Area Woman Magazine Dec'21/Jan'22

No surprises when filing your tax return.

Plan & Utilize all available deductions & tax credits.

Opportunity to discuss future potential tax law changes and how they could directly affect you.

5195 45th St S, Fargo, ND 58104 (701) 277-3111

hagakommer.com

Megan HenselAnnette ThompsonBrad Booth Brandon Taylor

Cass Meyers Daigen Afdahl Gerry Haga Jeff Knutson

Jerry Kuhn Justin Fox

Mary Conlin Mathew Hermanson Mitch Martel

PEDIATRIC CARE

You are always there for your kids. And Essentia Health is there for you and your family with same-day care and easy scheduling. Because here, we take care of each other.

Schedule online at EssentiaHealth.org or visit our walk-in clinic for immediate care.

South University Clinic 1702 South University Drive Fargo, ND 58103

Your path to parenthood is unique and your experience should be too.

our writers

are the voice of Area Woman Magazine. They bring to life the Fargo-Moorhead area and the incredible stories of the women we feature. These are the talented contributors showcased in this issue. Learn more about these and our other contributors at areawomanmagazine.com .

REBECCA MEIDINGER

Rebecca is a speaker, Bible teacher, writer, blogger and stay-at-home mom to four wild kids in south Fargo and wife to her awesome husband Paul. As a speaker and Bible teacher, it is Rebecca's joy to bring messages of hope, joy and freedom in Christ to groups of teens and adult women. As a blogger, Rebecca shares the real-life challenges of marriage and motherhood. Rebecca loves a hot cup of coffee, a cool morning run, and warm sunshine on her face. Learn more about Rebecca at rebeccameidinger.com.

KRISTINA HEIN-LANDIN

As a team member of our local United Way for more than a decade, Kristina’s greatest joy is to share the stories of local people whose lives have been transformed by the power of community. When she isn’t inspiring our community to “live united,” you can find her on an adventure with her spirited daughter Annika, husband Michael, and their rambunctious corgi Ranger.

AMBER DEKREY

is the director of Giving Hearts Day at Dakota Medical Foundation. She is passionate about helping others find meaning and purpose through acts of kindness, service and giving back to the community. Amber, her husband Brent, and their two girls live in Fargo. They love spending time outdoors and playing family games. Check out givingheartsday.org for ways to get yourself, your family or your organization involved.

ASHLEY SORNSIN

STACY KENNEDY photographer

Stacy is a photographer who specializes in high school senior and commercial portraits. Her years in the fashion industry and behind a camera lens have gained her the reputation of creating images that stand out. Check out her portfolio at stacykennedy.com.

Ashley is a local health, fitness and life coach with a passion for inspiring and motivating others to live their best life. She started her own business, BUFF Inc., teaches group fitness classes at the YMCA in Fargo, is a health and fitness writer, has appeared on local TV as a fitness expert, and shares her life and expertise candidly on Facebook and Instagram. To work with Ashley for nutrition, fitness and life coaching, contact her online at eatlivebebuff.com.

The cover story was photographed by Stacy Kennedy and written by Rebecca Meidinger, page 50.

Will your donation become a $5,000 holiday boost to a local family?

Holiday Hand Up hosted by Lend A Hand Up :: DECEMBER 1-15

If you, your family or business is looking for an impactful way to help your neighbors this holiday season, we encourage you to support the “Holiday Hand Up” giving event hosted by Lend A Hand Up the first two weeks of December.

Gifts supporting “Holiday Hand Up” are spread out to provide financial help to many local families experiencing hardship due to medical challenges.

Families like the Rindes of Casselton. Stacie and Travis are the parents of three busy children: Kara (13), Caleb (5) and Collin (3). Stacie was initially diagnosed with breast cancer just over three years ago. Following treatment, she was in remission and able to return to her position with the US Postal service and to actively participate in family life. Unfortunately, in early July, Stacie learned that her cancer had returned, aggressively spreading to several internal organs. Lost wages coinciding with increased expenses quickly created financial hardship for the family. Friends, family and coworkers quickly stepped forward to rally help through a Lend A Hand Up online fundraiser and in-person benefit.

Dirk Kringen of Fargo is awaiting a kidney transplant. Due to his current medical condition and inability to maintain full-time employment, he is experiencing lost wages. Since he lives alone and depends on his income, his medical challenges have morphed into financial hardship as well. His coworkers are hosting an online Lend A Hand Up fundraiser to alleviate financial stress and uplift his spirits.

There are many other individuals who live and work among us who are suffering right now due to health issues. Since the pandemic has made it more challenging to host in-person events, Lend A Hand Up is hosting a December giving event that inspires and maximizes generosity through online, cash and check contributions.

During the “Holiday Hand Up” campaign held the first two weeks of December, donors may direct their gift to help a specific individual or family fundraiser. These gifts will be boosted 20%.

Gifts may also be directed to the “Holiday Hand Up” campaign to help all active family fundraisers through one tax-deductible gift. Gifts of $10 or more supporting “Holiday Hand Up” will be boosted 20% by Dakota Medical Foundation and other sponsors and be eligible for a drawing on Dec. 16. Winners of the drawing will be able to recommend which family fundraiser receives their additional holiday boost. Boosts will range from $1,000 to $5,000 and be distributed in time to provide some extra help over the holidays.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about giving options and families helped through the “Holiday Hand Up” campaign, go to lendahandup.org or call the program office at 701-356-2661.

Give a hand up to your neighbors in medical crisis this holiday season.

WHAT: Lend A Hand Up’s “Holiday Hand Up” giving event WHEN: Dec. 1-15

WHY: To raise financial help for community members and their families experiencing a medical crisis.

DRAWING: When you make a gift to “Holiday Hand Up,” your name will be entered into a random drawing held on Dec. 16 . Winners will designate a Lend A Hand Up family fundraiser to receive their $1,000-5,000 holiday boost.

DONATION OPTIONS: Give online at lendahandup.org or by check payable to “LAHU Holiday Hand Up.” Drop off or mail to 4141 28th Ave. S, Fargo, ND, 58104

Stacie Rinde with her family.

Dick Kringen

↑ Anyiwei Maciek, single mother, passed away suddenly from Covid-19, leaving a 9-month-old daughter behind.

↑ The Garcia Family of Fargo is experiencing hardship due to 8-year old Bella’s recent tumor diagnosis requiring out-of-area care, while still paying for complications Rosalinda suffered following the emergency birth of their infant son.

← Two members of the Cossette family are battling health issues. Brandon (dad) required a liver transplant at an early age resulting in life-long complications. About the same time his health issues intensified with a recent diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, their infant son Huxon was born with a hole in his heart requiring cardiac surgery.

is a theatre arts teacher at Davies

and mother of three. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma which will require many months of treatment.

→ The Fargo Gateway Lions are rallying help for Danell Dougherty, a Fargo resident recently diagnosed with glioblastoma.

↑Jennifer Hyden received a liver transplant in September 2021 and travels frequently to Rochester, Minnesota, for follow-up care.

↑ Charlie Dame, a long-term BCBSND employee, is currently on leave as he receives aggressive treatment for a brain tumor.

↑

, the former owner of a beauty school in

was in remission from treatment received in 2018 until recently when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer.

↑ Nancy Jensen , a young, single mother of three children, was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

→ Scott Sellers was thrown from a bull leaving him with paralysis in both legs, requiring rehabilitation in Colorado.

Here are some of the families that will be helped this holiday season

↑ Jeff McKinnon, husband and father of two, has multiple myeloma and receives specialized care at the Mayo Clinic after undergoing a stem cell transplant.

← Rebecca Saari

High School

Rita Dickelman

Moorhead,

Vaginal Rejuvenation provides relief for painful symptoms  Laser procedure offers new benefits for

menopausal women and cancer patients

Jodi Glanville was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. To fight the disease, doctors removed her ovaries, uterus and cervix. They also performed a double mastectomy.

“Women don’t realize what all those body parts are really for,” Glanville says. “It became painful. Not just intimacy but on a daily basis.”

In addition to surgery, Glanville was placed on a hormone blocker. She began experiencing genital atrophy after her cancer treatment.

Genital atrophy is caused by the thinning and drying of the vaginal wall, which can lead to inflammation and painful urinary symptoms. The condition most commonly occurs in women after menopause but can also happen in breast cancer patients and others.

Dr. Jon Dangerfield, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology at Sanford Health, treats patients with this condition. “When it’s a timely menopause or a surgically induced menopause, a lot of these women unfortunately develop this genital atrophy syndrome,” Dangerfield says.

The treatments for genital atrophy are limited. Some patients can be treated with regional hormone, like estrogen. For patients like Glanville, it’s not recommended to undergo estrogen therapy.

That’s where the fractional CO2 laser procedure comes in. Also called the Mona Lisa procedure, the fractional CO2 laser is a medical treatment used to relieve symptoms like chronic burning, itching and irritation caused by genital atrophy.

“This was the safest procedure for me to do — the only procedure really,” Glanville says.

Short procedure with noticeable results

During the procedure, the doctor uses a laser energy to create shallow holes in the vaginal wall tissue. The small holes stimulate the body’s natural response system.

“The body’s reparative cells come in and actually rejuvenate or seal this skin,” Dangerfield says. “You’re working with the body to try to heal itself by triggering that activation through the laser grid.”

An appointment usually lasts around 45 minutes. Patients receive a numbing cream to minimize discomfort during the procedure and wait 30 minutes for the cream to take effect.

The procedure portion of the appointment is usually short and painless.

