Montana Woman Magazine, Issue 18, May/June 2022

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montana woman magazine

I S S U E N O 1 8 , M AY /J U N E 2 0 2 2 : R O S A N N E L O C K H A R T / B L O O M

IMAGE BY ANNIE SPRATT

FEATURES

AMONG THESE PAGES

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Dirt Rich Composting

alexis bressler + lauren lenz Calliope Flowers

FOOD & SPIRITS

62

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Alissa Lachance

Rosanne Lockhart

Front Range Yoga

10 BERRY ALMOND CAKE

The best cake you’ll ever have

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CHOCOLATE CHIP CRUNCH COOKIES

Memories from home

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FARMER'S MARKET SHRUB

Botanical, fresh, & tart

CREATE

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72

7 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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LIFE

NOTEBOOK

COSMOS

GROUNDING YOURSELF IN PASSION FOR WELLNESS

NIGHT-BLOOM

Moving forward through the storm

80

A GARDEN'S INVITATION

IN MINDFUL MOTION

70

Joy/Gratitude/Self-Care/Kindness

90

THE BOOKKEEPER

100

A cross stitch inspired by feathered friends

THE WAVE

88

TO A BRIGHT FRIEND

WYANDOTTE

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Embracing transition

Find your why

VIGNETTES

IMAGE BY MEGAN CRAWFORD

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SPRING FOLDS

Autumn Toennis

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UNMARKED GRAVES

Sarah Harding

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montana woman

OWNER & EDITOR megan crawford

Montana Woman is a platform. It’s a place to celebrate our achievements, a place to support each other, a place to acknowledge the resilience of the women of this state. It doesn’t necessarily matter where you’re from, you’re here now. In all of your loudness, your boldness, your fearlessness— you are here.

We’re here, together.

We publish a statewide magazine every other month that features women across Montana— the movers and shakers, the go-getters, the rule-breakers, the risk-takers. We all have a story to tell.

CREATIVE DIRECTOR megan crawford BUSINESS MANAGER carrie crawford

Montana Woman Magazine as you know it began in October 2019.

Right out of the gate with photographer Alexis Pike as the first cover feature— clad in fringe pants and a motorcycle helmet in a Bozeman alleyway— we’ve always been authentically ourselves.

We believe in showing up as you are. You don’t need to change who you are to have a seat at the table. No matter your age, your identity, your hometown, you are welcome here. We believe in creating a publication that’s worth reading because we have stories worth telling.

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BACK COVER

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DIGITAL COLL AGE back cover prints are avail able at

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ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION, & SUBMISSIONS

Contact the editor at info@montanawoman.com or (406)260-1299. Submissions are not accepted through the phone, postal service, or social media.

Montana Woman is a registered trademark and may not be used without permission. The information contained in this magazine is provided as is. Neither Montana Woman or the publisher make any representation or warranty with respect to this magazine or the contents thereof and do hereby disclaim all express and implied warranties to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Montana Woman and the publisher do not endorse any

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individuals, companies, products, services, or views featured or advertised in this magazine. ©2022 Montana Woman. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced without written permission from the editor. printed by forum communications in fargo, north dakota

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LETTER from the EDITOR This year, we are planting a flower garden.

Not our usual wildflowers & garden by the porch (though those are still happening, I am emotionally bound to my randomly planted Peonies)— we are planting a full-on flower garden. Renting a rototiller, plotting trees and hedgerows, gathering seeds.

Growing up, we always had flowers— Jasmines by the door, Roses along the sidewalk, Morning Glory and Sweet Alyssum spilling out of the concrete divider by the driveway. Our garden here has been set up similarly: Peonies, Lilacs, Lupines, Lilies, and Irises all along the walkway. And, of course, wildflowers and native grasses every year to keep the bees happy. But if we have the room for a flower garden, why not plant one? (this is how the themes came about this year, all from thinking about growing a flower garden) My mom was the one who brought it up. “What if we clear out that side of the yard and just fill it with flowers?” And so here we are, plotting a small hobby garden.

Hopefully, by the time you’re reading this, there will be plants in the ground, blooming.

Iceland Poppies, Strawflowers, Asters, Dahlias, Amaranth (and maybe Ranunculus and some extra Peonies, for good measure), bringing in more songbirds and humming bumblebees, offering shelter for the downy Killdeer that nest on the ground.

For the most part, we’re starting with seeds, and we’ll harvest some seeds at the end of the season. Flowers will nurture the soil, scraps will become compost— everything returns.

It’s easy to want the garden to immediately grow into a bursting field with plants as tall as I am, but that’s not the way of things. It will be years before the flower garden is brimming, before I can sit under flowers & sunlight and read an afternoon away. But for now, there will be seedlings to care for.

As the flowers bloom in their own time, so do we.

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C ON TRI B UTO R S 8

sydney munteanu

chloe nostrant

stephanie mosbrucker

kelsey merritt

lauren wilcox

sarah harding

mindy cochran

morgan marks

nicole dunn

meagan schmoll

autumn toennis emily adamiak

julie kunen

barbara fraser gloria goñi

book your appointment (406)892-8728 today!thespa@meadowlake.com

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Behind the cover

COVER MUSE

rosanne lockhart PHOTOGRAPHER

kelly skinner LOCATION

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read about rosanne lockhart on page 62 9

FOOD & SPIRITS |

berry almond cake

by Lauren Wilcox

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berry almond cake

by Lauren Wilcox

OVEN TEMP: 350ºF

BAKE TIME: 35-40 MINUTES

ingredients

the cake

1½ cups cake flour ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt

the berry filling 1 cup fresh berries for filling (I used Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Blueberries) 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter (softened) ⅔ cup Greek yogurt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract A handful of berries to top the cake

the icing

1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 3 cups powdered sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon almond extract 3-4 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream

method ☼ CAKE: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the softened butter to the dry mixture, and using the paddle attachment, fully incorporate the two together.

In a bowl, combine the milk, Greek yogurt, eggs, almond, and vanilla extracts.

Slowly incorporate this wet mixture into the dry mixture, and mix until the batter is smooth.

Pour batter into two greased and floured 8˝ cake pans.

Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. ☼ BERRY FILLING: Chop up 1 cup of berries and combine them with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in a bowl, and set aside. ☼ ICING: Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the salt and almond extract.

Whip in heavy whipping cream one tablespoon at a time until the icing is light and fluffy. ☼ CAKE ASSEMBLY: When the cakes have fully cooled, take one layer and set it on a plate or cake stand.

Lightly frost the cake.

Frost a thick rim of icing around the top of the first layer. Pour the chopped berry mixture on top of this layer.

Place the second layer on top of the berry mixture.

Frost the cake with the remaining icing, making sure the space between the two layers is completely filled.

Top the cake with fresh berries.

enjoy!

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FOOD & SPIRITS SPIRITS |

Herıtage Recipes:

Mom’s Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

by Julie Kunen

My

mom was not a gourmet cook, but she had a homemade meal on the table every night when my Dad walked in off the train from Manhattan at 6:27pm.

It was regular American food – roast chicken, pork chops, spaghetti and meatballs – but Mom had her own little twists. The chicken was basted with soy sauce; the spaghetti sauce had a spoonful of sugar in it to bring out the sweetness of the canned tomatoes.

Mom never loved cooking the way I love cooking.

Caring for a commuting husband and shepherding three kids all over the county for our sports and music activities filled up her days. But Mom excelled at baking. She wasn’t a bread baker but rather a pastry cook, and I am just like her.

When I was little, we had a single, rather ratty peach tree in the side yard. Mom would stand at the sink and cut wormy bits out of the fruit to make us peach cobbler, the warm fruit topped with soft pillows of sugared dough. Today, the fruit crisps I

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bake always remind me of those sticky New York summers growing up, when mom and I would walk down to the exit ramp of the highway that passed through our town and pick blueberries from bushes growing in the cloverleaf.

Mom’s carrot cake was legendary. Two clean, carroty layers, with none of those cloying and wholly unnecessary spices, thickly spackled with tangy cream cheese frosting. One year, on the 4th of July, Mom decorated the top of her carrot cake to look like the American flag, with blueberries for stars and strawberries for stripes. We ate it out at the redwood picnic table in the backyard with family friends and waited for the fireworks to start at the local high school.

When I got married, I gave Mom’s recipe to our caterer and asked for a simple carrot cake with no nuts or spices, and cream cheese icing decorated with a minimum of frivolous swirls.

Food can weave the fabric of a family from the threads of shared meals and remembered recipes, a durable tapestry of tastes and memories. If carrot cake was the occasional gold shot through the weft of our family’s fabric, then the warp was Mom’s ubiquitous chocolate chip crunch cookies.

Batches appeared at every school bake sale, orchestra pot luck, neighborhood block party, and sleep-away camp visiting day. They accompanied us on every February school break ski trip to Killington, VT, the station wagon packed with all 5 of us, our gear, food for a week, plus the family golden retriever, Candy.

We would carry them in sandwich bags in a pocket of our ski suits and snack on them with frigid hands while riding the ski lift, or at a long table at the lodge at the end of the day, along with a mug of Swiss Miss hot chocolate from the cafeteria.

Total cereal and then to bran flakes, to make them healthier, she said.

These are the cookies I bake when I need comfort.

When I feel homesick. When I am lonely. When I miss my Dad, who shared my passion for all things chocolate, and who died in 2020. I bake them for friends, sometimes, but mostly I bake them just for me. This is the only recipe I know by heart.

Mom doesn’t bake anymore. Now in her 80s, she still lives in our childhood home, taking her meals at the same kitchen table where our family sat down together every night for dinner after Dad came home from work. I carry on her tradition but with a slight twist— I’ve substituted Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes, which are extra thick and nutty, for Mom’s bran flakes. I hope she won’t mind. The next time I see her I’ll bring her a cookie, full of the same sweet, crunchy love she filled me with growing up.

Food can weave the fabrıc of a family from the threads of shared meals and remembered recipes, a durable tapestry of tastes and memorıes.

One summer many years later, my best friend Judy, who I’ve known since we were 3, visited me in Belize, where I was doing doctoral research in Mayan archaeology. Mom baked a double batch of chocolate chip crunch cookies and packed them carefully into a sturdy box, the layers separated by wax paper. Judy lovingly transported the box by plane, public bus, and beatup Ford pickup truck to our tropical field camp, where they were received like slightly melted manna from heaven.

