Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
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Every once in a while, something happens that not only surprises you but brings you back to the realization of how blessed you are. It has become increasingly difficult over the past several years for me to take a shower because I’ve had to step into the bathtub in order to do so. I had figured out to use two small stools to get into and out of the bathtub. Several weeks ago, one of my sons came over to my house, tape measure in hand. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me he’d show me in a couple of minutes. He disappeared into the...
This year’s fair is now a memory captured in photos, ribbons and souvenirs. A change in medication made it possible for me to attend this year’s Cancer Survivor ride. Being able to participate in this event is truly an honor and fills my heart to overflowing with gratitude to all the doctors, nurses and researchers for their care, and to the local Relay For Life and businesses for their sponsorship. The other highlight of the fair for me was getting to see all the projects our grandchildren entered and the awards they received. That is alw...
One day when I was in a chat room on the internet - one of my favorite places to go - the topic of conversation was centered around shopping. Not surprising since at that time everyone in the room was female. When a comment was made about going to a large department store, I said I didn’t often get to a store of that chain. “How far are you from that store?” I was asked. “Oh, about 130 miles one way,” I replied. “What?! How do you live without going to that store every day?!” came the question. “Actually, quite well. If I can’t find what...
Lately, I’ve been watching documentaries on wildlife from around the world. One documentary was about wildlife in the Rocky Mountains, which peaked my curiosity. Is there one about eastern Montana? About prairie dogs, gophers (the Richardson squirrel), antelope, deer, geese, ducks, game birds, aquatic species in Fort Peck Lake and the rivers that feed into it, etc? These documentaries brought to mind the stories I heard when I first moved here. About how thick the gophers were and the measures homesteaders had to take in order to protect t...
Recently, I’ve seen an article on social media quite a few times that is very disturbing, to say the least, not to mention downright disgusting. Apparently, New Hampshire State Rep. Josh Moore once stated [in a Facebook post archived by the online magazine Slate] that if he sees a woman breastfeeding in public he has the right to grab her breasts. Where does he supposedly get this right? I seriously doubt his parents told him this. From his photo it appears he is in his late 30s or, more likely, in his 40s. I wonder if he is married and if so,...
Not long ago with a conversation with a gentleman, the topic came up about how if you happen to stop in to visit with someone, they will insist you join them for lunch or supper. I made the comment that that is just the way it is where we live. Years ago, there was a man who lived in Wolf Point and made his living traveling around a large area selling Fuller Brush products. One day when he stopped by our farm, it was close to time for lunch. It so happened I had a ham and sweet potatoes in the oven. I told him we’d have lunch and then I’d pla...
She is 17 years old. And she has an attitude. She also thinks she is entitled to have some of everything we eat, whether it is part of our meal or our snacks. She is a cat and her name is Rosie. Because of health issues, her owner had to move to an assisted living facility and could not take Rosie with her. Her owner’s sister wanted to take her, but that wasn’t feasible as she is allergic to cats. So unless a forever home was found for Rosie, she was going to be euthanized. My son saw a picture of Rosie and he showed it to me as he related her...
We all know how fickle Mother Nature can be. I don’t think there’s one month I haven’t seen weather that is unusual. Take this month -- June -- for example. Normally we have a pretty decent growing season. But one year, the growing season was only 69 days. We had a foot of snow in mid-June. I’ve seen snow fall in every month except July and August. One year, it was so cold in July, I remember wearing my winter coat as I watched the free show at the fair. I think that was the same year as when it snowed in June. We’ve not had much rain so f...
Sunday was a delightful day for me. Our son, Carl, and his family treated me to the Sunday matinee of Arsenic and Old Lace at the Fort Peck Summer Theatre and dinner afterwards at the Gateway. The people who worked so hard to bring live theatre to our area deserve a huge amount of thanks. Over the years, so many local people have taken up the challenge of appearing on stage, giving everyone who attends the theatre a sense of pride and even ownership in this phenomenal project. So if you are looking for somewhere to take your guests this summer...
Moving from the wooded hills of southeast Iowa to the prairie of northeastern Montana was quite a change for me. What I missed the most was the sparsity of trees. Going down the hill of Highway 438 to join U.S. Highway 2 in October of 1968, I was struck by the pangs of homesickness when I saw the bright gold of trees along the Porcupine Creek. Suddenly I missed all the colors of the fall foilage where I grew up -- all the differerent shades of red, gold, green, brown, and orange. I soon learned this was just the first of many differences I...
There are two upcoming events in Valley County in June and September that are a testimony to determination, hard work, communities pulling together, but most of all to hope and faith. In late June, the Bethel Grain Church north of Nashua will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Late September will see the parish of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, in Nashua, celebrating its 100th anniversary. Several years ago, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashua had its 100th anniversay. To me, these celebrations hold stories of groups of people who had a...
It’s a bits and pieces week again. I hope all the mothers in our area had a really nice Mother’s Day. I was fotunate to have three of my children with me, five of my grandchildren, and to receive a phone call from my fourth child. Besides my children, we also had some special guests, including one of my daughter-in-law's mother, join us for dinner. Besides celebrating Mother’s Day, the day also included an early birthday celebration for my husband. So it was a grand day indeed. For quite a while now, the Great Falls television stations have...