“The actual laser is very quick and usually takes us about 5 to 10 minutes at most,” Dangerfield says. “I have yet to have a patient that’s had any discomfort with the procedure.”

WORDS : SANFORD HEALTH

A fractional carbon dioxide laser procedure, also called the Mona Lisa procedure, is a medical treatment performed at Sanford Health that is used to relieve symptoms like chronic burning, itching and irritation caused by genital atrophy. (Photo by Getty Images)

The treatment typically involves three to four appointments. While each patient’s experience is different, Dangerfield says most patients see a large improvement in their symptoms by the third visit. “By the time the majority of them have gone through the third procedure, their symptoms are markedly improved. Most of them gone, but some of them, even if those symptoms are improved, their quality of life is so much better.”

For Glanville, the results have been noticeable. “I know it’s helped tremendously,” she says.

She encourages others who are experiencing symptoms to try the treatment. “Definitely, I would do it. I would recommend it to anybody, even if you haven’t gone through cancer treatment.”

Old technology, new treatment

Dangerfield says the technology for the procedure has been used for decades. “The CO2 laser has been around for many, many years. I trained with it, I’m embarrassed to say, 30 years ago, and that was a non-fractional laser.”

While the laser has been used for years in other treatments, its use in this procedure is fairly new. “The laser has been around. The processing unit is what is new and the ability to do something with this laser differently.”

New treatments can often come at a higher cost, Dangerfield says, though he expects the cost for the procedure to decrease as more patients become aware of it as an option.

“We’re hoping as we get the word out, this will become a much more popular treatment that will apply a little bit of pressure to our regional insurance payers.”

Dangerfield and others hope to offer the procedure to more patients soon.

“It has new benefits for patients that really we weren’t able to offer up until a few years ago, so we’re pretty excited about it. We’re trying to get it out so that women and their providers are aware of it.”

A NEW YEAR, a new you

The new year is a time many people start focusing on positive changes they want to make in their lives. Where to begin is always the challenging part. Altaire has many great options to help you on this journey.

WEIGHT LOSS

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is weight loss. Many people join the gym or try a new fad diet. Most of them quickly find themselves struggling to keep to their goals. They lose motivation and give up a month later. At Altaire, we offer a medical approach to weight loss where the focus is not on drastically changing your lifestyle all at once. Here are our goals:

1.

Make small gradual changes to nutrition, activity and behaviors which allows patients to live a healthier life.

2.

Recommend sustainable changes to nutrition, such as being mindful of portion size rather than eliminating food groups from the diet.

3.

Encourage activity in our patients' daily lives. For some, this can be as simple as walking.

4.

Look at behaviors that can be modified which may be impacting our ability to lose weight including sleep, circadian rhythm, stress/mental health, and underlying medical problems.

5.

Individualized treatment for each patient. We realize everyone has their own unique story.

6.

Utilizing prescription medications, when appropriate to assist with weight loss.

7.

Using the biometric scale to determine the fat, muscle and water composition of your weight.

If you are tired of not seeing lasting weight-loss success, please call Altaire Clinic to set up an appointment with our certified weight loss specialist, Tiffany Swenson, PA-C. Never give up on your journey of achieving your goals.

SKIN CARE

Healthy skin not only looks better, but it helps to prevent disease. Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and it is often the most neglected. Your skin care journey can start with a few simple steps.

1.

Invest in amazing products:

The medical cosmeceutical industry is constantly coming out with new technology to enhance your results. The basic starting point — invest in a great sunscreen that you will actually use every day to protect your skin from solar damage, slow down the aging process and help prevent skin cancer.

Many people have drawers full of expensive over the counter products that just sit there. Invest in the right products and you will see amazing transformation in your skin. Medical grade products that you buy through a clinic, are unique in that they require a medical license to carry them since they can affect living skin. If you do not love your current product or you have been using the same product for many years, it is time to change. The other benefit of changing your product is that it can “trick” your skin to behave a certain way.

Tiffany Swenson, PA-C utilizes the biometric scale during all consults to know exactly how to reach your desired weight loss goals.

Dr. Tamra Schue, DNP, FNP-C performs one of the most popular laser treatments. The Halo is designed to deliver amazing results.

Lasers are a great way to get a natural, healthy glow back to your skin. There are a wide range of lasers and treatment options, and the best way to figure out what is right for you, is to set up a consult at Altaire Clinic. Your provider will work with you to figure out your goals, down time and budget to create a customized treatment plan. There are great advances in laser technology to change the genetic expression towards your younger, more youthful skin. There are ways to get rid of damage that has developed over the years and there are new ways to get rid of unwanted scars.

3.

“The best injectable is the least detectable.”

This is our goal at Altaire. The number one fear from new patients is that they do not want to look fake, like images of overdone celebrities. The reality is that as we age, we lose collagen and our bones demineralize. This causes our face to lose the youthful volume we once had. If you inject the right product and the right amount, injectable therapy can look very natural.

GOAL FOR 2022: Start focusing on wellness

The past two years have been very challenging for so many people. Take control of your life again and think of your overall health as a marathon, not a sprint.

Altaire started its family medicine division to help you navigate the challenging health care system. Get to know your primary care provider, have access when you need it, and feel cared for like nowhere else. One of the best, first steps in taking care of your health is to meet with one of our amazing primary care providers: Dr. Angela Dolalie Kelsch DNP, FNP-C, or Tiffany Swenson, PA-C.

Start with one simple thing and then go from there. Those small victories quickly add up. Altaire’s medical and cosmetic team is here to make your 2022 start out on the right track.

wellness and acute care visits.

photo by chalcee schuck photography

2.

Dr. Angela Dolalie Kelsch, DNP, FNP-C performs thorough examinations during

TESTOSTERONE... for Women?

!yes

When someone mentions the hormone testosterone, it often conjures up images of bulging muscles and baseballs being hit impossibly far. Or it is seen as a male hormone, responsible for masculine characteristics. However, testosterone has a much more important role to play in our lives than just a performance enhancer for athletes, and it is not just important for men. Testosterone plays a vital role in the body for women as well.

According to Dr. Angela DeRosa, hormone replacement therapy expert and founder of the Hormonal Health Institute, “There is a common misconception that women’s bodies do not produce much testosterone or none at all. This is just not true. Testosterone is the most abundant and biologically active hormone throughout a woman’s lifespan.”

For women, testosterone is believed to have an especially important role in mood, energy, metabolism, muscle mass, bone density and libido/sexual function. However, similar to other hormones in the body, testosterone production decreases naturally with age. By the time women reach their 40s, the blood testosterone levels are approximately half of those in their 20s. This drop in testosterone can be even

more abrupt and dramatic in women who have either had their ovaries removed or have lost ovarian function, as a large proportion of testosterone in women is made by the ovaries.

Unfortunately, this drop in testosterone levels corresponds with certain signs and symptoms. These include:

ƒ Absent or greatly diminished sexual motivation or desire (libido)

ƒ Persistent unexplainable fatigue

ƒ Lack of sense of well-being

ƒ Decreased muscle mass

ƒ Decreased bone density

WORDS : JASON COSSETTE, PharmD, RPh PHOTOGRAPHY : Moose Photos on pexels.com

Although there are currently no FDA approved testosterone replacement medications for women to treat symptoms of decreased testosterone, practitioners have used testosterone off-label to treat these symptoms for years. Since no pharmaceutical companies manufacture testosterone products specifically for women, the medications used are often compounded by pharmacies specializing in custom medications. Examples of these products include: transdermal creams or gels, sublingual tablets/drops, lozenges, injections, or pellets implanted under the skin. Improved sexual function and libido is the most well-documented benefit of testosterone therapy in women, but mood, energy, lean muscle mass, and bone density are also targets of therapy.

It is clear that testosterone is just as important for women as men and research continues to discover how best to use that knowledge to help women feel their best.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

on how testosterone therapy may benefit you, visit inhealthcompounding.com/balance.

InHealth Specialty Pharmacist

Jason Cossette, PharmD, RPh is a 2007 graduate of NDSU College of Pharmacy. He has 15 years of experience in community pharmacy and five years specializing in compounding pharmacy. Cossette is a passionate patient care advocate who enjoys teaming with patients and providers to achieve the best possible health outcomes.

“Dr. Bauer-Olson truly listens and this is so rare

— jamie gall

offering support when it’s needed most

Essentia Health maternalfetal medicine specialist

Dr. Michelle Wyatt helps families navigate high-risk pregnancies

ichelle Wyatt, MD, and her husband, Kirk, have two boys, including an infant born in July who no doubt keeps the couple on their toes. But the Essentia Health maternal-fetal medicine specialist has been pregnant four times.

She has twice experienced the magic of giving birth to a healthy baby — and twice suffered the kind of heartbreak that accompanies the loss of a pregnancy. Having endured the good and the gut-wrenching bad allows for unique connections between Wyatt and her patients. She understands what women with high-risk pregnancies are going through, not only from a medical perspective but a personal one. She’s been there herself. She can relate.

“It’s made me appreciate all the concerns that patients bring forward,” Wyatt says. “I’m able to support and guide families through challenging and sometimes heartbreaking diagnoses and make sure they feel supported through their journey.”

So what exactly is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist? They are obstetricians who have advanced training in caring for women and babies

during a non-routine pregnancy. Sometimes called high-risk obstetricians, they operate alongside OB-GYNs to provide specialized care and manage health concerns when mom or baby has an increased risk for complications during pregnancy or after birth.