While other moms made the chewy Toll House recipe from the back of the chocolate chip package, Mom’s crunch cookies had their own special texture. The secret is the inclusion of a couple of cups of flake cereal. The recipe originally called for corn flakes, but early on Mom switched, first to

About Julie Kunen

My work focuses on food, culture, and the environment. I am dedicated to increasing sustainability in food systems— and to eating deliciously.

An anthropologist, I worked in international development and biodiversity conservation for 15 years. Now, I work at Oatly (the oat milk company) as Director of Sustainability for North America.

I am an avid home cook and baker (currently working to perfect my donut recipe), frequenter of farmers markets, supporter of CSAs, and aficionado of agritourism establishments. And nothing gives me more pleasure at the end of a long day than a craft saison, cider, or cocktail.

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IMAGE BY MEGAN CRAWFORD

mom’s chocolate chip crunch cookies

by Julie Kunen

OVEN TEMP: 350ºF

BAKE TIME: 12-15 MINUTES

ingredients 2 sticks butter (unsalted) 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 cups flake cereal

method Cream together 2 sticks of unsalted butter and 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar.

Beat in 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt.

In increments, beat in 2 cups all-purpose flour. The dough will be stiff.

With a wooden spoon mix in 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 cups of flake cereal.

Drop by large teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees until the edges are just turning brown. The cookies will crunch up as they cool.

Cool on wire racks, if you can bear to wait.

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farmer’s market shrub

by Megan Crawford

BOTANICAL, FRESH, TART

NON-ALCOHOLIC

ingredients ½ oz fresh-squeezed lemon 1 oz fruit shrub sparkling water, ginger ale, or lemonade mint & lemon garnishes

method Stir lemon juice and shrub in a glass, top with sparkling water, ginger ale, or lemonade, and garnish with mint and a lemon slice.

I picked up a Farm2Cocktail blueberry lemongrass shrub at a local shop without really reading the label (sometimes you see flavors you like and you don’t read the rest, you know?). I didn’t realize it was a shrub until I got home, and I’d honestly never heard of a cocktail shrub until then.

Shrubs have been around since the 17th century (I’m late to the game) and are a simple 1:1:1 mix of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. They’re historically made with berries, herbs, and honey in place of sugar. Vinegar gave shrubs a long shelf life and allowed summer’s berries to still be enjoyed in drinks in midwinter, but with the advent of home refrigeration, shrubs fell out of favor to mixers that didn’t require acidulation.

If you have an overabundance of fruit in your garden or a crate of raspberries that are soon to go moldy, a shrub is an easy way to preserve those fruits. They make for a tart, not-too-sweet drink that’s ideal for a sunny day. And with how easy it is to prep a shrub, you can get creative with flavors— raspberry mint, blackberry thyme, peach rosemary, watermelon basil (strawberry rhubarb, apple cranberry, lemongrass ginger with honey— I am now a wholehearted fan of the shrub and all its potentialities).

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| FOOD&&SPIRITS SPIRITS | FOOD

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make your own shrub:

Strawberr� Mint

ingredients 1 cup strawberries 1 cup sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 5-6 mint leaves

method Place mint and berries in a bowl and muddle, add in sugar and stir to combine. The mixture will start out as a thick paste— keep mixing until the sugar is fully combined.

Tightly cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and let the mix sit for at least 12-24 hours, allowing the fruit to macerate. Stir as needed if the fruit and sugar separate.

Strain the fruit into a jar (leftover fruit can be used to top ice cream, waffles, or just eaten as-is because it will be delicious).

Add vinegar to the fruit-sugar mix and stir. You can add more vinegar if you want a shrub with more kick.

Seal the jar and let the shrub mellow in the refrigerator for about a week. This allows the flavors to meld together.

A refrigerated shrub should last for a few months in the refrigerator, but make sure it doesn’t ferment!

Since shrubs follow a basic 1:1:1 berry:sugar:vinegar recipe, you can easily substitute strawberries & mint for anything you may have on hand.

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CREATE |

Wyandotte A CROSS STITCH PATTERN MADE BY MEGAN CRAWFORD

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We have six chickens: (Patty, Angie, Bertha, Rose, Dorothy, and Blanche) and one rooster (Thor, who we adopted from Utah).

Seeing that they all have names— and have appeared in a Christmas card or two— they are pets.

Anyone who has spent time around chickens will understand; they’re a different type of endearing. They accompany you in the garden, follow you around, prefer when you wear Birkenstocks so they can peck at the buckles.

One day, you find yourself boking back to the chickens. A full-on conversation. You gather mushy strawberries from the garden for them, apologize for taking an egg from the coop, and laugh when one runs around the yard with a blueberry in their beak.

This particular pattern is designed after our three Wyandottes, speckled black and white chickens. But they’re all fond of the garden and following bees in the clover patch. Except for Thor, who would rather hunker down in a sunny spot of dirt for a nap.

thread list 3777 (very dark terra cotta) 976 (medium golden brown) 3820 (dark straw) 471 (very light avocado green) 469 (avocado green) 3021 (very dark brown grey) 3799 (very dark pewter grey) 762 (very light pearl grey) 3865 (winter white)

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supplies ⩕ Embroidery hoop (4˝ for 18-count cloth, 5˝ for 14-count cloth) ⩕ Aida (18 count was used in the original pattern, but you can use what you prefer) ⩕ DMC embroidery floss, one skein per color ⩕ Scissors ⩕ Embroidery needle ⩕ Optional: felt for backing

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If you stitch this pattern, let us know! I would love to see what you made. @montanawomanmagazine

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| CREATE

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buy this pattern MONTANAWOMAN.COM/CROSS-STITCH-18

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supplies + specs

⩕ DMC embroidery floss, 1 skein per color ⩕ use 2 threads for stitches ⩕ 18 count Aida (14 count will make a 23/4˝ × 33/4˝ piece) ⩕ 4˝ embroidery hoop (5˝ if you use 14 count cloth) ⩕ needle & scissors ⩕ 38 stitches wide × 52 stitches high ⩕ 21/8˝ × 27/8˝ finish size on 18 count cloth

thread list 3777

469

976

3021

3820

3799

471

762 3865 31

get stitchin'

find these patterns & more at MONTANAWOMAN.COM/SHOP

see the art & make the art at the square a contemporary art museum

The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (The Square) in Great Falls, Montana has been exhibiting art, teaching art and supporting the development of contemporary art and artists since 1977. Housed in the historic Great Falls school built in 1896 by Paris Gibson, the founder of Great Falls.

The Square is known for its exceptional rotating exhibitions showing local, regional and national contemporary artists, in addition to its outdoor sculpture garden and educational gallery programing. The museum offers outstanding onsite studio classes to the community in ceramics, printmaking, painting, drawing and more!

PARIS GIBSON SQUARE MUSEUM OF ART

1400 First Avenue North Great Falls, MT 59401 (406)727-8255 www.the-square.org www.facebook.com/PGSMOA/

HOURS OF OPERATION

Open Monday-Friday 10am to 5pm, including Tuesday Evenings 5-9pm, and Saturday Noon to 5pm. Closed Sundays and Select Holidays.

free admission!

Exhibitions presented by Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art are supported in part by the Montana Arts Council, a state agency funded by the State of Montana and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by museum members and the citizens of Cascade County, and generous support from Montana Federal Credit Union and D.A. Davidson.

FEATURE |

TO EARTH

ALISSA L ACHANCE & DIRT RICH COMPOST

Story & Images

by Megan Crawford

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| FEATURE

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IT’S WARM— LATE AFTERNOON. You’re out in a garden, prepping the earth for rows of vegetable seeds— checking depth and distance, grouping seeds together that will benefit from each other as they grow. It’s easy to spot the difference between dry, brittle soil and thick, clay-like soil, but what about beyond that? Your garden is only as healthy as the earth it’s grown in.

An often overlooked part of the farm-to-table cycle is soil. It’s probably not something you’d think about often because it’s just dirt, right? But healthy soil grows better plants because it’s alive.

Soil is its own ecosystem, a thriving community of minerals, good bacteria, organic matter, and little friends, like worms.

So what if your garden is actually more dirt than soil? Not just dry, but arid, dead dirt. Resources to revive that garden are already on your plate.

IT’S COLD— FEBRUARY. Bleak, bitter, seemingly miles away from even thinking about a garden. I met Alissa LaChance at Coffee Traders to talk about compost.

Composting is one of those eco-movements that feels like a newer practice, but it’s part of the greater regenerative farming movement that’s been going on for centuries across cultures. Alissa, though, is one of the people making composting accessible.

Our first meeting was a flurry of “how can we get the Flathead Valley more interested in composting?” and “you should take up watercolor!”— we immediately jumped into a conversation that could’ve gone beyond Coffee Traders’ hours and our schedules, all thanks to compost.

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THE WOMEN OF DIRT RICH, LEFT TO RIGHT: BROOKE MYHRE, KRISTA FISHLOWITZ, ALISSA LACHANCE, & SARAH CARBAJAL-JEPSEN

W

hen there are more people, there is more trash. Montana’s population boom is a nuanced issue of affordable housing, availability of public lands, and sustainability. A cog in the wheel of this discussion is what a lot of us don’t think about: trash. Out of sight, out of mind.

In Flathead County alone, 154,950 tons of waste were dumped at the County Landfill from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.1 The county’s estimated population as of July 2021 is 108,454,2 which in simple numbers, works out to over 1.4 tons (2,800 pounds) of trash per person in one year. Of course, this isn’t solely on individuals— 50% of what the Flathead County Landfill received was commercial.

It’s easy to look at the numbers from one landfill in one county and feel disheartened, but then there are people like Alissa & Dirt Rich— folks who are determined to create change and rework a broken system.

In 2015, with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Montana, Alissa initially grew Dirt Rich Compost alongside her friend, Rachel Gerber. Dirt Rich began with Gerber as a farmer’s market composting service and quickly expanded in its first three months with a contract

with Xanterra, the hospitality business in & around Glacier National Park. For a fledgling business, a contract of that size took things from working with small compost bins to figuring out how to run tractors and build up Dirt Rich to support commercial-scale composting. In its first quarter, Dirt Rich became a full-on industrial composter.

LaChance bought the business out in the first year and recalls, “It wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a buy-in from a large corporate entity that prioritized sustainability.”

