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Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, sometimes a fascinating and thought-provoking blurb is found, recently just discovered one exciting enough to share. This one explains in a simple way, how when we commit our ways to You, Lord, that You make Your Power come to pass. It uses Bible verse Romans 9:17. “…I [have] raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee…” and goes on to explain an easy way to grasp this Power. Date is unknown but, long ago, Billy Graham wrote about how Walter Knight told a story about a little...
submitted by Carter County Public Health Free School Aged Shot Clinic including kindergarten and 7th grade | Don't miss out! Call us at 406-775-6332 to pre-register. The clinic is open to all school-aged kids (public, country, home-schooled). The Care Van will be located at Carter County Museum, Friday July 22 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required. The Public Health Department and the BCBS Care Van have teamed up to offer these vaccinations for no out-of-pocket cost. The museum also plans to host an event...
I have always been a Martha Stewart fan, which I believe I can admit now that she's been out of jail for a long time. I loved her shows and website, but as a backcountry cook I would like to see Martha pack everything in on mules and serve it in a swarm of horse flies. Just in case she wants to expand into the area of creative backcountry cookery, I have decided to share a few ideas that (exactly like Martha) I have stolen or concocted. First of all, outfitters in general do not like to pack squishy things like artichokes,...
When you live on a creek or a river, flooding is a springtime fear. It is ironic that we have prayed for rain since March, but now that the flooding has begun we are almost tempted to pause that prayer. Many areas of our state are still in severe drought, but we are under flood watches. The last major flood washed out our bridge, and we vowed we would move to Cohagen, Montana if it happened again. Fortunately for the residents of Cohagen our new bridge, which cost us and FEMA a lot of money, has held strong so far. It is not...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, sometimes things pop up and seem to fit right in – so – here’s an acronym written by Lowell Lundstrom [date unknown], portraying important qualities regarding fathers. He wrote that American families are falling apart because of the failure of fathers to fulfill their God-given role. The acronym: F – FEAR – in Eccl.12:13 Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived said,” Fear God, and keep His commandments; For this is the whole duty of man.” Pro 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning...
I am going to continue on the old Ekalaka business places, people and locations. My next business on main street was the Pickard Market owned by Charles and Victoria Pickard. I am going to spend some time on this family which is given in Shifting Scenes Vol. II pages 689-690. If you have this book, read it. Charles was born in England and at age 16 came to the United States. In 1910 he decided to go West and reached Belle Fourche, South Dakota where he found no employment. He...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, it’s fun to think that June 8th is called Best Friends Day as well as the 8th having several other names, but it is also fun to think about special things that happen that help us recognize that it is headed toward Summer Time. How about a look-to list called Day Brighteners? “Sun moves rapidly Northward… Prism of rainbows… New quilt started… Hair cut… Furniture dusted… Windows get washed…. Picture from friends… Full gas tank… Friends at library… Red apples in bowl… Grapes on special...
Facebook and Google and email are wonderful things, but I believe we are living more fearfully because of them. Every day I receive hundreds of messages, memes, and emails. Some of them are tips from readers who would like me to pass along life altering information. Sometimes, I do try to fact check that information with sites like Snopes.com--even though I have it on good Facebook authority that Snopes is just a husband and wife from southern California who offer their liberal opinions on everything from urban legends to...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, family, friends and loved ones seem to be losing family, friends and loved ones, every week or every month. How great that remaining dear ones have a ‘time’ together, sharing special deeds and thoughts of those who’ve passed on. At one ‘gathering’, friends and family shared about their special ‘Ms. B.’; what she’d meant to them, all she’d shared, quilts she’d made for family, friends and even several she’d sent to an orphanage. On and on they chatted when suddenly there was a pa...
submitted by Carter County Public Health COVID-19 vaccine and testing | On Thursday, June 9th appointments are available for the COVID-19 vaccine (both primary and booster doses). Free COVID-19 At Home Test Kits are also available for residents. These are easy to use and provide quick results in 15-30 minutes. They can be used for various reasons including right before or close to attending an indoor event or a gathering. Free shot clinic for kindergarten and seventh grade vaccinations | Don’t miss out! Call Carter County P...
As the primary elections loom in Montana next week, I find myself not on the ballot for the first time in 16 years. I have decided to hang up my red pencil after 41 years in education at the end of my fourth term as County Superintendent of Schools this December. Having run for public office, I feel the pain of those running in contested races. It is not easy to run for office any place, but living in a small community makes it even harder! I remember well the first time I ran for my County Superintendent of Schools position...