Your pregnancy could be high-risk if you:

ƒ Are a teenager or over 35 years old

ƒ Are pregnant with twins, triplets or more

ƒ Have a chronic health condition, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, a blood disorder, HIV or AIDS

ƒ Had complications with previous pregnancies

A maternal-fetal medicine specialist might be part of your care team if your unborn baby is diagnosed with a congenital abnormality

WORDS : LOUIE ST. GEORGE III PHOTOGRAPHY : TESSA SIMMERS PHOTOGRAPHY

(birth defect), growth problem, infection or other condition. Wyatt also consults with women who, because of a high-risk condition, wonder if it’s safe for them to get pregnant in the first place.

Being part of an OB team and creating customized care plans is one of the elements that appealed to Wyatt. No two patients are the same. Working together with providers across specialties to deliver the best treatment possible is what motivates her.

“Collaboration of care is critical to provide the best outcomes for mom and baby,” Wyatt says.

For example, she will work with an oncologist if a pregnant mother has cancer, or a cardiologist if the mother has a heart defect that puts her at risk. In the case of cancer, the care plan may involve devising a schedule that optimizes the effect of chemotherapy on the mother but minimizes risk to the baby. The objective is to pull together a team of experts relevant to the specific situation and help families navigate potentially complicated pregnancies.

Wyatt’s empathy and understanding help her offer support and reassurance.

“You’re part of a person’s life,” she says. “If you can provide them some support that they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten, then I’ve done something for them.”

Asked to name her favorite aspect of being a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Wyatt hesitates.

“I don’t think I can pick just one, but really it’s just connecting with families during oftentimes a scary or difficult experience,” she says, adding that her role at times calls her for to be a cheerleader, advocate, psychologist and more.

Wyatt attended medical school at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she also completed her residency and a fellowship.

She’s excited to serve the community and guide patients at Essentia Health-Fargo.

“My goal is to provide patient-centered and highquality care, with an emphasis on being a support to families, especially for those navigating sometimes challenging and difficult decisions,” Dr. Wyatt says.

Healthy(er) Holiday Recipes FROM

STONE TOWN GRILL

It’s holiday season again already?

I don’t know if this makes sense, but for me, all the events and bizarreness of 2020 seemed to seep right into 2021, making 2021 feel like it didn’t exist. Can you relate? Well, no matter how I feel, it is that time of year again, and for most of us, it is a time centered around gathering with loved ones and sharing a special meal together. My family’s Thanksgiving tradition for more than a decade has been for my parents to host and all my siblings, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins (over 30 people) gather for the day on the family farm in southeast Iowa. It is the one time of year that we all get to see each other, and it is special. My mom prepares the meats and sometimes a large batch of party potatoes (how very Midwest of us), and everyone else contributes some sort of dish to the meal. It is easy to get lost in a sea of mashed potatoes, gravy and bread, so I usually make a vegetable side for a healthier option. Here are two easy dish ideas for holiday get togethers that are easy, healthy and delicious. Additionally, both recipes easily incorporate one of the made-from-scratch sauces available at Stone Town Grill.

Curried Sweet Potatoes w/ Kale & Lentils

Sweet potatoes and kale are a delicious food pairing, and curry spice is amazing on sweet potatoes. This dish works well as a hearty side or even an entrée (it is a favorite in our home).

ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, 6-8 cups (peeled and chopped into half-inch chunks)

¼ cup oil (avocado oil, or another high smoke point oil)

1 tablespoon curry spice blend

Salt

1 cup lentils

3 cups veggie broth

1 large head kale (stem removed, coarsely shredded)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoon oil

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 cups prepared curry sauce

directions

Preheat oven to 400 F and line two large cooking sheets with parchment paper. Place peeled, chopped potatoes in large mixing bowl with lid. Add oil and curry spice to bowl, put lid on bowl, and shake to coat potatoes. Spread potatoes over lined sheet pans, sprinkle with salt, place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes (until slightly crisped on edges). While sweet potatoes are in oven, place lentils and veggie broth in medium saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally. The lentils should soak up most of the broth and be cooked by the time the sweet potatoes finish roasting. When sweet potatoes and lentils are about five minutes from being ready, add two tablespoons oil to a large, deep skillet along with one tablespoon minced garlic. Sauté garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Add shredded kale and lemon juice and sauté for 1-2 minutes until kale beings to wilt. Add cooked lentils and roasted sweet potatoes to skillet with kale and stir together. Serve with crumbled feta or goat cheese (optional) and top off with coconut curry sauce from Stone Town Grill.

Marty and Jessica Larghe with Jessica's family, the Wilsons in 2019. photo provided by jessica larghe

Pesto Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans

This recipe is super simple and delicious.

ingredients

2 cups fresh green beans (or 16 ounces frozen green beans)

6 cups red potatoes (cut into 1 inch cubes) 16 ounces prepared pesto (Stone Town Grill’s Kale Pesto is a solid option)

directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 2 large cooking sheets with parchment paper. Place all chopped potatoes and green beans in a large mixing bowl with lid. Pour one and a half cups of pesto into bowl, place lid on top, and shake to coat everything. Spread out potato-green bean mixture over lined sheet pans. Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until veggies crisped on edges. When ready to serve, pour remaining pesto over top.

Both the pesto and curry sauces are versatile and pair well with all sorts of vegetables, so if you prefer zucchini and broccoli over potatoes and green beans, go for it. Both sauces also compliment a lot of the traditional fare served at holiday dinners, so it should fit right in with your family meal. Whatever your holiday traditions may be, we truly hope your 2021 holiday season is filled with gratitude, joy, good health and delicious food!

ALL SAUCES AT STONE TOWN GRILL are available for purchase to take home in 8 ounce and 32 ounce portions. Visit stonetowngrill.com for more details.

For the love of stone…

With the entertaining season right around the corner, you may find yourself looking longingly at your kitchen and imagining all the upcoming hustling and bustling it will soon be hosting. We have all heard time and time again that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and it couldn’t be any truer. What better way to get ready for this holiday season than with updating the kitchen counters in your home and adding lasting value with new stone countertops?

Stone counters have the unique ability to reinfuse life into the warmth of older wood cabinets, while also adding texture and a natural element to any home.

“Granite or quartz?” is a standard question our clients ask us on every kitchen project.

Granite is 100% natural. It is quarried from the ground all around the world and offers beautiful and unique colors and patterns all created by the earth. If you are looking for unique features and love natural movements, granite will be the one for you. It is naturally porous, however, so it does need to be sealed and resealed every few years.

QUARTZ

GRANITE

QUARTZ

Quartz still tends to be the most popular countertop selection for new construction and remodeling projects. Because of the composition of this man-made material (ground quartz rock and polymer resins), it does not need to be sealed and it is more uniform in its aesthetic. For clients looking for a consistent pattern with no surprises, and little upkeep, quartz is the way to go.

Bringing couples tobackLove

Distinctions by Drea, the premiere design studio for Kitchen Refresh, utilizes new stone counter tops in about 70% of all their kitchen projects. The design team also loves utilizing remnants on smaller projects, examples being bathroom counters, shower accents, and even the occasional tabletop. The applications for where stone material can be utilized in a home is astonishing. Our design team is always happy to help our clients find the perfect fit for their project when the time is right.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit distinctionsbydrea.com.

A HOME FOR HOPE, WORDS

built with love

The new home located at 4298 Pine Parkway S. in “The Pines” neighborhood of Fargo is the end result of months of planning, countless phone calls to trade partners and suppliers and, ultimately, years of ongoing partnership between Verity Homes of Fargo and a nonprofit organization known as Homes for Hope, a Hope International project.

: BENJAMIN HANSON PHOTOGRAPHY : KELLY FRY

Since 2014, Verity Homes, a North Dakotabased home builder serving Bismarck, Fargo and surrounding communities, has been partnering with the Homes for Hope project to support its mission of empowering entrepreneurs in thirdworld countries to lift themselves out of poverty via low-interest microloans. Each year, Verity teams up with its trade partners and suppliers, who generously donate their time, talent and materials, to build a home (sometimes two) and then donate 100% of the sale proceeds. Half goes to Homes for Hope and half goes to local pet rescues like 4LuvofDog in Fargo and Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue in Bismarck.

According to Matthew Baehr, executive director of Homes for Hope, Verity has been able to donate more than $180,000 to date. “Over the course of Verity Homes’ partnership with Homes for Hope, you’ve enabled Hope to serve 265,067 families in their fight against generational poverty!” Baehr exclaims. “And that doesn’t include any donations that might come before the end of the year! Mind boggling.”

This year, Verity chose to build two Homes for Hope charity homes, one in Bismarck and one here in Fargo. With a list price of $550,900, each home sale will no doubt enable Hope to serve tens, if not hundreds of thousands more families to build better lives.

It’s such an honor to partner with an organization like Homes for Hope,” says Aaron Tackett, chief people officer for Verity Homes. “They have an impeccable record as a nonprofit, truly doing God’s work year after year, serving folks who deserve a helping hand — not a hand out — to realize their dreams of starting a business and supporting their family.”

The ongoing relationship between Verity Homes and Homes for Hope is a testament to Verity’s founder and current CEO, Arthur Goldammer, and his servant-leadership approach to business. Despite a global pandemic and a very shaky supply chain, Goldammer remained committed to utilizing Verity’s resources to continue the Homes for Hope mission. And as one of North Dakota’s most prominent builders, Verity was well positioned to utilize its network to make this yearly tradition as impactful as possible.