“Having those types of things at big corporate levels does create change… it creates an avenue for people like us to start.”

Dirt Rich’s compost windrows are in an old gravel pit, just on the other side of the railroad that runs through town in Columbia Falls. “We bought the cheapest piece of land left in all of the Flathead Valley. It had been on the market for a decade and no one wanted it— it was a trash pit,” Alissa laughs.

To go along with the gravel pit, she bought an old dump truck. “That’s been my experience with Dirt Rich,” she explains, “I’m not a businessperson; I don’t know how to fix a hydraulic lift and everything that goes into having a company with heavy equipment.

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A COMMERCIAL PICK-UP: FOOD SCRAPS & SPENT GRAINS

We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’ll figure it out— and we did.”

Now in its seventh year, Dirt Rich is comprised of a team of five: Alissa, Brooke Myhre, Krista Fishlowitz, Sarah Carbajal-Jepsen, and Andrew Fisher—all people who are passionate about enacting change at the ground level.

About three years into Dirt Rich, Alissa began going around the Flathead Valley, reaching out to local businesses about composting. “It took a while,” she recalls, “probably by 2020 is when people started calling me and actually understanding why there may be some interest there.” Despite composting being 38

akin to recycling, Alissa was met with hesitancy from some businesses. Why would someone want food scraps, and why should a business pay someone to take away trash? But the same system has been in place with traditional recycling for decades.

“I truly believe it’s because of a shifting culture.

Consumers want to know beyond serving food. Is it just about the bottom dollar? What’s your ethos— do your employees like working here, are you being responsible with the waste that’s accumulating?”

Alissa questions. It’s a growing shift that can be seen across industries: restaurants using compostable togo boxes, clothing brands replacing plastic fabrics with cotton and cotton with hemp. But there’s also the unseen ethos— restaurants composting kitchen scraps, corporations paying a living wage,

| FEATURE

"IT NEVER GETS OLD"

who their profits support. Between this culture shift and the persistence of the Dirt Rich team, more “we compost!” signs are popping up in Flathead businesses. Local farms, florists, restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, schools— all joining in on the farm to table to soil cycle.

a 5-gallon bucket, and someone stops by to swap scraps for a compostable BioBag— no setting up a home system, making it bear-proof, figuring out what you can and can’t compost at home. And, after a year, you get a bag of compost that you contributed to.

But what about the small composters, people who just want to reduce their trash waste? Backyard composting isn’t always an option in bear country, especially if you have chickens and would like to minimize the threat of predators.

While the system is better than it once was, composting still has a ways to go. “It’s hard right now because composting is booming— there’s a whole arena of new businesses creating compostable products, but there’s no regulation around it,” Alissa explains. “It can get confusing for us and consumers, so we’re trying to do some education around that.”

Around 2020, Dirt Rich introduced a drop-off option for their residential service. Gather scraps in

Recycling, for example, has a series of classifications to follow: numbers 1-7, depending on the type of 39

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plastic. Numbers 1 and 2 can be recycled, 3 cannot, and 4-7 can sometimes be recycled. Of course, that’s also dependent on where you live and what your local facility accepts. Comparatively, compostable products are usually just labeled as “compostable.”

But home composting and industrial composting are not the same— an industrial setup (like what Dirt Rich is doing) is large-scale and high-temperature, usually in the neighborhood of 130º-160ºF; those temperatures aren’t easily reached in a home setup without a lot of care and attention. Likewise, meat scraps and bones wouldn’t go in a home compost bin, especially if you live anywhere near natural predators or curious creatures.

“I want to make it easy for people. I want to help create that infrastructure so that the environmentally conscious choice is the best choice all around, not just because it’s environmentally friendly,” Alissa assures.

Alongside compost for residential use, Dirt Rich aims to work with farms from here in the valley out to Eastern Montana to help educate farmers about the importance of reiterative agriculture. Reducing the use of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers and replacing them with cover crops

and compost help build healthy soil, which in turn creates cleaner waterways. Cover crops like legumes (lentils, clover, peas, beans) help prevent soil erosion and are great nitrogen fixers, and compost tea is a friendly replacement for harsh liquid fertilizers.

This way, farmers grow the crops that go into local restaurants, scraps become compost, and that compost goes back to the soil that grew your meal.

Everything can return.

That’s the long-term goal for Dirt Rich: close the loop from table to soil, bring composting into the general conscious, and make it as accessible and affordable as possible. “The system should have a closed loop,” Alissa explains. “By composting, we’re creating a closed loop through putting carbon and nutrients back into our soil.”

A closed-loop system is farm-to-table-to-soil and back again— landfills disrupt that cycle. Despite what you’d think, food waste does not break down in a landfill. According to Recycle Track Systems (RTS), food waste makes up the majority of our landfills— an estimated 30-40% of the entire food supply in the United States ends up in the trash.3 The beginning of a closed-loop system is ethical consumption, limiting excess, redistributing 41

produce to people with food insecurity rather than the dump. It’s not something you change overnight, but every action matters.

“I’m interested in actually getting shit done. I believe that happens through cohesive efforts within a community, listening to other people, and hearing out where they’re coming from,” Alissa shares.

“Everyone that lives here loves the land; that’s why we’re here— we’re here to enjoy the land and live in a community that also cares about it.”

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed about the state of our environment— “eco-anxiety” is what the American Psychological Association calls it.4 But there are people like Alissa and the Dirt Rich team who see the challenges we’re faced with and create ways to bring it back to earth. No individual person will find the key to sustainability; there’s no way to be perfectly green. The best thing we can do is begin.

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Megan Crawford is an artist and the

owner, editor, and designer of Montana Woman Magazine. With a degree in Film & Photography from Montana State University, she often works with 19thcentury photographic printmaking processes and teaches workshops about handmade prints. While she feels at home in a darkroom, the inspiration for her work comes from the wild outside. From watercolors to writing to embroidery, the natural world is a driving force through every medium.

“Solid Waste.” Flathead County. https://flathead.mt.gov/waste/ “QuickFacts: Flathead County, Montana.” United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/flatheadcountymontana 3 “Food Waste in America in 2022.” Recycle Track Systems. https:// www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/ 4 Schreiber, Melody. “Addressing Climate Change Concerns in Practice.” American Psychological Association, March 1, 2021. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/ce-climate-change.

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Until we can grieve for our planet we cannot love it— grieving is a sign of spiritual health. But it is not enough to weep for our lost landscapes; we have to put our hands in the earth to make ourselves whole again. Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.

ROBIN WALL KIMMERER BRAIDING SWEETGRASS: INDIGENOUS WISDOM, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, AND THE TEACHINGS OF PLANTS

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325 4th St WN Columbia Falls, MT 59912 dirtrichcompost.com

RESIDENTIAL SERVICES DOORSTEP PICKUP BEAR PROOF DROP-OFF

PUBLIC DROP GARDEN CUTBACK GRASS CLIPPINGS WOODCHIPS & SAWDUST

COMMERCIAL SERVICES We pick up for restaurants and produce distributors valley wide, providing a clean and convenient option for establishments wishing to divert their food waste.

Depending on the amount of waste produced, we provide a number of 48 gallon or 32 gallon bins or a 5 gallon bucket option for a smaller waste stream.

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THIS IS A ROUGH GUIDE! NOT ALL COMPOSTING FACILITIES ACCEPT THE SAME ITEMS. ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE YOU COMP OST!

COMPOSTABLE dairy, & meat *(this may not be the case if you're composting at home! It varies between setups & businesses— Dirt Rich has electric fencing & works with Fish & Wildlife to help keep curious bears out) ☼ coffee grounds ☼ cut flowers ☼ eggshells ☼ fruits & veggies (even citrus & onions) ☼ loose leaf tea ☼ non-bleached paper ☼ stale/moldy bread ☼ grass clippings (but not if they've been chemically treated) ☼ yard waste (but watch for noxious weeds/invasive plants and chip down large branches) ☼ woodchips & sawdust (no treated lumber) ☼ bones,

NOT COMPOSTABLE conventional to-go coffee cups (the inside is wax-coated) coffee bean bags ☼ glossy paper ☼ produce stickers (remove them before you compost!) ☼ polyester/nylon tea bags (look for hemp tea bags, or go for loose-leaf teas with a reusable infuser) ☼ wax-coated cartons (juice, ice cream, oat milk, etc) ☼

☼ foil-lined

RULE OF THUMB: PUTTING SOMETHING INTO A COMPOSTING OR RECYCLING BIN AND HOPING IT WILL BE FINE DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD! If packaging looks compostable but it doesn't say 100% compostable, it isn't compostable. Check labels, ask questions, and look into what your local recycling facilities & composting companies accept.

As composting and other green practices become more commonplace, greenwashing also becomes more common. Just because something looks earthfriendly doesn't mean it is. Check those labels closely and be sure to research seemingly green products before buying them.

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| FEATURE

alexis bressler & lauren lenz

CALLIOPE Story & images by Gloria Goñi

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Calliope Flowers is more than just a flower farm. Lauren and Alexis grew their business

in the same way they grow each and every flower populating their one-acre plot of land. With gentle, true, heartfelt love and a whole lot of labor, they built a business on the foundation of sustainability, connection, and the pursuit of joy.

Our utilitarian world measures success in dollar bills, productivity in never-ending checklists, and purpose in the nine-to-five. Investing time and energy in something as seemingly silly as a flower may seem insignificant at first glance, but Calliope Flower’s impact on the Bozeman community is proof enough that what people really need is joy. Lucky for us, these two women have a green thumb for growing lots and lots of joy.

In recent years there has been a sustainability push in the food, fashion, and automobile industries. There is no denying the environmental and social injustices within these industries. Free-range, fair trade, grassfed, organic, pesticide-free, hybrid technology, clean energy— these words have become somewhat trendy and are written all over the produce we eat, the clothes we purchase, and the cars we drive. But have you ever thought about sustainability in the multi-billion dollar cut flower industry?

Where do you source your flowers? Where did they grow? Who grew them? What did they use to grow them? How sustainable or equitable are those wedding, birthday, funeral, or good ol’ self-love flowers? The unfortunate truth about flowers is that they are often sourced from faraway countries, grown and harvested by underpaid and exploited workers, and cultivated without the environment or human rights taken into consideration. Long before Calliope, Alexis Bressler and Lauren Lenz worked years in the flower industry— they knew it needed change.

