern Montana, supplementing with 1,000-2,000 units of Vitamin D3 can help prevent the winter blues and may even ward off certain cancers and bone problems.

FLU SHOTS

Another issue facing us this time of year is whether or not to get the flu shot. This season, we will be faced with an additional vaccine for the H1N1 virus (also called swine flu). Many people may find is difficult to discern how much of the flu scare is media hype and how much of it is a real concern. It’s crucial that we remain calm as we wade through the contradictory and confusing reports about swine flu. The truth is that swine flu has been producing mild symptoms in healthy adults and children, with much fewer cases requiring hospitalization than this year’s typical “seasonal” flu.

HOMEOPATHICS

Sambucol is an herbal supplement which has been used for years to treat viral infections such as the flu and colds. It is available at most health food stores and is safe for children as well as adults. It can be taken daily as a preventative or three times a day when a cold or flu strikes. Each year there is a homeopathic flu remedy made from the actual flu vaccine. It is available from Washington Homeopathics and can be used by anyone. For flu prevention, start taking it in September, as soon as it is available, and continue until the end of flu season. Homeopathy is safe for infants, children, the elderly and even pregnant women. There are additional homeopathic remedies which are useful when you have a flu or cold. All of the local health food stores have these on hand. Keep in mind that a rested immune system is much stronger than a stressed out one! If you are not sleeping at night, there are several supplements which may help. Magnesium glycinate is very calming to the brain and central nervous system. It can be taken at bedtime and in the middle of the night if you wake up and have a hard time falling back asleep. Melatonin is also useful. As we age, our melatonin levels fall and we have a harder time regulating our sleep pattern. Lastly, eating a healthy whole food diet will give your body the nutrients it needs to fight off illnesses. Fall and winter are a good time to consume seasonal root vegetables, in the form of soups and stews. Squash and pumpkin are packed full of vitamin C and wonderful for the immune system. You can make a wonderful pumpkin soup with curry and coconut milk. Your immune system and your stomach will love it. In closing, remember that laughter is the best medicine. Make a point to laugh every day and in every way. Laughter raises serotonin levels in the brain just like Prozac. Watch a funny movie or read a funny book. Start out each day with a laugh and it will be a healthy one! 74  406 WOMAN

Cold & flu prevention

For those individuals who choose not to get a flu shot, it is particularly important to support your immune system. This can be done in several of the following ways.

 Wash your hands often  Get plenty of rest a whole food diet, limiting  Eat processed foods and soft drinks  Drink plenty of water supplements and herbs to  Use help support the immune system homeopathy to help prepare  Use the body if exposed to the flu Kiersten Alton, RPH, is a pharmacist at Big Sky Specialty Compounding in Kalispell. She attended pharmacy school at the University of Texas in Austin where she learned about herbs, vitamins, homeopathics and how to make medicines from scratch (compounding). She helps patients reduce or eliminate medications and teaches classes on women’s hormones, environmental toxins, and nutritional and natural medicine for infants and toddlers. Recently Kiersten started an autism support group. For more information, e-mail Kalton@ bigskycompounding.com.

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