“Everyone involved that supports us through donations, labor or material discounts enable all of us to do what we normally do every day and are good at, while helping those in need both locally and globally,” Goldammer says. “It’s been a great partnership for Verity, and we plan to continue working with Hope to put our homebuilding skills to great use for the benefit of our local communities.”

Bismarck’s Home for Hope charity build has already been sold, so if you’d like a chance to tour Fargo’s home, contact Verity Homes soon. Call or text 701-566-0215.

The decked out three-bedroom, twoand-a-half bath rambler with more than 2,400 square feet is a south Fargo showstopper worthy of the cause for which it was built… and it won’t last long.

FRESH FROM The FARM

white elephant gifts

about family and friends, the traditions, the memories. At The FARM, we are so lucky to hear many of these great holiday stories and are proud of how often our shop plays a part in them. This is especially true of one of the newest holiday traditions, white elephant gift exchanges.

The first rule of a white elephant gift exchange is to give white elephant gifts. A white elephant gift is a weird, hilarious, and, ultimately, a rather useless gift. The gift's purpose is to entertain rather than to be valuable or desirable. Think gag gifts, silly novelty items, and bizarre gadgets. Classics include creepy dolls, ugly sweaters, and pretty much anything featuring a clown (sorry, clown collectors).

Of course, vintage shops and antique malls offer the really unusual and unique white elephant items you can't find at the box stores. Such gems include absolutely absurd salt and pepper shakers, childhood VHS tapes, throwback board games, velvet paintings, and just plain weird figurines — you know, those things that are so bad

they are good in that kitschy way. And don't forget those more nostalgic personal items which, even if they don't end up with their intended recipient, allow you to tell those embarrassing stories — like an 8-by-10 glossy photo of your sister's teenage heartthrob.

Once you've got your sure-to-make-them-laugh (or groan) gift, it's time to wrap it up and bring it to the party. Once all the presents are placed in a pile, it's time for the games to begin!

A white elephant gift exchange is really a party game or a competition in which those kitschy, absurd, and outrageous gifts are combined with elements of a “dirty santa” or “Yankee swap.” Each guest tries to walk away with the best present out of the bunch. Or at least avoid the worst one. Or is the worst one the best one? That depends upon the receiver. Much like “one man's trash is another man's treasure,” the value of white elephant gifts are in eye of the beholder.

There are a number of ways to start the exchange. Guests can draw numbers for order, or the game can proceed by guest ages, youngest to oldest (or

vice versa). The first player selects their gift and opens it in front of everyone. Laughter ensues. Perhaps the gift giver is deduced. Or maybe they proudly identify themselves. Then the next player selects a gift and opens it. More laughter. More accusations or announcements of gift-giver identities. At that point, the second player can opt to either keep their selected gift (for the time being anyway) or swap for the first person's gift. And so it goes until all guests have had their turn opening a gift. The very last play of the game is up to the first player who can now decide whether or not they want to swap or keep what they have.

At least that's one of the numerous ways to have a white elephant gift exchange.

Another version, that takes a bit longer, begins the same way with the first person opening a gift. On subsequent turns, each guest has the choice to either unwrap a gift or to steal another guest's gift. When a person's gift is stolen, that person can either choose another wrapped gift to open or they can steal a gift from another player.

The holiday season is all

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY : DEANNA DAHLSAD

To avoid never-ending circles, each turn automatically ends after three steals. Each gift can only be stolen twice before it's considered "dead." The game ends when everyone has a present.

There are also a number of variations and stipulations you can add to keep things more interesting. Courtesy of our “FARM friends,” our customers, here are a few favorites.

Pick A Theme

Gifts must be only items which are wearable or handmade; no gifts over $35; etc.

Do It Secret Santa Style:

Once a person unwraps a gift, they must guess who gifted the item.

Give Praise Where Praise Is Due

Reward the “best of the worst” by setting criteria, either the gift most wanted or gift least wanted, based on swaps or steals. The person who brought that gift is rewarded with an extra, final swap for bringing the awesome.

Swap Test

Players who want to swap gifts have to pass a test in order to proceed to the swap. The test could be answering a trivia question, rolling dice, arm wrestling, beating the other player in a game of rock paper scissors, or some other feat.

Keep The Mystery

Keep all gifts wrapped — this way, swaps are based solely on guesses about what's inside. In this case, misleading wrapping and oversized packaging are especially encouraged.

Long Live The White Elephants

All participants agree to keep their white elephant gift on display in their home for others to see for an entire year.

We really like this last one as it encourages telling stories about how the item was received, what white elephant gift you gave, what gift was the least wanted, etc. Afterall, Christmastime is about making and sharing memories!

Wishing you all a wonderful, memorable holiday season.

1. Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

3. Cold Weather Gear for men and women

6. Dakota Dirt Coffee and Handwarmer Mugs (left and right handed available)

4. Milkhouse Candles

5. Seasoning Gift Sets

2.

GIFTS UNDER $50

1. Assorted Handbags

5. Message Board

6. Craftsman Tool Set

3. Black + Decker Assorted Tools

4. Leatherman Multi-tool

8. Nebo Garage Light

2. Assorted Drinkware from Brumate, Hydroflask and Yeti

7. Corky's Slippers

1.

2.

Celebrate the Beautiful Possibilities

Make this the season of wow at Chapter. Our team of aesthetic specialists are artfully skilled in a full range of skin, body, laser, and injectable treatments. Together, let’s make you and your holidays shine.

Call 701-997-2721 to schedule your consultation today.

*$50 gift valid for first time guests only, on any service(s) of $175 or more, scheduled by 1/31/22. Not valid on skincare products. Cannot be combined with any other introductory offers, packages or discounts.

Our

Receive $50* to use on your first service. Our gift includes a complimentary consultation, digital dermal imaging, and a personalized plan.

March 3-5, 2022 • Grand View Lodge, Nisswa, MN

Renew your passion and hear from inspiring keynote speakers, enjoy refreshing breakout sessions, and restore at the Glacial Waters Spa. We invite you to bring your coworkers and friends for a weekend away at Flow: The Ladyboss Retreat.

For details and to reserve your tickets, visit ladybossmidwest.com/retreat

THE CRAVE igloo dining experience

Imagine you are seated around a table with your family or a group of friends. A server brings out holiday inspired cocktails for everyone, followed shortly by entrees made with the freshest ingredients. As you enjoy the food and conversation, a light snow begins to fall all around you. You are warm and comfortable while being able to enjoy the winter beauty outdoors. Experience unique dining this winter at Crave in an igloo dining experience located at West Acres Mall in Fargo.

about this experience

The Crave Igloo Dining Experience brings the delights of indoor dining, outdoors in an intimate setting. Immerse yourself in a unique, festive dining experience, inside a cozy and heated igloo while celebrating the season. Daily reservations are available for the heated igloos on Crave's patio area for a secluded dining experience. Each igloo includes festive décor, bistro lights and a heater. Enjoy the experience with two to six people including children.

BOOKING INFORMATION:

ƒ Advance reservations are required and must be made by phone, calling 701-361-3452.

ƒ The re servation fee is $250 per igloo. This fee is applied as a $250 food and beverage minimum.

ƒ If your food and beverage bill exceeds $250 during your visit, the difference will be due at the end of your visit.

ƒ If your food and beverage bill does not reach $250 during your visit, the difference will not be awarded back to you.

ƒ A 20% gratuity will be added to your final bill, prior to the $250.

ƒ Each re servation will be for a 90-minute time slot.

ƒ Although a heater is provided, please be sure to dress appropriately for the weather, as the igloo temperature may vary.

SAFETY INFORMATION:

A half-hour between reservations is reserved for sanitization. While this experience is secluded from the indoor dining in the restaurant, we encourage you to use your best judgement when deciding with whom to share the experience, and we encourage you to do so with people you are comfortable being with without a mask, and in close proximity.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

We require a 48-hour notice for a full refund. “No-show” is a full forfeit of your booking.

crave fargo

Located inside West Acres Mall at 3902 13th Ave S, Suite 3643. Fargo Stop in for our holiday gift card special. Buy $100 in gift cards and get $25 free. Offer is valid now through December 31, 2021. Bonus cards redeemable after January 1, 2022.

area gift guide

Be sure to visit our local boutiques and businesses for one of a kind finds to fit every gift on your list.

Chapter is a leading aesthetic studio specializing in non-surgical, cosmetic face, body and skin treatments. Let our highly skilled, caring professionals help you bring your personal beauty story to life.

CHAPTER AESTHETIC STUDIO

3301 45th St S, Fargo : mychapter.com

A stylish, yet comfortable, gift for the art (and earth) lover in your life. Long sleeve black crewneck eARTh shirt

$32.50 retail. Sizes S-XL available the Store in PLAINS ART MUSEUM 704 First Ave N, Fargo : plainsart.org

Birch candleholders from Sweden. Elegant natural birch taper holders come in two sizes in either natural birch, lacquered black, white or red.

STABO SCANDINAVIAN IMPORTS

406 Broadway N, Fargo : 701-282-0421 : stabo-imports.com

Vintage holiday, white elephant and gift certificates all available at The FARM.

FARGO ANTIQUES & REPURPOSED MARKET

5258 51st Ave S, Ste 300, Fargo : 701-356-9199 : farmantiques.com

The final touch for every outfit is a unique necklace by Zzan Jewelry from Israel.