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FEATURE |

ALEXIS, NERO, AND LAUREN

Five years ago, both women worked together at a local Bozeman food business and decided they were going to start a flower farm. The short Montana growing season was surprisingly not their biggest obstacle; land access in the Gallatin Valley was close to impossible. Through prior connections and a stroke of luck, Calliope Flowers bloomed.

Office jobs never appealed to Lauren; she enjoys the physical aspects of farming. “My greatest 54

motivation, even when I’m tired and feeling burned out, is the supportive community we’ve collected.”

Their weekly bouquet subscriptions, u-pick flowers, and personalized bulk event offerings have not only diversified their clientele, but fostered a community in the Gallatin Valley. “I get a rush of joy from meeting new subscription customers and watching folks in our fields during u-pick. It makes the long days worth it!”

Alexis knew early on she wanted to be a farmer. She also knew that to make a long-term livable income, establishing a business would be crucial. Before

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I have always struggled with words, so I truly believe that flowers have the ability to say it all Alexis Bressler

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Calliope, she worked for various farm owners who shared their knowledge on both the business and farming aspects of the job. But why did she choose flower farming? “I have always struggled with words, so I truly believe that flowers have the ability to say it all from ‘my heartfelt thanks’ to ‘congratulations’ and everything in between. They help me communicate, connect and share with others.”

Lauren and Alexis collaborate and capitalize on their unique skills. Lauren specializes in sales, marketing, and social media, while Alexis focuses on farm planning and production. Both women provide the majority of the on-farm labor, including seeding, planting, harvesting, floral design, and maintenance.

A good partnership allows collaboration and problem-solving. “It also enables us to focus on our strengths and specialize in different aspects of the business,” adds Alexis.

The last two years have been particularly heartbreaking globally. “Like most small business 57

owners at the onset of covid, we were pretty panicked.” With the majority of weddings canceled and people on tight budgets, things seemed pretty uncertain for Calliope. “We didn’t know if folks would want to buy flowers— a somewhat luxury expense— just for the heck of it. What we didn’t realize is that though flowers aren’t a “necessary” item, they have the ability to spark delight,” recalls Lauren. Calliope’s u-pick and subscription flower options offered a covid-safe outdoor activity and community space. “Picking flowers with loved ones out in the sunshine and then arranging them at home was an activity that we were proud and thrilled to offer to the Gallatin Valley during an otherwise difficult time. Flowers are a joy!”

Calliope Flowers has supplied Gallatin County with much needed-buckets and bouquets of joy.

When asked what their greatest lessons were from their journey with Calliope, both women agreed, “Humility.” Asking for help can feel taboo, but it has been a key to their success. By leaning on their communities and asking for assistance and alternative perspectives, Calliope Flowers has adapted, adjusted, and bloomed much like their flowers.

This Spring will be Calliope’s fourth and, perhaps, final season as their land lease has come to a somewhat inevitable end. Land access in Gallatin County is the hardest it’s ever been. Finding a longterm land lease is challenging, purchasing property

in this booming county is not in the cards, and the cost of living increases daily. All things come to an end, and Alexis and Lauren are immensely grateful for their supportive landlords, loyal customers, all of the beautiful flowers, and this beloved Bozeman business.

“We hope that Calliope Flowers has helped open consumers’ eyes to the ever-present environmental, social, and economic issues of the global cut flower industry by showing people where their flowers come from and helping them embrace the seasonal beauty of what can be grown right here in Montana.”

Together, Alexis and Lauren have grown community, connection, hope— oh, and snapdragons, zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias, gladiolas, and lisianthus (to name a few). But growth is dynamic; it fluctuates and flows and is far from linear or exponential.

Every flower bloom eventually fertilizes the next year’s seedlings; Calliope Flowers has enriched the Gallatin Valley in more ways than one.

Gloria Goñi is a photographer, writer, and unbounded dreamer. Fascinated by human geography, cultural traditions and artisanal practices, Gloria incorporates these topics and many other curiosities into her creative work. Despite her Spanish roots and insatiable travel-bug, Gloria finally settled in rural Montana with her trusty Aussie-doodle, Berto. Together they fish, hunt and photograph their adventures one river or mountain at a time.

CALLIOPE FLOWERS 5180 Stucky Rd, Bozeman, MT 59715 calliopeflowersmt.com @calliopeflowersmt

GLORIA GOÑI gloriagoni.com @lapescadora 58

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| FEATURE

Rosanne Lockhart

LIVING A LIFE OF COMPATIBLE DICHOTOMIES STORY BY MORGAN MARKS IMAGES BY KELLY SKINNER

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F

rom farms and ranches scattered throughout the foothills, with entryways to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and a gateway to the Rocky Mountains, and some of the highest peaks along the eastern edge of the Rockies, the Front Range is known for many things. The Front Range is becoming more known due to folks within the yoga community traveling from across the nation to attend The Front Range Yoga Festival, aka Yoga Fest— an annual event held in and around Choteau, Montana. Yoga Fest was created by a woman who is both a yoga instructor and a practicing lawyer.

On a summer day, warm, with a good breeze, when COVID-19 wasn’t limiting in-person meet-ups, Rosanne and I met on Saigon Alley’s outdoor patio in Helena, Montana, and we feasted on dishes of food while I interviewed her. There are moments when I come across humans whose kindness radiates from their insides out, whose story inspires, and Rosanne is one of those humans.

Rosanne is one of the humblest people. She is authentically kind, has a spirit for community, and has a true heart for service. It makes perfect sense why she landed here, in Montana. Professionally, she’s currently the Pondera County Attorney, and she’s also a yoga instructor and founder of Front Range Yoga (FRY), based out of Choteau. FRY was founded in 2018, and in 2019, birthed the annual summer event, Yoga Fest.

When asked about how these two seemingly different pathways work together, Rosanne shared that, “at first glance, it may seem like the practice of law and the practice of yoga are so dissimilar and unrelatable to each other, but I disagree.” She went on, saying, “the practice of yoga is about maintaining internal integrity through mind, body, and spirit connection.

The vehicle or mechanism used to facilitate this connection is your breath. Yoga instructors guide students through a structured breathwork practice that involves specific body positions, counting, or visualizations. Through a structured breathwork practice, we learn how to release muscles and create a sense of bodily introspection. With this information, we are empowered to make choices about how we take care of physical bodies, and it helps govern the choices we make in our daily lives.”

Rosanne then shared about the practice of law and her perception of the field. “The practice of 64

public interest law is about maintaining external integrity through statutes, regulations, and legal precedent. The vehicle or mechanism used to uphold this structure is political theory in the form of democracy. Lawyers advise clients of the bounds of the law through structured research, writing, and communication. Through the legal process, we create a sense of understanding, legitimacy, and what it means to follow the rules of a community. With this information, we are able to make choices about how we vote, how we engage with the democratic process, and it helps govern the choices we make moving forward as a body of people— not just a body of one person.”

For her, yoga is the practice of internal integrity that only involves her and her choices, whereas lawyering is the practice of external integrity that involves everyone in the community and the democratic process that every person plays a role in.

For Rosanne, this is the unseemingly compatible dichotomy of her life and the root of highlighting her as a Montana Woman.

“I think being a yoga teacher helps me be a better lawyer because yoga empowers a deep sense of self and helps ground me into understanding who I am,” she shared. “It allows me the ability to be rooted in who I am and offers me a sense of direction in how I participate in my community as a lawyer.”

Rosanne was born and raised in Manhattan, New York— a far cry from rural Montana. “As a true city kid, I never thought I would ever leave.” During college, she made a deal with a friend to study abroad in England, and while the friend bailed on their plan, Rosanne forged ahead and went on

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her own. Recounting the memory, she said, “the first night there, I saw a gorgeous sunset over lush rolling green hills, a sight unfamiliar to me in New York City, and it just hit me differently. I knew something shifted within me. Or maybe shifted isn’t in the right word... but for the first time, I saw something within myself that I hadn’t seen clearly before, which was an inherent love for quiet and peaceful nature.”

From there, she said the travel bug bit her hard, and because of that, everything changed. For the next 15 years, she chose adventure and moving from place to place. She gave up physical roots to be a spirited 66

explorer and wound up finding a path meant for her in the process. She recalled, “I never lost sight of my equal desire to stay grounded. They say you can’t have wings and roots at the same time, but I’ve been trying to balance the two over the past decade and a half, and I like what I’ve come up with thus far.”

One of her adventures took her to Telluride, Colorado. She said that “instead of going straight to law school after college, I accepted a job as a judicial assistant at the courthouse in Telluride, and I learned from great judges, learned courtroom procedure, and I snowboarded every chance I could— which was a lot!” A large part of her decision-making came

| FEATURE

from the idea that she wanted to work where she could also play, and specifically, where she could snowboard, so her internal calling to be near snow and mountains narrowed her trajectory for places where she could live.

While in Telluride, Rosanne also took her first yoga class, and she didn’t love it. Yoga slowly grew on her as she continued to attend classes. Yoga finally resonated with her when she went to the Telluride Yoga Festival. She shared, “I was exposed to so many different types of yoga, different instructors, and a huge community of yogis. The weekend was physically exhausting, mentally stimulating, and spiritually enlightening. It facilitated deep introspection, broadened my horizons, and, quite frankly, it was just fun. I loved it.”

Her penchant for yoga grew from there, and she wound up in Bali, doing a 200-hour yoga teacher training with YogaKoh. When she came back, her goal was to start a yoga pants company and bring a Yoga Fest type of event to Montana so that people could experience what she experienced in Telluride.

“Yoga Fest tangibly started as an idea to promote yoga pants,” Rosanne laughed. “A few years ago, I had an idea to start a little side gig consisting of made-in-Montana yoga pants. I wanted to do this because I was (and still am) sick of paying for expensive yoga pants. I know literally nothing about materials, or sewing, or manufacturing, or anything related to the yoga pants business, but I was willing to take a dive and see what happens…

What happened was: yoga pants are actually quite difficult to engineer at a high-quality and highfunctioning capacity, and finding people to actually sew and manufacture them in a cost-effective way is incredibly difficult! As I was trying to learn the ins and outs of creating yoga pants, I thought it’d be fun to put together a yoga festival. The idea was twofold: First, I love yoga festivals and thought it would be fun. Second, it could serve as a platform to sell my yoga pants. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that, short of me quitting my job, buying a sewing machine, and learning how to make these pants myself... this little dream was not going to happen! So, I dropped the yoga pants idea but stuck with the yoga fest idea because it just seemed like a fun thing to do.”