With this column, I have completed my 27th year of writing a weekly humor/recipe column. Back when Linda Grosskopf hired me to take over writing "Cooking in the West" for the Agri-News, the only job description she gave me was," Just run some great recipes, write some funny stuff about your life, and have it in my email inbox every Monday morning." That sounded easy enough, so 324 columns later, I am sitting here on my laptop on a Sunday night trying to cheer up enough to write something funny to share this week. I should sto...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, the melody of that old hymn, “For The Beauty Of The Earth,” brought to mind “Care of the Earth” and “Stewardship” and Psalms 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” If we go to checking out the hymn itself, which was written by Folliott S, Pierpoint (1835-1917), one finds that there are two additional verses seldom printed in any hymnals – probably no wonder, as which song leader ever leads to sing all four – or for that matter, all seven verses of anything!! More is the...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, most of us believe that the Bible is Your inspired word and the foundation of our life and faith, but our behavior sometimes denies this. We have traditionally devalued history into ‘back then’ which has nothing to do with today. Somehow the point is missing that it is false to think that each person can decide what is true for themselves. The Bible is neither fiction nor textbook fact; it is a story that is true – it tells us who we are and who You are, God. In general, the Bible i...
submitted by Carter County Public Health Free shot clinic for kindergarten and seventh grade vaccinations. Don’t miss out! Call us at 406-775-6332 to pre-register or if you have questions. Here are more details. When: Friday, July 22, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., pre-registration required. Where: Carter County Museum. The Carter County Health Department and the BCBS Care Van have teamed up to offer kindergarten and seventh grade vaccinations for no out-of-pocket cost. Carter County Museum also plans to host an event afterwards. C...
Some days are long and for some reason I have been thinking of past businesses, their location and owners. Let’s begin with the old post office building where I started to work on April 1, 1950 under Postmaster E.E. Sykes. The north side of the building was occupied as a Western store and operated by Albert and Roberta Phelps, later by Claire Whitney. The post office was transferred to the north side later and a grocery store owned by Clarence and Ina Crystal was located in the old post office side. Today, the senior c...
As an English teacher, I love to read. The problem is that I never have time to finish a book. In fact, since the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial celebration back in 2004, I have been trying to read “Undaunted Courage”. My copy is dog-eared only from being drug around in my car for 18 summers. I spend the summer driving back and forth between our places near Bozeman, Big Timber, and Musselshell, Montana, and I vow every summer that I am going to actually finish the book, but I never do. I use it for weights in my suitcase, but...
Smiles Across Montana (SAM) Coming back this month to Ekalaka! Final days to sign up your kiddo! To parents of students in Ekalaka Public School districts (K-12). Deadline to submit your form of interest is May 20. SAM will be here for their return visit on May 24. Forms available at the Health Department or call us to request one sent by email. Don’t let the concern of costs deter you. SAM submits for insurance reimbursement and also provides scholarships. A few of the dental care services that Smiles Across Montana can p...
The Melstone High School All-School Reunion is looming up this June, and I find it quite amazing that I have been out of high school for 45 years. Where did all that time go? The last All School Reunion I attended coincided with my thirty year reunion, which was an event that inspired me to come home and make a bucket list. At that time (fifteen years ago) I did not feel old, but I couldn't help but notice that all of my peers were looking a little more trailworn than I remembered them. In my memories they were forever 18....
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, when we were kids back home on the ranch; we loved watching the full moon rise over the Cherry Ridges. We learned that many cultures have given names to the full moons throughout the year, each culture giving the full moon a unique name, and generally the names identify the entire month during which each full moon occurred. Crust Moon is one name for the March full moon. As kids, we knew about the formation of crusts on the snow from repeated thawing and freezing. Another name for t...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: April showers bring May flowers, a bit of snow helps too. There’s Daffodils and red Tulips and some Flax turning Blue. Shy violets hide ‘neath dewy grass, ‘resting’ at “Violet Springs.” Birds atwitter, feeding, nesting. “MAY’S Spring Time!” my heart sings. We’ll start this month with fragrant crabs, or May Pole Dance will do. Say! Mickey Mouse was born this month and Frank Sinatra, too! We smell rain storm – taste a rain drop, rebirth still in the air. We watch the rain, then hear thunder – this sce...
Teacher Appreciation Week is this week, and there are not enough words in the English language for me to express my appreciation for not only teachers, but the paraprofessionals, administrators, school staff members, janitors, bus drivers, and lunch ladies who have survived Covid and now face another pandemic--lack of respect for educators. Just a couple years ago, we were in Covid lockdown and suddenly parents developed a new respect for teachers. Two years later, educators find themselves under seige because of national...
I received a message from Linda Story, Chance Story's grandmother, regarding the outpouring of love and support that readers have shown to Chance and the Story family following the rodeo accident that broke all of the bones in Chance's face except his lower jaw. She wrote, "Thanks so much to you and all the generous readers who have sent prayers, cards, and donations to Chance. He is recovering as well as can be hoped. It has been an unbelievably humbling experience. The notes have been a great reminder that there are a lot o...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know Lord, curious things happen, now and then. A friend said that she and her hubby had started a Gratitude Book: every day they would/could write one thing for which they were thankful for. She gave a few examples as we just looked at her, Like really? She smiled and said, “How about you - just look out your window –and thank God for the gifts He has given you/us.” Then she named: her shed, butterflies, streaks of lightning – we laughed then thought – why not? Once home, - what did we see out...
Snow is deep — the days long, maybe do an article for you readers. In going through the Shifting Scenes Vol. III, I found two families I had been thinking about for some time. Those two were Chris and Gerda Bentz and Damian (Curly) Culver. “Christian and Gerda Bentz By William Kevin Armstrong Christian C. Bentz, was born December 20, 1891, at Artas, Campbell County, South Dakota, the son of Jacob and Margaret Bentz, of German extraction, one of four sons and three daughters. He attended Northern State College in Abe...