TALULA 835 23rd Ave E, West Fargo (located south of Costco) 701-532-1134 : facebook.com/taluland

Diamond & Lapis

Necklace $2,190

0.24CTW Diamond

4.43CTW Lapiz

14K Yellow Gold

Paper Clip Chain

GUNDERSON'S 5601 28th Ave S, Fargo 701-532-3020 : gundersons.com

Kylee’s themedholiday party themedholiday party

says Kylee Brisch, general manager at Jasper Hotel. Brisch still relishes those magical moments of snowflakes and sparkles, but as an experienced hospitality veteran, her holidays now include reflections on an abundance mindset and taking time to slow down. This holiday season she is looking forward to being present with those around her, including guests of Jasper Hotel and Rosewild Restaurant. Brisch has countless childhood memories with her family, from making igloos with her brother to performing songs on her violin for her extended family. “The holidays are a time to reflect,” Brisch shares. “This past year has taught me to be thankful for the time you have with others. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that we may not know when we get to see one another. It’s easy to get caught up in everyday life and take time with our loved ones for granted. At the end of the day, quality time with the people in our lives is everything.”

At Jasper Hotel, Brisch is working to provide that opportunity for Jasper guests through her talented team of hospitality and culinary professionals; they bring their upscale boutique hotel to life. During the holidays, they continue to bring joy to their guests and community. “When you step foot into Jasper Hotel, I want you to feel relaxed. Guests don’t need to be sweating the details — we will take care of that,” states Brisch.

Holiday parties are all about fun and feeling festive. Brisch’s ideal party theme would be celebrating a year of gratitude, and the ability to gather with friends, family and loved ones.

For beverages, Brisch likes to start with a signature seasonal cocktail — gin or vodka based, since both are so versatile. She would also ensure there’s a warm drink for an extra

cozy feel. One of her favorites is a housemade mulled wine. And of course there would be champagne, because what’s a holiday party without bubbles? You can be sure to find delicate Nick and Nora coupe glasses, because everyone feels extra fancy drinking out of a glamorous glass.

Simple is best when it comes to Brisch’s holiday-themed party. She appreciates a beautiful open space, bright lights and music. The atmosphere is the most magical aspect of holiday parties. A cocktail party in Rosewild’s heated Holiday Chalet on the patio — complete with twinkle lights, music and, of course, faux fur blankets — ticks all her boxes for an ideal happy hour. “Decorations with soft lighting, warm color accents and, of course, you can never go wrong with wine and cheese. I am from Wisconsin, after all!” says Brisch.

“The holidays were always a magical time for me growing up in Wisconsin,”

WORDS : GEORGINA ORN PHOTOGRAPHY : DAN FRANCIS PHOTOGRAPHY HAIR : SALON DUO FLORAL : PRAIRIE PETALS

For a larger gathering, Jasper’s Continental Ballroom offers panoramic views of the downtown Fargo skyline with floor-to-ceiling windows and a beautiful outdoor terrace — the perfect space to host any event. In addition to hosting your holiday event, Jasper Hotel and Rosewild can host any and all wedding events like rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, receptions and nextday gift opening, all in the same place. “Not to mention, all your guests can stay together to ensure a premier and convenient experience,” says Brisch. “Jasper Hotel guestrooms provide a beautiful sweeping view of Fargo, and gorgeous soft seating that can help to round out any décor choices to make your event extra special.”

“Nothing is better than being under the same roof with family and friends and waking up on Christmas morning. When I was a child, we had stairs going down to the living room, and my brother and I would wait at the top of the stairs until we were allowed to come down. My mom always played the song ‘You Gotta Get Up (Christmas Song)’ by Rich Mullins as we came down the stairs in our childhood home to find the living room filled with presents.”

“To save time, catering through Rosewild reduces yet another vendor from your contact list,” states Brisch. This holiday season, Rosewild will serve upscale dishes full of warm holiday flavors. “My favorite holiday treat is Frango mints and sugarplums. It has been a tradition in our family to have both in our stockings every year. I am beyond thrilled to create new traditions at Jasper this season.”

And what would a party be without photos? That's why Brisch always includes a photobooth and props at any event. “There would be a seasonal backdrop with locally sourced greenery and little white lights. It’s such a great touch to involve guest activity and provide them memories of picturesque moments,” Brisch explains.

Jasper Hotel holiday decorations will be up mid-November, and you’ll be in for a special treat. Don’t forget your camera; you will want to look back on these. Broadway Square continues to grow the spirit of the holidays and provide the community with skating in the park. “I am looking forward to seeing the enormous, yet charming, evergreen tree go up this year. These moments remind me of growing up in Wisconsin. I feel like I have a piece of home with me.”

During the holidays, Brisch would always look forward to her family traditions of watching “A Christmas Story” or attending midnight mass where they light the candles and sing O’ Holy Night. It made her feel special, and that is what really felt like Christmas to her. Brisch describes, “You know, stuff is stuff. It’s important to me that the holidays don’t revolve around gifts and business, and actually to focus on spending time together. Time is everything.” This year is her first holiday in North Dakota, and she is looking forward to connecting with the community and unwrapping the true meaning of the holidays.

WE NEED you THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

WORDS : AMBER DEKREY PHOTOGRAPHY : PROVIDED BY GIVING HEARTS DAY

One of the most extraordinary things we saw in the last year, even during a worldwide pandemic, was the outpouring of support and generosity from our community coming together to help those most in need. We have seen a growing ambition to help others in our region, evidenced by fifteen years of record-breaking Giving Hearts Day events. Last year alone there were over 42,000 people involved and $22 million raised for people doing good in our community. It’s because of this ambition that we have set a big, bold goal: to become the most generous region on the planet by 2025. Giving Hearts Day is more than just a day. It’s a movement of helping others. And we need your help.

Part of the excitement of joining this movement of giving back is how impressionable it can be on future generations. Did you know that children who see their parents give to charity — whether it be time, talent or treasure — are more likely to give as adults? With the holiday season upon us, and families gathering together, we have a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the value of helping someone.

Every family has something they do each year that signifies the holiday season for them. Possibly the most beautiful part of these traditions is their perpetuality. The traditions we take part in as children become traditions that we are eager to pass along to our own children. We experience the joy of giving a piece of ourselves to someone who is better off because of it — which is exactly the idea of helping someone on Giving Hearts Day. So why not combine the two?

Each year I look forward to talking as a family about which charities we want to support. We start by going around the table and sharing the things we are grateful for and then we talk about different ways people (or animals) might need help. It is amazing to see the thoughtfulness

Giving Activity Ideas!

WEEK OF GRATITUDE

In the days leading up to Giving Hearts Day, have each member of your family write something they’re grateful for. Then, on the day itself (Feb 10), give to charities that are working to provide those same things for others.

SPEND, SAVE, GIVE JARS

This one is for the kids. Have your little ones set aside some money each day/week/month in their piggy bank — some to spend, some to save, and some to give. Then, have them use the “give” funds to donate to their favorite charity on Giving Hearts Day.

SNOWBANK SIGNS

Pick up some Giving Hearts

Day snowbank signs at Dakota Medical Foundation (or any Gate City Bank location) and “turn up the red” for Giving Hearts Day.

BINGO

Download our free Giving Hearts Day bingo card at givingheartsday.org/family, and host a fun family game night.

GIVING GATHERING

Host a “giving gathering” and have friends and family share about their favorite charities or causes that are important to them.

behind our girls’ selections on which charities they want to give to and why. We help them make their own donations using a Giving Hearts Day gift card; it’s amazing to see the joy and pride they experience by being a part of our giving tradition.

With the expanded Giving Hearts Day mission, there are options to either donate money, donate goods or volunteer. With an extensive variety of charity missions, there are countless ways to get the whole family involved and possibly even begin new traditions. It’s never too early or too late to start a new tradition!

With Giving Hearts Day coming up in February, the holiday season is the perfect time to get the ball rolling. While the family is together for the holidays, set aside a few minutes to discuss what giving back might look like for your family. Exploring givingheartsday.org is a great place to start, where you can navigate 500+ charities based on your interests and how you would like to give. If you need more help getting the wheels turning, give these helpful prompts a try.

Head to GivingHeartsDay.org/Family to download these fun family resources!

GRATITUDE & GIVING WORKSHEET

Kids can write or draw their answers to the following prompts to help decide what type of charity to help.

w Something I love

w Something I’m thankful for

w A place I like to go

w A time when someone helped me

GIVING HEARTS DAY KIDS QUIZ!

Take a fun quiz to help you find out what charities might speak to your heart.

Partner with us this Giving Hearts Day, as we reach out to women and girls in our area who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and offer them hope. Your support allows us to provide non-judgmental, decision-making mentoring, that includes adoption education, and other life-affirming supports.

701.237.4473

christianadoptionservices.org

is complicated. Approximately 3 million women face unexpected pregnancies every year in the U.S.

B B B B B B B B B

CHARITY

ANNE CARLSEN CENTER

We hope that you will join in and make a gift to Anne Carlsen on February 10, 2021 for this year’s Giving Hearts Day! You’re donation DOUBLES with our match! Send a check dated February 10, 2021 or make your secure gift online on February 10, 2021 and please choose the Anne Carlsen Center!

app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/14

CHRISTIAN ADOPTION SERVICES

Founded in 1985, Christian Adoption Services (CAS) is a non-profit child-placing agency licensed in the states of North Dakota and Minnesota. Formerly known as Christian Family Life Services, we have a strong history of serving clients across the two-state region. Our mission is to display God's love to children, birth parents and families by providing Christ-centered adoption services that have an eternal impact by growing forever families.