After Telluride, Rosanne made her way to the University of Montana School of Law (UM). It was

a natural fit because UM provided all the academic opportunities she was seeking, and Montana Snowbowl was just down the road.

Rosanne shared positive aspects of her transition to law school, but she also shared her experience with crippling depression and anxiety that accompanied this new life decision and change. Both the light and the dark are a part of every person. Rosanne learned strength and resilience, two qualities that can come with facing severe depression and anxiety.

Due to her experiences dealing with trauma and challenging things, she is a staunch advocate for mental health, especially for lawyers, because the legal sector is well known for its battles with alcoholism, depression, and anxiety.

Her unbreakable belief in the justice system helped her persevere through law school. Rosanne shared that “despite its many flaws, we have the best justice system in the world, and our democratic process works best when there is meaningful public participation and when all the cogs in the system know what is, and what is not, their role in this system.” It is this notion that led her to go to law school and ultimately pursue a dedicated career in the public interest sector.

However, the journey to becoming a lawyer wasn’t easy. Despite Rosanne’s deeply rooted beliefs that motivated her to go to law school, it wasn’t until her second year in school that she felt underwater.

She shared that “feelings of overwhelming stress, anxiety, and unhappiness associated with my law school experience began to infiltrate me.”

Rosanne wasn’t fully equipped, emotionally and mentally, to cope with triggering aspects of law school and life’s hardships at that time. “I am not proud to admit that I handled the stress by binging on outdoor recreation, alcohol, and negative relationships— which does not lead to a path of strong mental health. It is obvious for me to see now, but it definitely was not so obvious for me at the time.”

“Before I knew it, I was in the deep, dark trenches of severe anxiety and depression. I was operating in a cloud of low self-worth and confidence while simultaneously putting on my best exterior facade.

My grades plummeted. At the law school, when a student’s academic record reveals that 3 or more classes have dropped 2 letter grades within a 67

semester, it is a red flag. Those students are required to meet with the Dean of Students. That was me. I was ‘those students.’ I was put on academic probation and had a mandatory meeting with two faculty members.” She was embarrassed and ashamed, but she allowed this experience to shape her, grow her, and make her better.

During one of the hardest moments, when she felt lost, confused, and her world was chaotic, Rosanne rose. She shared a truly beautiful sentiment with me about this difficult time, which honestly felt like a gift that I’m humbled to be able to write and share with all of you. She said, “I didn’t know it at the time, but that meeting with the Dean of Students would be one of my best blessings in disguise to date.”

Rosanne’s professors saw that she was struggling, and they put her in touch with a therapist. Therapy led her to medication, and even amidst all the seeming disorder, she maintained a regular yoga practice.

Rosanne shared, “as someone who was skeptical of therapy and who was (and still is) very averse to medication, I struggled with trusting that these things would help. But they did. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication have their place and time.

They helped me stabilize my emotions enough so that I could work through issues in therapy without getting too triggered or overwhelmed. I was able to wean off of the medications in a year and a half, and then I remained in therapy for 7 more years until my therapist retired.”

She shared why each of the three pillars were difficult for her, and most importantly, she wanted to share her thoughts on mental health with the hope that her experience can reach someone struggling and looking for pathways forward. Rosanne explained that therapy helped her mentally and emotionally; medication helped her physically and chemically; yoga helped her physically and spiritually. Those pillars, in addition to her faith, family, and supportive friends, helped her in reaching through the darkness to find the light again.

Rosanne said that “therapy was hard because it asks you to discuss all the things that you do not want to discuss and asks you to build a relationship of trust with a professional person that you do not know. However, processing those mental blockages, feeling appropriate feelings at appropriate times, and moving past trauma is far more worthwhile than any initial senses of discomfort or vulnerability.”

Regarding medication, “it was hard because figuring out a proper dosage is a little bit trial and error, so to figure out what does work sometimes requires figuring out what doesn’t work. And living life on medication that doesn’t work— sucks. It feels so disruptive to your life to have to wean on and wean off of antidepressant medication. However, learning and managing the physiological chemical imbalances within your body is so key to getting healthier. I mean, how can you properly engage in therapy if the chemicals in your brain are preventing you from properly engaging in therapy?”

As for yoga, “it is difficult in the sense that it requires discipline to show up to your mat. It requires that you show up even when you don’t want to, and it requires that you be alone with your

IMAGE BY MICHAEL BOURGAULT

“Reflecting back on it now, that version of me feels like lifetimes ago. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am that law school led me to both therapy and my wellness practice.” Rosanne was able to push through the darkness because she set in place pillars of support. For her, therapy, medication,

and yoga were those pillars, in addition to a strong network of supportive friends and family.

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own thoughts. And my thoughts at that time could be pretty savage and unpleasant to sit through.

But that’s the work that needs to be done. For me, yoga is not only physical movement that makes my body feel good. It is a safe place for introspection, connection to something greater than your physical body, and prayer.”

From there, Rosanne dealt with what she chooses to view as learning opportunities and chances for continued growth. “After law school, I should’ve taken time off to recuperate before diving right into the bar exam. For me, personally, at that time, I wasn’t ready to tackle that feat, and I wish I had honored that boundary for myself. But I didn’t. So I failed the bar for the first time.”

“Now, not only was I exhausted from the entire journey that had led up to that point, but I had added embarrassment and disappointment to the mix. After that I, essentially, ran away to Whitefish to pick up the broken pieces of my ego. I was questioning every decision I had ever made and studied for the bar again while working on Big Mountain and snowboarding to cope with the chaos in my mind. I took the bar exam again, and while I was awaiting the result, I was offered a clerkship with the Ninth Judicial District to work for Judge Robert Olson. Shortly after I accepted the job, I learned that I had failed the bar for the second time.

At that point, my motivation and confidence were hanging on by a thread. I felt defeated, confused, and insecure. But I made the decision to put all of those feelings aside and lean into my wellness practices, my study program, and my faith. And I passed it on the third go.”

“I cried tears of release and happiness for days, and everything changed within me. I was so damn proud of myself. I had this deep sense of appreciation and awe that I was able to earn my place in the legal community. With my newfound confidence and the unrelenting support of my new mentor, Judge Olson, I was ready to go out, learn more, and do some good legal work.”

Rosanne’s clerkship brought her to Choteau, Montana. She shared that the mountain air, sunrises from a tent, and sunsets over The Front are why she chose to stay in Montana. However, she expressed that the main reason she still lives in Montana is the people. She found community in a small, rural town, and those ties she fostered bound her to it. Choteau hadn’t been her forever plan but, surprisingly, Rosanne loved it. She stayed there for three years until the position arose with Pondera County in Conrad, where she currently lives and works with her supportive and loving husband, and their big lovebug of a dog and their cat.

Rosanne was appointed Pondera County Attorney in September of 2020 for a two-and-a-half year term.

She shared that “this role has been exceptionally challenging, stimulating, and rewarding.” Rosanne learned this job in a truly “trial by fire” fashion and continues to learn the ropes better each day. She says, “we have faced numerous difficult issues and transitions since I started, and we have navigated each of those issues adeptly. At this point, I know that my office can figure out how to handle whatever legal issue is thrown our way.”

Rosanne was up for election this year; however, life, as it often does, threw a tough curveball to her family’s plan. As a result, she ultimately made the difficult but conscientious decision to withdraw from this year’s race. She shared that “at this point, it is difficult to imagine working anywhere else or doing any other kind of work, but I am incredibly grateful for all of my experience here.” Despite the discomfort that uncertainty and change sometimes bring, Rosanne knows that this is the right decision for her and her family in this season of life. She earnestly stated, “I look forward to serving Pondera County in the capacity of County Attorney as best I can until the end of my term, but I also look forward to what the next chapter will bring too.” As much as she has come to love this job, family will always be her number one priority. With a smile on her face, she expressed, “thankfully I am married to an incredibly supportive husband who shares the same fundamental values in life and career. So, we’re both open and excited to see where our life takes us next.”

Rosanne is looking forward to the 4th annual Front Range Yoga Festival on June 10-13, 2022.

She has confirmed 25 instructors who will offer a total of 50 classes. Live music by Archertown (Kalispell), Haeli & Jaxon Allen (Lewistown), and Katie Page (Whitefish). A healthy catered lunch will be provided by Nourish MT (Great Falls).

The restaurants in Choteau offer special menus, the shops offer discounts, and the community welcomes our yoga visitors with small-town charm and kindness. Plus, this year, the Yoga Fest Team plans to add a pop-up yoga shop, pop-up restaurant, and massages and guided hikes to elevate the guests’ self-care getaway experience!

Lastly, Rosanne is currently in the process of blending her yoga life and lawyer life in a unique way this year. As a member of the Criminal Law Section of the MT State Bar, the committee is hoping to add a continuing education portion to this year’s yoga fest called the CLE & BREATHE. This will be an opportunity for lawyers to earn 5 CLE credits and then attend all 3 days of Yoga Fest!

Stay tuned.

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Morgan Marks is a poet, writer, angler,

hunter, side hustle consultant (copywriting, social media, editing, greeting card creator), non-profit worker and Montana transplant, currently living in Helena. She grew up in Pennsylvania and thanks to an AmeriCorps program, moved to Montana to serve on a trail crew in 2008. Montana has been home ever since, with the exception of a few stints living abroad in Australia when she served as a Rotary International Peace Fellow studying conflict and peace, and Zambia when she served with the United States Peace Corps. Localized peacebuilding work and writing human interest stories that allow for connection between people are passions of hers. Find her poetry and art on Instagram at @ morgan_gemay_marks_writer and connect with her via her website at morgangemaymarks.com

Find Yoga Fest '22 and CLE & Breathe at: frontrangeyogamt.com @ frontrangeyogamt

SINCE

OCTOBER

2019,

MONTANA

WOMAN

HAS

BEEN,

AND ALWAYS WILL BE, AN OPEN PLATFORM. THIS IS A PUBLICATION FOR THE REAL, COME-AS-YOU-ARE MONTANA. THE UNDERCURRENTS, THE CHANGE-MAKERS, THE RISKTAKERS, THE MOVERS & SHAKERS.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE WHO YOU ARE TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. NO MATTER YOUR AGE, YOUR RACE, YOUR HOMETOWN, YOUR IDENTITY— YOU ARE WELCOME HERE.