Life can change in the blink of an eye. I sure found that out at 12:50 a.m. on April 29. I had gotten up to find the lotion I use on my hands because they were itching so badly. I reached out to pull the light cord on the ceiling fan and lost my balance. Down I went. A trip to the ER and X-rays revealed I had fractured both the radius and ulna in my right arm. And yes, I am right handed. When you read this I will have had a cast put on my arm. Now on to my column. Everywhere I look I see the bright green of new grass peppered with the bright...
While preparing Easter Sunday dinner, my thoughts drifted back to an Easter some years ago that definitely has been unforgettable. We always hosted Easter Sunday dinner because of calving season. This particular year, Easter also fell on my birthday. One of my husband’s brothers and his wife and family had come to visit his parents. So, of course, they were on the guest list for dinner, as was my husband’s parents and one of his uncles. We had also invited our parish priest to have dinner with us. A given thing during calving season was the sma...
This week has started out with joy, laughter and thankfulness. On Sunday, our son, Joe, and his wife, Crystal, and their family hosted a famly dinner at their home. My husband and I were blessed with having all four of our children present. It was a really great day for us. Monday, a long-time friend stopped by to give me a handmade fleece quilt made by the ladies of the Fort Peck Lutheran Church. The woman who brought it to me said, “We read your article about providing blankets for chemo patients and we’ve been doing that for quite a whi...
Last week, a picture appeared on my Facebook page that brought me to tears. It’s a photo of a rancher standing near charred fence posts and burnt, twisted, and broken barbed wire as he looks across scorched and blackened grazing land. Just a very small part of the half million acres destroyed by three wildfires in the Texas panhandle. The headline tells of the $27 million loss ranchers and farmers have suffered. However, that $27 million loss is only the tip of the iceberg. The loss is far, far greater than that. Some will say “Oh, there will b...
In spite of a couple rough spots the week before last, and one the week before that, it was a great one. Two weeks ago Sunday, I had a really nice visit with a friend. I’d shared with her about a doctor’s appointment I’d had. I told her a CT scan of my chest revealed spots of cancer in my ribs, vertebrae, and sternum. Several of them were new spots. My doctor and I had a discussion about pain management. When I met with my oncologist, we talked about the CT scan I’d had the week before. He said he wanted a contrast CT scan of my abdomen and pel...
Yesterday (Sunday) was a stunningly beautiful day. Sunshine, no wind, birds singing, and warm. You could almost feel Spring waiting to make its entrance. When I went to one of my favorite websites, a picture of a field of wildflowers popped up. The next ad I saw was one of prom dresses. And I thought ... new life. The world is getting ready to explode with new life. Soon buds will appear on trees, flowers will nudge their way to the surface, greenhouses will overwhelm a persons’s senses with the smell of wet earth, blooming plants, a rainbow o...
Saturday evening, I received a very pleasant suprise. A lovely bouquet of flowers was delivered to me. I have no idea who sent them. But whoever did, if you are reading this, thank you very, very much for your thoughtful gift. It has already brought me many smiles and most certainly brightened my days. On Sunday morning, I awoke to sunshine and the sweet song of birds singing. Though there is still snow on the ground, it even had a bright sparkle to it. To make the day even better, there was a potluck dinner following Mass. And after the...
A few days ago I heard of a young couple who had just gotten engaged. What an exciting moment in their lives. And a memory that will last a lifetime. But there’s so much more to getting married than just a set of rings and planning a wedding. Years ago a priest told me that everyone plans for a wedding. He said he wished they spent as much time preparing for the marriage. But that is an impossible task. There really isn’t a way to completely prepare for marriage. Yes, you can help prepare for it by going to premarital classes. What you can’t pr...
This past week, my thoughts have been filled with several things. The first one I want to address is all the ugliness that’s been in the constant forefront of not only the news but on social sites on the internet as well. Granted, there are many major issues our country is facing. I can’t help but wonder what has come over the citizens of this great land. An election was held, a president chosen. No, he was not the choice of many people, but the fact remains he was elected. I have to ask myself , would all that’s taken place since the elect...
Yesterday, our granddaughter assisted with the music for church by playing her clarinet. I always smile when I hear her play. It seems to add something special to the music. And it brings thoughts of the music of the people hundreds of years ago. When she plays her clarinet, I can hear the flute played by shepherds. By the time this column is published the Honor Band will have taken place at the Glasgow High School. This special band is comprised of high school students from throughout northeast Montana. Every one of these students are...
It’s been said that time flies. It surely does. When a couple gets married, they really don’t think about the years ahead. They usually hope to have children. When their children are born, they don’t really understand how fast that time can go. If you talk about when their children will graduate, parents will most likely comment, "That is years away." It may be, but it goes more quickly than a person realizes. I’ve often said a child is born one day and graduates from high school the next day. Each day melts into the next. Too often we miss ou...
Last week, our family, with the exception of one daughter and her sons, went out for supper to celebrate our oldest son and his wife’s birthdays. Everyone was having a good time visiting. When the waitress began bringing the pizzas that had been ordered, our 10-year-old grandson said to me, “We can’t start eating yet, Grandma. We have to pray first.” So we waited for the rest of our order, then bowed our heads and joined our grandson as he started a prayer. Sometimes it takes the wisdom of a child to remind adults of what they know they sh...
When a cat or dog leans their head back for you to pet their throat and upper chest, they are offering you their trust. They are trusting you not to hurt them. And if they roll over and offer you their belly to rub, that is total and complete trust. A young child trusts that their parents will provide their needs -- food, a place to live, clothes to wear. They know if they are sick their parents will see to it they have the medical treatment needed to make them well. They learn their parents want only the best for them and will always help...