We believe that every life is precious and unrepeatable. When birth parents choose to place their child for adoption, their loving sacrifice can be an answer to prayer for a couple wanting to build their family through adoption. CAS is committed to providing quality services both for families considering adopting and expectant parents exploring their options, seeking non-judgmental education and support.

app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/7

HEART OF CLAY

Heart of Clay, Correctional Ministry of Clay County, seeks to impact the lives of men and women in the correctional facility through Christ-centered programming. Following release from incarceration or treatment, safe and sober living environments are provided through Crossing Home Moorhead. Volunteers walk along side individuals as they transition into the community.

app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/966

HERO: Healthcare Equipment Recycling Organization

HERO exists so no individual goes without the medical products needed to preserve their independence, dignity and health. HERO provides affordable healthcare equipment and supplies for all through the collection and distribution of donated materials. Since 1996, HERO has saved 1.7 million pounds of waste from local landfills, served 43,000 individuals, waived $742,737 in fees and served 755 global missions.

app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/29

HOMEWARD ANIMAL SHELTER

Homeward Animal Shelter is a local and community-funded, non-profit animal shelter. Our mission is: “Rescue. Shelter. Protect. Rehome.” We provide a second chance at happiness to lost, abandoned and owner-surrendered cats and dogs. We’ll bring you and your new best friend together.

app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/277

“TO WITNESS A STORY THAT IS SIMILAR TO YOUR OWN IS POWERFUL.”

SAVE THE DATE! Feb. 10 is Giving Hearts Day. We are thrilled to have you and your loved ones join us in the region’s largest day of giving. We hope it is a fulfilling, joyful tradition you can share for generations to come.

SPOTLIGHT These are just a few of the local charities you can help on Giving Hearts Day, and all year long!

NEXUS-PATH FAMILY HEALING

Nexus-PATH Family Healing provides foster care, community mental health services, and support to at-risk families in our community. With compassion, we respond to even the most challenging situations and help families be healthy — together. app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/52

PLAINS ART MUSEUM

Plains Art Museum is the largest and only accredited art museum in North Dakota. It is your nonprofit art museum and education center, supported by over 800 individuals and organizations. Located in downtown Fargo, Plains Art Museum holds numerous classes and art activities for youth and adults throughout the year, free events for community, and serves as a gathering space for creative thinkers in the region. These underline its mission to connect art, artists and audiences to foster creative, resilient and welcoming communities. app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/39

THEATRE B

“Amazing and powerful. My three Marines are dealing with PTSD and the show helped me understand.”

– Ruth (regarding ReEntry )

You can help someone with a gift to support the transformative stories at Theatre B. app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/291

YWCA

Change lives with your gift to YWCA this Giving Hearts Day. Afraid and alone, women and children arrive every night at YWCA Emergency Shelter. With your help, we provide safety and services to recover physically, emotionally and financially. Your gift of $44 provides the first night of safety and hope. app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/85

FIND MORE LOCAL CHARITIES AND ways to get involved at givingheartsday.org.

Echoes of empathy:

HOW UNITING WOMEN IS CHANGING LIVES

WORDS : KRISTINA HEIN LANDIN PHOTOGRAPHY : MIKE SMITH

Empathy

“It’s too late for me,” Rose said to Ashley Littlewolf with tears in her eyes. The two moms locked eyes for a moment before Littlewolf glanced down at Rose’s son playing quietly nearby and thought of her own daughter at that age.

“I can relate to the stories of my clients, because I have been there too,” says Ashley Littlewolf, who works as a career coach helping moms like Rose see a better future.

As a little girl growing up on the Leech Lake Reservation, Littlewolf’s family lived paycheck to paycheck with little hope, and for Littlewolf, it seemed like living in survival

mode would be a never-ending cycle. Driven by the determination to make a difference, she became a first generation college student which led her to her job as a career coach.

Here in our community, one in nine people live in poverty, which is defined as a family of four living on less than $26,200 a year. Locally, this equates to 30,000 of our neighbors who struggle to support their families. Poverty is even more common in children under five, with one in seven in our community living in poverty.

Lack of support and opportunity often passes from one generation to the next — making children more likely to live in poverty as adults. Without help and intervention, such as a career coach, this cycle of poverty continues for generations, impacting us all as a community.

A little over a year ago, Rose was a single parent working a full-time job and struggling to pay rent and provide enough food for her family — all while juggling distance learning with three children. She had nearly given up hope.

is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.”

MOHSIN HAMID

“Every day I wake up I am so happy to go to work and to know that my kids are cared for and have a better future – that is the most important thing to me.”

→ Rose and her son.

← Ashley Littlewolf, Career Coach supported by United Way of Cass-Clay

That’s when she met her career coach, Littlewolf, who encouraged her to pursue a career as a certified nursing assistant. While there are plenty of jobs available in our community, barriers like child care, job training, a stable home, and even hunger often stand in the way of moms like Rose and the opportunities for careers that can support their families. Littlewolf walked alongside Rose and was there to cheer her on as she proudly passed her certification test. Today, Rose works at a local senior care facility caring for dementia patients in a high-demand career. Each day is filled with hope and opportunity, knowing her children will have a better future.

“Every day I wake up I am so happy to go to work and to know that my kids are cared for — that is the most important thing to me,” says Rose.

Career coaches are just one of the ways that United Way of Cass-Clay is uniting our community to lift families out of poverty. When you give to United Way, you can be a part of the echoes of empathy that are connecting moms like Rose with life-changing career coaches like Littlewolf. When we invest in and support each other, we can create a better tomorrow for all of us.

“I

relate

stories of

been there too.”

↘ Ashley Littlewolf, pictured below with Rose

Pati Senn

Senn

When she was 24 years old

and being forced into treatment, Patti Senn never could have imagined that, even then, all things were being worked out for good. Struggling along in the ruins of what she calls “raging alcoholism,” Senn went kicking and screaming to the very thing that ended up saving her life. And not just saved her life, but gave it purpose and direction beyond her wildest dreams.

What led to that point had been a long, rocky road of adolescent alcoholism. Growing up in rural North Dakota, Senn’s addiction started young and strong. Even among the prevalence of teenage drinking in our rural communities, Senn knew that it was different for her. By the time she turned 13, the pull of alcohol was already tugging at her in a dangerous way. It dug its nails in deep and kept its grip on her throughout high school, hidden under her accomplishments in both academics and athletics. After graduation, her disease strengthened in ferocity even as she played college basketball at a community college. Achieving Summa Cum Laude at UND with a degree in finance, she looked like success on the outside; but inside a storm was raging.

is the thing I’m most grateful

THE THING THAT ALMOST RUINED ME

In desperation to save her daughter, Senn’s mother Diana reached out to everyone and anyone who could help her. Courageously, she filed an involuntary commitment that forced her daughter into treatment. Despite her initial anger, Senn’s greatest thanks and most heartfelt gratitude go to that brave mom of hers. She is her biggest hero. “She saved my life. I would have died if it hadn’t been for her forcing me into treatment.”

After a year of treatment, which included both inpatient and outpatient services, while participating in a nine-month women’s aftercare program and living in a half-way house, it was time to search for employment. Because service to others is an essential component to recovery, Senn decided to find a job that would work toward that need. To her surprise, the founder and executive director of Success Unlimited in Grand Forks (Dianne Werness) took a chance on this inexperienced young woman when she had zero confidence of her own. Through her new role as an employment coach and residential supervisor, Senn realized that helping and counseling others brought her joy and hope. As her spirit slowly came back to life, her confidence grew, and with it a desire to help people who were struggling in the same ways that she had.

Fueled by a new sense of purpose, Senn was determined to bring something good out of the disease that had stolen so much from her. She returned to school, this time at MSUM, for a graduate degree in community counseling, and then obtained her addiction licensure while working at West Central Human Service Center in Bismarck. For the next 15 years Senn served with First Step Recovery Program in Fargo. It was her joy and delight to work with groups and individuals battling addiction, being able to identify with them, empathize, and lead them to healing. The late FSR founders Sue Stenehjem-Brown and Mike Kaspari were Senn’s treasured mentors, instilling in her everything she knows about this field. “They led by example in being humble servants and fierce advocates for patients, as well as being committed to families. I miss their guidance and wisdom every day.”

In 2017 at a simple routine mammogram, her life took yet another unexpected twist when she heard the news that every woman fears. Thankfully, the cancer was in its early stages. She triumphed through surgery and radiation, but simultaneously grieved the sudden loss of her boss and mentor, Mike Kaspari. As her cancer journey collided with her grief, Senn leaned heavily into simple but strategic practices that she had put into place many years prior in her addiction recovery: taking one day at a time, practicing gratitude, serving others, and trusting that over time, things will work together for good.

With fresh reminders of the brevity of life, Senn began to feel the stirrings of something new in her soul. Dreams began forming deep in her heart of opening a new center for addiction counseling that would not only provide the initial acute treatment, but would also have a strong focus on long-term recovery. Over her years as a counselor, one of the painful thorns in her work was seeing individuals take great strides during treatment, only to fall back into their same old lives and same old habits afterward. “Short-term treatment doesn’t meet the needs of a chronic illness, and that’s what addiction is. Treatment is the event, but recovery is the process.”

for.”

← Patti Senn with her mother Diana at Medora in 2018. photo provided by patti senn

o was born this dream for an outpatient clinic that focused on both treatment and recovery. Transitioning out of First Step, Senn poured her energy into making this abstract idea become a concrete reality. Because addiction is often described as “having a hole in the soul” Senn chose the name Soul Solutions for her recovery center. Early on, Dakota Medical Foundation caught the vision, serving as the fiscal sponsor, and more recently providing financial support. FM Area Foundation and Essentia also jumped on board to provide support in various ways. Needing to attain a 501c3, Senn gained team members who were experienced in non-profit licensure, as well as additional addiction counselors who wanted to be a part of this new endeavor. Things were moving along — slowly, but forward nonetheless.