MONTANA IS FOR ALL OF US, FOR EVERYONE. WHETHER YOU WERE BORN & RAISED HERE, YOU MOVED HERE, YOU VISITED, OR YOU DREAM OF VISITING.

WE

CREATE

A

PUBLICATION

THAT’S

WORTH

READING

BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE STORIES WORTH TELLING.

WELCOME TO THE TABLE.

| VIGNETTE

KRAKOW, POLAND — 2016

In the morning, I walk six miles to a museum that is closed for repairs, past the dinge of construction camps and garbage caught among rocks in gutters. The sun reminds us that it is still around, glancing off the flat white paving stones.

Today is a day when you can smell summer creeping into bed with spring; a heady smoke in the air the way you scent flowers or notice suddenly you can hear birds again. Smoke— not from a wildfire, or from hot pavement, or from grates placed over coals, but from the sun in the air. A thickening of the season. It’s the kind of scent that primes me for prairie thunderstorms and sunburns and filmy dresses eddying about my bare legs.

Everyone else in Krakow has caught onto this too, all of us ravenous for a draught; couples lying with heads in each other’s laps and shirts rolled up past their xylophone rib cages, mothers with strollers and toddlers squealing on push bikes alongside them, gangs of rollerblading teenagers.

In the shadow of a bridge, I tie my scarf around my waist, slip out of and roll my jeans into a ball. On the bank of the Vistula, my toes turn green from stroking the grass, and I doze in the shadow of a castle by the river, listening to the families and groups of young people that walk along the nearby path, their voices a jumble of languages.

I am woken once by a small hand on my cheek; I open my eyes to see a toddler, a little girl who babbles to me in smiling Polish.

I say, It’s lovely to meet you.

She giggles, giving me a half bounce, the way children who have just figured out their legs can carry them places do, and palms my face again, before her father comes for her from the nearby picnic blanket and takes her back to the shade as she protests.

He smiles at me, apologetic.

The place she has touched on my face feels kissed, and I watch as a group of children throw rocks at the side of the castle. When they tumble down, they sound like the crack of fireworks.

Autumn Toennis is a writer and artist from Miles City, Montana. She

works remotely for Open Country Press, a small, independently-run Montana press and lives with her husband and a traveling windowsill orchard. You can follow her on Instagram @autumn_toennis, or find her at her Etsy shop, AutumnMarieArt. 73

BY MORGAN MARKS

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IMAGE BY FEDERICO ORIHUELA

the wave

| LIFE

The mountains rose from the snow-covered prairie, and dark shapes shone starkly against the vast white.

As I drove closer, the shapes revealed themselves: herds of horses. As I drove, I came upon more dark shapes, bigger than before, and realized I was looking at the Blackfeet Nation’s bison herd.

I read once that bison are the only animals that run into a storm, so that they can get through it faster. All other creatures run away from the storm.

Ever since, I’ve strived to be like a bison— strong, courageous, and unwilling to run from, only moving forward.

This land has watched me grieve, has held me in darkness, and has supported my blooming. It’s where I’ve gone to know wholeness again. It’s where I’ve discovered myself, began again, and learned forgiveness. The mountains near Glacier National Park have always been the keepers of my most sacred moments, and seeing them again made me realize that I needed to write to find healing. I needed to write to connect about hard things.

of surgery, I melted down while signing in at the surgery center’s front desk, hot tears nearly soaking through my cloth face mask. The kind woman behind the desk handed me a box of tissues. This wasn’t her first rodeo.

Tears fell from my eyes, and I felt fear course throughout my body. While there was much known, there was still so much unknown which defines having an exploratory surgery. My saving grace was my boyfriend holding my hand until I was wheeled away, and my anesthesiologist and surgeon, who both coaxed me with humor and assurances, plus strong sedatives, until I drifted off to dreamland.

I’ve never experienced the kind of support that my doctor, also my surgeon, gave me, starting with my first appointment. She gathered countless records from multiple other doctors and providers and seemed to work magic with her ability to problem solve and source records in a short amount of time. When I became teary, thanking her for her communication and efficiency, and for the way her heart was immersed in her work, she told me, frankly, that I was considered family now.

Instantly, I trusted her, and that instantaneous trust has felt rare while navigating the western medical community, and really, my health in general.

This land has watched me grieve, has held me in darkness, and has supported my blooming

Before the new year started, I visited the big city and had an outpatient, exploratory surgery to remove an abnormally large and troubling cyst taking up an unwelcome residence in one of my ovaries. The removal of the cyst was planned.

The doctor had found it through an ultrasound, and we’d talked through the procedure, step by step, multiple times, as is protocol.

I was informed that because the doctor could see one of my fallopian tubes on the recent ultrasound, one of my fallopian tubes may also need to be taken out. Fallopian tubes are supposed to be the size of a pen tip, so if one could be seen on an ultrasound, odds were that inflammation had destroyed the cilia inside the fallopian tube. Cilia are the tiny, seaweed-like parts of a woman’s fallopian tubes that wave back and forth, helping to move and nudge a fertilized egg along from an ovary to the uterus.

I tried to mentally prepare myself for my surgery, but no amount of busyness or slowness seemed to satisfy and soothe my anxiety. And so, on the day

After surgery, my body and incision sites healed quickly. My heart is taking longer. Christmas came, and it was both beautiful and slow, filled with good food and time spent gathering with family, and yet, I had a gray cloud hanging over me that I hadn’t quite made sense of. My boyfriend slowly told me information about my surgery as I recovered, saying that the doctor had said that I was a trooper and that, in her opinion, I should’ve been in great amounts of pain. She confirmed during my surgery that I have Stage 4 endometriosis, which explained my seemingly random symptoms I’d been experiencing for months, if not years, minus the fact that I hadn’t been in immense pain. I had answers, and still, so many unanswered questions.

The most paramount question: how did Stage 4 endometriosis happen to me?

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An autoimmune disorder has complicated my health journey, which was diagnosed after I arrived back from serving with the United States Peace Corps. For a very long time, navigating my health has felt like a treasure hunt, with me throwing spaghetti at the wall to find answers and receiving little information about how I arrived here. I am grateful for the removal of the cyst, grateful that my fallopian tube remained intact, grateful I have time and resources to navigate my health journey, and incredibly numb to the fact that I now had more definitive answers as to why I hadn’t yet become pregnant. I am also angry in a way that I’ve never experienced before, and that feels exhausting and frightening.

I’ve been working with a functional medicine doctor, and through her, a health coach, who when I expressed my feelings of numbness, sadness, and anger, and feeling fully immersed in this difficult experience, she shared with me the idea of navigating waves. Like the great ocean, we’ll always experience waves coming toward us, and it’s up to us how we navigate them.

We can prepare for some, at times, and other times, we can’t. Sometimes, the waves come towards shore back to back, and other times, they’re singular and massive. I’ve been visualizing waves and comparing my experience with what it would feel like to be treading water in the open ocean. The wave I anticipated, expected, and hoped for went from being a surface one that I could navigate easily by treading water and floating over to the kind that swallows souls and sailboats whole with its fury.

I was incredibly successful in finding men who didn’t want to become fathers or who were wishy-washy about the prospect of being a father. I’ve always felt more aligned with adoption than having my own children, and because of this, I stayed with these men for too long. I settled for what they wanted, pushed what I know now I really desired deep down in my heart, and believed in the words they spoke to me, that they’d be ready “one day.” It would be far easier to blame these men, and while I could, blame won’t grant me peace.

Every part of me wants to understand and equally find blame in something or someone outside of myself for why I’ve been unable to become pregnant.

I feel great shame that my body hasn’t been able to become pregnant on my own. I feel guilty that, when I see other people’s pregnancy announcements, my initial feeling is sadness for myself and my boyfriend, and second, joy for them. I feel selfish, and mostly, disappointed that I’m unable to do the one thing I’m biologically supposed to be able to do— have children.

Like the great ocean, we’ll always experience waves coming toward us, and it’s up to us how we navigate them

I haven’t always wanted to be a mother. I know now that a large part of my hesitation was not wanting to be alone in that experience, even though I’d promised myself on my 30th birthday that if I wasn’t attached at 35 years old, I’d look into adoption to become a single mother. The other truth is that I had a lot of growing and living to do, and that took years, mostly my prime childbearing years in my 20s. I made decisions that have added to my life and set me on paths away from motherhood. And now, while I’m mentally ready, my body may not be willing.

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I’m not proud of the woman I am in these moments and yet, I know I am not her fully.

She is my heart pain rearing her head and shaking out her mane. She’s reminding me that I am powerful, and yet I am still a human, and I am inherently feeling multitudes of emotions. I’m allowed to hold my grief and joy in two hands.

My inability to procreate on my own does not define me as a woman. It is one part of my big story.

I’ve sworn into many nights that I will not allow this experience to define me.

The pathway to motherhood and becoming a parent is not always linear. It can be, but I’m learning to slowly accept that kind of straight trajectory is not my story when it comes to fertility.

In fact, I’ve always felt most comfortable along the edges, moving against the grain and in the deep, so I wonder why all of this feels so difficult to navigate.

I’ve realized it’s because I’ve been told my whole life that I’m supposed to be able to become pregnant.

Society ingrains this idea in women from an early

age, and I was not immune to hearing this messaging and internalizing it.

I’m learning that I may never know the answers to my many questions, but that won’t stop me from asking. As much as I feel alone in my experience, I know the truth is that many people do experience challenges with fertility— we just don’t talk about it because of all the hard feelings around the subject. While I am finding it painfully difficult to express myself verbally, I want to carve out space to connect with other women struggling through my writing so that I feel less alone, and I’m hoping that in turn, others feel seen and less alone as well.

Society wishes to prescribe and define fertility and pregnancy struggles with labels such as infertility, barren, and geriatric, and yes, there are complexities from scientific knowledge and societal stigma that dance together, adding to this topic’s vulnerability. The societal expectations I feel that have been placed on me, solely because I was born with XX chromosomes, are to be able to become pregnant with ease, which feels heavy and only adds to the stress I already feel.