But then, 2020.

COVID-19. Economic Downfall. Isolation. “So many times I thought the project was dead in the water,” says Senn. “When the pandemic hit, I thought we were definitely done for. But I’ve always believed in the vision, despite my own shortcomings.” Despite all the setbacks, detours and a world-wide pandemic, the road for this recovery center kept reopening. Providence? I think so. Now, after years of blood, sweat and tears, they are ready to go. Staffed with four licensed addiction counselors, a registered nurse, and an executive director, Soul Solutions is indeed a vision that has become a reality. With building renovations expected to be done soon, they eagerly anticipate to begin serving patients in November.

And not a day too soon. Reflecting on the addiction epidemic just in our own city, Senn laments that while it was already a tragic situation before COVID-19, it is so much more so now. “Addiction is a disease of isolation. When people are forced into isolation, addiction skyrockets.” Addicts who were working through recovery in 2020 took massive and devastating blows when they had to transition to virtual peer support meetings, virtual counseling sessions, and online recovery groups. “It just doesn’t work as well. Recovery is all about personal connections. Addicts need people. My desire is to bring the community into the recovery process to help make those connections.”

Because coming out of isolation is essential to healing, community engagement will be at the epicenter of Soul Solutions. Many endeavors are in the works to bring the community into the healing process to fight this battle as neighbors and friends. While possibilities for this are endless, current plans include bringing in art teachers, musicians, potters and yoga instructors — people who are willing and excited to share their own passions with those in recovery. Bridges are also being built with organizations that rely on volunteers, creating opportunities for those who are in recovery to serve the city. Because every person’s recovery is unique, Senn envisions a multitude of partnerships, giving each individual access to something that will encourage their heart, bring joy and purpose to their days, and enhance their healing.

For Senn, that thing was running. During her first year of treatment over 27 ago, Senn fell in love with running, which became, and still is, a key component of her personal recovery. She is sharing that love with Soul Solutions by bringing Fargo its first chapter of Runners Against Destructive Decisions (RADD). Founded in Bismarck by Judge David Reich, RADD offers running as a therapeutic and fitness lifestyle, not only to recoverees but also to the general public, encouraging them to run alongside and empower one another.

A unique element of Soul Solutions is the Hope and Coffee Café, whose motto is “Reduce Stigma, Celebrate Recovery.” Located on the main property, the coffee shop will be open to the public and employ those in recovery, with all proceeds supporting the mission of Soul Solutions. Over time, as the public and the recovery community come together over coffee, barriers will break down, conversations will brew, and hurting people will get help sooner. “We need to catch people earlier in their illness,” says Senn. “It’s like cancer. We don’t want to wait until their disease is in stage 4. That is a very poor prognosis.”

← Patti Senn and Sean Hintz are working together to bring Runners Against Destructive Decisions (RADD) to Fargo. photo provided by patti senn

As we know, the disease of addiction doesn’t affect only the individual; the entire family suffers and needs care and counseling. Many times, as in Senn’s own story, the family members suffer long before their loved one ever realizes they have a problem. In fact, often the family members desire treatment even if their loved one never does. Therefore, a robust family program will play an essential role in Soul Solutions, offering group and individual counseling sessions.

Of course the primary aim in community and family involvement is the healing of souls. But another desired outcome is the

destigmatization of addiction. It is critical that we change the narrative of what addiction is in this community. We must become more aware of its dire prevalence while also being much more willing not only to talk about it but also engage in it. We need to be willing to get messy, to climb into the ruins, because, as Senn says, “This is about all of us. We are all recovering from something. But we need to be more creative; we are losing the battle of addiction. We need to think outside the box, and we need to do it together. The power of a community to support recovery is far greater than any treatment program.” Let’s be that powerful community that works together for good.

Looking back over the decades of her own life, Senn can most certainly see that the good, the bad, and the ugly have all been working toward a greater good. Even the most painful and broken places along her journey are being used now for the healing of others. Nothing is wasted. And her own addiction story? “It’s actually my biggest gift. The thing that almost ruined me is the thing I’m most grateful for.”

Yes, she has certainly been on a journey — from ruins to recovery. Aren’t we all?

We are losing the battle of addiction. We need to think outside the box, and we need to do it together…

The power of a community to support recovery is far greater than any treatment program.”

DO I NEED A PREMARITAL AGREEMENT?

Q:

What is a premarital agreement?

A:

A premarital agreement is a legal document that both spouses sign prior to getting married that specifies how their assets will be divided in the event of a divorce or death.

Q:

Do I only need a premarital agreement if I am wealthy?

A:

No. It is a misconception that only wealthy individuals can benefit from a premarital agreement. Premarital agreements can by utilized for several different reasons. If you are expecting to inherit a significant amount of assets or a family business, then a premarital agreement could be useful. Also, if you have started a business that could become very lucrative in the future, a premarital agreement could be used to ensure you keep that value and it does not end up in the hands of a former spouse. In addition, individuals that each have grown kids from a previous marriage and are both independently wealthy can utilize a premarital agreement by keeping all of their individual assets separate from the other as if they were never married. This ensures these assets will be available for their own kids rather than end up with their spouse and then ultimately the spouse’s children.

Q:

Can premarital agreements be revised or terminated if circumstances change in the future?

A:

Yes. Most premarital agreements have a provision allowing them to be changed or terminated if both spouses agree in writing. Also, most premarital agreements have language that allows you to “trump” the premarital agreement by subsequently executing a will or other estate-planning document that has provisions providing more assets to your spouse. For example, if you execute a premarital agreement stating your spouse gets only certain assets upon your death, but you execute a will stating your spouse gets all of your assets, the will “trumps” the premarital agreement and your spouse will get everything. This can also be accomplished through trusts or beneficiary designation forms on assets such as life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and anything else that has designated beneficiaries.

WORDS : JAMES R. MARING, SERKLAND LAW FIRM PHOTOGRAPHY : Alvin Mahmudov on unsplash.com

My fiancé is asking me to sign a premarital agreement. Should I do it?

Another misconception is that premarital agreements are all bad and should be feared. While it is rarely enjoyable for someone to sign a premarital agreement restricting their ability to obtain certain assets of their spouse, the majority of premarital agreements are simply designed to protect a family business or farm or family inheritance. Typically, all income earned by both spouses, and assets accumulated while married will be considered marital assets and will be divided equally in the event of divorce and available to the surviving spouse upon death. Also keep in mind that premarital agreements are a legal agreement like any other and can be negotiated if you feel the terms are not fair. Also, both spouses should be represented by their own counsel to protect their interests and explain the legal ramifications for signing the premarital agreement.

James R. Maring

This article was prepared by Jim Maring, an attorney with the Serkland Law Firm in Fargo.

For more information, call 701-232-8957, email jmaring@serklandlaw.com or visit serklandlaw.com

This article should not be considered legal advice and should not be relied upon by any person with respect to his/her specific situation.

the BUFF life

HolidayRecipes

When it comes to the holidays, there’s a tendency to indulge, falling prey to sugar-filled foods that ultimately lead to an energy and mood slump. This year, let the focus be on how to make over those favorite foods and dishes with some simple swaps and substitutions. Chances are, you’ll love the new version just as much or more, knowing you can enjoy it and feel good. Eating whole foods and plenty of plantbased foods will provide natural energy to keep you fueled throughout the holidays. Eating healthy is not about giving up flavor or enjoyment, but rather finding new ways to add more nutrition. Once you make the connection and connect the dots of putting in high quality, whole foods with the output of an abundance of energy and an elevated mood, it will be an encouragement to make these changes as part of your lifestyle. These three festive holiday recipes are delicious, plant-based alternatives, using whole foods, giving you delicious alternatives for an appetizer, main meal and dessert that your whole family can enjoy. The swaps and substitutions have already been made for you in these recipes. They’re easy to make, plus they’re full of flavor and nutrition.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

[Dairy Free] serves 6-8

This is the perfect holiday appetizer, fitting for Thanksgiving or Christmas and will be your new cold weather go-to soup.

ingredients:

1 medium pie pumpkin (2 pounds, 32 ounces)

1 small winter squash (½ pound, 8 ounces)

1 onion, chopped

1 apple, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can coconut milk

3 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon curry

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon sea salt

directions:

On baking sheet, bake pumpkin and squash at 400 F for 40 minutes. Add a little water to a pot, add onions and apple over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic, then add the cooked pumpkin and squash (no peel), all liquids and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender) blend ingredients to a smooth consistency. Top with roasted pepitas, serve and enjoy! Bonus: serve out of mini pumpkins, hollowed out!