I’m choosing to allow the anger to wash over me and to still find gratitude for the hard, unexplained things. Grief floods my eyes often, and I tell my body that I forgive her, over and over again, intentionally, trusting that one day, my words will align with my heart.

IMAGE BY JOSH WITHERS

I’m holding onto hope, and at the same time, realizing the reality of my circumstance. I’m 37 years old this March. I cannot become pregnant without support. Perhaps the hand of cards I was dealt won’t allow for biological children to be a part of my story, yet those truths are yet to be known.

I’m trying to move slowly, from moment to moment. The waves, they keep swallowing me in their embrace, and I do the only thing I can control. I keep fighting to tread water, and find the surface and gulp in that salty, sweet ocean air.

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| VIGNETTE

unmarked graves

BY SARAH HARDING

On our little farm, we know where the dogs are buried.

Chickens, rabbits, and ducks, Who died by our hand Don’t have a final resting place.

Unless you count the freezer.

And all the tiny pets, Some who we cried over, Aren’t here either.

I suppose we’re species-ists.

Only dogs receive the dignity of starting up the backhoe and digging a hole.

Offering down their sweet bodies to the soil.

Even in the winter.

Just like our neighbor did with his wife after her early, slow death.

Oh, Liz. It’s been 10 years and still my chest clenches for you.

More than for my own family.

You should have flowers and silk and precious metals.

Too wasteful.

Our lives are spare and weary.

But what you deserved nonetheless.

This is what no grave feels like.

Only the grasses bloom for us.

The Flowering Orchard, Vincent Van Gogh (1888) “The arrival of spring in Arles in 1888 found Van Gogh “in a fury of work.” As he wrote to his brother Theo, “the trees are in blossom and I would like to do a Provençal orchard of tremendous gaiety.” Between late March and late April, the artist dedicated fourteen canvases to the subject, working in a range of sizes, formats, and styles. This composition, dominated by the angular, elongated branches of the budding trees, attests to Van Gogh’s admiration for Japanese prints.

His inclusion of the scythe and rake makes this one of only two orchard paintings to hint at a human presence.”

COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART THE MR. AND MRS. HENRY ITTLESON JR. PURCHASE FUND, 1956

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BY BARBARA FRASER

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IMAGE BY BERND DITTRICH

A GARDEN’S INVITATION

| LIFE

E

ver since I was a child, I was told to count sheep if I couldn’t sleep. I never saw the attraction of sheep quite honestly; I preferred to walk through a garden. Which garden I walked through has evolved over the years, but it is a habit I still maintain. During the winter, one would think that I would dream of a dormant garden— slimy layered leaves decaying against the frozen soil with barren branches sticking up out of the earth.

When snow falls for weeks and the plants below create their sculptured surface with a hardened crystal crust, I envision the wondrous cushion of air below that insulates against the more dangerous freeze. This little exercise of creativity disperses my worries as if they have been carried elsewhere by the swirling wind.

A more common theme of my middle-of-the-night musings is more likely to be my favorite time, early spring. When the English Sparrows begin their chatty peeps outside my window, I know the transition out of winter has begun. Summer is the reward for all the hard work, but to me, spring is the landscape of hope. As the days pass and I remove the mulched leaves, I see the green moss that will grow brilliant with the coming rains and the insects reemerging from their little hibernating homes. The ends of the branches show their first trace of coming leaves. There are still occasions when a snow flurry sweeps in, dropping big flakes like feathers. I once worried that the plants were too fragile, but experience taught me that their resilience was more than sufficient for the momentary hardships. I now know that one of the gifts of aging is the understanding that I am the same. The gift is the knowingness: the assurance that each experience makes me stronger and prepares me for what comes next. In a society that chases youth and perfection, I find greater fascination with wisdom and grace, much like the beautiful gnarled tree that has intricate scarring from weathered storms.

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My favorite first task of the sitting garden is definitely replenishing my herb barrels. Years ago in what seems like another lifetime, we had just bought four spanking new wine barrels, barely touched by age. We were moving back to Montana, and I assured my husband that we would not have the funds to replace them. Though skeptical about moving dirt, he finally agreed we had room if we strapped them onto the back of the truck and trailer. I assure you the image of the Beverly Hillbillies was precisely what we looked like as we crossed the state line, complete with wood furniture piled on top. Thirty years later, I still have two of them. The soil is now rich and black from years of decomposition. They are on either side of the gate, and

by August, to say the herbs have grown abundantly is an understatement. The roots are so established that my Thyme is the size of a garbage can lid and cascades all the way to the ground. I have faithful Oregano, Chives that become a downright nuisance, and Sage with its wild, wide leaves. One of my greatest joys came the year my beloved French Tarragon returned.

porch steps. I’ve been there all these decades later, and they are still enchanting as they grow profusely.

They remind me of friendships. Where some need commitment and perseverance and must be nurtured, there are those that simply just carry on like every other wild thing.

I enjoy planting each tiny herb or flower and how the mulch has them spaced so specifically in the bed. It reminds me of children preferring their food not touch on their plates— I was that child. I would have delighted in a divided plate or even more so a cafeteria tray where my pea juice wouldn’t touch the meat and potatoes. I despised canned peas, a staple in my childhood home, and thought they were instruments of torture. Now I have become friends with sweet peas, a flower that feels like fairies dancing in the early sunshine. Life is fuller when we embrace transitions.

A GARDEN HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN AND IS EVERCHANGING, SIMILAR TO OUR LIVES.

Every year now, I add another Rose to my garden— it is required to smell sensational to make the cut. I first fell in love with Roses when I lived in a seaside town and gazed at abandoned buildings with Roses working their way over the roof. I learned they were Cecile Brunner Roses that grow with such little care, unlike most Roses, and their tiny buds give way to hundreds of wide-open blooms that perfume the air. They are like a wild thing that thrives on neglect and will bloom more than one could ever imagine.

They don’t stop at the confines of a trellis or arbor and consider a fence line a challenge. Sometimes the scent finds you before you see the blanket of blossoms and hear the hum of bees. Years later, we would live in a bungalow where Danny built a fence and, we planted two Ceciles on either side of the 82

The first trip to the nurseries is daydreamed of long before it happens. I know I will have to keep the plants inside on a black boot mat on the back porch where the sun shines in the afternoon and I can water them faithfully; our agreement is that I buy them, and they thrive when I don’t kill them. As I walk through the greenhouse door, I am seduced by the scent of the soil with its peat moss and wood chips, and the mist touches my skin as I step a few more feet into the filtered light. I love the crunch of gravel under my feet as I walk between the raised tables and observe each tray of potted plants— they are like candies in a sweet shop. It is hard to not get carried away and fill a flat with one temptation after another. I know people who love to buy big overflowing baskets and pots of larger, more mature flowers, but I treasure the intimacy of the teamwork I have with each seedling. Each day’s growth is an alliance. I have been doing this for so long that I only gather what

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IMAGE BY ANNIE SPRATT

will work for my garden and am rarely tempted by those that will not prosper. Flowering plants at the nursery can whisper of promise with their enticingly colorful petals, but in the wrong environment, those whispers are more like lies. I have hundred-year-old trees that offer their delicious shade all summer and have taught me to fall in love with the shade-loving Ferns, Hostas, and Begonias. To learn the difference is the wisdom of time and hard-won experience.

I have learned as a gardener that I cannot grow everything I fancy. New friendships are like those little seedlings and full of promise; there may also be a day where hard work will be necessary to reap the richest rewards.

I had decided that I needed to write something sweet and charming for my next article because these transparent discussions recently were a bit of a workout during the writing process and sometimes even a wrestling match in the middle.

I then realized that I could no more go backwards in my writing than I can in my life. Once I had made the commitment to be more vulnerable and speak my story, there was no ducking back into the shadows. I must be true to who I am becoming and step into the unknown despite uncertainty or occasional fear. Behind me are the lessons I have already learned. The experiences before me hold the next bits of wisdom I am supposed to gather for when I need them.

As I learn, I am grateful for the people who are but a breath away; they are the tools at my side. All I have to do is ask for help and it is there, they just wait for the invitation. These people are part of my path forward— they are my handholds, my guardrails, and provide the stability I may occasionally need.

I also have learned without question that if life changes and someone walks out of my life, another will come to fill the space with their own unique magical words, hugs, and acts of kindness. We learn to become better people as we add to one another’s lives.

We are not born with courage; it is a skill we learn with each endeavor. Sometimes knowing what or how to embrace what comes next is not easy, but it is where the real learning comes about.

IMAGE BY ANNIE SPRATT

A garden has a life of its own and is ever-changing, similar to our lives. When we work in it, we become a part of it and form a relationship. There is a contentment that flourishes when the ideas in our head begin to form in the garden, a garden where we can nurture something as well as ourselves. One flower blooms so beautifully and bows to allow center stage to the next. It does not have to be in a yard, one does not need to have a greenhouse, and it certainly does not need to be large. It can be an old metal tub with holes in the bottom filled with herbs on a back step. It can be a plethora of gathered pots of every color and texture placed on a windowsill or a concrete patio filled with plants gathered at the farmer’s market or from the wilderness. Nurturing something alive creates a happy and fulfilling time in my day and allows me to disconnect from the often hectic world around me. I listen to the birds that have been up before my feet even hit the floor, hear the bees have their quiet hum collecting the earliest pollen, and smile as I sometimes talk to my plants in hushed whispers. I think connecting to my garden and learning to listen to the tiny details actually makes me a better listener of people as well. And if something dies and sacrifices itself to

our experiment, I have learned to let go of the guilt and know that another plant will step into its place.

I no longer fear making mistakes in my garden, much like I have lost the fear of making mistakes in my life.

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IMAGE BY MASAKO ISHIDA

EVEN THE DAR KEST N I G H T W I L L END AND THE SUN WILL RISE VICTOR HUGO

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THIS COULD BE YOU!

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For soon-to-be-married couples who feel constrained by the trappings of a traditional wedding, an adventure elopement is the next best thing you never knew existed. From sunrise mountain top summits and helicopter rides on glaciers to casual strolls through the woods and chill days on the lake, we’ll work together to craft a wedding day that truly speaks to your soul and incorporates what you love most — the outdoors and each other.