Join Ashley on FACEBOOK: at ‘The BUFF Life Community’ Group INSTAGRAM: @ashleysornsin WEBSITE: eatlivebebuff.com

directions:

Stuffed Squash

It only looks elaborate, but is easy to put together and serve as a side dish or main course.

ingredients:

1 butternut squash

½ cup quinoa

1 cup vegetable broth (or water)

1 small onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 large apple, chopped

2 cups kale, chopped

1 can chickpeas, drained

½ cup cranberries

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon sea salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper

Set oven to 425 F. Cut squash in half, bake for 45 minutes, cut side up. Cook quinoa in broth, set aside. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onion, celery, apple, kale, chickpeas and cranberries for about five minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked quinoa. Scoop out some of the squash (and set aside), leave a halfinch thick border. Fill squash with quinoa filling and, if needed, place back in oven at 375 F for 10 minutes. Cut, serve and enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Bars

makes 16 bars

These “cookies” are officially on the nice list and Santa approved, as they’re not only delicious, but nutritious too.

ingredients:

2 ½ cups almond flour

½ cup sunflower seed butter (or any nut butter)

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon sea salt

⅓ cup sprinkles

directions:

Line an 8-by-8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add together all ingredients (except chocolate chips) and stir until well incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips, then pour and press dough into an even layer in the lined baking pan. Cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow the bars to firm up. Then, cut into 16 bars and enjoy! Keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

grief: Coping with the loss of your loved one

Coping with the loss of a loved one may be one of the hardest challenges that many of us face. Loss is understood as a natural part of life, but we can still be overcome by shock and confusion, leading to prolonged periods of sadness. The sadness typically diminishes in intensity as time passes, but grieving is an important process to overcome these feelings and continue to embrace the time you had with your loved one.

Everyone reacts differently to death and employs personal coping mechanisms for grief. Most people can recover from loss on their own through the passage of time if they have social support and healthy habits. There is no “normal” time-period for someone to grieve. The stages of grief are responses to loss that many people have. These stages are tools to help frame and identify what we may be feeling. They are not stops on a linear timeline in grief. Not everyone goes through all of them or in a prescribed order. The hope is that with these stages comes the knowledge of grief’s terrain, making us better equipped to cope with life and loss. Remember, your grief is as unique as you are.

December 26, 2013, just after 0500, my biggest journey with grief to date began. I answered the phone and the fireman on the other end of the line told me my father had passed away. My

father had been battling stage IV cancer for seven months, so his passing was not a surprise, but I am not sure you can ever be prepared to receive that phone call. My dad was only 63 years old.

It was hard to deny that my dad would pass away when on my son’s ninth birthday, June 4, 2013, he was given 6-12 months to live. I am a nurse, and I knew that was probably an accurate estimate, yet I held on to hope that he would be the exception and we would get more time. He was scheduled to start a clinical trial in Arizona the day after he died, which for me meant hope. More than anything I felt guilt and sadness that I didn’t spend more time with him. I moved my family, including his only two grandchildren, 600 plus miles away to Montana five years before he became ill. If I knew that he only had six more years to live, would I have stayed in Fargo?

Tanya Ferber shares a loving moment with her father on her wedding day, December 21, 2002.

photo by dustin lien

Ferber with her parents and children in October 2013. Her father passed away two months later.

After his funeral, I returned to my life in Montana. I found that I could hide from my grief most days back there. When I would come to visit my mom in Fargo in the home I grew up in, the memories would come flooding back, and I could not hide anymore from the fact that he was gone. As soon as I would walk in the door, I would go find his clothes still in the closet trying to find the smell of him there. That worked for the first few years, but I found in time the smell of him on his clothes faded. With each passing year, I feared that my memories of him would fade just like the smell on his clothes did.

This Christmas, it will be eight years since his passing. The sadness has lessened, but he is never forgotten. I always find the holidays to be more challenging. Holidays mark the passage of time in our lives, milestones we share with each other, and they generally represent time spent with family. For many people, this is the hardest part of grieving, when we miss our loved ones even more than usual.

The need for support may be the greatest during the holidays. Rather than avoiding the feelings of grief, lean into them. It is not the grief you want to avoid; it is the pain. No one can take that pain away, but grief is not just pain, grief is love. Be gentle with yourself. Don’t do more than you want, and don’t do anything that does not serve your soul and your loss. Allow time for the feelings and most importantly allow others to help.

Tuesday

DECEMBER 7th

6:00 – 7:15 PM PLEASE RSVP TO 701-237-6771 FOR THIS GATHERING

"Living with Grief" is our monthly drop-in meeting on the first Tuesday of the month held at Boulger Funeral Home. please check boulgerfuneralhome.com for future dates.

These meetings are led by our Grief Support Coordinators Sonja Kjar and Ann Jacobson. 701-237-6441 griefsupport@boulgerfuneralhome.com

Connect with Us at These Upcoming Events

Every day brings an opportunity to connect

Here’s your chance to connect to your community and learn and grow. Join AARP North Dakota at one of these upcoming virtual events.

Winter Mental Wellness

A Passport to Healthy Living Event

Wednesday, December 15, 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Smartphone Photo Editing

TANYA FERBER Senior Helpers Home Care of Eastern North Dakota

Tanya is a Fargo native and holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing from North Dakota State University and a Master’s in Business from the University of Phoenix. She has a passion for being a trusted advisor and helping the elderly in her community and their families navigate options to ensure a better quality of life. Senior Helpers provides dependable and affordable in home care at a moment’s notice. Visit seniorhelpers.com/nd/fargo. [ aw ]

A Passport to Healthy Living Event

Wednesday, January 19, 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

To find all of our upcoming events and to register, visit aarp.org/NDevents.

/AARPND @AARP_ND

note : All events are subject to change. Confirm dates and times before attending.

decemberJANUARY

November 26 – December 12

YULE B JOLLY, A HOLIDAY CABARET

After more than a year quarantined at the North Pole, the world’s most gregarious extravert is back and the gift bags are bigger than ever! Join us for songs and stories with Santa as we celebrate the holiday season.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday Matinees at 2:00 PM

Theatre B

215 10th St N, Moorhead 701-729-8880 or theatreb.org

December 4

12 th Annual “HOLIDAY COLLECTIONS” CRAFT & VENDOR SHOW

Holy Cross Catholic Church of West Fargo will host a craft/vendor show with over 70 artisans available for all your holiday shopping needs. This is the largest church-held craft/vendor show in the region. Lunch will be available for purchase. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 701-282-7217.

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Holy Cross Catholic Church

2711 7th St E, West Fargo (just south of Costco)

QUOTABLE:

" For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Then you will seek me and find me: when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord."

JEREMIAH 29: 11-14

December 4

16 th Annual TRADITIONAL NORSK CHRISTMAS EVENT

The Traditional Norsk Christmas Event hosted by Frode Tilden at the Sons of Norway will feature live music from “The Front Fenders,” with special guest “Tim Eggebraten.” The event will feature traditional Norwegian food including rømmegrøt, flatbrød, salmon, meatballs, kransekake, lefse, Norwegian heart-shaped waffles, and gløgg. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Sons of Norway Youth Club and Concordia Language Villages. Limited pre-sale tickets for this 21 and older event are available for $30, or $10 after 9:00 p.m. for the dance only. No tickets will be available at the door. Tickets can be purchased starting Nov. 1 at Stabo Scandinavian Imports Inc., 406 North Broadway or online at fargounderground.com.

6:00 PM

Sons of Norway 722 2nd Ave N, Fargo

December 9-12

THE NORTHERN EXPRESS

The Northern Express (launching this December) is an immersive holiday experience where any family can experience the magic of Christmas. Explore Santa’s workshop and kitchen and meet reindeer and llamas in the Santa Village, meet and take pictures with Santa himself, get lost in the Christmas Tree forest, and enjoy the European-inspired Christmas market brimming with exceptional local makers.

Thursday Noon – 8:00 PM

Friday Noon – 10:00 PM

Saturday 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Rustic Oaks 12155 3rd St S, Moorhead thenorthernexpress.org/moorhead-event-location

December 17, 18 & 19

FM BALLET’S THE CLASSIC NUTCRACKER

Our holiday tradition of The Classic Nutcracker returns to the NDSU Festival Concert Hall stage. With scurrying mice, toy soldiers, a battle between the Mouse King and Nutcracker Prince, as well as the stunning dancers in the Land of Sweets, this production will add to your holiday magic.

December 17 at 7:00 PM

December 18 & 19 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

NDSU Festival Concert Hall 12th Ave N, Fargo fmballet.org/season

January 6

FINDING JOY AMID GRIEF

This class will help grieving individuals learn how to embrace moments of joy again. Participants will discover the importance of self-care and self-discovery while grieving. The session will help people explore their ability to choose their own path through the grief process. This virtual class is free and open to the public. Registration is required by one day prior to the class date.

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Online

Contact the Grief Department at 800-237-4629 or grief@hrrv.org.

January 15-February 26

FROSTIVAL

It's true, cold really is cool, and that's what Frostival is all about. Get yourself ready for six whole weeks of winter fun!

Visit frostival.com for a complete schedule of events.

photo by dan leeaphon

merry christmas

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 PETER 1:3-5

YOUR WORLD IN OUR HANDS

SPECIALTY SERVICES

When your child needs services that go beyond general care, turn to Sanford Health. We are here to provide you with expert pediatric specialty care close to home.

• Allergy & Immunology

•Anesthesiology

•Cardiology

• CARE Clinic (Child Abuse Referral and Evaluation)

• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

• Child & Adolescent Psychology

•Critical Care

• CTC Clinic (Coordinated Treatment Center)

• Diabetes Care

• Eating Disorders & Weight Management

•Endocrinology

•Feeding Disorders

•Gastroenterology

•Hematology

•Hospitalist

Learn more about our specialty services at childrens.sanfordhealth.org.

•Infectious Disease

•Lipid Clinic

•Medical Genetics

• Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

•Nephrology

•Neurology

•Neuropsychology

•Neurosurgery

•Nutrition

•Oncology

•Ophthalmology

•Orthopedics

• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

•Primary Care

• PT/OT/Speech

•Pulmonology

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•Sleep Medicine

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•Transgender Care

•Urgent Care