YOU LIKE TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX …

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JOY GRATITUDE SELF-CARE KINDNESS AT

the tail-end of winter, I organized and led an online practice group called Watering Good Seeds, which consisted of 15 participants. For four weeks, we covered four topic themes at a pace of one per week: cultivating joy, strengthening gratitude, investing in self-care, and offering random acts of kindness. I consider these to be the foundational elements that serve as the necessary fuel in life to manifest the deep aspiration to bloom like a flower in the garden of humanity.

to do and a mound of work at the office and kids to shuttle to soccer practice. I’m not saying these things aren’t important to tend to as well, but if we truly want to experience a felt sense of bloom in our one precious life, as Mary Oliver would say; if we don’t want to be forever governed by a never-ending todo list, to the detriment of our mental and physical well-being, it’s imperative that we establish actionbased strategies to water the seeds that will help to bring us nourishment and support in our daily lives.

In order to keep ourselves fresh and vibrant, to stay or return to a state of inner bloom, nourishment is needed. If we don’t develop ways to stay in touch with the wonders of life regularly and ongoingly, we will eventually become wilted and ragged.

Another possible obstacle might center around being unsure as to how to go about ushering these qualities into fruition. Each week, as part of our online practice group, I designed an action item based on our topic theme, which folks were then asked to report back on at the end of the week on a shared google doc. Without involving ourselves in specific, focused actions, it’s easy for the qualities of joy, gratitude, self-care, and kindness to remain merely concepts or pleasant-sounding notions. It’d be akin to having a banana bread recipe without ever making the bread. A recipe is nice and, all but what good is it if we never put it into action?

Here’s the thing. Many of us underestimate the importance of generating and maintaining such qualities as joy, gratitude, self-care, and kindness. So the first obstacle we may face to prioritizing these qualities in our life may be to deconstruct our view that these are trite or trivial matters. We may think: Sure, those things are good and all, but I have laundry 88

IMAGE BY MARIA OSWALT

BY NICOLE DUNN

| LIFE

Here are a few ways we can actively practice these restorative qualities: Action item for cultivating joy

A few times a week, do something consciously & on purpose that allows you to connect with a feeling of upliftment. Suggestion: Keep it small & simple.

As you engage in this action, pay close attention to the felt sensations in your body and mind. Try not to rush it. Give yourself enough time to immerse, absorb, & savor your chosen activity.

Action item for strengthening gratitude

Choose one meal a day to pause briefly before, in order to say a few words of appreciation (internally or out loud) for the food you’re about to eat. Allow yourself to really connect with the words you’re saying. Look deeply into the food in front of you, not taking it for granted. Here is a short verse I often use: This food is the gift of the whole universe, the earth, the sky, and much hard work. Coming up with a verse to recite can help to direct our focus. Be sure to use words that fit for you.

Action item for investing in self-care

Practice loving speech with yourself. Befriend the great fullness of your own humanity and pay close attention to how you talk to yourself. Improving the relationship we have with ourselves is crucial to the quality of our self-esteem, well-being, and mental health. Noticing when you’ve directed harsh or condemning language towards yourself is the first and most important step (we can’t work to transform anything we aren’t aware of !). Then, after you take notice, see if you can self-correct and offer some words of care and support.

Action item for offering random acts of kindness

Every once in a while (maybe once a week or twice a month), extend an act of kindness to someone you love, like, or don’t know. Some ideas: send a postcard in the mail to a friend or family member just to say hello; bake muffins for your neighbor or to share with your co-workers; pay for a stranger’s meal or coffee anonymously; gift a bag of cookies to

staff workers in a place you frequent; give someone a compliment; pen a love note to someone; give something away that’s a little hard to give away; send a funny joke or random fun fact via text to a friend to brighten their day.

One of my life mottos: There is no such thing as an insignificant moment. By which I mean: there is no such thing as a moment so small that it does not create an impact or effect. Everything we do matters and makes a difference, regardless of how small it may seem. When we water good seeds— and keep watering good seeds— we’ll have the chance to get in touch with the wonders of life, and our heart’s garden will bloom like wildflowers in springtime.

NICOLE DUNN is a Missoula-based writer, community organizer, poet, ordained member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing, and program director of Be Here Now, a weekly mindfulness & meditation group she founded in 2002. For more info: InMindfulMotion.com

LIFE |

how to

ground yourself in passion for wellness

By Mindy Cochran | Levitation Nation Workout by Reegan Gaines Images by Megan Crawford

S

ummer officially begins for 2022 on Tuesday, June, 21st and fitness coaches and programs everywhere are hammering on their “get ready for bikini season” programs. But the truth is many women are just not incentivized toward health simply to look good in a bikini. When diet culture reasoning is not motivating you, we have a solution for you that will set you up for success: it comes down to identifying your own personal reason(s) for wellness— meaningful reasons to motivate you to show up and do the work.

This is known as identifying your “why.” A good “why” statement will ground you in a passion for wellness. It will carry enough emotional attachment to facilitate lasting change because it will be bigger than your excuses “not to.”

My experience as a health coach has shown me that it is rare when a woman doesn’t know what she needs to do to improve their health, which makes sense since we have more tools, knowledge, and resources regarding weight loss and wellness than ever before.

And yet so many women are struggling because the hardest part is sticking to what we know we need to do. By digging a little deeper to find a driving force (or two) that will get you to your workouts, your momentum will shift, and consistency will follow more easily.

For example, my own “why” revolves around wanting to excel at my favorite sports, and with my terrible sweet tooth, it helps to remind myself that sugar and processed foods create inflammation which hinders my performance (junk food = junk energy). I am also motivated simply by wanting to be the best wife and friend I can be. Since I know

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that endorphins help me in my mission to stay positive for my family and friends, I find it easier to follow through with my workouts when I focus on my “why.”

Other powerful “why” statements include increasing energy, injury prevention, stress reduction, or simply being able to play with your kids or grandkids.

Once you have honed in your own powerful & meaningful “why” statement, you will be drawn to workouts that will challenge you and lead to incredible breakthroughs. So, I am including a sample workout from the Vertical Barre class at Levitation Nation Aerial Studio in Kalispell, Montana. Vertical Barre is a modern spin on a traditional barre class that will help you gain strength, flexibility, and endurance. Vertical Barre is an addictive fitness program suitable for anyone and everyone interested in search of their best and most empowered self. We call it “Vertical” because we use our dance poles for balance instead of a traditional horizontal ballet barre, but you can do barre-inspired workouts at home using a chair or table for balance. If it’s been a while since you felt like your best self, now is the perfect time to find your “why” and reclaim your power; and that will be the most meaningful way to head into summer.

Mindy Cochran is the founder of Kalispell’s Levitation Nation Aerial Studio, where the catchphrase “fitness is fun” is embodied alongside a culture of movement & women empowerment. Mindy believes that “The Real Levitation Experience” lies within elevating your health & wellness. Mindy loves to share the expertise she has acquired through her certifications as a personal trainer and life coach. For more about Mindy or Levitation Nation, please visit levitationnation.org

Vertical Barre Workout — Lower Body Focus Equipment Time

• Barre, table, or chair for balance.

• A ball or rolled towel and 1-3 pound dumbbells.

Approximately 20 minutes

Plié Superset: Start standing in second position (second position is a ballet term where the dancer is standing with the feet turned out and about 12 inches apart)

1 2 3 4 5

Plié (x16) To perform a plié, simply bend the knees keeping them pressed out and your back straight and letting your hands reach towards the floor. As you straighten through the knees, laterally lift your arms out to the side and continue until your hands raise overhead. Repeat 16 times.

Plié to relevé (x16) Relevé is a ballet term for lifting up onto your toes. To perform this exercise, plié as outlined in the first exercise, but this time, relevé at the top of the position. Repeat 16 times.

Plié static hold with alternating relevé (x16) Hold at the bottom of the plié (where knees are bent) and perform relevé on the left foot, hold for a second, bring your foot back to the ground, and relevé the right foot for one second. Continue alternating between left and right foot, repeating 16 times on each side.

Plié pulse in relevé (x16) At the bottom of the plié, bring both feet into relevé and hold, lift and lower your torso about 1 inch to generate the “pulse.” Repeat 16 times.

Dynamic Pliés (x16) Perform plié as outlined above. When at the top of plié, step one foot to the other. With heels together and toes turned out (this is known as first position), bend knees into a diamond plié, then return to straight legs. Step back out into plié and then repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate, performing 16 times in each direction Repeat entire superset 91

Vertical Barre Workout — Lower Body Focus

Adductor (inner thighs) Superset: With ball or rolled towel; stand with feet together, place the ball between thighs, relevé and hold, knees bent in a small squat.

6 7 8 9 10

Pulse (x16) Holding the initial position outlined above, lift then lower the torso about one inch to generate the “pulse.” Repeat 16 times.

Pulse with squeeze (x16) Perform pulse as outlined above; at the bottom of the pulse, squeeze the ball. Repeat 16 times.

Hold and squeeze (x16) Hold at the bottom of the pulse position and squeeze the ball 16 times.

Heel lift (x16) Standing with straight legs, relevé up onto the toes, then lower heels. Repeat 16 times.

Hold and squeeze with heel lift (x16) Standing with straight legs in relevé, squeeze the ball 16 times.

Repeat entire superset

Workout developed by Levitation Nation Senior Instructor, Reegan Gaines. Reegan is a loving mother of three,

sister, and friend. Reegan wants you to be able to experience for yourself what poleFit and barre has done for her. These incredible classes have helped her unlock movement possibilities within herself that she didn’t know existed and have been a huge part of designing a life she loves!

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IMAGE BY LINDSEY GARDNER

a ceremony as unique as your love.

SARAH HARDING humanist celebrant

celebrantsarah.com part of the elopemontana.com collaboration

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IMAGE BY DAVE HERRING

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(which means our readers would also like you) ask about our advertising rates info@montanawoman.com

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Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (Great Falls)

building Wisdom Workshop (Kalispell)

creatives Devin Helen Boudoir La Pescadora ­— Gloria Goñi Third Hand Silversmith

home Wright's Furniture (Whitefish)

weddings & celebrations jesslyn Maire, Elopement photographer (Bozeman) Sarah harding, Celebrant (Whitefish)

wellness Spa at Meadow Lake (Columbia Falls) Withey's Health Foods (Kalispell)

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IMAGE BY LIANA MIKAH